Chapter Text
The heels of his shoes echoed in the empty hall. He checked his watch. The ticking as loud as the watch was heavy. Fashionably late. One of the many tricks he had learned over the years. Being a little late, coming in a little rushed and serious always made it seem like you had other important business to attend. Like you had somehow manage to fit in that meeting in your tight schedule and that your time shouldn’t be wasted on pointless chatter. Though the importance of the meeting he was about to attend didn’t exactly allow for such petty tactics, being late offered him the grand entrance he was looking for.
The corridor was long, mineral, white and impersonal. One of the door to his right opened as he walked by. A young woman with her hair tightly pulled up, wearing a short straight black skirt and heels, came out of her office and bowed when she saw him. He bowed back and kept his pace, expecting her to follow him. She had to jog a little to catch up to him but soon both of their heels were in synch.
“Daepyonim,” she whispered when they finally got closer to the door at the end of hall. He turned around, not slowing down. “Good luck.”
He smiled, the earnest behind it reaching his eyes. He thanked her silently and stopped for a second to catch his breath before the big wooden doors. Everyone was probably already inside. Everyone was waiting for him. He took one last breath, winked at Boksoon, his assistant standing beside him with her arms filled with files, and opened the door.
All the chatter that was going on before in the room died as he stepped in, bowing deeply in all directions.
“Good morning everyone!” He sounded cheery and in a good and relaxed mood. He always thought he was quite the actor when he was younger, but now he realized how true that was. Everything he did, from his tone to his mannerism, everything was a act precisely tailored. He had learned how to shape his voice to give out the maximum impact to what he was trying to convey a long time ago. Somehow everyone still thought it was always sincere. “Please forgive my lateness, my previous meeting was running late.” Sound busy, sound important.
“Don’t worry Seokjin, we’re all used to your schedule by now,” the Chairman said, extending a hand towards the last empty seat.
He rushed to it, grabbing the files Boksoon handed him from behind and settled in the big wooden chair.
“Now that everyone is here,” the Chairman went on. “We can begin this meeting.”
The first couple of things on the agenda didn’t really matter to Seokjin. Something about human resources and the end of² the year party that needed to be planned in advance (even more than 9 months in advance…). He distractedly listened to all of the associate’s concerns or demands. Instead he was focusing on his own personal project. The one that counted the most to him. His reason for being there in the first place.
“Kim Seokjin-ssi,” the Chairman finally called him, “has made an interesting investment proposition. There is apparently an old hostel in ruin that could be turned into a beautiful hotel by the beach on Jeju Island.”
Seokjin felt every eyes turn towards him and he nodded. “Right,” he confirmed. “It’s a 200 square meters lot that still has a lot wasteland we can easily build on. It’s right by a cliff and the Jeongbang waterfall. The plan is to have the first 5 stars hotel in Seogwipo. It’s a town mostly known for its waterfalls and often visited by tourists or business men,” he developed. “There are a few hotels and they have pretty good ratings and reputation, but it’s still a market that can be built on. It’s a market that we can and should take the lead of. Especially if we managed to acquire such an interesting land.”
“Thank you,” the Chairman spoke. “Does anyone have any question?”
A couple of hands rose. An old man with a graying mustache was allowed to speak. “Why Seogwipo? Why should we invest there? Why not Jeju-do? You said there already are a few renowned hotels, so would we even get any business? Since no one else is investing there, everyone else is investing in new technologies or places where tourism is bigger, isn’t it more of a risk to go against the tide?” A couple of people nodded.
“Seogwipo is still a rather unexploited city because people sleep in Jeju-do and then travel around the island for the day. They wouldn’t have to do that if they had a 5 stars hotel waiting for them on the other side of the island,” argued Seokjin.
He looked down at his files once more. This was the start of his big performance. “And it’s a project that’s close to my heart. I remember spending my summer holidays on Jeju island with my parents, and we always stayed at an objectively lesser good hotel for our nights in Seogwipo. It doesn’t have to be that way.”
The old man seemed convinced for the time being. The Chairman allowed another old man – but without a mustache this time - to speak. “Why should we trust you ?” The room went quiet. That was a good question. Seokjin had been expecting it. “You were only appointed CEO,” the man went on, “a year ago. Don’t you think you should start by finding your place among us before beginning a big project you don’t know if you’ll be able to undertake?”
Seokjin cleared his throat. That was the question he had been preparing for, the one that had kept him up at night in his penthouse, made him pace up and down his balcony as he hoped to catch a familiar chill breeze to ease his racing mind.
“It’s exactly what I’m doing with this - finding my place and style as CEO. This isn’t an incredibly risky project, according to every simulation we ran, it will be profitable to the company. There is already demand there, we just need to provide with the solutions people need and in turn the demand will increase. And it's a bold move because we would be the first company from Seoul to do that there. We will be the ones to start the trend, which means we would be the ones who get to decide where it goes. With this simple project, we could actually take over the entire Jeju island economy.”
His audience scoffed, he did too. “Okay, I’ll give you that. It’s a little ambitious. But,” he pointed to himself. That’s the part of the show he rehearsed in front of his bathroom mirror, a mouthful of toothpaste as he tried to make his own eyes teary with emotions. “I’m young. I’m 32 years old, unmarried, without children. I was born in this company and I've been dedicating my life to it for the last 5 years - but unofficially even long before that. I know the in-and-outs. Believe in my faith in this project.”
The room went quiet. He had managed to captivate them. They were intrigued by him, they wanted to know more. Time to hit them where it hurt. “My father was always an ambitious man.” Everyone’s face in the room dropped down in respect at the mention of his name. “He started this company with very little, only the money he had earned from working part time at a convenience store during his studies and his wit and intuition. The money helped him stay afloat while his intuition did the trick and he charmed everyone with his wit. Soon he was at the head of one of the most successful investment companies in Korea. Now he rests in peace,” he muttered low enough to sound personal but loud enough for everyone to hear him. The room echoed his mourning.
Most of his audience was nodding to themselves, a couple of them were taking notes. None of them had their noses stuck up to the sky, defying him.
First battle: won.
After the Chairman had announced the end of the meeting, most of the assembly rushed to Seokjin’s side, hoping to shake his hand and pay their respects to his father once again. It had been more than five years since his death now, but Kim Hyunshik was still one of the most important man in the company. His affiliation with him obviously made Kim Seokjin the new heir to the throne. However gaining everyone’s respect hadn’t been easy – after all he was still considered to be a fallen prodigy by a lot of his colleagues.
He bowed and smiled at every hand he shook. He could see it in their eyes, that familiar “That’s the kind of man I’d introduce to my granddaughter” glimmer in their iris, the exact one he was aiming at. He remembered how he even got awarded that title by a famous magazine. He had laughed a lot that day. Until the irony of the situation was lost in the silence of his bedroom, the pillow on the right side of his bed forever smooth.
“Seokjin-ssi,” the Chairman was the last one to leave. Seokjin had been waiting for him. “Good job today.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Your father would have been proud of you.” Seokjin pursed his lips and bowed his head, feigning thankfulness. “So how are you planning on starting this?” They made their way towards the door still being held open by Boksoon.
“I’ll go to Jeju island in the month, visit the hostel and find the best ways to approach the owners and give them what they want-”
“Before they even figure that out themselves,” completed the Chairman, smiling. Seokjin smiled back and nodded. “You’re a very empathetic person, Seokjin-ssi. I’m glad to see you turning that weakness into strength.”
Seokjin gritted his teeth. Memories of his father telling him the same thing swarmed his mind. In one they’re sitting on the steps in front of the elementary school, his father is scolding him for getting caught giving his answers to his seatmate. In another it’s raining and Seokjin is holding a small and dirty puppy in his arms, waiting for his father to let him in. In another they’re on Jeju island, something about their flight getting mixed up with another, his father is shouting at the incompetence of the employees while Seokjin tries to calm him down and apologizes profusely.
Memories Seokjin didn’t like to be reminded of. Before, they used to hurt like every other painful childhood memories hurt, but now they stang. They burned like acid on his skin, eroding him. Stripping him of his identity.
They parted ways outside the door, the Chairman going back to his office while Seokjin stayed behind for a few minutes, catching his breath and waiting for his assistant to follow him. When she finally finished cleaning up the conference room and saw him waiting for her, Im Boksoon bowed thankfully and they made their way back down the empty corridor quietly.
Seokjin could feel her wanting to say something to him, could sense the hesitation in her steps every time she opened her mouth hoping to have found the right words before deciding otherwise. He couldn’t blame her.
That night, a glass of red wine in one hand, Seokjin stood behind the tall and impeccably clean glass windows of his penthouse. At every star he couldn’t see behind the brown clouds, he took another sip. At every shadow he could see walking down the street, no bigger than ants from where he was standing, he itched to reach out for his phone, to call him. He couldn’t, not yet.
He left his phone in the living room for the night. Out of arm's reach, the tentation seemed easier to overcome.
-
“Daepyonim.”
“Yes?”
“The Chairman is here to see you.”
Seokjin straightened in his seat after signaling to Boksoon to let the old man in. He was looking a little tired and when Seokjin pointed that out, he said his back had been killing him lately. Seokjin felt a little sorry for him. Just a little. The Chairman sat down in one of the armchair in Seokjin’s office with a grunt.
“It’s about that hotel in Jeju island,” he said. Seokjin’s heartbeat increased but he didn’t let anything show. One thing he was thankful for was the hatred his mentor had for suspense as he immediately followed with, “I want you to take Jinwoo with you.”
“Why? I’m perfectly capable of doing this on my own,” he argued – a little more defensive than he should have been maybe. He took a mental note of this for next time.
The Chairman smiled softly at his eagerness. “I know Seokjin. It’s for him that I’m asking you this. He isn’t as talented as you are, he doesn’t have your intuition, your sixth sense. I’m asking you to take him under your wings and teach him a couple of things.”
He scoffed, not wanting to sound rude but unable to help himself before the situation he was in. “I’m sorry sir, but Oh Jinwoo-ssi is older than me, can I really take him under my wing?”
“My son,” the Chairman firmly said despite his smile, “will do as I tell him to. He needs to learn from the best if he wants to make me proud one day.”
Seokjin gulped. He knew that rhetoric all too well. He nodded. Jinwoo coming with him would complicate everything. He was already anxious enough as it was, he didn't need to add more to this mess. But he also needed to treat that project like any other project, and that meant doing whatever the Chairman wanted him to.
-
Even after all those years, coming to Jeju island still felt like a holiday to him. Despite the countless business trips he had made there, despite not being a child anymore, a part of him was always longing for their adventures in the woods, for the times they bought their favorite ice creams with aego, for their escapes to their beach.
Even after living there for years, all he could think of were those holidays.
But with Jinwoo snoring on his shoulder, unbothered by the ruthless shrugs he threw his way, this was probably the first time going to Jeju island didn’t feel like a holiday. Maybe in his original draft of his plan, this trip to Seogwipo could have felt like a holiday. However, dragging the loud stack of bones and muscles next to him along with him made him rewrite his plan. This trip would be business alone.
When the plane finally landed in Jeju-do and Jinwoo left Seokjin’s shoulder (not without printing a nice pool of drool on his dress shirt), he found new ways to complain about the cheap seats they had gotten instead of the business seats they were so used to. The CEO took the blame again and apologized for his mistakes as he took his phone off of airplane mode and received the stream of messages his assistant had sent him to apologise for booking the wrong seats. Before the plane had taken off, Seokjin had called Boksoon and she had almost resigned out of shame but Seokjin didn’t let her. He took the blame and Jinwoo’s shitty mood was definitely going to ruin his trip, but at least Boksoon wouldn’t get in trouble.
Seokjin didn’t know if he wanted to cry or laugh. One would think him of all people would manage to take care of his subordinates so that they wouldn’t be scared to get fired for booking him the wrong seats, and yet. He realized that no matter how hard he tried to rub off the burnt his father left on him and behind him, some things wouldn’t be that easy to challenge.
“We’re staying in Jeju-do for tonight,” Seokjin explained while they were standing outside the airport waiting for their taxi to arrive. The weather was hot for a spring day, and the humidity in the air only made things worse. Still, the air was so much fresher and easier to breathe than in Seoul - every breath felt like an ocean wave caressing him gently. However he could feel the slight discomfort rising in Jinwoo and everything left an aftertaste in his mouth. “I have a business dinner tonight,” he told him, looking up at the clouds above their heads. “You’re free to join if you want to.”
“Aren’t I supposed to follow you around like a good little poodle?” Jinwoo snapped back.
Seokjin looked at him with a blank expression. Jinwoo shrunk under his gaze. “Yes,” Seokjin said flatly.
The trip was going to be long.
-
Once Jinwoo understood that his age superiority wouldn’t bring him anywhere with Seokjin, he became more bearable. But before he reached that obvious conclusion, he had tried guiding Seokjin to their hotel (Jinwoo had been brought to Jeju island as a kid the same way Seokjin had but he never explored the island, always followed his parents around) and had gotten them lost. Wanting to find some joy in his misery, Seokjin had indulged him, letting him guide them through busy streets with their luggage. What Jinwoo had failed to realize was that their taxi had brought them to the back of their hotel, like Seokjin had asked, because he knew that the entrance from behind was less busy at this time of the day. But Jinwoo had mistaken the taxi driver’s follow of the instructions with incompetence and Seokjin had laughed quietly on his own for almost half an hour before taking them back to their hotel.
Of course Jinwoo’s pride and arrogance didn’t let him apologize for his mistake. Instead, he had tried once again at dinner to pretend like he had the upper hand. Which didn’t make sense, because even though he wasn’t an intern anymore, he certainly wasn’t CEO of the company. To be fair, Seokjin had forgotten what was his title exactly, but he was afraid to ask – knowing the amount of useless boasting it would unleash. He didn’t really know Oh Jinwoo very well, sure they were supposed to be friends when they were younger and though the other man was 3 years older than Seokjin, they had spend a lot of time in school together. Maybe Jinwoo had forgotten how their private school years had been but Seokjin hadn’t. He still remembered clearly the jokes being made about him as he sat in the cafeteria alone to eat his lunch, nose deep in a book. He remembered how he was always forced to play with the other kids when their parents would meet up for brunch on Sundays and he was always to last one chosen for any activity they would do. He remembered how all he could think all year long was the holiday to Jeju island where he could finally escape and be himself without repercussions. A small part of him was glad that his school life experience was as atrocious as it had been. That only made the summers sweeter.
When Seokjin had been appointed CEO a year ago (after working his ass off to prove himself for years), Jinwoo came to the ceremony and shook his hand, wearing a dishonest smile on his face. Seokjin had almost forgotten about him - if it weren’t for his connection with the Chairman, he certainly would have. Still, his behaviour didn’t surprise him, and memories of years ago kept creeping up in his mind a few days after their encounter. He wanted to run away to Jeju island again. He wanted to take a plane and a bus and walk the steep slopes until he'd walk past the waterfall and reach him. But he couldn’t do that just yet. He didn’t even know if he could ever do that at all.
The dinner went well, Seokjin was able to solidify some friendships and even secure a couple of small deals with important people from other companies he had worked with before. The key to getting other people’s money was pretending you weren’t after their money in the first place. Everyone in his world was so vain and greedy, business dinners where you talked more about your ex-wife or your new dog were more often than not the most successful ones. So apart from Jinwoo’s annoying knowledge of wines and his need to share his fun facts with very obviously uninterested people, everything went well.
Seokjin should have rejoiced. He would have, had he felt any joy at all.
-
Long after Seokjin and Jinwoo had parted to their individual bedrooms, Seokjin went out. He didn’t know Jeju like he knew Seogwipo and he had certainly forgotten most of the knowledge he had gathered when he was younger. He had to rely on the street signs, but still he made his way to the beach. The night was less heavy than in Seogwipo, lampposts illuminating the city and bringing light to the tourists’ night. He took off his shoes when he reached the sand. He had changed in comfortable street wear when he went home from diner and was glad he brought his jean jacket along with him. The ocean breeze was chilly and smelled of salt and algae. That was one of his favorite scent.
He walked down to the shore, glancing at the groups of friends and couples still enjoying their time on the beach. The moon was almost full and the sky was clear, enough not to need artificial lights. But everyone had lanterns or flashlights anyways.
The waves and the foam they created against the sand hit Seokjin’s toes. It was cold, almost freezing, but he couldn’t feel anything. Listening to distant shouts from young people bickering and laughing around a bonfire, the constant sound of the waves hitting the rocks at the end of the beach, everything reminded him of a particular night from 10 years ago. He closed his eyes, drowning in the smell of the ocean and let his ears wander around, looking for her. For her voice, for her reassuring white noise, for her strong arms pulling them in and protecting them from the world.
Jeju-do was definitely not Seogwipo. The waterfall was nowhere to be heard.
Seokjin felt homesick for the first time in years.
-
“Seokjin-ssi, are you sure you know the way?”
He didn't even bother replying and continued strolling down the narrow alleyway, the screams of his suitcase reverberating against the brick walls. Of course he knew the way. What a stupid question. He could hear Jinwoo behind him panting, trying to keep up with his fast pace. One thought came to his mind upon seeing him struggle: natural selection. But that wasn’t his thought - that was his father’s. So he hated himself for thinking that way.
A wave of sadness hit him all of a sudden when they crossed an all too familiar street but he shook it off quickly. He was used to being confused and angry and disgusted at what he had become. No matter why he came to Jeju island, no matter what the plan was, nothing would change who he was now.
When they finally reached the hostel by the beach, they were drenched in sweat. The day before had been rather cool, with a little wind to soothe their skins under the blazing sun. Today was treacherous. They had been walking for about thirty minutes by then, Jinwoo had kept insisting that they should look at a map but Seokjin had kept ignoring him. He was growing exponentially good at that.
During the bus trip from Jeju-do to Seogwipo (Jinwoo had obviously frowned at the idea of taking the bus and not a taxi but Seokjin had categorically refused to give up on one more opportunity to reminisce his childhood), the Chairman’s son had kept looking at his phone, answering texts after texts, phone calls after phone calls. He seemed busy, somewhat busier than Seokjin was. Seokjin, on the other hand, took the time to gaze at the landscapes they travelled through.
At some point Jinwoo had asked Seokjin what exactly he was doing here. Usually going to see a potential seller wasn’t the CEO’s job, but he said that he knew the place already from his childhood and that this was a project he wanted to be personally involved in. Jinwoo had raised an eyebrow, apparently not entirely satisfied with his answer but a collaborator had called him at the same time and he got distracted. Seokjin went back to staring at the trees flying all around them, chin resting on his hand.
It was hard for him to be back. He couldn’t deny it - but he also couldn’t show it. It had been 5 years and he still remembered everything so vividly. Everything about Seogwipo seemed to be engraved in his bones. Even though they had only lived there for about 3 years, it was enough. When he saw the last direction sign before Seogwipo, his heart clenched a little. He remembered 8 years ago when they used to travel out of the city often, when they used to go on day long hikes around the island. They never got tired of exploring everything the place had to offer. They had tried living in Seoul for a few months after their graduation but he had felt so homesick there, the mainland beaches just weren’t the same as the ones on the island. Still, he tried to pull through for Seokjin. Until, inevitably, things in Seoul didn’t work out. Since they had nothing tying them to that place anymore, they went back to Jeju island. The settled there, planning on never leaving. They were so happy.
The bus had slowed down. God they were so happy. Seokjin felt like he could cry.
After a particularity steep slope, Seokjin wiped a couple of sweat drops off of his forehead and stopped to look in the window of a car to redo his hair. He looked old. And tired.
“Seokjin-ssi,” Jinwoo whined again after walking down hill for a few minutes. “Is it that house?”
They had arrived at the end of the road, leaving the tall apartment complexes behind them. In front of them stood the ocean, as immense and majestic as usual. Seokjin could feel the breeze carry even more salt than it did from inside the town. He let out a loud sigh and nodded silently at Jinwoo. A few meters away from them stood a traditional korean house, with red bricks and red tiles. It was just as impressive as the body of water it stood in front of. However, no matter how tall the building stood with its three stories and windows facing south to let as much sun in as possible, it was still falling to ruins. The walls outside looked old and decrepit, the paint on the window frames was cracked by the sun and turning into chunks. Seokjin felt even older when looking at that house. He took a step forward but stopped when he felt that Jinwoo didn’t follow him. He had raised a finger to his chin and was looking at the house intensely, like he was already demolishing it with his eyes. Seokjin wanted to scream.
Still, he said nothing and walked on, waiting for his subordinate to wake up and catch up behind him. He turned around to face him and pursed his lips to help containing the outbursts of anger that were starting to pile up inside of him.
“Do not,” he empathized every word. “Say a word. Watch how I do it, watch what I say. Don’t say a word. Do not comment on anything, do not talk to the employees or the owner or the guests there without my permission. Everything you say and do is from now on considered as a tactical move aimed at buying this lot. So,” he paused to take a step closer to him, raising his finger to shake it rhythmically in front of his face. “Do not fuck this up.”
Jinwoo parted his lips, probably about to remind Seokjin that he was older and deserved respect but the CEO walked on - ignoring him completely. He heard him scoff behind him, knowing his pride was hurt but still keeping a straight face.
The door of the hostel looked even more worn out than the rest of the house. The door knob was fixed with one two many screws and the small glass window at eye level was dirty and polished by salt. A small wooden inscription was on the right side of the door, the list of open hours carved into it. Seokjin looked around for a few more seconds, taking in the all too familiar sight. He recognized a few plants on the window sill and couldn’t help the smile growing on his face or how faster his heart was beating. He lifted his eyes to the sign above the door. Took one last breath and opened it. Jinwoo, right behind him, looked up too and couldn’t help himself from whispering “Hey that’s my name!” before following Seokjin who bit the inside of his cheek.
The door shut behind them loudly, the sign above moving with the shock.
Emperor Jin’s Eternal Palace
The emperor had come home.