The first things that one notices about the spring is how color returns to wipe away the various shades of white, off white, dirty white and grey from this earth. Just when the world feels weighed down by the morbid cold and frost, somewhere among the piles of snow, a little seedling bides time to spring forth with the first touch of warmth. Not all is lost yet. It’s all about the right time and favorable conditions. And patience….lots of patience. Not something that came naturally to Choi Young Do. His calm and composed exterior hid an aggressive and restless soul. His life was all about getting ahead. Making things happen and moving onto the next. The sun rises and sets, the seasons pass but how does one account for those markers of passing time, if not with a list of achievements.

He was already thinking about the Review Meeting of the first quarter, which was a merely week away. Numbers, numbers and numbers. He loved numbers. No ambiguity about those. Either you met them or you failed, even by a hair’s breath. He was known to be a hard task master, a rather exacting one. But he gave his all and more to his business as well. He was fair and impartial, for nobody could curry favor with him. His decisions were practical, even if heartless at times. Numbers were his motivation and guide. But presently, he was looking at the numbers that made up an unidentified incoming phone call on his personal phone, which had rudely cut into his romance with numbers. He couldn’t help but think back to the last time that had happened. He had wound up being Kim Won’s designated driver! Who was it now and how did they get his number?

A clear and polished voice answered his greeting. “Director Choi Young Do, my name is Yoon Jae Ho. I am calling you on behest of Chairman Kim Won. Is it convenient for you to speak with me now or should I call you back later?”

The frown on Young Do’s forehead deepened as he tried to figure out a lot of things at the same time. How did this man get his personal number? Did hyung give it him? But he had specifically mentioned that this was not a business number. Why didn’t he call if he needed something?

He did not mask a clear disapproval in his tone as he spoke up, “Is this a business call? From Jeguk Group? Please call me at my office number. This is my personal phone number. I do not discuss business on this phone.”

The caller hesitated for a moment as if looking for the right words.

“I beg your pardon. Truth be told, I am not sure if it would be appropriate to call your business number. Chairman Kim left your phone number in the letter with the instruction to call you. That is how I have this number.”

Choi Young Do sounded almost incredulous as he echoed the most confounding word from that entire statement.

“Letter? What kind of letter? Where is Chairman Kim? Never mind, I will call him myself. I will hang up now.”

“Excuse me, sir. Chairman Kim left his phone here, along with the letter.”

Again that ‘letter’. What letter? Who even writes a letter? This was getting weirder by the moment.

“OK. Where is Chairman Kim?” Choi Young Do was almost exasperated now.

“We…are…not sure. He left last night. That is…..he did not come home……”

Young Do cut in before he could finish his sentence, “He…is missing? Are you saying he has gone missing? Where is his car? When was this? Was he driving? Who saw him last?” with each question, his voice was rising and even the naturally stoic David was throwing him concerned glances in the rearview mirror.

The man at the other side of the phone was strangely calm, “Well, he is…… technically…not missing. That is….he has taken some time off. He left to clear his head….and heart. That is the gist of the letter that he has left behind. If I am not mistaken, then he has also left a letter for you. It is not here with the documents on his desk, so I assume he has sent it across to you.”

Choi Young Do was confused and worried. He did not like being unsure or being surprised. That damned letter again!

“Where did he send it? At the office? At the hotel? When did he send it?”

Still calm, Mr. Yoon answered in a level voice, “I am sorry but I have no idea. Perhaps you would be so kind as to enquire at your office and residence? I am absolutely aware of how much of a rude imposition it is on your busy schedule but I am afraid that given the delicacy of the situation, I have no one but you to turn to. It seems that Chairman Kim has great faith in your ability as a businessman and…….as a well-wisher……a friend.”

Choi Young Do was not placated by his smooth and ultra-polite words. His hackles raised, he had little time for such hollow gestures. He couldn’t wait to get off the phone and act……he needed to get a grip on this…..crisis.

“Mr. Yoon, the phone number that showed up on my phone, is that your personal number? Can I reach you at that phone number? I will call you back, once I figure out….where this ‘letter’ is. I will hang up now.”

Within a minute, he had spoken to and instructed his personal assistants, one associated with his residential suite at the hotel and one at his office, to track down if there was a letter delivered for him. The details were at best sketchy but his staff knew better than to question his command when he sounded clearly perturbed. While they scurried off to find the ‘letter’, Choi Young Do sat doing what he did best when faced with an issue- analyzing the situation. He tried to gather all the relevant memories to the fore, given that his life was one big cycle of meetings, reports, financial reviews, business travel and more meetings. This never ending cycle was punctuated by his weekend down time, spent with his mother. But lately, he had been meeting someone else too. The relationship was still awkward, filled with stilted sentences and heavy silences but he felt compelled to respond to a man, who sought nothing but companionship from him.

After that first encounter, they had met about half a dozen times. Always discrete, they had to meet far from the prying eyes, in no name road side snack shacks, spending hours talking and drinking. Well, Choi Young Do mostly listened as Kim Won poured his heart out. His reminiscences and regrets made up the bulk of the conversation. Choi Young Do sat in front him, listened with a sympathetic ear and poured his drinks. He held off as he was always the one driving him back to the mansion, with David trailing him. It was a sad ritual, which inevitably left him emotionally drained. Hearing about Kim Tan, Cha Eun Sang and Sunny, a happy family torn asunder by a twist of Fate, left him exhausted. He had hesitantly mentioned meeting Cha Eun Sang and Sunny in that book store before Christmas and how Sunny had ‘found’ him. T