Real Man

Chapter 686
They rested when it rained.
Pitter-patter.
As they sat on the sofa and drank coffee with the sound of rain as the background, they felt relaxed.
They also enjoyed chatting with each other about various things.
“Did you see the clothes in the camper closet? Robert really has a great sense of style.”
“I know. He prepared well for us.”
“Not only that…”
The conversation that started in the camper continued with the surrounding scenery and various episodes that came to mind.
There was no talk about work in the long conversation.
It was something that never happened even when they were at ease in the past.
They gradually gained freedom as they ran without rest.
They stopped by every major city they passed.
In Austin, Texas, they ate barbecue and drank lemonade.
They wore cowboy hats and wandered around the place that looked like a western movie.
They took pictures with the vast meadow as the background, and parked the car by the Colorado River and spent the first day.
It wasn’t awkward at all to stay in the same space all day.
Rather, they looked forward to the next day and spent a pleasant night together.
The next day, they enjoyed various seafood including lobster in Houston.
And they rode bicycles along the seaside road with the bicycles they had prepared.
The scenery was beautiful, but the road was very rough and steep.
But Jeong Da-hye’s bicycle didn’t slow down.
“Da-hye, slow down! Slow down!”
“It’s okay. You won’t fall if you go fast. Wow! This is fun!”
“…”
She was too bold for Yoo-hyun to handle.
She had said the same thing when they went paragliding.
In New Orleans, they listened to street jazz.
The saxophone sound was deep and resonant on the street.
Just when he thought the atmosphere was nice, the trumpet sounded loudly.
Bam bam bam!
At the same time, the tempo sped up and swing dance music flowed out.
The people on the street formed couples and danced as if they had been waiting.
A little couple grabbed Yoo-hyun and Jeong Da-hye’s hands and pulled them.
“Come on.”
Yoo-hyun glanced at her, and Jeong Da-hye nodded and went first.
He was drawn by her innocent smile and ended up dancing on the street.
It was a fresh experience that he had never had before.
They spent every day like this, eating what they wanted and doing what they wanted.
It felt like they had more memories together in these few days than in their previous 15 years of marriage.
In the process, Yoo-hyun learned about Jeong Da-hye’s unknown side.
She was the same when she was driving the car.
“Da-hye, it’s dangerous. Slow down, slow down.”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t exceed the speed limit.”
“But it’s steep.”
“It’s okay. I’m the best driver.”
Vroom.
She was very bold when she rode a bicycle, and her driving skills were the same.
Yoo-hyun’s heart was pounding.
-I really like extreme.
She wasn’t kidding when she said that.
On the other hand, Jeong Da-hye also learned about Yoo-hyun’s unknown side.
Crackle.
One evening, she stepped on the fire in front of the campfire.
Swing jazz music was playing from the car.
“Yoo-hyun, can’t you do this?”
“Why can’t I?”
“Try it, then.”
He got up quickly and stepped on the basic steps of swing dance.
“Tap. Tap. Ta-ra tap.”
Jeong Da-hye matched the beat with her mouth, but it didn’t look good.
She looked at him with curiosity.
“Yoo-hyun, you have no rhythm. Your arms are moving, but your feet are doing their own thing.”
“Hmm. Don’t be like that. It’s enough to enjoy the music.”
“No way. I finally caught something you can’t do, so I’m going to tease you.”
Jeong Da-hye gave him a playful smile.
The camper moved east along the Gulf of Mexico.
Even after entering Florida, the driving direction was the same.
Yoo-hyun crossed the Florida peninsula and arrived at Jacksonville, located at the eastern end.
It was the fifth day since they left.
-D-Day Bot: 76 days since arriving in the US.
He checked the With messenger and leaned back on the chair, looking at the scenery in front of him.
The beautiful Atlantic beach stretched out.
The emerald-colored seawater sparkled under the hot sun.
It was a beauty like a painting.
Splash.
In front of the gentle sound of the waves under the large parasol, he felt like all his worries were gone.
He felt this peace naturally now.
Maybe that was why.
Beep.
-The contract with the Japanese company that agreed to support the smartphone mold production has been canceled. We are planning to collaborate with a domestic small and medium-sized company that we suggested as a backup plan.
He didn’t care much about the message from Jang Joon Shik, who had hit a snag.
It felt completely detached from his past that was tied to Hansung.
So he was able to give him advice without much pressure.
-Check the possibility of equipment setup with Hansung Precision first. It’s not important to produce a single product, but to be able to mass-produce.
-Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.
It was the same when he saw other news.
He saw some noteworthy news on the news window that he opened for the first time in a long time, but he was calm.

He wasn’t excited even when he heard the news he had been waiting for, and he wasn’t worried even when the other side gained momentum.
He would have been nervous if it was before, but now he felt light.
He had freedom in his heart.
That night, the Milky Way spread across the sky of Miami Beach.
Countless stars shining like jewels lit up the dark night.
He could see it clearly through the open ceiling of the camper.
He lay on the big bed and his mouth opened involuntarily.
“Wow.”
Jeong Da-hye, who was looking at the same place next to him, felt the same way.
She was silent for a long time in the dreamlike scenery.
She just stared blankly at the sky.
Splash. Splash.
The sound of the waves of the night sea became the background music.
When Yoo-hyun silently held her hand, she interlocked her fingers.
Squeeze.
He felt the warmth and the heartbeat through her palm.
In the quiet and beautiful atmosphere, she opened her mouth.
Her calm voice floated in the air.
“When I look at the stars filling the night sky, I feel strange.”
“How so?”
“It feels like my worries melt away like snowflakes touching the water. It feels like my troubles are nothing but dust under this vast universe.”
“You must have had a lot of worries.”
“I did. How can I be more successful? How can I climb higher? How can I get more recognition? I lived with gritted teeth, in my own way.”
Yoo-hyun had thought that her life was similar to his past, when he only looked ahead and ran.
But his thoughts changed as he went through this.
She was much more amazing than he knew.
“You did well. You got a lot of support from many people.”
“That’s right. I achieved great results. I achieved everything I wanted. That’s why I was going to quit the company without any regrets. As planned.”
“So you’re going to New York.”
“Yes. But I guess there was still a desire for success in the depths of my heart. I kept thinking that I wanted to challenge myself to a higher place with my current career.”
“That makes sense. Your career is too precious to throw away.”
If she wanted to?
She could stay in Sprint Company and demand more, or move to a bigger consulting company like BCG with a higher position.
It was an opportunity to get everything he had hoped and wished for at once.
Now that the plan to return to Korea and work with Yoo-hyun at Hansung was gone, it wouldn’t be strange for her to make any choice.
But Jeong Da-hye’s answer was not that.
“It would be a lie if I said I didn’t care. I was really troubled until before this trip.”
“What about now?”
“Yoo-hyun, do you remember when we stayed at Oak Mountain for a day?”
Instead of answering, he asked a question, and Yoo-hyun recalled what happened a few days ago.
“I remember. We had a meal with the couple who came camping.”
“That’s right. They looked so free.”
“They were people who traveled around the world for years.”
“That’s why I was amazed. I realized that there was such a life, and maybe I was too narrow-minded and struggling in vain.”
Just like he was tied to Hansung, she was also tied to Sprint Company.
And she didn’t even have the luxury to look elsewhere, unlike him.
He could imagine what her seven years at Sprint Company were like.
Nod.
When he showed his sympathy, she continued.
“When I thought that, my career became meaningless. Instead, I started to wonder what I really wanted to do, and what kind of life I should live apart from work.”
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Yes. A lot. I pretended to be relaxed, but I think I can let go a little now. I think I understand a little what it means to empty before filling.”
“Me too.”
It wasn’t a lie to match her.
-When I shook it off completely, I saw things I couldn’t see before. It’s not that I forced myself to relax, but I think I have some room in my mind.
He finally understood what Park Young-hoon had said to him before he left Korea.
What he had thought in his head and what he felt in his heart were different.
Jeong Da-hye, who felt the same way, turned her body and looked at Yoo-hyun.
She spoke her sincere feelings.
“This trip was a big inspiration for me. It was really nice.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“We even fought last time.”
“That’s because you said something about my driving. I had no complaints about anything else.”
“You also teased me for not being able to dance.”
“That’s because you really couldn’t.”
“Don’t say that.”
When he whined, Jeong Da-hye laughed and put another hand on his hand with the interlocked fingers.
Her soft hand stroked his back of the hand.
She smiled with her eyes and asked.
“Do you think I’ll ever have something like this in my life again?”
“Of course, why not. I’ll always be by your side, Da-hye.”
“That sounds nice, even if it’s just words.”
“It’s not just words. It’s the truth.”
Swoosh.
He brushed away a few strands of hair that covered her face.
She looked prettier when he saw her whole face.
When he stared at her quietly, she closed her eyes slowly.
He only heard the sound of her heart beating.
Thump thump.
He put one arm under her head as a pillow and moved closer to her.
He passed the distance where he could feel her breath, and his lips were about to touch hers.
The phone on the bedside rang.
Beep. Beep.
He ignored it and wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to reconnect the interrupted moment.
He didn’t want to be disturbed by anything right now.
But she bit his body lightly and covered his mouth with her hand.
“Answer it. It might be an important call.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll stay like this. So answer it.”
She smiled with a blush on her face.