Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

Chapter 667: Maternity Leave (2) – Part 2

Ever since Artist Choi moved in with Gun-Ho’s couple, and she was in charge of cooking, Gun-Ho gained some weight. Also, Gun-Ho came straight home after work without stopping by a bar for a drink since Young-Eun was at home waiting for him.

“I guess I won’t be able to visit Japan to see Mori Aikko for a while.”

Gun-Ho didn’t even think about Seol-Bing. Whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he used to feel like wanting that woman, but he hadn’t felt that way any longer.

His condo in TowerPalace gave him more homey feelings after Artist Choi moved in with them. Whenever he came home after work, Young-Eun and Artist Choi were busily doing some house chores like making kimchi or peeling off garlics. That created a homey atmosphere, and somehow that gave Gun-Ho a warm and peaceful feeling.

“Just one drop of oil would be enough. You need to put half of a tablespoon of chili powder.”

Artist Choi also taught cooking to Young-Eun, and Gun-Ho liked it. He always had fresh vegetables and grilled fish for dinner.

“Do you like it?”

Artist Choi asked Gun-Ho at the dinner table one day.

“I love the taste of this stew.”

“These are all made by Young-Eun.”

“Really? That’s why... I knew something was off today.”

“You said it was good! No more food for you today!”

Young-Eun gestured that she was taking dishes from Gun-Ho’s side of the table.

“No, no. I do like your food. I was just joking.”

After dinner, they sat in the living room and watched TV while having some fruits for dessert. That was a new routine for them. They watched news and TV dramas together while chit-chatting. They all were an expert in their areas. When the topic was about arts, Artist Choi did most of the talking while Gun-Ho and Young-Eun were listening to her attentively. When they talked about economics, Gun-Ho talked most of the time, and Young-Eun was the speaker when it came to the health topic. They were all knowledgeable in their own area of expertise.

One day, after Gun-Ho left for work, Artist Choi and Young-Eun were sitting at the dining table while having a cup of coffee.

“Young-Eun, does Gun-Ho give you some money for living expenses regularly?”

“No, he doesn’t.”

“He doesn’t? Is that because you make money too at the hospital?”

“I don’t know. He never asked me how much I make working as a medical doctor.”

“Maybe he thinks that each person is supposed to manage their own income.”

“Not really. He actually gave me some money two months ago in a lump sum. He said it was for our living expenses. It was just one time though.”

“Really? One time? How much did he give you?”

“It was 50 million won.”

“50 million won? Oh, my gosh!”

“He said that it was for five-month living expenses, 10 million won per month.”

“10 million won for one-month living expenses? Wow! How much does he make per month?”

“I don’t know. He never told me how much he is making, and I’ve never asked him about it either. Well, I don’t know about his dividends, but I think he mentioned that he is receiving 35 million won on a monthly basis from several companies.”

“So, his monthly salary alone is 35 million won, huh? Whoa, a lot of people make less than that per year. What do you do with 10 million won that you get per month?”

“I keep it. I still have that 50 million won with me.”

“Why don’t you buy something for you like a mink coat or a designer handbag with it?”

“A mink coat? Haha. That will make me feel so embarrassed.”

“Well, I guess you are right. It would look funny if you walk around in a mink coat carrying a designer bag. Wearing all sorts of high-end designer brand clothes and carrying an expensive jewelry and bag wouldn’t make other women look better than you since you are a medical doctor who graduated from the top school— Seoul National University. Anyway, you are just like your mother who had been ignorant about money-related things.”

“Like mother like daughter, I guess.”

“Gun-Ho is running several businesses. Doesn’t he mention at all anything about the amount of the dividends that he is receiving from those companies?”

“No, and I’m not interested in it either.”

“Have you visited his companies?”

“No, I haven’t. I don’t like to visit my husband’s companies. His workers wouldn’t feel comfortable if they get a visit from the owner president’s family member.”

“Does he have a lot of workers?”

“I was told that the factory in Jiksan Town has about 500 workers.”

“500 workers? Wow! That’s huge.”

“Well, his another company in Asan City has 150 workers.”

“Whoa. I wonder how much he is making per year.”

“I don’t know. Aunt, let’s drop the topic. It’s no fun. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Okay. Anyway, I’m so impressed by Gun-Ho.”

It was February. As Gun-Ho’s family always had a memorial service at home for ancestors on certain holidays such as New Year’s Day, Gun-Ho went to his parents’ home on the Lunar New Year’s Day. He didn’t bring Young-Eun this time since she was in her full-term pregnancy. When Gun-Ho arrived at his parents’ home, her mother told Gun-Ho, “You should never let your wife be by herself. And, if you see any minor signs of labor like pinkish discharge, you should take her to the hospital.”

“Okay, mom.”

“I feel much better knowing that her aunt stays with her, but you also have to be ready all the time. You should have things prepared in case she has to be in the hospital for several days.”

“Okay.”

A few days after the Lunar New Year’s Day, Young-Eun said that she was feeling dizzy, and she went to bed and laid down on the bed. Gun-Ho was worried and followed her to the bedroom. He then saw Young-Eun’s thighs, and he was frightened.

“Huh? What’s wrong with your thighs?”

“Those are stretch marks. It happens to most pregnant women in their full-term pregnancy. It’s normal.”

The stretch marks on Young-Eun’s thighs looked serious to Gun-Ho. Gun-Ho held Young-Eun’s hand and gave a kiss on her cheek.

The next day, Young-Eun told Gun-Ho that she had a pinkish discharge, and that it was a sign for imminent labor. Gun-Ho and Young-Eun’s aunt hastily packed a bag with necessary things that Young-Eun would need while staying in the hospital, and headed to the hospital. It was too early for Chan-Ho Eom to come to the condo in Bentley, so Gun-Ho drove his Land Rover. Gun-Ho, Young-Eun, and her aunt headed to the Seoul National University Hospital where Young-Eun had been working.

Seoul National University was notorious for its long waiting time to admit a patient, but since Young-Eun was a doctor at that hospital, she was admitted right away.

After letting Young-Eun check in a patient room, Gun-Ho and Artist Choi were standing in the hall. Artist Choi said, “You can go to work. We don’t know when Young-Eun will start her labor. It could be today or even tomorrow. You go to work, and I will let you know if she is in labor.”

“Are you sure she won’t need me?”

“I will give you a call.”

“Okay.”

Gun-Ho walked out of the hospital, and then headed to his condo in TowerPalace. It was the morning rush hour, and the traffic was terribly heavy. Gun-Ho made a call to Chan-Ho Eom.

“Chan-Ho, it’s me. I’m in the hospital. Because of the heavy traffic, I think it will take some time for me to get home. When you arrive at my home and I’m not there, just wait for me there, okay?”

“Yes, sir.”

Chan-Ho Eom responded vigorously.