AOA 161

“It’s no big deal.”

“Do you think I would believe that?”

“It seems like my grandfather is trying to keep me in Korea. He’s pulling strings here and there, but it’s not exactly a pleasant situation.”

Baek Mugyeong simply conveyed the facts, omitting the key points. Jeong Minchae uncrossed his arms. He seemed to think the situation was serious. In Korea, Baek Jinseok was practically a king. If he set his mind to something, there was no choice but to obey.

“Why? Weren’t you out of Chairman Baek’s favor?”

“I must still have some use somewhere.”

Baek Yeongseop was eventually sentenced to prison and incarcerated. Baek Jaehan received a suspended sentence, but he would likely be unable to engage in outside activities for some time.

At a time like this, a family member capable of doing the work properly was needed. He might have been chosen for that role. Although he could not inherit the Daesong Group due to his mental issues, he could still be put to work.

Baek Mugyeong clicked his tongue inwardly. Since coming to Korea, he had worked diligently without getting distracted. In particular, this time he had solved various cases by utilizing his knowledge from before his regression. He didn’t know if that was the reason he had caught Baek Jinseok’s eye.

“Really? Then do you have to stay in Korea?”

“I just need to fall out of Grandfather’s favor.”

“How?”

“I’ll act like a troublemaker and get caught in a scandal.”

At the mention of scandal, Jeong Minchae’s eyes widened.

“Scandal?”

“Something that would make the social news section. If I get drunk and crash my car into a few roadside trees and it makes the news, even Grandpa will give up. Oh, I’m not actually going to drink.”

He didn’t need any special manipulation. All he had to do was crash into a roadside tree about three times while drunk driving. No one would get hurt. He would just wreck the car, pay for the trees, and then get admitted to the hospital as a fake patient.

Even his grandfather would get sick of it if news articles about a third-generation chaebol drunk driving appeared a few times, his license would be revoked, and he crashed into a roadside tree while driving without a license. The Baek Jinseok that Baek Mugyeong knew absolutely hated repeating the same mistakes.

“To finish it within the five years I promised my grandfather, I had to start as soon as I returned to Korea. Things like this had to be done quickly.”

“You can’t do that.”

Jeong Minchae suddenly grabbed Baek Mugyeong’s arm. Baek Mugyeong was also startled by the resistance.

“Hm?”

“I said no. I mean, why would you drive drunk, Mugyeong-ssi?”

“No one will get hurt. I can just drink after causing an accident, so it’s no problem.”

“Doing that will ruin your reputation. You know how much backlash a third-generation chaebol gets when they cause trouble. I don’t want you to be criticized for things you didn’t even do. Is there no other way? Gambling or abusing your power is a no-no. Embezzlement is a no-no, and what else is there? Oh, don’t even joke about drugs. Understood? Why aren’t you answering?”

Jeong Minchae urged for an answer while glaring at him. He had hoped to look scary, but to Baek Mugyeong, he looked nothing but cute. It was no different from a cute, fluffy kitten hissing.

Since he had already made up his mind to leave Korea, his reputation didn’t matter. In just a few years, things like drunk driving would fade from people’s memories. As long as he could lower his grandfather’s expectations, the details didn’t matter.

However, Jeong Minchae was worried about his reputation. He said he didn’t want him to be criticized.

Baek Mugyeong laughed.

It was a wonderful feeling to have someone on his side who was so reliable and trustworthy.

“Alright.”

“Really?”

“I’ll find another way.”

“Even if I can’t brag that Mugyeong-ssi is a good person, I can’t stand people spreading rumors that you’re a bad person.”

Baek Mugyeong paused at the unexpected remark. It was the first time he had heard someone call him a good person.

“Am I a good person?”

“Of course. Why would you doubt me? Do you think I’m lying? You treat my family so well.”

“I did that to make a good impression on you.”

“There are so many other things. You donate a lot, too. And anonymously, too. I actually saw the documents before. The ones in your study. I was really surprised when I saw the numbers written in them. If it were me, I would have gone around bragging about it to everyone in the neighborhood.”

“Donating is no big deal.”

“It really is a big deal. Who would donate like that anonymously? You can’t even brag about it.”

Jeong Minchae exclaimed that it was a remarkable feat. He showered him with praise, saying that not just anyone can donate such a huge amount of money to multiple places, and anonymously at that.

Baek Mugyeong smiled again. He had made a fortune thanks to repeating the same life. He couldn’t tell if it was a miracle or a coincidence. He didn’t even believe in God. However, he thought that since his pockets had gotten fat so easily, he should give back to society.

He childishly puffed out his chest because Jeong Minchae said he was amazing.

“I didn’t do it to brag.”

“It stings even more because I know. Anyway, you can’t act like a troublemaker. Promise me. Hurry.”

Jeong Minchae let go of his arm and held out his little finger. Baek Mugyeong smiled and linked their little fingers.

He would definitely keep that promise.

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Side Story 03

I shouldn’t have made promises so carelessly. I never imagined that the promise I made simply because I didn’t want Baek Mugyeong to be pointed at as a scoundrel would come back to haunt me like this.

“Wow. Mugyeong-hyungnim looks like a different person.”

Sejun pointed at the living room TV and marveled. I just nodded without answering. Baek Mugyeong was appearing on the YouTube channel playing on the TV. It was a video from the official channel of the Pureumnamu Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital interviewing a donor.

The social contribution activities of large corporations or chaebol families were heartwarming stories. It was also common for individuals to reveal their faces in person.

However, this was a sort of plan. It began with photos and videos of Baek Mugyeong participating in a charity event at a children’s rehabilitation hospital. Even in the shaky footage taken with a cell phone, Baek Mugyeong’s looks stood out.

GIFs, videos, and photos under the title “The Third-Generation Chaebol of Daesong Group” caused a stir in online communities. It was rare for a third-generation chaebol to make a name for themselves in the public eye. Most of the time, they appeared in social news articles either after inheriting a company as a successor or after causing a scandal.

Baek Mugyeong attracted people’s attention not only because he was a third-generation chaebol, but also largely due to his appearance. No, it was almost 90% because of his face.

Even looking objectively without the bias of infatuation, Baek Mugyeong was a handsome man. While those with a specific physical trait generally tend to have good proportions, Baek Mugyeong was tall, well-built, and handsome to boot. The online community was full of comments calling him a man who had it all and saying he had the looks of a model.

Thanks to the various links Jaeha shared, I saw posts and comments in real time admiring Baek Mugyeong’s good looks. I felt proud to see that he looked handsome man to others as well.

–You know hyung is popular, right? He’s going to get a lot of attention, so keep watch. Don’t suffer alone.

Jaeha predicted an ominous future over the phone. However, I wasn’t too worried. Whenever I stepped away for a moment while dating in Korea or the U.S., I would see someone approaching Baek Mugyeong one out of every three times. Since I couldn’t stop them no matter how hard I tried, I let go of the idea.

Honestly, I thought it would be a short-lived issue. I even teased Baek Mugyeong, saying he had become a popular guy while we were in contact. However, the situation changed when an interview article was subsequently released regarding the Pureumnamu Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital, to which Baek Mugyeong had donated a large sum.

It was a type of interview-style advertisement intended to inform the public about social contribution activities. It was also common for experts or celebrities to appear prominently. In particular, corporations like the Daesong Group operated various welfare foundations and sponsored diverse organizations to enhance their corporate image.

However, Baek Mugyeong’s donation to the Pureumnamu Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital this time was made in a personal capacity. He simply reported his participation in the event and interview to the public relations department of DS Motors.

The outcome of Baek Yeongseop’s trial ended with just a brief news report on the internet. However, Daesong Group’s image was a mess. The stock price plummeted, and it faced public criticism. Given the situation, Baek Mugyeong’s charitable activities were bound to be welcomed.

Unfortunately, there were a few variables that the PR manager had not anticipated. One was that Baek Mugyeong was handsome enough to rival a celebrity, and the second was that this had drawn the public’s attention. The last was the content of the interview.

Purumnamu Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital was the nation’s first public children’s rehabilitation hospital, and the interview questions were ordinary. They covered the ethical responsibilities and duties of the social elite, as well as the reasons for taking an interest in children’s rehabilitation hospitals.

Naturally, there was also information regarding Baek Mugyeong’s private life. There, Baek Mugyeong revealed that he had lost his parents in a helicopter accident during his childhood and was receiving psychiatric treatment due to the trauma caused by it. He concluded on a heartwarming note, advising people to seek help from those around them when they are struggling mentally.

Baek Mugyeong only told me that the interview article would be interesting. I read the article without knowing anything, and froze on the spot. My boyfriend, who had promised not to act like a scoundrel, had caused a massive accident in a completely different way.

I was so shocked that I contacted Baek Mugyeong immediately. When I asked if he was okay, Baek Mugyeong laughed happily, saying he had just been scolded by Baek Jinseok.

Naturally, Baek Jinseok was furious. It was Baek Jinseok who had stripped Baek Mugyeong of his eligibility as successor solely on the basis of his history of psychiatric counseling. To Baek Jinseok, who was obsessed with perfect bloodlines, Baek Mugyeong’s interview was tantamount to having mud poured over his head. It had left a dirty stain on his lofty pride.

Although Baek Mugyeong’s public popularity had risen, he had completely fallen out of Baek Jinseok’s favor. That day, Baek Mugyeong was not only summoned and scolded by Baek Jinseok, but was also kicked out of his position as Executive Director. Baek Mugyeong explained with a broad smile that Baek Jinseok had yelled at him, saying he didn’t need a grandson like him, that he would clean everything out while he was at it, and that he should vacate the premises immediately.

I clutched my head. I told my lover to do something else because I didn’t want him to be pointed at, but I never imagined it would turn out like this.

In any case, Baek Mugyeong, who had been fired as Executive Director of DS Motors, would be coming to the United States soon. His plan was a huge success. Baek Mugyeong said there were no problems, but I still felt worried. Baek Jinseok was the type to hold grudges.

“Hyung is more handsome.”

I was staring blankly at Baek Mugyeong on TV when I turned my head at an unexpected remark. Sejun, standing beside me, blurted out the same thing.

“I’m saying hyung is more handsome. It’s fine.”

“What?”

“You two look good together. So be confident. You won’t be outdone standing side by side. You have it all, too.”