Childhood Friend of the Youngest Daughter of a Conglomerate Family

49 – Win or not?

“… Let’s ride, lady.”

“Thank you, Mr. Cherry.”

Cherry Han, an attendant of King Yoo Cheol, opened the back door for Ara. Her ara bowed her lightly to her and sat in the back seat of hers.

Unlike other attendants, Cheri Han started driving right away without any pretense of greeting.

Up to that point, it was no different from the usual Hancheri, but Ara noticed that the shadow on her face had gotten a little darker.

“How are you feeling today? Did you feel a little better when you see him suddenly calling you without contacting you in advance?”

“…… No. It’s just that he looked for the young lady right after he woke up today.”

“… Is it so?”

I guess so. If King Yoo Chul’s physical condition had improved, Cheri Han’s expressionless face would have shone a little more. The fact that her complexion is darker than usual probably means the opposite.

This year, King Yoo Cheol’s condition worsened. He was diagnosed with no signs of recovery. He was old, and the stubborn life he lived was eating away at his body.

The attending physician advised that if he was admitted to the hospital and received care, his lifespan would be extended considerably, but King Yoo Cheol refused. The old man decided to end his life at his own home.

“You look for me often. A lot more these days.”

“… Are you offended?”

“… It can’t be.”

In the old days, it would have been nice to get out of King Yoocheol’s curse earlier. But now Ara didn’t feel that way.

The old man, who could see death approaching day by day, felt nothing but pity.

Arriving at King Yoo-chul’s house, Han Cherry opened her back door directly, just like when he was picking up Ara.

“… If you go in, other servants will guide you.”

“Yes.”

The housekeeper who opened the door to the house had a rather plain face. It wasn’t because Ara didn’t like it. She just doesn’t have anything to do, she’s bored and that’s it. In the mansion of an old man who was dying, there was no particular effort to cook or clean up.

After escorting Ara to her drawing room, she told her that she would have to wait a while as she served her tea.

“How long does it take?”

“Well, I think the president will have to wake up to call the young lady… I don’t know when that will be… “

A vague answer. The housekeeper was speechless, as if it was awkward to tell the high-ranking person that she had to wait.

Ara asked with a smile to ease her tension.

“Which room is the president in? I want to see the condition myself.”

“Oh no, but that… “

“… Even if the president said not to do that, it doesn’t matter. I’m going to say I was forced to.”

The maid continued to dissuade her, but she couldn’t break Ara’s stubborn attitude.

Ara was guided to the room where King Yoo-cheol’s bed was.

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When I entered the room, I saw the caregivers sitting next to the bed and flirting with each other.

When they saw Ara suddenly rushing in, they panicked and blocked Ara’s way.

“Now, hold on a minute, lady. After the president has calmed down a bit… “

“Do you know when that will be? Since there was no sign of that, you guys were also playing carefree like that…. I won’t ask about that, so get out of the way.”

“…… “

With nothing to say, the caregivers gave way quietly.

Ara didn’t reprimand them any more.

I knew that they were the caregivers and were waiting by the side, but they had nothing to do. It’s natural to be bored.

Ara, who stood in front of the bed, stood in front of King Yoo-cheol, who raised only his upper body.

The body of the sick old man was skinny, and one pupil was fixed on Ara who was right in front of him, but the other pupil was shaking as if it was difficult to focus.

A dying voice came out of the old man’s mouth as he stared blankly at Ara.

“… Are you winning?”

“…… ?”

“Today, are you empty-handed… ? The one I brought last time… Is there no more beehive… ? It was so delicious… “

His eyes were on Ara, but what he actually saw seemed different.

It became more and more pitiful to make sounds that sounded like an incomprehensible dialect, so Ara whispered in his ear.

“…… Grandpa, this is Ara.”

“What… ?”

Stop talking nonsense, King Yoocheol looked straight at Ara with his eyes that had finally become normal.

As if recognizing him, he twisted his face and yelled at the caregivers.

“This… stupid stuff! Why can’t I do what I’m told to do right… ! Didn’t I tell you not to let anyone in!”

“… Calm down. It’s because I came in forcefully. They all stopped me.”

“… Why did you come I didn’t even call, so why did you come?”

Apparently, as soon as King Yoochul woke up today, he was told that he had found him.

But the words have changed… It wasn’t that the delivery was wrong, it was probably that King Yoo Cheol himself was unaware of the fact.

Without correcting it, Ara lied.

“Just like that. I came to see if Grandpa is feeling better.”

“Do something useless… stay out! I will prepare myself and come out.”

“… Please.”

Aren’t you kicking them out though?

Ara, who came back to the parlor, recalled the image of King Yoo-cheol, who had been talking nonsense while looking at her earlier.

Are you winning?

Why is she calling her mother’s name now? No way… Missing you?

‘It can’t be… ‘

Ara shook her head.

It’s probably just that I went out of my mind and remembered the old days.

He must have lost his mind because he was an old man who had hardly been sought after by anyone except himself.

“Did you wait long?”

“… Not really.”

It was only after nearly 30 minutes had passed that King Yoo Cheol entered the drawing room. As if it was difficult for him to control his body properly, there was Cherry Han next to him in a wheelchair.

Perhaps King Yoocheol called because he couldn’t trust anyone else.

If you’re going to be having such a hard time, you could have just talked about it in that bedroom.

On the other side of Ara, who sighed slightly, King Yoo Cheol took his seat.

Your body looked uncomfortable, but your mind seemed clearer than before, when you were talking nonsense.

After formally asking questions about school work and housework, King Yoo Cheol inquired about what he was most curious about.

“So, how is he these days?”

“… Are you Sol? I’m not sure. Because we’re pretty awkward these days.”

“… Is that so?”

Ara couldn’t read anything from the old man’s complex face.

In a situation where the lamp of life is about to go out, is that important to this old man?

“Next time, bring him when I call you. I want to see him once.”

“… Okay.”

What do you want to do now?

Ara couldn’t understand her grandfather, but she didn’t mind.

He believed that Hansol and himself would return to their original places soon after everything was over.

Until then, she just tunes in to the tune of this lonely old man whose days are nearing her end.

———-

As expected, Moggoji was boring.

We left early in the morning and formed groups of freshmen from the College of Education at the accommodation we arrived at, and played games created by the planning team one by one.

It was a bit embarrassing to have a lot of games where you put your body together, but I sincerely participated. Still, Gu Min-seop, who was called the planning team, would have prepared hard, but we have to cooperate.

After that, it seems that all the students of the College of Education gather in a place like an auditorium to watch a dance club or a performance prepared by a planning team, and hold a ceremony prepared by each department, etc., But…

That had nothing to do with me.

“Smells good. Lee Han-sol is really working part-time at a snack bar.”

“But Hansol, can you really not watch the Haeoreum Ceremony?”

“Hey, that’s all right. You don’t need any of that anyway. Don’t come here for a drink at night, it’s just no fun until then.”

“That’s right.”

The senior president of the academic society who went to lead the new students and the seniors of the student council from the Korean Language Education Department, with the exception of a few, stayed at the dorm with me.

To cook snacks to eat at a night drinking party.

Originally, freshmen are not asked to do this kind of work, but I was an exception because, unusually, I had a part-time job at a restaurant and was good at cooking.

Rather, I became the main axis, and the seniors made snacks according to my instructions.

“Does our department really rank first in snacks?”

“Right. It looks like the kids from other departments are going to come to our room when they are hanging out.”

“It’s a shame to feed the kids from other departments, but let’s feed our kids a lot before they come to Bandol.”

Most of the side dishes I made were actually sold at Soi Bunsik.

With the money I collected from the student council, I bought the ingredients cheaply through Kwak Joo-hee.

As it is the same as the one sold in real restaurants, the quality must be higher than other snacks and snacks made by baking or frozen food.

“We are here! Oh… Does it smell good?”

“Isn’t it? Almost all of these were made by Hansol.”

The event was over in the auditorium, and people rushed back to their lodgings.

Except for the seniors in the student council, most of them were my classmates, so when they saw the snacks I made, they shouted my name and cheered.

“Lee. One. Brush! This. One. Brush!”

“… I’m going to wash my hands.”

The over-the-top shudders… I got a little embarrassed and made an excuse and came out of the dorm.

After washing my hands in the bathroom, I sat on a bench outside the building and called Kim So-yi.

It’s just past ten o’clock. Because it’s time for Kim So-yi to go home.

– Hello? Hansol Lee, is that you?

“Then me. Where are you now?”

– I just came out of the store… Did you call because you were worried that you wouldn’t be able to take me today? Are you a little excited?

“No, not necessarily… “

– No… ?

“… That’s true.”

– What are you embarrassed about? Mr. Lee Hansol, please be honest.

When I said that it was true that I called because I was worried, Soyi’s voice suddenly brightened.

How can you say no if you ask in such a sullen voice?

Anyway, I can’t win against him.

I told him about the games I played at Mogkoji or the things I made for snacks so that I wouldn’t be scared while Soi went.

– I came home. Hansol Lee, thank you for calling me on purpose. Thanks to you, I wasn’t afraid to be alone.

“I had nothing to complain about working all day today, but it was good.”

– Huhu, that’s right. Our Mr. Hansol Lee goes out to play and then makes snacks again? Anyway… don’t drink too much

“Yes.”

– And what if there is a drunk woman who does strange things?

“… No. No, I do not want. Do not?”

– Right! Go now quickly I’ll wait for you guys

“Okay, rest in peace too.”

– Shall I call you later? Check if you’re not drunk?

“Yes, yes.”

After finishing the phone call, I went back to the dorm.

Seeing that there are quite a few people I haven’t seen in my department’s dormitory, it seems like they came from another department.

Maybe they came from the Department of Physical Education, but everyone looks pretty good.

But what is it? It’s a bit noisy inside…

“Hey… Don’t do that, come to my room. Yes? Because our kids have fun… “

“I think you are too drunk right now… Let’s talk about it once. Come to your senses, you will regret it.”

A tall, well-rounded guy grabs the woman by the wrist and is talking about something. He looks drunk and out of his mind.

A few men tried to stop him, but he didn’t budge.

Through the gap between the humans surrounding the scene, I could see the face of the woman he was holding.

It was Yoo Ara.

Ara, whose slender arm was grabbed by the big guy, had a painful face.