Melting Slow

***

At that moment, Kim Seung-jae was lost in thought. He had just left the parking lot of Deputy Director Chae Joo-chan’s family home. After comforting Nari, who was upset by Yeo-min’s harsh words, he had chatted with her family over some refreshments and was now heading home.

He had met Chae Nari while he was still dating Yeo-min, at Taeju Group’s anniversary party. He had bumped into her on the way to the restroom, and a book fell from her bag—it turned out to be by one of his favorite authors, and that was how they started talking. They became closer, and only then did he learn that she was the younger sister of his girlfriend, Chae Yeomin.

In truth, he had had some preconceived notions before he actually met Nari. Though Yeo-min never explicitly said anything, the atmosphere she gave off, the situations he had observed at their home, it all painted a picture. A mean stepmother, a spiteful half-sister, an indifferent father. And an innocent victim: Chae Yeo-min. At first, he genuinely believed that was the reality. He truly thought he wanted to save the pitiable and pitiful Yeo-min and make her happy.

But the truth was the exact opposite. Nari, when he actually got to know her, was very different from what he imagined.

‘I’m really glad I got close to you, oppa. I’ve always wanted to be closer to my sister, but she’s always pushed me away, and it was hard to get close. I understand that she must have hated me… I know it’s my fault… sob…’

Nari was a kind woman, full of tears and wounds. She was fundamentally different from the stern, sharp-edged Chae Yeo-min. He couldn’t help but pay attention to her gentle demeanor. That day, it had been the same.

‘Yeo-min, your sister called because she wants to see you, don’t you think your reaction is too cold?’

The day he happened to overhear the conversation between Yeo-min and Chae-Nari, he ended up revealing his inner thoughts unintentionally. Seeing Yeo-min coldly reject Chae Nari’s words of wanting to see her, he fully realized it—Chae Yeo-min wasn’t purely a victim. That was why, right after dropping off Yeo-min, he immediately called Chae Nari. Honestly, he had to admit that he was more worried about Chae Nari than Yeo-min.

‘Oppa? Aren’t you with my sister right now?’

‘No, we just parted ways.’

‘I see. When I was on the phone with my sister earlier, I felt like you two might be together, so I ended the call quickly. I didn’t want to disturb your date… Sorry.’

‘Well, it’s just a habit now, and it doesn’t mean much anymore.’

‘Don’t say that. If my sister heard you, she’d be really hurt… If I knew you were together, I wouldn’t have called. Is she really upset? She doesn’t like it when I call…’

‘No, she’ll be fine. But what about you, Nari? You’re not crying, are you?’

‘What? …No, I’m not crying. Do you think I’m a crybaby or something…’

‘Why do you cry so much? It breaks my heart. How will you manage with such a gentle heart?’

That was the turning point. He went to comfort Nari, and they ended up spending the night together, leading to a point of no return. After finishing his reminiscing, Kim Seung-jae let out a low sigh while waiting at the red light. Yeo-min’s voice from earlier kept echoing in his ears.

‘Kim Seung-jae, you know nothing about Chae Nari.’

What is it that I don’t know? What on earth could it be?

‘Even if I deny it, you won’t believe me. Then go ahead and believe it. It doesn’t matter anymore.’

Though she spoke calmly, her trembling eyes seemed hurt—what did they mean?

Thinking that far, Kim Seung-jae shook his head. The woman known as Chae Yeo-min was someone he needed to erase completely from his memory. Now, he had Chae Nari, his precious fiancée. Even the remnants of Yeo-min that he couldn’t completely erase sometimes disturbed his heart.

***

On the weekend, Yoo Hwan visited his family home. Coming up from the underground parking lot, he passed by the fountain and opened the grand front door. The first thing he saw was the family photo hanging on the marble wall. It was a photo of Chairman Yoo, Yoo Hwan, and his stepmother—the three of them together. After greeting the three people in the photo, he headed straight to the sitting room. However, it was empty. He immediately made his way to the kitchen. In front of the kitchen table, Aunt Jeong was sitting, trimming bean sprouts while playing trot music softly on her phone.

Tap tap.

Yoo Hwan knocked on the doorway to announce his presence.

“Auntie, I’m home.”

“Oh my! Oh my! Why did you come without a word?” 

Seeing Yoo Hwan, the housekeeper threw aside the bean sprouts she was preparing and approached, wiping her hands on her apron. 

“What took you so long? The chairman and the little lady have been waiting for you!” 

“I was a bit busy.”

“Ah, I see. Well, you must have been.”

“Where’s Grandfather? There’s no one in the living room.”

“The chairman’s at the golf course, and the young lady went on a business trip to Germany. The chairman said he’d have dinner at home, so if you wait a little, he’ll be back soon.”

Delighted to see him, Aunt Jeong patted Yoo Hwan on the back as she fussed over him. Yoo Hwan sat comfortably on the sofa in the living room. The family home, where he’d lived since he was twelve. It was a castle that had once seemed unfamiliar and enormous, but now felt like a fortress of comfort—a place that his biological mother could never enter, a sanctuary that she was never meant to set foot in.

The purpose of Yoo Hwan’s visit today was clear: To announce his marriage to Yeo-min.

‘Marriage…’

Yoo Hwan propped his chin on his hand, expressionless. Although he was here to discuss his own marriage, his demeanor was as indifferent as if he were talking about someone else’s life. In the quiet living room, the news was playing, turned on by Aunt Jeong to help pass the time.

After a story about a celebrity being involved in a large-scale financial scam, the news moved on to other incidents.

[A large fire has broken out at a shopping mall in Seongdong-gu, with significant damages being reported.]

The sound of sirens blared loudly from the beginning of the news segment. At the same time, the indifferent expression on Yoo Hwan’s face cracked. His previously composed eyes now seemed trapped in the black flames, showing signs of agitation.

Click.

Yoo Hwan turned off the TV and tossed the remote into the corner of the sofa. Then he leaned back into the sofa, almost collapsing into it, and tilted his head back. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling began to blur in his vision. He closed his eyes. Silence enveloped the sitting room. Only after a considerable amount of time had passed did his ragged breathing gradually calm.

‘Yoo-ah, let’s die together, okay? Mom is so lonely and scared. So please, die with me.’

His mother’s voice from his childhood resurfaced as vividly as if he had heard it just yesterday. The wailing sirens that accompanied every change of season also echoed in his memory.

Yoo Hwan covered his face with his hand and exhaled deeply.

Marriage.

He shuddered at the idea of a happy marriage or everlasting love. He had witnessed, up close, the desperate suffering of his mother, abandoned by his father. He had clearly observed the miserable reality of someone unloved. If the child inherited his mother’s blood, it was only natural that he, too, could not love properly. Whoever married someone like that would most certainly be unhappy.

Yoo Hwan had no desire to see that kind of tragedy a second time. Watching the person closest to him crumble at the edge of their life, driven to utter despair, once was enough.

That’s why he had ignored Chairman Yoo’s constant pressure to settle down and get married…

‘I don’t want love either. So I can be a suitable partner for you.’

If one were to look purely at the conditions, a perfectly fitting partner had appeared right before his eyes. Just as his grandfather’s efforts to push various women at him were starting to become an annoyance, she had come along. Since Yeo-min herself said she didn’t want love, he wouldn’t have to watch someone wither away longing for affection like his mother did.

The decision was easy. Especially because marriage wasn’t something that carried significant meaning for Yoo Hwan. He hadn’t particularly desired marriage, but with a suitable person appearing, he didn’t want to miss this opportunity. There wouldn’t be another woman like Chae Yeo-min to propose to him with charming words, saying she didn’t expect feelings.

‘If I reject you, will you find someone else to propose to?’

‘I might.’

Since Yeo-min had said it to that extent, there was no particular reason to refuse. 

Besides, the thought of Yeo-min proposing to some random worthless guys made him uncomfortable. He didn’t know why. He was sure it wasn’t just because of their childhood connection, but it wasn’t exactly clear. Was it because of the clear gaze he saw when they reunited as team members, or because some kind of affection had built up while working together for years?

The only thing Yoo Hwan was sure of was that Chae Yeo-min was annoyingly on his mind, just as much now as when they were kids. If he was going to marry anyway, it was better if it was mutually beneficial. Chae Yeo-min had conditions that were more than suitable, which made it even better. Plus, she had grown up to have that scared, tearful face, which happened to be just his type.

Thinking that far, Yoo Hwan opened his eyes. The throbbing headache had disappeared at some point.

Not long after, not even two hours later, Chairman Yoo stormed in

“I heard Hwan is here? Hwan-ah! Your grandpa’s back!” He had hurried home after hearing about his grandson’s visit before the sun had even set.

“You’re back, Chairman.”  Auntie Jeong greeted, as Yoo Hwan appeared belatedly behind her. 

He looked like a full-bellied lion as he walked around, rubbing his stiff neck. 

“You came back sooner than I expected.”

“You rascal, you should have sent a message before coming. What would I have done if I was far away when you suddenly showed up?”

“Then I would have enjoyed Auntie’s delicious home-cooked meals and left, that’s all.” Yoo Hwan smiled casually. 

Chairman Yoo, without even changing his clothes, pulled Yoo Hwan down to sit on the sofa and started asking all sorts of questions: You look tired, is everything alright at work? Are you eating properly? Can’t you skip your workouts on rest days?

Then, he clicked his tongue, asking why on earth Yoo Hwan had come in person. He complained that it was harder to meet him than to see a king. Yoo Hwan replied that he had planned to start visiting more often anyway.

“Grandfather. You know Chae Yeo-min, right?” 

“Yeo-min? Of course. Isn’t she the granddaughter of Principal Chae? Joo-chan’s daughter. She was a bright kid, always bowing politely.”

Yeo-min’s grandfather and Chairman Yoo were close friends since childhood, so they already knew each other well. Back when Yeo-min’s grandfather was still alive, their families often interacted. Though it became harder to see her after she stopped attending group parties or family gatherings, Chairman Yoo still held a lot of affection for her.

“She’s my junior now.”

“Your junior? Yeo-min already grown up that much? How old is she this year?”

“She’s twenty-seven, she says.”

“What? Already? They say time flies like an arrow when you get old.”

“Well, your grandson is thirty-one, too.”

Chairman Yoo pushed the fruit plate that Ms. Jung had set down towards Yoo Hwan.

“So you know you’re thirty-one, huh. I almost thought you thought you were still twenty-one and had no intention of getting married.”

Chairman Yoo didn’t miss the opportunity to bring up the topic of marriage again. Yoo Hwan sighed inwardly. Time had flown by. His body was still strong, but he could tell that each day was different. That’s why he kept worrying about Yoo Hwan.

‘If that rascal would just settle down somewhere, I could finally be at ease… I have to see him living happily with his wife and kids before I die…’

If left alone, he would surely end up crumbling away in lonely solitude. Seven years ago, exactly seven years ago, he forced his grandson back to Korea, promising that if he worked for the family company for just seven years, he could return to America. But the truth was different. He intended to keep him in Korea no matter what. From the beginning, he considered his grandson to be the only heir.

The head of Taeju Group. The path Yoo Hwan would have to walk was one filled with thorns. On the surface, it seemed like a carpeted path of silk, but if you dug deeper, it was a blood-soaked purgatory. A battlefield filled with jackals always looking to devour their opponent. He couldn’t let Yoo Hwan endure it alone.

Yoo Hwan’s resentment towards his parents’ situation was understandable, but Chairman Yoo couldn’t give up on Yoo Hwan’s marriage. He desperately hoped his grandson would find a place of comfort to call home.

“Now that I think about it, it’s been quite a while since I last saw Yeo-min. I didn’t even know she was an adult… Principal Chae must be feeling lonely in the afterlife.” Chairman Yoo said bitterly, clicking his tongue. 

He hadn’t known his old friend’s granddaughter had even joined the company, being busy himself. If his friend felt disappointed in the afterlife, there wouldn’t be much he could say.

“You can make up for it by treating her well now. Please show her a lot of affection when I bring her here soon.”

“Huh? Here?” Chairman Yoo asked, surprised by Yoo Hwan’s sudden statement.

Yoo Hwan smiled at his grandfather and casually informed him as if it were someone else’s matter. 

“Chae Yeo-min is going to be your granddaughter-in-law.”