Chapter 14: Dear Nephew
Sensing that his insincere answer had made Moonyeon feel uncomfortable, Tae-joon changed the subject with something innocuous.
"When I was a kid, I had a dog that used to follow me around."
Tae-joon's own reminiscing made Mungyeong's ears perk up, forgetting his momentary discomfort.
"He followed me around like crazy, and I took care of him even when he bothered me, but then one day he just disappeared."
"......."
"I found out recently that he was staying at another thief's house, and I thought, What kind of fool is that when I saw him following that thief around like he used to do to me, even though he was a worthless piece of shit?"
"I guess the thief stole the dog?"
"I suppose so."
"Then I'll have to ask for it back, but do you think he'll give it back if he took it when he was young?"
"Well, we still have to find it."
"But you were brave enough to recognize the puppy you lost when you were a kid. It's not even a puppy anymore; it's an old dog."
"It's a puppy, still."
Tae-joon rose from his seat while Moon gave him a dubious look.
"Well, thanks for eating. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye. Good luck with PT."
Moon said, rising from his seat as well. Tae-joon shook his head and left the office.
He wasn't afraid of anything. Not after his parents died.
Life was a meaningless flow, and Tae-joon was the kind of person who could just play his role, live his life, and leave without regret. He was used to everything and was afraid of nothing.
Not afraid of anything, he became a strong man against the strong. Being strong against the strong allowed me to be generous to the weak. It was a comfortable balance for everyone, one that he achieved in the 20 years after his parents left.
As a result, most people regarded him as a polite and courteous person. A young man with a good reputation, if not emotional depth,.
But now, Kim Tae-joon's strict balance and hypocrisy are being shaken.
A man who could be tough on the strong and generous to the weak.
Han So-eun.
He didn't want to be generous to a woman who was obviously weak and insubstantial.
I was sick to my stomach at her pretense of being the most beloved woman in the world.
How could she brag about her boyfriend when she was on a month-long unpaid vacation, unable to travel abroad, and the subject of her future mother-in-law's nasty remarks?
Being treated like a maid by my boyfriend's family is stupid.
That was the secret she'd cried out like a baby bird in front of the convenience store a few days ago, wanting to be loved.
Before Tae-joon got in his car, he called the counselor he'd hired.
"You don't need to know about Hansoeun's behavior when he was on unpaid leave."
The counselor replied, "Yes, sir, I understand. I hear it dozens of times a day, but from that moment on, that mundane phrase became a needle in a haystack.
Han So-eun's brow creased whenever she thought of Han So-eun saying "yes, sir" to her instructions.
Her pretense was abominable, her foolishness contemptible, and her behavior was so frustrating that he couldn't look at her favorably. He couldn't be good to her.
*P.S.
6:00 PM.
So-eun came up to the seventh floor to work another meaningless night shift.
"Good evening, Mr. Han."
"Mr. Han. Are you here?"
After getting to know her for a few days, Ms. Song became quite friendly.
Apparently, Director Kim Tae-joon was away again, and Ms. Song was about to leave for the day.
"Mr. Lee, you went to the group headquarters today, and I don't think you'll be back. Can I just leave?"
"Are you sure that's okay?"
"Do it; I'll tell you tomorrow."
So-eun's feet turned half a turn. But after a pause, she turned around again. She didn't think she could leave work without permission. And she wasn't in a position to ask for permission.
"No, I'll just stay."
"Oh, that's too bad. What about food?"
"I brought food for today."
Soeun held up the bag full of food and stretched her lips.
"That's good. Have a good day."
"Yes. Come on in."
After saying goodbye to Moon, So-eun entered the office.
After spending two days alone in the empty office, So-eun had her own thoughts. Six to nine is a long time to do anything, but she couldn't waste it waiting around for the general manager, who never showed up.
She decided to study English.
I'll get a perfect score on the TOEIC and change jobs. I don't know where, though.
So-eun took out the snacks she had brought with her and the English test book.
*So-eun
Tae-joon's PT was a success. There were a lot of good suggestions in the executive meeting, and there were a few items on the agenda that Tae-joon was excited about. It was a good first impression for everyone.
After the meeting, Tae-joon was reunited with Chairman Kim Jae-pil after a long time.
"Hey, kid, if you haven't seen your grandpa in a long time, you should give him a hug."
When Tae-joon walked into the chairman's office, Jae-pil greeted him with open arms. Jae-pil wondered if he still thought of himself as a teenage boy, but Tae-joon gave in to his wishes.
"I'm home, Grandpa."
"Good. Welcome."
Even as the grandson of the chairman, Chairman Kim Jae-pil was not an easy man to meet. The day Tae-joon returned home, Chairman Jae-pil left for a business trip to Europe. Even though he had handed over most of the business to professional managers, Jae-pil did his best to ensure that the group's business continued to expand. His dignity shone through every business trip, and he couldn't stop working as good news came his way.
"It's so hard to see my grandchildren."
"That's because Grandpa is busy."
"How about that? Is the work worth it?"
"It's only been a few days."
"I'm sure you're good at it."
Heh, heh, heh. His grandfather's laughter mingled faintly with the sound of air leaks. Tae-joon realized that his grandfather wasn't the same man he'd been a long time ago.
Jae-pil's eyes were gentle, as if he were worried about his grandson.
"You still have to be careful not to get caught by anyone."
"Yeah. I will."
"I won't be calling on you for a while. For now, I want you to meet a lot of people. Do what PT said earlier and scout for international talent. You can do that, right?"
"Yes."
"But if you ever need anything, I'm always here."
With advice, encouragement, and a pat on the shoulder, Jae-pil moved on to his next appointment. Tae-joon left Jae-pil's office and came down to the ground floor.
"Hey, nephew."
In a crowded lobby with many executives coming and going, Tae-joon's uncle, Kim Sang-duk, president of the mobile division of KEPCO, was the first to greet him.
Tae-joon greeted him stiffly.
"Hello, Mr. President."
"Let's call each other by a casual name."
Hehehehe. President Kim's boisterous laughter attracted the attention of the people around him. However, neither Sangdeok nor Taejoon turned around and looked at each other with a relaxed expression.
"You've grown up. The more you grow up, the more you resemble your brother. Didn't your brother die when he was forty?"
The man who took over his father's business after his father died. He doesn't have any hard feelings for him, but if he says the slightest thing about his father, it's a different story. Tae-joon's smile quickly unraveled.
As if reading this subtle change in his expression, Kim Sangdeok's voice softened slightly.
"Now that we're in a group, let's do well. I've told Mr. Oh to take care of you, and I'm sure he'll take good care of you."
"You don't have to do that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
"You're our precious nephew; how can you not care?"
"......."
"I've got a lot of Ivy League graduates under my belt who can't do anything right, but I'm sure my nephew will do great. Just make sure you don't make a dent in your grandfather's name. I'll see you later."
"Goodbye."
Sangdeok left the room with a strange comment that I couldn't tell if it was encouragement or a rant, and Taejoon's aunt Kim Seokhwa filled the void.
"He never grew up to be that age."
Standing next to Tae-joon, Seok-hwa casually referred to her cousin, who was fifteen years older than her. He must have heard some of what Kim Sangdeok was saying. It is not surprising, given his booming voice.
Tae-joon pressed his lips together, amused by Seok-hwa's expression.
"You don't have to pay attention to what Kim Sangdeok says. Honestly, he's lucky to be so successful. Seokwoo's brother laid the foundation for the mobile business."
"......."
"If he crosses the line, tell me. My aunt will take care of him."
"How?"
"I'll rip off his wig in public."
Poof. Seok-hwa's expression relaxed as she saw her niece's smiling face. Seok-hwa then asked about her secretary, Ms. Song, who used to work under her.
"Do you get along well with Ms. Song?"
"Yes."
"Good. That's good."
"Thank you for your concern."
"You know, he's a smart guy, and he'll be good support for you."
"Yeah."
"It's getting late. Do you want to stay for dinner? Are you free?"
"I have an appointment. I'll come by later."
Tae-joon smiled thinly as he flexibly declined his aunt's offer.
*.
8:50 PM.
Tae-joon walked through the dimly lit hallway and entered the Future Services office.
He wanted to turn away, but he couldn't help but think about Ms. Song. His aunt had made him her assistant, and she had begun to care about Han So-eun. If he were to say hello to her on the phone and mention her name, she might become interested. He didn't want to cause such a nuisance.
The sound of the door opening didn't move her. Tae-joon was stunned to see her slumped over at her desk, sleeping with a look of worldliness on her face.
This is the kind of person who gets special allowances.
Thinking about waking her up to go home, Tae-joon sat down in front of her.
The TOEIC test book under her face was pitiful. She must have fallen asleep after studying a few chapters. I clenched my jaw and stared at her for a long time. Slick light trickled down the white nape of her neck, exposed beneath her tied-up hair. I wanted to release my deeply held breath before him.
Long lashes peeked out from between closed eyes. This was less disturbing than Han So-eun opening her eyes and speaking.
A moment later, her cell phone vibrated next to her. Soeun didn't wake up when her phone vibrated. Her phone lit up brightly, and a message popped up. Taejoon's gaze inexplicably shifted to it.
Are you going to stop looking at me?
The message was saved as "Brother♥." It was easy to deduce who it belonged to. Tae-joon took her phone.
When he held the phone up to the light, he could see the password pattern. He drew an "N" and opened the phone.
That's how weak it was.
This time, he was angry at her lack of attention to security.
He pressed the delete button on the message. He didn't feel any guilt.
Comments
Post a Comment