My Company Is Black

#034

Hwi-kyung was prevented from hitting Gyo-ha a few more times because Lee Jung-hye came out to personally fetch the two of them.

“Stop clinging to each other outside and come in quickly.”

Jung-hye, dressed immaculately as if attending a meeting with in-laws, grabbed Gyo-ha’s arm with a look of disgust.

“This is really creepy, I can’t stand it. What? Are you saying being annoyed is equivalent to liking someone?”

“Ah, sis…”

“It’s because people keep saying such nonsense that our country is in this state.”

Jung-hye was rambling on about not misinterpreting people’s words carelessly, but she finally shut her mouth just before entering the room where Chairman Lee Baek-gyeong was waiting. When she stopped nagging, she looked like a completely different person from the one who had been scolding Gyo-ha moments ago.

“This is my sister, Lee Jung-hye.”

“…I’m Jung Hwi-kyung.”

“You were hurt because Sung-ha caused a disturbance, right? I’m so embarrassed.”

“…”

“Let’s go in. The meal has already been served.”

Hwi-kyung’s characteristic of being helpless around middle-aged women applied equally to Lee Jung-hye. Unable to respond properly, Hwi-kyung was dragged into the room before he could mentally prepare himself.

Lee Baek-gyeong, the chairman of BK Group, was a business figure known to everyone in Korea. Hwi-kyung, who had worked at BK International twice, also knew quite a bit about Chairman Lee Baek-gyeong.

Even without looking into details, the media often talked about Lee Baek-gyeong, so it was difficult not to know his face. Moreover, people were instinctively more favorable towards business figures than political ones. While both politicians and chaebol heads were criticized equally, there was more interest in the private lives of the latter.

When Hwi-kyung was working as a servant in a noble house, everyone was busy criticizing the Lee Baek-gyeong family, but BK Group still had high recognition in Korea. Lee Baek-gyeong had no illegitimate child issues and wasn’t a traitor to the country. Such figures were rare in the business world.

Jung Hwi-kyung knew this fact, which is why he had tried to get into BK International during his 12th and 13th cycles. After experiencing other companies, he found that the heads of other families were often arrested periodically for political issues, drugs, or tax evasion.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you like this.”

“Yes.”

“I heard from Gyo-ha. You met in America?”

“Oh, Father. That was just something I made up.”

“Then where did you meet?”

At BK International…

The chairman, whom Hwi-kyung had rarely seen even when working at the company, was now too close. Hwi-kyung listened to the chairman’s family chattering about him, not knowing whether the food in front of him was going into his nose or mouth.

“I’ve failed in raising my son, and I’m truly sorry you were hurt because of Sung-ha.”

“It’s alright.”

“Damn it, I’m telling you he hit first…”

“Sung-ha, keep quiet. If you’ve caused trouble, you should at least keep your mouth shut.”

Contrary to his worries, Chairman Lee Baek-gyeong didn’t seem to have any regrets about Hwi-kyung breaking Sung-ha’s nose. Honestly, Hwi-kyung had expected to be scolded for fracturing Sung-ha’s nose, but when the expected attack didn’t come, he started to feel confused.

“I hope the food suits your taste. After all, we called you here suddenly.”

“Hwi-kyung, this is really good. Please try some.”

“So, you’re working under Gyo-ha now? As a housekeeper? Wouldn’t it be better to take a position at one of our subsidiaries…”

“Sis. We agreed not to make such offers to Hwi-kyung.”

“No. You’re going to be an executive director in the entertainment division anyway, so Hwi-kyung could go there and be a team leader.”

“I said it’s not possible. That would be seen as parachuting…”

“What on earth is this parachuting judgment?”

Hwi-kyung absent-mindedly spooned the warm crab soup in front of him. The food was so neat and delicious that he wanted to come again with his grandmother.

The problem was that the family conversation revolving around him was too confusing. Hwi-kyung almost felt more comfortable with Sung-ha glaring at him murderously. Lee Jung-hye and Lee Baek-gyeong were being too kind to him.

This was unexpected. Was he really eating crab soup when he thought he’d be slapped with kimchi? What had he done to deserve such treatment? After dealing with lunatics, facing normal people made him uncomfortable.

Especially Lee Jung-hye, who kept wanting to give Hwi-kyung a position. Her reason was that if he was dating Gyo-ha, he should have a decent position within the group for when they announced their relationship to the press.

Lee Baek-gyeong seemed to agree with Jung-hye’s opinion to some extent. Hwi-kyung was feeling job pressure for the first time in a while. Even though he was already working as a housekeeper, this chaebol family unanimously wanted to find him a new position, as if anything other than an office job wouldn’t do.

There was a limit to how much Gyo-ha could defend against this, saying it would be seen as parachuting. Hwi-kyung thought, ‘A housekeeper is a job too…’, as he stuffed a sesame leaf pancake into his mouth.

“If you don’t like entertainment, how about International?”

“…International?”

“Are you good at English, Hwi-kyung? Well, you can always study languages while working at the company.”

Is English the only language he’s good at? Hwi-kyung and Gyo-ha’s eyes met reflexively. Jung Hwi-kyung knew Chinese, Japanese, and even Russian. After a few more regressions, he might even learn Thai and Vietnamese. Having learned English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian over 54 years, he could probably learn a few more languages in a couple more years.

But before Hwi-kyung could mutter, “English? That’s a piece of cake…”, Gyo-ha preemptively shook his head.

“I said neither entertainment nor international will work.”

“Why on earth not? Do you want to keep Hwi-kyung all to yourself?”

“Yes! I’ll only look at him! I’ll keep him in my house and by my side!”

“Keck, kuhk… keck, kuhuk…”

“I’ve set up a corporation too, what’s the problem?”

“Setting up a corporation is the problem, you idiot…”

“Cough, cough…”

“And look, Hwi-kyung is about to die.”

Hwi-kyung really felt dizzy. While he understood why Gyo-ha always talked nonsense, he wondered why he had to phrase things that way. He had nearly choked to death on the spinach side dish he had just swallowed.

“Are you okay?”

Gyo-ha held a glass of water directly to Hwi-kyung’s lips as if he really liked him. He even gently patted Hwi-kyung’s back as he coughed for a while. Hwi-kyung felt like he might choke more because of Gyo-ha’s actions.

He couldn’t tell if this was an act for his family or if this person was just naturally affectionate. Every time Gyo-ha did this, Hwi-kyung felt confused, thinking, “Does this guy really like me?”

Then Hwi-kyung’s eyes met Lee Sung-ha’s, who was sitting across from him. Unlike Baek-gyeong and Jung-hye, who were looking at him and Gyo-ha fondly, Sung-ha was staring intently at Hwi-kyung as if he had noticed something.

Unable to bear the situation and Sung-ha’s persistent gaze, Hwi-kyung suddenly stood up, saying he needed to use the restroom for a moment. He followed an employee’s guidance to the restroom, almost as if escaping.

The restroom in the high-end restaurant was different from the start, even in its lighting. Hwi-kyung checked his face in the mirror above the sink. The wound from Sung-ha’s punch hadn’t completely healed, showing a blue bruise on his pale face, but his complexion looked better than when he first regressed.

Originally, at this time, he should have looked like a zombie, trying to adapt to his first job, but thanks to Gyo-ha’s appearance, he now just looked like a normal person. The clothes he was wearing were also several times more expensive than in previous cycles.

But now, Hwi-kyung was very confused about this fourteenth cycle. He had taken the job because they offered a lot of money, but was it okay to live like this? Could he take it easy, thinking this cycle was already ruined?

What if he missed the timing for changing jobs? This wasn’t really even work experience. Being older with irrelevant experience was worse than being a complete newbie. Was it right to rely on Gyo-ha? Was he instinctively wanting to depend on someone because he had been living so hard all this time?

Accustomed to living as if being chased, Hwi-kyung’s thoughts raced even in this brief moment. The future felt too distant, yet it approached urgently at the same time. Hwi-kyung was anxious every moment, fearing that a single choice might ruin his life in a new way.

“Hey.”

Another figure appeared behind Hwi-kyung in the mirror. The casual “Hey” indicated it wasn’t Gyo-ha. Hwi-kyung raised his head unsteadily while washing his face with cold water.

“You’re not really dating Lee Gyo-ha, are you? It’s a lie, right?”

As expected, it was Lee Sung-ha. Hwi-kyung briefly considered knocking Sung-ha down right there and triggering a regression. Despite his broken nose, Sung-ha provoked Hwi-kyung as if he had lost all fear.

“Why aren’t you answering? You might fool Jung-hye and Father, but you can’t fool me.”

“…”

“Thinking about it, it’s funny to me too. Everyone falling for such a pathetic lie. There’s no way Lee Gyo-ha could like anyone.”

Hwi-kyung slowly turned off the faucet. His already pale face had turned even paler from washing with too-cold water. No matter how comfortable his current job was, the accumulated fatigue wouldn’t disappear.

Sometimes, all of this felt like an endless nightmare. Repeatedly getting jobs at different companies, getting the same results… Feeling disappointed in people for various reasons. Constantly hitting his own limits, and his self-esteem, broken in this way, never returned to its original state no matter what he did.

If there was a hell, wouldn’t it be this? Always anxious and never certain about anything he did. He worried that people who helped him might turn around and gossip about him, and when he met someone as kind as Gyo-ha, he was afraid they might become as worn down as he was.

“I don’t know what you two are thinking, pretending to be a couple, but I know.”

Sung-ha took out a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to Hwi-kyung. It seemed he was offering it for Hwi-kyung to wipe his dripping face. Hwi-kyung just stared at Sung-ha approaching him, not even thinking of taking the handkerchief.

“You’re not really dating, right? You’re not even in any kind of relationship to begin with.”

Hwi-kyung just silently watched Sung-ha spout the correct answer. Was it that obvious?

“He’s just the type to pity anything, so he can’t specially like just one person.”

‘Just the type to pity anything.’

Those words from Sung-ha struck Hwi-kyung’s heart. It felt like someone had poured cold water over his head. Only then did Hwi-kyung take the handkerchief Sung-ha had offered. Sung-ha was showing uncharacteristic kindness.

Even if it wasn’t you but someone else who was the regressor, Lee Gyo-ha would have helped just as devotedly, right? Lee Gyo-ha isn’t only kind to you…

The handkerchief Sung-ha offered smelled strongly of men’s cologne, making it difficult to think clearly. Hwi-kyung briefly buried his face in the handkerchief. Mistaking kindness for affection was too stupid a mistake for Jung Hwi-kyung to make. To confuse this even after living fourteen lives…