Choi Young Do had come to this house before but he did not remember it being so silent. He could hear….nothing…. apart from their slipper clad footsteps echoing down the hall. He could not see another soul. He guessed that they had possibly banished the servants from sight due to the meeting. But he shuddered when he thought about Sunny, the little boy, lost in the grief filled world of the adults around him. Poor chap. But he reasoned that he still had his mother by his side and she was a fighter. At least that is how he remembered her. She had no resources and lots of liabilities but she fought bravely and fought hard to hold her own. Sometimes even against good judgment. She was spirited and her eyes had blazed with indignation at anybody, who had dared to look down upon her. The woman walking ahead of him, shoulders stooped, head bowed, seemed nothing like that girl. Kim Won was right. She had lost her luster. And now, Kim Won’s sudden ‘soul searching journey’ had just added to her problems.

“Aish! Kim Tan, what the hell did you do? You should had held fast, been more careful”, he exclaimed in his mind.

Theirs was a quiet little procession that trooped into the office. Choi Young Do for a second was impressed by the size of it. Everything about Kim Mansion was old fashioned grandeur while his hotel suite was all about quiet luxury. Heavy silk and old wood graced every corner of the office at the Kim Mansion. Choi Young Do’s suite, on the other hand, glistened with sleek lines and shiny chrome. Mr. Yoon invited Choi Young Do to take a seat, while seating himself across from him. Cha Eun Sang sat next to Mr.Yoon on the sofa, rather huddled next him. Choi Young Do waited for Mr. Yoon to start the conversation, awkward that it was.

“Director Choi, may I ask if you have considered the situation and have come up with any suggestion to address the crisis at hand?”

Choi Young Do was momentarily distracted by how frail and small Cha Eun Sang looked. Now that his mind was not in such turmoil as the first time at the book store, he noticed that her eyes looked tired and apprehensive. She gazed at him worriedly. He focused his gaze on Mr. Yoon and addressed him though his words were Cha Eun Sang as well.

“I am afraid, I am no position to render any help in this matter. Neither do I think it would be the right thing to do, in the strictest legal and business sense. The parent company, Zeus Hotel controls my business, Atlantis Suites, as a wholly owned subsidiary. If I start acting as an advisor to Jeguk Group……or in this case, Chairman Kim’s agent, namely, you and Cha Eun Sang, the other shareholders of your business will not accept it. They may construe it to be an attempt to exert undue influence and seek unfair profits for Zeus Hotel.”

Mr. Yoon smirked in his mind for a second that perhaps Choi Young Do should consult his father. Chairman Choi, Young Do’s father, was not known for his clean dealings and was in fact, brought to books over his shady deals. He may not be so circumspect, given the situation. But on the other hand, if this was how the Young Businessman of the Year did business, then Mr. Yoon was rather impressed. He now wanted to delve deeper into this young man’s mind.

“For all purposes, we are expecting Chairman Kim to come back soon enough. I am merely following his orders by including you in our discussions. It seems that he did not forewarn you about ……possible involvement…in this matter?” said Mr. Yoon.

Choi Young Do debated whether he should tell them about his meetings with Kim Won. But those were strictly personal meetings. Director Yoon, in spite of his designation, was an employee, not family and Cha Eun Sang…..well, she wouldn’t be thrilled about the topic of those discussions either. So, he decided to downplay his connection with Kim Won. Let him come back and explain why he had included Choi Young Do in his madcap plan. Young Do himself would like to hear that too.

“Well, we met a few times….at the hotel…and other few places. He looked….stressed.” he did not miss the sharp intake of breath on Cha Eun Sang’s part and continued in a lighter voice, “But then show me a businessman, who isn’t, right? We spoke for a bit, exchanged…….pleasantries.”

At a quick glance at her he could see that Cha Eun Sang’s palms were clasped together, knuckles white, her body was rigid and eyes downcast. He could also see the deep frown that marred her forehead. Knowing the girl that she was, a martyr to boot, he knew she was castigating herself for somehow failing to prevent Kim Won’s ‘spiritual sojourn’. He wanted to reach out and place his palm over her hands and tell her that it was not her fault. Far from it. He knew that for sure.

This time he looked at her lowered head and addressed her directly, though not by her name.

“Sunny” he succeeded at getting her instant attention as her head snapped up at the mention of that name, “He told me about Sunny. Though when I met him in the bookstore, I did not know that Sunny knew me from somewhere.” He thought that this should pique her interest.

A ghost of a wistful smile showed up on Cha Eun Sang’s face and she nodded in confirmation.

“Hyung had told Sunny about you. Apparently, he had shown him your picture from a magazine too. Sunny told me after we left the book store.”

Choi Young Do enthusiastically asked, “Where is he? Is he home? Didn’t see him outside, when we came in.”

Mr. Yoon cleared his throat. This conversation was veering off-course and he had a feeling that it was Choi Young Do’s ploy to keep from getting drawn into the serious business at hand. Choi Young Do was a clever man. He had clearly stated that he wanted no part of it and now he was just dillydallying before he could call it a night. He decided to try again, gently but firmly.

“Director Choi, you do not have to be involved on a daily basis. It will be business as usual for us. All that I ask for, is your help, should we need it. Your name will not appear in any document. There will be no minutes of the meetings, just like this one. It goes without saying, that when it comes to your time and attention, your business takes precedence over ours. We will meet, should need be, very privately, at your convenience. Would you please not reconsider your position?”

Mr.Yoon took heart in the fact that Choi Young Do did not answer him immediately but seemed to consider his words. His eyes downcast, he seemed to be seriously giving it a ‘once-over’. But then Choi Young Do was supposed to be unpredictable. He didn’t want to press him for an answer. His eyes fell on the other documents that were on the table and he picked up the Power of Attorney document. Perusing the familiar words once again, he decided to point out the salient features of the arrangement, his eyes still glued to the document at hand.

“Cha Eun Sang is the sole legal representative of Chairman Won. Even my name does not feature anywhere in this document.