Free Web NovelThe merger between the Centrist Party and the Conservative Party was the final card to make Yoon Changho president.
It was an election Yoon Changho was all but guaranteed to win, but if the already-ruined Conservative Party were to join hands with the Progressive Party, the race could become impossible to predict.
They had been fighting for decades, so joining forces would not be easy—but politics is exactly the kind of arena where no one knows what will happen when people are driven into a corner. In this era, such backroom deals were all the more common.
In exchange for absorbing the Conservative Party, which was already collapsing beyond repair, the Centrist Party had conceded a great deal.
However, the political colors of the two parties were starkly different.
The Centrist Party pursued rational conservatism, yet at times adopted party platforms that were even more progressive than those of the Progressive Party.
The Conservative Party, on the other hand, remained strongly shackled to ideology—particularly anti-communism.
Various measures were taken to harmonize the two parties, but even now they had yet to truly integrate, continuing to clash with one another.
The result of that discord had exploded in this general election.
“What do you think I should do? Until now, when it came to politics, I stayed out of it as much as possible and followed your lead, didn’t I? This time too, I’ll go with your opinion.”
As long as it didn’t interfere with what I was trying to do, I trusted Myungsoo. I wanted him to pursue the politics he believed in.
He had entered politics because I had pushed him into it, but I knew he had his own convictions.
I didn’t want to turn my friend into a puppet.
“I don’t know yet. I went in there and talked big in front of that old man, but if he really makes up his mind and starts stirring things up, it could become a variable in what the President is trying to do......”
Trailing off, Myungsoo seemed lost in thought, then lightly tapped my shoulder.
“Sorry. Talking about this on a day like today. It’s Grandma’s seventieth birthday...... I should just be congratulating her without thinking about anything else.”
“You’re talking nonsense.”
I let out a small laugh.
His apology was probably sincere. Still, the fact that he’d pulled me aside to talk about it meant he had a lot on his mind.
When I told him not to worry about it, his expression eased a little.
“I’ll need to think about it more. Let’s go back in for now. A lot of people must’ve arrived. It won’t look good if you keep leaving your seat.”
“Are you sure? You don’t look great.”
“You’d only say that because it’s me. No one else would notice. I’m a politician too—I know how to hide my emotions.”
“That’s good, then.”
When we went back out, people had already begun arriving and filling the hall.
I went around from table to table, greeting everyone.
“Thank you for coming.”
“It’s your grandma’s seventieth birthday—how could we not come? Goodness, that troublemaking kid Muhyuk went and held such a fancy celebration for his grandma. She’s living it up. I’m jealous. Our one good-for-nothing son, we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead.”
It was a woman who used to sell vegetables at the market where my grandma had worked for so many years. I just smiled.
“Still, it’s nice. You grew up well, letting your grandma enjoy herself like this. You know, right? How much of a handful you were when you were little?”
“I was immature back then. Thank you for taking such good care of my grandmother at the time. Everyone at the market is my benefactor.”
In my previous life, I hadn’t known.
I hadn’t known what kind of people they were. They might have lacked money, but they weren’t lacking in warmth.
I had been obsessed with money, turning my back on them, looking down on them.
Now I knew.
Money could always be earned again, but once you lost people, you could never get them back.
“Please eat a lot, and give my grandma lots of congratulations.”
“Of course. We will.”
Even as I greeted people, more kept arriving. I welcomed them warmly.
When I turned my head to look toward my grandma, her face was in full bloom with smiles. She looked lively and radiant as she chatted while receiving everyone’s congratulations.
“Hey, Muhyuk.”
At the familiar voice, I turned around. It was Hyunseong’s family.
“You made it.”
“Thanks to you, Muhyuk, I get to come to a place like this. Or is it thanks to your grandma?”
Hyunseong’s father had already wrapped up his police career and was resting at home.
“You should have your own sixtieth and seventieth birthday celebrations in a place like this too. Hyunseong’s doing about as well as I am, after all.”
“That’s enough. I don’t need that kind of thing.”
The way Hyunseong’s father waved his hands dismissively was the same as ever.
“I’ll go on in. Gotta greet your grandma first.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you for coming.”
“Enough with the empty talk. I’ll see you later.”
Standing next to Hyunseong was Kang Mijin, holding Hyunseong’s daughter, whom she had given birth to not long ago.
Seeing the baby wriggle naturally made me smile.
“Good thing she doesn’t look like you.”
“I think so too.”
“Sister-in-law, it must be tough.”
“I’m okay. She’s a gentle baby.”
She said that, but Kang Mijin looked far from well.
I’d never raised a child myself, so I only knew from what I’d heard how exhausting it was, but judging by the dark circles under her eyes, she must have been getting almost no sleep.
“You look fine. You’re not dumping everything on your wife, are you? Get it together.”
“......I’m dying too. I had no idea raising a baby would be this hard. Just when I think I’ve dozed off, she wakes up crying. Neither Mijin nor I can sleep.”
“Sister-in-law, make him do everything. He’s got nothing but stamina going for him.”
“What are you saying, you unmarried punk?”
Kang Mijin smiled faintly at our exchange.
“You should take good care of your grandma. She raised you all by herself, working herself to the bone.”
“You don’t have to tell me. I will.”
As I stared at the baby, Kang Mijin smiled and said,
“Would you like to hold her?”
I carefully took the baby into my arms.
She was so small it was amazing—how she existed at all, how she wriggled and moved.
“She’s cute.”
“You should find a good partner and show a beautiful daughter like this to your grandmother someday.”
I gently pressed my finger against the baby’s cheek.
It was so soft it almost scared me. The baby, who hadn’t ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) woken even when someone else held her, rubbed her cheek against my finger in her sleep.
“A good partner......”
“If you wanted, wouldn’t you be able to meet plenty of good women?”
As I handed the baby back to Kang Mijin, I said,
“If it’s someone I’m meant to love for the rest of my life, I’ll meet her somewhere without needing to look.”
“How romantic.”
My previous marriage had ended in ruin, which made me all the more hesitant.
I wanted to show my grandma a granddaughter-in-law before she passed away, but for now, I had no intention of marrying or even dating.
“Someone good will appear someday.”
“I’m sure of it. Both you and Myungsoo. I wonder how you’ll change once you start families.”
I replied with a smile.
“How’s work going for you?” freewebnøvel.com
“Nothing much. Let’s talk later. I’ve got something to say.”
I nodded and sent Hyunseong and Kang Mijin inside.
“Alright. We’ll talk later. Go greet Grandma first.”
A lot of people from the market and the neighborhood had shown up.
‘Grandma really lived diligently.’
Most of the people who came had deeper ties with my grandma than with me.
I thought there would be plenty of empty tables since I’d rented the entire hotel banquet hall, but they were filling up at an alarming rate.
“Oppa!”
Cheon Jiyoung arrived with her manager, waving and walking quickly toward me.
“You’re here? Was the trip okay?”
“Of course. It’s not like I drove myself.”
“Hello, sir.”
Kim Seokhun, Cheon Jiyoung’s manager, quickly greeted me.
“Sorry to trouble you with the trip.”
“Not at all. We got here quickly.”
“Please take good care of Jiyoung. You’re always working hard.”
“I’m doing my best for my noona.”
His gaze was firm, even if his tone was stiff.
“The bodyguards aren’t making you uncomfortable, are they?”
Black Secret security guards always accompanied Cheon Jiyoung.
“No. Thanks to them, we can stay safe. This time too, they caught a few paparazzi and handed them over to us.”
“Paparazzi?”
At the unfamiliar word, I looked at Cheon Jiyoung.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What’s the big deal about paparazzi? Reporters sticking around isn’t exactly new, and I can’t whine to you about every little thing. Honestly, I’ve got nothing to hide anyway. It’s not like I’m secretly dating or doing anything shady like other celebrities. I’m clean.”
If she didn’t mind, that was a relief—but I couldn’t help worrying.
“Don’t underestimate reporters. It has nothing to do with whether you’re clean or not. Even a trivial photo can be twisted, and people will believe it.”
“Ugh, stop nagging! I know better than you, oppa. Don’t worry.”
Cheon Jiyoung complained that I’d started nagging the moment we met.
“Lots of people here. Grandma must be happy.”
“Our grandma? Anyone listening would think you’re her granddaughter.”
“Then she is my grandma. If she’s your grandma, she’s my grandma!”
Arguing with her was pointless—I couldn’t win. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“Keep it up. I’m all grown up now, you know? I’m not a kid forever. I might just tackle you head-on!”
After glaring at me, Cheon Jiyoung strutted off into the banquet hall.
Kim Seokhun hurriedly apologized to me.
“I’m sorry, sir......”
He was about to make excuses, but when he saw me laughing loudly, he shut his mouth and chased after Cheon Jiyoung.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed out loud like that.
These days, aside from Myungsoo and Hyunseong, no one treated me comfortably. Even my college friends were visibly cautious around me.
Seeing Cheon Jiyoung—who had always been careful and apologetic around me—seem to have shed that burden made me quietly happy.
I watched her from behind as she walked toward my grandma.
People recognized Cheon Jiyoung and whispered among themselves, but no one dared approach her easily. In moments like that, she really did seem like a born celebrity.
“Grandma! I’m here!”
Cheon Jiyoung greeted her, linking arms with her as if she were a real granddaughter.
“Jiyoung, you came? It must’ve been a lot of trouble.”
“It’s Grandma’s birthday, of course I had to come. Didn’t you miss me?”
Cheon Jiyoung clung to her affectionately, and my grandma naturally patted her back.
“I brought you a present. I’ll give it to you later.”
“Just coming is enough. Why bring anything? Sit here.”
Cheon Jiyoung settled right next to my grandma and started chatting with her.
Anyone would think she was her real granddaughter.
“I would like to offer my thanks to everyone who attended my grandmother’s seventieth birthday celebration.”
At last, the celebration began.
We put together a video with a few old photos we had left, along with some recent ones.
My grandma wiped away tears as she looked at photos of my parents on the screen.
It was a picture of my parents and my grandma together, taken when I was very young.
Watching seventy years of her life compressed into ten minutes stirred a strange feeling in me as well.
After that, it truly became a lively celebration.
Cheon Jiyoung grabbed the microphone, saying it was Grandma’s seventieth birthday, and sang trot songs she’d never sung in her life. People clapped along, delighted.
But on days like this, an uninvited guest always seems to appear.
Suddenly, the area near the entrance of the banquet hall grew noisy.
