Chapter 008

✥ Though Kyujong and Youngsaeng rode in silence, there were no doubt that their minds were occupied with thoughts. Youngsaeng who was starting to feel bad for not understanding the ‘new’ Kyujong found it difficult to get close to the lad. Meanwhile, on the other hand Kyujong could only think about what he should do later on regarding whether Youngsaeng’s memories return or not. Hence in the mix he would steal glances of Youngsaeng through the rear mirror, to give him confirmation that Youngsaeng had indeed return to his presence.

After all it has been a while since he last seen the latter in the hospital. A sight he wished he had never witnessed as hospital is a place for the hurt and ill. But one side of Kyujong was glad that the misfortune fell on Youngsaeng, which created an opportunity for them to meet again. Otherwise he wouldn’t have fought to get back into the life of a possibly healthy Youngsaeng who may have been living happily with Junghwa.  

The ringing of Kyujong’s phone soon brought him back into the moment and pulled him away from Youngsaeng for a brief moment. He took out his phone to see that the caller was Sungyeol. “It’s me,” he took the call later using an earphone as the call connects to his car’s speaker.

“President, it’s me, it’s about the housing of the Incheon resort guests,” Sungyeol said, his voice heavy yet shaky, “they’re not willing to leave until we agree to house all 70 guests President,”

“Get us your president right now!” Kyujong heard the angry voice of a man in the back, assuming it was one of the guest.

“Got it, I’ll arrive shortly. For now just keep them calm so they won’t make disturb the other guests,” Kyujong ordered earning an agreed hum from his assistant.

Youngsaeng who had gotten curious in the backseat were now leaning forward, “Is something wrong?” He asked quietly. Kyujong recalling that the lad was still in the backseat look toward the rear mirror once again to get a hint of what kind of expression Youngsaeng’s wore.

“It’s nothing major,” Kyujong said to give the lad a peace of mind. But Youngsaeng wasn’t convinced, he knew something was up seeing how Kyujong had started to speed up on the road. Even if it wasn’t major, it had got to be urgent. The rest of their travel were done with Kyujong lost in thoughts of what he should do once they arrive at the hotel. Once they arrived Kyujong quickly enter the hotel without a word to Youngsaeng, the latter who got out of the vehicle later could only watch as Kyujong disappeared behind the glass doors.

“Welcome to Grand Kim’s Hotel, do you have anything you’ll like for me to carry for you?” A worker of the hotel asked as he approached Youngsaeng. But the man was more interested in what was happening.

“Kyujong got a call from here right?” He asked the worker who was taken aback by the question.

“I believe so, I don’t know the details but a group of guests arrived and were angry,”

“A group? How many people were there?”

“Over fifty I believe,”

Kyujong head over to where the unexpected guests were staying, in a large lounging room. They were all resting in a jumbled until his entrance then the elderly man who Kyujong assumed was responsible for the scream earlier approach him. “Are you the owner of this hotel?” He asked, rather rough for being strangers.

“I’m sorry but we made it clear to the host of your trip that we won’t have enough rooms available for all 70 guests. I’m sorry but you’ll have to try another hotel—”

“Are you kidding? There’s no hotel bigger than this one in Incheon! Also as the owner wouldn’t it make sense that you try to keep open rooms if you heard a group of tourists will be coming to Incheon?!”

Kyujong took in his words but continued to stand his ground, “I’m sorry, but even if we house some of you, the rest will have to find somewhere else to stay at,”

“You bastard,”  the elder said with a scrowl on his face, until Sungyeol who had been standing watch over the group approach Kyujong.

“P-president, there’s something I should tell you,” Sungyeol had his side to the elder as he leaned in close to Kyujong.

“Say it,” Kyujong said.

“We have enough rooms since three of them are willing to share, but if only we can get another room open,” Sungyeol said.

“And what do you mean? You want us to kick out another guest?”

“No,” Sungyeol quickly check the older guest and hoped he wouldn’t get angry at their chattering in front of him, “I mean….Youngsaeng’s room,” Kyujong frowned, confused why his room was brought up. “If we can let them have that one room then we can house all 70 of them,”

“That’s not necessary, Youngsaeng’s room is a VIP room compare to the other regular rooms. Also where would Youngsaeng stay if his room is given away?” Kyujong questioned.

“Well….Can’t he stay at your place until another room open? Why does he need a room at the hotel when you have your own place?” Sungyeol whispered back.

“Give them the room,” Youngsaeng’s voice came from behind them, startling everyone at the scene. “I won’t be using it,” he said.

“Is he one of your guests?” The elder asked but gained no answers from Sungyeol nor Kyujong before continuing, “See he said we can have the room,”

Compare to the sour expression on the elder’s face and voice, Youngsaeng appeared bright and quite happy. Kyujong then once again was reminded why he was attracted to Youngsaeng in the beginning, it was because the man possessed the good trait.

“Should I give them the room then, president?” Sungyeol whispered, his ears perk back as he wait for the answer he wanted to hear. But Kyujong’s answer had nothing to do with the problem at the scene.

“Have Youngsaeng wait in my office, I’ll think on this,” Kyujong said, drawing a frown across Sungyeol’s face.

“Yes President,” the lad replied effortlessly before moving away from the crowd of staring people. Once Kyujong turned back toward the group, Youngsaeng got a good look at his side profile and saw where the man eased up his brows. A small smile flashed across Youngsaeng’s face as he knew what kind of smile it was.

Trying to get used to the 2016 Kyujong may be hard, but Youngsaeng realized that the same man was still the same teenager he went to school with back then. Kyujong’s actions would mean the same, the only change was the setting and time. As Youngsaeng allow Sungyeol to lead him away, he couldn’t stop stealing glances back toward Kyujong’s direction.

As Sungyeol took Youngsaeng into the elevator he began to start conversations, “President said you lost your memories right? Then, you probably don’t remember me?”

Youngsaeng looked directly into the eyes of Sungyeol, “We met before?”

Sungyeol sighed heavily with a hint of depression, “I guess you don’t remember,”

“Sorry,” Youngsaeng said, a look of sorry crossed his face, “if we’ve met before then I’m sorry I can’t remember,”

“It’s alright, but if I tell you now you better not forget about me again,” Sungyeol said jokingly, putting a wide smile on Youngsaeng.

“I promise I won’t,”

As they exit the elevator, Sungyeol was still in the middle of speaking, “When we four went to college together, I was younger than you guys and I studied in the same field as President which was sculpture. I admired his work and approached him back then. I’ve met you once or twice back then whenever I come to President to borrow some things. I knew you were one of his best friends back then.”  Sungyeol stopped Youngsaeng just outside of Kyujong’s office, “Anyway, president was a top student then but unfortunately something happened and he never got his degree.”

“He never...did?” Youngsaeng asked.

“He didn’t, remember you knew...ah wait….You can’t remember during that time.” Sungyeol showed a nervous smile, “My apologies, sometimes my mind doesn’t work correctly. Either way we’re here. President asked for you to stay here while he take care of the business downstair.”

“Are you heading back downstairs?” Youngsaeng asked.

“Yes, I should go see how it’s going so—”

“Before you do,” Youngsaeng cut him off, “can I ask you something?”

“Anything,” Sungyeol said with a proud smile, prepared to answer anything thrown at him to the fullest.

“What kind of person is he as your president....?”

“Why won’t you give us the room? Didn’t you hear earlier that man even stepped in and said we can have it?!” The angry older shouted.

“I’m sorry but the last room is a VIP room—”

“So what? VIP or not we’re all the same! We’re all customers!”

“But I am the owner here, if you keep shouting I don’t think I’d want to house you here for the conditions of three days,”

“Of course I’m going to shout! You’re trying to kick us out!”

Kyujong sighed a little too loud before placing his hands on his hips, “If I were trying to kick all 70 of you out I don’t even have to try and all 70 of you will be somewhere else other than here. But right now I’m trying to negotiate with you that the last room, a VIP room, isn’t available. VIP rooms are reserved rooms for those who can afford it. If I recklessly give away a VIP room then how would my VIP guests feel? They’ll probably cause an uproar just like what you’re doing right now,”

“You little bastard—!”

“President!” An employee ran forward and came closer to the group, “We got an open room, a guest just checked out,”

Kyujong looked into the eyes of the older, “No, that room won’t be available until I receive compensation for my wasted time and hurting eardrums for standing here too long,” Kyujong locked eyes with the older and revealed a cunning smile. “Apologize,”

“He will give the room to the customer right? The Kyujong I know would do it,” Youngsaeng said once they were in the room.

Sungyeol hummed and eye elsewhere before answering, “That depends, even if he doesn’t want to kick out all 70 of those tourists, if they cause problems to his other hundreds of guests than he’d normally choose majority over minorities,”

“No, Kyujong would be considerate of all person—”

“Sorry Youngsaeng, hate to break it to you but President Kyujong may have been that kind of person a year ago but he’s been cold lately,”

“A cold Kyujong…? But the expression he was wearing earlier says the same when he’s ready to benefit all—”

“Expression? If you only look at his expression then he’ll have you guessing till the end. I would know because I’ve been with him everyday for the past three years.” Sungyeol said.

“Now that you’ve apologized, we’ll give you all the rooms you need.” Kyujong said.

credit