After a long time, Hyunseung stepped out with Lee Duseok to the pavilion set up in the company courtyard. Since Kim Woohyun was away preparing for his wedding, Hyunseung hadn’t received his usual coffee tribute, so he had come out for some tea instead.
Of course.
It was also to play a game of baduk, so the elder wouldn’t feel lonely.
“Hasn’t the garden at VINCIS become even more beautiful than it was a year ago?”
Before the match, Lee Duseok asked as he looked around at the surrounding scenery.
“Yes. When Vincent said he was going to landscape the garden, I told him he was wasting his time, but the result actually looks quite decent.”
Hyunseung followed his gaze, taking in the garden.
Surrounded by lush green trees, colorful flowers bloomed in harmonious arrays all throughout the grounds.
“I lent a bit of a hand, so it could become such a decent garden.”
“No wonder. I thought it felt similar to your garden back home, sir.”
With those words, the two pulled their fixed gazes away from the garden.
“It feels like just yesterday we were playing baduk in the garden of my estate in Korea, yet to think the day would come when we’d be playing in front of our company building in the United States.”
As their eyes soon met in midair, Lee Duseok continued, sounding somewhat nostalgic.
“Even so, hasn’t my skill improved enough to match you fairly well now?”
“Yes. Nowadays, if I slip up for even a second, I feel like I’ll lose.”
“Tsk, it’s not right to tease your elders.”
“I’m serious.”
“Then shall we see if you slip up today?”
At those words, Hyunseung immediately adjusted his posture and sat up straight.
“Sounds good.”
Though they had played about two matches since his return, this was the first time they had formally set aside time to come out to the garden and play.
Even if he hadn’t shown it, he must have felt very hurt.
“I hold the black stones.”
Lee Duseok spoke with an innocent, childlike smile spreading across his kindly, wrinkled face.
This elder, who so loved playing baduk with him, had followed him all the way to America like this.
And yet…
In the end, he had left, dumping everything onto this very elder’s shoulders.
And even after returning, he still hadn’t been able to say a word.
Of course.
Lee Duseok hadn’t asked anything either. While others had poured out their worries, asking what on earth had happened…
Lee Duseok, as always, had simply suggested playing a game of baduk.
It surely meant he trusted him.
Right.
By remaining silent, he was showing his faith.
And he, too, had left trusting this elder.
Clack, tap.
The two played baduk in silence for a long time.
Clack, tap.
As sharp placements and smooth, elegant moves continued in succession, the board gradually filled up without a single gap.
Just then, Lee Duseok opened his firmly closed lips.
“Your playing style is the same as ever. Just like you, one can never grasp where it will branch out next.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ve felt this since last time, but it seems your style is gradually changing, sir.”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Should I say it feels a bit more aggressive than before?”
At that response, he let out a low hum as if pondering deeply for a moment.
“Since I’ve jumped back into this rough industry, shouldn’t I possess that much offensive power?”
He answered with a bright smile that deepened the wrinkles around his eyes.
To return the smile, Hyunseung bantered, offering words he hadn’t dared to utter until now.
“Ah, it must be thanks to that offensive power that VINCIS has grown so much.”
“Do you feel that way? However, this growth wasn’t made solely by me.”
Lee Duseok looked steadily at Hyunseung and added.
“It is merely the result of the seeds you planted.”
“Me?”
“Yes. The others and I simply watered and tended to them. Just like this garden.”
With those words, he cast his gaze back toward the garden.
Just as Hyunseung was about to turn his head toward the garden following his gaze…
“By any chance, did you plant any seeds during the year you left us?”
Lee Duseok voiced the question he had kept bottled up.
“Ah…”
Hyunseung was caught off guard for a moment, looking surprised.
Clack, clack.
As if lost in deep thought, he rolled a baduk stone in his hand and let out a low breath.
And then.
With a determined glint in his eyes, he answered.
“I planted my entire being.”
“Oh, your entire being…”
“I watered it well in my own way and tended to it with utmost care. It would be wonderful if the result bloomed as brightly as this garden.”
As he spoke with a faint smile, an indescribable emotion flickered across Hyunseung’s face.
“I won’t ask any further. But since you say you planted your all, the outcome will surely be good.”
Lee Duseok spoke as if comforting Hyunseung.
Clack, tap!
Hyunseung, as if seeing a path from those words, placed the stone held in his hand without hesitation.
“Oh my! I was so absorbed in our conversation that I didn’t notice you plotting such a brilliant move at all.”
“It seems today isn’t the day I slip up.”
“Won’t a day to slip up come eventually?”
In the end, Hyunseung won this match as well.
“So, will you stay with me until that day comes? Just like this, coming out to the garden to play baduk and drink tea.”
Yet, without a single hint of displeasure, Lee Duseok held on to Hyunseung and continued as if making a request.
“I won’t expect much, nor will I ask.”
Very gently, and warmly.
“Will you simply share the remaining moments of my life like this?”
When asked like that, how could one ever say no?
“Of course.”
Hyunseung simply felt that this match, too, had been truly wonderful.
Sarah tried her best to calm her faintly trembling heart.
She had started her day with meditation, which was supposed to bring peace of mind, but it hadn’t worked at all.
The reason she was trembling so much was…
[ Come to my studio tomorrow ]
It was because of a single text from Hyunseung last night.
He had asked if she was interested in singing a track, and it seemed he had been serious. She had thought he was just saying it to cheer her up.
“Ugh…!”
Before starting the car, Sarah squirmed with delight.
Just the fact that she was working with Hyunseung made her heart flutter with joy, but being called for his very first project after his return excited Sarah even more.
Ah.
During the year he had vanished, just how great of a song had he written?
Sarah calmed her swell of anticipation and started the engine.
Vroooom.
After driving for just a short while, Sarah arrived in front of the VINCIS building and bolted straight for the front entrance.
Anyone watching her might have called her hopelessly infatuated, but…
“Min Hyunseung, Min Hyunseung!”
As if none of that mattered anymore, Sarah shouted Hyunseung’s name vigorously in front of the studio door.
Her Korean was still clumsy and limited, but she had become able to pronounce Hyunseung’s name with absolute clarity.
It was the result of muttering it to herself so many times.
“I can hear you even if you don’t shout like that.”
Hyunseung, opening the door and stepping out, chided Sarah.
Yet the expression on his face clearly showed he was pleased.
“Is the song already finished?”
Brushing past Hyunseung, Sarah asked as she stepped into the studio.
“Yeah. Want to listen right away?”
To finish it this fast… Could it be that he wrote the song in advance while thinking of me, even during his disappearance?
When the thought suddenly crossed her mind, Sarah found it hard to control her expression, so she turned her head away to avoid his gaze and nodded.
Smirk.
As if catching on to Sarah’s thoughts, Hyunseung let out a soft chuckle and moved his mouse to play the audio file.
— ♬ ♬ ♬
As expected, even the intro was great.
“Mmm-hmm…”
Following the rhythmical melody, Sarah immediately hummed along.
The beat and melody line were simpler and more repetitive than expected, but that made the track all the more addictive.
Toward the end, he introduced a suitable variation, brushing away any monotony.
“Mmm…”
However, in the section with the variation, the melody sounded strangely distorted. It was hard to put into words, but…
— ♬ ♬ ♬
It didn’t seem like something Hyunseung had done intentionally…
“How is it?”
While lost in those thoughts, the song had already ended.
At Hyunseung’s question, Sarah straightened her expression.
“I like it.”
Then, she carefully added.
“I think it just needs a little polishing?”
“Yeah, I should polish it during post-production.”
Hyunseung glanced sideways at Sarah and replied casually, as if it were no big deal. Yet even that single glance made Sarah’s heart drop.
Did I make a slip of the tongue or something?
Still, she didn’t want to hurt Hyunseung’s pride by questioning him further.
Even without her worrying, Hyunseung was someone who would naturally produce a flawless song anyway.
“Since there are a lot of addictively repeating lines, I think I can head right in after practicing just a few times.”
“That’s enough for you?”
“Yeah. Even if I practice dozens of times out here, I’m going to suffer through hell again once I go in anyway, so it’s better to get the beating over with early.”
Sarah spoke with a bright smile to change the subject.
“Suit yourself.”
Hyunseung also nodded at Sarah’s words.
Shortly after.
After playing the song a few times and humming along, Sarah stepped into the recording booth with a distinct sense of tension.
The fluttering excitement she had carried on her way here had long since vanished.
Gulp.
Recording with Hyunseung always made her nervous.
However.
Because it was a good kind of tension, she even liked that.
Yet.
Today felt a little different.
— Love is not a big deal.
As she sang the line, Sarah bit her lower lip, dissatisfied with her own delivery. Hyunseung must have noticed as well.
And yet.
“Don’t I need to do it again?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“Wait, just now my pitch was…”
Why wasn’t he telling her to do it again?
Earlier too.
And now.
It wasn’t like Hyunseung.
“Let’s do it again.”
Soon, Hyunseung seemed to read the room and restarted the track, telling her to do it again.
— We just live together laughing and crying.
Even as she continued recording, Sarah couldn’t shake an uncomfortable feeling, but…
“Ease up on your voice a bit more.”
“Again.”
“You dragged the beat just now. Again.”
With him quickly shouting “again” just like old times, she didn’t have the energy left to worry about uncomfortable feelings, let alone think about them.
Of course. That was more like it.
In the end, unable to finish the recording, Sarah declared defeat after five hours and was finally granted a brief reprieve from hell.
“Haaah… I think I need a little more practice after all.”
“I knew it the moment you talked big. It’s not like we have to finish today, so we’ll just track verse one for now.”
Just as Hyunseung spoke while looking at the utterly sprawled Sarah…
“Wait a second, what’s this?”
Spotting the wedding invitation on the table, Sarah bolted upright and asked.
“It’s a wedding invitation. Didn’t you get one from Director Kim Woohyun?”
“Ah, I did.”
“Are you going?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“Right. Then let’s all travel together on my private jet with my secretary.”
At the word “secretary,” her eyes went wide like a rabbit’s.
“Secretary? Do you mean that robot-like person? You’re working together again? Weren’t they CEO Joshua’s secretary?”
“We’re working together again starting this time. Ah, and I heard Michelle is catching the bouquet. Do you know anything about that? Either way, you were in Unice together.”
However, Sarah’s expression instantly froze cold.
“Wait, why is she catching the bouquet?”
It was because an untimely surge of jealousy had flared up.
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