Chapter 96
Chapter 96
The road was so winding that I felt terribly carsick.
But one look at Bom’s face and I’ll be cured, haha.
Jae-gyu was currently on a business trip to China. One of the key factors behind JK Power Energy’s rapid growth was a Chinese company owned by a certain President Wang. Opening up export channels there had become their primary driving force.
[I’ve got some Gwanxi with the president there.]
I had heard that when doing business in China, having strong personal ties was a major advantage. But how on earth had Jae-gyu built a relationship close enough to be considered sworn brothers with a Chinese businessman?
I only recently learned the answer to that question. Back when Jae-gyu had been forced to work on an illegal fishing boat, he had spotted someone drifting in the ocean late at night and saved them. That person was the very same President Wang he was now doing business with.
I also heard how President Wang ended up adrift in the middle of the vast ocean and how Jae-gyu had brought him to safety. He had practically risked his life to do it. Naturally, Jae-gyu was seen as President Wang’s savior.
President Wang, who had formed a bond with him that way, was involved in various businesses. Since he ran several large factories, he had shown interest in renewable energy, like the solar power Jae-gyu handled. They had started trading little by little since then.
[He said they’re setting up a massive renewable energy field on a huge desert site this time.]
Since products from mainland Chinese companies were overwhelmingly cheaper, Jae-gyu’s products wouldn't make up 100% of the supply, but he was confident in areas like consulting and panel recycling. He had left three days ago to look into it.
I had readily sent him off on his trip, but after not seeing him for a few days, his image kept flickering before my eyes.
His boisterous voice, which would shout, “My Bom-Bom, I’m home! You hungry?” almost every day after work, seemed to ring in my ears like a hallucination.
“Hey, Bom-sik!”
I thought the photo might turn out better than a solo shot, and Jae-gyu would probably like it more, so I called Bom-sik over. The pitter-patter of claws grew closer. Bom’s eyes curved into half-moons as she looked back.
“Did you bring this again? Come here. Let’s take a selfie with Mommy.”
Now fully grown, Bom-sik had become so large that it was difficult to pick him up. His once snow-white fur now had a light beige tint. Perhaps because he had more Retriever blood in him, his appearance leaned more toward that breed. I had heard that since he was past his growth phase, he wouldn't get any bigger or change much more from here.
“Sit.”
Bom-sik planted his bottom firmly on the floor without letting go of the doll in his mouth.
It was so funny how he refused to drop the doll even if it killed him that a smile naturally spread across my face. The doll was shaped like a bear, but it had such a muscular body that I had named it ‘Jae-gyu Bear.’ Han-gyeol had bought it for him, and it was the first time I’d ever seen a teddy bear so bulked up.
The moment I gave it to him, he had chomped down on it so cutely that I laughed; ever since then, whenever I called him, he always brought the doll like this. Today, he was biting it firmly by the scruff of the neck, which made it even funnier.
“Okay, cheese!”
Bom crouched down, sandwiching Bom-sik between her legs, and took a selfie while making a finger heart. Then, she sent it to Jae-gyu.
—Bom-sik says he misses you.
After sending them, Bom’s face flushed as she added one more message.
—I miss you too.
He had said today was his last scheduled event. If he rested well and took the evening flight back tomorrow, she would see him soon. Being apart for even this short while made her feel more than just longing—it felt like a deep, aching affection.
What am I going to do if being apart for just a little while makes me this anxious?
Vibrate.
Just as she thought there was no reply, a call came in. When she answered, the background was quite noisy.
“Did you get to your accommodation?”
“What is it?”
Uncharacteristically, Jae-gyu trailed off and hesitated. It sounded like he had just stepped off a tour bus chartered by President Wang, and the surrounding noise was intense.
“Jae-gyu?”
“Pardon?”
The noise was getting louder, drowning out Jae-gyu’s voice. Bom pressed the phone tightly to her ear.
“What? What did you say?”
“I—I can’t hear you very well. I’ll hang up and call you back later—”
As Jae-gyu bellowed at the top of his lungs, the sound of snickering from those around him came through the receiver.
Shouts of “The CEO is such a romantic!” and “He’s a real man!” could be heard as well. They were definitely the voices of his employees. Even though she wasn't there, Bom’s face burned bright red.
While she was wondering how on earth to respond, she heard Jae-gyu mutter into the receiver, “Did she not hear me this time either?” Oh my god, he’s going to shout even louder. Bom spoke up hurriedly.
“I can hear you! Hey, lower your voice a bit.”
“Let’s video call once you’re inside. When will you be in your room?”
“Strangely, he won’t go anywhere without that doll.”
The call cut off abruptly, only to ring again a few minutes later. This time, it was a video call.
On the screen, Jae-gyu was standing in his hotel room, loosening his tie.
“Yes, I can hear you well.”
Jae-gyu’s face was clear in the bright hotel room. Seeing him like this, he looked as handsome as a painting all over again. His bold, well-defined features were a sight to behold.
-
Seeing her staring intently at the screen, his well-shaped lips curved into a smile beneath his sharp nose. Bom placed a finger on the screen and gently pressed against those lips.
I want to kiss him. Even as she tried to shake off the thought that had surfaced unbidden, her body heat continued to rise. They had been intimate until she practically lost consciousness in the early hours of the day he left, yet she was still craving him. Unaware of her inner turmoil, Jae-gyu was humming as he took off his clothes.
As he took off his watch, pulled out his belt, and unbuttoned his shirt, Jae-gyu busily recounted the day’s events. The scale of the project was larger than expected, and he mentioned how President Wang’s proposal was so good it made him greedy. Seeing him like that reminded her once again that he was the CEO of a company.
“Tell me more about it when you get back. It’s amazing how it perfectly matches the completion of the second factory. I have a good feeling about this.”
The screen showing Jae-gyu’s face wobbled as he moved somewhere, then it was set down properly again. The bathroom? Bom’s eyes widened. It was because Jae-gyu had stripped off his fully unbuttoned shirt.
“What is it?”
Jae-gyu suddenly started twitching his chest muscles one by one. He claimed they were "designer pecs" and seemed quite pleased with himself as he moved them.
Who gets worked up looking at that? Bom felt absurd, but her eyes couldn't leave the screen. Her face moved closer to the phone screen without her even realizing it.
Perhaps because of that, she saw things she hadn't noticed before. On Jae-gyu’s thick chest muscles, his proudly protruding nipples were turning a deep pink. Seeing them, she did feel a little worked up. And…
He really has no sense of time or place.
The crotch of his dress pants, loosened after he pulled out his belt, was bulging tightly. When Jae-gyu gave it a squeeze and pulled the zipper all the way down, Bom snapped back to her senses.
“Hey!”
Honestly, even though she thought she had adjusted to everything about Seon Jae-gyu, she still found herself speechless whenever he did things like this out of the blue.
Bom forced her eyes away and hurried to end the call.
“I have work tomorrow, so I’m going to prepare for class and go to bed early. You stop doing that and go wash up and rest.”
Bom brought her face close to the phone. The screen wobbled again, and Jae-gyu’s face grew larger until his lips met the screen. A soft mwah sound echoed ticklishly.
We were thinking the same thing. Was this telepathy? Setting her phone down, Bom took out her laptop and prepared for her classes. She finished earlier than expected and had plenty of time to spare.
Should I take a walk around the neighborhood?
Bom took Bom-sik outside as the sun set and dusk began to fall. She let him play with the yellow dog at Grandma Sun-i’s house next door, and she met some elderly neighbors gathered at the pavilion by the stone bridge. While there, she heard some unexpected news from one of them.
“Seems like the owner of your house is plannin’ on stayin’ in Seoul for good. Heard they asked the real estate office how much they could get if they sold that house.”
“What? Is that true?”
“They’ll probably be gettin’ in touch with ya soon.”
It had seemed strange that the house had been empty for several months. Since she paid her rent annually rather than monthly, there hadn't been any reason for them to contact her separately…
Everything was changing, bit by bit.
She returned home with a heavy heart. Bom watered ‘Jae-gyu,’ the money tree that was still boasting its freshness in a corner of the rooftop, and while she was at it, she hosed down the rooftop to clean it.
“Bom-sik, you!”
Bom-sik, who got excited whenever he saw water, threw himself at the hose, getting his fur soaking wet. After playing in the water since he was already wet, she went back inside, and the day was almost over.
I wish every day could be just like this.