Jinhyuk Park moved his chopsticks toward the remaining food in front of him.
He felt the need to make Junhwan Han a bit more anxious, as it was clear the man wanted to continue the conversation. Just as Jinhyuk expected, Junhwan seemed displeased that the dialogue had stalled.
“You don’t seem to have much to say.”
“I was distracted by this well-prepared meal.”
“Is only the food appetizing? From where I’m sitting, our meeting seems much more appetizing.”
“I don’t know. It might look appetizing, but my heart isn’t drawn to it.”
“Then tell me what kind of seasoning I need to add to win your heart over.”
Jinhyuk looked at Junhwan while still holding his chopsticks. He wondered if Junhwan’s persistence came from a deep affection for Han Ji-yeon, or if he was simply regretting handing over Cheongwoo Energy now. He was clearly trying to renegotiate the contract through Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk tried to read his intent through his eyes.
‘Whatever the case, Han Ji-yeon and I will be the premise.’
Junhwan’s intentions seemed to radiate from his gaze. Receiving that look, Jinhyuk set his chopsticks down again and spoke.
“My father is the one who needs Cheongwoo Energy. And I have no reason to oppose that. It is a separate matter from the marriage.”
“How can you say it’s separate?”
“Let me ask you in return. Why do you think they are related?”
Junhwan nodded as if he finally understood Jinhyuk’s angle.
“Fine. You mentioned profit earlier, so tell me. What would benefit you?”
“Since you put it that way, I’ll speak plainly. I don’t want the name Cheongwoo. What I want is the name DS.”
Jinhyuk spoke and slowly lifted his chopsticks again. He believed that after saying that much, there was no way the man wouldn’t understand.
Just as he thought, Junhwan appeared to grasp the meaning. After looking down and thinking in silence for a moment, Junhwan finally struck the table hard and let out a loud laugh.
“Hahaha! I misjudged you. I apologize.”
“There’s no need. I would have thought the same if I were in your position.”
“No, no. Until I met you, I didn’t realize what I was doing wrong. But now that I’ve met you and realized it, I must apologize. No one has spoken to me like this since my father passed away, but meeting you feels like seeing my father again.”
“How could I dare be compared to your late father? It was just something I said out of a bit of shallow greed.”
Junhwan looked as if Jinhyuk’s simple words were a revelation. He picked up his chopsticks and continued eating, never losing his smile.
The two spent the rest of the meal eating in silence. Until the food was finished and tea was served, Junhwan did not bring up the marriage or Cheongwoo Energy again. He simply asked for Jinhyuk’s opinion on the future trends of the global economy.
“If there’s something good, introduce it to me too. Don’t try to keep it all for yourself.”
“I’m too busy eating on my own.”
“Don’t be so cold. Wouldn’t it be nice to share between us?”
“Between you and me, Chairman? What exactly is our relationship?”
“In the future, won’t others call me your father-in-law when they address me in front of you?”
“I think that’s something to consider when the time comes. And if it does happen, I will naturally share. But until then, I’m busy enough eating for one.”
“Hahaha! Do you have any intention of changing your surname? To Han, I mean.”
“If I’m given the choice in my next life, I’ll give it some thought.”
“Fine. Don’t forget that promise.”
Junhwan chatted with Jinhyuk joyfully, as if he had received some grand pledge. As time passed, he treated Jinhyuk with an increasing familiarity, almost like a biological son. It seemed like he was trying to pressure Jinhyuk with this behavior, but Jinhyuk remained unfazed. Even as he listened to Junhwan’s lighthearted chatter, a part of his mind was constantly occupied with other thoughts.
As the bottom of his teacup became visible, Jinhyuk prepared to leave.
“I should get going now.”
“Right. Come visit often. If you say you’re coming, I’ll personally come down to greet you.”
“When you say things like that, it actually makes me feel burdened.”
“Then should I come to visit you?”
“Please don’t. If word gets out that the Chairman is visiting DS Telecom, the stock market might go into an uproar.”
“That’s going to happen eventually anyway, so why worry?”
Junhwan was in high spirits. He stood up to see Jinhyuk out and spoke.
“I thought of you as just someone around Ji-yeon’s age, but I was wrong. You truly are the right person.”
“Since you’re still saying that, I have no choice but to give the same answer. It’s not an offer that whets my appetite.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to make your mouth water.”
Junhwan spoke to Jinhyuk with a face full of confidence. Jinhyuk nodded as if he couldn’t help it, but as he lowered his head, a small smile briefly flickered across his face.
When they stepped out of the Chairman’s office and Junhwan followed to see him off, the secretaries of Cheongwoo stared at them with shocked expressions. Junhwan had never shown anyone the courtesy of seeing them out of his office before, and they were bewildered by the sight.
If Jinhyuk hadn’t stopped him, Junhwan seemed ready to ride the elevator with him all the way to the lobby. However, at Jinhyuk’s remark that no one knew he had visited, Junhwan regretfully let him go at the elevator.
“Representative, did the conversation go well?”
Junwoo Kim asked with a smile after seeing Junhwan’s reluctant expression as he sent Jinhyuk off.
However, Jinhyuk didn’t answer. The man who had bowed politely to Junhwan lost all expression the moment the elevator doors closed. Seeing Jinhyuk’s face become as cold and expressionless as an iron mask, Junwoo didn’t dare speak again.
Jinhyuk got into the car that was waiting for him. Only then did he let his anger show.
*Bang!*
The sound of him striking the car door from the inside startled Junwoo and the driver, who both looked back toward the rear seat. Junwoo, who had never seen Jinhyuk express his emotions like this in all his time serving him, spoke in a panicked voice.
“Representative, what’s wrong? Did President Han do something to offend you?”
Jinhyuk looked down at his stinging hand.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go to Seongbuk-dong.”
“Seongbuk-dong? Are you going to see your maternal elders?”
“I need to see my grandmother before she goes to bed.”
It wasn’t the middle of the night, but it was late enough that it wouldn’t be strange for the elderly to have already retired. Junwoo couldn’t understand Jinhyuk’s intention to visit his grandmother in Seongbuk-dong at this hour. However, seeing his unusual demeanor, Junwoo didn’t ask further and directed the car toward Seongbuk-dong.
Throughout the drive, Jinhyuk stared out the window without saying a word. He looked as if he were deep in thought. When they crossed the Han River and arrived in Seongbuk-dong, Jinhyuk spoke to Junwoo as he got out of the car.
“I’ll be out in a moment, so contact Sanghyuk. If he’s out playing, tell him I’m coming there.”
“Excuse me?”
“No. Even if he’s at home, tell him to come out. Tell him I’m buying drinks.”
“You’re buying drinks?”
Junwoo had rarely seen Jinhyuk buy drinks for others. Back when he was at DS Construction, Jinhyuk had occasionally had drinks with Team Leaders and Hisoo Hyun, but it was always just a few glasses of soju in a quiet place. However, the drinking parties Junwoo knew Sanghyuk frequented were entirely different. Sanghyuk drank at high-end membership bars, so Junwoo couldn’t guess where or how Jinhyuk intended to drink.
“Tell him to pick the place he likes… and tell him to call people. Especially women. Tell him I want to meet some women for the first time in a while.”
Junwoo stared at Jinhyuk with wide eyes. He simply couldn’t fathom what Jinhyuk was thinking.
Jinhyuk turned away, leaving the confused Junwoo behind. The quiet Seongbuk-dong, already covered in darkness, became bustling with Jinhyuk’s sudden visit.
“Jinhyuk, what brings you here at this hour? Did something happen?”
Jinhyuk’s grandmother looked flustered by his sudden appearance. He usually notified her before visiting, but this time he had come without any word.
“I was just passing by after finishing some business. I didn’t wake you, did I?”
“Of course not. If you’re coming, I’d wake up even if I were deep in sleep. Come in. Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I have.”
“Really? Then have some warm tea since it’s cold out. Madam Kim, go and brew some warm tea.”
His grandmother took Jinhyuk’s hand and led him to the living room. At the news of Jinhyuk’s arrival, Sunmyung Lee made a brief appearance.
“Where are you coming from? You’re still in the clothes you wore to the groundbreaking ceremony.”
“Yes. I’m on my way home after some business.”
“Is that so? If it’s nothing important, I’ll head back up.”
Sunmyung, who had only shown her face, went back inside immediately, as if she didn’t want to keep looking at Jinhyuk’s face. The grandmother shot a glare at her daughter for not saying a single warm word to her nephew, then spoke while holding Jinhyuk’s hand.
“It’s good you came. Come often. You don’t need a reason, so don’t worry.”
“Actually, Grandmother, I have something I want to say. I assume Grandfather isn’t asleep yet?”
“Yes. He went straight to the study when he heard you were here. Did you come to see him?”
“I came to see both of you. Let’s go together.”
Jinhyuk, who usually spoke with Jongmu Lee alone, took his grandmother’s hand and headed toward the study. She looked at him with curiosity, wondering what he could possibly want to talk about so suddenly.
When they reached the study, Jongmu Lee, who was sitting on the sofa, spoke to the entering Jinhyuk.
“What brings you here?”
“I apologize for the late visit.”
“It’s fine. I assume you have a reason.”
His grandmother sat on the sofa while still holding Jinhyuk’s hand and snapped at Jongmu.
“Does the child need to have a reason to visit? Why do you always talk like that?”
“I’m sure he has a reason. Does he look like the type to just drop by?”
The two of them bickered every time they saw each other. Jinhyuk looked at them both with a smile.
“I did come because of a specific matter today, so would you listen to me first?”
“Right. My apologies. You must have a reason. So, what is it?”
“Surely you haven’t come to collect the debt already?”
At Jongmu’s words, the grandmother glared at him. Her expression said, ‘How could you say that in front of your grandson?’
However, Jongmu had brought it up because he inwardly doubted Jinhyuk would visit for anything else. The Lam Chatan project was moving forward with Jinhyuk’s money, and Jongmu was steadily repaying the debt by purchasing DS shares as promised. But even between a grandfather and grandson, the visit of a creditor was a burden to a debtor. A worry that Jinhyuk might demand an immediate repayment because he suddenly needed cash was surfacing deep in his heart.
Jinhyuk smiled as if he read those thoughts.
“You can repay the debt as planned. I don’t doubt your ability to pay it back.”
Only then did Jongmu’s face relax slightly.
“Good. That’s a relief. Then tell me. What is the reason for your visit?”
“I remembered something you said before.”
“Something I said before? What was it?”
Jongmu looked back and forth between his wife and Jinhyuk, confused. Since Jinhyuk had brought his grandmother into the study, he figured it was something said while they were all together, but he couldn’t easily recall it.
Jinhyuk took a few sips of the tea that had just been served and spoke.
“I’m talking about my marriage.”
“Marriage? Are you saying you’re getting married? To whom?”
Jongmu spoke as he hurriedly set down his teacup. Jinhyuk’s marriage was an event that could shift the entire industry. Depending on whom and how he married, the economic weight of the next 30 years might fluctuate. Thus, even though it was his own grandson, Jongmu asked with a shocked face.
Unlike the curious Jongmu, the grandmother looked at Jinhyuk with concern. Jinhyuk took her hand and said, “I’m not saying I’m doing it right this second. It’s just that I’m at an age where I should start thinking about it, so I’m asking you to help find a match for me.”
“Find a match for you?”
“Didn’t you say before that you were worried and wanted to find me a partner? If it’s a woman you find for me, Grandmother, I’m willing to meet her.”
At Jinhyuk’s words, his grandmother’s expression brightened instantly.
“Yes! That’s a wonderful thought. I’ve been worrying about how to bring this up to you, but I’m so grateful that you came and asked me yourself.”
Tears seemed to well up in her eyes. She dabbed at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and spoke.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find your match, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.”
Jongmu glanced at his emotional wife and then looked at Jinhyuk with eyes full of suspicion.
“Marriage all of a sudden? What does this mean?”
“What do you mean ‘all of a sudden’? Why do you talk like that? The boy is going to be 30 years old once the year turns. You had Sunmyung by that age, so how can you say it’s sudden? Do you not care about your grandson at all?”
The grandmother sharply blamed Jongmu. However, Jongmu didn’t take his eyes off Jinhyuk.
“I’m saying this because he’s the one who said he had no interest in marriage. What sudden change of heart is this?”
“It’s as Grandmother said. I’ll be 30 soon, so isn’t it an age where I should consider it? My younger brothers are all getting engaged, and seeing them starting families in the coming year made me think that I might be falling behind.”
“But you’re coming to Seongbuk-dong to ask for this? What about your mother and father?”
“Why are you looking for his mother? His mother is in heaven!”
The grandmother shouted sharply at Jongmu.