Chapter 32

Chapter 32

A Magical Thing

Why is our Father cool just by standing?

Even if I don’t know whose family’s father he is, he’s really well-born.

There’s no need for a pictorial separately.

I blankly looked without realizing.

“Hey, little kid. Let’s unwrap the gifts together······ mmph!”

What covered Uncle Cheol-gu’s mouth was the quick-witted security guard, the self-proclaimed number two, the security team leader Yu Jong-tae who volunteered to be my subordinate.

Yu Jong-tae gestured to the Taeseong Group security guards.

“Kids, let’s remove this sense-less bear.”

“Yes!”

“Mmph mmph!”

Even though seven Taeseong Group security guards clung, Uncle Cheol-gu stood holding on with muscles.

When the security guards looked at Uncle Cheol-gu with fed-up gazes, Yu Jong-tae glared.

“They’re a father and son who met for the first time today. Where are you trying to interfere?”

“Mmph? Uu mmph······.”

Uncle Cheol-gu became quiet in an instant.

In that way, Uncle Cheol-gu was dragged away.

I ran over quickly and stood next to Father.

“What are you thinking?”

“Thinking you must have been disappointed.”

“······?”

Father closed his mouth tightly while speaking.

Instead, he gently stroked my head.

“Because Dad came empty-handed.”

Empty-handed.

It was a word with many meanings implied.

I deliberately turned my head pretending not to know.

Toward the splendid gift boxes that Grandfather had bought a lot of.

The things that Go manager brought like a mountain and piled a lot under the Christmas tree.

“Aey, it’s fine. I don’t need things like this. Dad is the gift.”

It was sincere.

Father smiled gently and rummaged through his bag.

“Instead, I’ll give you this.”

I was curious.

But Father lifted me up and put me on his shoulder.

It was a piggyback.

“Wow!”

The eye level changed in an instant.

The splendid crystal chandelier sparkled as if it would touch the hand.

Too excited, I smiled widely.

Father extended the other arm long.

Click!

Whirring.

It was an instant camera.

Commonly called a Polaroid camera.

In this era, it probably hasn’t been officially imported to Korea yet.

“Wait a moment. A magical thing will happen soon.”

Father waved the Polaroid photo.

The face becoming clearer little by little as time passed.

“Ah······!”

Father and I were smiling widely with the Christmas tree as the background.

Who would say they’re not father and son.

The expressions were exactly the same.

“It really feels like magic.”

“Right?”

Taking a photo together with Father like this.

Father, to me, that is a miracle and magic itself.

You probably don’t know.

* * *

U-gwang Construction president’s office.

The president of U-gwang Construction couldn’t hold back his anger.

It was because of the protest calls coming in one after another as soon as he went to work.

“Assemblyman Kim, please calm down first and speak step by step. I’ll first confirm the facts······ Assemblyman Kim? Hello?”

The call was already cut.

“How many calls is this already!”

Bang!

The president of U-gwang Construction put down the phone roughly as if he would break it.

“Why from early morning do the words that they ate bribes and got into trouble come out of the assemblymen’s mouths! These damned bastards!”

Heat boiled up in the stomach.

“When I said I’d give money, they ran out in socks and bowed as if they’d give out their liver and gallbladder! Now they wipe their mouths as if when did they see me and interrogate me? These ungrateful bastards!”

Ring ring. Ring ring!

“Pull out that damned phone line first!”

“Yes.”

Only now did the president’s office become a bit quiet.

But the insides of the president of U-gwang Construction were already twisted as much as they could be.

“Unless these bastards all ate rat poison at the same time and went crazy, there’s no way this kind of rampage would happen as a group.”

There is an implicit rule in bribes.

The one who ate has to shut his mouth and do the value of the money.

Rushing at the money owner foaming at the mouth before even doing the value of the money was clearly an act of ignoring the rule.

‘The guys doing politics are all guys who were something. It’s not that they don’t know the rule and are rampaging like that.’

Knock knock knock. Bang!

“President, the vice president is urgently requesting a phone connection now. He said it’s a big problem!”

“Why is even the vice president making such a fuss today?”

“The vice president went to the Taeseong Hotel to conclude a technical agreement with the Japanese officials. The fact that he’s requesting a phone so urgently means······.”

“Surely a problem arose in the process of the technical agreement?”

The president of U-gwang Construction’s complexion changed.

If it was Taeseong, maybe.

U-gwang was evaluated as being several steps behind Taeseong in architecture, especially civil engineering technology.

So hadn’t they put in a lot of time and effort to introduce Japanese technology.

“If we can’t obtain Japan’s underground facility civil engineering method, we have to withdraw our hands without even being able to start the Subway Line 2 construction!”

Where and what was the problem from.

Clearly the negotiation with the Japanese side was also proceeding smoothly.

They had promised the future while smiling at each other.

“Secretary Choi, connect the phone line right now!”

“I just finished connecting the phone line······!”

Ring!

“Is it the vice president?”

-President, a big problem occurred! Including Yoshimoto of the Japanese transportation bureau, even the president of the Japanese Teito Rapid Transit Authority all say they will return to Japan!

“What?”

Until yesterday, the atmosphere was so harmonious and good.

-They say they plan to depart in three hours! Right now, a physical fight even broke out saying they’re stopping them from taking a taxi!

The president of U-gwang Construction stood up abruptly.

“Catch them somehow! Cling so they can’t go to the airport! Tear the plane tickets! Snatch the passports first!”

It could become a big diplomatic discourtesy, but now wasn’t the time to care about such things.

Once caught, it can be slowly resolved through conversation later.

Rudeness is a problem that can be smoothed over with thick sincerity.

“Endure until I arrive no matter what means you use!”

Throwing the phone, the president of U-gwang Construction rushed out.

Secretary Choi ran after him.

As soon as the president of U-gwang Construction got into the car, he shouted loudly.

“Go to the Taeseong Hotel! At full speed! Step on the accelerator! As much as there is!”

* * *

Father brought a small wooden clothespin and tried to hang the photo on the tree.

Exactly at eye level so I could see well.

While Father was kneeling on one knee looking for a suitable spot, he suddenly chuckled.

“How strange. Why are the gold balls only hanging a lot under the tree······.”

“Ah, that’s my preference.”

I smiled brightly.

“I like large gold lumps.”

“A very innovative and artistic tree. Well done.”

Father gently stroked my head.

Our father and son’s first photo was hung exactly at my eye level.

In the photo, we looked happy.

"Jeong-hyeok, thank you for protecting Mom while Dad wasn’t here all this time."

Father lightly patted my shoulder.

"From now on, Dad will protect our Jeong-hyeok and Mom."

It felt good even looking, and it felt good even closing the eyes.

Stroke.

I gathered courage and held Father’s hand.

“Thank you, Dad.”

I held Father’s hand tightly.

“For choosing Mom and me.”

Beyond Father’s shoulder, the living room full glass window was visible.

Heavy snow was still falling flutteringly from the sky.

It must have softly settled like cotton candy on the snowman family too.

“I was really happy.”

I felt strength going into Father’s hand.

Firmly like a person resolving not to let go of this small hand.

Father held my hand in return like that.

“Earlier, I’m sorry. Were you very scared?”

“No.”

I grinned.

“It was cool. For real!”

“You’re cooler.”

Father also grinned.

“The appearance of blocking Grandfather so Mom wouldn’t cry, it was really brave. You must have been very scared.”

Why is my chest ticklish.

“Looking quietly, you’re better than me. Thank you. For soothing Grandfather’s heart too.”

Somehow it seemed like my ears were getting hot, so I quickly turned my eyes.

The photo of Father and me hanging on the Christmas tree caught my eyes.

Oops!

“Dad, wait a moment!”

I ran with a rush leaving Father.

It was to bring Mother.

Bang!

“Mom!”

“Yes?”

“Dad brought something really amazing! It’s the first time seeing it! So quickly!”

To me who lived in the 21st century, it was an object not amazing at all, but it would be different for Mother.

“What’s the matter? Oh my!”

Click!

Whirring.

It was Father’s skill who had followed up to the room door before I knew it.

Mother’s eyes became round at the sudden attack.

“What was that just now? A camera?”

“Similar.”

Father waved the Polaroid photo this time too.

The face becoming clearer little by little.

In the photo, Mother was making a surprised expression, but as expected, she was pretty like an angel.

“Pretty.”

I also agreed with Father’s words.

“Really pretty!”

Mother’s face instantly turned red hot.

She became shy while putting both hands on her cheeks.

But whether the Polaroid photo was amazing, both eyes were fixed on the photo.

“How does the photo come out right away like this? Even if you go to the photo studio to develop it, it takes quite a long time.”

Mother’s eyes sparkled and she smiled widely.

“It really feels like magic.”

“Right? Really amazing, right? Dad said it was my gift!”

I smiled widely.

Father’s expression also softened.

“Even taking care of Mom. You’re good.”

Sweet like cotton candy, dreamy like a dream.

To me, this moment right now really felt like magic.

Please let this time be eternal.

I wished and wished so in my heart.

“Let’s take a photo in front of the Christmas tree! I’ll hang our family photo there!”

“Uh uh? I know, Jeong-hyeok. A bit slowly.”

“Quickly! Quickly!”

I held Mother’s hand and came down to the living room and stood in front of the Christmas tree.

Before I knew it, the quick-witted security guard who popped out, the self-proclaimed number two, the security team leader Yu Jong-tae who volunteered to be my subordinate raised his hand.

“Today I’ll be the photographer!”

Father obediently handed the instant camera to Yu Jong-tae.

Yu Jong-tae who received the camera began demanding specific poses as if he had become a professional photographer.

“Mother and Father, stick closer! More affectionately! Put a hand on the shoulder! Mother, lean fully on Father’s shoulder! To the extent that the body is completely buried! Okay!”

As expected. This is why he’s a quick-witted guy.

Click! Whirring.

“Father, hug our little young master tighter! Mother, you have to be hugged tightly in Father’s embrace! Hug the waist until it crushes! Okay!”

Click! Whirring.

It seems the Christmas tree will become abundant with our family’s laughter.

* * *

The car that Chairman Cha was in smoothly entered the Taeseong Hotel.

Go manager holding the steering wheel frowned his brow.

“It’s a strange fight.”

Several people were tangled with each other in front of the Taeseong Hotel main gate.

The Japanese person who was very angry was cursing loudly in Japanese, and the people in suits were holding their pant legs and clinging.

Even some guy was lying sprawled in a big character in front of the taxi road.

“What’s all this commotion?”

Chairman Cha lowered the window.

“What are the Taeseong Hotel guards doing! Such a big commotion broke out in front of the main gate, and they’re standing by ignoring it!”

“Chairman, you’ve arrived?”

The Taeseong Hotel manager ran over with a distressed appearance.

The always neat hair had become messy, and the clothes that had been ironed stiffly with sharp angles were also greatly crumpled and torn.

It seemed he had suffered quite a bit in his own way trying to stop them.

“Go manager, clean up this commotion!”

“Yes, understood.”

Go manager got out of the car.

The 2-meter muscular giant walked over with large strides and shouted loudly.

“Everyone stop the fight immediately and step back!”

The tone was quite polite, but the action was not.

When he held a steel pipe and stood firmly like a prime minister, the pressure was great.

“If you ignore the warning, even if you get hurt, I won’t take responsibility!”