Siblings Work in Business (103)
It had been a while since we visited this place.
The roads were familiar, but much had changed. Dirt roads were now paved, and tree stumps remained where strangely shaped trees once stood.
Things change. We had changed.
When was the last time we came here?
‘The nun…’
The church we visited with CEO Park, after running away.
I thought she was just a nun… or at least, a high-ranking nun.
I never imagined she was the director of our orphanage.
“Goodness, Eun-ho, Eun-ji, why did you go so far…?”
The nun welcomed us.
I thought she would scold us, but… she just hugged us and cried.
Eun-ji also cried.
And that’s when I heard… that the bakery owner had grown up in this orphanage.
“He’s doing well now. He wanted you to forget about him and be happy.”
There was a strange sadness in her eyes that made me uneasy.
But Eun-ji and I tried to accept her words, to believe that he was happy.
Sometimes, it’s better not to know.
We went to our old room and gathered the few things we had left behind – underwear, socks – things that were precious to us back when we were on the streets.
Meanwhile, the nun and CEO Park talked for a long time.
“Take care, you two.”
“Yes.”
“You too, Sister!”
After leaving the church, we returned to the attic room in CEO Park’s office.
For the first time, we had a stable place to live. While we adjusted to this ordinary life, CEO Park told us he hired a lawyer to become our legal guardian.
The process was faster than we expected.
Since there were no issues, CEO Park officially became our guardian.
We finally had a proper family, someone we could trust, like the bakery owner.
A few days later…
To celebrate, we went to visit the nun at the church.
And that’s when…
CEO Park’s smile disappeared.
“We’re here. Let’s go.”
I looked outside; it was a peaceful place, not far from the church.
We walked through the tombstones, looking for someone.
“We’re here.”
CEO Park placed a bouquet of lilies on a grave, seemingly having prepared it in advance, while Eun-ji greeted the deceased.
There were already fresh flowers on the headstone.
Eun-ji and I took a couple of steps back and bowed our heads after CEO Park placed the lilies.
Each of us probably had different thoughts during the silent prayer.
I wanted to ask the nun…
…about the bakery owner, whom I remembered during the live broadcast. I wanted to ask where he was…
…so I could visit him.
But no one knew.
“We’re doing well.”
Thank you for helping us become a family, Sister. I didn’t say it out loud, because it felt awkward with the CEO there.
“We’re finally doing what we want.”
Eun-ji said.
Singing, and composing, which she loved.
Eun-ji had even come to enjoy singing now.
Things had changed.
“We have a lot of people who support us now, too.”
“…”
A gentle breeze, carrying the scent of grass, blew through the trees.
“We might not be able to visit often, but we’ll stop by whenever we’re in the area.”
CEO Park said.
He seemed to have said it that way because he didn’t like making promises he couldn’t keep.
As he had told Seung-yeon, we didn’t stay long.
After a brief, silent prayer, we left.
I felt a strange mix of emotions, sadness and relief, like receiving a blessing.
Pension
“Where are we going now?”
“A pension (vacation home).”
“A pension?”
I asked, a bit worried.
“It’s… not yours, is it? Haha.”
The CEO, visible in the rearview mirror, looked puzzled.
No way.
“I bought it as a vacation home for us to use when we come down here.”
“For us?”
“Yes. But you two didn’t seem particularly attached to your hometown.”
Attached?
There were no good memories there, except for the nun and the bakery owner.
“And it was too much trouble dealing with the rats whenever we renovated the place, so I hired a caretaker and turned it into a pension.”
“Wow.”
All I could do now was express my amazement.
“How… did you make so much money, CEO?”
Eun-ji asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.
I was about to tell her it was rude to ask, but I was curious too, so I kept quiet.
“It’s our family’s secret investment strategy. It started with TaKa stocks.”
I thought it would be a secret, but the CEO seemed willing to share.
He bought TaKa stocks, which were plummeting, right before he left the company, determined to make Toxin and his own company successful.
And he sold all his shares when he left TaKa.
The stocks, thanks to TaKa’s growth, turned out to be a great investment, and he used that money to buy land, build buildings, and sell them…
He considered starting a construction company, but then decided to retire to the countryside with his money…
“Huh…?”
“…”
The more he talked, the more I wondered, ‘Who is this person?’
And then, something I hadn’t known until now…
“You own Teacher Ha-neul and Teacher Gu-reum’s academies?”
“No, I own about half the shares.”
“It’s the same difference!”
“Fine, fine. Just… don’t tell anyone.”
The CEO brushed it off.
I hadn’t known this before the regression, having distanced myself from the CEO after Eun-ji’s death.
As we listened to his story, the car entered an area with luxurious houses.
“My eyes are tired from all this luxury.”
A pension… looked like this?
Eun-ji and I weren’t familiar with pensions.
Even before the regression, I had refused the CEO’s offer for a trip. Back then, I was too focused on catching up to Eun-ji.
And I think Eun-ji skipped it to focus on her music…
We parked in a gravel lot, passed through a white arch covered in roses, and entered the pension.
Was white wood the main theme?
There were white swings and a photo zone on the lawn.
Beyond the lawn was a dirt path. The yard had several barbecue tables, and there was a large house in the center, with two smaller houses on either side.
Eun-ji, already captivated by the photo zone, seemed to have forgotten about everything else, excitedly taking pictures.
Leaving the excited Eun-ji behind, I followed the CEO into the largest house.
“Oh, you’re here?”
“CEO! This place is awesome!”
“Are we filming here tomorrow too?”
Oh Hyun, Seo Seung-yeon, and Joo Song-min spotted the CEO and asked.
He just nodded.
The interior was as neat as the exterior, with large windows and minimalist décor, reminiscent of Scandinavian design.
Although I wasn’t as excited as Eun-ji, I liked this place.
“Hyung?”
It was late, and Hyun-woo and Ji Ye-chan, after the long drive, looked exhausted.
‘But the CEO…’
I glanced at him. He seemed full of energy, despite the long drive. Perhaps it was the effect of his regular workouts.
“We should split up between the buildings.”
“Ah, you rented all three buildings?”
“Something like that.”
CEO Park nodded vaguely at Seo Seung-yeon’s question. A question mark appeared on Seo Seung-yeon’s face at the ambiguous answer.
CEO Park considered the sleeping arrangements.
Three of the staff were male, and two were female. Then there were Kim Cheol-soo, Seul-gi, and Eun-ji. And the five Toxin members. Plus, the two managers, Hyun-woo and Yeong-hee. How should he divide them?
Tired of thinking alone, CEO Park said,
“The houses on the left and right have the same layout as this one on the first floor. The only difference is that this one has two rooms on the second floor, and those have only one.”
The Toxin maknaes, impressed by his knowledge, looked at him with wide eyes.
“Wow, even the interior is beautiful.”
Eun-ji, finally done with her photoshoot, came inside.
CEO Park, after making sure Eun-ji had arrived, explained his plan.
The male staff, Hyun-woo, and Yeong-hee would stay in the house on the right.
The female staff, Cheol-soo, Eun-ji, and Seul-gi would stay in the house on the left.
Toxin, Eun-ho, and he would stay in the large house.
That was his initial plan, but…
「“Ah, fuck.”」
He suddenly remembered the video of Eun-ji waking up.
He quickly changed his mind.
“Since there are many other pensions nearby, I’ll get separate rooms for the staff.”
The staff seemed happy with the arrangement.
CEO Park left to make a call.
He returned a little later and left again with the staff. He apparently took them to a smaller but decent pension nearby.
And Hyun-woo and Yeong-hee would stay in the right house, as he initially planned. Cheol-soo, Eun-ji, and Seul-gi would stay in the left house.
“Hey, Lee Eun-ji.”
“Yeah?”
“Please don’t curse when you wake up tomorrow. Please.”
“…”
Eun-ho repeatedly told Eun-ji to watch her language, but Eun-ji, unsure if she could keep that promise, just looked away.
After the room assignments, the other houses had just the right number of rooms for everyone.
The problem was the largest house.
One of the two rooms on the first floor was a twin room.
The other was a single room with a slightly larger than twin-sized bed.
Naturally, the single room went to CEO Park.
And there was one single room left on the second floor.
A war began over who would get the single room.
The living room, which seemed like it used to be a dining area, wasn’t suitable for sleeping, with its large table and windows.
“Eun-ho.”
“Yes?”
Ji Ye-chan pulled Eun-ho aside, who had been watching the three same-age members bicker quietly.