NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3
I took a closer look, and it seemed like my own face was more reflected in this one than my second daughter-in-law’s.
The face of my second daughter-in-law didn’t resemble this kid’s face at all.
This was nonsense.
Why would Hongmyeong do such a thing? I built everything up, left everything to him, and then he went and did something as ridiculous as this?
But that guy…
How could a boy look so delicate, almost like a woman?
I tapped my grandson’s face in the mirror, as though it were my own face.
How old could he be?
Before I closed my eyes, Hongmyeong’s first son, Jeongyeop, and second son, Jeongtae, each had a son.
The youngest, Yeojung, hadn’t been married yet.
It looks like Hongmyeong listened to me.
I had told him it wasn’t enough to just have one son, not to worry about having a son or daughter, and to try having another one. In the end, he did.
Well done.
Yeah, where could I find a more reliable ally than my family?
Suddenly, I became curious about how Jeongyeop must have grown up and how much of an adult he must have become.
It’s 2022, right? Let’s see…
Oh my.
That child must already be thirty-five by now.
Jeongtae must be thirty-three as well.
What a disappointment.
How could those so-called older brothers not take care of their younger sibling?
Calling a woman to a hotel during lunch break at work? What a fool.
Even though this is my grandson, whom I didn’t even know before I closed my eyes, his delicate face made me dislike him even more.
Ding dong! Ding dong!
The bell rang.
Oh no!
Has the time already come?
I’ve been so relaxed that I forgot about the person I called.
I hurriedly grabbed whatever clothes I saw and opened the door.
“Manager.”
“Ah… Yes, come in. Just come inside for a moment.”
The man in front of me seemed to be at least four or five years older than my grandson.
Wait a minute.
Didn’t the section chief say he’d send a deputy?
Why is he so young if he’s a deputy?
“Are you okay, Manager?”
“Is the company really busy right now?”
“Well, at this time, it’s relatively quieter.”
“Then before we go out, let’s talk for a bit.”
The person tilted his head in confusion.
“A problem, you say…?”
He looked around the room, seemingly unsure of what kind of problem could be happening.
“Are you really okay?”
“Well… no, the situation is really bad right now. Let’s sit down for a moment.”
We sat on the sofa and began talking.
Naturally, I couldn’t tell him everything about my current situation.
If I did, my grandson might be treated strangely by the company once I’m gone from this body.
I also didn’t know how the world worked or who I was, and it made no sense to hide everything in this current state.
“Uh…”
“Yes, Manager. Please feel free to speak. Whatever it is, we need to handle it quickly and return to the company.”
“Are you someone I work with?”
When I asked, the person suddenly looked around the room, as if to confirm that we were the only ones here, then pointed at himself and asked.
“Me?”
“Who else is here besides you and me?”
As I said this, I felt a little shameless.
“Manager, why are you asking this all of a sudden?”
“Is my name Son Jeonghun?”
“……”
“How old am I?”
No matter how much I searched the room, I couldn’t find this guy’s wallet.
If he had a wallet, I could have checked things like his ID card to verify who he was, but all I could find were a cellphone, a watch, and what seemed to be car keys. That was it.
“Manager.”
“Yes.”
“There is a thing called decency.”
Suddenly, his tone changed.
“What did you say?”
“I said there is something called decency.”
The man’s face was turning bright red, as though it might burst.
From his ears to his neck, it was turning bright red as if it were about to explode.
“Can I speak frankly, Manager?”
“…Go ahead.”
“We’re people too.”
“…!”
“Of course, you’re different from us, but including me, Section Chief Kim, Manager Go… we all come to work to do our best in life.”
“…”
“But this is too much. I’d normally try to hold back, but this… this is just not okay, Manager. I thought maybe you were drunk, so I came to help, but that’s not the case.”
“…”
“Could you please tone it down a bit? Does it really have to be like this? We come to work to make money, not to be your plaything or source of entertainment.”
“Wait. Wait a second.”
I knew this kind of reaction was likely, which is why I had someone sent to the hotel.
I couldn’t let this situation unfold inside the company.
“Have I ever asked you to do this kind of thing before?”
“Huh?”
“I’m not joking, and I certainly didn’t ask you to make fun of Deputy Kim. I told you, didn’t I? My situation is really bad right now.”
I gave him a look, the kind I’d use with other business executives when I had no choice but to deal with them.
“I don’t remember.”
“…?”
“I don’t remember who I am or why I’m in this hotel room.”
“Manager…”
“I’m not joking. Why would I joke with you about this?”
“…”
“Is it possible that I have no one around me to help? Is there no one who would come help me, so you had to call a subordinate and have them come to a hotel room during work hours?”
“…”
“No, it’s not that. The truth is, my situation is really bad right now. That’s why I’m asking you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Really… you don’t remember? You don’t even remember who you are?”
He still didn’t seem fully convinced by what I was saying.
I could understand why.
If I were in his shoes, I would probably dismiss this as nonsense too.
“I woke up suddenly, and I was in a room with a woman I’ve never seen before. And suddenly, I didn’t know who I was.”
“How could that be…?”
“Don’t worry. I’m aware that I should go to the hospital and get checked. Anyway, while I was in that situation, I got a call from someone saying they were Kim Wonho, the section chief. In a panic, I asked for help. I know this is Seoul, South Korea, but I don’t know where I am right now. So I asked if someone could come pick me up.”
“Manager…”
“I’m not joking! Why would I joke about this? Especially asking an important employee who makes money for the company to come to a hotel room during work hours…”
He stared at me carefully and said, “Your tone… it’s definitely different from usual.”
“Did you hit your head somewhere while you were sleeping?”
“….”
“Did you ask the woman you were with?”
“I didn’t have time to think logically like this. I woke up and found myself in this situation. I just managed to figure out my name.”
“Wait a minute, Manager. This…?”
Suddenly, he searched his pants pocket and pulled out a cell phone that looked similar to the one I had used.
How much has the world changed, for even a regular deputy to be carrying a cellphone like this?
“What? What are you trying to do?”
“I’m going to call Deputy Manager Kim.”
“Deputy Manager Kim, the one who called me earlier?”
Upon hearing this, the man tilted his head again.
“What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Is this for real, or is this just acting?”
“I told you it’s not acting… really.”
“Yes, I thought it wasn’t acting, so I wanted to confirm.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Manager I know… when talking about Deputy Manager Kim in front of me or other employees, you never use the phrase ‘the one who called’ like that.”
“Okay, I understand. I get it, but let’s not make the call right now. Only you know about my situation, so let’s not inform anyone else at the company.”
I still need to return this body to my grandson.
I don’t know how to do it right now, but I don’t want to keep using my grandson’s body as if it’s mine.
Being alive again is a very happy thing, but I don’t want to do it by borrowing my grandson’s body.
It’s only for a short time.
Just for a short while.
So when I leave this body and return it to my grandson, I can’t let his life be disturbed because of me.
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a good idea to take you directly to the company right now, so I’m trying to report to Deputy Manager Kim.”
“…?”
“Right now, Deputy Manager Kim thinks you’re drunk.”
“Ah…”
“He thinks you’re in a hotel nearby and asked for someone to be sent, assuming you’re drunk. Just a moment, Manager.”
This kid… he’s got some quick reflexes.
“Yes, Deputy Manager. It’s me.”
He started the call, glancing at me cautiously.
“I just met the Manager, and he’s not in a good condition. Yes, he’s very drunk. If we take him back to the company now, it might cause problems with people seeing him, so what should I do? No, he’s not sleeping, yes, he’s with me right now. Yes, yes. Is it okay to do that? Yes, understood. I’ll try to get him to recover as quickly as possible and bring him back to the company. Yes!”
After hanging up, he looked at me carefully and asked.
“Would you like to go to the hospital with me? I think it might be the right thing to do.”
This kid… but this is not a situation for a hospital.
If I need to go somewhere to understand this situation, it’s not a hospital, it’s a shaman’s house.
***
What are you trying to find with that?