Chapter 24: The Obsession That Survived Death

The only thing missing was the fallen leaves. Two diligent gardeners didn’t give the leaves any chance to pile up on the lawn. It would be better if dry, fallen leaves were piled up to ankle height.

A faint smile spread across his lips as he thought of someone who had been particularly fond of stepping on fallen leaves.

“I get to see you smile after all.”

The dry, raspy voice, which bore the clear marks of time, broke Siheon’s reverie. His gaze, which had been directed out the window, returned to the Go board. The smile he had worn for a fleeting moment vanished without a trace, replaced by his usual expressionless face.

“Do you think you’re going to win?”

“No, sir.”

The old man’s gaze was meticulous as he held a Go stone in his hand and looked down at the board, as if he had never even bothered to read Siheon’s expression. The old man’s deliberation deepened as he clicked the natural stone Go pieces, contemplating where to place his next move.

“Hmm……. Your skills have improved a lot.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s not a compliment.”

The old man, who didn’t want to lose to anyone even at his age, lifted his head with a flicker of displeasure.

Chairman Cha Mooyoung. At 81, he remained in good health and was the head of the Hyungyeong Group.

His gaze behind his lowered spectacles was sharp as he looked at his grandson, who sat before him holding the black stones.

He was as handsome as a finely sculpted statue. At first glance, he seemed cool and sharp, but there was a distinct, bold quality that gave off a masculine strength overall.

He wasn’t just good-looking, either. He was capable of calculation better than anyone with his brilliant mind, yet he rarely revealed his true feelings. His cautious and firm attitude inspired trust, and his politeness—never too much, never too little—was elegant. He even liked that he was a man of few words.

He hadn’t been back in Korea long. Even though he had no intention of marrying him off yet, hearing subtle talk about him here and there proved he was a catch everyone would covet.

“In Go, a ‘dead stone’ is a stone that plays no role and isn’t worth saving. A stone that isn’t a waste to throw away. Or so I thought.”

“…….”

“In a ‘sacrifice’ strategy, it refers to a stone you intentionally let be captured to aim for a greater advantage later. Or at least, it’s becoming that. For now, anyway.”

“…….”

“I’m saying you’ve grown up well.”

“…….”

“That is a compliment.”

“Thank you.”

Siheon, while saying thank you, was not smiling. With an expression that revealed nothing of his inner thoughts, he simply looked down at the board in silence. Tsk. Chairman Cha’s brow furrowed, and his gaze returned to the board.

“That’s right. There it is.”

The old man placed a white stone in an empty space in the upper right corner. His wrinkled lips curved as he found his way out.

He seemed quite pleased with Siheon, who was contemplating where to place his next black stone.

After waiting a long time for his grandson to move, the old man took off his glasses.

“‘Move cautiously’—one of the Ten Commandments of Go. It means don’t act impulsively, think carefully before placing a stone. But being too cautious isn’t good either. If you don’t see a winning move, you must know how to acknowledge defeat in time. That way, you lose less.”

“Yes.”

“Hmm……, that’s enough for today.”

While Chairman Cha closed his dimming eyes, Siheon tidied up the Go stones. Once finished, he turned and reached for the tea set. Moments later, clear tea was poured into a jade-colored teacup.

“I heard this is a place Dooseong has been putting effort into for a long time?”

“Yes.”

Siheon answered calmly, without any hint of panic at the question, and placed the teacup in front of the old man.

Then, he poured hot water into an empty cup for himself. After savoring the tea Siheon had brewed, Chairman Cha nodded, looking satisfied.

“Dooseong will be burning with frustration over this matter. Well done. I have high expectations.”

“I will make sure not to disappoint you.”

“Good. That’s how it should be. The start is good. You chose well.”

Watching his grandson, who silently sipped the warm water, Chairman Cha lifted his teacup again. It was quite something for a guy who couldn’t even drink tea to brew it for him.

Then again, it was funny enough that a guy who couldn’t even drink coffee brought in a coveted Italian coffee company the moment he settled into the firm. Lifting one eyebrow diagonally, he spoke as if testing him.

“Is there anything uncomfortable about your work?”

“No, sir.”

“The team leader position is all work and no play. I know it doesn’t satisfy you.”

“…….”

“If you sit in a fancy chair at your age, you only gain more enemies. Keep in mind that what is easily gained is easily lost; build your capacity step by step from the bottom up.”

“Yes.”

The old man’s gaze shifted past Siheon’s shoulder. A man in his early 40s who had entered at some point and was standing by the door bowed respectfully, and the Chairman nodded slowly.

“Chief Hyun, take good care of your young master.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

As Gitae, called Chief Hyun, answered without delay, the old man cast his gaze back to Siheon.

“From now on, take Chief Hyun with you wherever you go for work. You only learn how to manage people by doing it, so try managing him well.”

“Yes.”

“You may go now. I need to rest.”

As soon as the old man finished, Siheon stood up and bowed. Gitae followed him as he left the room without leaving a single trace of his presence.

Three months later, in January, an airplane departing from Rome, Italy, arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France.

A woman, trying hard to suppress the excitement and turmoil hidden beneath her exhaustion, headed to the transfer gate with her group.

A short while later, the woman boarded the plane to Incheon, South Korea.

The woman, who couldn’t sleep at all and remained lost in thought during the long flight, was Go Kangeun, the 32-year-old lead manager of the General Support Team at Tenuto Coffee Korea.

****

“Manager Go.”

“…….”

“Kangeun-ah.”

At the hand tapping her shoulder, Kangeun came to her senses and lifted her head. At Incheon Airport, the area around the baggage conveyor belt where Kangeun stood was a bustling crowd of people gathering to find their luggage.

“Isn’t that suitcase over there yours, Kangeun?”

“Ah……!”

Hyunwoo’s finger pointed to a suitcase on the conveyor belt. Having used business class, Kangeun’s suitcase had come out quickly and had already circled the belt several times.

“You didn’t even find your luggage; what were you thinking about so deeply? Did something happen while I was away making a call?”

“No. Nothing happened.”

Kangeun, who had been lost in old memories, finally took a step, but—

“That’s unusual. The sharp Go Kangeun has completely lost her focus.”

Hyunwoo was faster. Kangeun followed behind him as he walked with long strides. Hyunwoo, having lifted Kangeun’s suitcase with ease, turned to her and smiled a good-natured smile.

“Thank you, Director.”

“What are you thanking me for? Between us. Are you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

“True, it’s been a long time since you were in Korea, right?”

“Yes.”

Since she had left Korea at twenty-three and was now thirty-two, it was practically her first homecoming in nearly ten years.

Having graduated from university in Italy, Kangeun had stayed there ever since. She had only visited Korea a couple of times to resolve visa issues, and even then, only for very brief moments during her busy schedule.

So, this was her first time coming to Korea with the purpose of staying for a long time. It was natural that her homecoming sparked memories of the past.

“Korea must have changed a lot, too. Is it 25 years for me now? Yeah.”

“You must have mixed feelings.”

“Not at all. I was just a kid, so I don’t really have much to reminisce about. Do you have anything to reminisce about in Korea, Kangeun?”

“I……”

“First love?”

Kangeun shook her head and smiled. Her eyes, looking down at the small scar on her finger, were bitter.

“No? Before you came to Italy……”

“There they are! Director! Manager!”

At the shouts of other group members who had spotted Kangeun and Hyunwoo, Kangeun turned around. Most of the group gathering with happy faces were Korean or Korean-Italian. They all looked tired, but their faces couldn’t hide their excitement.

“Manager Go and I will travel separately, so let’s see you at the hotel.”

“Yes!”

“Let’s go.”

Kangeun followed Hyunwoo, who was leading the way. It was a season when the sun set early. Darkness had already settled in when they stepped out of the gate. Kangeun tried to calm her strangely overwhelming heart.

“Wow, the Korean winter is no joke. Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

Hyunwoo shivered at the freezing air that snapped him to attention. Kangeun also tightened her muffler to keep warm. It was a cold that felt new, as she had become accustomed to the weather in Verona, Italy. Her heart ached with the winter air filling every corner of her lungs.

“The parking area is…… one second.”

Hyunwoo, who had walked ahead, stopped to check where the car would be parked. The moment Kangeun took a step toward Hyunwoo, who was taking out his phone to check the message sent by the company,

[Live. Just stay alive.]

The desperate voice, audible only to Kangeun, held her feet once again. It was a familiar occurrence, but Kangeun looked around every time, and every time, she had to bite her lip.

The streetlamp and headlight lights blurred in the damp winter air. She looked around carefully, but among the many people walking the streets, there was no one she remembered.

“Ah, there it is. Why are you standing there instead of coming?”

Kangeun, who had been lifting her red-tipped nose to scan the surroundings, turned toward Hyunwoo calling her from the front. She buried her face in the old muffler she was wearing and pulled her suitcase again.

She had finally returned to Korea after all this time, but of all seasons.

Winter, the season Kangeun always started to suffer.

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