My Company Is Black

#040

When the officetel door opened and Hwi-kyung rushed in panting, Gyo-ha was in the middle of changing clothes for his late arrival at work. Just as he was about to tie his own necktie, Jung Hwi-kyung burst in like lightning.

Hwi-kyung was in such a hurry that he flung open the door to Gyo-ha’s dressing room. Gyo-ha was truly taken aback. What’s this? The person who blocked my contact and was absent without leave for three days suddenly appears like this?

But Jung Hwi-kyung was not in a state to think properly. Unable to think straight, he didn’t have the capacity to explain the situation in detail.

“The Trot Number One, was that your sponsorship?”

“Trot Number One? Ah, ‘Number One Above Trot’, that…”

To meet after three days and say not “Why did you kiss me?” but “Was it you who sponsored the trot program?” Gyo-ha felt a bit embarrassed. He had intended to apologize for the impulsive kiss if Hwi-kyung came to see him again, but it seemed there wouldn’t even be a chance to bring up the past incident.

Wasn’t he blocking me and avoiding me because of the kiss? Instead of asking why Hwi-kyung was suddenly acting this way, Gyo-ha nodded to the confused-looking Hwi-kyung.

In fact, the reason Lee Gyo-ha sponsored the trot singer competition program “Number One Above Trot” was simple. Lee Gyo-ha already knew that this program would be successful and run up to season 3.

Gyo-ha knew not only about this program but also about a few other programs that would be successful in the future. Now it wasn’t just Jung Hwi-kyung who knew the future. Lee Gyo-ha had lived through the same time as Jung Hwi-kyung.

“Why…”

“…”

“Why can you change things so easily?”

If Jung Hwi-kyung had been capable of normal thought processes, he wouldn’t have rushed to the officetel like a madman.

In fact, this was a scenario that could have been sufficiently predicted from the moment Lee Gyo-ha was inserted as an executive director at BK Entertainment. No matter how much of a parachute appointment it was, or how casually he treated the company, Gyo-ha was still the chairman’s youngest son.

It was somewhat natural for sponsorship to be directed to programs he had secured. Hadn’t a whole team been turned upside down at BK International because of one word from Lee Gyo-ha?

“Why is it only you who finds everything so easy…”

That’s why Jung Hwi-kyung couldn’t stand it. While thinking it was fortunate to have Lee Gyo-ha around, he finally realized how powerless he had been when Gyo-ha wasn’t by his side.

Gyo-ha effortlessly accomplished things that Hwi-kyung, without money or power, couldn’t do no matter how hard he tried. Love and regression seemed too easy for Lee Gyo-ha. All the things that had made Jung Hwi-kyung despair… were bearable for Lee Gyo-ha.

He hated that so much. Hwi-kyung wanted to depend on Gyo-ha, but at the same time, he couldn’t stand how much he hated him. Everything you have is something I can’t have no matter how many times I regress. So why do I have to suffer like this? Why do I have to realize so acutely that you’re a person many times more valuable than me?

Translucent system windows popped up one after another over Hwi-kyung’s face. Having been absent without clear reason for three days and suddenly barging into the workplace to grab his employer’s collar, there was no way the system windows would remain silent.

“Jung Hwi-kyung.”

Gyo-ha could see the system windows too. The windows, plastered with “Insufficient condition,” were stacked so thickly that they frequently obscured Hwi-kyung’s expression. For the two to properly face each other, these system windows needed to disappear.

“Why do you always cry when you look at me…”

But Gyo-ha easily noticed that Hwi-kyung was crying. He couldn’t even begin to guess what exactly he had done wrong. He couldn’t even imagine how investing in a trot program that would be successful in the future was related to Hwi-kyung’s regression.

It was fortunate that the translucent system windows had no physical substance. Gyo-ha reached out his arms and embraced Hwi-kyung. The face silently shedding tears somehow felt familiar.

It felt as if he had seen this stubborn face long ago, even before repeating several cycles. Despite not being able to recall detailed memories due to repeated regressions, he felt this way.

However, Gyo-ha failed to completely recall when he had seen such a face. It was because Hwi-kyung hugged him back with trembling hands.

* * *

Jung Hwi-kyung didn’t remember his childhood accurately. Like most people, Hwi-kyung only remembered his early years in scattered scenes.

Naturally, he couldn’t remember what happened when he was five years old. Since his parents had disposed of all childhood photo albums when they divorced, Hwi-kyung had nothing left to reminisce about.

While he vividly remembered the time spent with his grandmother after high school, everything before that felt like a past life. Hwi-kyung was hazy about what state of mind he was in when he graduated from elementary and middle school.

So Jung Hwi-kyung couldn’t clearly recall the fact that his mother had struggled repeatedly due to his father cutting off living expenses. By the time of his memories, his mother was already working in a restaurant.

Hwi-kyung had no memory of his mother taking a job escorting children to and from a private kindergarten, introduced through a former colleague from her pre-marriage workplace. Although his mother had a cold personality, she wasn’t a bad parent to the extent of burdening her five-year-old son with their financial difficulties.

“Hwi-kyung, try to pull yourself together.”

That day, Hwi-kyung was particularly sick. Young Hwi-kyung didn’t fall ill often, but when he did, he tended to get severely sick. It was like holding back and holding back until it all burst out at once.

“Your fever is high…”

So Hwi-kyung’s mother got in the car with her son. She planned to take the child to the hospital as soon as her work was done.

But the private kindergarten, said to be attended only by rich kids, had very strict work regulations. The temporary employee bringing her own child was predictably met with a stern rebuke. His mother had no way to respond to the accusation that her child might spread the flu to other children.

She needed to earn money, but her child was sick… If she had been a bit more emotional, she might have sat down and cried right there. No one could help her in this situation.

“You can leave me and go.”

“…”

“I’m not sick anymore.”

Moreover, her son was too mature for his age. Words of reassurance flowed from the mouth of the five-year-old burning with fever. It was the reflexive response of a child afraid that his parents might find him bothersome.

While she was at a loss for what to do, a seven-year-old boy suddenly poked his head out of the shuttle van. He was the youngest son from a family so prominent that the whole kindergarten was wary of them.

“Teacher, when are we leaving?”

“Gyo-ha. Sit properly.”

“Who’s that?”

The seven-year-old, completely unaware of his own influence, pointed at five-year-old Jung Hwi-kyung.

“If we take him, can we go?”

“…”

“Then put him next to me. My brother says I’m stupid so I won’t catch a cold.”

With that one sentence, Hwi-kyung was able to board the kindergarten shuttle van that only rich kids could ride. What Hwi-kyung’s mother’s pleading couldn’t accomplish was resolved in an instant.

Even with his foggy mind, Hwi-kyung thought this was unfair. He felt this way despite not knowing the word “unfair” at five years old. But his mother was visibly relieved, and the shuttle van was able to depart safely after a short delay.

“What’s your name?”

“…”

“I’m Lee Gyo-ha. Seven years old. You?”

“…Jung Hwi-kyung.”

Chairman Lee Baek-gyeong, who had chosen the kindergarten shuttle for the sake of developing his child’s social skills, started sending Gyo-ha in a private car after this day. Hwi-kyung’s mother lost her job without receiving proper pay because of this incident.

But a seven-year-old and a five-year-old couldn’t understand this “injustice.” Hwi-kyung quietly stared at the annoying face smiling at him.

“Are you sick?”

“…”

“Don’t be sick.”

Clearly a rich young master raised with love and care. A great wielder of power who solved in an instant what his mother couldn’t do… This small wielder of power placed his tiny hand on Hwi-kyung’s cheek.

“I’ll stay by your side. Until you’re not sick anymore…”

Hwi-kyung didn’t believe those whispered words. If even his parents couldn’t stay by his side, how could this kindergartener two years older, whom he’d just met, continue to be by his side?

But somehow, tears came. It was because of the high fever. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Gyo-ha looked like he would agree to anything for the crying Hwi-kyung.

“Will you swear?”

“Swear?”

“I’m asking if you’ll promise. That you’ll stay with me until I’m all better…”

So five-year-old Jung Hwi-kyung asked the incredibly stupid seven-year-old Lee Gyo-ha. Gyo-ha was so foolish that he didn’t even seem to know what the word “swear” meant.

“I’ll swear.”

Yet Gyo-ha said that with a smile. It was an affirmation without any consideration. Without even dreaming of how fatal this promise would be…