Chapter 264

I am Son Yoo-jin (8).

Woof woof!

Jang Gun-i is a smart dog with a good memory.

So he hasn’t forgotten Son Wang-wang’s request.

– “Protect our family so no one can harm them. I’ll bring back a ton of dog treats when I come.”

If it were any other dog, they might have taken it as an abstract command, but Jang Gun-i accepted it as a sincere request from the loyal Son Wang-wang.

Woooorl.

It’s not because of the dog treats.

How could a virtuous dog ignore such a heartfelt plea?

Woof woof!

Today, Haengun-i is unusually busy.

This cheeky little bird must have eaten the early summer heat, as it keeps pecking Jang Gun-i’s head and flying up repeatedly.

Woof!

Ouch, you little brat!

Meow.

Hong Soo-jung muttered uncertainly, as if saying, “Follow me.”

Oh? Then let’s go.

It’s not because I was told to follow. Just out of curiosity.

Jang Gun-i is too cool to act on someone else’s orders.

Haengun-i is so small and quick that it’s hard to keep track of.

So I lost sight of it a few times.

Each time, it came back and tapped Jang Gun-i’s head with its foot.

Ah, that little brat.

If it just chirped, I’d follow, but why hit my head so rudely?

Hehehe.

Over the mountains and across the waters, following Haengun-i, we arrived at a reservoir.

The reservoir with the reed forest where Son Ang-ang found eggs.

Peeeee!

Haengun-i let out a long cry from above and dived into the thick reeds.

Woof!

Hey, let’s follow.

Meow.

Grrr.

The underlings barked, saying they couldn’t enter because of the thick underbrush, not just the reeds.

Big guys like them are useless.

Sigh.

No choice but for the agile and brave Jang Gun-i to go in.

Pushing through the bushes with his head held high, he entered. Holding his tail up high.

Even if it makes him look a bit like a dog, he has to endure it to keep his fur clean.

Hehehe. Ouch!

Branches poked his sides, and mud clung to his paws and belly, making his body heavy, but he managed to lift himself up.

Arriving where Haengun-i was, Jang Gun-i stuck out his tongue and drooled.

Woof!

They say hard work pays off!

A small, delicious-looking bird sat quietly on the ground.

Pee! Flap flap!

Seeing Jang Gun-i, it flinched and hesitated, unable to fly or walk, perhaps injured.

Hehehe. Drool dripped.

It must be crispy and juicy.

Jang Gun-i, being a gourmet dog, knows these things.

Haengun-i also looked tasty, but because of Son Ang-ang, he was just swallowing his saliva. Ah, Haengun-i was pecking Jang Gun-i’s head to offer him a special treat!

Hehe.

Hah, this guy. Makes my mouth water.

Then it happened.

Woof! Woof woof!

Hong Soo-jung and Geon-ma barked like crazy dogs.

So what they’re saying now is…

This is Haengun-i.

Hehe.

Damn. Jang Gun-i knew it too.

It’s true.

Woof woof!

Those brats are making a fuss without helping.

Grrr.

Haengun-i must have asked Jang Gun-i for help because Son Ang-ang wasn’t around.

Jang Gun-i is a smart dog, so he knows these things.

Sigh. Son Wang-wang had a request.

If you find Haengun-i, bury him well.

Hehehe.

So he started burying.

Pushing soft soil with his snout, covering it like a blanket.

I’ll come back at night and dig it up to eat.

Woof woof woof!

But those brats…

They’re saying not to bury him alive?

No, I’m just doing what Son Wang-wang told me to do!

Bark!

Hong Soo-jung barked.

Let’s take him home.

That kind-hearted little bird.

Grrr.

Ah, damn it.

Jang Gun-i, after all this…

Sigh.

Getting scolded by the brats while rescuing a little bird.

Jang Gun-i slowly closed his wide-open mouth to avoid hurting Haengun-i.

Peeek! Flap flap!

Haengun-i, unable to resist, flailed around.

Probably scared of the teeth. Afraid of getting rabies.

Grrr.

Haengun-i, it’s okay. I disinfected it.

Let’s go home.

***

Though mature and deep, still a young teenage girl, Jin Hyuk, sitting far away checking his schedule, noticed Hong Soo-jung’s sidelong glance and burst out laughing.

In the past, he might have been scared of Jin Hyuk, the shooter, and glanced sideways out of caution.

Hong Soo-jung, the director.

When Director Hong Soo-jung left work early, she would face forward but roll her eyes to glance at Jin Hyuk. With a coy face. Then she’d headbutt an employee greeting her or knock over a potted plant on a low cabinet.

‘Cute.’

She must have been disappointed.

At the airport, she was busy with federation staff, reporters, and farewell processions, so she couldn’t properly greet anyone.

On the plane, Yoo Jin monopolized her sister’s side, so there was no time to talk separately.

‘That’s how we grow distant and awkward.’

The reason childhood friends grow apart.

I understood what friends said about cousins who were close during holidays becoming increasingly awkward.

As our lives and worlds change, it becomes harder to find common ground.

“Can’t sleep, Soo-jung?”

“I am Son Yoo-jin!”

Wow, scared me.

Yoo Jin, who had been asleep, suddenly woke up, shouted, and closed her eyes again.

Hong Soo-jung nodded her head slightly.

Though she had already surpassed the height of the former little director and Choi Mi-kyung, the cat-like eyes of the five-year-old who stared intently on the day they first met remained the same.

Folding her legs, she slowly gestured. Knowing her feelings and that she was shy, she thought it was right to reach out first.

Hong Soo-jung sat across from Jin Hyuk.

What to say? They had kept in touch and talked briefly on the plane, but facing each other, Jin Hyuk felt awkward.

“Was the flight long and boring?”

“Why do you work so hard, oppa?”

Two questions collided.

As Jin Hyuk pondered which question to answer first, Hong Soo-jung asked again.

“You said you’d live an ordinary life in the countryside, so why do you work so hard…?”

It didn’t feel bold or provocative.

It was as if the former Director Hong Soo-jung had possessed her, with a friendly, clear voice.

“My dad says your dad’s company has no debt and is stable. They make good money. Even if it’s not there, after graduating, if I join my dad’s company, he’ll treat me well, right?”

So…

She’s asking why, when she can live comfortably without worrying about livelihood, she doesn’t live an ordinary life like others but keeps striving for something?

“Why do you work so hard, Soo-jung?”

You also work hard every day, right? Jin Hyuk smiled as gently as possible.

“Hmm…”

Hong Soo-jung blushed as if embarrassed.

“Who do you trust the most in the world?”

“Hmm… my dad?”

“Ah, maybe the question was wrong.”

The former Director Hong Soo-jung used to say she trusted no one.

She hated her mom for being aloof and stupid, and her dad for being a traitor she didn’t want to see.

What did Jin Hyuk say back then…

Probably thought it was unfortunate.

Seeing someone who had a family he could only dream of, yet lived more harshly than others.

But as the world changed and her family changed, Hong Soo-jung changed too.

Nothing remained unchanged. Only the truth that time passes.

“I trust no one. That’s why I work hard.”

“Really?”

Hong Soo-jung’s eyes widened as if to say, “What are you talking about?”

“I trust no one, so I work hard. I trust only my mind, my body, and the sweat I’ve shed. No one will act for my rights or interests.”

Though it was a statement heavily influenced by past life experiences, he didn’t think differently now. What if the situation changes after trusting and relying on someone? Whether it’s their heart or the situation that changes.

If he were the type to be content with the present, he would have enjoyed the current peace and wealth moderately, but Jin Hyuk hadn’t secured peace yet. Along with an uncertain future, it kept whipping him. To run.

“Even with so many people around you?”

Hong Soo-jung looked around at the sleeping people on the plane and asked, and Jin Hyuk leaned forward, lowering his voice.

“If I think someone is devoted to me, it’s because they have something to gain from me. What will happen when they have nothing to gain from me?”

It was something the drunken former Director Hong Soo-jung had said.

If I weren’t the chairman’s daughter, would people work for me?

Jin Hyuk repeated her words verbatim.

They would all leave. Hong Soo-jung muttered.

“A guaranteed future, promised success. Such things don’t exist anywhere. Only after putting in the maximum effort, not the minimum, can I dream of the life I want. That’s how the world is. Whether your life goal is a quiet, peaceful life or a lavish one, it’s the same. People only put in as much effort as others and hope to do better than them. Even though they’re not smarter or more talented.”

He wanted to say that talent doesn’t fall from the sky overnight.

Whether it’s sports or studies.

“Hmm, it’s hard…”

Hong Soo-jung pursed her lips. Still maintaining eye contact.

Even while embarrassed, she’s good at eye contact. Her bright brown eyes, distinct even in the dark, still seemed to peer into Jin Hyuk’s soul. Like a curious kitten.

But Hong Soo-jung probably already knew. No need for long explanations to someone who exercises and studies every day without fail. And the former Director Hong Soo-jung had the best comprehension among anyone he’d met in his past life. Basically, she’s smart.

“So you work hard to live an ordinary life later?”

“You could say that. Not necessarily, though.”

“Will you live in the countryside?”

“Anywhere where people live is fine.”

Staring eyes. This expression is unreadable.

This was why Jin Hyuk found the former Director Hong Soo-jung mysterious.

The only person whose eyes couldn’t be read, whether they were longing, disdainful, or affectionate. Used to being the center of attention but indifferent to everything in the world.

“Hmm, you know. My dad says he has a headache because there aren’t enough people he can trust to delegate work to. Even though he hires so many people, why does it hurt?”

Perhaps feeling shy from the prolonged eye contact, Hong Soo-jung changed the subject.

“New employees are full of enthusiasm but don’t know how to do much. Seasoned employees avoid headaches and only scheme to survive, knowing there are people below them to delegate to. That’s why the higher-ups are important. People in the world wonder what those in high positions are doing, whether they’re working or just playing around. They don’t even trust what they see. But if the higher-ups just monitor properly, the lower ranks will do their work on their own.”

“It’s hard…”

It might be difficult for a child with no organizational experience.

How should I explain this?

“Do you remember when you were little and cried while hitting me at the stream?”

“Me?”

Hong Soo-jung was startled and widened her eyes.

“You wanted to swim, so I blocked the stream with stones to make a dam.”

“Ah, right. I remember. But why was I crying?”

“Because blocking the water would kill the fish downstream.”

“Ah…”

Hong Soo-jung’s sparkling eyes dulled as she scratched the back of her head.

At times like this, she really resembles Yoo Se-ra.

“The fact that you cried isn’t important. What’s important is that you thought about it and worried about the helpless fish. And you kept watching. Until I removed all the stones. When a crayfish came out while I was removing stones, and I said let’s catch it, you pointed at me and told me to just remove the stones.”

“Why are you bringing that up…”

Embarrassed, Hong Soo-jung scratched the back of her head so hard it made a sound.

“That’s it. All you did was worry about the fish and monitor whether I was doing my job properly.”

“Did I scare you into removing them all?”

“Of course. Any organization is the same. If there’s someone who’s not stupid, doesn’t get distracted by trivial matters, and knows their job, the stream will flow where it should, and the fish downstream won’t suffer, whether the water is scarce or abundant.”

“Someone needs to monitor so those upstream don’t mess around.”

“Right. Your dad probably meant there’s a lack of such people. That’s why he’s struggling, doing it himself. Grow up quickly and help him.”

Hong Soo-jung thought.

Can studying in the U.S. really teach me this?

Besides learning from grandpa, dad, and jailbird oppa, can I gain knowledge that sticks in my mind? Grandpa said learning is about content, but also about how much you can trust and follow the teacher.

‘Ah, I miss it. I want to go back to my childhood.’

Like the old stories told by the sparkling stream, can I meet more people who seep in quietly?

If I study abroad, I won’t be able to bicker with my closest friend, mom.

Ding.

Finally.

The cabin lights turned on, signaling arrival in Atlanta.

“Our Soo-jung, are you going to check out the school for studying abroad?”

At Jin Hyuk’s gentle question, Hong Soo-jung’s head dropped, unable to answer.

[Our plane will soon arrive at Hartsfield Airport. Passengers, please…]

Yoo Jin, who had been muttering incomprehensibly in her sleep, suddenly shouted.

“I am Son Yoo-jin!”

We’ve finally arrived.