PHUW 143

Woof!

As Haeri approached, the excited Gom-i jumped up and down. It looked like it might lead to a major accident, so Haeri braced himself and pushed against his body. What would count as abuse for another dog was nothing more than rough play for a giant dog like this one.

Gom-i rolled on the ground, then sprang up and barked happily. His voice was so loud the whole park echoed.

“Good thing you’re here. Otherwise I would’ve suffocated.”

Haeri picked up a fallen branch nearby and threw it. While Gom-i fetched the branch, Jeong Mok came closer.

“Haeri, I have something to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“If you don’t like it, you can say so. Really, it doesn’t matter. Honestly, I’d prefer it if you said you didn’t want to.”

He added that part as if reluctant. But how could Haeri know if he disliked it without hearing first.

“I just got a call from the Chairwoman. She wants us to come to the main house for dinner tonight.”

“The main house, meaning the Chairwoman’s residence?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m fine with it.”

The family history Jeong Mok had shared weighed heavily on him. After hearing all that, it was hard to pass it off lightly. Yet Haeri lacked the words to offer comfort. Hadn’t he just made a scene and pressed Jeong Mok’s buttons earlier? If he wasn’t careful, he would end up knowing more of the man’s “needless” secrets. In this complicated situation, Jeong Mok going out was a blessing.

“Really? You’re sure?”

“Of course.”

“Uh… okay.”

“You don’t go to the main house often, right?”

“Not often.”

“Then why don’t you stay the night?”

The house was big and they had separate rooms, but at least tonight Haeri could spend the night on his own.

“There’s no need to stay overnight.”

“But they’re family. Better than not having any. Surely your family at the main house aren’t like your parents, right?”

The answer was that the Chairwoman was strict, bordering on child abuse by today’s standards, but definitely not a domestic abuser, and the Professor was neither.

“To me they’re good people. Treat them well while they’re here so you won’t regret it later. Don’t end up like me, wanting to but unable.”

He hadn’t said it because he was an orphan. But Jeong Mok would have heard it that way. In truth, that was the intention.

“You’re right.”

As expected, words about filial duty coming from an orphan hit the mark. Jeong Mok made the call on the spot.

“It’s me. Tell the Chairwoman I’ll be there on time. Yes, I’ll be bringing someone.”

What?

“Wait, he’s here, I’ll ask him directly.”

Jeong Mok turned to Haeri mid-call.

“Haeri, they want to know what you like.”

“M-me?”

“Yeah. Chinese, Japanese, Western, anything’s fine. If it’s a dish that takes time, they want to prepare it in advance.”

“Uh… uh?”

Why were they asking about what he liked to eat? Caught off guard, Haeri was speechless. Seeing that, Jeong Mok answered in his place.

“He doesn’t seem to know. He eats most things well. Alright. If he thinks of something, we’ll let you know right away.”

After ending the call, Jeong Mok threw the stick for Gom-i in place of still-stunned Haeri. Overjoyed, the dog leapt and brushed past Haeri standing nearby.

Thud.

“Haeri, are you okay?”

Jeong Mok quickly helped him up from the ground. As Haeri stood in a daze, Jeong Mok brushed the dust off his clothes.

Why don’t you stay the night?

That was what Haeri himself had just suggested.

Treat them well while they’re here so you won’t regret it later.

He had used the ultimate skill only an orphan could pull off.

And all the while, he hadn’t known he would be going too. At this moment, he hated his damned mouth most of all.

***

The main house was a mansion so enormous it might as well have had “chaebol” written across its gate. In a city where even a twenty-pyeong apartment cost over a billion won, Haeri hadn’t known such a spacious house with a yard could exist. On top of that, the land was elevated, so from the entrance to the yard, the view opened wide. Even Haeri, who knew nothing about geomancy, could tell at a glance this was the best of auspicious sites.

The house itself was no joke. There were several buildings, but Jeong Mok headed toward the main quarters. He said the Chairwoman and the Professor lived there.

“Who lives over there?”

“That one’s for guests, and this one is for staff.”

He had expected staff, of course. In dramas and films, there were always live-in employees called directors or managers. But he hadn’t expected there to be a separate building just for them. Amazing.

The interior was just as grand. It couldn’t be compared to Jeong Mok’s house. Haeri followed behind, looking around.

“You’re early.”

It was a young woman’s voice. Before Jeong Mok could say anything, she smiled brightly at Haeri.

“You must be Ahn Haeri. I’m Jeong Mok’s cousin, Choi Jieon. Nice to meet you.”

“Hello!”

The moment he heard the word cousin, Haeri bent his waist ninety degrees and shouted loudly.

“He’s energetic.”

“Only you came, noona? What about brother-in-law?”

“Of course he came. He’s upstairs putting the baby to sleep. He’ll come down later.”

Even as she answered, Choi Jieon stared at Haeri so intently it felt overwhelming. Like a mouse facing a snake, he didn’t dare meet her gaze in return. But he was just as curious about her, so he gathered courage and glanced at her sideways.

Choi Jieon was about the same height as Haeri. For a woman, she was quite tall. As expected of Jeong Mok’s blood relative, she was very beautiful. Dressed like any working professional in a simple blouse and slacks, she wore no eye-catching accessories apart from her wedding ring and a thin necklace. Her makeup, if she had any on, was so light it was hard to tell. Even so, her whole presence seemed to radiate with brilliance.

‘So that’s what they call elegance.’

Haeri admired inwardly.

“Stop staring.”

Jeong Mok cut in and blocked his line of sight.

“Is she going to wear out?”

“She is.”

At that ridiculous reply, both Jieon and Haeri turned their eyes to Jeong Mok at the same time. Haeri already knew how shameless he could be in these matters, but he hadn’t expected him to ignore time and place entirely. Well, he had made a scene at the museum too, so the main house wouldn’t be any different.

“You’re completely insane.”

“Did you just figured that out?”

“I knew from the start.”

“Then move aside. You’ll break our Haeri’s legs.”

Jeong Mok shoved his cousin lightly and pulled Haeri close. Then Choi Jieon, who had radiated sophistication just a moment earlier, suddenly shouted in a nasally voice like someone who had downed a bowl of soju.

“Honeyyy! Jeong Mok hit meee!”

“I didn’t hit you, I pushed you.”

Then Jieon suddenly changed her expression and snapped coldly.

“Pushing or hitting, both are violence under criminal law. Vice Chairman Jeong, how can you live properly if you can’t even tell the difference?”

“I think the one not living properly is you, CEO Choi. Do you want to get fired?”

How did a petty squabble between cousins suddenly turn into a ruthless power struggle between corporate executives? Was this allowed? Or were they really fighting over the successor’s seat?

“My mom is the Chairwoman, you know?”

“And looks like your mom picked me as Vice Chairman?”

“You must be proud. I wouldn’t take the vice chairman seat even if it was offered.”

“Please, take it already. Let me quit.”

Jeong Mok grumbled that he didn’t even have time to date Haeri because of work.

“No way. I still have two years of parental leave left.”

“You’re not the one raising the kid, your husband is. Go back to work within three months. That’s an order from the Vice Chairman.”

“No.”

Sticking out her tongue, Jieon laughed like a madwoman.

…Fuck. Who would have thought chaebol siblings with such imposing stature could be this childish. In some sense, they really were family.

“Haeri, don’t just stand there, say something.”

M-me? Was he supposed to play the role of Pikachu now?

While Haeri panicked, not knowing what to do, a savior appeared.

“Quiet. Do you know how hard Mr. Baek is working to put the baby to sleep? As a mother, if you can’t help, at least don’t get in the way.”

The Professor, coming down the stairs, scolded Choi Jieon.

“Vice Chairman Jeong, if you’ve come, you should greet us first.”

“I’m sorry.”

The Professor even scolded Jeong Mok, then his eyes naturally shifted to Haeri. He bent his waist at once.

“Sorry for showing you such an embarrassing scene. They were raised too softly, so even as adults they never matured. I hope you can understand, Haeri.”

“Not at all.”

It was the usual humility, but the childish siblings whispered behind his back.

“When were we ever raised softly? We got beaten like rats for the smallest thing.”

“Agreed.”

They had been squabbling over nothing just moments ago. How could full-grown adults be so childish. Thanks to them, Haeri’s prejudice about chaebol families vanished. People were the same everywhere.

“How are you feeling? I worried since you had to take a whole week off.”

“I’m fine now.”

“I’m sorry for putting such a burden on you. I should have taken it slower.”

The sudden classes had been hard, but the real reason Haeri had fallen sick and rested was something else. He glanced at Jeong Mok. The man, well aware of his own guilt, coughed awkwardly and looked away.

“That wasn’t it. I just happened to catch a cold. The classes was much more fun and rewarding than I expected. Thank you for giving me the chance to learn.”

“I’m relieved to hear you say so.”

The Professor smiled gently and held his hand. Haeri had rarely dealt with elders of this age in his life. The few times he had, they had been bosses hiring part-timers, who saw him not as a student but a worker, so even their kindness was nothing like this warmth. When he had first met him, he had been daunting, but the second time was entirely different. He was someone he respected, and somehow, someone he wanted to lean on.

People oddly placed great importance on whether a household had elders. Every time Haeri saw someone immediately look for an elder in any matter, he wondered why it mattered. He had thought just having Jeong Mok was enough. But the weight carried by a family elder like the Professor was something else altogether.

“You’re here?”

At that moment, another elder of the family, the true head of the household, appeared.