novelThe Medici of the 21 st Century (3)
| ← Ch.096 | Ch.098 → |
"A painting?"
"I cannot tell you what it is, but you will find out when you come. We will provide you with the plane ticket and a hotel for your inconvenience."
"And how's the schedule?"
"Please take a plane that leaves at 10 a. m. in Korea next Monday. Check into the hotel we'll provide and come to the gallery the next day. If needed, we will provide an additional plane ticket for one companion."
"One companion? Hmm... okay. I'll check my schedule and contact you again. Please send the detailed plan to my museum's email account."
"Okay. I hope to meet you here. Then..."
After he hung up, he couldn't start eating again because of Eunhae's hot gaze.
"Oh, they're inviting me to Saatchi Gallery. They're inviting multiple appraisers during the gallery's special exhibition and, apparently, I'm one of them. I impressed them when I appraised that photo. Well, anyway..."
However, that wasn't what Eunhae wanted to hear.
"What's that about the companion?"
"Oh... the foundation will provide the plane ticket and the hotel for me, and they can provide one more plane ticket for a companion."
"Wow! They'll provide an additional first-class ticket to London?"
Haejin didn't hear anything about first-class.
"I don't know if that's right. I didn't hear..."
"It's none other than Saatchi Foundation. You can't be thinking it will be economy class, right? The flight will take more than ten hours!"
She was even more excited than Haejin. She had lost a little, but she was still the granddaughter of Hwajin's founder. And she was excited about a first-class flight...
"I think you are right."
"I am right. Oh... then should I rearrange my schedule?"
For a moment, Haejin doubted what he just heard.
"What?"
"What? Why?"
Eunhae asked back with wide eyes. Haejin couldn't tell her that the companion he had had in mind wasn't her.
"No, it's just... can you come?"
"Of course. I didn't know I would get to go on a business trip so quickly, but I will prepare as fast as I can. Let's eat and go. I have lots of things to take care of. As the trip is tomorrow, I might have to work this weekend, too."
She called it a business trip, but she looked like a university student waiting for a trip abroad.
"O, okay."
Eunhae seemed not to notice that Haejin hadn't even eaten half of his Seolleongtang. She stood up, paid with the company card, and waited for Haejin outside.
"You do know you look really busy, right?"
"I was not busy ten minutes ago, but I am now. Oh, but how long are you going to stay in London?"
"London is far. I think we should stay for at least three days."
"Oh, only three days?"
"Then, how about... five days?"
"Five days would be fine."
Eunhae nodded seriously, and Haejin couldn't help but smile.
When they arrived at the museum, an email about the schedule and the hotel had arrived already.
The tickets were first-class, just as Eunhae had predicted.
The problem was that the foundation was providing only one room, but Haejin hadn't told that to Eunhae.
Telling her that she couldn't come along because there was only one room would disappoint her, and Haejin didn't want to see her get disappointed.
Of course, he couldn't keep it to himself so, in the end, he called Damon again.
"This is Park Haejin."
"Mr. Park, I didn't know you would call back so soon. I hope you didn't call to refuse our offer?"
"I didn't... I'm sorry, but I wanted to know if you could book one more room. I'll pay for it. I thought about making the reservation myself, but I thought it would be easier for you to book two rooms."
Damon didn't say anything. Haejin blamed himself for demanding too much, but then Damon laughed.
"Hahaha! I'm sorry. I couldn't help but laugh. We will book two rooms, just as you said. We will also take care of the expenses, so please come to London with delight."
That was even better.
"That would be great. Then, I will see you at the Saatchi Gallery next week."
Haejin hung up and started to get excited. The trip to the States had been only about business, so he had just thought that being with Eunhae was good as he wouldn't get bored, but this trip felt like a trip with the girl he liked.
Time ran fast. The weekend passed in a flash and it was time to leave.
Eunhae had worked all weekend to take care of the things in advance. When Haejin met her at the airport, although she had covered the dark circles with makeup, she looked very tired.
"You really can go in that condition?"
"You might not know this yet, but no matter how tired I am, I always get my strength back when I go past the duty-free shops of an airport. This is not a problem..."
Haejin had traveled abroad all the time, but he never did any shopping at the duty-free shops.
His father spent his money only on grave robbing or as traveling expenses. So, he never felt excited by duty-free shops.
"You must have spent so much money, and you are still excited to see duty-free shops?"
"Oh, are you going to not eat meat today because you ate it yesterday? And besides, I never got to spend money like my cousins. It was unfair... anyway, let's go. We still have time, so I'll be able to see a few shops."
"Okay, okay."
Nevertheless, if there's something they shared once they arrived at the airport, it was the excitement about traveling into the unknown.
Eunhae passed the immigration gate and went flying around the duty-free shops even if she had slept for only half a day. Then, she fell asleep on the plane.
However, she only bought a wallet to give as a gift.
"Umm... how far have we come?"
After about six hours, she woke up. She very casually wiped off the drool on the corner of her lips, but she glanced at Haejin, hoping he didn't see that.
"About six hours and you missed the meal. I ate, but I couldn't wake you up. Do you want me to ask for it now?"
"No, I'm not hungry. We'll get another meal soon, anyway. I'll have that."
But then, they heard a man's voice from the side.
"Oh, aren't you Ms. Eunhae of Saeyeon Gallery?"
Haejin looked in the direction of the voice. A man in his mid-30s wearing a neat suit was poking his head out to Eunhae's direction.
He wasn't very handsome like Eunhae's ex-fiancé, Lee Jongmyeong, but he looked macho with the manly sharp chin and thick eyebrows.
"Oh, Director Oh, I didn't expect to meet you here."
If he was already a director at such a young age, Haejin could guess who he was. He had to be the son of another company-owning family.
"Why are you going to London? Oh... it has to be about art, right? I went to Saeyeon Gallery a while ago, but you weren't there. I enjoyed the paintings, but it didn't feel the same... I was very disappointed. Hahaha!"
A gallery is where you go to see paintings. Why was he looking for Eunhae? Haejin frowned to hear that.
"I don't work at Saeyeon Gallery anymore. You won't find me there."
"What? You don't work there? Why did you..."
"I just did."
Eunhae smiled without explaining more. That was weird.
He then asked again, "Have you sold the share of the gallery you had?"
"I still have my share. It's just... I moved to another company."
"Then, where is your new company? It can't be Haevici Gallery..."
"Have you heard of Park Haejin Art Museum? With Picasso's painting..."
"What? Haha, I've heard of it. It has a strange name, but it is quite famous now."
Haejin agreed about his museum's name being strange. He had been proud when he picked that name, but now, he was sometimes embarrassed. However, hearing that from someone else's mouth didn't feel pleasant.
Eunhae could see that, she then glanced at Haejin and smiled.
"Ahaha, it's... this is the Park Haejin Art Museum's owner. Mr. Haejin, this is Director Oh Jeongmin of Daeyang Entertainment."
"Hello, I'm Park Haejin."
Jeongmin was surprised.
"Oh, hello. I spoke without knowing who you are. I'm Oh Jeongmin."
"Daeyang Entertainment, that's a huge company. If you're its director, you must be very capable."
Other than art, Haejin didn't care about other things. However, even he knew Daeyang Entertainment.
It was a big company that did various business including cable TV, movie filming and investment.
"No. I got lucky. Then you are Ms. Eunhae's boss. Please take good care of her."
"Oh, you didn't have to say that. Haha..."
Eunhae laughed awkwardly and glanced at Haejin who also thought it was ridiculous. However, he didn't want to film a comedy show on a plane, so he just laughed.
However, Jeongmin wasn't done yet.
"Could you make some time when we arrive in London? I'd like to have dinner together... I know a good restaurant. It is on the Michelin Guide, so you won't regret it."
"I'm sorry, but I am going to work, not to go sightseeing, so my schedule is a little unpredictable. Let's have dinner together later."
Haejin was moved at this polite refusal.
But then, Jeongmin turned to Haejin and asked, "Why doesn't the boss help me a little?"
Haeji started to get annoyed.
"I am not Ms. Eunhae's boss. She is the director. It is my museum, but I'm only its appraiser."
"Khmmm... but you are still the actual owner..."
"She just refused to go on a date with you. Am I the only one who can see that?"
That was very straightforward, and Jeongmin's face hardened immediately.
He couldn't say anything, he then turned to Eunhae. He wanted her to say something, but she just looked at him with pity. His face turned red.
"Khmm... I'm sorry. Park Haejin Art Museum... I'll go to see Picasso's painting one day."
That sounded like he would come for revenge.
The rest of the flight was in an awkward silence. Haejin closed his eyes because he felt like he had wounded Jeongmin's heart, and Eunhae watched a movie and blocked her ears because of the awkward atmosphere.
The actual problem came after that.
When they finally arrived at the airport, Haejin and Eunhae met a man who had been waiting for them, but they were not the only people he had been waiting for.
"Well... I guess we will have to go together."
Jeongmin took his luggage and moved first.
Haejin then asked why Damon had been waiting for Jeongmin.
He smiled and answered, "Mr. Saatchi's M&C Saatchi is a great advertising company. Mr. Oh is here because of the advertising contract. Of course, there are other reasons, too..."
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