Chapter 37: The Sweetness of Strawberries

“Since you mentioned vomiting even your morning sickness medicine, I will administer that through the IV drip as well.”

Explaining that receiving it would make her condition much better, Jiyeon stated she would wait until Seohee finished the IV drip.

It was about two hours later when Jiyeon, who had been waiting in the living room guided by Aram, entered the bedroom once again.

“She is asleep.”

As Aram, who entered first, reported on Seohee’s condition, Jiyeon carefully removed the IV and needle, signaling there was no need to wake her.

“Please press down on this.”

As Jiyeon instructed Aram and turned around, Seohee lifted her eyelids.

“Is anything uncomfortable?”

“No.”

Seohee shook her head, pressed her arm with her own hand, and sat up as Aram supported her.

“Professor.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“If I move around a lot, would it strain the baby?”

Hmm.

Jiyeon sighed deeply, contemplating her answer.

“In your current state, most likely.”

Because simply lifting her upper body had felt beyond her strength before the IV, Seohee could not bring herself to deny it.

In the end, Leehyun was right.

‘Is the baby indeed more important than my memories?’

As Seohee slowly closed her eyes and cradled her lower abdomen with both hands, Jiyeon added another word.

“Once your morning sickness improves even a little, you must move around.”

“Staying confined to the house too much isn’t a good environment for an expectant mother either.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

“Moderate exercise is necessary, and… above all, the mother’s mood is the most important thing.”

Even while saying there was no single right answer to the question, Jiyeon firmly drove the point home that moving around right now was forbidden.

“Since you’ve received the IV, try eating a little food, and because morning sickness can come and go, please eat plenty whenever you feel alright.”

After Jiyeon left, Seohee went to the dining room with Aram’s assistance.

“Are there any strawberries?”

Perhaps due to the effect of the IV, her stomach felt considerably more comfortable than in the morning.

‘I don’t know when the nausea will surge again, but I have to eat somehow.’

When Seohee spoke with determination, Aram swiftly brought out freshly washed strawberries.

“The Representative told us to prepare strawberries without fail.”

Seohee, who had just been about to pierce a strawberry with her fork, paused.

‘He is so pointlessly attentive and tender.’

‘That’s why I can’t stay angry at him.’

Yesterday, Leehyun had certainly been rational, but looking back, she herself had been excessively emotional.

‘Did I act too harshly?’

Belated, minor regrets washed over her.

‘I shouldn’t have gotten irritated.’

‘I should have held back.’

‘I shouldn’t have said those words.’

Unaware that Aram’s expression brightened each time a strawberry disappeared one by one, Seohee mulled over the events of the previous night.

Throughout the executive meeting, Leehyun could hardly focus.

It wasn’t that he missed anything or passed over things carelessly, but Seungho, who had always watched Leehyun by his side, recognized that Seohee’s statement about wanting to go to the art gallery had exerted a profound impact on him.

Sitting in the president’s office well past lunchtime, Leehyun rubbed his stiff neck and closed his eyes as Seungho quietly set down a coffee cup.

Exhaling a deep breath, Leehyun rested his elbows on the desk and bowed his forehead forward.

“What about Director Song?”

“There are no notable movements.”

Aside from gathering JBS shares and occasionally managing shareholders who shared her views, there were no major movements.

Recalling recently reported matters, Seungho added with an “Ah.”

“They say SENT is hosting an art fair.”

“An art fair?”

It was a question asking what correlation SENT hosting an art fair could possibly have with Song Yoosun.

Leehyun rubbed between his eyebrows with one hand, awaiting Seungho’s explanation.

“SENT acquired LOAL, and LOAL is the largest shareholder of the international art fair, WOA.”

At the news that SENT had acquired a content enterprise, Leehyun nodded quietly.

“Yes.”

“And SENT requested a venue rental at Gayuljae.”

The fact that SENT acquired LOAL would also have a positive effect on Leehyun’s plan to increase his influence in the media sector.

However, with SENT having established a joint venture with JBS, if they took such further steps, rumors would circulate in the business world that they had solidified ties with Gayun once again through this opportunity.

Consequently, it would result in only Song Yoosun gaining the advantage.

Leehyun understood what Seungho was trying to say at once.

“And Director Song?”

“She hasn’t given an answer yet.”

“Since Gayuljae originally never held venue rentals for external events, won’t she adhere to that policy this time as well?”

“No.”

“With SENT founding a joint venture with JBS and Director Song buying up JBS stock, there’s no way.”

When Leehyun said she would accept without fail, Seungho narrowed his eyes slightly and nodded with an “Ah.”

“She will hold out as long as possible before approving the venue rental.”

Burying himself deep into his chair, Leehyun tapped his index finger against his thigh, tap, tap.

“About the Gayun Cultural Foundation.”

“The Cultural Foundation?”

“The chairperson’s seat is vacant, isn’t it?”

Leehyun’s eyes gleamed sharply.

“Yes.”

“That is correct.”

JBS, SENT, Gayun Cultural Foundation, Gayuljae.

Leehyun ran the calculations swiftly through his head.

“Didn’t the Gayun Cultural Foundation originally manage the art gallery?”

“That is correct.”

“However, currently Gayuljae operates under a system represented by Director Song Yoosun, without a separate chairperson.”

“Then imagine how much she must have run it according to her whims.”

Curling one side of his lips languidly, Leehyun spoke in a smooth voice.

“I am looking into internal materials from the gallery separately.”

“As soon as they are compiled—”

“No.”

Leehyun lightly cut off Seungho’s sentence.

“Board approval, how long do you think it will take?”

“Board approval?”

“Do you intend to appoint a chairperson?”

“Leaving it vacant continuously is problematic too.”

“If necessary, it’s a position I could take myself.”

There wasn’t a single flaw in that logic, so Seungho could not refute it.

Obtaining board approval wouldn’t take long, but that was only possible if Leehyun were the one sitting in the chairperson’s seat.

Yet, judging by Leehyun’s tone, Seungho realized that was not his intention.

“Do you intend to use this opportunity to have the Gayun Cultural Foundation manage the art gallery again as before, rather than under Director Song Yoosun’s sole leadership?”

Originally, the art gallery had fallen under the culture and arts management business operated by the Gayun Cultural Foundation.

Yoosun, who had wielded control over the cultural foundation as well, had sold SDS shares in order to block Leehyun’s return, and in the end, she had no choice but to surrender the representative seat of the cultural foundation.

“Seohee says she wants to go to the art gallery.”

Then she must go.

A mere watchdog has no right to block its master’s path.

Leehyun wore a low, quiet smile.

“Then should we transfer all the SDS shares held by you into the madam’s name as well?”

There was no need to transfer all of them.

Leehyun had purchased a substantial amount of SDS shares in Seohee’s name so that she could manage the Gayun Cultural Foundation as a gift left for her after a divorce.

He nodded lightly.

“Chairperson should be suitable enough.”

As if pressing down on Song Yoosun with his finger, Leehyun tapped the desk, tap, tap.

If shares were insufficient, he would donate a massive sum to secure approval for even a non-executive chairperson seat.

Because the power of the position could never be ignored, even Song Yoosun wouldn’t be able to treat Seohee as she had before, as long as Seohee commuted to work as the chairperson.

So that Song Yoosun could never order her about like a puppet, so that she wouldn’t dare even utter words commanding her to come and go.

‘I will make sure you don’t get hurt, Seohee.’

His eyes as he made that vow glistened like a beast shielding its young.

***

Having eaten the strawberries, Seohee took a light walk in the garden for the first time in a while.

Aram, who was following behind, spoke to her.

“You seem in good spirits.”

“Mmm, I think I feel much better.”

Quietly like a brushing breeze, a smile traced over Seohee’s lips.

Shielding the bright sunlight with one hand and looking up at the sky, pure white clouds drifted this way and that as if greeting her.

“It’s pretty.”

‘How long has it been since I last saw the clouds?’

It had been a long time since she had seen such pretty clouds, not since viewing them from inside the car while traveling from Ganghae City to Hanseo City.

The blue sky harmonizing with the dimming sunset and the pure white clouds resembled a painting.

Tracing the cotton-like clouds with her index finger, Seohee chuckled softly.

“Baby, the cloud is shaped like a heart.”

Resting her hand on her belly, she murmured as if speaking to the baby.

Aram, standing beside her, smiled along with her.

Inhaling a breath so deep her chest swelled, Seohee sat on a rocking chair in the garden.

Feeling her sun-kissed brown hair fluttering in the breeze, she quietly closed her eyes.

It was a peaceful moment.

“Have you chosen a prenatal nickname?”

While Leehyun was away, Aram was Seohee’s only conversation partner.

Aram, who usually only spoke when necessary for fear that Seohee might feel burdened by her initiating conversation, would occasionally toss a light question toward her.

“A prenatal nickname?”

Ah, a prenatal nickname.

As if struck on the head by a small stone, Seohee blankly repeated the same word.

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