Tensegrity

After a harmonious dinner, Executive Directors Min and Jun-Kyung got up from their seats, leaving their regretful mother behind. Even the president came out to the front door and watched the two of them as they walked out. The date of the meeting will be adjusted soon.

In the car on the way back, Jun-Kyung let out a belated sigh.

“The two like it more than expected.”

Director Min opened his mouth, “It’s a good phenomenon. In the past, the atmosphere in the house had been very rigid, but this time, it went back to normal. It’s all thanks to Jun-Kyung.”

“No. Rather, I’d appreciate your hospitality.”

Is now the time to thank Jun-Kyung? Even if the president said that, Jun-Kyung was the only one with a heavy heart because he deceived his good wife. There was no sense of guilt at all in Executive Director Min. On the contrary, he seemed very satisfied.

Director Min changed the mood of the sunken family and relieved his father’s coldness. An uncertain project has been a huge success. When the thought reached that point, goosebumps rose all over Jun-Kyung’s body.

‘No way?’

Is that the real purpose of having his dead brother’s children as his own? Did he know this, so he dared to marry and adopt the method of making the child his own biological child?

It would be nice if it ended with a simple doubt. Probably more likely not. Looking at it with a  natural attitude, it was clear that Hyun-Seung Min was aiming for this far.

‘Isn’t it supposed to be a sociopath even if it’s not a psychopath?’

With the inhumanity of calculating the death of his brother, Director Min does not have the conscience he should have as a human being.

Also, can Jun-Kyung himself say that he has a conscience for actively participating in the same fraudulent activity?

Deep anxiety gave him a headache. During his pregnancy, he was not allowed to take any headache pills. As a result, the only way out of a headache is not to worry.

Let’s not think about anything. That’s the best.

***

Immediately after returning to Taewon’s home following the hospital check-up, Jun-Kyung slept for more than half a day. It was the so-called drowsy sleep.

In the morning, Executive Director Min woke him up for a while to eat. However, his desire to sleep was strong enough to shake off Executive Director Min’s touch. Appetite, of course, took a back seat.

After a long time at noon, he woke up slowly. Jun-Kyung washed up and went down to the kitchen to satisfy his hunger. He reflexively turned to the refrigerator. A yellow memo caught his eye as he pulled out only a bottle of bottled water and closed the refrigerator door.

[Rolled eggs and bean sprouts soup are in the refrigerator, and rice is in the rice cooker.                         – Hyunseung]

Is there a hole in his chin? Water fell on the top of his feet.

“Ah, it’s cold.”

Flustered, he wiped the water running down his chin with his hand. His prospective spouse and domestic partner excelled in the ability to frighten people in so many different ways. He said he would make the food himself, but left a friendly note without warning.

“Even my own mom doesn’t do this.”

During his short yet long life, he met a group of people of various classes, and among them, the only person who was kind by nature was madam. What’s more, Executive Director Min?

This is a calculated effort. It’s showing care to another person on the same boat to cover up the garbage. There is nothing to be done about vague pressure and grittiness.

Find ready-made food and heat it up.

He’s been eating out for many years, a regular at a side dish shop, and later as a side dish thief at home, so Jun-Kyung realized early on that it was difficult to make simple side dishes taste good.

After eating it all, even the side dishes that his mother made were not tasty, and the side dishes from the side dish shop that sell them for money? Jun-Kyung is particular about what side dishes he likes.

The only thing that Jun-Kyung enjoyed eating was madam’s food. It was partly because her cooking skills were amazing, and because she was a chaebol, she could afford to use good ingredients to make it carefully.

In an unexpected place, Jun-Kyung found the skill comparable to that of madam’s hand in Director Min.

“It’s delicious.”

To exaggerate a little, Director Min could even team up with madam and go to a cooking contest. Jun-Kyung really enjoyed the food, so it’s not a complete lie.

Jun-Kyung emptied prepared food. There is a dishwasher, but he did not know how to use it, so he washed the dishes by hand. A

fter washing properly and changing into fresh indoor clothes instead of pajamas, he found a vacuum cleaner. The house is so clean that there is nothing to do, but it was hard to stay still.

While he was pushing the vacuum cleaner all over the place, the intercom rang.

Is there anyone coming? 

When he turned off the vacuum cleaner and checked, it was not someone who came, but an external phone call. Who would call?

“Hello.”

ㅡ It’s me. Are you up?

Unsurprisingly, it was Executive Director Min.

ㅡYou didn’t answer the phone, so I called home just in case. Is it on the second floor?

“No, it’s on the first floor. I couldn’t hear it because I was cleaning.”

Jun-Kyung muttered to himself that he’s sorry.

─ It’s okay if nothing happened. Oh, have you eaten?

“Yes.”

His heart was pounding. It was just a simple thank you for saying that he enjoyed the food, but he was a little nervous.

“The rolled omelette was delicious. The soup was good too. You are so good at it.”

ㅡI’m glad that it suits your taste.

“Yes.”

—If you want something to eat, tell me. I’ll do what I can.

“You’re talking like your mother, haha.”

Jun-Kyung was embarrassed to share the intimacy that he wouldn’t share even with his own mother.

—Mother, is it?

“Yes, mother.”

Sooner or later, the president probably expects to be called “father”.

“Have you eaten lunch, Hyun-Seung?”

Lunch break at the company was well past.

—Yes, I did.

Jun-Kyung has nothing more to say. Shall I ask what you ate after two seconds?

He feels like he should, but his mouth didn’t move.

ㅡKeep your cell phone nearby. I’ll call you when I get off work.

“Yes.”

—Then.

“Yes.”

Jun-Kyung wasn’t the only one who hesitated because he doesn’t know when and how to cut it off. They got used to each other, but it was still vague. An awkward silence ensued.

ㅡ You hang up first.

“Me?”

—Yes.

“Ah, yes then…have a nice afternoon.”

Jun-Kyung carefully put down the receiver while crouching towards the intercom. After that, he listened again to make sure it was disconnected properly. After confirming that the line had cut, he let out a deep sigh.

“Oh my God, Wow.”

How to deal with awkwardness without countermeasures. Will the day come when he gets used to it?

As he watched the rerun of the boring TV show, he was fully conscious of his cell phone. The afternoon passed quickly.

[I will arrive in 3 minutes.]

Is it even a good idea to contact when Director Min gets off work? Jun-Kyung thought he could prepare his heart for about an hour. Executive Director Min was not an easy target.

It’s only 3 minutes. He hurriedly looked around to see if there was anything cluttered around him. Even though it was a newly purchased inner-wear, he brushed it off to smooth down the wrinkles.

Vroom.

There was the sound of a heavy sedan engine.

Should he open the front door and go out, or should he wait for the doorbell to ring? In the midst of a deep conflict, Executive Director Min came in on his own.

“Welcome.”

“Did nothing happen?”

“Yes.”

It’s barely been half a day since they talked on the phone. What could happen?

But for now, Jun-Kyung had nothing to say about it, so he kept his mouth shut.

A  plastic bag with a department store logo was in the hands of the owner who looked around the house to see if there had been an accident.  The bag is used in department store food halls. As if to prove it, a green leek rose from the entrance of the bag. Jun-Kyung’s eyes widened.

‘Director Min?’

It is a series of shocks that he’s not surprised anymore. He still had to swallow his astonishment however. Jun-Kyung received the plastic bag one beat late. It was the same for the opponent who was slow to hand over the load.

“Let’s change clothes and start preparing meals.”

Jun-Kyung, who was going to the kitchen with a bag closed his eyes and took a breath.

While Executive Director Min changed clothes and came down, Jun-Kyung took out the ingredients and laid them out on his table. Besides green onion, Korean beef was served.

What are you trying to make with this? First, Korean beef cut and green onion?

But the amount of meat was too small for two people to eat. To be honest, Jun-Kyung could eat that all by himself.

The food prepared in the morning was actually just for one person, so it wasn’t quite enough for Jun-Kyung. No matter how much the executive director Min was cooking, Jun-Kyung got breakfast and ate it, so it was polite to prepare dinner by himself. Director Min may be keeping track.

While hesitating and looking for the frying pan first, Executive Director Min came down.

“What are you doing?”

“I am going to grill the meat.”

“What? Why the meat?”

Jun-Kyung took out a large pan and pointed to the Korean beef placed on the counter.

“Isn’t it why you bought it? To grill it?”

“…. It is for stew.”

“Ah, somehow the quantity is small.”

Executive Director Min approached and took the frying pan from Jun-Kyung’s hand. Then, he gently pushed Jun-Kyung and put it back in its original place.

“And this is a court fan. It is used when making a large amount of stir-fried dishes.”

“I knew for the first time.”

Jun-Kyung has never cooked before, so he didn’t know what cooking tools were.

“I’ll make beef with soybean paste.”