“Nice shot―!”
Chairman Wang shouted as he watched the golf ball get sucked into the water hazard.
If only there hadn’t been a gust of wind at that moment, it would have definitely headed for the hole cup. It was a stroke of luck that might happen once in a hundred times.
Why is it that the older he gets, the more his competitive spirit burns? Well, he was the person Son Ilsung feared so much, holding onto management power even in his old age, so there’s nothing more to say.
“Old man, I think I’ll win this time.”
“Son, do you think I’ll let you win that easily?”
By their voices, they sounded like neighborhood grandpas, but in reality, they were giants in the business world. They were grandpas who hadn’t visited the country club in a long time.
The wave of bankruptcies that had been causing a stir in the news was finally calming down. At that moment, Chairman Wang suddenly looked at me.
“Hyun, it seems you were wrong this time. Hasn’t the domino effect stopped?”
On the surface, it seemed so. The Prime Minister had personally stepped in to repeatedly deny the rumors of a foreign exchange crisis, and the corporate bankruptcies had miraculously stopped.
As a result, the hoarding frenzy that had spread like an epidemic among the people had also subsided. Sugar and flour, which had been nowhere to be found in large supermarkets for a while, had reappeared. However…
“It’s too early to make a conclusion, it’s just taking a breather.”
“A breather?”
“I told you, the government would even hide the fact that they received help. They’re trying to mitigate the psychological shock.”
The Bank of Korea announced that its foreign reserves were in the hundreds of billions of dollars, but I didn’t believe it. Instead, stock prices were collapsing, and exchange rates were gradually rising. It was proof that the domino effect was still ongoing.
However, the majority of the population still blindly trusted the government. It was probably like the phenomenon of a frog in a boiling pot.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth, but it was an inevitable flow of history.
“Indeed, I’ve chosen a good son-in-law.”
What was he talking about?
“Since the last performance, I hear the classical music world hasn’t stopped sending love calls to you. From what your mother tells me, the chairman of the Seoul Arts Center has come to see you several times?”
They wanted me to hold a solo concert. But given the timing, I had no choice but to refuse. If Im Hyera hadn’t stepped in, I would have been in quite a bind.
No matter how high the nose of someone in the classical music world might be, they couldn’t stand up to the eldest daughter-in-law of the Daeil Group.
“By the way, I heard you went to Natural Farm with Yooha?”
“Yes, Yooha really likes riding the rides.”
“Not the zoo?”
At that moment, Chairman Wang made a curious expression.
“That’s strange, Yooha usually dislikes rides.”
She rode the roller coaster and the Viking multiple times, but she doesn’t like rides? That’s nonsense.
Then, it was time for the old snake-like chairman’s putting turn.
But no matter how you looked at it, Chairman Wang had no talent for golf. The trajectory of the golf ball flying between the pine trees was like a picture.
“Vincent’s Bowed Wheat.”
The mechanism of modern art is simple. There’s a theory that Van Gogh’s works are more expensive than Monet’s because there are fewer of them, and another that says it’s just easier to manage and thus has gone up in value. But most importantly, it’s the influence of the collectors.
A painting that looks like a child’s doodle can fetch billions of won just because it’s “a work sponsored by the chairman.”
No wonder famous artists would secretly lobby collectors who are like madams.
It was the same now.
The ears of wheat that the French painter Vincent painted on canvas were worth billions of won. If its price soared in the future, it wouldn’t be strange, but it would never go down.
In the scene where modern art meets capitalism, everything except the price is unimportant. Who among the wealthy knows that Vincent was a farmer in southern France in his younger days?
“Oh, Hyun, you’re early?”
“Yes, Mi-hyun noona. You’ve been working hard since the morning.”
The gallery was bustling since the morning. A few of the collections, including Vincent’s works, were being transferred outside. Just those alone could buy and still leave change for a building in downtown Seoul.
In my past life, I also had a keen interest in modern art. It wasn’t for nothing that Im Hyera had taken over the gallery.
In a way, there’s no blank check as legitimate as that. But now, it has nothing to do with me.
“Hyung, how long are you going to stay here?”
It felt like a flea had stuck to the studio. Even after finishing the solo concert, Baek Junghoon continued to mark his attendance at the studio.
No wonder Im Hyera was thinking of recruiting Baek Junghoon as the second musician of the gallery.
“Hyun, are those paintings really worth billions of won each? Then where are they all being moved to?”
Trying hard to change the subject.
“I don’t know.”
Well, it would most likely end up in the hands of those in power. Around this time, Chairman Wang would be putting a lot of effort into it.
The reason Daeil Group could maintain its rank in the business world, even as the country swayed, was nothing else. They’ve been continuously oiling the cogs to keep them from stopping.
“Still, I’m more interested in your sheet music than those paintings. Hirose-sensei said the same thing. The moment he heard ‘Iron Blood,’ he thought God was truly unfair. He said that you not only have talent as a violinist but also as a composer.”
“You flatter me.”
“Hyun, are there any of your sheet music pieces inspired by Hirose-sensei?”
Of course, there were. The queen of strings was enough to inspire just by being seen.
But I couldn’t bring it out into the world. To me, it still seemed full of shortcomings.
“Hirose-sensei said he’s looking forward to how many masterpieces will come out when you reach an age to understand love. Historically, many musicians have produced incredible albums after falling in love.”
“That’s a generalization. On the contrary, Schubert and Beethoven are known for never having experienced proper romance. No wonder their names are synonymous with loneliness.”
“But Niccolò Paganini was a famous Casanova, wasn’t he?” Baek Junghoon rubbed his nose, seemingly embarrassed.
It was then.
Huh?
At the same time my forehead tingled, a red pimple appeared on my previously flawless skin. Baek Junghoon made a curious expression and looked at my forehead.
Why…
“Hyun, they say you get pimples when you like someone?”
Suddenly, her face came to mind.
“Hyun―!”
It was someone I hadn’t seen in a long time. But it felt as comfortable as if we had met just last night.
It was Dr. Tikhonov, still as eccentric as ever. He had become even more unique. Whether he had been living in the mountains or not, he had grown a beard, and his broken glasses were roughly taped together with scotch tape.
If he had come by boat instead of by plane, he would have surely brought his beloved car.
“It’s been a while, Doctor. But you’ve changed a lot? Growing a beard and all.”
“Haha, I haven’t been out of the lab, so I ended up like this. But you, Hyun, still look the same! I mean, your handsome face hasn’t changed. Of course, neither has your height!”
Is this a compliment or an insult?
“The lab staff were so eager to see you that I came to Korea first, making them all envious. By the way, you have a great house!”
Dr. Tikhonov was one of the few foreigners invited to the Ichon-dong mansion. But why did he feel similar to Director Jean-Pierre? Maybe geniuses have some common traits?
The mansion was filled with a savory aroma.
Mother and the housemaid were once again in perfect harmony, immersed in cooking. The house was filled with the savory smell of chicken. It wasn’t like a son-in-law had returned home, but they had prepared a hen.
Grandfather and Father had not yet arrived at the mansion. But then…
“Fantastic soup―!”
The chatterbox doctor was already in the kitchen, chatting away with Mother and the housemaid. They were communicating through body language even though the languages didn’t match. The doctor’s reactions were so good that he seemed ready to roll up his sleeves and cook with them.
“The ladies here are truly culinary gods. Even Lenin in the Soviet era wouldn’t have been served such rare delicacies. I’m so moved that you made such precious food for me. Spasibo, Korea―!”
It looked like he was performing a one-man show. But look at those tearful eyes. Mother and the housemaid, who didn’t understand Russian at all, could feel the doctor’s sincerity.
They were probably bewildered too. They had never seen a guest show such a dramatic reaction to their cooking. Having seen such scenes often in Russia, I was used to it.
“Oh, Grandfather, you’re here?”
Just then, Grandfather and Father entered the mansion together. At that moment, Dr. Tikhonov, sensing their presence, ran out of the kitchen in a hurry.
‘When did he put on an apron?’
It was a sight I couldn’t believe my eyes. Dr. Tikhonov, wearing an apron, approached Grandfather and grabbed his hands.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Boss.” He really wasn’t a namesake, was he?
“Hyun, are you sure it’s okay not to go to the airport?”
Father asked me gently. Today was the day Yooha was leaving the country. I told him it was fine. We had already said our last goodbyes. There was no need for me to add to the crowd at the airport. The family needed their time together.
“If I go to see her off, it will only make it harder for her to study alone abroad.”
Indeed, there was no need to make her feel unsettled when she had to study alone in a foreign country. Moreover, it was overseas.
No matter how mature Son Yooha was for her age, she was still just a young girl. Just as I had felt in my past life, she would surely have a lingering sense of homesickness.
“Mr. Kang, what are you talking about?”
Just then, Dr. Tikhonov approached Father and me.
After trimming his beard and tidying his hair, his face looked completely different. Only his broken glasses proved he was the chatterbox doctor.
The reason the chatterbox doctor was at the Ichon-dong mansion was simple. Grandfather had said he could stay at the mansion while he was in Seoul.
‘I’m honored to stay in the same house as the Boss,’ the chatterbox doctor had exclaimed.
Anyone would think he had joined a mafia company, not a chemical one.
“Hyun, I’ve felt this since Russia but you really don’t understand women’s hearts.”
“What?”
Dr. Tikhonov, having heard the story from Father, slightly pushed up his glasses with his finger, as if to show his intellect.
“Or maybe you have the blood of Casanova. Making a girl cry like this, if I were that girl, I’d be eagerly waiting for you to show up at the airport. Not going to see her off will make her heart even more unsettled. Perhaps God gave you the talent for the violin but took away your ability to love?”
What is he saying, this chatterbox doctor?
“Father, I’ll be right back!”
But my body was already reacting. I rushed out the front door.
Fortunately, Mr. Kim the driver was at the mansion. I didn’t have to frantically hail a taxi like last time.
“We’ve arrived, Kang Hyun.”
With the help of Mr. Kim, who drove like the best driver, I was able to reach Gimpo Airport. Without even saying thank you, I started running.
But it was already too late. The green text on the large display indicated that the boarding process was already complete.
“Huff, huff.”
Yooha was probably seated on the plane by now. I clutched my wallet in my pocket. In hindsight, maybe I had thought too much from an adult’s perspective. At that moment,
“You’re too late, fool.”
Someone hugged me from behind my sweat-soaked back. Turning my head, I saw a blue hairpin in my sight. The pounding heart was probably due to the running.
At that moment, my eyes met Yooha’s.
“I postponed to the next flight, thinking you might come, oppa.”
