Still, I Will Live As The Son-In-Law Of A Conglomerate [EN]: Chapter 80

80. 23rd. Taking Off the Mask (2)

With a light heart, I left the restaurant, hailed a taxi, and headed to a bar near Itaewon. Of course, I had texted Jang Ha-yeon to meet me there on the way.

Upon entering the bar, I made sure no one was around, ordered a Sicilian Kiss [a cocktail], and then grabbed my toothpaste, toothbrush, and cologne from my bag to head to the restroom. I needed to get rid of the lingering Chinese food smell and avoid looking like I had just come from a company dinner.

After brushing my teeth and spraying cologne, I hesitated to walk back to the table.

“N-Noona… [older sister or female friend]”

“What’s that? Did you doll up because you’re meeting me?”

Damn it.

I rushed as fast as I could, ignoring the toothbrush scraping my gums, but I still got caught.

“W-Well, that’s…”

“Not bad. It seems like our little guy thinks a lot about this noona, hehe.”

Jang Ha-yeon smiled softly at me and took a sip of the Sicilian Kiss on the table.

“This is good. What’s it called?”

This is driving me crazy. I was just trying to get rid of bad breath, but now I looked like a desperate guy dying for a kiss.

Seeing me hesitate, Jang Ha-yeon turned her head.

“Master, what’s this drink called?”

The bartender, who was meticulously cleaning a jigger [a bartending measuring tool], looked up.

“It’s a Sicilian Kiss, ma’am. It has a refreshing flavor like the weather on the island of Sicily. You could say it’s a taste that invites a kiss? Haha.”

Damn it.

I resented the bartender for laughing heartily. He was making me look like a guy desperate for a kiss!

“Nice. I’ll have another one, please.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The bartender made an identical cocktail and placed it on the table. Only then did Jang Ha-yeon open her mouth.

“Our little guy, did you want to kiss noona?”

“It’s not like that. I just came from a wrap-up party today.”

Muttering, I sat down. Jang Ha-yeon bit half of the cherry she had put in her mouth and blinked at me.

“Wrap-up party?”

“Today was my last day working at Haedong Mart. I’m moving to another company soon. So, it was a farewell party and dinner.”

Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“Another company? Are you going to work overseas again? Or… your uncle’s affiliate?”

“It’s nothing like that. I’m going to work outside the group.”

I waved my hand, but Jang Ha-yeon still looked skeptical.

“Why? You’ve been working hard and doing well, right? Why are you volunteering for exile?”

“It’s not exile. I’m not really interested in the chairman position.”

After I answered one more time, Jang Ha-yeon’s eyes widened.

“You’re… not interested in the chairman position?”

She must be quite shocked. Jang Ha-yeon, who always had a sharp personality, was even stuttering.

The playful atmosphere from before instantly turned into a strong gust of wind, swirling around us. Seeing her eyes shaking from the considerable shock, I spoke calmly.

“You see, I want other families’ companies to become good companies too. But if I become chairman, I’ll be tied to our family. Protecting the family business is enough with the shares I inherited from Grandpa.”

Perhaps it was an answer that deviated from the norms of chaebols [large South Korean business conglomerates], but Jang Ha-yeon couldn’t even close her mouth. Aren’t chaebols supposed to prioritize fattening their own group, no matter what happens to other companies?

Only I, among the Korean chaebols, can say such a thing, whether voluntarily or involuntarily giving up the group succession. Because Grandpa and Lee Myung-jin, I have 90 percent of the shares in the unlisted company Haedong Corporation, and Standard Capital will receive the shares when the inheritance begins.

Jang Ha-yeon straightened her shaking eyes and asked me.

“Perhaps… do you want to create the future?”

“Huh?”

“There’s a saying, ‘A historian is a prophet in reverse’.”

Jang Ha-yeon smiled gently and looked at me.

“You were going to study history in college, right? But after coming to work at the company, I wonder if you want to create history.”

“Noona…”

Those deep eyes that seemed to suck me in… Unlike Jang Su-yeon in my past life, the current Jang Ha-yeon understood me accurately.

Although it wasn’t my top priority, after meeting Tom Ford and Domenico De Sole, I wanted to turn my dream of a new future into reality. As someone who wanted to become a historian who looks back on the past and points to the future, even though I can’t go back now.

If I walk that path, others may curse me as a vicious corporate hunter, a ghoul who devours corpses, but I am confident that I can make my people happy now. So, I wanted to take one step at a time and do as much as I could.

Seeing me unable to speak, Jang Ha-yeon took a sip of her Sicilian Kiss.

“But you know, you’re just getting started, right? If you want to create that future, whatever it is, you have to show that you’re better.”

“Of course. If I can’t even do that, I won’t even be qualified to be arrested by noona, right?”

“You talk a good game. Then am I above you? Men create the world, but women embrace those men.”

That’s nonsense.

I only brought my memories to my abilities, but Jang Ha-yeon, as I remember her, is a person born with not only managerial skills but also discernment and aesthetic sense. If she and I work together, we can create a more wonderful, new future.

Imagining that future, I raised the corners of my lips and lifted my glass.

“Shall we toast? To the future we will create.”

“I like that.”

We lifted our glasses and lightly clinked them together.

“To the future.”

“For the sake of.”

After drinking the alcohol, I felt like I had taken off one of the many masks I was wearing.

I’m drawing this new future, but I wonder if my brother is doing well. Is he doing well?

At that moment, the phone on the table rang.

“Yes, this is Lee Seong-min.”

[It seems like it will be over soon, young master. I’ll see you at home.]

“Yes, Hyung [older brother or male friend]. Enjoy yourself, hehe.”

[Yes, young mas…ter.]

[Chief Park, what are you doing! We have to go for round two! Come on! Let’s all split the bill!]

Park Tae-jin’s flustered voice was mixed with the voices of other people. These people, they’re really determined to see this through to the end. Should I enjoy it a little too? I have a month’s vacation starting tomorrow.

***

After parting with Jang Ha-yeon and returning home, I sat on the living room sofa in my loungewear. It felt awkward to be alone until so late, unlike usual.

“He’s very late…”

Tapping the armrest with my fingertips, I muttered while looking at the cuckoo clock. Seeing that the hour hand was at 1 and the minute hand was about to reach 12, it seemed like the company dinner had gone on for a long time.

As I stared intently at the clock, the sound of the cuckoo popping out was heard at the same time as the sound of the front door opening. As soon as I heard that sound, I put on the cardigan I had placed on the sofa and went out into the garden.

“You’re here?”

“I’m sorry for being late, young master.”

Park Tae-jin, who had climbed up the stone steps, bowed his head.

I quickly went inside with him and poured him some green tea. It seemed like the conversation would be long, so I filled two large bowls to the brim.

“It’s cold, have some.”

“Yes.”

I took a sip of the tea while holding the bowl, and then opened my mouth after seeing Park Tae-jin put the bowl down.

“Hyung, what do you think of Section Chief Yoo?”

Park Tae-jin paused for a moment and then looked at me and asked.

“Why are you asking all of a sudden, young master?”

“No. I’ve been watching them for the past four months, and they seem to get along well.”

After replying indifferently, I took a sip of green tea while staring intently at Park Tae-jin.

The two people, who couldn’t even make eye contact with each other despite the skinship [physical affection] at the level of aegyo [acting cute] from the first day of work, were getting closer and closer as they moved on to indoor work, field promotion, and the company dinner after the first monthly closing of the store opening. If my guess was correct, Yoo Hyun-jung liked Park Tae-jin, and Park Tae-jin seemed to like Yoo Hyun-jung too.

Park Tae-jin, who was staring into my eyes, took a sip of green tea and opened his mouth.

“She’s a good person. Aside from her looks, she’s cheerful, doesn’t try to rely on others, and… I also like that she tries to do her part on her own.”

“You must also like that she approaches you first, right?”

“Yes… Yes?”

I smiled at Park Tae-jin’s surprised eyes as he answered absentmindedly.

“I’ve been watching you since the first day. From when your hands touched during the meeting and you couldn’t make eye contact, to in the office, during field promotion, and… even during the company dinner, how Section Chief Yoo was leading Hyung, hehe.”

“Y-Young master…”

Cold sweat formed on the edge of Park Tae-jin’s forehead as he stuttered. If Park Tae-jin, who had seen women as if they were stones rolling on the street, had willingly followed Yoo Hyun-jung, he must have feelings for her.

I smiled gently and said to him.

“Catch Section Chief Yoo before it’s too late. I’m going to get married within three years, excluding this year.”

“Yes?”

“I have to hold the wedding before Ha-yeon Noona turns thirty. Other chaebol families would have already married her off and had children, but I can’t leave her alone forever.”

I couldn’t reveal my true feelings of only becoming a son-in-law of the Shinseong Group’s Jang family, drying up the blood of her family members, and taking everything they had, but Park Tae-jin calmly opened his mouth.

“Thank you, young master.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Hyung’s life is Hyung’s life.”

But Park Tae-jin shook his head.

“To be honest, I didn’t feel like leaving you, young master. Chairman, President, and Madam taught someone like me what family is and what kind of affection is exchanged with family members, and I was worried about how lonely the young master would be left alone.”

I had always thought of him as a real brother, but hearing it directly from Park Tae-jin like this made my heart ache.

“Hyung…”

“That’s not all. I was worried about who would take care of you, young master, as I was about to leave the side of someone who seemed like they would plant Haedong’s flag in every corner of the world in the future… But if Ha-yeon Agassi [young lady] takes care of you, young master, I think I can prepare with peace of mind.”

Looking at Park Tae-jin’s face with a simple smile, it felt like the stone pressing down on my heart had disappeared. I always felt sorry that someone who lacked nothing had lived a lonely life alone until he was over sixty because of me in my past life…

Not wanting to show a weak side, I smiled and changed the subject.

“Hyung, you too. Since we’re both unemployed from tomorrow, let’s sleep in late and have lunch outside. I want to go to the Gomtang [Korean beef bone soup] restaurant I went to with my parents, how about it?”

“I’ll make an exception for you. Instead, when you come back from the meal, we’ll start training, haha.”

We smiled at each other and emptied our bowls, finishing our time at Haedong Mart.

***

11 a.m. the next day.

After sleeping in for the first time in a while, we washed our faces roughly and went to the Gomtang restaurant wearing caps, hooded zip-ups, and down jackets. When I opened the door and went inside, memories of my childhood when I came to eat with my parents came flooding back.

“It’s crowded even after a long time.”

“It’s a place that has been in this spot since the first chairman.”

We sat at the table and looked around the restaurant. It seemed that the five-day work week had not yet started, so the salarymen diligently emptying their earthenware pots were noticeable.

“When will the five-day work week start in our country?”

“I think it will take about 10 years. The culture of forced overtime is still rampant. Our group is doing 5 groups and 3 shifts, even if it’s only limited to factories…”

Park Tae-jin trailed off and gave a bitter smile.

In Korea today, only the Haedong Group is implementing 5 groups and 3 shifts due to the grandfather’s management philosophy that ‘the company develops only when employees are healthy’ – although terrible sanctions are imposed, such as reducing performance bonuses or dismissing employees if they slack off.

Knowing that reality, I also smiled bitterly at Park Tae-jin.

“I know. If we focus only on work during work hours, there’s no need for overtime, and we’ll have more time to spend with our families…”

That day must come quickly. That way, more people will come to our department stores, discount stores, and theaters in the evening and spend money, right?

More than anything, I am a person who hates wasting time on useless things, even if the workload is high. If my position within the group becomes larger, I will unconditionally eliminate unnecessary overtime.

A worker came to me, who was licking my lips, and Park Tae-jin, who was looking at me with a happy expression.

“What would you like?”

“Two Gomtang, please.”

The worker who took the order put two cups of clear broth in front of us and went to the kitchen. We drank the broth to soothe our stomachs, which had been ruined by the company dinner yesterday, and to warm our bodies.

“Hoo, it’s delicious.”

“It seems like it’s the same taste as before, even though it’s been a while, haha.”

While drinking the broth while telling old stories that happened here, a worker walked over with two earthenware pots on a tray.

“Two Gomtang are here.”

“Thank you, Auntie. I’ll enjoy the meal.”

Just as the worker was about to put the earthenware pot on our table, a loud voice erupted.

“Hey, lady! We were here first! Why are you giving it there first!”

“I’m sorry, customer!”

An embarrassed look appeared on the face of the worker who shouted loudly.

“Oh my, look at my mind. They were here first. I’m sorry, customers. I’ll bring it to them first and bring you something else.”

Park Tae-jin and I nodded willingly. Since we were unemployed for a month starting today, we had plenty of time.

“Go ahead, Auntie.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell the kitchen to put more meat in it.”

The worker with an awkward smile went to the other side, but the situation was getting worse and worse. The loud voice erupted again with a clatter.

“Lady, do you think I’m a joke! Where are you bringing something that was going to be put on someone else’s table from!”

“C-Customer…”

“Am I a beggar? Huh! Do you know who I am to be doing this!”

Looking at the side where the sound came from, a middle-aged man was getting up from his seat and swearing at a middle-aged woman. The shattered Gomtang bowl had been overturned on the floor for a long time, and the woman was accepting the abuse with her head bowed.

“If you just let it go during lunch time, will something fall off? It’s not like you put a spoon in it.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I would have just let it go…”

After finishing the gossip, we quietly waited for the food to come out, but a loud voice erupted again.

“Hey! You two over there with hats on!”

When we continued to pretend not to know, we heard footsteps. The footsteps stopped, and a shadow fell in front of the table, and one arm went up high.

Thwack! Thwack!

“What were you guys talking about? Huh! You little punks!”

I couldn’t believe there was such a crazy person in the world. To suddenly slap people on the back of the head? Park Tae-jin got hit once, and I got hit once evenly.

I’ve been waiting for this. I’ll make sure you pay the price for making me take off my mask.