Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 42

42. 13th. Things to Do Before Leaving (1)

One month later.

Jang Ho-geon sat on the living room sofa, reading the newspaper while waiting for breakfast.

[Hae Dong Department Store’s Transformation is Innocent? Emerges as the Nation’s Top Luxury Department Store!]

[Young Blood Overcomes Experience! Hae Dong Department Store’s Main Branch Achieves the Highest Monthly Sales Among Department Stores Nationwide!]

“My sister must be fuming.”

A mischievous smile spread across Jang Ho-geon’s face. His sister, who always claimed that no one could surpass her in selling things to eat, use, and wear, had been soundly defeated by her two precious children.

As Jang Ho-geon continued reading the newspaper, Hwang Na-yeon’s voice came from behind him.

“Breakfast is ready, dear.”

Nodding, he got up and entered the dining room. His children were already seated. Jang Ha-yeon was trying to appear calm, but unlike her, her three siblings looked stiff, indicating they had already seen the newspaper.

During the quiet meal, Jang Su-yeon put down the spoon she was holding with her bandaged hand and opened her mouth.

“Father, I… I’ll start going on arranged dates from next year.”

“Arranged dates?”

Jang Ho-geon doubted if what he had just heard was true. His second daughter, who couldn’t live without men, was saying she would go on arranged dates?

“Yes. I’ll rest quietly only this year, and from next year, please find me a good husband.”

Jang Ho-geon knew why Jang Su-yeon was doing this. After causing such a commotion and embarrassment at the Hae Dong Department Store’s main branch, it seemed she had given up on Lee Seong-min.

As Jang Ho-geon’s own child, he let out a silent groan.

“Hmm… I understand. I’ll find someone worthy to stand by your side.”

Since Jang Su-yeon seemed to have found her path, only one thing remained for Jang Ho-geon.

When would Jang Ha-yeon and Lee Seong-min tie the knot?

***

Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Looking up at the Black Forest cuckoo clock, it was three in the afternoon.

“Whew, not much time left.”

“It seems we only have to suffer for a few more days.”

Park Tae-jin and I smiled at each other.

The great journey of Korea Mobile Telecommunications, which began last August, was nearing its end. After completing the consulting, we started selling off our shares, and in a few days, we would have sold all of them.

“After paying off the loans and taxes, we’ll have about 120 billion won left. How much does your sister have?”

“She’ll have about 38 billion won left. That should be a good support for Miss Ha-yeon, Master.”

“We won’t be seeing each other for quite a while after this is over, so I hope it’ll be of some comfort.”

After finishing the consulting, Park Tae-jin and I had been receiving investment reports from Standard Capital through Seon Hae-cheol, in addition to selling shares. I felt proud that I had created a financial safety net for Jang Ha-yeon to rely on even when I was gone, as I would be moving to the United States in ten days.

Seeing my expression, Park Tae-jin smiled.

“The body relies on the mind, and the mind relies on the wallet, haha.”

“That’s a saying from the Talmud, isn’t it? Hehe.”

I smiled and, together with Park Tae-jin, tidied up the documents scattered on the sofa and table. We had plenty of time, so we wouldn’t be late for the appointment even if we prepared slowly.

As I was carrying the box of documents upstairs, Park Tae-jin’s voice came from behind me.

“Master, did you give Miss Ha-yeon what you bought in New York earlier this year?”

“Huh?”

“You went to Macy’s to buy something for Miss Ha-yeon when you came back, didn’t you? You’ve been so busy with work since you got back that you forgot. Let’s go upstairs.”

Following me, Park Tae-jin came up to the second floor, entered the room, opened the built-in closet, and rummaged through it with a bent back. What was it? I had been so busy with work since I got back that I had forgotten.

“I’m glad I put it in the corner. Here it is.”

What he handed me was a small shopping bag covered in dust. Taking the handle, I opened my mouth only after seeing the logo engraved on the box inside.

“Ah… !”

“You must have been busy participating in company matters for the first time. I thought you would take care of it yourself, so I didn’t say anything.”

Park Tae-jin said it so I wouldn’t feel bad, but I couldn’t say anything. After 23 years of being a workaholic, I had forgotten something I bought for the most precious person. Damn it.

“Thank you, 형 (hyung) [older brother/male friend].”

Thanks to Park Tae-jin, I was now able to take care of something I had forgotten. It was a blessing in disguise that I could give her a ‘charm’ to replace me before we parted for a while.

Seeing my embarrassed smile, Park Tae-jin smiled and asked me, as if something had come to mind.

“I think there were two of the same items in the shopping bag… Did you buy them both to give to her?”

“No. I’ll keep one for myself.”

Park Tae-jin tilted his head, but there was a reason. Today, I would only give her the gift I bought, and I would use the other one when the time came.

***

“Do you have someone you’re looking for?”

“I’m here to see Jang Ha-yeon.”

“She’s waiting in the room. This way, please.”

Arriving at a wine bar in Gangnam [affluent district in Seoul] on time for the appointment, I was guided inside. Stopping in front of a door, the employee opened it and pointed inside.

“We’ll set up the glasses and snacks soon. Please wait a moment.”

After the employee closed the curtain, I apologized to Jang Ha-yeon.

“Am I too late?”

“I just got here too. Welcome.”

Sitting down, I took the newspaper out of my briefcase and showed it to her.

“Did you see this? The media is praising us a lot, huhuhu.”

“I saw it in the newspaper this morning… How did it go with the chairman’s promise?”

I smiled at Jang Ha-yeon’s question, which was half expectation and half worry.

“I got a call from Grandpa this morning, and it was 35 percent higher than the previous year’s monthly sales.”

The Hae Dong Department Store consulting was very successful. Although the number of brands had decreased compared to before, internal analysis showed that sales and net profit per brand had increased dramatically as it transformed into a premium store, so the performance guarantee was a thing of the past.

“Really? Whew-.”

As Jang Ha-yeon was relieved, the employee’s voice was heard.

“May I come in?”

“Come in.”

As soon as the answer was given, the employee lifted the curtain and came inside. On the tray in his hand were two cognac glasses and a plate of chocolates and cheese. But… one was empty.

“Where’s the alcohol?”

“We should drink something special today. I have something I brought from home.”

“누나 (Nuna) [older sister/female friend], that’s a bit…”

“I specially booked a room today to drink this. It cost a lot of money to rent this place, you know?”

I felt awkward drinking alcohol that I had personally brought to a bar, but Jang Ha-yeon waved her hand at me with a reassuring expression and took out a small box from the paper bag she had placed underneath.

“Courvoisier Erte collection Vingne?”

“Why? Don’t you like it?”

I quickly shook my hand, afraid she might be disappointed.

“Of course not? It’s precious.”

There was a reason to book a room and drink it. To think we would be drinking cognac that was only produced in five thousand bottles.

“누나 (Nuna), aren’t you overdoing it?”

“Not at all. I received this as an entrance gift from my father, and I’ve been collecting one every year since then. I’ll collect the last collection next year.”

She was going to drink the cognac she received as a gift from Jang Ho-geon with me… The signal was good.

Still, I pretended not to notice and asked something else.

“Do you like the bottle design?”

“It’s not just the design, but it seems to reveal how people live.”

“I guess so. It’s a work of art that shows the life of cognac.”

Courvoisier Erte collection.

It is a cognac blended with eaux-de-vie aged since 1892 and Grande Champagne aged since 1930.

The alcohol itself is excellent, but it is a masterpiece in which Erté, a master of French design, imprinted a design on the bottle that embodies the process of making cognac, with a total of eight types of editions.

Among them, #1 ‘Vigne’, which we will drink today, was released in 1988, and a woman lying on a grape tree is drawn on the outside of the bottle. Seeing that figure, it felt like we were opening the first act of our lives, which we would weave together like a grape tree.

After a brief talk about alcohol, we filled our glasses.

“Thank you for your hard work, Seong-min.”

“You too, 누나 (Nuna).”

Exchanging greetings and clinking our glasses with a clear sound, we slowly savored the cognac.

“The aroma is good. It’s so complex and subtle that we should drink it while talking about philosophy.”

“I agree. We should drink this alcohol while talking about life. Our life stories are philosophical stories, aren’t they? Hehe.”

“That’s right, hehe.”

She and I clinked our glasses once more and drank the alcohol.

“I was so surprised when the new building opened. If a major accident had happened from the first day… it would have been terrible.”

Jang Ha-yeon spoke about that day and sighed lightly.

“Su-yeon 누나 (Nuna) was running around that day… Was everything okay at home?”

“I heard from the housekeepers…”

Hearing the story of Jang Su-yeon’s tantrum at home through Jang Ha-yeon, it seemed she was more than just angry. It was as if she was about to lose me to Jang Ha-yeon, but she had turned millions of won worth of luxury goods into waste.

“Is there anything else besides that?”

Jang Ha-yeon took a sip of cognac and said to me.

“I told my father this morning that I would go on arranged dates.”

“Arranged dates?”

“I said I would go from next year… I don’t know if I should be happy or not.”

What I had sensed when I ran out of the department store had become a reality. It seemed I had to give up my plan to drag Jang Su-yeon around. Damn it.

It was better this way. Rather than awkwardly straddling two relationships, it was much more worthwhile to give my all to this woman who was facing me and drinking alcohol. Revenge only leaves emptiness, but love leaves happiness, doesn’t it?

I nodded and sighed lightly.

“Hoo-, I hope we continue to do well in the future. We.”

“What kind of well?”

“누나 (Nuna) establishing herself as 누나 (Nuna), and me establishing myself as me…”

For a very brief moment, disappointment flashed across Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes, but I didn’t want to give her the answer she wanted yet.

I realized in this life that the process of love being completed is more thrilling and enjoyable than when it is completed, so I wanted to share this joy with her until the time came. Above all, I needed more preparation to stand by her side.

“I guess so. We’re not… ?”

Jang Ha-yeon nodded and then looked at me with a puzzled look.

“You’ve established yourself enough, haven’t you? With that much achievement… what’s lacking?”

“I have to go to America.”

As soon as the word America came out, Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes looked sad.

“America? Why?”

“Hae Dong Corporation is the root of our group. To participate in management, I have to go to America to learn trading business and come back.”

I said it calmly, but Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes looked even more lonely than before. The loneliness that I could feel even though she was trying not to show it… Seeing that, I felt like my chest was about to burst.

I wanted to leave everything to Claire and Seon Hae-cheol, but I had to be apart for a while now. Because there were many things I had to do for the future.

Looking at Jang Ha-yeon’s sullen face, I took out a small box that I had brought from home from my bag.

“What’s that…?”

“It’s a late gift.”

“A gift?”

“I bought it for 누나 (Nuna) when I went to New York earlier this year, but I’m only giving it to you now. Open it.”

The darkness was clearing from Jang Ha-yeon’s face as she looked at the Bulgari bracelet in the box. Seeing the smile spreading across her lips, I wanted to bow down to Park Tae-jin if he was in front of me.

“Please wear it, thinking of it as me.”

Looking at the bracelet, she raised her head and looked at me.

“Okay…”

Her trailing off made my heart tingle.

I was so intoxicated by that tingling, or even pretending to be intoxicated, that I wanted to confess right away.

That I wanted to dedicate my whole life to her.

That I wanted to love her with all my heart.

But.

I had to be patient.

Until I had the strength.

Until I was sure.

Because I didn’t want to make a mistake again.

Because I didn’t want to miss her again.

***

It was late at night when Jang Ha-yeon returned home. In her hand as she entered the dark house was a paper bag containing an empty bottle.

Without turning on the lights, she quietly entered her room and sat on the bed.

“You bad guy…”

Jang Ha-yeon’s fist was trembling on the bed.

[…I hope we continue to do well in the future. We.]

It might sound like nothing, but Jang Ha-yeon felt affection for herself in those words. Those words warmed her heart, but she felt a tingling sensation as if she had been electrocuted by the way he looked at her while drinking.

She resented him for giving her a subtle wall while giving her the Bulgari bracelet that was on her arm.

Still, she didn’t want to give him up.

She didn’t want to give up his warmth, which gave up what she hated and understood why she collected paintings.

She didn’t want to give up the comfort that filled and embraced her shortcomings.

Sighing, she got up from her seat and dropped the clothes that were covering her body one by one onto the floor before entering the shower room. She felt like she wouldn’t be able to sleep because of the terrible fever unless she cooled her body with cold water.