Chapter 179: Into Mother’s Arms

Incheon International Airport private arrival hall.

The moment the automatic doors slid open, the gazes of those waiting inside poured out all at once.

Men in black suits with radios plugged in stared at me with eyes full of tension.

The man standing at the front took a step forward.

“Are you Representative Lim Hyunjun?”

It was not like he did not already know who I was, but he checked my identity first.

I, without knowing the reason, nodded my head lightly.

Clear signs of deep fatigue were visible around my eyes, perhaps due to the long flight.

Choi Seo-jun and Hong Jang-gun were attached to my sides.

“I am Park Min-seok, the security team leader of Taeseong Group. The Chairman directly instructed me to come and pick you up.”

While Park Min-seok gave a polite greeting, the security guards standing behind him moved in perfect order.

They scattered in all directions and surrounded me so there was no opening anywhere.

“You don’t have to go this far….”

As I let the end of my words trail off, Park Min-seok answered in a low voice.

“The general arrival hall side is already full of reporters. The Chairman said to thoroughly block media exposure today. Since consultation with the airport is already finished, you can move immediately.”

A faint boisterous sound was heard from afar.

A crowd holding cameras was vaguely visible beyond the glass wall.

But this side of the passage was surprisingly quiet.

A private area without a single guide sign.

Only the airport staff and Taeseong’s security team were moving quietly here.

While I was moving my steps slowly, Secretary Cho Hana said.

“Representative, you have to take a call for a moment. It is the Chairman.”

I took the cell phone that Secretary Cho handed over cautiously.

“Yes, Grandfather.”

The voice heard over the receiver still felt weighty.

“Did you arrive safely?”

“Yes, I am just leaving the airport now. I was going to go straight to the company.”

“Do not go to the company today.”

“…Yes?”

My footsteps stopped.

The people following behind also stopped at the same time.

“Go home. Your mother is waiting.”

At the mention of my mother, my expression changed.

However, as much as I had returned in a hurry, there was a mountain of work to do.

“Grandfather, I have a lot of work to do today, so if I go home later….”

“Work can be done tomorrow.”

Lim Man-seok spoke to me firmly for the first time.

“Be with your family today. You should take care of your body too. Stop talking and go home!”

I eventually let out a small sigh and answered.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Right.”

Click, the call was disconnected.

Choi Seo-jun, who was waiting by my side, asked.

“What did the Chairman say?”

“He said to go straight home today.”

I continued while feeling regretful.

“I was originally going to go straight to the company, but there is no helping it.”

Hong Jang-gun glanced at me and then said,“Representative, if you go to the company now, the employees will be even more surprised. Your face is quite….”

“Is it that bad? I am fine….”

Choi Seo-jun also spoke firmly, thinking this was the right time.

“Follow the Chairman’s words and go home to rest today. That way, Mrs. Kang Ji-yeon will also be relieved.”

I could not argue and nodded my head.

“I understand. Then I will count on you, Team Leader. Let’s go home.”

Park Min-seok answered as if everything was already prepared.

“The vehicle is already waiting. I will escort you immediately.”

Choi Seo-jun muttered lowly.

“It feels like performing a top-secret mission like you see in movies, and it is overflowing with thrills.”

At those words, Hong Jang-gun snorted.

“If it were top-secret twice, you would probably pass out.”

Laughter leaked out from various places.

In turn, my expression also brightened.

After moving along with the security team, we entered the elevator.

I stared blankly at my reflection on the wall.

To say it was a person who returned after finishing an overseas business trip schedule, strangely, it seemed like there was something more besides that.

‘When I go home… what will Mother say?’

That thought flashed through my mind, but I shook my head.

Now was not the time for that.

Let’s rest for now as Grandfather said.

Since I had been running without rest all this time, this much rest would be fine.

The elevator doors opened.

Several black vehicles were waiting for us.

Park Min-seok said while opening the car door.

“You can get in this car.”

I got in the car.

The door closed and the vehicle began to move slowly.

They surrounded the car I was in from the front and back.

Suddenly, I had such a thought.

I wonder if the President feels this way too.

The feeling of being protected like this was not bad.

The procession of black vehicles left the road and entered a familiar neighborhood.

As familiar buildings began to appear outside the window one by one, I let out a short breath.

‘I only emptied it for a few days… why does it feel so far today?’

It was the road I always traveled and the house I always saw, but today it felt unusually unfamiliar.

Is it because I know someone is waiting for me in front of the door?

When the car stopped in front of the main gate, Park Min-seok got out first and looked around.

And then he opened the door.

“You have arrived.”

The moment I got out of the car, the inner entrance door opened and a voice was heard.

“Hyunjun!”

Kang Ji-yeon, wearing an apron over a white cardigan, practically ran out.

Although she looked neat as usual, worry was clear on her face.

I went inside with quick steps and grabbed Kang Ji-yeon’s hand.

She examined her son’s face here and there.

“My son, let me see your face.”

The shadows under my eyes and the hollowed cheeks; thanks to that, the jawline became sharper.

“Did you not even eat properly in the US? Your face is ruined.”

“Ey, it’s not to that extent. I ate so well all this time.”

As I tried to laugh it off roughly, Ji-yeon narrowed her eyes and then suddenly hugged me tightly.

“Liar. Even if Mom’s eyes were blind, I could see that much. You went through a lot, my son.”

At the sudden hug, I smiled slightly awkwardly, but soon quietly raised my arms and patted Mother’s back.

“I am really okay. Mom, you went through more trouble.”

“What trouble did I go through? Let’s go inside for now. If you catch the cold wind for a long time, you will catch a cold.”

Ji-yeon took her son inside the house without letting go of his hand.

As we entered the living room, warm lighting and a cozy atmosphere overflowed.

Only now did the feeling of returning home hit me.

When I sat down, they brought tea from the kitchen.

Kang Ji-yeon said.

“Drink this first. Let’s warm up your body.”

I wrapped the teacup with both hands.

I felt a sense of warmth even in my chest from the warmth transmitted to my hands.

“How was it at the airport? Was it not noisy because of the reporters?”

“I came easily thanks to the security team Grandfather sent.”

“That’s a relief.”

Ji-yeon let out a low breath.

Silence flowed for a moment, but her gaze slowly moved to me.

“Hyunjun.”

“Yes.”

“Mom… heard everything too.”

The air in the living room became heavy in an instant.

I slowly put down the teacup and looked at Mother.

“About what your uncle did.”

Kang Ji-yeon’s hands gathered on her lap.

Strength was entering them to the point where her knuckles looked white.

“My sister-in-law told me everything yesterday.”

Kang Ji-yeon caught her breath for a moment and continued her words.

“Al-Jahad, Onyx Crow… even down to whose doing the incident you suffered in Iraq was.”

My gaze hovered in the air for a moment and then returned to Mother.

“Yes, that’s right.”

It was a short answer, but the weight contained within was not short at all.

“Mom couldn't believe it at first either. No, I didn't want to believe it.”

Ji-yeon’s voice trembled slightly.

“No matter how much I don’t like him, he is your father’s younger brother, and to you, he is your uncle. I kept thinking, no way, no way. How could he do that?”

Moisture quickly formed in her eyes.

“Just thinking about what you must have gone through there and how dangerous it must have been makes me feel suffocated. It is so terrible that the person who made up his mind to do such a thing is a person of the same family.”

I called out lowly.

“Mom…. I am okay now. At any rate, I came back alive.”

“Even if it is something that passed, it doesn't mean everything is okay.”

Ji-yeon slowly shook her head.

“If you had not been able to return…. I don’t even want to think about it, but that could have happened. I am so scared just by that thought….”

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and caught her breath for a moment before continuing.

“I heard that all the executives are gathering today. My sister-in-law said she would take the lead and bring up the agenda, so it will be resolved well.”

Ji-yeon’s voice became one layer firmer.

“Taeseong Construction and Taeseong Finance are no longer places for your uncle to stay.”

“It’s faster than I thought.”

“It’s not fast, it has been too late all this time.”

She stopped for a moment and then continued.

“It’s a relief that we found out even now. Taeseong must not collapse because of your uncle. At any rate, everyone said that they must protect you at least. Father, my sister-in-law, your father….”

She looked at her son and smiled as if feeling a bit relieved.

“So, for the time being, stay quietly at home. Do not think about going anywhere.”

My hand, which was about to pick up the teacup, stopped.

‘It’s not just for today that she is telling me to rest.’

I felt it at once from Mother’s tone of voice.

That she had no intention of letting me outside at all for the time being, rather than just resting for a day.

I asked while pretending not to know on purpose.

“…For the time being?”

Ji-yeon nodded.

Her eyes were already full of firm determination.

“Yes. We don’t know yet how this matter will be settled or how far it will spread. If even the President stepped forward in the US to speak about it, this is not just an ordinary matter.”

She continued her words as if spitting out the emotions she had been suppressing.

“You might get hurt somewhere again… or maybe you will become prey for someone. When I think of that, Mom wants you not to go out of the house.”

The more she spoke, the more her voice trembled.

“So let’s stay at home for now until this matter is settled. Let’s postpone doing company work outside, and if a meeting is needed, you can just tell everyone to come here. Or there are things like video meetings. Please, Hyunjun….”

My eyebrows flickered minutely.

It seems the decision the adults made was that they would feel relieved only if they lock me in the house and keep me in their sight.

It’s not that I don’t know that heart, but everything is not resolved just by hiding.

However, how could I refuse when Mother is speaking with her eyes reddened?

“Mom….”

When I called her, Ji-yeon wiped her eyes where tears were about to flow and looked at me.

“As a mother, I don’t want to send the son who returned after crossing the threshold of death out to the center of the world again.”

She grabbed my hand and forced a smile.

“So, just for this time, Mom is going to be a bit greedy too. Do not go anywhere and stay with Mom.”

I sat still for a while and just looked at Mother’s face.

Somewhere inside my chest felt hotly numb.

I could not bear to bring up the words that it was not so in front of my sobbing mother.

I could not help but nod my head slowly after inhaling deeply and exhaling.

“I understand, Mom.”

Ji-yeon’s eyes wavered.

“Really?”

“Yes. I will try not to go outside as much as possible until this matter is settled. I will also do whatever company work I can do here for now. I will move after consulting well with the security team, so don’t worry too much.”

When I showed a light smile as usual, the strength that entered Ji-yeon’s shoulders relaxed a little.

She held her son’s hand even more tightly.