RSL Ch 116

As expected, Seo-jin was upset about that. He already knew from passing comments that he had been disappointed a couple of times. Jae-yi brought up a problem he had been contemplating.

“By the way, I have something to discuss with you regarding work.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Actually, I’m thinking of changing my position to senior partner.”

Before they knew it, they had completely exited the square and entered a main road. This path was familiar and nostalgic for Jae-yi. The hotel across the street was where Seo-jin always stayed when he flew out from Korea. A few times, he had walked this road in the opposite direction, leaving his house alone.

After being hurt by a misaligned timing and struggling to push him away, he had walked back down this road. The road they had hesitated to walk together on the day he proposed to him because they didn’t want to break up. Their destination was the same. Today, they were heading home together.

“Does that mean you’ll be busier?”

“I don’t know how it will be. I’ll be taking on bigger projects, but business trips will decrease. Since I’ll be participating in company management with the investment funds, it’s more about investment than promotion.”

They entered a brick-paved alley as the asphalt road ended. There were many vehicles, perhaps because it was Saturday night. They walked closely along the edge of the alley to avoid obstructing traffic. Seo-jin seemed curious and asked more detailed questions. The vow to share life together was about becoming the person who knows the other’s present the most deeply.

“If I tell you not to do it, you won’t?”

“Of course not.”

“But you want to try?”

“That’s true. Anyway, I need this experience if I want to be independent later. Oh, hello. Where are you headed at this hour?”

During their conversation, they ran into a fellow resident from the same apartment at the end of the alley. Seo-jin greeted them warmly from the side. The three of them briefly discussed parking fines. They were thinking of filing a complaint because outsiders kept parking in resident spots, and the enforcement was too lax. They parted ways after suggesting to continue the detailed discussion in the resident group chat.

The two continued on their way. The conversation shifted from the parking fine of twenty euros back to the senior partner position at the law firm.

“Then just try it out. If it gets too much after a few years, I’ll tell you. If you can quit then, I’m okay with it.”

“But saying this doesn’t guarantee it will happen. More than half of the board has to agree.”

“What’s your reputation like?”

Seo-jin, who had been teasing Jae-yi, took out his keys from his pocket. They had arrived home. Jae-yi stood back, waiting, and made eye contact with an elderly woman walking her dog. As they exchanged smiles, Seo-jin opened the apartment’s main entrance. He then checked the mail.

Letters addressed to each of them and a bill and notice designated for both of them. Advertisements arriving under the names ‘Family Han’ or ‘Family Schmitz.’ They had become quite familiar with it.

“It has nothing to do with that. Everyone just judges based on what’s advantageous for them. I’ve mostly dealt with automotive-related corporations. Partners involved in many cases related to that will oppose it. Their standing will decrease. Partners whose win rates are dropping will also be cautious. Anyway, it’s a position where someone has to be pulled out for someone else to come in, so it’s tense.”

“Really? I didn’t know. If it happens, when will it start? Oh, hello.”

They ran into a couple from the first floor who were heading out. Jae-yi held the door for them.

“Hello. Maybe in a couple of months? There are some people who are willing to support me. Since it’s still a small scale, I can at least consider it. If it were my previous company, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of it. Oh, by the way, Chris asked me to call him, but I forgot.”

“Let’s do it when we get upstairs.”

The sounds of their conversation, mixing Korean and German, echoed at the entrance of the apartment. Sometimes it became serious, sometimes light, as their daily lives filled with each other. While climbing the stairs, it was surprising that Seo-jin agreed to Jae-yi’s suggestion of making ramen.

“What’s going on?”

“The last one I bought wasn’t spicy. It was delicious.”

Jae-yi’s low laughter could be heard. The heavy door closed, and the two of them gradually faded away. The hallway lights turned on one by one, followed by the opening of the apartment door. The sounds of casual chatter and bags being set down. The window of their apartment, connected to the living room, shone brightly.

Beyond the curtains, the shadows of the two, perhaps sharing a long-delayed kiss, flickered. A peaceful Saturday was coming to an end. The moon was particularly high that night.

–And one more time, Maximillian–

Continuing a story that has already ended is far from my nature. I don’t particularly enjoy clinging to someone I’ve already parted ways with.

However, isn’t there something to be said for those unexpected encounters? A familiar face you run into on the street when you thought you had forgotten them. Special connections that you meet in unexpected places are always exceptions. I welcome any time to catch up with such people.

I’m doing well. Sometimes overwhelmingly, sometimes unbelievably.

***

March. Spring.

-LH 467, reduce speed 300.

-Tower, LH 467. Roger that.

The nose of the airplane approaching the runway tilted. Descent would begin soon. On the way back from Vietnam to Stuttgart, the sky was a dazzlingly clear morning, not long after sunrise.

-Cabin crew, stand by for landing.

The co-pilot in charge of the PM skillfully lowered the gear at an altitude of 300 feet.

200.

100.

50.

With the landing, the wheels glided along the runway. The flaps opened, and the airplane slowed down against the headwind. We quickly moved to our assigned terminal gate to prepare for the connecting flight. Ground crew members waiting on standby secured the wheels. As the seatbelt sign turned off, a rush of passengers could be heard moving in the cabin. It had been a smooth flight.

“Ah, I’m on a month-long vacation starting today. This was my last flight.”

The co-pilot removed his hand from the thrust lever and stretched his interlocked fingers upward with all his might. A month? My hand, which had been reaching for the flight log, paused. Even in the off-season, could that really be possible? I looked at him.

“Twelve flights during the year-end and New Year’s season, and I earned this time off. How about that? Isn’t it amazing?”

“Twelve flights? Did you fly without sleeping? Did you negotiate that with Tony?”

Seeing my incredulous expression, the Co-pilot smiled proudly.

“Exactly. I made a good deal.”

“Wow.”

I couldn’t help but be impressed. Compared to my schedule, which barely managed six flights during last year’s Christmas season, he was a true combat pilot. I asked what he planned to do during his month off.

“I’m going to Australia for an off-road trip. I’ll be crossing some deserts along the way.”

In that moment, my envy multiplied fivefold. Crossing a desert was at the top of my bucket list. Of course, in my case, it would be by plane.

“Are you going alone?”

“No. I’m going with friends I met at a local club. We’ve been planning this for a year.”

“Australia at this time? That’s perfect.”

The weather would be warm, and since it wasn’t the travel season, prices would be relatively low. I finished my checklist while envying the co-pilot who was about to enjoy a late vacation.

The airport was quiet. After stepping out of the cockpit, I briefly stopped by the company lounge to send in the flight report and changed my clothes. I had somewhere to go. And the person who would accompany me on that journey was already waiting for me at the terminal café on the first floor.

“Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

As I approached, Han Jae-yi looked up from my shadow. He was wearing a gray suit and a white shirt. His trench coat, which I liked, was draped over a chair.

“It’s fine. I saw the delay in your arrival time, so I ordered another coffee. Should I get yours to go?”

“No, I had some on the plane.”

“Okay. Then let’s head out right away.”

He organized his laptop and gulped down the remaining coffee in one go. He tucked his coat under his arm and pushed in the chair. We had to hurry as our departure time was slightly delayed.

We quickly moved to the elevator down to the parking lot, briefly asking each other about our mornings. It had been 48 hours since we parted ways at home two days ago.

“What was the in-flight meal?”

“Just bread and salad. Did you have breakfast?”

“Yeah, I had a simple sandwich with coffee. I’ll drive.”

Han Jae-yi opened the car door and tossed his bag into the back seat.

“Didn’t you almost pull an all-nighter yesterday? You look tired.”

According to our brief phone call before the flight, he had been working from home. He had been sacrificing his weekends and continuing like this. Not knowing the full situation, I couldn’t just tell him not to overdo it, so I stayed silent, but Han Jae-yi had been pushing himself too hard lately. No matter how good his stamina was, there must be a limit to how much he could endure, and I was worried he might break down somewhere.

“You can drive when we return, then.”

That was naturally my plan. I had volunteered for the flight coming into Stuttgart, so I was fine, but he had driven all the way here from Munich in the early morning. Although the schedule was tight, there was a reason he had to push himself to make it on time. Today, a baptism for Emma was scheduled at a church in Stuttgart.

Emma Schmitz. My only niece and Chris’s daughter. Han Jae-yi and I were to attend as her godfathers.

It had been over a year since Emma was born, but there was a somewhat sad reason for holding the baptism only now. Emma had been very sick since birth. She had undergone two major surgeries and at one point, we were even told to give up hope.

Last year, Chris took a break from work and lived in the hospital with Silvia. My parents, as well as Han Jae-yi and I, visited Emma whenever we could.

During that time, we were tightly bonded by family love. Our greetings always began with, “How is Emma?” Fortunately, this little girl was brave, just like his father. As the long-term treatments began to take effect, Emma started to grow, almost like a miracle.

The baby, who had no strength to hold a bottle, one day grabbed my pinky finger and wouldn’t let go, and in the blink of an eye, she was able to stand on her own. From that point on, she was just like any other baby her age. Now, she was the one who slid down the slide the most at the playground, outpacing her friends.

On the days when Han Jae-yi and I took care of Emma, we both returned home covered in mud. I hadn’t known this before, but Han Jae-yi really liked children. I couldn’t tell if it was because she was Chris’s daughter or not, but even when Emma threw up on his suit dozens of times, Han Jae-yi always had a smile on his face. Perhaps that was why Chris’s trust in him had grown tremendously.

‘I just hope you two can take care of her together.’

Chris had hoped that in addition to me, Han Jae-yi would also become Emma’s godfather. Han Jae-yi didn’t hesitate at all. He joyfully accepted the call on the same day and immediately agreed. He even brought a written pledge. Everyone laughed at the stubbornness of the German lawyer, who insisted that everything must be put on paper. I signed along, and now if anything were to happen to Chris and his wife, Han Jae-yi and I would become Emma’s legal guardians.

“How long will it take?”

“What? The baptism? Well, according to Chris, it won’t take more than 10 minutes. It’s usually done as part of the regular service, so if we stay for the whole service, it’ll be about an hour.”

“Are we going to stop by the Winnenden house afterward?”

“No, I’d prefer if we just had a meal since you’re tired.”

“If the atmosphere allows, let’s do that.”

Recently, the Schmitz family gatherings had become frequent. With Emma’s situation and overlapping birthdays or events, this would be our third meeting this year alone. On the other hand, even though the New Year had passed, I still hadn’t visited Han Jae-yi’s mother. Of course, there was a physical reason for that. She had been living in Korea since last winter.

“Have you talked to your mother?”

“Yeah. Nothing special, but it seems she was worried since neither of us was answering our phones.”

Han Jae-yi’s mother had left several missed calls on both our phones yesterday. I was concerned that something might have happened in Korea, but there was nothing I could do while in flight. Fortunately, since it turned out to be nothing, one worry was lifted. Now, I had to deal with another concern.

“What did the police say?”

“They said they would look into it, but they advised not to expect much.”

“Ha.”

I shook my head in disbelief and looked out the window.

We had recently started moving into a new house. Since we had bought most of the household items and furniture new, there wasn’t much to move from Han Jae-yi’s apartment. We were slowly transitioning between the two homes over time. In the midst of this, a thief had broken in.

“That’s how it is. If there are no stolen items, even if they arrest someone, it would just be for trespassing. It would end with a simple fine.”

Fortunately, thanks to the security system being activated, the thief didn’t take anything. However, I felt very uneasy. How did they know that we hadn’t completely moved in yet and that the house was mostly empty?

It was a new neighborhood, and already I had a bad impression. The thought that someone had been watching us was incredibly unsettling.

“The fact that the thief’s face is clearly captured on the security camera, yet they can’t catch him, means they lack the will to do so.”

I let out a complaint without realizing it.

“That’s true. The police aren’t very interested.”

“Why do you talk about it like it’s someone else’s problem?”

“Who knows? Maybe because I already knew the ending from the start?”

Han Jae-yi smiled and rubbed my back with his right hand, which was not on the steering wheel. As a legal professional, he must have thought that they wouldn’t catch the thief from the beginning.

“Oh, and the chimney inspector is coming by on Monday morning.”

“That’s good. I have an afternoon flight. Has the gardener contacted you?”

“Not yet. Maybe he’s busy since it’s spring.”

After that, we continued to update each other for about 10 more minutes. There were so many things we needed to discuss and inform each other about that it was becoming too much for just a phone call.

Living together, becoming spouses. There were so many things we had to discuss and sign together as each other’s legal representatives. Sharing property, spending, and saving together. The vow I made a year ago to share my life with him had returned to me as this daily reality.

Of course, I was more than satisfied.

“Turning left up ahead will be faster. It gets congested here on Sundays.”

“Okay.”