Chapter 234.2: And... (1)
“I work at a government agency now,” Kang Chan said.
“I know,” Kim Mi-Young replied. He had already told her about it before. “My dad even told me to never bother you when you’re working and that I should stop having feelings for you if I don’t like waiting. I told him that I understood,” Kim Mi-Young added.
Kang Chan couldn’t help but laugh. He was disappointed that her father had already talked to her about this.
What on earth is this?
“What else did you hear from him?” Kang Chan asked. He initially planned to open his heart to her, but he was curious now about how much she knew.
“He told me that you’re South Korea’s chief manager for the Eurasian Rail.”
Her answer made Kang Chan lean forward in surprise. He had already heard something like that before, but he never thought that he would hear it again from Kim Mi-Young.
“Did your father really tell you that?” Kang Chan asked again.
“Yes!”
“Where did he even hear that from?”
Kim Mi-Young discretely examined Kang Chan’s mood.
“Please don’t worry. I’m just asking out of sheer curiosity. That hasn’t been set in stone yet so that information is really hard to come by for most people,” Kang Chan explained.
“You know that a department in South Korea has been formed to take charge of the Eurasian Rail, right?”
“No.”
Kim Mi-Young looked at Kang Chan with surprise in her eyes. She looked as if she couldn’t believe it at first, but her gaze soon changed to one that seemed to ask, ‘Really?’
“I really didn’t know until now. I’ve heard they’re planning to create one, but I wasn’t aware that they have already pushed through with it,” Kang Chan added.
“If my memory serves me right, it was made around October last year. My dad said that he made a bid to become the head of that department’s legal division.”
“He did?”
“Yeah!”
Damn it! How much does that man know?
He suddenly felt as if his thoughts were getting all jumbled up.
Her girlfriend’s father being a judge was already burdensome as it was, but he was in charge of the legal duties of Eurasian Rail’s South Korean branch now?
Damn it.
Kang Chan suddenly thought that sleeping with her—no, even kissing her just went out of the window. The damn Eurasian Rail project never seemed to stop messing up his life. It was even stopping him from moving forward with his romantic relationship now.
“Is that why you’ve been so understanding despite my inability to call you regularly?” Kang Chan asked.
“My dad pays attention to what you do more than me. He said so many times that we should never do something that’ll harm our country since our family has made a living out of its money. He was also especially stern when he told my mom not to talk about you. She can’t even talk to her friends on the phone in peace lately.”
I lost! I have completely lost.
He had completely forgotten what he was planning to tell Kim Mi-Young today.
Considering everything that’s happened, how could she still tell me all of this?
Kim Kwan-Sik would have likely told Kim Mi-Young not to tell him anything.
“That’s why I told him that I’ll wait for you for as long as you need me to. I plan to stay true to those words,” Kim Mi-Young continued.
She was certainly an honor student. Having memorized the answer, her eyes were now full of the desire to reach it.
Kang Chan decided to stop here for today. Talking about deeper subjects in this state would overdo it. They talked about something else for a moment, then went outside and strolled in the front garden of the hotel.
“I’m going to Mongolia tomorrow,” Kang Chan opened.
“I see. Will it take a long time for you to come back?”
“I’m not sure, but it shouldn’t take that long.”
Kim Mi-Young held Kang Chan’s hand. The noises she made sounded as if she was both crying and grumbling. She already knew what his answer would be, but she still looked as if she found it hard to wait for him.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Kang Chan said.
“Are we still going on the trip you promised after I graduate?”
“Are you really sure that you won’t regret choosing me?”
“Of course I am,” Kim Mi-Young answered.
The subject suddenly completely changed.
Kang Chan looked directly into her eyes.
“Do you know what I mean when I say that you should go on a trip with me?” Kang Chan asked again.
Kim Mi-Young nodded. She was clearly feeling shy, but she didn’t look away.
“What are you going to do if you regret this later on?”
“Like if we break up?” Kim Mi-Young asked back.
“Yeah. What if that happens?”
“Do I have to regret it after that?”
Is she a bit stupid or has she always been like this and I just forgot about it because I haven’t been seeing her often lately?
“For as long as I think I made the right decision, I will never regret it. If I end up being wrong, I just have to figure out why and then avoid making the same mistake again. If you no longer like me by the time we come back from our trip, just let me know so I can figure out what I did wrong. Even in that scenario, I still won’t regret going on that trip with you,” Kim Mi-Young explained.
I lost on this one as well.
Her answer was so perfect that it left him speechless.
Kim Mi-Young stepped closer to Kang Chan and hugged him.
“I’ll wait for you. My dad is probably right. Still, I can’t help but hope that we’ll be able to create memories together. Do you remember when you appeared on TV? All the girls at our school started liking you because of it. Hmm, maybe not all of them, but most of them do. That’s why I was hoping you would tell me that you like and miss me from time to time instead of just eating out like this.” Kim Mi-Young raised her head and looked at Kang Chan.
Kang Chan smirked, making her laugh.
“Jeez!”
“Huhuhu.”
Kang Chan gave Kim Mi-Young a big hug. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too!”
He found Kim Mi-Young’s sparkling eyes quite beautiful.
Damn it! Choi Jong-Il is probably watching us from somewhere.
***
After parting ways with Kim Mi-Young in front of her apartment building, he headed home and spent time with Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook.
They knew that he was leaving tomorrow, which made things a lot more comfortable for him. It was much easier to talk to them because he was taking a commercial plane to Mongolia, which meant his departure time and even flight number were public information.
Yoo Hye-Sook hinted that she wanted to give him a ride to the airport, but she decided not to when Kang Chan told her that the employees of Yoo Bi-Corp would be accompanying him.
“We can at least have breakfast together before you leave, right?” Yoo Hye-Sook asked afterward.
“That’s right. I have to leave at ten in the morning, so you two will probably be at work by then.”
“About that. We’ve decided that your dad will go to work first, and I’ll leave after lunch. I get to see you off before I head out.”
Yoo Hye-Sook looked as if she felt much less upset this time compared to before since Kang Chan came home early and spent time with her for the past few days.
***
When Kang Chan woke up the next morning, he went out on a jog and lightly worked out.
He wasn’t in a bad mood. However, the uncomfortable feeling on one side of his chest was still there even though it had already been a few days. Hence, he was worried that something would happen to Kang Dae-Kyung and Yoo Hye-Sook.
After seeing Kang Dae-Kyung off, Kang Chan began packing his bag. He decided to travel light.
According to the plan, they would be going to Ulaanbaatar on a commercial flight and take a helicopter to the site from there.
He packed thick thermal and normal underwear and one pair of winter shoes. Kim Tae-Jin was supposed to be providing him with all this, but Kang Chan decided to take them from Yoo Hye-Sook and bring them with him because she was so worried.
Soon, Kang Chan picked up his bag and headed to the entrance. It was time for him to go.
“I’ll be back,” Kang Chan said.
“Channy!”
Yoo Hye-Sook got teary as she said goodbye to Kang Chan, who went out of the house often.
“Why are you crying? I won’t be long,” Kang Chan consoled her.
“Take care of yourself out there, Channy. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He would never get tired of being in his mother’s arms.
After saying goodbye to Yoo Hye-Sook, Kang Chan got on the elevator and went out of the main entrance of his apartment building.
Choi Jong-Il, Woo Hee-Seung, and Lee Doo-Hee were already waiting for him, ready to head to the airport.
“I was told that the other team has left. Section Chief Jeon and Manager Kim told me to tell you that they want you to call them,” one of them told Kang Chan.
“Alright.”
They put Kang Chan’s bag in the trunk and left soon after.
On the way to the airport, Kang Chan talked to Jeon Dae-Geuk and Kim Hyung-Jung. He then called Seok Kang-Ho.
- Wrap up things in Mongolia as soon as you can, then meet up with us in Africa.
“I was just about to say that. Don’t overdo it and look after the soldiers properly.”
- Don’t worry.
By the time Kang Chan hung up, they were already on the road exclusively for those heading to the airport. Soon, they entered an employees-only parking lot.
Noticing the sticker on the car that verified their identity, the guard quickly opened the barricade for them.
Kang Chan said that they didn’t have to go inside with him, but the three went into the government office building and followed him to the front of the airline’s lounge anyway.
“You just have to go inside the lounge,” one of them told Kang Chan.
“I’ll see you in Africa.”
“Please be careful.”
Kang Chan shook hands with them before following the airport personnel waiting for him to the airline’s lounge.
“They’re over here,” the airport personnel said.
Kang Chan walked into the hallway, finding a blocked-off lobby with a huge arched entrance to his left. The people sitting inside had their chairs in a circle.
When they saw Kang Chan, they stood up and greeted him. Behind the Yoo Bi-Corp employees were Oh Gwang-Taek, Kim Tae-Jin, and...
Damn it!
1. Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia.
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