Nickson B. Park (Continuation)
(Eight years ago) I am writing this part in the past tense since this is a memory from Nickson.
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"I know you are out here, Master Seo-jun." The door creaked inside and entered a man wearing a black suit and blue tie. It almost looked as if he was going to a funeral.
The butler's head peered through the hole, revealing his white moustache covering between his mouth and nose. He had a gentle beam etched on his face as he raised his eyebrows upon staring at me. The man reached out for his head and bowed to greet me.
"I am just a mere butler sent by your relative." The man drew his step and placed his coat on the table. He then grabbed a chair and took a seat, with his eyes still locking onto mine.
"I have a butler?" My mind froze at the second after hearing his voice. I could not help but tilted my head in confusion while scratching my hair. "Since when did I have a butler?"
"Master Seo-jun, it is true." The butler gave me a wink before continuing to his sentence. "I am your butler or servant if you want to call me in that way."
My father never hired maids during our stay. Those staff wandering around are here to teach us some proper manners and prepare us for our future. They were not here to be our servants for our daily chores.
"Your father never hired me to work here." The bloke leaned his body closer to me as he confessed his desire. I can even taste the cooked steak from his breath as he spoke his upcoming sentence. "I am here for you. That is all I can say about my situation, master Seo-jun."
Before I could even retaliate, the man claiming to be my butler stood up and motioned with his finger, suggesting to go outside of the room. I reluctantly complied with his demands and saw a mountain of books prepared on the table.
The lights turned on, and the gentle breeze of the air conditioner touched my skin. The environment changed in an instant, allowing me to focus on the volumes at my fore.
"The night is still young, isn't now?" The valet offered me a seat and looked at the window before us.
I peered through the glass and saw the skyscrapers greeting my eyes. The buildings glowed during the night, making it feel like Christmas eve in the middle of December. Even the clouds in the sky complimented the colours of the structures, creating a breathtaking atmosphere.
I gingerly nodded my head, acknowledging his claim. With a bright smile, the butler gestured his hand and opened a book for me to read.
"Let us start from here and review the fundamentals of business management." With a meek voice, the man marked the pages that I need to study. He even prepared a pen to write on the pages, knowing that I will use them soon.
"By the way, I do not know your name yet." I snuck a glance at the gentleman, still staring at the dusky sky through the glass.
The man faced me and curved up a smile before answering my question. "Why, yes, of course!" He moved from his chair and lowered his head yet again, this time without his fluffy hat.
"My name is Chung-hee, your butler. I will help you with your tasks on becoming the CEO of your company." Chung-hee, the Korean butler, formally introduced himself like any servant back in the old days.
My eyes stretched wide in amazement, unsure of what to react to the butler in front of me. It was the first time that I had seen such an elegant man posing as a butler. He grabbed my respect at my first glance, motivating me to do my work.
"Yes! I am pleased to work with you, Mr. Chung-hee." I eagerly nodded in satisfaction and resumed back to my study. For the rest of the evening, before midnight, Chung-hee and I reviewed three out of the hundred books laid on the table.
Time flew by in an instant. After four months of studying non-stop, I was finally ready for the outside world.
Chung-hee taught me the proper ways to handle a team. It was like my brother, Sung-ho, had mentioned before. I was too weak and kind to my people. They took advantage of my weakness, so they never listened to me.
"Maybe it was your glasses that made you look weak?" Chung-hee expressed and took the glasses off from my face. He then hired hairstylists and other designers to make me look radical, like a villain.
It took them three hours to find the sublime match of my face. The fragile, nerdy-looking changed into something dreadful and badass that even jolted me back from my seat. My usual polo turned into a black vest, almost similar to my butler. My hair was pointing skywards using a spesh wax. It drastically changed even the once dull eyes into something narrow and piercing to look at from afar.
"Do you like it, master?" Chung-hee covered his mouth and attempted to hide his chuckle as I gyrated from my chair. I knew that my fresh face made me look handsome, but it was not the real me.
"Rise, my glorious creation!" The barber's dramatic announcement left me embarrassed and dumbfounded as he spun me on my chair. After a few seconds, my body faced the mirror and welcomed my eyes.
"That is me?" My question escaped my mouth while finding my hands pointing towards my reflection. There was nobody else in the middle beside me.
The three of them nodded in contentment while gawking at me with interest. Even the ladies from the back stared at me with lustful eyes, thinking that I was their prize.
"Who is that handsome boy?"
"I want to marry that beautiful boy!"
"Keep your thoughts quiet! He is still underage, you idiot!"
The crowd of females kept staring in my direction while the group of men glared at me with envy. I had made both friends and enemies on that day without having any clue.
Chung-hee inclined his head near my ears and whispered, "Do you want to try something, master Seo-jun?"
My butler implied I should command these hair stylists something as my exercises. It was a necessity if I wanted to become a leader that everyone will respect in my company.
"Do I look alright with this hair?" I nervously aimed my hand at my hair and asked him a question. Unfortunately, my voice gave out a croak, making me fold my mouth.
The people surrounding me thought I was going through my puberty. They all had this relaxed face as they observed my actions.
"You look splendid, young man! I will even adopt you as my son if I have to!" The coiffure clasped his hands with joy and gave me his answer. I could only bend my head in humiliation and regretted asking him my query.
But Chung-hee tapped my shoulders and gave me a midget push. As I curved around, I saw his face winking at me, with his hand gesturing me to try once more.
With a slight nod and forced cough, I spoke yet again, this time adding more strength to my voice.
"Tell me, barber, how does my face look to you, of all people?" I grabbed the man by his neck and pushed him back into the closet. Everyone present inside the room went silent after witnessing the happenings.
"You look menacing, my dear customer. I am sorry for offending you!" The hairdresser shook his head in fright, begging for me to put him down.
After hearing his reply, I set him on the chair and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Before spitting out those words, always know who you are talking with." I tossed the barber with a check, with a surplus amount of money written on it. It was enough to buy an extravagant-looking car since he was a famous hairstylist in Korea.
"Let's go, Chung-hee. I do not want to waste any more time with these peasants." I tugged my butler and proceeded outdoors, leaving the building with haste.
After reaching outside, I heard applause rather than a mockery, which made me feel unease in every way.
"You did it, Master Seo-jun!" My butler pats me hard on the back enough to trip my balance. Luckily, I was already standing in my car and holding the front door.
"I could not have done it without your help, Chung-hee." My personality changed within four months of studying and rehearsing. I did everything to win back my brother, who had already flown from a different country.
However, there was nothing I could do to stop his flight, besides proving him wrong about me. It was my way of getting his attention, as I hope for the future.
"A big day is ahead of us, Master Seo-jun," Chung-hee glanced at his cellular phone and marked the meeting scheduled for tomorrow. I will finally meet my company and make amends to them by improving the corporate.