Free Web NovelThere was a flicker of curiosity in Daigo Tadashige’s eyes as he studied me.
I didn’t show it outwardly either, but I was watching him just as intently.
‘He looks like I could snap his neck at any moment...’
Daigo Tadashige looked frail enough to need a cane to walk.
His frame was small, his face wrinkled with age.
But his eyes—his eyes were alive.
“Why so cautious?”
Sensing my wariness, Daigo Tadashige spoke first.
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I wasn’t? If someone I’m meeting for the first time knows both me and Han Kyungyeong perfectly, anyone would be suspicious.”
I glanced around casually and continued,
“Besides, the moment you came in, everyone else in this restaurant disappeared. Am I supposed to think that’s a coincidence?”
When Han Kyungyeong left, the people inside the restaurant had quietly left as well, one by one.
This was no coincidence.
Either his influence was greater than I expected, or this entire place had been filled with his people from the start—one of the two.
“Haha, no need to be so sharp. I just happened to have a brief connection with Chairman Cheon Taesan, so I wanted to see his successor with my own eyes.”
At the sudden mention of that name, my body froze before I realized it.
He met my grandfather?
“You knew my grandfather?”
“I met him several times in his youth. Alongside Kodama Yoshio. May I speak comfortably? Given my connection to your grandfather.”
“······As you wish.”
Speaking informally meant he saw me as a junior, but that didn’t matter right now.
This was a rare chance to learn more about my grandfather.
To anyone else it might seem meaningless, but to me, it mattered.
“Let’s talk over some tea, shall we?”
Daigo Tadashige raised his hand.
“Bring two cups of hot tea.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Chairman. So he wasn’t even trying to hide it, despite knowing I had no fondness for Daedonghoe.
“Now, where was I?”
“You said you had a brief connection with my grandfather.”
“Ah, yes. I first met Chairman Cheon Taesan in Korea. It must have been around 1963 or 1964...”
Daigo Tadashige paused, recalling the past.
“Ah, yes. That’s right. When I visited Korea with Kodama Yoshio. I was still young back then.”
I pretended not to know the name and asked,
“Kodama Yoshio? Who’s that?”
“You don’t know of him?”
“Should I? Never heard the name.”
He frowned, clearly displeased, and I had to suppress a smirk.
Before I’d even learned what Daedonghoe was, I had never heard of any of their names.
It was ridiculous to assume I’d know some Japanese man who’d died decades ago.
Arrogant to the core. Maybe he was a revered figure to them, but to me, they were just the kind I despised.
“It doesn’t matter if others don’t know, but you should. Most of your family’s wealth came from the funds that man invested in your grandfather. So yes—you should know him.”
“······.”
What the hell was that supposed to mean? My expression stiffened involuntarily.
Daigo Tadashige pressed the advantage, his tone sharpening.
“Do you really believe your grandfather conquered Korea’s loan market with his bare hands?”
“I was told he started from nothing. After Japan’s defeat, when Japanese fled and abandoned their assets, he bought up former Japanese-owned houses to raise capital.”
“Haha, come now. Where do you think the money to buy so many properties came from? Not one or two, but dozens—hundreds of them.”
It took an immense amount of money to seize the loan market.
My grandfather had never revealed where his starting capital came from.
Could this man’s story be true? I said nothing and simply listened.
“It was Kodama Yoshio who lent him the money. Chairman Cheon used that as seed capital and built his fortune. The old man never expected it—he just lent it out because he admired a passionate young Korean. Then he forgot about it, or so he said.”
A man who seemed to be Daigo’s secretary brought in two cups of tea and a small pot.
After neatly pouring the tea, he bowed and left.
Daigo lifted his cup and continued.
“When I visited Korea again with him, your grandfather was already a major figure in the loan market. That’s when I met him—during Japan and Korea’s normalization talks.”
My grandfather had never once mentioned this.
Not in my previous life, not in this one.
“I see. I had no idea.”
“Back then, Chairman Seo of Ilseong, Chairman Song of Daehyun, and Chairman Cheon of Myeongdong... they all got along well. They helped each other—and worked closely with Japan too.”
“······What exactly are you trying to say?” frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
“I’m wondering—why have you made Japan your enemy? And Ilseong Group as well? That’s what I came to find out.”
So he hadn’t come because of my meeting with Koizumi.
Feigning ignorance, I asked,
“And why should I tell you that?”
“Humor an old man’s curiosity, and I’ll give you a gift. How about it? Will you tell me?”
A gift, huh. I wondered what kind of card he meant to play.
Since he wasn’t someone who spoke idly, I replied evenly,
“Have you heard of a group called Cheongpunghoe?”
Daigo Tadashige nodded slightly.
Of course he had. They were the descendants of pro-Japanese collaborators, after all.
“I clashed with them. I’m sure you already know that much. Anyway, after that conflict, I destroyed them. But behind them were the Japanese yakuza. So I fought them too.”
Daigo sighed softly, intrigued.
He was telling me to continue, so I did.
“They attacked my people first. So I retaliated. They provoked me, and I simply repaid them. Ilseong was the same. Nothing personal.”
I summarized what he likely already knew. He just wanted to hear it from me directly.
“Haha! Rightly so. When you’re struck, you strike back. That’s the samurai spirit, isn’t it? I like that.”
Of course. He laughed loudly, satisfied. Samurai spirit, my ass.
“Good. You’re exactly as I imagined.”
“······.”
After laughing for a while, he spoke again with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Interesting. To think someone like you was born in Korea. If you’d been born in Japan, I’d have made you my successor.”
He downed his cold tea in a single gulp and slammed the cup onto the table.
At the same time, his smile vanished.
“But that’s enough. You should stop here. Reckless games are for the young. I can’t let you run wild forever.”
The cold voice and the chill in his eyes—
No wonder they called him the shadow ruler of Japan.
If a voice could kill, it would feel like this.
“And if I don’t stop? That sounded like a threat.”
If I backed down here, there’d be no path forward. My reply came just as cold.
“I’ve never once retreated. If blood must be spilled, I’m ready for that. So don’t waste your time trying to scare me.”
Daigo glared at me with killing intent, but I didn’t flinch.
I simply met his gaze, steady, and lifted the cup to my lips.
The cold tea moistened my dry mouth.
“I have no intention of striking first unless provoked. Even now, we’re not joining the hedge funds attacking Japan, are we?”
“······.”
“I’m too busy to care about something this small. Japan isn’t worth my effort. Maybe others think differently, but to me, that’s how it is.”
I finished speaking and took another sip of tea. A faint smile played on my lips.
While I drank, Daigo Tadashige said nothing. He just ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) glared silently.
“Bold one, aren’t you. To say such things in front of me. Even your grandfather never spoke that way to my face. Then again, his end wasn’t so pleasant either.”
The mention of my grandfather’s death ignited fury deep within me.
He was saying it just to provoke me. I kept calm and warned,
“Watch your words.”
“Haha, you really have no fear. Do you even know who I am?”
“How should I?”
“······Enough. I only came to reminisce about old times. Let’s stop here.”
Surprisingly, he was the one to back down first.
If I kept pushing now, I’d only lose face. So I yielded a step as well.
“If I acted rudely, I apologize.”
He waved dismissively.
“No, no. I provoked you first. Please forgive an old man. Seems age has made me too competitive for my own good. I misjudged you—so consider it a fair hit.”
“······.”
“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”
Even with his tone softened, he couldn’t quite hide his irritation—whether from my words about Japan or not getting the reaction he wanted.
“Oh, right. I owe you a gift.”
“A gift? That’s not necessary.”
“A promise is a promise. It’s nothing grand—you might not even like it. Leave Korea for a while. That’s the only way you’ll stay alive. Don’t take this advice lightly. Now then, farewell.”
Without waiting for a reply, Daigo turned and left.
I stood, watching until he was out of sight, then sat back down.
“Phew...”
Loosening my tie, I let out a deep sigh.
I took a few slow breaths to calm the murderous intent still pulsing through my chest.
Manager Ma brought a glass of cold water and set it before me.
Only after downing it in one gulp did I feel my heartbeat settle.
“What did you think of him?”
Since I’d dismissed the bodyguards, Manager Ma hadn’t heard the conversation.
Trying to lighten the mood, I asked for his impression.
“I can’t say for sure. He’s... hard to read.”
I nodded slightly. I’d met him myself and couldn’t read him either.
“He told me to leave Korea for a while. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought he was spouting nonsense...”
Did he really have that deep a connection with my grandfather? Otherwise, why bother giving me a warning?
The unexpected meeting left my head tangled with thoughts.
At the same time, it reaffirmed one thing:
I could never coexist with Daigo Tadashige—or Daedonghoe.
By afternoon, Han Kyungyeong and I arrived at the Yokohama International Stadium for the World Cup final.
Plenty of Koreans had come to cheer as well. We passed through them and entered the stadium.
We made our way to the VIP section on the upper level.
It was already packed. Even Brazil’s president and other dignitaries were present.
I spotted Koizumi talking animatedly with the Brazilian president. Our eyes met for a brief moment.
I gave a small nod; he returned it.
Looking around, I noticed Song Chanhyuk and Roman talking in the distance.
I approached and greeted them.
“Assemblyman Song.”
They both turned toward me.
“President Kim, long time no see.”
Song Chanhyuk greeted me warmly—completely different from before.
After we exchanged greetings, Roman smiled.
“Charlie, good to see you.”
“Yeah. You too, Roman.”
We chatted lightly as the closing ceremony began.
Once it ended, the players started entering the field.
Brazil’s dream team—Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho—and Korea’s national team, rewriting history.
And then, in the middle of Japan—
the Korean national anthem began to echo.
