Chapter 80: The Price of Ambition

The day at the LN Group began at five in the morning.

It wasn't until the first morning that I realized Do-yoon hadn't been joking when he told me that.

At exactly five o'clock sharp, even before the alarm on the clock in my room went off, there was a knock at the door.

“Author, it's time to wake up.”

A gentle voice echoed through the quiet corridor.

But to me, it sounded like the morning bugle in the army.

【Sergeant Yoo Seung-hyun, it's wake-up time.】

A truly dreadful voice.

Struggling against the voice of the employee by my ear, I shoved my blanket aside and got up.

I sat there in a daze for a moment, staring at the wall, feeling my biological rhythm thrown off.

“Ha... Good grief.”

There had never been an early morning wake-up in my chaebol family life, but now it had arrived. Once again, I learned the lesson that the world does not move according to my wishes, and that nothing is ever easy.

Knock, knock.

Another knock came at the door.

“Yes, I'm up.”

Letting the employee know I was awake, I straightened the blanket half-heartedly and left the bed for the bathroom.

“Whew, I may be living a diligent life since returning, but getting up at five isn't easy.”

Thinking about it, I found myself genuinely impressed by the employees of this house. To be active at five, they must rise and prepare much earlier than the employer.

They are truly admirable people.

“Well, I feel alive after washing up.”

A cool stream of water cleared away my drowsiness and invigorated my body. Putting on my bathrobe, I left the bathroom and headed for the dressing room.

“Wow, I saw this yesterday before bed, but it's still overwhelming.”

Inside the dressing room connected to my room, various clothes filled the wardrobes. Every single piece was made of fine material, exuding luxury.

And the fact that every item was tailored to my body made my heart race.

“I wonder how much all this would cost.”

Well, never mind the fabric.

Could it be worth hundreds of millions? I quietly speculated.

“Not all chaebols live like this, but this is truly amazing.”

Clicking my tongue, I picked out the most comfortable-looking outfit.

The waist, the length of the legs—everything fit perfectly.

In other words, all these clothes were made just for me.

I wouldn't even be here for a full month, but they'd filled the wardrobe with outfits tailored to me. That alone was astonishing.

“I really need to make a good impression. Not a single mistake.”

I'm curious why they're treating me so well, but I'll leave that question for later. Finishing my thoughts for the employee waiting outside, I stepped out of the room.

“This way, please.”

Following the employee who was waiting outside in a formal posture, I moved to the dining area set up at the far end of the first floor.

A neatly arranged table awaited, with people gathered around.

The chairman and his wife, and Min Do-yoon.

Gulp.

Feeling the gaze of all three, I took a seat beside Min Do-yoon.

“Did you sleep well?”

Min Ji-gwang, Min Do-yoon's father and the chairman, sat at the head seat and directed his gaze at me.

His stubborn yet sharp look made me shrink back a little.

“Yes, I slept well, thanks to you.”

If I may add, the bed I lay in was so expensive that it wrapped around my body the moment I lay down, putting me to sleep instantly.

“That's good. I heard you'll be staying at our house during the break. Think of it as your own home, and if you need anything, just ask the employees.”

“Thank you for your kindness.”

I replied as such, but I never planned to use the employees. They belonged to the LN family, not me.

I had decided not to act beyond the status of a guest.

“Well then, let's eat.”

With a slight nod, Min Ji-gwang picked up his spoon.

I, reading the room, was the last to pick up my spoon and scoop up my rice.

The meal was silent, just as the name implied.

No, it was even more than silent.

No one spoke. Only the occasional sound of a spoon on a plate, the quiet slicing of a cutlet, or the pouring of water could be heard.

I took a bite, but couldn't even tell whether it was going down my throat or up my nose.

Min Do-yoon's mother quietly savored her tea with poise, while Min Ji-gwang continued his meal in silence like a monk.

‘So this is Korean dining culture…’

It was very different from how Min Do-yoon had seemed outside.

Back there, we chatted over our meals.

But here, that version of Min Do-yoon was nowhere to be seen.

He was restrained, with no trace of playfulness.

He kept his back straight and didn't make a sound.

I even doubted whether he was the same Min Do-yoon I'd seen at the hotel.

Breakfast took about twenty minutes, I think.

One by one, as people finished eating, they set down their utensils, and we waited until Min Ji-gwang finished his meal.

“Alright, let's get up.”

Finally, when Min Ji-gwang put down his spoon, our meal ended.

‘Here, after breakfast, they have a conversation time, right?’

Apparently, this family valued mornings the most. Since it was hard for everyone to gather for lunch or dinner, they had breakfast together and used that time for conversation.

Of course, on the table were pre-prepared tea and simple fruit.

Min Ji-gwang sat in the center, with his wife and Do-yoon on either side. I followed Do-yoon's signal and carefully sat at the very end.

“What are your plans for today, Do-yoon?”

Min Ji-gwang spoke first.

“I have a company meeting at ten, and in the afternoon, I have a review meeting with the investment team about an overseas business proposal.”

These were all company matters I wasn't familiar with.

I quietly observed their conversation, listening attentively.

I had no idea what to say in this atmosphere.

‘A chaebol world with this kind of culture. It would be fun to write about. If I put in a protagonist whose personality is completely different from this world…’

Even in the midst of this, my mind was working on new story ideas.

“You said you were a novelist, right?”

While I was lost in thoughts about story material, Min Ji-gwang's voice cut through.

In an instant, I became the protagonist, drawing everyone's attention.

“Yes.”

“Does writing novels make money?”

Min Ji-gwang's face wasn't much different from before, but there was a sense in his voice that was altogether different.

“People may think differently, but for me, novels definitely make money.”

“Is that so? How much do you make?”

“Per month, at most a thousand, at least a few hundred.”

I'm not sure why he's asking, but since it's all information you could find out with a little research, I answered honestly.

“Hmm, that's certainly a lot for your age.”

Min Ji-gwang nodded with a look of understanding.

My earnings would probably be in the top 1% compared to anyone outside LN Group.

“So, do you think the novel market will remain as it is?”

The topic was getting heavier.

What was Min Ji-gwang getting at?

“No, I think it's going to get much tougher going forward.”

“Why?”

“I think the high-cost, low-efficiency structure and excessive competition in the publishing market will make it difficult. There are also problems with the distribution system, which will further weaken the market's viability.”

I gave my answer, recalling bits of future information I roughly knew.

“With Korea's increasingly intense academic competition, students' reading is declining—that's another reason, in my view.”

The zeal of parents for education is cited as a reason for the collapse of the publishing market.

Of course, literature publishing suffers a harsher blow than novels do.

But that's just an excuse.

In truth, I think the real reason for the publishing world's decline is that it was too passive about content investment and slow to develop new forms of content.

Companies that can't keep up with change—we call those obsolete.

If the smartphone market hadn't opened up, the web novel and webtoon markets wouldn't have exploded into trillion-won industries.

You could say smartphones saved genre fiction.

“You said you’re nineteen this year?”

“Yes.”

“How are your grades?”

“I'm in the top fifteen in my class.”

“Hmm…”

Why is he asking all this?

“I heard from Do-yoon. The refrigerator ad idea was yours.”

“Huh?”

My gaze instinctively turned to Min Do-yoon.

He just shrugged like it was nothing and gave a small smile.

“Ah, um, yes.”

“And the slogan for your younger sister’s ad was also yours.”

How much did he tell them?

“Yes.”

This was getting more complicated by the minute.

“You clung to Do-yoon to experience what it’s like to be a chaebol, right?”

“Huh?”

Again my eyes turned to Min Do-yoon.

What is he talking about now?

When did I ever?

I stared at Do-yoon, blinking in disbelief.

Wink.

He didn't care.

Min Do-yoon closed one eye and opened it again.

“…Yes.”

I couldn't bring myself to deny it, and ended up admitting I'd clung to Do-yoon's coattails.

“Your grades are a bit lacking, but that’s not the most important thing. You have analytical skills, initiative, courage, and even a bit of ambition. Not bad. How about it? Would you like to learn the business from me?”

“What?!”

This time I was truly shocked.

So shocked that I jumped to my feet and stared blankly at Min Ji-gwang.

A direct offer from the group chairman.

My mind was spinning.

“Depending on your abilities, you could rise to a higher position than now.”

Min Ji-gwang's sharp gaze swept over me.

“…I’m sorry. I don’t think I can accept that offer. I want to achieve my goals by my own strength. And I swore from a young age to live the life of a writer. Thank you for thinking well of me.”

I never imagined I'd receive such an offer after coming here.

I was deeply moved.

“...”
“...”

When I finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.

Even Min Do-yoon, who had been watching me, and his mother.

Even the employees standing nearby all looked at me with surprised faces.

“Ha, haha. You even have backbone. Youth is wonderful. Let's just forget this conversation ever happened.”

Maybe I was mistaken, but I thought I saw the faintest curve of a smile on Min Ji-gwang's lips.

“What’s your schedule for today, Author?”

“…I think I’ll take some time to adapt.”

I paused, wondering what the best answer was, then spoke honestly.

“So, in other words, you don’t have any plans.”

“…?!”

“It’s not polite to invite a guest and leave them alone.”

Min Ji-gwang tapped the armrest of the sofa with his index finger, as if pondering something, and then turned his gaze to Min Do-yoon.

“Alright, let’s do this. You came to experience chaebol life, so today, you’ll try that. I’ll tell Do-yoon, so follow him.”

“No, there’s really no need… Thank you for your consideration.”

Feeling uneasy, I tried to refuse Min Ji-gwang’s suggestion, but seeing the sharp looks around me, I quickly changed my answer. I bowed deeply from my seat, expressing my gratitude.

Whatever kind of chaebol experience awaited me, a heavy sense of burden tightened around my mind.

The plans I had imagined were starting to go awry.

I worried about what kind of chaebol experience awaited.

I fervently hoped I wouldn't get swept up in anything too big.