PHUW 63

Choi Jieon scoffed.

“Who else is there? Don’t even think about dumping it on me. Once maternity leave is over, it’ll go straight into childbirth leave. And my husband is no good either. He’s an idiot who’s done nothing but study his whole life, doesn’t know a thing, and without me he can’t even kill a bug. In the head office, which is like a wild savanna crawling with old hyenas, he wouldn’t last a single day.”

She said harsh words, it was unclear whether she was insulting Baek Seunghyeon or defending him. Seunghyeon, as if used to it, nodded deeply to show he had no intention of getting involved in this matter. The husband and wife were in sync.

“As for the rest, it’ll take at least half a year to select a candidate. Even a puppet vice chairman sitting temporarily has to be someone trustworthy. Who is there right now?”

At that, Sangeon jerked his chin toward Jeong Mok, who was seated at the far end of the table.

“There, right there.”

As expected, his sense of foreboding was not wrong. Damn it.

Everyone around the table turned their eyes to Jeong Mok. The chairman was no exception.

“Are you speaking in your right mind?”

The chairwoman asked with a hollow sigh.

“I am in my right mind. I didn’t say it, but the moment I included the option of moving abroad, I made my own internal selection. There are one or two other candidates, but in my judgment, there is no one more suitable than him.”

Jeong Mok furrowed his brows and stared at the cousin who had just dropped the bomb on him.

“What are you thinking, hyung. I don’t know anything about company work.”

“The detailed work is done by experts and experienced staff. You just need to represent the Hyeonsan family at events and meetings, read the general flow of issues brought by the executives, and make judgments.”

“So why entrust such a heavy responsibility to someone outside the company? If you won’t do it, hand it over to a professional manager.”

“How are you an outsider? You’re the chairwoman’s only nephew. If you’re an outsider, who’s an insider?”

“That’s not what I mean. You said you had something to tell me, was this it?”

“You can do it, can’t you?”

“I can’t. No, I won’t.”

“What kind of irresponsible talk is that. How long are you going to keep living at leisure like that? You’re over thirty. It’s time to enter the company. I joined much younger than you.”

“That’s because you’re the successor. That’s only natural.”

“Even Jieon entered the company at the same age as me.”

Jieon glared at him when he mentioned her.

“Don’t drag me in when I’ve done nothing.”

While the three cousins bickered, the chairwoman lifted her glass of sujeonggwa. She drained it to the bottom in one go like makgeolli (It is a milky, off-white, and lightly sparkling rice wine) and then slammed the glass down on the table.

Tak!

A faint crack formed on the pure-white teacup, impossible to obtain on the market since it was a gift only to close acquaintances from a human cultural asset.

“Everyone, shut your mouths.”

The chairwoman warned and rose from her seat.

“Vice Chairman Choi Sangeon. Follow me to the study.”

“Yes, Chairwoman.”

Addressed by title, Sangeon stood, buttoned his jacket, and followed after her.

The meal was already over. The rest all rose and headed to the study as well.

Since the chairwoman’s study constantly dealt with secretive and delicate matters, it was perfectly soundproofed and secured. Once the door was closed, no one outside could hear no matter what shouting erupted inside. That was why the others gathered on the sofa in front of the study.

“Don’t worry too much. Sangeon must have his own thoughts.”

The professor tried to comfort the restless Myeongeun.

“Soccer was just an excuse, wasn’t it? You left Jun at home on purpose with this in mind.”

Jieon scoffed again, then turned her gaze on Jeong Mok.

“You knew?”

“I only got a hint after I arrived at the family house. Before that, I knew nothing.”

“Right. That surprised look wasn’t an act.”

Jieon leaned back against the sofa.

“Honey. We won’t be scolded too, will we?”

Seunghyeon sat close beside her with a worried expression.

“It has nothing to do with us. Even if the sparks fly, I’ll take them. You don’t have to worry about a thing. All you need to think about is how to raise our baby.”

“Mm. I’ll rely only on you.”

Baek Seunghyeon rested his head on Jieon’s shoulder, and Jieon suddenly pulled her husband’s shoulder in with one arm and planted a kiss on his forehead. Just watching it left a bad taste.

Already irritated from being dragged into something unnecessary, now having to witness this shameless display of affection from his blood relatives only made Jeong Mok’s expression twist up naturally.

Even though she knew exactly why he was frowning, Jieon acted as if she did not and instead started laying out even more ominous predictions.

“Sangeon must have another reason for suddenly saying he’s going on parental leave. Hm… maybe he told you to study while he takes care of the child?”

“……”

Myeongeun could not say a word. Which meant it was true.

“You were going to study abroad once, weren’t you. But when your family went bankrupt you had to get a job right away. Then after you got married, you got pregnant with Jun and only took care of the house. I always wondered when this fool of a sister-in-law would finally get that wish fulfilled. Unbelievable.”

“I told her she could even go to graduate school here, but she insisted…”

“You know hyung’s personality. If it isn’t the very best, he can’t stand it. Unless sister-in-law had no ability at all, which she clearly doesn’t lack. Judging by how suddenly this came up without warning, she must have already received the acceptance letter.”

“You really can’t be fooled. I only tried preparing because I felt like my brain was getting dull from doing nothing, I didn’t think I would pass. Unfortunately, he caught me reading the acceptance email… I’m sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. So, where were you accepted?”

The professor, with a bright face, comforted her. The school Myeongeun mentioned was one of the top Ivy League universities. Not just a master’s course anyone could buy their way into. It was an elite program requiring both wealth and intelligence.

“So that’s why that wife-obsessed fool lost his mind. I understand. If my husband got into the best digital art school in the world, I’d abandon the company too and support him through his studies.”

“Really?”

“Of course. My husband only has to trust me.”

Jieon lifted Seunghyeon’s chin with her index finger and kissed him on the lips. At that instant, Jeong Mok felt nauseous. He sprang to his feet and walked to the window. Jieon might call her brother a fool for his wife, but from where Jeong Mok stood, Jieon was the real lunatic for her husband.

‘I was glad not to have seen that nonsense for a while.’

No wonder he had felt such a strong reluctance to come to the family house. The only relief was that thanks to the bomb Sangeon had thrown, the chairwoman had no attention left to spare for him.

It had been an hour since the two had gone into the study. In the past, such meetings had dragged on for three or four hours, even half a day. With a matter this huge, the successor, whose position in the group was firmly cemented, declaring not just months but years of absence, the marathon of clashing wills could easily continue until dawn.

“Since they’re not coming out, it looks like they mean to settle it tonight. You’ll have to sleep over.”

As if waiting for the chance, the professor shook his head. In truth, they could all sleep comfortably in their own homes and return later. But if they did, the chairwoman would surely rage, asking how they could sleep with the house in such turmoil. More than that, it was better to stay and prevent the two dinosaurs of Hyeonsan from deciding his fate in his absence and simply informing him afterward.

As the night deepened, the pregnant Jieon went upstairs to lie down first. In place of his wife, who was both the brain and the shield, Seunghyeon went back and forth between floors. Myeongeun also returned home. Since her husband was the main player here, there was nothing she could do, and besides, she always preferred to look after her child directly. Perhaps because of age, or perhaps because he was worn down by decades of this same situation, the professor also slipped away to his private study. That left only Jeong Mok.

He sat alone on the sofa, staring constantly at the study door. Seeing his frustration, a household staff member brought him a cup of cool tea. He accepted it gratefully and then pulled out his phone with the broken screen.

As expected, there was no word from the one he was waiting for. Instead, there were two missed calls and several messages from someone else. A real estate agent.

As soon as he opened the chat window, over a dozen photos appeared. Familiar scenery had been captured following the photographer’s movements. It was a neighborhood near the cafe district. The exterior of a one-story house and a neighboring two-story house were photographed, and below them were attached floor plans and addresses.

Finding Ahn Haeri had been easy.

There were only a handful of real estate agencies in the area, and since they all knew each other well, asking if someone had recently moved in with a large dog quickly led to him. When Jeong Mok pointed to that house and the one next to it and declared intent to buy, they asked why, and he said he wanted to build a cafe. The agent had tried to show him a property more suitable for a cafe, but he refused and demanded only those two houses. The agent seemed like he wanted to more, but when Jeong Mok got up to leave for another agency, he hastily closed his mouth and held him back.

Here are the requested photos of the surroundings. I contacted both owners today, and they both said they’ll sell for that price without conditions. Please call me~ ^^

I can’t take calls at the moment. Is tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the office good for you?

3 p.m. at our office works, understood ^^

As soon as Jeong Mok sent his message, a reply came immediately.

He looked over the saved photos again. Shifting the phone around to avoid the cracked line on the screen, he noticed in the background of one shot of the neighborhood a certain figure. He zoomed in to the maximum. The face was too blurred by motion to make out, but it was unmistakably a person walking a large black dog. The two were walking along the national road branching from the edge of the village.

The tension in hid clenched jaw loosened. His brows that had been raised in irritation settled calmly. Even if it was only a silhouette with no features visible, just seeing it lifted his mood. Rubbing at the faint smile spreading on his lips, Jeong Mok suddenly locked the phone and slipped it back into his pocket.