Chairman Cha stayed by the body that only breathed and returned home only after midnight. The weak will and indecisiveness that Cha Myunghwan was born with was a concern for Chairman Cha. To Chairman Cha who mercilessly abandoned his child if they could not overcome an obstacle, Cha Myunghwan was an exception.
Cha Yiseok did not have a father from the beginning. But the sisters were different. They foolishly forgot that they had been abandoned, and often looked at the porch their father used to come in and out of. Their longing for blood was the only connection between them and their father. Now that the ropes have been cut by their successive deaths, Chairman Cha was nothing more than a stairway he had to trample on to climb up. His talent for skillfully hiding his claws is the only thing he liked from his father.
Cha Yiseok smoked a cigarette and pulled out a Zippo lighter. As he was trying to light a fire, an oxygen ventilator hose caught his eyes. Cha Myunghwan now relied on his respiratory system as cancer cells had penetrated to his lungs. He didn’t have enough energy to hold a spoon, so he had to be fed to fill his stomach. He couldn’t even urinate, so whenever he had time, he wrapped himself in a blanket and gave off a disgusting smell. He was still unable to do anything on his own so he was as good as a living dead. This space and manpower for him was a useless luxury.
Hmm… Cha Yiseok bent the lid of the silver lighter with his cigarette crooked. Flick. Flames burst over the oxygen respirator hose. The passage between life and death burned. At that moment, Cha Myunghwan let out a thin moan and regained his consciousness. Then his rotten fish eyeballs were revealed. Cha Yiseok casually put his lighter away and sat down on a chair. Cha Myunghwan looked around the room and asked.
“Where’s father… ?”
“He just left. He said he had breakfast with Assemblyman Jang in the morning.”
“You should go now. You must have been busy yesterday and today too, but if you want to go to work in a few hours, you should get some sleep.”
It was a cowardly and quite courageous statement from someone who could not stand even for a second if someone was not around. Cha Yiseok answered, adjusting the duvet covering Cha Myunghwan.
“Don’t worry. I can easily go to work around lunchtime.”
“Anyway, you’re quite…”
Cha Myunghwan looked at his brother, but his eyes were full of affection. Cha Yiseok stroked his eyebrows with his cigarette-laden finger.
“I should have looked into it more before bringing him here, it was a mistake.”
“Ah, that swindler from before? How is it your fault? You just did what your father ordered, it’s that arrogant bastard who messed with the wrong person. In the first place, your sister-in-law made a slip of the tongue. Youngjoo is kind, but sometimes she acts too frustratingly. Ah, that person was having a hard time taking care of me, so I sent her back to her family. Father often stops by, and you take care of me, so it’s not inconvenient without her.”
Cha Myunghwan, who was staring into the air, moved his eyes with difficulty. He paused for a while and said.
“But speaking of, does that kind of thing really exist? Did… a guy called healer really heal Chairman Kim and Kim Kyunghwa?”
“I also heard only rumors, so I can’t give you a definitive answer, but looking at it today, I don’t have much faith in it. Whether it’s oriental medicine or western medicine, let’s try anything. We also commissioned the best medical staff from the International Cancer Center.”
“Director Cha…”
Cha Myunghwan’s eyes were red.
“Until I was in high school, I couldn’t even brag that my father was the president of Taeryung Group. My mother was pointed out for having seduced someone else’s husband all her life. I… When I first went to say hello, Grandfather’s eyes… I can’t forget them. I… was like a bug then. Like vomit on the sidewalk. Even after checking paternity… Those eyes didn’t change. To Grandfather… So I can get recognized… I won’t get beat by cancer like this.”
“Don’t be so sad. Even I, who was raised by hand, had my paternity checked.”
“At least you are being recognized as a grandchild.”
Cha Myunghwan smiled bitterly.
“Since childhood, I have only heard about you. There were times when I searched my father’s wallet to see if there was a picture of you, but you know I’m not affectionate by nature. At first, I was vaguely hostile when I heard that I had a half-brother. You know, like some kind of inferiority complex? Since I was from a completely different world, I thought that anyone other than me was helpless under my feet. If you watch the news, it is not uncommon for a chaebol to commit murder without blinking an eye. But I realized that I was wrong after I first met you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand the contempt of my family. My mother is also thankful to you.”
Cha Yiseok responded with a detached smile. Cha Myunghwan continued his speech.
“The executives… They think I don’t know what they’re saying behind my back. I’ve only come this far, but if I go a little more, I can be recognized… I’m sure I’ll live longer than Grandfather. Insects are weak, but their lives are tougher than you think… Cough cough…”
Tears flowed over Cha Myunghwan’s distorted smile.
“Why… Is this happening to me? Why me. Why…”
Cha Yiseok smiled colder than the darkness of dawn.
It’s because of the vulgar blood flowing through his body. It’s because of the enslavement of cancer cells. It wasn’t a defect in the immune system or exposure to a carcinogen, it was the vulgar blood that gnawed at the flesh and melted the bones. So even the top doctors couldn’t do anything.
Cha Yiseok pulled out a white blanket and covered the body of the living corpse.
“You should rest now. I’ll check the time and come back.”
He turned to look at the IV drip, and his skinny hands got tangled in Cha Yiseok’s arm. The urge to crush his hanging hand was strong. Cha Myunghwan lifted his dry lips.
“I have… a favor to ask.”
Chairman Cha stayed by the body that only breathed and returned home only after midnight. The weak will and indecisiveness that Cha Myunghwan was born with was a concern for Chairman Cha. To Chairman Cha who mercilessly abandoned his child if they could not overcome an obstacle, Cha Myunghwan was an exception.
Cha Yiseok did not have a father from the beginning. But the sisters were different. They foolishly forgot that they had been abandoned, and often looked at the porch their father used to come in and out of. Their longing for blood was the only connection between them and their father. Now that the ropes have been cut by their successive deaths, Chairman Cha was nothing more than a stairway he had to trample on to climb up. His talent for skillfully hiding his claws is the only thing he liked from his father.
Cha Yiseok smoked a cigarette and pulled out a Zippo lighter. As he was trying to light a fire, an oxygen ventilator hose caught his eyes. Cha Myunghwan now relied on his respiratory system as cancer cells had penetrated to his lungs. He didn’t have enough energy to hold a spoon, so he had to be fed to fill his stomach. He couldn’t even urinate, so whenever he had time, he wrapped himself in a blanket and gave off a disgusting smell. He was still unable to do anything on his own so he was as good as a living dead. This space and manpower for him was a useless luxury.
Hmm… Cha Yiseok bent the lid of the silver lighter with his cigarette crooked. Flick. Flames burst over the oxygen respirator hose. The passage between life and death burned. At that moment, Cha Myunghwan let out a thin moan and regained his consciousness. Then his rotten fish eyeballs were revealed. Cha Yiseok casually put his lighter away and sat down on a chair. Cha Myunghwan looked around the room and asked.
“Where’s father… ?”
“He just left. He said he had breakfast with Assemblyman Jang in the morning.”
“You should go now. You must have been busy yesterday and today too, but if you want to go to work in a few hours, you should get some sleep.”
It was a cowardly and quite courageous statement from someone who could not stand even for a second if someone was not around. Cha Yiseok answered, adjusting the duvet covering Cha Myunghwan.
“Don’t worry. I can easily go to work around lunchtime.”
“Anyway, you’re quite…”
Cha Myunghwan looked at his brother, but his eyes were full of affection. Cha Yiseok stroked his eyebrows with his cigarette-laden finger.
“I should have looked into it more before bringing him here, it was a mistake.”
“Ah, that swindler from before? How is it your fault? You just did what your father ordered, it’s that arrogant bastard who messed with the wrong person. In the first place, your sister-in-law made a slip of the tongue. Youngjoo is kind, but sometimes she acts too frustratingly. Ah, that person was having a hard time taking care of me, so I sent her back to her family. Father often stops by, and you take care of me, so it’s not inconvenient without her.”
Cha Myunghwan, who was staring into the air, moved his eyes with difficulty. He paused for a while and said.
“But speaking of, does that kind of thing really exist? Did… a guy called healer really heal Chairman Kim and Kim Kyunghwa?”
“I also heard only rumors, so I can’t give you a definitive answer, but looking at it today, I don’t have much faith in it. Whether it’s oriental medicine or western medicine, let’s try anything. We also commissioned the best medical staff from the International Cancer Center.”
“Director Cha…”
Cha Myunghwan’s eyes were red.
“Until I was in high school, I couldn’t even brag that my father was the president of Taeryung Group. My mother was pointed out for having seduced someone else’s husband all her life. I… When I first went to say hello, Grandfather’s eyes… I can’t forget them. I… was like a bug then. Like vomit on the sidewalk. Even after checking paternity… Those eyes didn’t change. To Grandfather… So I can get recognized… I won’t get beat by cancer like this.”
“Don’t be so sad. Even I, who was raised by hand, had my paternity checked.”
“At least you are being recognized as a grandchild.”
Cha Myunghwan smiled bitterly.
“Since childhood, I have only heard about you. There were times when I searched my father’s wallet to see if there was a picture of you, but you know I’m not affectionate by nature. At first, I was vaguely hostile when I heard that I had a half-brother. You know, like some kind of inferiority complex? Since I was from a completely different world, I thought that anyone other than me was helpless under my feet. If you watch the news, it is not uncommon for a chaebol to commit murder without blinking an eye. But I realized that I was wrong after I first met you. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to withstand the contempt of my family. My mother is also thankful to you.”
Cha Yiseok responded with a detached smile. Cha Myunghwan continued his speech.
“The executives… They think I don’t know what they’re saying behind my back. I’ve only come this far, but if I go a little more, I can be recognized… I’m sure I’ll live longer than Grandfather. Insects are weak, but their lives are tougher than you think… Cough cough…”
Tears flowed over Cha Myunghwan’s distorted smile.
“Why… Is this happening to me? Why me. Why…”
Cha Yiseok smiled colder than the darkness of dawn.
It’s because of the vulgar blood flowing through his body. It’s because of the enslavement of cancer cells. It wasn’t a defect in the immune system or exposure to a carcinogen, it was the vulgar blood that gnawed at the flesh and melted the bones. So even the top doctors couldn’t do anything.
Cha Yiseok pulled out a white blanket and covered the body of the living corpse.
“You should rest now. I’ll check the time and come back.”
He turned to look at the IV drip, and his skinny hands got tangled in Cha Yiseok’s arm. The urge to crush his hanging hand was strong. Cha Myunghwan lifted his dry lips.
“I have… a favor to ask.”
