A Moment of Respite
He walks slowly into the house. After telling the driver he’s worked hard, he pauses for a moment, then opens his wallet and hands over a few bills with both hands.
“Oh, no. I was just doing my job...”
“Your job description doesn’t include driving all the way to Incheon. Even taxis charge extra for going outside the city limits.”
“Ah, but still.”
“You should head home for the day. Get some rest, and have a nice meal with your wife. You’ve been coughing since dawn; you must be exhausted.”
The driver must have been incredibly tired. When he had switched from the back seat to the front after dropping Eunbyul off, one could see three or four empty coffee cans on the passenger side. The driver tried to refuse, but Suhyun quickly pressed the cash into his hand and bowed. Flustered, the driver straightened his posture, bowed back, and remained parked there, watching Suhyun until he disappeared inside the house.
“...”
With his long years of experience, the driver watched him walk inside and thought that among all the executives he had served, this one was the most unique and fascinating. His starting line was different, his work was different, and he had been forced to mature his body and mind several times faster than his peers—yet, the way he spoke without airs and treated him like a colleague rather than a subordinate was something he was always grateful for.
Until now, every person he had served came with a "Chauffeur Guideline." One executive liked things done a certain way, another told him to fold the side mirrors while driving, and someone else demanded specific beverages be stocked before the morning commute. Thinking back, he had been a strange person from the very beginning. When he first heard he would be working as a chauffeur for the son of the company chairman, he had clutched his head, unable to sleep, wondering what kind of power-tripping he would have to endure. But the next day:
“...Any specific requests?”
“...? Ah, he says there are none.”
“...Pardon?”
“That’s right. He said... not to treat him with excessive reverence. He said not to be too nervous...”
The driver smiled faintly and nodded. He tucked the cash into his wallet with care, drove the car out of the complex with extra caution, and left.
"Yes. Mr. Chairman. I’m sorry to bother you when you’re busy this morning."
"Who... is this?"
"Ah. This is Cho Min-woo, the Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs. As you’ve seen on the news, your son yesterday..."
The Chairman listened silently. According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, if the vessel had been left as it was, it would have capsized, leading to the leakage of all sorts of waste, debris, and additional crude oil beyond the area already cracked by the collision. They even said the President hadn't been able to sleep, watching the news constantly.
“...Of course, I stayed up all night as well.”
“Then the President is...”
“He is currently taking a nap. After receiving the report around 5:00 AM that it was passing between Gulupdo and Uldori, he is resting comfortably.”
“Hmm...”
“We were all shocked yesterday. Even though nothing had been discussed in advance...”
The Presidential Office had been so surprised, wondering if this was some kind of military operation, that they had burned up their phone lines contacting every department. But no one knew anything. The reason they found out was, absurdly enough:
“This is the Maritime Defense Command.”
“This is Doowon Heavy Industries’ Geoje Shipyard. We’re currently sending ships from Geoje to Incheon Port. We need our pusher boats, tugboats, and one passenger ship as well.”
“...?”
“We don’t have official clearance, but our company has decided to go rescue the stranded KMTC vessel, so please report this to your superiors. May we enter the area?”
The military officer on night duty had received this call, wondered if it was a prank, and hesitated over the origin of the call before reporting it to the Command Duty Officer. The Duty Officer took the call instead.
“At this hour, an oil tanker...”
“They say it must be salvaged immediately! It could capsize; it seems the ship has taken on a lot of water. They said they confirmed it via satellite and it’s serious.”
“...”
“If approval is difficult, please report it to your superiors and contact us! They said there are a captain and helmsman inside, so please hurry...”
That was how the report reached the Presidential Office.
“That is how we found out, so we all came into work to verify the situation. Anyway...”
“Ah... you must be exhausted.”
The Chairman said that because he had nothing else to say. He was in the dark about the situation himself. The Chairman remained silent for a moment before asking, “So, what is happening now...”
“Oil is still leaking near Incheon Port, but it’s manageable. We’ve sent the Coast Guard and workers, and the ship has been salvaged. They are investigating the accident, and they said if it weren’t for the passenger ship, there would have been casualties.”
“Casualties...?”
“Ah, a high-pressure oil storage facility exploded in the middle of it. It didn’t catch fire, but... oil poured all over the ship’s deck... If it had capsized, the state would have been liable for damages.”
The Chairman nodded, continuing to listen to the secretary. After a few more words, he asked, “So, this wasn’t an order, but something he decided and carried out himself...”
“I actually don’t know much about it either. My son didn’t say a word at night... I apologize for the trouble,” the Chairman said.
“...Then, this is a matter for an award.”
The Chairman hesitated for a moment. “...An award? You mean...”
“Originally, there was talk of awarding it in the name of Doowon Corporation, but the President asked us to verify the details exactly before proceeding. We contacted the night-duty staff, but the headquarters said they knew nothing... We found that strange as well.”
“Ah.”
“For now, we’d like to confirm once more who exactly...”
The Chairman looked out the window, lost in thought, before saying, “It is Han Suhyun. My only son.”
Inside the house, he tossed his clothes near the washing machine, lay down on the sofa, and checked his phone before setting it on the table and covering his eyes with one arm. He sighed deeply, telling himself:
‘It’s not like I did something amazing.’
‘I didn’t do it alone, either.’
‘I just... did it because I could.’
‘Let’s not act like it’s a big deal.’
He repeated this to himself, cooling the heat of yesterday’s passion. Let’s not think that because I caught an updraft, I should use this opportunity to boost my own stock. Let’s not think like some hero of the nation. If I do that, I will certainly make a mistake. I must compose my heart and act quietly, as if I simply fulfilled my duty. Let’s think of it as doing what was natural, with the heart of a soldier, or perhaps a police officer. As he made up his mind, he nodded to himself several times.
Meanwhile, in the study, she emerged upon hearing the sound of him entering. He glanced at her, waved a hand lightly, then let it drop slowly.
“I’m exhausted... you don’t have to do anything.”
“...”
“I’m dying. Ugh...”
She watched him for a moment and bit her lip. She wanted to say something, wanted to have a conversation, but she knew he would just get angry, and his expression looked like he had no room for that.
“Did something... bad happen?”
“Just worked overtime. It’s tough...”
“...Go to the master bedroom and sleep. It’ll be uncomfortable here.”
“...”
It was true that she was hateful, and it was true that he didn’t even want to look at her, but she was saying the right thing. He stood up slowly, swaying, and she quickly went to his side, hugging him tightly to support him as she led him to the master bedroom. As soon as he sat heavily on the bed, she hurriedly took off the clothes he was wearing one by one and picked out comfortable clothes to put on him. She told him to lie down, and he complied.
“...”
He drifted into sleep with an expression that was neither fully open nor fully closed. He didn’t like that he hadn’t washed yet, but what could he do? He was exhausted.
She watched him sleep from a slight distance. He looked exhausted and worn out, but since there was nothing she could do for him, she simply watched to see if he was sleeping well, intending to help if he needed anything. Even so, after taking his clothes, she quickly and secretly leaned in to sniff them, finding a small sense of relief that the scent of apples wasn’t there.
ZzZzzZz....
Seeing him sleeping comfortably, she finally stepped out of the room cautiously. Just then, she saw his father calling his phone on the table. She picked it up and answered.
“Yes, Father.”
“...? Ah, yes. Daughter-in-law. Is Suhyun... at home right now?”
“Yes, he looks very tired. He didn’t come home last night...”
The Chairman was silent for a moment. “I see. Even if my son isn’t reliable, do everything he asks of you today.”
“...Ah...”
“And tell Suhyun not to go to work this afternoon.”
“Yes. I will do that.”
“And tell him he needs to go to the National Assembly tomorrow morning.”
She was silent for a moment. Why the National Assembly? What was going on?
“...? The National Assembly, you say?”
“Yes. There... well, something like that happened. I suppose the child doesn’t know yet.”
“Yes... I’m sorry, Father.”
“No, it’s fine. I suppose he ate something wrong... Anyway, tell him to come.”