Oh, Layla, Layla, the maiden with a white flower in her hair

The sweet fragrance travels across the fields and crosses the sea, reaching me

That dazzling figure crosses the forest and flies through the sky, coming to me

I am captivated, I have fallen in love

Oh, Layla, Layla, the maiden with a white flower in her hair

Chasing that scent, I break through the bushes and part the waters, oh, I,

Chasing that figure, I brush past the leaves and part the clouds, oh, I,

I must leave, today I will embark on a long journey

Layla, Layla,

I have nothing

I wish to hold you in my arms and kiss you,

But I have nothing

I must leave, I will take a long journey

Across the fields, crossing the sea, crossing the forest, flying through the sky,

To find the white flower I will give to you

Today, I will set off on a long journey

Oh, Layla, Layla, the maiden with a white flower in her hair

***************************

Life is a series of choices. And often, without realizing it, we make certain choices and only later come to realize whether they were right or wrong. If the choice was right, that’s one thing, but if it was wrong, regret follows. With regret, there’s often the phrase: ‘If only I had known back then.’

However, sadly, in Hans’s case, there wasn’t even the chance to say such a thing.

Hans had been a wise and clever child from a young age.

He was smart enough to be given the opportunity to compete for the position of successor to the vast empire of Tarten. And, even though he was only 5 or 6 years old at the time, he was already wise enough to judge that it would be better not to participate in the competition.

His life philosophy was to always live within his means, nibbling on pine needles. And thanks to this, he had lived a steady and leisurely life, never rushing, until he reached the age when he could start a family. Perhaps, he could have lived his entire life this way. If only he had made one different choice.

Yes, just one time.

He made a wrong choice when it came to a crucial matter in his life.

Even though it was too late to regret it, he couldn’t even truly regret it. This was because, at the time of the choice, he had already had a sense of where things would end up.

Even so, the reason he made such a choice, like swallowing mustard with tears, was simply one:

He was pressured by his cousin’s overwhelming confidence.

“Hans.”

When his cousin called his name with the fierce energy of a shark tearing apart a frozen tuna, harder than a rock, Hans thought it was the end. In this atmosphere, where even a single wrong word could seem like it might lead to a massacre, Hans, though wise, was not at all brave. Even though he knew what his cousin was about to say, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say: ‘I don’t want to.’

“I’d like you to help me from now on.”

Yes. That was it. Something he absolutely didn’t want to take on, suddenly thrown into his lap.

‘You’re going to help, right, Hans?’

His voice was as calm and quiet as usual, but the shark-like terrifying eyes were glaring at him.In a moment of panic, Hans nodded his head. The shark, seemingly satisfied, nodded back.

“I’d like you to start helping from this afternoon. We’ll have lunch first, so come to my office in an hour. Halt, it’s fine if you need to be hospitalized, but before that, you should at least handle the handover, right?”

The shark glanced at the man who had been standing there with a ghostly face, diagnosed with overwork. The man, looking as if he should be in a hospital bed any moment, leapt up at the look and shouted: “Of course!”

At the mention of the handover, the reality of what lay before him suddenly hit Hans, and his complexion turned pale. His future seemed to overlap with Halt’s. Serious overwork, stress-induced stomach problems, hair loss, insomnia, eating disorders….. and even early signs of alcohol addiction.

Following Halt’s footsteps and taking on the role of his cousin’s assistant, Hans knew all too well that he would soon end up in the same miserable state. It was a fate as far from the peaceful life he longed for as a million light-years.

“Wait, Richard! I think I need to reconsider this…..”

Hans called out to his cousin, who was already walking toward the office without hesitation, even though it was time for lunch. But as their eyes met, and his cousin turned back with a blank expression, Hans couldn’t bring himself to say a word. The expression on his cousin’s face was terrifying—if Halt, burdened with every ailment imaginable, had managed more work than he could handle, his cousin certainly wouldn’t be any less.

In the end, fully aware of how foolish his choice was, Hans took on the position of assistant to his cousin. And that decision pushed his once peaceful life down a steep jagged slope.

The slope was steep and deep.

And at times like this, there were words of comfort. Humans are creatures of forgetfulness, or there’s no such thing as something one can’t get used to, and so on.

As the radio chime signaling 5 P.M. on Friday played, Hannah, who had been staring blankly at her laptop with a dazed expression—yet her hands moving furiously—muttered to herself.

“It seems like this week is already over. I haven’t even seen my new house, and I’ve been holed up in the office all week. I guess I’ve lost all sense of time.”

Her voice, murmuring such sad words, was numb from exhaustion. It was a relief that Hannah, who used to scream about selling her skin and youth for money, loved money far more than her skin or youth. If not, like the dozens of secretaries before her, she would have quit long ago.

‘If only I could quit, that would be a better situation. But what about me, bound by blood and unable to move an inch?’

However, the expression on Hans’s face, as he mechanically thought such things, was just as numb. After years of this, even those thoughts had become familiar. He had grown so used to this situation that he could now respond gently: “Do you still think there’s time to feel a sense of time slipping away?”

Hannah glanced at him with a look of pity, then typed [Enter, Enter, Enter] and muttered to herself.

“At least today, I should be able to go home.”

“That’s guaranteed.”

Hans said with a confident voice, emphasizing the assurance.

‘Yes. Now, I had become so used to it that even the simple fact of returning home on a Friday evening made me feel almost as if I had received a vacation. But that didn’t matter anymore. Whether I work Monday through Friday or seven days a week, for now, let’s just be happy at this moment. Today, I could return home. There had been countless times when unexpected situations had disrupted my plans to go home, but today, I could say with confidence that it would happen.’

Hans straightened his tie and then boldly opened the door to his private office.

“Richard. It’s about time to wrap up.”

The man, who was facing a large desk with the soft golden light of the setting sun coming through the window, glanced at the desk clock before Hans did. Then, as if nothing had happened, he dropped his gaze back to the documents. It was clear he was calculating in his mind that there were still about 5 or 6 minutes of leeway.

Hans, who had anticipated this, settled onto the sofa and started organizing the stack of documents in his hands. Normally, at this point, he would worry that the workaholic would casually say something like: ‘I’ll stay a little longer this evening’, but today, there was no need for such concern. His cousin, who would rearrange and give up all personal plans for the sake of work, had one thing he would never break, no matter what.

“Did the items I ordered arrive?”

Without even glancing up or pausing his work, Hans’s cousin muttered out loud. Hans nodded readily in response.

“The manager brought it himself in the afternoon. A bouquet as a thank-you for always using our service. Hannah put it in the reception room.”

Hans looked at his cousin with a mix of curiosity as he responded indifferently, as if confirming the information.

“This time the box was smaller. What is it? A cardholder? A tie pin? Cufflinks? Oh, you took the cufflinks last time.”

“Looks like something good is happening this weekend, Hans?”

“…..”

Noticing the subtle warning in the calm tone, which seemed to imply that Hans was talking nonsense like someone who was too excited, Hans quickly fell silent. If his cousin got irritated and ended up piling up weekend work for him, it would be a disaster.

“Richard, it’s about time.”

After a while of only hearing the scratching of a fountain pen, Hans spoke again. As expected, Richard glanced at the clock and gave a barely noticeable nod. He was about to put down his pen, finishing the last of the documents he was holding.

Just then, some faint murmur of voices could be heard outside the thick office door. Rejecting a stiff refusal from Hannah, who had said: “If there’s no prior appointment”, someone barged in and flung the door open. “Richard!” – The man shouted as he entered, and it was a face Hans knew.

“Oh, Richard, my dear friend. I must leave. I have fallen in love.”

The man murmured dramatically, in a tone reminiscent of a stage actor. It was Erich, the man Hans had seen several times, a useful contact for gathering information.

Wait a minute. Did he just say….. love? Leave??

As Hans watched this absurd and unexpected situation unfold, his cousin with a dreamy look in his eyes, gave Erich a fleeting glance as he entered lightly. Without showing any sign of surprise, his cousin calmly asked: “Congratulations, I suppose. So, when?”

It seemed that his cousin had finally finished with today’s work. He casually tucked his fountain pen back into his pocket and, without waiting for the ink to dry, lightly flicked through the papers in his hand. Even though his manner was indifferent, Erich didn’t seem to notice and let out a blissful sigh.

“Tonight.”

“That’s problematic.”

Hans nodded along with his cousin’s immediate response. Of course, it was problematic. It was very problematic.

To find someone to take over that bar would take months, at the very least a few weeks of preparation. But suddenly, the position is vacant tonight? It made no sense. Erich had always been a bit unpredictable, but for him to say something so absurd…..

As if finally waking up from a dream, Erich made a distressed face and looked at his cousin. Gripping the edge of the desk, he leaned in closer.

“That can’t happen, Richard. She’s leaving on a plane tonight. If I let her go now, how will I ever find another woman like her again…..?”

“She’s willing to accept you, huh?”

“Of course! She’s the woman of my destiny!”

“The woman of your destiny….. Well, that’s nice. I’m jealous. But, tell me, Erich. When I stopped by the bar the other night, you didn’t say a word about her. She must be someone you just met last night or today, huh? I assume you didn’t know her before?”

“Oh, Richard. Falling in love doesn’t depend on time, you know. The moment your eyes meet—or even when you’ve known each other for a while, and then, unexpectedly, at that certain moment— this is what tells you. KA-BOOM!!!—like that.”

Erich tapped his chest lightly and let out a painful sigh.

His cousin was barely listening, then handed some documents to Hans as he stood up. Then, he glanced at his watch again. This time, there was a faint trace of anxiety in his eyes. Although there was still plenty of time, it seemed that the sensation he had forgotten about until finishing his work was beginning to resurface.

“Meeting someone like that is certainly worth congratulating, but Erich, the bar you’re currently managing doesn’t have anyone to replace you immediately. You already know this, since we discussed it when we renewed the contract last week. Of course, if an unavoidable situation arises, we can always find someone else, and I’d be happy to offer that convenience. But tonight? I’m not skilled enough to find a replacement as talented as you within 10 minutes.”

“10 minutes! The plane leaves after midnight tonight! We still have a few hours!”

“I need to catch a flight to Riyadh in three hours. I should leave this place in at least 10 minutes. Let’s talk about this again when I return.”

After making a series of unreasonable demands, Erich finally fell silent.

Riyadh.

It seemed that, no matter what unreasonable arguments he made, Erich had quickly come to the conclusion that there was no way to keep this man here. With a mixture of frustration and a hint of anger, Erich muttered in despair.

“Come on, Richard, you blockhead! Don’t you understand love? Can’t you feel this heartache?! Do you think I would be doing this if it weren’t for that?!——Hah, Richard. You of all people should know. Everyone in the world envies you, but you must have some memory of heartache, right? What about when you met Catherine?”

“Catherine, right. I received a message from her recently. She had a son with her new husband. I sent a congratulatory message along with a bouquet.”

“……….”

“Is that all? Well, I’ll be leaving now.”

Richard spoke casually, glancing at the clock again, and Erich’s face twisted in frustration. He had expected this situation from the moment he came to see the man. It was one of two possible outcomes. Either Richard would nod enthusiastically and wish him well, or he would flatly refuse with no room for negotiation. There was no room for human responses like complaints or grumbling. Erich had only hoped—no, absolutely hoped—that the answer would be positive.

Once this man spoke, there was no turning back.

“You heartless friend! You’ll live your whole life without ever feeling envy or being upset, but at least try to understand the feelings of those who aren’t like you!”

While frowning and glaring at Richard, Erich shouted angrily before turning and storming out of the room. As he stomped away, disappearing beyond the open door, Richard merely muttered to himself without any sign of emotion.

“Looks like an owl puffing up its feathers. —Hans, hurry up and find someone to take over the bar.”

Hans frowned as he sorted through the newly signed documents and placed them into his briefcase.

“Are you really sending him off?”

Yes—No. Richard was the type who wouldn’t refuse someone’s face but would accept it behind their back. When Hans asked in surprise, Richard shook his head.

“Regardless of my answer, that guy’s going to leave anyway. He’ll sneak out and run away, packing his things in secret. He’s a skilled worker, and it’s a shame to lose him, but there’s no need to force him to stay……The place will be a mess for a few days. Of course, it’ll happen while I’m away.”

Richard clicked his tongue. While the business wasn’t that large, Tarten was a place where all kinds of information passed through. It was not something that could be left carelessly for even a few days. If it wasn’t going to be entrusted to a competent person, it would be better to just close the place down, but he didn’t want any gaps in the well-established network, even temporarily.

Hans sighed. Damn it. He had hoped for a peaceful weekend, but now tonight he’d have to rummage through every contact he knew, and if needed, he himself would have to take over. Yeah, this is my fate, he muttered, as his stress level spiked. A frown automatically formed on his face.

“I can’t think of anyone suitable on short notice….. I’ll have to look into it.”

“I’d like it wrapped up before I return.”

“3 days? That’s a bit tight. I can’t promise, but I’ll try my best.”

Hans muttered, thinking about Richard’s upcoming schedule and calculating his return date. Richard shook his head.

“No, 4 days. I’ll be back on the Tuesday night flight. It might even be early Wednesday morning.”

“What? Don’t joke, Richard. There’s a board meeting on Tuesday.”

“There’s nothing important scheduled for that day. Just handle it. I’ve already arranged to attend the board meeting remotely, so there’s no need to worry about that.”

“How did it come to this…..?”

Hans almost blurted out: ‘Did you go ahead and do that without even passing it through me?’, but he quickly closed his mouth. The habit of not speaking about decisions that had already been made had become second nature to him after working with Richard for just a day. However, unable to completely suppress his rising frustration, Hans let out a sharp sound, expressing his discontent with one irritable remark. This was the difference between him and Richard.

“Things have been piling up, and stress must have been building up too, but do you really have to stay another day there?”

Richard paused, his hand hovering over his coat as he was about to grab it.. His face remained indifferent, but beneath that calm, one could almost see a slight furrow in his brow.

“Hans. I need a vacation too. To get just these 3 or 4 days off, I had to work for over 4 months and hear people call me a workaholic.”

Richard was the first one to grumble about being called a workaholic, had his complaints tossed at Hans. Hans momentarily closed his mouth, but soon raised his chin shamelessly again. 3 days versus 4 days seemed like little difference, but in reality, it wasn’t quite that simple. Taking a single day off meant the pile of work would grow by more than just a day’s worth.

“Yes, but you don’t have to go all the way to Riyadh to enjoy that vacation, do you? How much time are you wasting just traveling back and forth? And, you know, stress tends to build up, but is it really necessary to take it out on that guy? Can’t you just take it easy?”

“…..”

Richard’s hand, which had been reaching for his coat, stopped completely. His gaze toward Hans turned cold. Only then did Hans realize he had overstepped and quickly shut his mouth.

“…..Alright. Have a good trip. —Hannah, prepare the car.”

After quickly contacting the secretary’s office, Hans gestured toward the door as if urging Richard to hurry, and started walking ahead.

Richard had been silently glaring at Hans for some time before finally putting on his coat and following him. Ignoring the displeased look on the back of his head, Hans made an effort to speak cheerfully.

“Anyway, it’s rare for you to have a break, so enjoy your time off. Oh, and send my regards to Christoph.”