Perfect Crown in Royal Academy of Korea - Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six: The Only Existence

Around the time Hwan's reign was passing 2 years, Heejoo was devoting her heart and soul within a department store to pick a 'gentle' clothing. Because she needed a clothing to wear at Sung Taejoo's wedding ceremony. Although trailing Sung Taejoo's appeal never to stand out as a dog's sound was enough, her father's command was absolute.
 
Because the reward and punishment her father gave were clear. In reality, her father promised he would buy her a bright red Bugatti if she did not say a single word at the meeting between the families with the Han house. Although she thought the price regarding silence was quite generous—
 
'Taejoo will succeed my back.'
 
Listening to the sound her father made, if it were a degree of a Bugatti, it was modest. Right at the juncture where she was agonizing whether to overturn the glass she was drinking, Sung Taejoo's desperate text message arrived.
 
[Hey, I really must marry Dayoung.]
 
When she shot a gaze at him with eyes saying it was no business of hers, a text message arrived again.
 
[I will make a spot at Castle Electronics.]
 
It was a deal that quite pulled her appetite. Sung Taejoo, who entered Castle Electronics simultaneously with graduation, was in the midst of putting on airs while obtaining the title of successor of the Castle Group. The position of Castle Electronics, which was the predecessor of the Castle Group, was important to that degree.
 
To her, who was ahead of university graduation next year, the spot her father promised was the Castle Foundation. If she could change that into Electronics....
 
[If you do not safeguard the promise, I will show you what an illegitimate child is.]
 
[I got it, you crazy bastard.]
 
Like that, Heejoo kept her mouth shut throughout the meeting between the families on the condition of the Bugatti and entering Castle Electronics. Because her father's bullshit that Sung Taejoo would succeed his back was a matter she could just overturn with ability, so it was a matter she could ignore.
 
As the meeting between the families ended relatively warmly, the wedding ceremony date was fixed swiftly. As grandiose articles saying it was a combination of the legal circles and the business circles poured out and the stock market fluctuated, her father called her once more and promised. It was a content that if she behaved gently at the wedding ceremony, he would gift a portion of the stocks of the Castle Hotel in advance.
 
Although she thought whether he held an intention to even make a successor announcement at the wedding ceremony, Heejoo coolly shouted call. Regardless of her father's will being grand, Sung Taejoo was still nothing more than a mere freshman rag of Castle Electronics, and because he fell far short to take over her father's spot. The time to prove herself was overflowing and filling up.
 
"Heejoo."
 
Jungwoo, who came inside the store, exhibited a glad smile. To see his face, who was treading a master's course in America, was not an easy thing. Seeing that that kind of him entered the country saying he would attend a mere classmate's wedding ceremony, it appeared the Han family was grand indeed.
 
"Your face is tanned a bit."
 
"Me?"
 
"Did you do only baseball instead of doing the study you were told to do in America?"
 
"I did not."
 
Despite having met after a long time, the two people continued their conversation without any particular awkwardness. Because despite the time difference of 14 hours, they were two people who would phone each other at the drop of a hat, it was a natural matter. What was there that they had so many words to say. Heejoo, who had no friends, and Jungwoo, who did not like friends, found each other's daily life entertaining.
 
While spending university life, there were times when a boyfriend came to be for Heejoo as well, but every single time, they found that ambiguous existence called 'Min Jungwoo' difficult. A handsome and tender man who was close enough to be minded yet did not cross the line. Jungwoo watched Heejoo's boyfriends who changed countlessly while possessing exactly that degree of presence alone.
 
As if knowing entirely that their existence would be unable to invade his domain.
 
In the first place, the men Heejoo 'did not ignore' were only Sung Hyunkuk and Min Jungwoo uniquely.
 
"So what do you want me to do?"
 
"To pick clothes. Something like a daughter of a yangban family."
 
"To wear at Dayoung's wedding ceremony?"
 
"Uh."
 
The person Heejoo recalled if she was placed in a difficult or troubled situation was likewise Jungwoo. Jungwoo, who was looking around the clothes hung in the store, picked out a few kinds. Although it did not appear he looked that diligently, the clothes he picked were appropriate. Appropriately luxurious, and also appropriately gentle.
 
"Oppa, are you dating?"
 
"Me?"
 
"Why does a person who doesn't even have female siblings pick women's clothes so well."
 
Jungwoo, who shrugged his shoulders, put forward a pink one-piece dress.
 
"I have never met a woman who asked me to pick clothes though."
 
"Ugh."
 
Heejoo, who was disgusted, entered the fitting room. Jungwoo, who showed a laugh as if it were entertaining, stared at the shoes beautifully placed. While he was looking at a few things as ones that would match with the clothes picked out—
 
"Ugh, isn't this too greasy?"
 
Heejoo, who changed her clothes, came out. It was a face where she was throwing tantrums tightly as if the silhouette like a modest lady was awkward.
 
"It's alright though?"
 
"This is alright?"
 
"Originally, it's pretty only when it's a bit old-fashioned."
 
"Who says so?"
 
"The elders."
 
Heejoo, who recalled the faces of the elders of the in-laws' house, nodded her head as if resigned. The navy blue two-piece and black tweed she tried on subsequently were identical. They weren't bad, but somewhere greasy and old-fashioned.
 
"Is this right?"
 
"I say it's right."
 
Jungwoo, who nodded his head without sincerity, gave a sign with his eyes to the staff nearby. The staff who understood the signal gathered around Heejoo's periphery all at once.
 
"Oh my, such a color matches well with our customer. It is too pretty."
 
"Mary Janes are alright with the current attire, would you try them on?"
 
"If high heels are also alright with you...."
 
As numerous options appeared to the extent of entirely taking away her spirit, Heejoo stopped losing her fighting spirit. Heejoo, who lost her mind to try doing a sincere shopping, eventually—
 
"I will do with this."
 
Purchased the one-piece dress she wore the very first and the shoes she put on the very first.
 
The two people who came out of the department store headed toward a nearby cafe.
 
"My sugar drops. Seriously."
 
Whether that word wasn't an exaggeration, Heejoo let her eyes shine while looking at the cakes within the showcase.
 
"It's a bit like that to order entirely by type, right?"
 
"Do you wish to eat entirely?"
 
"Uh."
 
"Then order entirely."
 
With a face asking what about it, Jungwoo called the staff.
 
"Give me entirely from here to here."
 
Along with an order that one would be likely to see only in a drama.
 
Watching the twelve kinds of cakes placed on top of the table, Heejoo burst into a laugh. Although the one who said she wished to eat entirely was herself, the thought arose that Jungwoo, who thought to order entirely, was consistent.
 
"Oppa, you really seem to have no ego."
 
"Me?"
 
"Uh, because you tell me to do according to my mind every single day."
 
"Is that so."
 
Jungwoo, who took a bite of matcha cake, laughed. He was on the side of saying that kind of word a lot in front of Heejoo. To do according to your mind.
 
"You must do the thing you wish to do."
 
"What if I wish to do something extremely bad?"
 
"Let's see."
 
Jungwoo, who became serious, tilted his head. Although his gaze deepened as if to do a long agony, the answer fell more easily than thought.
 
"Still, you must do it. If you wish to do it."
 
"Aie, no fun."
 
Heejoo, who lost interest, focused on the cake again. Compared to that, the thought arose to Jungwoo that that agony was truly after a long time. Because that question was something he had consistently thrown to himself since a long time ago.
 
Even at the moment he connived at Heejoo who stole Ryu Minseok's key, and even at the moment he smiled for Heejoo who said a boyfriend came to be.
 
In his teenage years, he thought his mind heading toward Heejoo was something similar to compassion. Becoming twenty years old and looking into his mind that came to wish to see her frequently, he thought whether it was affection as well. Even now, when time passed more than that, he failed to make a definition. He merely perceived that it was a deep and thick emotion.
 
Every single time his mind wishing to be the unique existence and his greed wishing to be closer fluctuated, Jungwoo learned the method of being appropriately satisfied. It was to remind himself that to Heejoo, he was already the unique existence. He knew that Heejoo, who knew nothing but how to act tough in front of others, easily made both the word that it was hard and the word that it was difficult to himself alone. Therefore, it was still alright.
 
Above all, he wished to see Heejoo for a long time. He did not wish to become one of Heejoo's 'boyfriends' who were ground away unable to endure 3 months. Furthermore, he had things he must do. He had to walk identically the path his grandfather and father stepped on, and for that to happen, there must not be any noise whatsoever.
 
Therefore, he had to wait.
 
"Your boyfriend call comes."
 
"I don't have to receive it. We broke up yesterday."
 
"Again? Somehow it seems to become shorter as it goes."
 
"My words exactly. It seems decent men have all died."
 
Watching Heejoo, in whom not even a single grain was visible as lingering attachment, Jungwoo became even more certain. That right now was good. That still, waiting was not difficult.