Separation Anxiety

8.

#A Little Different from Others

Director Park was the personal secretary assigned to Hayun by Chairman Jeong Tae-seong when Hayun was recently promoted to manager. Despite the unusually rapid promotion and the unprecedented situation of a manager having another manager-level employee as a secretary, no one found it strange since Hayun was, after all, the heir to the Haedo Group.

Though called a personal secretary, he was actually a watchdog acting as the chairman’s eyes. Hayun knew this but let it be. Chairman Jeong probably assigned a watchdog out of concern that Hayun might be meeting just any woman, but such worries were completely unfounded.

“Since you’re going to be my secretary anyway, as long as you properly handle the tasks I ask of you, you can also do everything the chairman instructed.”

When Hayun phrased it nicely as “instructed,” Director Park’s lips tightened.

“I’m practically a parent to Dawoon and Haram. He’s just worried.”

Hayun changed the subject from the chairman back to Dawoon as he adjusted his posture. Although he didn’t particularly care, he felt the need to make an excuse to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

“I understand.”

Director Park answered compliantly and focused on driving.

“Are you married, by any chance?”

Hayun asked, finding it odd that Director Park said he understood when he mentioned the role of a parent.

“Not yet.”

Hearing that he wasn’t married made Hayun even more curious. So when he stared intently through the rearview mirror, Director Park, feeling the gaze, took a shallow breath.

“I have a much younger sibling. Our parents passed away a few years ago.”

So Director Park was essentially the head of his family.

“How many years apart are you?”

“Eleven years.”

A small exclamation escaped Hayun’s lips. The age gap was larger than he had expected.

“How old are you, Director Park?”

“Twenty-nine.”

“That must be really cute. With that age difference.”

Coincidentally, if Director Park’s sibling was 11 years younger, they would be the same age as Dawoon. Even though Hayun was only seven years older than Dawoon, he still saw him as incredibly young. It was because the impression from their first meeting hadn’t faded. He was so cute then that Hayun wanted to bite him… Well, even now, Dawoon was cuter than anyone else in Hayun’s eyes.

“It’s difficult. They’re at an age where they don’t listen well.”

Hayun laughed at Director Park’s response. It was indeed that age. Dawoon too had become less talkative as he went through middle and high school, which Hayun found regrettable. In elementary school, Dawoon used to often follow him around calling “hyung, hyung,” but now he rarely spoke unless Hayun initiated the conversation.

“I know. There are times when they give you trouble.”

Dawoon was diligent and had never caused trouble with the kind of typical misbehavior others might expect. Still, there was definitely a sense of distance compared to before. It had gotten worse since their parents passed away.

“Even if they’re siblings, they’re still separate individuals in the end.”

Director Park answered as he turned the steering wheel. At those words, the smile disappeared from Hayun’s face.

“Separate individuals…”

Director Park looked at Hayun through the rearview mirror at his low murmur. Feeling the gaze, Hayun smiled brightly as if nothing had happened. Somehow, that smile felt like a warning not to probe further, so Director Park lowered his eyes to look straight ahead. The conversation didn’t continue. Until they arrived at the company, only the quiet sound of the engine, almost disturbing in its silence, filled the car.

***

“Jeong Dawoon!”

As soon as he entered the classroom, a voice called out to Dawoon. He turned to see Na-eun waving with a bright smile. He acknowledged her with just a nod and went to his seat to put down his bag. Na-eun quickly came over, pulled up the chair next to him, and rested her chin on Dawoon’s desk, looking up at him.

“What are you doing after school today?”

Dawoon couldn’t help but smile, thinking it funny that she was already asking about after school when they had just arrived.

“Don’t just smile. Let’s go to the bookstore together. I want to buy an English comprehension workbook, help me choose one.”

“Don’t you have ones you’re working on at the academy?”

“This is separate from that. I want to do more. Come with me. I’ll buy you dinner.”

Na-eun pleaded with a cute tone, blinking her big eyes.

“Not today.”

“Why? You don’t even go to academies.”

“I have plans.”

“What plans? With whom? Don’t tell me it’s Jin-ah from the next class?”

Dawoon frowned slightly, wondering what she was talking about.

“She’s totally a fox. Don’t fall for it. An herbivore like you would be an easy target.”

“Don’t gossip about others.”

“It’s true!”

“Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t even know who Jin-ah is.”

Only then did Na-eun smile widely, seeming relieved.

“Don’t meet girls carelessly.”

Dawoon shook his head at her behavior, which was as if she were his girlfriend.

At the beginning of the semester, Na-eun had confessed to him. It was even a public confession in front of all their classmates. Although they had been doing broadcasting club activities together since last year, he had never thought of her as more than a friend, so he politely declined. But even after that, she acted just the same as always. She didn’t seem intimidated or uncomfortable about being rejected, and approached him naturally like this. Thanks to that, Dawoon could treat her the same as before too.

“Who do you have plans with then?”

Na-eun persisted, asking again.

“My hyung.”

“Hyung? Jeong Hayun from Haedo Group?”

Surprised that she knew the name so accurately, Dawoon just looked at her, raising his eyes.

“The girls were going crazy saying he’s handsome.”

She emphasized that it was other people’s opinion, not hers.

“I’m not sure myself. You’re more my type than your brother.”

At her words, added with a pretty smile, Dawoon felt embarrassed and lowered his head.

“But if he’s the heir to Haedo Group, isn’t he super busy? Don’t tell me you’re already learning about the company too?”

It seemed that once he mentioned meeting his brother, she couldn’t think of anything but Haedo Group.

“No, nothing like that.”

Probably there won’t be anything like that in the future either. He remembered his grandfather’s gaze, so cold it felt like it would freeze his heart when looking at him. Grandfather would probably oppose him entering Haedo Group. He didn’t particularly want to work at Haedo Group anyway.

“I’m not going to Haedo Group.”

“Right. You said you wanted to work as a PD, didn’t you?”

Dawoon was also the PD in the broadcasting club. The club members urged him to be an announcer because of his good looks, but he didn’t like being in front of people. Even just commuting to and from school, everyone at school already knew who Dawoon was. The second son of Haedo Group. That label alone was burdensome enough, he didn’t want to stand out more.

“So what are you going to do with your brother then?”

Na-eun’s curiosity was endless. He knew it was harmless curiosity, but he was starting to wish she would stop about now.

“We’re going to have dinner. That’s all.”

It meant please don’t ask anymore. Fortunately, Na-eun wasn’t the type to miss social cues. She grinned, said she understood, and returned to her seat.

“Suffering from the morning, I see.”

Ui-hyeon, who had arrived at some point, said as he sat in the seat next to Dawoon. Dawoon turned to look at him, greeted with just a nod, and smiled slightly. Ui-hyeon was the only person who referred to Na-eun, known as the flower of the broadcasting club, as “suffering.” Other kids were all envious and wondered why Dawoon didn’t date her.

“Looks like you’re having a rare dinner out with Hayun hyung?”

He seemed to have overheard some of the conversation with Na-eun. Dawoon just nodded. Ui-hyeon, who had been quietly watching, made a long nasal sound.

“Are you happy?”

Not understanding what he meant by asking if he was happy, Dawoon looked at him with a blank expression.

“I mean, are you happy that your busy brother is making time for you?”

“Not particularly…”

“Really?”

Ui-hyeon interrupted, narrowing his eyes as if he couldn’t believe it. Feeling uncomfortable under that gaze, Dawoon turned his head away first.

“Anyway, you’ve always been unique.”

Ui-hyeon added as he sat up straight.

“I get that Hayun hyung dotes on you because of the big age difference, but don’t siblings usually grow apart around our age? I can’t wait to get away from my brother.”

Is that so? Dawoon wasn’t sure how other siblings were. Come to think of it, he had never been interested in what other people’s families were like.

“It’s… different. Our situation.”

Because their parents weren’t around. Without having to say it explicitly, Ui-hyeon knew the circumstances and nodded, making an “ah” sound.

“Even so, it seems a bit excessive at times… Well, that’s your family’s business.”

Ui-hyeon refrained from commenting further, saying that he would be the one overstepping if he did.

Seems excessive? In what way? Dawoon couldn’t understand, but just as he was about to ask, the classroom’s front door opened and the homeroom teacher came in.

Even as the homeroom teacher was giving announcements, Dawoon kept mulling over what Ui-hyeon had said. Until elementary school, he had definitely heard people say they were a bit unusual. Even his mom used to laugh sometimes, saying Dawoon seemed to like his brother too much.

But half the reason Dawoon had followed Hayun so much was Hayun’s fault. Even when all the adults’ attention was focused on the newborn Haram after he was born, Hayun was always by Dawoon’s side. That’s why Dawoon didn’t feel neglected even when mom was only taking care of Haram. Because Dawoon had Hayun.

He started growing distant from Hayun after their parents passed away. When Hayun started going to the company at grandfather’s call, the time he spent at home decreased significantly. Only then did Dawoon realize that even while attending university, Hayun had been making time to spend with him.

University and work were different. Hayun could no longer be by Dawoon’s side all the time. So Dawoon thought he shouldn’t act spoiled like before. It was Dawoon who started gradually distancing himself from Hayun.