Chapter 73

#73 <Hong Ki-jun (2)>

***

“Next year, I’ll already be thirty-nine.”

“Then I’ll be thirty-four.”

Yeah, time flies, and we’ve gotten old.

While their daughter napped in the distance, the couple exchanged heated glances in broad daylight.

“Oh my, look at this. The peppers are big and firm, really healthy. The medicine must’ve worked—look at how dark they are.”

At his wife’s ambiguous and subtle remark, the polite Seoul man blushed slightly.

But his hands didn’t stop. The couple was washing and preparing peppers they had picked from the field. They were planning to make Jin-hyuk’s favorite pepper pancakes and fried snacks. The dish, filled with minced meat and seasoning, was one of Jin-hyuk’s favorite treats, along with perilla leaf fritters.

“The peppers are more than twice as expensive as last year.”

“Is that why you planted so many peppers?”

“Well, I hoped for that. Predictions aren’t always right.”

Anyway, it looked like they were going to make a fortune again.

Last year’s rainy season brought heavy rains. In winter, there was so much snow that Jin-hyuk and Soo-jung spent the whole day sledding after laying down fertilizer bags. So, this year, they thought the pepper harvest might not do well due to less rainfall.

“Sesame and perilla prices are expected to skyrocket this year too. No one planted them last year because they didn’t make much profit.”

Everything they touched turned to gold.

It felt like the entire universe was helping Son Kwang-yeon amass wealth.

“Are you planning to buy more land this time?”

“Land can be bought with leftover money. Let’s take a plane trip this Chuseok. Buy yourself some clothes and cosmetics, and let’s visit a department store in Seoul.”

“A plane? A department store?”

Han Yu-young’s eyes widened.

When Jin-hyuk was young, they were too poor to go anywhere, and she hesitated to go to the local market for fear of running into her step-sister. They had built a big house in a scenic area and lived comfortably, but the thought of traveling made her heart race.

“Wh-where are we going? Really, on a plane?”

“Hahaha!”

Kwang-yeon laughed, holding his stomach at his stuttering wife. Even after having two kids, how could she still be like a country girl? He felt the reward of all the hardships he endured to win her over back in the day.

“How about Hawaii?”

Yu-young’s eyes grew even rounder.

“Ha-waii—”

“Hahahahaha!”

Hawaii. Yu-young pictured the images of Hawaii she had seen on TV. The jewel-like blue sea, the hot sun, and the sound of waves. Somewhere, sticky, swaying music played.

She didn’t know what was famous there, but the food must be delicious. Even if it wasn’t, the fun of dressing up would be enough. She imagined herself wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a flowing dress. Her mouth watered.

As she looked up, lost in thought, she suddenly glared at her husband.

‘Women walk around naked there!’

The last image that came to mind was of bikini-clad women.

Kwang-yeon, unaware of the reason for his wife’s sharp glare, hunched his shoulders and kept touching the peppers.

As his wife said, the peppers were big, firm, and full of medicine.

These are going to be spicy.

He had repackaged Ki-jun’s plan as his own, only to receive a cold stare from his wife.

***

That year’s Chuseok was in September.

It was over a month earlier than usual.

“Well done. September is a good time for Hawaii.”

“How does Jin-hyuk know that?”

Oh no.

He couldn’t say he had been there three times in his past life. What could he do?

This was why students had their secret weapons.

“It’s in the book.”

The Sein Group’s excellent employee overseas training.

It was more like a package tour. Given to employees with good performance and evaluations, Jin-hyuk had never missed one. So, from Southeast Asia—Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines—to far-off places like Sydney, Hawaii, the Czech Republic, Paris, and Spain, he had been to all the famous tourist spots.

‘Come to think of it, the Great Magician was the leader every time.’

The leader. For each overseas training, a senior executive would accompany them, and since Jin-hyuk’s department was excellent, Hong Soo-jung was always the leader. So, they had flown together and stayed in the same hotel.

– “Team leader, want to have a cocktail at the hotel bar?”

– “I have to take care of the other team members.”

– “Ah, okay…”

Idiot! Jin-hyuk mentally hit himself. Back then, he had completely closed off his heart and lived only in his own thoughts. Looking back now, he realized he had been too oblivious to Soo-jung’s feelings.

The chairman’s daughter. No one could easily approach her, and it must have been hard for Soo-jung to reach out first. So, she must have felt lonely in the crowd and became quieter. The nickname “Great Magician” probably came from that process. And the only person Soo-jung talked to was Son Jin-hyuk.

‘I’m sorry, Soo-jung.’

This life, I’ll treat you better. It seems like I’m already doing well, but I promise not to ignore you anymore.

First, I need to do my homework. There’s a Chinese character quiz tomorrow. I know all the easy ones, but it’s good to review them again.

“Mom, I drank my milk.”

“Huh? Where are you going? We were talking about Hawaii.”

He had been lost in thought for too long, unaware that his parents were watching.

“Can I go too?”

Wouldn’t it be better for the two of you to go alone?

I don’t want to intrude. Watching you two lovebirds would make my eyes hurt.

‘Nothing will happen, right?’

Statistically, planes are the safest mode of transportation, as Clark Kent said. And from his past memories, there were no major incidents or plane crashes related to Hawaii.

Yoo-jin would be fine too. Jin-hyuk would have to take care of her in Hawaii, but it would be much easier to take care of her at home.

“You two go ahead. The newspaper says moms need vacations too. I’ll take care of Yoo-jin. She has school and all—”

“But, wouldn’t it be better to go together?”

Why was his mom stuttering when she suggested going together?

Cough— His dad, pretending not to care, was flipping through a notebook with blank pages. Suspicious.

“But do you have plane tickets?”

“Yeah. We’re going with Soo-jung’s family.”

Ah, so they’re at least flying business class.

“What about Soo-jung?”

“She’s staying with her grandfather.”

So, they’ve already planned everything as a couple!

There’s no trusting parents. Jin-hyuk wasn’t planning to go anyway, so it worked out.

‘It’s a good time to investigate those suspicious guys.’

The holiday is long, and Yoo-jin will be taken care of by Choi Mi-kyung’s mom on school days. Or Jin-hyuk could just skip a day or two. It’s a shame to miss the perfect attendance award, though.

As he went upstairs with his bag, Jin-hyuk glanced at his parents’ reactions.

“Hehe—”

His young dad’s smile reached his ears.

How happy must he be?

‘Weirdly, I feel betrayed.’

Let it rain.

***

Seoul, the home of Sein Group Chairman Yoo Myung-sun.

Every time the soft fabric passed, the deep green leaves shimmered. The careful touch and even the cautious breathing showed how much the elderly chairman cherished his orchids.

“Father.”

The eldest son, Yoo Mun-sik, called, but Chairman Yoo Myung-sun didn’t turn around. Instead, he deepened his affectionate gaze at the orchids. Mun-sik once again realized his place was lower than the orchids.

‘Useless.’

He had been sent abroad early for business studies, but he had an affair, got caught by his wife, fell for an investment scam, and when told to start a chemical business, he lost the core technology. That was Yoo Myung-sun’s eldest son, Yoo Mun-sik.

The second son, Yoo Jun-sik, swallowed dryly at the strange atmosphere between his father and brother. Staying quiet was the best strategy in such situations.

Knock knock—.

A knock on the study door came at a steady pace.

“Chairman, the young lady has arrived.”

It was Kwon Je-hak, the head butler of the mansion.

“Where’s Soo-jung?”

Yoo Myung-sun asked while still wiping the orchids.

He was so careful not to disturb his breathing.

“All three of them are here.”

The elderly chairman’s face brightened. Yoo Jun-sik, who had been watching intently, let out a faint sigh. His father had many grandchildren, but he only doted on his granddaughter.

“Let’s go to the reception room.”

*

Hong Soo-jung ran toward her grandfather, Yoo Myung-sun.

“Grandpa—!”

“Oh my, oh my—. Our puppy has gotten so heavy. How have you been, Soo-jung? How’s school?”

“Ugh, school, academy, hairless boys— I’m so tired!”

“Hahahaha!”

Yoo Myung-sun laughed like Santa Claus, holding his granddaughter.

“Little one, you should use honorifics with your grandfather!”

Yoo Se-ra narrowed her eyes and scolded Hong Soo-jung.

Not missing a beat, Yoo Mun-sik sneered.

“She takes after her mother, no manners.”

“Are you really going to show your twisted nature in front of your father?”

Yoo Myung-sun glared at Mun-sik while still holding his granddaughter. The air grew cold, and everyone held their breath. Then, Yoo Myung-sun sighed and pointed to the entrance.

The universal language for “get out.”

“F-Father.”

“The harm you’ve done to the company is immeasurable, and now you act like a pest in my house. I don’t need someone like you. Get out.”

His voice was filled with anger but not loud.

It sounded even scarier, like a low growl.

“Father—! What have I done all this time?”

As the unpleasant atmosphere continued, Yoo Myung-sun carefully set Soo-jung down.

“Our puppy, go play in Grandpa’s study.”

“Okay, Grandpa.”

As his daughter headed to the study, Hong Ki-jun’s eyes gleamed.

Yoo Mun-sik looked visibly tense.

Ki-jun briefly gripped Mun-sik’s arm and then let go.

*

The housekeeper brought out refreshments, but only Yoo Se-ra ate.

Yoo Mun-sik’s face was flushed, and Yoo Jun-sik kept his eyes down, lost in thought.

Hong Ki-jun had come to pay his respects before Chuseok but ended up in an uncomfortable situation. At least, that’s how it seemed. He had come for a holiday greeting, but his brothers-in-law didn’t bring their wives or children. The father-in-law must have something to say.

‘I expected this kind of situation.’

He didn’t know what his father-in-law would say. Wondering if there was something he should know, he cautiously observed Yoo Se-ra’s expression. But his wife was stuffing cookies into her mouth like a possessed person.

Chairman Yoo Myung-sun spoke.

“Mun-sik.”

“Yes, Father.”

“What have you been doing all this time?”

“Huh?”

“Didn’t you argue when I tried to kick you out, saying what you’ve done all this time?”

“Well…”

“Shall I tell you?”

As the eldest son hesitated, Chairman Yoo Myung-sun smirked.

“N-no.”

“What you’ve done! Embezzling company funds! Using company money to play with actresses! Harassing female employees! Losing the chemical core technology to foreigners!”

“I’m sorry!”

Yoo Mun-sik got off the sofa and knelt on the floor. It was a swift move.

But Chairman Yoo Myung-sun wasn’t finished.

“I told you not to do those things, but you even lobbied politicians! You did everything I told you not to do, just waiting for this old man to die! That’s what you’ve been doing!”

“P-please forgive me—”

“Forgive? Get out! You don’t need to come to the company from tomorrow!”

The eldest son, Yoo Mun-sik, was dragged out by the chairman’s burly secretary and bodyguards.

His cries for his father didn’t reach the soundproofed reception room.

“Jun-sik, Se-ra.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Yes, Dad.”

At Yoo Se-ra’s response, Yoo Myung-sun turned to his daughter. A happy smile appeared on the old man’s face. No matter what, his daughter was the best. Even after marrying and having children, she still called him “Dad” like when she was little. It was amusing that she told her daughter to use honorifics.

“You only get one chance. Maintaining the status quo is already commendable for a manager. If you can grow the business innovatively, that’s even better. But if you think you’ll be treated well just because you’re the owner’s child, you’re mistaken. And Mun-sik’s desk has been cleared.”

Who could kick out their eldest son like this? In a country where the eldest son is favored no matter how incompetent or ill-tempered he is.

Chairman Yoo Myung-sun’s bold move didn’t stop there.

“Hong, you’ll take over the chemical division starting tomorrow.”

Pfft—!

Yoo Jun-sik spat out his herbal tea.