BXBX NOVEL Chapter 668 - Maternity Leave (3) – Part 1
Gun-Ho was reading a newspaper in his office when he received a call from GH Mobile’s Director Jong-Suk Park.
“Bro, it’s me. I’ve been admitted to the four-year college!”
“What? You’ve been transferred to Korea University of Technology and Education? Congratulations!”
“Haha. I actually almost gave up on it, but they accepted me.”
“I told you, man. You are more than qualified for it!”
“Because of my not-so-high TOEIC score, I thought that my application would be rejected.”
“Of course you would. I guess you did very well at the interview, huh?”
“The interviewers asked me what my position is with my current employer. When I told them that I am the plant manager, they seemed to be surprised.”
Jong-Suk giggled as he talked about his interview.
“Of course.”
“And then, they asked me about the size of the company that I’m working for. When I told them that we have around 500 workers, they were surprised again.”
“Haha, they did?”
“They also checked the copies of my certificates that I attached to my application, and then they nodded their heads. I have seven skill certificates that were issued by the government.”
“I’m sure that you were their best candidate.”
“Bro, I’m going to study hard and also work harder from now on.”
“You are working hard enough even now. You can keep the same pace.”
“I will have a bachelor’s degree after two years. Haha.”
“Which major did you say you are going to study?”
“It’s Mechatronics engineering.”
“The name itself is already complex.”
“Haha. Anyway, how come you are not coming to work here today?”
“Yeah, I won’t be there today. I have something that I need to take care of in Seoul City.”
“Really? Well, I guess I will see you next week then.”
After getting off the phone with Jong-Suk Park, Gun-Ho could picture Jong-Suk’s face with a broad smile in excitement.
‘He must be feeling very happy now. He used to not be a person who would sit down and study, and he acted more like a gangster. Now, he is studying in a four-year college and will obtain a bachelor’s degree. He had obviously changed a lot.
He will take classes in college while working as a plant manager, and that will allow him to understand certain things more easily in class, and he will encounter a lot of familiar technical terms as well. Many management people at a factory are showing off how knowledgeable they are by talking alone even though they are not good at actual work at all. Jong-Suk will not let them talk without actually understanding the practical side of the engineering work once he is equipped with all those theories and terminologies he would learn in college.’
Gun-Ho was happy for Jong-Suk and also felt relieved at the same time when he was told that Jong-Suk was accepted to Korea University of Technology and Education. GH Mobile would grow to have more workers like 1,000 or 2,000. He didn’t want any trouble for Jong-Suk in managing them. All of the mid-managers who were reporting to Director Jong-Suk Park were college graduates. Since Jong-Suk didn’t learn the theory or concept of engineering by books in college, he might not be familiar with certain technical terms. The mid-level managers might question and even challenge Jong-Suk’s abilities and competency if they find out that Jong-Suk couldn’t understand some essential technical terms and concepts in the engineering field.
‘Jong-Suk, I think you will work as the plant manager for a long time. It’s not a bad life at all to have a stable job that pays more than 100 million yearly and have a wife and a daughter who he could support and who brings happiness to him.’
It was around 5 pm when Gun-Ho received a call from Artist Choi.
“Young-Eun just delivered a baby.”
“Oh, really?”
“It’s a baby boy. He is very healthy. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You don’t have to thank me, but thank Young-Eun. It was hard labor.”
“Of course. I’m on my way to the hospital.”
“I will give a call to Young-Eun’s father in Silim Town. Why don’t you make a call to your parents and let them know? They must be waiting for your call.”
“Okay, I will do that. Thank you.”
Gun-Ho made a call to his mother right away.
“Mom, it’s me.”
“And?”
“It’s a boy.”
“Really? Haha. Oh, my gosh. I have a grandson now.”
Gun-Ho could hear his mother calling his father over the phone.
“Honey! Honey! It’s Gun-Ho. It’s a boy.”
Gun-Ho could hear his father’s voice.
“Tell your wife that she did a very good job, and we are so happy. Where are you calling from right now?”
“I’m in my office.”
“You will go to the hospital, right?”
“Yeah.”
“We will be there too. You go to Young-Eun now and stay with her. We will see you at the hospital soon.”
“Okay, mom.”
Gun-Ho went to the maternity ward at the Seoul National University Hospital. Young-Eun’s aunt was sitting on a bench in the hall. She looked exhausted. Gun-Ho gave a 90-degree bow to Young-Eun’s aunt and said, “Thank you.”
“The baby is in the newborn care unit. You can meet your boy there.”
Gun-Ho went to the newborn care unit. Even though he was not allowed to enter the unit, he could meet his boy through a glass window.
“What is the baby’s mother’s name?”
When Gun-Ho gave Young-Eun’s name, a nurse brought a baby and hold him up to the window, so Gun-Ho could meet him. The boy was born to an affluent family unlike his father—Gun-Ho. His father was an extremely wealthy man possessing several hundreds of billions of won. His mother is a medical doctor at the Seoul National University Hospital. That boy was definitely born to an affluent family. The boy’s life starting point would be different from those who were born to parents who worked as a security guard or a caregiver at a nursing home just like Gun-Ho.
Gun-Ho carefully looked at his baby boy. The boy had a reddish-purple skin with some wrinkles, maybe because he was just born into the world.
“He just looks like his dad.”
Artist Choi was standing next to Gun-Ho and made a comment. Gun-Ho looked at the baby again more closely. He did look like himself. The boy started crying.
“It’s a beautiful baby boy.”
Artist Choi laughed.
While Gun-Ho was still at the newborn care unit, Gun-Ho’s parents arrived. They were breathing heavily. They must have run to the newborn care unit.
“Gun-Ho, where is the baby?”
Gun-Ho asked the nurse to show the baby again, to his parents this time.
“The boy’s grandparents are here now. Please let them meet his grandparents.”
The nurse held the boy up again to the window. There was a name tag attached to the baby’s ankle showing Gun-Ho and Young-Eun’s name.
“Whoa, he is so pretty.”
Gun-Ho’s mother was holding her hands together and exclaimed.
“He looks just like Gun-Ho!”
Gun-Ho’s father was standing close to the window and stared at the baby.
“Now, we have another man in the family who will continue our family.”
Gun-Ho’s father looked satisfied and smiled.
Gun-Ho introduced Artist Choi to his parents.
“Mom and dad, this is Young-Eun’s aunt.”
“Oh, I was wondering who that would be. Thank you for coming, and also thank you for taking care of Young-Eun. I should have stayed with Young-Eun, but I guess she feels more comfortable being with her aunt. Well, thank you so much.”
Gun-Ho’s father also showed his gratitude to Young-Eun’s aunt.
“Thank you.”
“I’m so happy that the baby and the mother are both healthy.”
Artist Choi replied to Gun-Ho’s parents, showing her respect.
Gun-Ho and his parents then went to Young-Eun’s room at the hospital.
Young-Eun was laying down on the bed. She looked noticeably pale. Gun-Ho was quickly walking toward Young-Eun to hold her hand, but his mother was faster. Gun-Ho’s mother held Young-Eun’s hand and said, “You did a great job. You must be extremely exhausted. Thank you, Young-Eun, and congratulations on having a beautiful boy.”
Gun-Ho’s father didn’t hold Young-Eun’s hand, but he said in a calm voice, “Congratulations.”
Gun-Ho held Young-Eun’s hand.
“You are okay, right? Our boy is so beautiful.”
Young-Eun Kim smiled faintly.