Free Web NovelAs soon as I returned to Korea, the first place I went was the hospital where Grandfather was staying.
“You’re here?”
Ha Myeonghun greeted me outside the room. I hadn’t seen him in a while, and his face looked noticeably gaunter.
“You’ve lost a lot of weight, Manager Ha.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“Grandfather’s condition is the same, isn’t it?”
“...Yes.”
We walked down the hallway as we spoke. I could have gone straight into the room to check on Grandfather, but I wanted to talk with Ha a little longer.
“What about letting someone else handle the hospital visits and officially taking the position of Chairman of Taesan Finance? You should take care of your health too.”
“I’d like to stay by the Chairman’s side a while longer.”
Hearing him say that made me both grateful and a little pained.
“I’ve heard there’s no sign of Grandfather’s condition improving, Manager Ha. I think it would be good for you to let someone else take over the hospital duties and slowly start getting involved in activities.”
“Still...”
Before he could finish, I cut in.
“It’s not good to leave the chairman’s seat at Taesan Finance empty for too long. Eva is keeping an eye on things, but there’s a limit to what she can do.”
I lightly patted his shoulder, his expression still dark.
“Then let’s at least hold the inauguration first, and you can take your time easing into the work.”
When we were granted approval to launch Taesan Finance, I’d promised to appoint a domestic figure—not a foreigner—as chairman.
No matter how much Eva paid attention, she couldn’t fully cover the gap.
Taesan Finance was my weapon, starting in Korea and set to expand aggressively worldwide.
“I’ll schedule the inauguration after the parliamentary elections, so be ready.”
“...Understood.”
He looked like he wanted to say more, but when I spoke firmly, he only gave a small nod.
“I don’t have many people I can trust, Manager Ha. Dealing with Cheon Sooman and Ilseong Group is already enough of a headache—if Taesan Finance, which I built with so much effort, starts to wobble, it’ll be even worse.”
Now that I knew there was an even bigger organization behind the scenes, there was no time to relax.
I needed to remove all the enemies in Korea and quickly figure out who those people were.
“In that case, please let me keep watching over the Chairman, even after I take the position. I’ll come at night if I have to.”
Before opening the room, I studied his face as he spoke in a firm tone.
Solid and steadfast. Always in the same place, guarding Grandfather. I gave him a gentle smile.
They say that if you have even one person by your side at the end, you’ve lived a successful life.
Perhaps Grandfather’s greatest success was making Ha Myeonghun one of his people.
“Yes, do that.”
I nodded lightly and opened the door.
Inside, Grandfather was staring blankly at the ceiling, mouth slightly open.
I closed the door carefully and walked over to him. Even as I approached, his eyes were unfocused and hazy.
He looked smaller than I remembered.
After finishing my visit with Grandfather, I went to the Myeongdong office.
Most matters I’d handled over the phone, but there were still things I had to deal with in person.
Even though election rules forbade publicizing poll results during the campaign, each party was still conducting their own.
I checked the poll results Ma Manager had brought from each party—Centrist, Progressive, and Conservative—spreading them out and pointing to the figures.
“The Centrist Party taking the largest share in the Assembly looks certain.”
“Yes, Boss. Based on the compiled results, we should safely become the largest party.”
While numbers varied by party poll, combined they showed the Centrist Party taking 120–150 seats, including proportional representation.
The Progressive Party was expected to take 80–100 seats, and the Conservatives the rest.
The Centrists were doing better than expected, but the Progressives still enjoyed significant support despite the Kim Hakgwon administration’s corruption scandals.
‘The fact that the Centrist vote share isn’t far ahead of the Progressives bothers me.’
It was likely the alliance between Kim Hakgwon and Ilseong Group’s Chairman Seo was having an effect.
Even with a lead, poll numbers don’t always match election results. I couldn’t relax—public sentiment can change the day before the vote.
“Keep monitoring Myungsoo’s and President Yoon’s district campaigns.”
Right now, Myungsoo and Yoon Changho’s victories were top priority.
If Myungsoo lost, his influence in the party would weaken. If Yoon Changho lost, the presidential election would be in doubt.
I pushed the poll sheets aside and leaned back on the sofa.
My eyes felt hot from staring at documents too long, and my body was tired from working before even shaking off the jet lag.
Ma Manager spoke when he saw me pressing my eyes and sighing. frёeωebɳovel.com
“You should go rest, Boss.”
“I’ve got dinner plans with Hyunseong. I’ll just close my eyes here until then. If I go home, I won’t wake up.”
I heard the door close softly behind him, and I fell asleep almost instantly.
“Boss, it’s time to go,” he called quietly, waking me.
“...Already?”
“You must have been very tired.”
I stretched and checked the time. It felt like only moments had passed, but two hours were gone. My throat was dry when I spoke.
“Water, please.”
After a cool glass, my head cleared.
“Let’s go.”
At the restaurant, Hyunseong wasn’t there yet. I took off my coat and sat down to wait.
Before long, the door opened—Hyunseong walked in, but he wasn’t alone. Beside him was Kang Mijin.
“Hello, I’m Kang Mijin,” she said.
The unexpected appearance surprised me, but I quickly stood and returned her greeting.
“I’m Kim Muhyuk. Nice to meet you, Ms. Mijin.”
We’d only met once before, at her interview. In private, it felt a little awkward.
Sensing the discomfort, Hyunseong cleared his throat.
“When did you get here, Muhyuk?”
“Not long ago. Ten minutes?”
I answered, though I was more curious why they’d come together.
I tried asking with my eyes, but instead of explaining, Hyunseong simply pulled out a chair for Mijin—something so natural it made me wonder if this was the same man I knew.
“One moment.”
I told Ma Manager outside to order another meal, then sat back down.
“You could’ve told me if you were bringing someone.”
“It just happened.”
They exchanged glances.
Well now, there’s something here. Before I could ask, the bomb dropped.
“I brought her to introduce her properly,” Hyunseong said evenly.
“I’m going to marry Mijin.”
“...Introduce? Marry?”
I blinked dumbly at the words I hadn’t expected.
Seeing my expression, Hyunseong smirked and continued,
“Yeah. I’ll take her to meet my father next week. I wanted to introduce her to you and Myungsoo first, but it’s been hard to match schedules—you’ve been busy, and Myungsoo’s tied up with the election.”
I’d never imagined Hyunseong would be the first of the three of us to get married. He’d never even glanced at women before.
Instead of questioning him, I turned to Mijin. She blushed slightly but smiled shyly.
“Congratulations, Hyunseong. Looks like you’re the first among us to tie the knot. Never saw it coming. Congratulations to you too, Ms. Mijin.”
“Thank you, Mr. Muhyuk.”
It was worth celebrating—but the question was whether Hyunseong’s parents would accept her, given who her father was.
Hyunseong must have guessed my thoughts; he slowly closed and opened his eyes before speaking, even with Mijin sitting right beside him.
“Her father is her father, and she’s herself. They’re different people. Even if my parents oppose it, I have no intention of giving her up.”
Mijin’s expression didn’t change—she must have already anticipated his parents’ disapproval.
How much prejudice Kang Mijin had faced in her life was something only she could truly know.
For someone who had endured all those stares, perhaps such things no longer even hurt her.
“Are you okay, Ms. Mijin?”
“Yes. I’ll just do whatever Hyunseong wants. It’s only natural that our parents might oppose it.”
“Hmm...”
Even though it was her own matter, she spoke calmly and decisively. Then she took Hyunseong’s hand. From that gesture, I could tell she truly trusted and liked him.
It was a good sight to see. Wanting to shift the mood, I asked her a question.
“So what is it about this frustrating guy that made you want to marry him? If I were a woman, I’d be so exasperated I’d die.”
“I’ve never found him frustrating at all. He was the °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° one who first approached me, and he was also the one who stopped me when I tried to quit my job and run away.”
She smiled brightly as she spoke about Hyunseong.
Was she really talking about the Hyunseong I knew?
I looked at him with a disbelieving expression, but he just shrugged. Playing innocent.
“Really? He’s like a bear—barely talks, doesn’t show his emotions. Must’ve been hard to deal with.”
“He’s never been like that with me. He tells me I’m beautiful and that he loves me all the time.”
“Huh...”
Embarrassed by her praise, Hyunseong turned his head, and I was left speechless.
Just then, the door opened and the food we had ordered began arriving.
“Let’s eat first. We can talk more while we eat.” frёewebηovel.cѳm
While eating, I nearly dropped my spoon when I saw Hyunseong deboning a piece of fish and placing it on top of Mijin’s rice.
They say people change when they start dating, and right now, he didn’t seem like the Hyunseong I knew. If he was like this in front of me, I didn’t even want to imagine how he was when they were alone.
Still, I kept quiet and busied myself with my food, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere.
“You’re going to see your father next week?”
“Yeah. I told him I’d be bringing the woman I’m going to marry.”
“What did he say?”
“Don’t you know my dad? He doesn’t care. My mom’s happy about it.”
“He’s just not showing it. I’m sure your father’s pleased inside.”
“Yeah, I know.”
...Strange. He’s talking more than usual.
Still, seeing him like this made me smile without realizing it.
Over dessert—fruit and sujeonggwa—we continued talking.
“When are you planning the wedding?”
“If my parents give their approval, we’re thinking within the year.”
“Really?”
Since it was May now, if they got permission, an autumn wedding would be perfect.
I felt pleased just imagining it, even though nothing was confirmed yet.
“I’ll take responsibility for our Hyunseong’s wedding. I’ll make it the best wedding possible.”
“Forget it. Don’t bother.”
Still smiling faintly, Hyunseong slid some fruit over to Mijin.
The sight made me laugh, and I spoke in my old dialect without thinking.
“What are you talking about? I was planning to take care of both your wedding and Myungsoo’s. I’ll handle the ceremony and the newlywed home—just focus on the wedding jewelry. I’m not covering that.”
It wasn’t that Hyunseong lacked money.
The companies he had invested in were now listed on KOSDAQ, and HS Venture Capital’s capital had skyrocketed. As the largest shareholder, his wealth had inevitably grown as well.
But still—I wanted to do something for him.
“Ms. Mijin, you’re fine with that, right? I hope you don’t take it the wrong way. Between him and me, this is nothing.”
“Of course. I’ve heard a lot about you from Hyunseong.”
“Oh? And what’s he said about me and Myungsoo?”
I was curious, since in front of us he was always curt and never openly emotional.
Mijin glanced at Hyunseong with a playful, ‘Is it okay if I tell him?’ look, then smiled at me.
“He said you’re the person he treasures most after his parents. That you’re a friend he wouldn’t hesitate to give everything to.”
Hearing that Hyunseong had actually said such a thing made me laugh.
“Really? Can’t imagine him ever saying that.”
“Hahaha.”
Mijin and I laughed together, while Hyunseong, now at a disadvantage, stayed silent and avoided eye contact—the Hyunseong I knew.
It was about time to wrap things up. I regretted cutting it short, but I had a mountain of work waiting.
“Once you’ve met with your parents, let’s all get together with Myungsoo. The election will be over by then.”
“Yeah, got it.”
“See you next time, Ms. Mijin.”
“Yes, Mr. Muhyuk.”
After watching them leave together, I got into the car.
From inside, I watched their figures grow smaller in the distance for a long while.
It was a strange, restless feeling. My friend was getting married.
Suddenly curious, I turned to Ma Manager in the passenger seat.
“Are you planning to get married, Manager?”
“...Marriage, sir?”
The question seemed to catch him off guard.
“Yes. Marriage.”
“Why do you ask all of a sudden, Boss...?”
“No reason. Just wondering.”
“I’m not thinking about it yet.”
“Hyunseong’s getting married. Somehow, it made me a little jealous.”
He didn’t answer, but I kept speaking as I watched the streetlights blur past in streaks.
“I guess someday I’ll meet a woman I’ll want to marry too... right?”
My own voice sounded so pitiful that I chuckled under my breath.
I didn’t want another loveless marriage like in my last life. I wanted to meet someone I could give my all to without regret.
It was a particularly lonely day.
Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was election day. Fortunately, nothing happened to upset the balance of the race.
I woke up early to vote and decided to spend the day at my Pyeongchang-dong home without any other plans.
I was tired from running all over the place in preparation for the elections.
“How’s it going, Myungsoo?”
— Well, I’ve done everything I could. Honestly, I feel relieved.
It was good to hear his voice again after a while.
“No regrets?”
— What’s there to regret?
“If you’d run as a proportional representative or in Busan, you would’ve been guaranteed a win. You don’t resent me, do you?”
I’d sent him down the harder path instead of the easy one, and part of me still felt guilty about it.
Sensing my thoughts, he replied lightly,
— Forget it. You must’ve had your reasons for sending me into a tough race. I don’t regret it.
“Then I’m grateful you see it that way.”
— The exit polls are coming on. I’ll call you later.
With that, he hung up. On TV, the exit poll results were starting to appear.
