The Scent of Life (1)
CHAPTER 7 TO JEJU ISLAND: THE UNCOVERING OF SECRETS
The next day Min Hyuk was already preparing to leave for Jeju. Unlike usual, Min Hyuk only wears casual clothes. Secretary Park is waiting in the living room.
"Let's go Secretary Park, have you bought a bouqet of flowers for Miss Hong?" said Min Hyuk.
"Yes, Mr. CEO," replied Secretary Park.
The driver came directly to bring Min Hyuk's bag and put it in the trunk. Car's sliding into airport. Shortly after, they boarded a private plane to Jeju Island.
Arriving at the destination, they immediately glided to the resort owned by Mr. Hong. The resort is designed exotic according to the beautiful sea views in Jeju. Not a lot of floor building. All are designed using selected wood. The Hong Family was already waiting for Min Hyuk's arrival. Arriving at the resort they are greeted by resort employees and escorted to the meeting place.
Arriving at the destination, you can see Mr. Hong, Mrs Hong and Sun Hwa, Min Hyuk's future wife. A beautiful woman, curly-haired, from the look of her eyes radiated her a smart girl. While Mr. Hong was the type of middle-aged man who still looked handsome and dashing. Perhaps Sun Hwa's beauty came from her father. Madame Hong was shorter and somewhat fat, but still left her beauty when she was young. They smiled kindly when they saw Min Hyuk coming.
Min Hyuk bowed his body and greeted. The Hong Family invited Min Hyuk to sit down and eat together. They eat while talking about many things. Sun Hwa's eyes could not be seen Min Hyuk. He fell in love at first sight. Min Hyuk felt uneasy to continue to be stared at, it made him uncomfortable. After lunch, Mr. Hong invites Min Hyuk to jet ski and surf the sea. Min Hyuk's skill really amazes everyone.
***
Dusk began to come, orange tinge color fulfilled the beauty of the scenery presented on Jeju beach. Min Hyuk asked for permission to take his own walk around the beach. Jeju Island is the largest island in Korea and one of the most famous tourist destinations in South Korea. The island has natural beauty and its characteristics make many tourists fascinated.
Jeju Island has many beaches such as Hyeop Jae Beach, Jungmun Beach, Samyang Black Sand Beach and Udo Beach. In winter, Jeju Island is the warmest region around Korea and rarely snows.
Here there is Mount Halla located in the middle of Jeju Island with a height of 1,950 meters. The highest mountain in South Korea can be visited by climbing. Jeju Island is nicknamed Samdado, "The Abundant Island with Three Things" namely rocks, women and wind .
Min Hyuk looked at the windows shooping that sold various trinkets and food stalls. The cuisine of Jeju people is very different from that of the mainland. They work as a lot so that the food is mostly the result of the sea. Jeju people like to eat fresh foods such as raw fish. Other major produce is abalone, fruits and seaweed. One of Jeju's most famous dishes is Jeonbokjuk, an abalone porridge.
Min Hyuk walks alone, wearing only slippers, a short-sleeved white shirt, and jeans. She misses Man Se, and imagines if he is with her. Maybe one day he'll bring Man Se here.
Min Hyuk stopped in front of a shop selling jewelry from the famous Jeju pearls. When he was about to enter the store, he felt that something was pulling on his back shirt a few times. Min Hyuk turned his head, and he saw a shabby little girl carrying a small medallion strap of seashells, a combination of metal and sapphire. The little girl with two braids smiled revealing her broken teeth. Min Hyuk felt pity.
"What's up, son?" ask Min Hyuk.
The boy used body language to convey wait a minute, then took a small book from inside his bag. He wrote something. It turned out that the girl was mute so had to communicate using writing.
[Master, are you going to buy a pearl necklace for your lover?] ask the little boy.
Min Hyuk replied "Yes, why?"
The girl wrote again in his book.
[It is not appropriate that you buy a pearl necklace for your lover. Because pearls are a symbol of tears. Better you buy me this necklace. This necklace is a magic necklace that will keep you and your lover together forever] explained the girl through writing.
Min Hyuk sat crouching in front of the little girl with a smile of admiration, because the Little Girl was very smart to seduce the buyer. He saw that unique necklace. Not bad also made souvenirs for Man Se.
"How much?" ask Min Hyuk.
The girl smiled widely as she raised her ten fingers. Min Hyuk understood, then he stood up to take the money in his wallet. Give the money to the shabby girl. The unique necklace belonged to Min Hyuk.
Shortly after the necklace was in his hands, Min Hyuk was suddenly hit by someone carrying a lot of cardboard from inside the store. Min Hyuk was surprised, the boxes and contents scattered, the owner panicked and apologized to Min Hyuk. After helping the person who hit her earlier, she saw the little girl had disappeared, disappearing like a ghost among the trees swaying in the wind of Jeju Beach. Truly a mysterious girl, thought Min Hyuk.
***
In the resort room, Min Hyuk looked at the necklace in his hand. He smiled to himself. Unique and beautiful necklace. It's definitely suited for Man Se.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and Min Hyuk let in.
"Sir, they're waiting at the restaurant outside the resort. Are we leaving now?" ask Secretary Park.
Min Hyuk nodded. They drove the car out of the resort. Not far from there is a village. Their car was headed for a rather quiet stall.
Inside is Detective Ahn and a man wearing a thick jacket with a rare and unkempt sideburn. After greeting them, the four of them sat down. The man named Mr. Choi looked at Min Hyuk .
"Sir, I'm sorry" said the man.
"The apology isn't right when you tell me, because I'm also partly responsible for what happened. I need you to explain honestly to me what my uncle did in relation to the factory fire. You know the victims of the explosion were not few," explained Min Hyuk.
"Sir, I am willing to be a witness when the trial is held later. And this, Secretary Oh's diary that I took from his house. This diary contains all the activities of Secretary Oh and Mr. Kang, your father. It can be used as evidence for this case. I deliberately kept it motivated my guilt over the case. Mr. Kang Min Jung was right to bribe me to close the case, and consider it an ordinary fire in order to claim insurance to cover the financial crisis of the company at that time," obviously Mr. Choi while giving a black leather-bound book belonging to Secretary Oh, Man Se's father.
Min Hyuk's heart trembled as he held onto the diary. The book belonged to a person he had already considered like his own father. A warm-hearted man, smiling, and always accompany him because his own father is busy working.
It was only natural that Min Hyuk felt like he had lost both of those people. Min Hyuk promised to take care of Man Se in return. They talked for a long time, and Detective Ahn will help in the process of investigating the factory fire.
***
Min Hyuk returns to the resort to be escorted by Secretary Park. Min Hyuk sat quietly in the back seat, occasionally taking a deep breath. His mind glared far away when Man Se was brought home by Mrs Kang. Little Min Hyuk looked at all those conversations behind the wall. Still vividly remembered the words of his father when he saw the baby in his mother's sling.
"You're just gonna raise a poisonous pest in this family. I don't like it, you should take her to the orphanage rather than be a problem in the future" said Mr. Kang.
Secretary Park sees Min Hyuk from the rearview mirror.
"Sir, shouldn't we have a drink first?" take Secretary Park.
"Well, no, I'm not drinking tonight" Min Hyuk replied, declining Secretary Park's invitation.
"Are you sure of your move to open the case to the public? It's the same as killing yourself. If it happens, the stock will decline, and you can be blamed for all of that. You're trying to take down your own father and uncle" Secretary Park said.
Min Hyuk was silent. Don't want to argue. Min Hyuk knew what consequences he was doing. Not only Secretary Park reminded, even Seo Woo also reminded. After the New Millennium winter project is launched, Min Hyuk will ask his father all the truth.
***
The night air is getting colder, let alone approaching winter at the end of the year. Min Hyuk sat in a resort room overlooking the sea. It's not on page after page of Secretary Oh's diary. All the travel agendas and tasks given by Mr. Kang, his father, are neatly recorded in the book.
Upon reaching the last pages, Min Hyuk's heart began to tremble. In the diary it is written that the older sister of Man Se's mother and some of her friends became victims of an accident at the factory so they had to be hospitalized. The company does not want to be held responsible so this encourages Man Se's mother to return to work to look for the treatment costs of her sick sister. But fate speaks another way, the older brother of Man Se's mother passed away.
Ibu Man Se is determined to sue the company and lead the demo demanding welfare and safety assurance of work. But the company didn't take it. Even Mr. Kang asked Secretary Oh to stop his wife's actions. At the urging of her husband their actions stopped. They had a dialogue and made an indemnity deal for the families of the victims. Work at the factory started to go well.
Min Hyuk read the next page, dated according to the incident of the factory fire. Written there it turns out the company did not keep the promise in accordance with the mutually specified deadline. This left Secretary Oh also feeling cornered and submitting a letter of resignation.
After all these years of service to Mr. Kang, Secretary Oh never felt that disappointed. Secretary Oh can't blame Mr. Kang completely, but it's Samchon Kang who should be blamed. He was unable to run the company and the company fell into a financial crisis.
Secretary Oh knows the factory is insured. If something happens, the security deposit is enough to cover the crisis and the compensation money for employees. Secretary Oh eavesdropped on a conversation between someone and Samchon Kang to set up a planned fire. But Secretary Oh doesn't know who that man is. The story in the diary stops there.
Min Hyuk let out a long breath. His face was hot and his chest was rumbling with rage. He had to immediately clarify everything to his father after the New Millennium project was launched.
***
Mr. Kang, Min Hyuk's father is sitting behind his desk. A well-dressed man entered the room.
"Aaah Secretary Min," said Mr. Kang.
Mr. Kang, the figure of an old man with glasses but still looks authoritative emanated from him.
"You're calling me, sir?" said the man while bowing his body in salute.
"How did you manage to keep an eye on Min Hyuk?" ask Mr. Kang.
"Yes, Chairman," replied the man nodding his head in a respectful gesture then handed a large brown envelope to Mr. Kang.
Mr. Kang opened the envelope and looked at the photos inside. Photos of Min Hyuk and Man Se together at the market as well as photos of Min Hyuk having a meeting with Detective Ahn. Even all the photos of Min Hyuk's activities in Jeju.
"Hmmm .. continue your mission of spying on Kang Min Hyuk" said Mr. Kang.
"Yes, Chairman Kang," replied Secretary Min. Then withdraw.
Mr. Kang silently pondered. Soon after, he entered Samchon Kang.
"Sister" said Samchon Kang.
Seeing his sister coming, Mr. Kang stuck a brown envelope in front of him. Samchon Kang opened it. He was surprised by the photos. Samchon Kang remembers the faces of the firefighters and police officers he bribed in connection with the factory fire. He was surprised to see them with Min Hyuk
"Min Hyuk is conducting an investigation into the factory fire. I used to shut up to cover up your behavior. I don't think I can help you this time. You better get ready" said Mr. Kang.
Samchon Kang silently thought. In his heart came the worry of his past crimes being exposed by his own nephew. He closed both hands to his face. Looks very restless. Mr. Kang without saying a word came out of the room leaving Samchon Kang alone.
The Devil's poison began to be passed on to Min Hyuk and his family. The war drums in Kang's family began to grow. Children fight parents and vice versa. Loss of trust, loss of trust, oppression of the weak, and stabbing each other. Is not the division desired by Satan to make man miserable?