Chapter 178: Lets Meet At Home (9)

A-about that Seo Sang-Do trailed off and grabbed the soju bottle.

His hand was trembling so much that he almost lost his grip on the bottle.

Sir?

Seo Sang-Do did not fill his gla.s.s but instead drank straight from the bottle. Shocked, Ha Jae-Gun tried to reach out and stop him, but Seo Sang-Do had already emptied the bottle.

Ah!

Ill have another bottle of soju, please!

I shouldnt have asked that question. Im really sorry. Please slow down, senior.

Seo Sang-Do did not listen but opened up the new bottle of soju.

Ha Jae-Gun managed to catch him, stopping him from drinking. Youre drinking too fast.

Im fine, so let go.

...Then please drink from the gla.s.s.

Alright. Ill drink from the gla.s.s, so let go.

Ha Jae-Gun slowly loosened his grip on Seo Sang-Dos arm and eventually let go. After much thought, Ha Jae-Gun added, It might be extremely rude of me to say this, but Im worried for you. You might have developed a dependency on alcohol.

Ill take care of my own health.

Please go to the hospital with me.

If you say anything like that again, I'm going to leave.

Why was Ha Jae-Guns persuasion not working?

The walls of time that Seo Sang-Do had surrounded himself with were st.u.r.dy. Ha Jae-Gun couldn't break through them on his own.

Seo Sang-Do filled his gla.s.s to the brim and downed it at once. He didnt touch a single piece of the snack and emptied three shots at once.

Kya~

Finally, some of that annoyance seemed to have gone away, and his breathing began to calm down as well.

Im sorry. Seo Sang-Do looked at the old menu panel and said, I just had some painful memories come back to me As you said, my relations.h.i.+p with my father isnt that good.

I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. Lets talk about something else.

I think thats for the better. Seo Sang-Do let out a huge sigh and nodded. A faint smile then appeared on his expressionless face.

Mr. Ha.

Yes?

What does your father mean to you?

Why would Seo Sang-Do ask Ha Jae-Gun such a question? Ha Jae-Gun was slightly taken aback at his question but remained composed and replied, I respect him very much.

I see. Thats right, a father should be like that, Seo Sang-Do murmured as if those words were for himself to hear. There didnt seem to be any sarcasm in his tone. He then picked up the soju bottle and asked once more.

This question might come off as rude as well

Its alright, please ask away.

Does your father love you, Mr. Ha?

Yes, of course.

Are you certain?

Yes, Im certain, Ha Jae-Gun answered without hesitation.

Seo Sang-Do watched Ha Jae-Gun with subtle envy. Im envious of you, really.

...Im not sure if its right for me to guess, but Im sure your father loves you as well.

Forget it. Thats enough. Seo Sang-Do snorted and waved his hand dismissively.

Ha Jae-Gun went silent at Seo Sang-Do's fierce tone of vice.

Ha Jae-Gun had a spoonful of the hangover soup and then changed the subject.

About your fathers keepsakes.

...

Im still holding onto them. If you want, you can still take them back, but can I still raise Rika? Ive grown fond of her, and shes like my family now.

Ha Jae-Gun had been thinking about this for a long time; it did not come to him randomly. Although they were items that gave him G.o.dly abilities, he was prepared to sever any feelings he had with them They belonged to Seo Gun-Woo, after all, so it was only right for him to return them to his son.

I cant believe you still have them

Because they belong to your father.

Seo Sang-Do raised a finger up in front of him and shook it.

They are off my hands from the moment I left them at his grave. My answer is still the same as when you first brought them to me. Do whatever you want with them.

The second bottle of soju was emptied. Squinting his unfocused eyes, Seo Sang-Do seemed confused about where to look. His alcohol-drenched lips hung slightly open as he continued. I almost never saw him around throughout my life. I would only meet him maybe twice in a year? Im not even sure where he had been working away so hard all his life

Did he like traveling?

Well, maybe. The important thing here is that he had never told me anything before. Even on the day he pa.s.sed

So you have no idea where he was on his last day? This question was something that Ha Jae-Gun had wanted to ask if the opportunity arose.

If what he had seen in his dream was the exact same hit-and-run that Seo Gun-Woo had encountered, then he definitely would like to check it out.

He was extremely curious about the unknown mans ident.i.ty and what that man had taken out from Seo Gun-Woos bag.

No. I dont know who he went to meet or even where he went He was with the cat, Rika, but I cant get any sort of explanation from her either. Maam, another bottle of soju here.

The lady who was was.h.i.+ng dishes took off her gloves and gave Seo Sang-Do another bottle of soju.

Seo Sang-Do opened it as hot tears welled in his eyes.

There was one day when I was so drunk that I saw my father

Senior

Seo Sang-Do's forehead struck the table.

Ha Jae-Gun drank a gla.s.s of soju. He had no idea where and how to unravel Seo Sang-Dos love and hatred for his father.

Meanwhile, rain was starting to fall outside.

***

Its nice to see you and talk face to face.

Youre so spontaneous. I cant believe you didnt mention anything and called me saying that youre already at Incheon Airport. Do you know how surprised I was?

A sweet jazz melody was playing in the background. The warm amber light gently illuminated the bar.

Oh Myung-Suk sat at the end of the bar counter. Meanwhile, the short-haired lady next to him was his old cla.s.smate and lover, Chae Yoo-Jina publis.h.i.+ng agent based in the United States. She had visited Korea from out of the blue.

Lets have a toast. You like vodka, right?

Not really. Ive changed to drinking soju after meeting and drinking with the writers.

Youre quite the commoner as the next successor-in-line of OongSung Group. Lets order soju, then.

Stop teasing me. Now tell me, why did you suddenly visit Korea?

Chae Yoo-Jin downed a straight shot right away. She then said without a change in expression. Because I miss you.

What?

Ive said it. I came because I miss you.

Oh Myung-Suk laughed, speechless.

As she accepted the next gla.s.s poured by Oh Myung-Suk, Chae Yoo-Jin smiled happily and said, The release of Writer Ha Jae-Guns

Gyeoja Bathhouse

is close. Ill be extremely busy for the next few months once I get back to the U.S. In other words, this is sort of like a vacation, even though its just for two days.

Youve come a long way just for a two-day vacation. How are the people in k.n.o.bble?

k.n.o.bble was the name of the largest publication company in the United States, and

Gyeoja Bathhouse

was going to be published through them. Ha Jae-Gun had been notified of it as well.

They do things neatly, and they are open to opinions as well. If they weren't like that, they wouldn't have become what they are today."

What about the timeline?

Well be hitting a million copies soon. And the movie will be premiering two days later, right? Ill be heading back to the U.S. after watching the movie, so make time for me that day. I dont want to watch the movie alone.

Dont worry. Ill get a VIP seat for you.

The two drank another gla.s.s. Chae Yoo-Jin touched one cheek that was slowly turning red and looked at Oh Myung-Suk. Youre still handsome as ever, our Oh Myung-Suk.

Im quite good-looking.

Nah, your younger brother Myung-Hoon is better looking than you are.

I admit that. Myung-Hoons looks dont fall short of anyone wherever he goes.

You must know that youre complimenting him too much.

Its not because hes my younger brother, but objectively speaking

Ah,

fine. Myung-Hoon is the most handsome, so lets stop there and have a toast.

Chae Yoo-Jin cut Oh Myung-Suk off and raised her gla.s.s.

Oh Myung-Suk grinned and clinked gla.s.ses with her.

Ah,

Im getting drunk.

Ill send you back to the hotel. Sleep early today.

Whats after that? Chae Yoo-Jin asked with a provocative look.

Oh Myung-Suk could already tell she was being mischievous and playful. He replied calmly, Ill go home and sleep, too.

Youre boring. Do you want to sleep with me in my room?

You're drunk. Ive been feeling lonely these days, so dont provoke me with those jokes.

Im not joking. Really. Chae Yoo-Jin hooked arms with Oh Myung-Suk.

Her familiar scent and warm body temperature made Oh Myung-Suk see the past flash across his eyes. He had broken up with her because he couldnt handle the reality back then, but it seemed that he still couldn't quite reach her even after so many years.

Oh Myung-Suks face naturally turned somber. He soon became conscious of Chae Yoo-Jin and relaxed, but Chae Yoo-Jin caught the changes in his emotions.

Chae Yoo-Jin unhooked her arm and looked down.

I shouldn't play such jokes anymore. You're not fun.

What are you saying? Why are you so serious?

I must be tired. I should get going now. Let's keep this for next time." Chae Yoo-Jin picked up her bag and stood up.

Oh Myung-Suk regretted failing to keep his expression in check.

"Thanks for today. I'll take the taxi back, so you should head back, too," Chae Yoo-Jin said.

"Don't you know that we're going the same way? Let's go together."

Oh Myung-Suk dragged Chae Yoo-Jin over to his car, and they got in the back seat together.

The chauffeur hit the road, driving through the autumn rain tonight.

Chae Yoo-Jin looked out the window. She didn't say even a single word throughout the drive. Oh Myung-Suk was also organizing the memories and thoughts in his head that he couldn't say a single word.

"Thank you for sending me back."

"Yeah, have a good rest; I'll call you later," said Oh Myung-Suk.

Chae Yoo-Jin stood there hesitating, and then she suddenly added with urgency, It's not because of you that I'm feeling depressed.

?

Oh Myung-Suk turned around in a daze.

Chae Yoo-Jins teary eyes turned into crescent moons as she smiled. She patted the corners of her eyes and said, Im blaming myself for not being more feminine.

Yoo-Jin! Oh Myung-Suk took a step forward.

At the same time, Chae Yoo-Jin took a step backward.

See you tomorrow! Dont bring the emotions of today over tomorrow, alright? Chae Yoo-Jin didn't give him any chance to speak and quickly headed into the hotel.

There were many people walking through the entrance, so Oh Myung-Suk couldn't chase after her.

Bzzt!

Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated, pulling Oh Myung-Suk back to reality.

It was a call from his father, Oh Tae-Jin.

Yes, Father.

I called because youre still not home yet. Ill hang up if youre still working.

No, Father. I was just meeting a friend.

Oh Myung-Suk didn't reveal that he had met Chae Yoo-Jin. Although Oh Tae-Jin was a relatively supportive father, Chae Yoo-Jin was an exception.

Alright. Dont drink too much.

I didnt drink a lot. Im about to head back now, too.

Really? Ill be at the study, then. Theres something I want to discuss with you.

Oh Tae-Jins words most probably meant that he wanted Oh Myung-Suk to look over the work that he had been working on recently. Oh Tae-Jin had recently been working on a new full-length novel. This was something only Oh Myung-Suk knew.

Ive said this before as well; the introduction draft was great, Father.

I need to feel relieved about it. My stamina has dropped, and I think that this is going to be my last novel.

How about asking other writers or editors to take a look? You trust my judgment too much.

As Oh Myung-Suk said that, Ha Jae-Gun came to his mind. He had been working with Ha Jae-Gun for quite some time now, and they could already be considered friends. Oh Myung-Sul also believed that Ha Jae-Gun was the best writer in Korea.

All right. Lets talk about that, too, then. Hurry up and come home.

Yes, Ill be back soon.

Oh Myung-Suk hung up the call and looked at the hotel once more. He very much wanted to walk through those huge doors and head to Chae Yoo-Jins room, but he had no choice but to turn around for now.

***

Jae-Gun hyung, we should get going. We might get stuck in traffic.

Im all done. Lets go.

Today was the premiere day of

Gyeoja Bathhouse

.

As usual, Ha Jae-Gun had arranged to watch the movie with his family. As his driver, Lee Yeon-Woo was all prepared and had been waiting for Ha Jae-Gun.

Im so happy, hyung. You hit a million copies sold for the movie on the movie premiere day!

Kya~!

Lee Yeon-Woo said excitedly as soon as Ha Jae-Gun stepped out of his room.

It was news that had appeared all over the internet this morning.

I hope the movie does well, too. I just hope we'll get twenty million views and hit five million copies sold for the book, Lee Yeon-Woo added.

Stop with the fuss already. Lets go now.

Ha Jae-Gun bent down and put on his shoes. At the same time, the doorbell rang.

Ha Jae-Gun quickly opened the door to see a delivery man carrying a few cardboard boxes.

Excuse me, is this Mr. Ha Jae-Guns house?

Yes, thats me.

Youve got a delivery. Please take this. The delivery man handed Ha Jae-Gun a small paper box and turned around in a hurry.

Ha Jae-Gun looked down at the box as the delivery mans footsteps grew distant.

Seo Sang-Do

These three words were written on the box.