FF Chapter 44

Chairman Choi took a sip of tea to moisten his throat before speaking again.

“You’ll be going on a business trip.”

“A business trip?” Choi Muhyeok repeated, not quite believing what he’d heard.

“That’s right.”

While Choi Muhyeok narrowed his eyes, Chairman Choi leisurely savored his tea.

This was ridiculous. There was no mention of a business trip on the official schedule he’d received that morning. So where had this trip come from?

He was about to say something, but Chairman Choi spoke first.

“There’s a signing ceremony scheduled in two days. An executive from Japan will be attending, so I want you to finalize the contract while you’re there. We’ve already reviewed the agreement, so all you have to do is close the deal.”

Chairman Choi looked directly at Choi Muhyeok, who was eyeing him with suspicion.

“Normally, I’d be the one attending, but I’ve deliberately chosen you as my representative. You know what that means, don’t you?”

It was difficult to keep his expression in check. The more he thought about it, the more suspicious he became. A signing ceremony significant enough to bring in a foreign buyer wouldn’t have been kept quiet until now. Such events were usually announced and publicized in advance, yet this was the first he’d heard of it. If the event was legitimate, he couldn’t help but wonder why it was kept under wraps until two days prior.

“Could it be on purpose?”

Though it was just a feeling, he couldn’t see it in a positive light. He had someone in mind.

Ji Yeonwoo.

“Is he trying to separate me from Ji Yeonwoo? If we’re together, he won’t be able to get to Yeonwoo… Is he planning to hurt him once we’re apart?”

But even that didn’t quite make sense.

“A man who strictly separates business from personal matters wouldn’t drag the company into this just to split us up….”

As unpleasant thoughts flashed through his mind, Chairman Choi continued speaking.

“I trust you’ll handle the job well. We’ve also invited many journalists, so keep your composure and mind your expression. It’s time you started making public appearances.”

“I’m afraid that won’t work, as I have prior commitments.”

He wasn’t entirely certain of his suspicions but chose to decline diplomatically. Luckily, he had an important engagement at the company in two days that served as a convenient excuse.

“I have a prior appointment with the bank president on that day. It’s an engagement I set myself and cannot miss….”

“Muhyeok.”

Chairman Choi’s previously calm voice grew stern.

“Do you think I came all the way here to exchange word games with you?”

“……”

“You, go in person. That’s an order.”

His voice was sharp with irritation. By now, Choi Muhyeok was feeling just as frustrated and angry. With the company being separate, they rarely met face-to-face or interacted directly, save for formal matters. While he’d always found Chairman Choi’s unilateral decisions difficult to understand, he’d tolerated them, thinking it was out of care for the company and his son. But this time, he couldn’t just let it go.

“Why do you keep doing this? Do you have no regard for my schedule whatsoever?”

“Minor matters can always be pushed aside for the greater good. Just reschedule your meeting with the bank president.”

“Why do you always assume everything revolves around your priorities? A meeting with the bank president is no small matter. To me, it’s important.”

“Is that how little backbone you have as a man?”

“This isn’t a matter of backbone. I told you it was a prior commitment. Why don’t you consider that any of my matters might hold significance?”

“Muhyeok.”

“I don’t feel inclined to attend, especially since I wasn’t involved in this matter from the start. If possible, let someone else go next time.”

“There won’t be a next time.”

“Then I won’t go.”

“You brat…!”

Chairman Choi couldn’t hold back his anger. His face twisted, and he pushed himself halfway up from the sofa, gripping the armrests.

But Choi Muhyeok didn’t back down.

“It’s not like there aren’t other occasions for me to make public appearances.”

“Don’t you realize there’s no better opportunity to be seen than at an event with an international buyer?”

“If you insist, why not send Minhyuk instead?”

The tug-of-war continued without either side yielding. Chairman Choi, his eyes sharp and smoldering with controlled anger, sat back heavily onto the sofa.

“If I’d planned to send Minhyuk, I wouldn’t have come here myself.”

“Father.”

“And once this is finished, hand over Sunwoo Trading Company and come to the main office. We can’t keep the Vice Chairman position vacant any longer.”

“…Chairman.”

“If you refuse, then there will no longer be a place for you at Sunwoo. Understand that.”

“Chairman!”

As if he could not stand to yield, Choi Muhyeok opened his mouth to speak, but Chairman Choi slowly rose from his seat. His words caught, and he looked up at the Chairman.

“Do you still not know your father?”

“……”

“I don’t say things twice.”

Choi Chairman, who had fastened the jacket buttons with a neat gesture, finished saying what he had to and turned to walk away. The sound of his shoes clacking against the marble floor echoed through the quiet Managing Director’s office.

And after the door opened and closed, a still silence descended upon the room.

“…Ha.”

Sitting motionless on the sofa, Choi Muhyeok let out a deep sigh a while later and leaned back. His hands, undoing the jacket and vest buttons beneath it, showed signs of irritation.

Sitting quietly, lost in thought, Choi Muhyeok took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts.

He had a suspicion but no concrete proof. No matter how he looked at it, the sudden business trip schedule seemed unrelated to the signing ceremony, but since Chairman hadn’t been specific, he couldn’t bring it up himself. More than that, it was difficult to read Chairman’s emotions since he didn’t usually express them clearly, making assumptions tricky.

‘Could it be that he really plans to solidify the successor position starting with the signing ceremony?’

Trying to connect it to Ji Yeonwoo, there were many aspects that didn’t make sense. If the goal was simply to separate him from Ji Yeonwoo, the plan seemed too obvious. Knowing that Chairman wasn’t the type to make such sloppy plans, it was hard to figure out what the real intention was.

Choi Muhyeok turned on his phone again to double-check his schedule. Within that brief moment, the meeting with the bank president, originally scheduled for two days later, was replaced with a business trip to Jeju Island.

It was so absurd that he let out a dry laugh.

‘At this point, avoiding the business trip seems impossible.’

Fingers tapping rhythmically on the leather sofa, Choi Muhyeok turned his phone back on and dialed a number.

[Yes, Managing Director. This is Park Jincheol.]

After a few rings, the call was answered. Holding the phone to his ear, Choi Muhyeok stood up and walked over to the wall-length glass window behind his desk.

“Hey, it’s me. I need to check something.”

With one hand in his pants pocket, Choi Muhyeok glanced into the distance as he spoke.

˖ ❀ ⋆｡˚

As the silver elevator doors opened, Choi Muhyeok stepped out. Walking at a pace neither fast nor slow, he made his way down the hallway to his home. From inside, he could faintly hear voices arguing.

He squinted in confusion. At this time, it should only be Ji Yeonwoo and the housekeeper in there—what could be so heated that the voices were spilling out of the room? As he moved toward the door, Choi Muhyeok entered the house after entering the security code, and as if on cue, the conversation inside abruptly stopped.

“Yeonwoo.”

He called out deliberately and walked toward the kitchen, where he heard a noise. Turning around the corner, Choi Muhyeok’s eyes quickly locked onto Ji Yeonwoo.

His face was stiff, likely due to the tense meeting with Chairman earlier, making him more on edge over even the smallest things.

Ji Yeonwoo and the housekeeper, who had been by the induction stove, stopped when they saw Choi Muhyeok’s rigid expression.

“Oh, Muhyeok. You’re here?”

Ji Yeonwoo hesitated, trying to read the room. Choi Muhyeok, scanning the kitchen quickly, had a sharp look in his eyes. Nothing seemed out of place. The table was set with side dishes, and a pot of unfinished miso stew was bubbling on the stove.

“Is something going on?”

The housekeeper, sensing the tension in his tone, hesitated before stepping away from the island to approach him.

“Ah, Managing Director, you’re here. Please talk some sense into Yeonwoo.”

The housekeeper continued with her complaint.

“I told him to sit down and rest since he wasn’t feeling well, but he insisted on making stew. He’s not even good with the knife. What if he hurts himself?”

Listening to the housekeeper’s worried words, Choi Muhyeok turned his gaze to Ji Yeonwoo. As soon as their eyes met, Ji Yeonwoo looked away shyly.

“No, I just thought… since you’ve been so busy lately and haven’t had a proper meal… I wanted to make miso stew for you. You liked the one I made last time, remember?”

“So this is why you were arguing?”

It was hard to believe, but Ji Yeonwoo nodded slowly. The housekeeper shook her head as if she didn’t understand either.

Looking back and forth between the two, Choi Muhyeok let out a small laugh, relieved that it wasn’t anything serious. However, feeling on edge earlier, hearing the reason for the argument made him feel foolish.

Choi Muhyeok walked over to the water dispenser and took a sip of water. The cool drink helped clear his mind a bit. After finishing a cup, he turned to the housekeeper.

“That’s fine. Yeonwoo is a good cook, so let him handle it.”

Without saying anything more, he sided with Ji Yeonwoo, and the housekeeper gave him a glance. Ji Yeonwoo, looking at Choi Muhyeok, seemed to be silently expressing gratitude. Choi Muhyeok turned back to the housekeeper and spoke.

“You can leave now. It’s okay.”

The housekeeper looked at the clock, startled. It was only a little past 6:00 p.m.

“Already? There’s still about an hour left…”

“We’ll take care of dinner ourselves, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Ah…”

Surprised by the early dismissal, the housekeeper seemed both pleased and puzzled.

“And you don’t need to come back until this weekend.”

“What? Until the weekend?”

“Take this chance to go on a trip. I’ll make sure you’re well-compensated for your vacation.”

At his words, the housekeeper’s eyes widened in surprise.

Ji Yeonwoo’s miso stew was placed among the side dishes on the table. As Choi Muhyeok sat down and began eating, he found himself eating more of the miso stew than the other dishes. Watching him, Ji Yeonwoo smiled. Then, as if remembering something, Ji Yeonwoo slowed down his chewing and paused.

“Excuse me, Muhyeoki.”

At the soft sound of someone calling him, Choi Muhyeok looked up as he put a small piece of potato and zucchini from the soybean paste stew into his mouth.

“About the landlady… why did she tell us not to come to work until the weekend?”

Ji Yeonwoo continued, picking at his rice with his chopsticks.

“It’s only Monday, but staying away until the weekend means skipping the whole week, doesn’t it?”

“And?”

“I was just curious about your thoughts. If it’s because of what happened earlier and you’re upset…”

As Choi Muhyeok listened to Ji Yeonwoo’s words, his cheek muscles, which were moving slowly, suddenly stiffened. Could it be that Ji Yeonwoo thought he was upset because of their earlier quarrel? The thought passed through his mind, and Choi Muhyeok hurriedly interrupted Ji Yeonwoo.

“Sorry to cut you off, but you’re mistaken.”

“Sorry?”

“I’m saying that’s not the reason.”

Sensing the big misunderstanding, he couldn’t just let it slide. Knowing Ji Yeonwoo’s nature, he’d definitely feel guilty about inconveniencing the landlady.

“Well… it’s nothing like that…”

After chewing a few more times and swallowing with a slight bob of his throat, Choi Muhyeok took a sip of water.

“I have a business trip scheduled starting tomorrow.”

The moment he said that, Ji Yeonwoo’s expression faltered noticeably. His fair, delicate face quickly became tinged with surprise.

“A business trip…? Wait, tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

Unable to hide his bewildered expression, Ji Yeonwoo hesitated, opening and closing his mouth several times before finally speaking again after a long pause.

“Ah, so that’s why… you said that.”

Perhaps it was his imagination, but his voice seemed filled with disappointment.

“It wouldn’t be right to leave the landlady as the only one around while I’m gone.”

“……”

“It’s not that I don’t trust her, but it’s better to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.”

Ji Yeonwoo nodded repeatedly.

“Right. I understand too.”

“The trip was only communicated to me this morning. It’s surprising, but I don’t think it’s something I can cancel.”

“Is it a very important trip?”

“Yes.”

Ji Yeonwoo sighed briefly and bit his lower lip as if chewing on it.

“How long will it take?”

Realizing the nature of his question, Ji Yeonwoo quickly shut his mouth, as if embarrassed. His previously straight shoulders slumped slightly.

“Ah, right. You said until the weekend.”

Though it was brief, his lips pouted, unable to fully hide his disappointment.

“Where are you going? If it’s a week, are you heading overseas?”

By the end, his face betrayed his struggle to maintain composure. It was understandable; business trips were a regular part of the year for Choi Muhyeok, but this would be the first time he’d be apart from Ji Yeonwoo for this long. When they lived separately, it didn’t feel like much, but now that they shared a home, the absence would be more noticeable.

“It’s domestic, not overseas.”

Ji Yeonwoo nodded without adding anything more. His fair, mochi-like cheeks seemed more puffed out than usual today, making them all the more endearing. Choi Muhyeok found himself smiling softly.

“Speaking of which…”

Ji Yeonwoo, who had put a few grains of rice into his mouth, looked up. Seeing the smile on Choi Muhyeok’s face, Ji Yeonwoo’s expression shifted into one of curiosity.

There was a reason he’d been so on edge before coming home. Just before arriving, he had received a call from Park Jinchul.

‘It seems that during your absence, the Managing Director plans to summon Ji Yeonwoo to the main house.’

It hadn’t even been a few hours since he instructed Park Jinchul to investigate, but Park had already gathered all the necessary information, confirming what Choi Muhyeok had suspected.

Leaning forward from his seat, Choi Muhyeok directed his attention to Ji Yeonwoo.

“Have you ever been to Jeju Island?”

At the unexpected question, Ji Yeonwoo blinked.

Watching him, a smile spread across Choi Muhyeok’s face.

“After dinner, pack your bags. Most of what we need will be provided at the hotel, so just bring some clothes.”

“What…?”

“The business trip. I plan to take you with me, Ji Yeonwoo-ssi.”

Now that he knew his father’s intentions, Choi Muhyeok couldn’t just sit back and let things happen.

Ji Yeonwoo packed his belongings immediately after finishing dinner.

As he packed a few outfits and undergarments into his suitcase, he occasionally found himself wondering about the sudden trip and the need for him to accompany Choi Muhyeok. Still, he silently followed his instructions. After all, staying home wouldn’t accomplish much, and he thought of it as an opportunity for a change of scenery.

At dawn, the two moved quickly and left for Gimpo Airport, arriving at Jeju International Airport just an hour later. A car was already waiting in front of the airport, prepared in advance by Park Jinchul, who had somehow arrived earlier to take care of the arrangements.

Seated next to Choi Muhyeok in the backseat, Ji Yeonwoo finally caught his breath. It was already past 11 a.m., and everything from the previous evening to now felt like a whirlwind.

Once in Jeju, it all began to feel real. Though the flight was only an hour, the contrast between here and the mainland made it feel like a different country. The exotic trees passing by the window added to the foreign atmosphere.

As he alternated between looking out the window and at his phone to pass the time, Ji Yeonwoo suddenly grew curious about what Choi Muhyeok was doing.

Sitting beside him, as always immaculately dressed in a suit, Choi Muhyeok had his long legs crossed, a tablet propped up as he reviewed documents.

Judging by how quickly he’d begun working upon getting into the car, it was clear his tight schedule was no exaggeration. Ji Yeonwoo had never seen him work up close before, but watching him now, his focused profile seemed more alluring than ever.

After scribbling a few notes in the margins of a document with his stylus, Choi Muhyeok looked up.

“Is it stifling?”