Chapter 790
Thud.
Jeong Da-hye put down her phone and tried to recall.
“Seowon Tech, that’s the company that went bankrupt recently, right? You told me about it, Yoo-hyun?”
“Yeah.”
“Why are you looking into it more?”
“Just. Curious, I guess.”
“Yoo-hyun, I’m just saying this in case…”
She could tell what he was going to say by his cautious voice.
They had already talked about this once, so Yoo-hyun shook his head.
“Don’t pity me. There’s no reason to.”
“You seem to be too bothered by it. I’ll say it again, we just did our job and achieved our results. There’s nothing to be sorry about.”
“That’s right. We just did our job.”
They didn’t cheat or attack the other side to bring them down.
In the survival of the fittest society, Rebirth competed fairly and kept their integrity.
But why did it bother him so much?
It was natural that there would be shadows where there was light, but he couldn’t get the words of President Lee Seunghyuk out of his head.
Flash.
His thoughts were interrupted by a notification on the navigation screen that he had received a message from his father.
Jeong Da-hye read the message aloud.
“He’s asking if we’re coming well. He must be worried about us.”
“Really? That’s all he said?”
“Yes. That’s it. I’ll reply right away.”
“Okay. That’s strange. He’s not usually like that…”
Yoo-hyun muttered to himself.
He had gone back to his hometown countless times, but this was the first time his father asked if he was coming well.
It must be because Jeong Da-hye was with him. He must be nervous.
Jeong Da-hye asked with a worried face.
“Yoo-hyun, do you think your father will like a gift?”
“A gift is not important. He’ll be satisfied just by seeing your face.”
“Don’t say that. I’m nervous because it’s the first time I’m meeting him. He seems to be waiting a lot…”
His father was looking forward to the meeting itself.
His mother had praised Jeong Da-hye so much that he wanted to see her as soon as possible.
He understood how Jeong Da-hye felt, so he reassured her.
“Yangju will be enough. He likes alcohol.”
“Really? You must have taken after him.”
“Hmm… Maybe? Now that I think about it, we do have some similarities.”
He couldn’t have imagined that with his old, gruff father, but now he saw some resemblance.
‘He’s also a bit of a goofball.’
Yoo-hyun chuckled and stepped on the accelerator.
The car slid along the highway.
The hometown he hadn’t visited in a long time had changed a lot.
The one-story farmhouse had been remodeled into a two-story brick house, and the front yard had been widened and covered with grass.
As soon as they entered the yard, his mother ran out.
“Oh…”
She passed by Yoo-hyun, who was about to greet her, and grabbed Jeong Da-hye’s hand.
“Da-hye, it’s been so long. How have you been?”
“Yes, mother. How have you been?”
“Of course. I’m healthy. Oh my! You’re wearing the bracelet.”
“Of course. It’s our couple bracelet.”
His mother’s face bloomed with a smile as she saw the bracelet she bought with Jeong Da-hye in Insa-dong.
His father came over with a heavy load on his back, ignoring Yoo-hyun.
“Did you arrive?”
“Yes. Thanks to your concern, we arrived well.”
“I’m not talking to you, Yoo-hyun. I’m talking to Da-hye.”
His father didn’t care about Yoo-hyun either.
He brushed past Yoo-hyun and gave Jeong Da-hye a friendly smile.
“You must have had a hard time coming all this way.”
“Father, hello. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too. Don’t stand here, come inside.”
His father spoke politely and led them to the house, and his mother immediately linked arms with Jeong Da-hye.
“Yes, Da-hye. Let’s go in.”
The two of them walked and laughed, and they looked very happy.
Yoo-hyun whispered to his father.
“By the way, father, you seem to be very nervous, don’t you?”
“Did I?”
“Yes. You sounded natural on the phone, but now you’re so awkward. Just relax, relax.”
“Hmm. Okay.”
His father smiled awkwardly and went into the house.
Yoo-hyun looked around the house and sat on the sofa in the living room on the first floor while his mother prepared the food.
Jeong Da-hye, who sat next to him, looked at his father across the round table and exclaimed.
“Father, your house is so nice.”
“Hmm, is it?”
His father raised his eyebrows and Yoo-hyun added.
“The exterior design is quite impressive. The interior space is spacious and well-organized.”
“That’s right. I especially like the landscaping of the garden.”
Jeong Da-hye pointed to the garden that was visible through the large window, and his father’s mouth curled up.
He had even gotten a landscaping certificate to decorate the garden.
He pretended to be indifferent and waved his hand.
“Pretty things are useless. The house should be comfortable.”
“Father, you say that, but you built it so nicely.”
“I said I didn’t need it, but Andrea kept offering to design it for me. How could I refuse?”
“Andrea Gurski?”
Jeong Da-hye chimed in, and his father shrugged his shoulders and bragged.
“Yeah. Oh, Da-hye, you met him in Europe too, right? He’s actually my best friend…”
Thud.
His mother put a fruit tray on the table and looked incredulous.
“This man, really. Where do you get off lying?”
“Hey! Lying?”
“When you saw Andrea’s design, you liked it so much that you looked at it several times, and now you’re saying that?”
“When did I. And you liked it more than me.”
Jeong Da-hye rolled her eyes as she watched her parents bicker.
Poke.
Yoo-hyun picked up an apple and handed it to Jeong Da-hye, whispering.
“They’re always like that. Here, have some.”
“I’m fine.”
“Why? You like apples.”
Yoo-hyun tilted his head in confusion, and his mother pouted as she turned her head sharply.
“Look at this kid, Yoo-hyun. He was so caring for his mom, but now he only has eyes for Da-hye.”
“Mom, have this.”
Jeong Da-hye offered an apple as if she had been waiting, but her father stopped her.
He picked up an apple himself and brought it to his mother’s mouth, who had been fretting until a moment ago.
“No, you have it, Da-hye. Honey, here.”
“Why is he like this?”
“Well, think about it. The kids are all independent now, and we have to live by ourselves.”
“We’ve always lived by ourselves.”
“Hmm, anyway. We’ve built a new house, so let’s live with a newlywed vibe from now on.”
“Are you crazy in front of the kids? Why are you doing something you never did before?”
His mother frowned but took the apple.
Jeong Da-hye covered her mouth and giggled, and Yoo-hyun smiled happily.
They were chatting over the table with drinks when it happened.
Ding dong.
The bell rang and they went to the intercom, and a familiar face appeared on the LCD screen.
Yoo-hyun was puzzled.
“Mom, did Jaehui say she was coming?”
“No.”
“She’s here.”
“Really? Why did she come when she said she was busy with her boyfriend’s movie premiere?”
Jaehui had said she would come after the holiday, as she had to go to Lee Jang-woo’s movie premiere.
As his mother wondered, the door opened and an unexpected guest appeared.
It was Lee Jang-woo, with a sturdy physique and gentle eyes.
He was dressed in a suit, unlike usual, and bowed politely.
“Hello.”
“Oh my! Jang-woo player.”
“Mom, please just call me Jang-woo.”
He greeted cheerfully and put down a big gift bag, and his mother’s mouth curled into a big smile.
Her way of addressing him jumped up a notch.
“Okay. Come in, Mr. Lee.”
“Mom, take it easy.”
“Jaehui, honey. It’s because I like him, I like him.”
“What’s there to like? Oh, sister.”
Jaehui, who had been grumbling, met Jeong Da-hye with joy.
Meanwhile, Lee Jang-woo took Yoo-hyun’s hand.
“Brother, it’s been a long time since I saw you.”
“How’s the movie?”
“I’ve already greeted everyone. I really wanted to see your parents.”
“You’re welcome. Say hello to your father too.”
“Of course I will.”
His father was sitting sternly in the living room.
Jeong Da-hye had talked to her parents several times, but this was the first time Lee Jang-woo met them.
He bowed with a slightly nervous expression, and his father asked him how he was doing.
His father’s casual demeanor from before was nowhere to be seen.
He was ready to tackle him, but his mother’s only interest was Lee Jang-woo.
“Oh, Jang-woo player, you eat rice cakes so well.”
“Mom, please don’t be so formal.”
“It’s because I don’t like them. You know how much of a fan I was.”
His mother kept praising Lee Jang-woo, and his father drew a line with a stern expression.
“Still, our Jaehui is too good for him.”
“Don’t say what you don’t mean. Compare what you should compare.”
“Mom!”
“It’s just a joke, a joke. Hoho.”
Jeong Da-hye whispered as she watched her mother lift and drop her daughter.
“Yoo-hyun seems to take after his mother. She’s good at joking.”
“That’s the truth.”
“What?”
“It’s because I know Jaehui too well.”
It was a truth that she couldn’t say out loud.
It was lively.
The atmosphere of the eve of the holiday was alive with Jaehui and Lee Jang-woo.
The delicious food and drinks were accompanied by a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Jaehui suddenly got serious.
“Mom, I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
“Yeah. I’m quitting Hansung.”
“What? Why are you quitting a good company?”
What are you talking about?
Yoo-hyun was surprised too.
Jaehui seemed to have a lot of worries, as she gulped down the liquor in her glass.
As she was about to spit it out, her mother’s eyes widened.
“Jaehui, are you pregnant?”
“Pfft! What are you talking about?”
Jaehui spat out the drink, and Lee Jang-woo quickly handed her a tissue.
His mother’s expression was serious.
“Jaehui, think carefully. These days, maternity leave and such are well done.”
“That’s not it. I’m going to another company.”
“Another company? Where?”
“Double Y.”
“Huh?”
Yoo-hyun looked at Jeong Da-hye in surprise.
She didn’t seem to know either.
His father spoke calmly.
“Jaehui, you didn’t get much from Hansung. It’s not easy for anyone to study abroad.”
“Dad, I’ve done enough. I’ve already fulfilled the term.”
“Still, there’s something called loyalty.”
“I have something I want to do. I want to live my own life.”
Jaehui pushed back her father’s worries and raised her voice.
They all wanted to say, ‘When did you not live your life?’, but they held back.
It was true that Jaehui had been working hard at Hansung day and night.
“I support Jaehui too.”
Lee Jang-woo chimed in and held Jaehui’s hand.
They thought they were a good match, and Yoo-hyun asked.
“Did you submit the documents?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not going to follow you. And I’ve already passed.”
“What? How?”
“The design part is a contest. I passed right away.”
Double Y was growing fast.
They couldn’t afford to interview and hire one by one, so they recruited people through a contest.
It was anonymous, so you couldn’t get in unless you were skilled.
“It must have been tough.”
“Brother, don’t you know my skills?”
“The design manager is a meticulous person.”
“I know, Mr. Silverstar. He praised me a lot.”
Swoosh.
Yoo-hyun looked at the phone that Jaehui handed him.