Chapter 110

< Stepping Through the Seasons (3) >

Jin Hyuk has never forgotten Park Dae-soon for a single moment.

Park Dae-soon suddenly ran away one day with his wife and children. The elders in the neighborhood whispered that he had fallen into a cult and made that choice, but Jo Il-hun, his close friend, had a different reaction.

– “He’s definitely not the type to fall for something like that!”

People dismissed Jo Il-hun as a braggart, but Jin Hyuk has always trusted him. He’s often experienced that beneath Jo Il-hun’s exaggerated words and actions, there’s a nugget of truth hidden.

According to his dad, it was Park Dae-soon who suggested they go clam digging. He even left a message saying he’d come to pick them up and to wait by the water. On that dark and unsettling night, with no one else to rely on, his parents must have followed his words without question.

‘I hope it’s not true.’

He tried to forget.

But once a doubt takes root, it doesn’t easily fade. No matter how absorbed he was in something, the thought would creep in, chilling his mind.

Swish, swish— Moon Seok-il swung his knife, staring at Jin Hyuk. Moon Seok-il wasn’t one to speak carelessly, so his cautious tone piqued Jin Hyuk’s curiosity.

“Who are you looking for?”

“A man named Park Dae-soon.”

Moon Seok-il rolled his eyes and nodded. His expression suggested there must be a good reason.

Jin Hyuk noticed Moon Seok-il’s tightly closed lips and firm jaw.

“He lived in this neighborhood and suddenly disappeared about five years ago.”

“Any leads?”

“He had two kids. Fourteen and twelve.”

“Should be easy to find. Kids need to go to school.”

To send kids to school, they’d need to register their address.

Most people wouldn’t know where to start when looking for someone, but for Moon Seok-il, finding people was no big deal.

“Is it urgent?”

“No. Take your time.”

“What about the ‘handling’?”

Jin Hyuk frowned.

Handling? Is this guy trying to make someone out to be a villain?

He’s grateful Moon Seok-il didn’t ask why he’s looking, but this feels like jumping to conclusions.

Moon Seok-il flinched under Jin Hyuk’s cold gaze.

“Just find out where and how they’re living. If they’re doing well, if the kids are suffering…”

“Alright.”

The two men’s gazes returned to the persimmons.

Scrape, scrape— Huff, huff—

For a while, only the sound of peeling persimmons and Kim In-rang’s heavy breathing could be heard.

After a brief silence, Jin Hyuk spoke again.

“Do you have something to say?”

His voice was soft, almost inaudible, but there was a hint of dissatisfaction.

He was probing, wondering if Hong Ki-jun was behind Moon Seok-il.

He had sent them to Hong Ki-jun, thinking they might need financial support, but he didn’t know what conversations had taken place between them. No matter how much Hong Ki-jun cared for Jin Hyuk, he wouldn’t have taken them in without conditions. He probably tied them down with some direct agreement, not a labor contract.

Moon Seok-il raised an eyebrow, looking surprised.

“I’ll report back.”

That confirmed it. It wasn’t surveillance, but there was an agreement to report any unusual findings. Hong Ki-jun had attached them to Jin Hyuk under these terms.

Well, whatever. It’s probably for protection, and Jin Hyuk can use them as he sees fit.

Without Hong Ki-jun, Jin Hyuk wouldn’t be living like this. No matter what anyone says, Hong Ki-jun is the greatest ally in Jin Hyuk’s life.

Kim In-rang’s voice broke the quiet between the two men.

“Huff! Huff! Jin Hyuk! Don’t you have anything for me to do?”

“Nothing? Yoo Jin’s horse is doing well, right? Yay! Yay-!”

“Heh, hehehe-. Ugh-.”

After crawling around for over an hour, Kim In-rang seemed to find being Yoo Jin’s horse quite exhausting. But Yoo Jin wasn’t about to let her horse go free.

In times like these, Jin Hyuk had to step in. He was the only one who could control Yoo Jin.

“Yoo Jin, uncle is tired. Get down now.”

“Okay-, hehe-.”

Having had her fun, Yoo Jin obediently followed. Without hesitation, she climbed down from Kim In-rang’s back and lay on the warm floor, wriggling her limbs like a frog.

“Hehe-, should I come over there too?”

“Sure. Ugh-, I’m dying. My body’s melting.”

Kim In-rang groaned as he lay on the yellowed floor.

Jin Hyuk, who knew the feeling, smirked.

On a cold day, sticking to the warm floor until you’re drenched in sweat feels amazing.

He spoke to Kim In-rang, who was squirming like a slime.

“There’s a place called New Seoul Cafe in town.”

“Oh! I know that place. The ladies there are so-.”

Jin Hyuk’s hand, which had been mechanically peeling persimmons, paused.

Moon Seok-il quickly caught Jin Hyuk’s narrowed eyes and gave a subtle signal. Jin Hyuk wasn’t radiating hostility, but he didn’t look pleased.

“-they make great coffee…”

Jin Hyuk sighed softly and shook his head.

Kim In-rang was a young, energetic bachelor, living alone with his widowed mother. It must have been lonely. His heart probably wasn’t at ease, leaving his elderly mother alone on the outskirts of Seoul. He had to understand.

“Keep an eye on them whenever you have time.”

“The ladies?”

Kim In-rang perked up, lifting his head while still lying down.

That’s when it happened.

Thwack-!

“Gah!”

A persimmon thrown by Moon Seok-il hit Kim In-rang right between the eyes.

This clueless guy, even though he looks fine, he’s probably never been in a relationship and just ends up playing horse for kids. Moon Seok-il shot him a look, silently cursing.

Jin Hyuk’s shoulders shook with silent laughter.

Since Moon Seok-il had vented his anger, Jin Hyuk could afford to be lenient.

“Talk to me. He won’t understand if you don’t explain in detail. He’s just a pack mule when it comes to work. Strong, though.”

Moon Seok-il pointed at Kim In-rang, who was sprawled out with his tongue sticking out, using the handle of his knife.

Jin Hyuk just laughed silently.

“Horse? Are you sleeping?”

Yoo Jin shook him, but Kim In-rang didn’t wake up.

She had learned from her mom that you should cover sleeping people with a blanket so they don’t catch a cold. The kind-hearted Yoo Jin followed her mom’s teachings and covered Kim In-rang with a blanket. All the way to the top of his head.

It was a thick, heavy blanket prepared for fermenting persimmons.

“Sleep, sleep-.”

The kind-hearted Yoo Jin even mumbled a lullaby, wondering when her mom would come.

Son Yoo-jin’s comforting continued until her mom came to pick her up.

***

“Bro, I think I hurt my eye. I can’t see, it’s dark.”

“Dark? If you keep living so cluelessly, your future will be just as dark.”

At least pull the blanket off your face before you talk.

Still, Moon Seok-il could understand Kim In-rang. Once you lie down on the heated floor, you don’t even want to move a finger.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t think you’d pass out.”

Moon Seok-il awkwardly scratched his beard.

“In-rang, does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts! Damn-.”

Kim In-rang suddenly sat up. His face was shiny from sweating after lying on the warm floor for so long.

With a bump on his forehead, it looked like he had grown a second nose. Kim In-rang was quite a sight.

“I’m serious! I went on a reconnaissance mission under the vice chairman’s orders and just had coffee! Even Heon-chang was with me!”

“You should’ve said something…”

Moon Seok-il swallowed a fake cough.

“It’s confidential, okay? Confidential?”

“Sorry, In-rang.”

“Crazy! I thought you’d put some energy into that persimmon. Ugh- a rock flew at me and stars are spinning-.”

Moon Seok-il called him by his old name, trying to be friendly, but Kim In-rang’s anger showed no signs of subsiding.

Kim In-rang had already started the task Jin Hyuk was about to ask of him. He had received secret instructions from Hong Ki-jun, supposedly for Han Yu-young’s sake.

“Bro, this is really tasty, though.”

Moon Seok-il, who had been pondering what Hong Ki-jun had tasked him with, looked up.

The guy who had been angry just moments ago was now munching on grilled fish.

Ah, this guy. Just give him something to eat, and he’ll calm down. His simple personality makes him easy to handle.

“Let’s go catch some fish tomorrow when Jin Hyuk goes to school.”

“Hehe-.”

The now-ugly Kim In-rang nodded vigorously with a fish in his mouth.

Moon Seok-il and his comrades were slowly blending into the countryside.

***

“I guess I didn’t live in vain.”

If his reputation hadn’t been good, things wouldn’t have progressed so smoothly.

Thanks to the county chief and the congressman rolling up their sleeves, the groundbreaking for the agricultural industrial complex was moved up, Son Kwang-yeon boasted to his wife.

‘Of course. Reputation is everything.’

Jin Hyuk nodded at his dad’s self-praise and reviewed the business plan he had prepared.

Agricultural product processing, eco-friendly fertilizer production, feed factory, food manufacturing, research institute. Even with automated equipment, these industries required a lot of labor. Plus, they needed staff to plan and manage production, as well as specialists for quality control.

To stay competitive, improving quality was essential. That meant hiring researchers too.

‘And then there’s delivery.’

Even if they contracted distribution to Sein Distribution, which had a solid network, they’d still need trucks to transport goods to five regional hubs.

In one fell swoop, they had surpassed the scale of most small and medium-sized enterprises.

He had expected some scale after discussing it with his dad, but he hadn’t anticipated it would grow this big.

“Isn’t it too ambitious to start this big?”

Even though he was complicit, Jin Hyuk cautiously asked.

His dad would handle it, but as a son, he couldn’t help but worry.

“If we’re going to do it, we’ll do it right and make it known.”

Does his dad enjoy fame?

How had someone like that managed to live so quietly until now? For a moment, Jin Hyuk wondered, but Son Kwang-yeon’s expression was serious, almost solemn.

“So no one can touch our family.”

Wasn’t that something a famous American billionaire once said?

He was sure he’d heard it before.

Something about how petty thieves target the nouveau riche, but the famous rich are untouchable. Jin Hyuk, who was used to living alone and had little interest in worldly affairs, hadn’t given the saying much thought. But hearing it from his dad was unexpected.

“While you’re at it, why not make kimchi and lunchboxes? Mom’s recipes would work well.”

“Kimchi? That’s something you make at home.”

Son Kwang-yeon’s eyes widened.

After the 1988 Olympics, the kimchi manufacturing industry had gained momentum. But wasn’t kimchi something you made at home, with mom’s special touch?

“Later, when we have the capacity. It could work for nearby military bases or schools.”

“Schools? Kids bring their own lunchboxes.”

“Well-, someday schools might provide meals. Like in American dramas.”

Jin Hyuk shrugged.

School meals were for schools with dormitories, and it would take 20 years for that to become nationwide.

“It’s a labor-intensive industry with low hiring barriers, so it could provide stable jobs for local residents. Diversifying the business means we can contribute to society in more ways.”

Son Kwang-yeon’s eyes lit up.

Oh, our son. Thinking of diversification while also considering the community.

Feeling the weight of his dad’s proud gaze, Jin Hyuk quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, have you decided on a company name? Don’t you need a business registration to enter the industrial complex?”

“They’re being very accommodating. We can apply with the business plan and a guarantee. We’ll register before moving in. I was thinking of naming it Yuseong Enterprises-.”

Jin Hyuk’s half-closed eyes shot open.

He was sure he’d heard that name before.

It didn’t leave a good impression.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice was screaming to avoid that name.

“Yuseong is a no-go!”

Jin Hyuk’s shout startled Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young.

Even Yoo Jin, who had been dozing in her mom’s arms, was startled.

“Why-, why not?”

“Do you have any other names in mind? Why that one?”

Ahem!

Instead of Son Kwang-yeon, who suddenly coughed, Han Yu-young answered.

“We wanted to name it after your sibling.”

“Huh? Sibling?”

“Yes!”

Han Yu-young nodded with sparkling eyes, staring at her son. Her excited expression reminded Jin Hyuk of Hong Soo-jung.

“I had a dream. A big, bright star in the clear night sky zoomed into my skirt, whoosh-.”

Han Yu-young made a gesture like a plane flying. Son Kwang-yeon grinned like a fool, watching his innocent wife.

Wait, that’s not what I’m asking about… Sibling? Dream?

Jin Hyuk had no issue naming the company after Yoo Jin. But the fact that this “sibling” was a yet-to-be-born sibling threw Jin Hyuk into complete confusion.

Jin Hyuk was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.

Regardless, his mom delivered the final blow.

“I have a feeling it’s a boy.”

Whether Jin Hyuk was stunned or not, his parents held hands, their faces red with embarrassment. They looked like a couple who had just been caught speeding.

As Jin Hyuk’s soul wandered somewhere near the rooftop, Yoo Jin, who had just woken up from her nap, rubbed her mom’s belly.

“Baby, baby. My sibling.”

A Hawaiian honeymoon baby.

A baby brother, fourteen years younger, was due in the summer.

‘Good grief…’