When Park Jinhyeok thought he’d finished his business and tried to stand up, Park Junman called out to stop him.
“What are your plans for dinner tonight?”
Park Jinhyeok found it uncomfortable to sit face-to-face with his family like this.
That was why, when Oh Seoyoung asked him to eat before he came in, he had said he had other plans. But when Park Junman questioned him, he hesitated for a moment.
However, the “dinner” Park Junman offered carried a different meaning.
“Do you already have plans for this evening?”
“Yes. I have an appointment tonight.”
“I see? Well, you’ll have to go out and meet a lot of people from now on.”
Park Jinhyeok frowned and looked at Park Junman.
‘Is he suspecting someone is backing me?’
It was only natural for him to think that, since his son was suddenly acting in an incomprehensible way.
But still, Park Jinhyeok didn’t feel the need to go out of his way to clarify anything.
His mind was currently filled with DS Construction, and he had no time to figure out what Park Junman might be thinking.
As Jinhyeok stood there silently, simply looking at Park Junman, the latter nodded.
“As your father, let me give you a word of advice.”
“Please do.”
“It’s good to meet other people, but on your way, stop by Seongbuk-dong.”
“Seongbuk-dong?”
“Yes. Go see your maternal grandfather. I don’t know whether you chose DS Construction with Dongjeong Industries in mind or not, but if you’re going to receive help, there’s nothing wrong with getting it from your grandfather.”
In terms of contract ranking, Dongjeong Industries was holding steady in the top three.
By comparison, DS Construction had only barely made it into the top twenty.
Dongjeong Industries handled seven times more volume in construction capacity than DS Construction.
Although in terms of group size, DS lagged far behind Dongjeong, when it came to construction alone, the gap between Dongjeong and DS was as big as that between an adult and a child.
“I understand. I’ll stop by Seongbuk-dong on my way.”
“Good. The elders must be waiting to see you.”
Until Park Junman spoke, Park Jinhyeok hadn’t thought about meeting his grandfather.
Whether his maternal grandfather would actually help him, or not, was impossible to know.
But just meeting him, depending on what Park Junman thought, could have been something to avoid if he was against it.
Now that Park Junman was the one suggesting it, Jinhyeok felt oddly more at ease.
“If you meet him, let him know I’m worried about him…”
With those words, Park Junman turned around.
There was once an entry in Jinhyeok’s old diary wondering how his father, Park Junman, felt about his late mother.
And every time he saw it, Jinhyeok had clicked his tongue, thinking, “How much could he really think about a wife who’s been gone over twenty years?”
But seeing Park Junman now, he was sure.
‘He must feel guilty. Good.’
Whether or not he still loved his late wife, Jinhyeok didn’t know.
But it was certain that he still carried the guilt of having lost her early.
And such guilt could become a reason for Park Junman to accept Jinhyeok seeking help from Dongjeong Industries.
From Junman’s last words, Jinhyeok found a sliver of hope—it made him think that choosing DS Construction might not have been the wrong path after all.
Jinhyeok gave Junman a deep bow and left the room.
Outside the door, Oh Seoyoung was waiting, watching Jinhyeok come out.
“Did you finish talking?”
“Yes.”
“Then come with me. Let’s finish the conversation we started earlier.”
“No, as I said before, I have another engagement and I need to stop by Seongbuk-dong, so I won’t be able to talk more. And as for the marriage issue, I’ll handle it myself, so there’s no need for you to worry.”
“Still, I’m your mother—it’s my job to care about my eldest son’s marriage.”
“I have other things to do now, so marriage will have to wait.”
“Other things?”
Oh Seoyoung widened her eyes at Jinhyeok’s words.
In those eyes, there was a mix of anxiety, worry, and, hidden deep down, even a hint of hostility.
“I’m planning to formally start working at the company. If I do, I really won’t have time for anything else.”
Seoyoung paused at Jinhyeok’s words, but soon smiled brightly and patted his shoulder.
“Is that so? Good. It’s about time you helped the Chairman at the company. That’s a good decision. I was worried, since the Chairman’s health hasn’t been good lately, but now that you’ll be there to help, I’m relieved. Work hard and lighten the Chairman’s burdens.”
Her voice trembled slightly, betraying her nerves to Jinhyeok.
For a brief moment, they shared an awkward smile and turned away from each other.
Not even bothering to see Jinhyeok out as he headed for Seongbuk-dong, Seoyoung went straight into the study and quickly asked Park Junman,
“Is Jinhyeok really going to the company?”
Junman had been standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the bookshelves lining the study, and only turned at Seoyoung’s words.
“What’s so surprising about Jinhyeok coming back to the company? If anything, it’s more irritating that he wasn’t there until now.”
“What about Sanghyuk?”
“Sanghyuk is still young.”
“How is he young? Didn’t you call Jinhyeok into the company at twenty-four? Sanghyuk is already twenty-five now. If it were Jinhyeok, you would have brought him in long ago, so why are you leaving Sanghyuk alone?”
“Did I bring in Jinhyeok? Who was it that told me to bring him back from America when he was causing trouble? Who pushed him to work instead of loafing around?”
Seoyoung shut her mouth at Junman’s words.
She had been the one who, thinking Junman would get tired of having Jinhyeok around, forced him into the company.
That plan had succeeded, but now her priority was getting her own son into the company.
“Then you should give Sanghyuk a position too. You can see he’s not doing anything. If the Chairman doesn’t give him anything, I’ll send him to the gallery. I’ll teach him work myself, so just know that.”
“Alright.”
Seoyoung pursed her lips, glaring at Junman’s lack of interest in Park Sanghyuk.
Then she turned her head and said,
“Since Jinhyeok wants to work, send him to the gallery too. After all, the only thing he likes is art. Let him come and look at as many paintings as he wants.”
She figured that, if she couldn’t stop him from entering the company, at least she could keep him under her wing. The thought brought a faint smile to Junman’s face.
“I already suggested that, but he refused. He says he wants to do what he really wants and be recognized for his abilities. Hahaha. For a moment, I thought, ‘Has he lost his mind?’”
“Really? He wants to be recognized for his abilities elsewhere?”
“Yes. I think he’s got his eyes on the position of next Chairman.”
“Next Chairman? What do you mean? You’re still fine, and he’s already talking about succession—doesn’t that mean he’s planning something?”
“Don’t overthink it. He just wants to erase the mistakes of his past. And gaining trust and achievements early on isn’t bad.”
Seoyoung’s voice trembled.
The seeds of future anxiety seemed to be revealing themselves.
She asked Junman as cautiously as she could.
“Then where are you sending him?”
“I’m not sending him anywhere. He said he wants to go himself.”
“Where…?”
Seoyoung swallowed dryly, waiting for Junman’s next words.
“He wants to go to Construction.”
“Construction?”
At the word “Construction,” Seoyoung’s eyes widened to their limit as she stared at Junman.
She looked left and right, as if unable to come to her senses, and spoke.
“Construction is the place about to undergo restructuring, isn’t it? Don’t tell me Jinhyeok has some brilliant plan to save it?”
“Brilliant plan, what brilliant plan. He didn’t even know about the restructuring… Maybe he’s regretting it already, but that’s his ability. Out of all the affiliates, he picked Construction.”
Seoyoung’s tense mood eased a little.
Of all the places, Construction was one where she could relax her guard.
“On his way out, he said he was going to Seongbuk-dong. Is that related to Construction?”
“I told him to stop by and pay his respects. I said it’d be good if he could get help, too.”
“Help? That’s right. It would be good if he could get help.”
Hearing Jinhyeok was headed to Seongbuk-dong in hopes of getting help, Seoyoung felt a weight lift off her shoulders.
Her frown disappeared, and Junman laughed at the sight of her beaming face.
“What’s got you so happy?”
“How could I not be happy when my eldest son has grown up and is helping his father? I’m so glad I could just laugh. Hohoho.”
Junman joined in her laughter.
“Hahaha. If you’re happy, so am I. Good.”
Seoyoung laughed even louder as Junman joined her, thinking,
‘Whatever he’s thinking, going into Construction and visiting Seongbuk-dong is like stepping into a quagmire on his own. Well done. Very well done.’
***
Meanwhile, after leaving the house, Park Jinhyeok called Housekeeper Onsandae from the car to get the address for the house in Seongbuk-dong.
Since Pyeongchang-dong and Seongbuk-dong weren’t far apart, he input the address in his navigation with a light heart and started driving toward Seongbuk-dong.
“What should I say when I get there?”
Before meeting Park Junman, he had spent days thinking and reflecting on their relationship, so he hadn’t been too worried about that encounter.
But when it came to Seongbuk-dong, he was anxious—he didn’t know how his grandparents or the rest of the family would receive him.
“Still, it’s my mother’s family… they’ll treat me well. Besides, with my mother gone so early, they wouldn’t mistreat me.”
He remembered happy childhood visits to his maternal family, even during the days of Yoo Jeonggeol.
Both his grandfather and grandmother had adored their grandson when he visited after a long absence, and his aunts and cousins had warmly welcomed him.
Given that he lost his mother at such a young age, Jinhyeok figured there must be an extra layer of affection for him.
He drove toward Seongbuk-dong, thinking less of seeking help and more of simply greeting his maternal relatives, and before long, he arrived.
“This place is even more impressive than Pyeongchang-dong.”
Looking at the walls and gate that felt like the entrance to a fortress, Jinhyeok was amazed.
Having experienced the large house in Pyeongchang-dong, it took a lot to surprise him, but even he was overwhelmed by his mother’s family’s house.
The wall towered as high as a three-story building, and the iron gate was so large it would take several sturdy men stretching out their arms to reach from one end to the other.
[₩40 billion]
As he saw the house’s value, Jinhyeok wondered just how amazing a family with a house worth billions could be, and pressed the doorbell.
Clunk.
Without a word, the door opened from inside, and Jinhyeok, a bit puzzled, stepped inside.
The mansion was even more impressive on the inside than outside.
He’d recently been amazed by the spacious yard at Pyeongchang-dong, but the yard in Seongbuk-dong was even bigger—it looked like the entire Pyeongchang-dong house could fit inside, with room to spare.
‘Even if their company can’t compare to DS, the house at least puts DS to shame.’
Maybe it was because their business had always been construction, but calling it a “house” felt wrong—“palace” would be more fitting.
“Young Master, it’s been a while since you last visited.”
“Ah, yes.”
No matter where he went, Jinhyeok kept hearing “Young Master.”
The person who greeted him outside the building seemed to be the housekeeper of Seongbuk-dong.
Following him inside the enormous building—a house in name only—Jinhyeok couldn’t help feeling awkward.
“Oh my, is our Grandson here?”
As soon as he entered, a grandmother with snow-white hair hugged him and patted his backside.
“Mom, the kid’s almost thirty now… really.”
A displeased voice sounded from behind, but the woman who seemed to be Jinhyeok’s maternal grandmother fussed over him and clicked her tongue.
“Onsandae, this won’t do. You said our Grandson was eating well, but look at him. Why is he so thin? Don’t tell me your stepmother is mistreating you, not even cooking your meals?”
“Mother, please stop. Jinhyeok, let’s go inside. You should have called ahead, coming out of nowhere like this… It’s so flustering.”
A woman with hair styled like a character from a historical drama shot Jinhyeok a sharp look, then turned with a frosty air and went inside.
Unlike Oh Seoyoung, who at least pretended to care on the surface, this woman made no effort to hide her open dislike for Jinhyeok.
Sensing her attitude, and feeling his grandmother sticking to him and scrutinizing him from head to toe, Jinhyeok instinctively realized, this place wouldn’t be easy either.