FC 02

Chapter 2

“Ugh! Dad! Seong Ji-won must have gone crazy!”

“Ji-won! You’re going to hurt the kid! Huh?!”

“Why shouldn’t I? I almost lost our rent money. He deserves to get beaten!”

“Good grief—Ji-won’s mother, you try to stop her!”

Taesik hurriedly called for Young-ja, feeling sorry for his son being beaten on the back.

Young-ja turned on the power strips that had been switched off all day and opened the tiny, palm-sized window while muttering curses under her breath.

“That bastard deserves to be beaten to death. What does he think that money is?”

Rather than defending him, she encouraged Ji-won to hit him harder, making the two men turn pale.

Young-ja’s frustration was now Ji-won’s anger.

“You watched your mother struggle all this time, and you still wanted to do something like that? Huh?!”

“Hey, hey, Seong Ji-won!”

Eventually, she slammed down the shopping bag.

A few stalks of green onions and three potatoes that had been bought sparingly rolled across the floor.

“When are you going to grow up? When are you going to come to your senses? When are you going to become a decent human being?!”

“Ow! Ji-won, N-noona!!”

Even the word noona, which he normally never used, slipped out.

Soo-ho was Ji-won’s fraternal twin brother, yet he only treated her like an older sister on days like this, when he had pushed her too far.

As if that would make things easier.

“Don’t even eat! The rice your mother bought with her blood and sweat is too precious for even a single grain to enter your mouth!”

He had apparently handed over money to a senior who knew nothing about stocks but had promised to triple it.

It wasn’t even his own money.

It was money that Ji-won and Young-ja had earned.

“If you just leave it alone, it’ll grow on its own! Why don’t you trust people?! There’s something wrong with our family—we’re all about putting men down!”

“Um, Soo-ho. Don’t say things like that………………”

Taesik was also a man, but he couldn’t agree with him.

The head of the household, who had ruined a perfectly good factory and then lost even the remaining family fortune to a scam, was the weakest person in this household.

Ignoring Soo-ho, he quickly swallowed the kimchi stew and a shot of soju he’d been eating before Young-ja arrived.

If he wasn’t careful, Young-ja—whose anger was already threatening to cause her another bout of rage—might overturn the entire table.

“If I catch you meeting that senior again, just you wait. I’ll beat you half to death!”

“Who, me? The senior?”

“Both of you! You black-haired beasts!!”

Ji-won picked up a fallen green onion and swung it like a sword.

She mixed harsh curses into her speech, calling them all sorts of names, and she didn’t look remotely sane.

“Ah, just stop already! You got the money back, didn’t you?!”

“Shut your mouth?!”

Ji-won panted heavily as she examined the broken green onion.

The precious ingredient had done nothing wrong.

Should I hit him with a potato?

Her eyes fell on the dirt-covered potato, but she gave up on the idea, worried that it might get crushed.

She was still furious, but she forced herself to breathe slowly.

She put the green onions and potatoes back into the shopping bag and walked past Soo-ho.

It was a shabby house with only two rooms.

Young-ja stood by the tiny window, which had nothing worth opening it for, and let out a long, exhausted sigh.

Her hands, which had worked nine hours at the biggest restaurant in the neighborhood, looked more wrinkled than usual today.

Ji-won deliberately turned her head away so she wouldn’t look at them.

But then she noticed Taesik sitting there miserably.

I hate him.

I hate him so much.

But whenever Ji-won saw how small and defeated her father had become, her heart ached.

He had lived his entire life without ever violating a traffic signal or even throwing a piece of trash onto the street.

He was simply too kind.

He was the sort of person whose heart would ache just from seeing a puppy caught in the rain.

How long could she keep blaming the world for taking advantage of someone so kind?

[If you need help with the leaking ceiling, let me know.]

Suddenly, longing for a distant day surged up inside her.

A child who had casually held out a hand whenever she felt helpless.

A child who quietly withdrew that hand because he was afraid it might hurt her feelings.

[I heard your father stopped his knee treatment. If it’s because of money, I……………… Never mind. Forget I said anything.]

Whenever things became even a little difficult, she ended up thinking of him.

She remembered that kindness he had casually shown without changing his expression.

How long had their connection really lasted?

Why was she still preserving that child like this, frozen inside an old, worn-out memory?

In front of the sink attached to the tiny room, Ji-won rubbed her tingling nose.

The potatoes she was peeling were smaller than her fist.

She hated herself for deliberately choosing the tiny ones just to make the weight come out right.

But what could she do, even if she hated it?

She had to live even more stubbornly.

“Ji-won, you’re tired. Go inside. Mom can do it.”

My poor mom. I should at least help her.

“Give it to me, okay?”

Young-ja was standing behind her.

Ji-won swallowed her tears and stirred the water in the basin.

Afraid her voice would tremble like a goat’s, she deliberately made the sound of the water louder.

“I’m only doing this because I hate looking at Soo-ho’s face. Why is our Na Young-ja so completely clueless?”

“Is that what this is about?”

Young-ja grinned as though she understood and went over to the refrigerator.

Phew………………

She opened one side of the refrigerator and secretly sighed away her worries.

Ji-won heard it.

She bit her lower lip until it hurt.

It was hard.

Worrying about putting food on the table was difficult enough, but watching her mother struggle was even harder.

[Teacher of the Starlight Class, I don’t think we can continue like this. All the parents know now. What are we going to do if the creditors come looking for you here? Let’s finish this with a recommended resignation.]

[Director, please, anything but resignation……………….]

[I’m sorry. Have everything cleared up by the day before the orientation.]

Even so, she had to endure.

“You said you had to go to work tomorrow because of that orientation thing, right?”

“Huh?”

“That kindergarten really doesn’t let you rest even on weekends.”

“In this economy, having a job at all is something to be grateful for.”

Splash, splash.

Ji-won poured water over the thoroughly washed potatoes again and again.

“The parents are mostly dual-income families, so we have to work on weekends……………. We’ll finish early.”

The weight of life wasn’t easy to bear.

Her tightly pressed lips struggled to form a sad smile.

Seoulheon

The traditional hanok mansion, designed to emphasize Korean heritage, was the main residence where Chairman Joo Pil-seong and the members of the Jaewon family lived.

Walking through the garden along the granite-paved path, Sung-hyun pressed his temple.

His body felt heavy after being tormented by Min-seok all night and working through a murderous workload.

Naturally, he wasn’t particularly pleased about being summoned by his grandfather, Chairman Joo Pil-seong.

Finish everything within twenty minutes.

He steeled himself as he entered the main building.

The reason he’d been summoned was obvious.

That damn marriage.

Marriage, marriage, marriage.

His father’s relentless pressure to go on blind dates was partly due to Pil-seong’s subtle pressure.

He pretended to stay dignified and uninvolved, then casually dropped comments every now and then.

[Are you really going to leave your son like that?]

[I have to hold my great-grandchild before I die.]

Pil-seong had always been like a quiet tiger.

With a single calm sentence, he could control people.

It had been about two years since Dong-hwan’s deep devotion to his father, combined with that charisma, had begun driving Sung-hyun crazy.

Sung-hyun closed his ears in advance.

Before dealing with his grandfather and father, he lightly cleared his throat.

As he approached the reception room, the first person he encountered was his mother, Yeon-jeong.

A silent curse immediately flew his way.

You little bastard! You’ve already gone through nine blind dates!

Sung-hyun calmly took Yeon-jeong’s hand.

“Mother, I’m here.”

His gentle smile, as though nothing were wrong, easily melted Yeon-jeong’s resolve.

What could she do even if he didn’t listen?

He was a son who only acted sweet and affectionate toward his mother.

In the end, she reluctantly gave in again.

Your father is angry! I think your grandfather is angry too.

Yeon-jeong gestured toward the sofa with her chin, warning him.

She knew what was in her husband’s mind, but her father-in-law’s intentions were unclear.

So she quickly raised both index fingers like horns.

Sung-hyun found his mother adorable and pretended to be frightened, clutching his chest.

You little brat. You think this is a joke?!

She slapped the back of her son’s hand, while Dong-hwan scolded him from across the room.

“If you’ve arrived, shouldn’t you greet your grandfather first?!”

Sung-hyun hugged Yeon-jeong, who was urging him to hurry, and headed toward the sofa.

“Have you been well? I’m sorry I haven’t visited in a while.”

“You ungrateful brat.”

Pil-seong clicked his tongue as he glanced at his grandson, whose face appeared about as often as beans sprouting in a drought.

Although he retained his position as chairman, he received all reports at home, so it was difficult to see this grandson unless he summoned him here.

“Your chin is so sharp it looks like you could stab someone with it.”

His sleek jawline emphasized Sung-hyun’s exceptional looks, but Pil-seong worried about his health and always had something harsh to say.

Dong-hwan immediately supported Pil-seong.

“Do you run the entire company by yourself? Why are you so obsessed with work?”

“I told you my goal was to achieve 35 trillion won in sales and 2 trillion won in operating profit in the second half of the year.”

Those figures, which had once seemed impossible, were now within reach.

Jaewon Electronics, led by Sung-hyun, had not only surpassed Jaewon Trading—the group’s holding company—in first-half sales, but had also widened the gap dramatically with its second-half performance.

As head of the group, it was something to be proud of.

But as a family member, his relentless pace was a source of quiet concern.

“Are you planning to work yourself to death?”

Pil-seong quenched his throat with persimmon-leaf tea and quietly struck at the heart of the matter.

This time, Dong-hwan didn’t remain silent.

He raised his voice on his father’s behalf.

“I can’t even hold my head up anymore! Do you know what people are saying behind my back? They’re wondering if my son really likes men!”

“Lower your voice.”

“Yes? Yes, Father.”

At Pil-seong’s calm rebuke, Dong-hwan lowered his voice.

“I heard you ruined another blind date. Do you have to reach ten before you come to your senses? Your grandfather is getting old. How long are you going to……………,

You’re really with Secretary Han—”

“Apparently so.”

“You little—!”

“Enough. Stop.”

Pil-seong stopped Dong-hwan, who was about to flare up again.

Looking at his grandfather, who remained composed in contrast to his father, Sung-hyun drank the tasteless tea.

Five more minutes.

The time he’d set for himself was almost up.

The rest would be the same old nagging, threats about the next blind date, outdated demands to continue the family line………………

“Great-grandpa!”

His relaxed expectations were abruptly cut short.

A child came running over and jumped into Pil-seong’s arms.

Pil-seong, whose lips rarely curved upward, chuckled warmly and settled the child on his lap.

“My puppy, have you packed everything?”

“Mm-hmm!”

The child rubbed her face against Pil-seong while her dress fluttered around her.

Anyone could see how adorable she was.

But Sung-hyun didn’t let his guard down.

A bad feeling.

What are you looking at, Uncle?

Her jewel-like eyes sparkled mischievously.

Watching his niece suddenly appear out of nowhere, Sung-hyun focused on Pil-seong.

His sharp instincts had already noticed Dong-hwan and Yeon-jeong deliberately avoiding his gaze.

“Sung-hyun.”

“Yes.”

“If you hate blind dates and marriage that much, then stay home and babysit a kid.”

“Until your sister comes back to Korea, I’m leaving Ria in your care. Use all the annual leave you’ve accumulated, work from home, or figure it out yourself.”

“What do you mean—”

“These days, my body doesn’t feel like my own. Her mother has enough trouble on her hands. Taking care of Ria too would be too much for her.”

“What about Se-young?”

“Why bring up your busy sister? Don’t you know she’s preoccupied with expanding the hotel business?”

“I have more work than she does—”

“You’re the one in this family who has treated Ria the worst. You’re her uncle, yet you’re such a cold-hearted bastard.”

Sung-hyun’s brilliant mind went into full operation.

It didn’t take him long to understand what was happening.

Dong-hwan revealed his ulterior motive with the satisfaction of someone who had been waiting for this moment.

“A person needs to know how to rest, too. Take this opportunity to finally act like an uncle! Your father was worried you’d have no idea what to do on your own, so……………….”

Surely nothing more ridiculous is about to happen.

Sung-hyun’s expression hardened as he stared at Dong-hwan, who seemed strangely hesitant.

Then came the climax—the blow that struck him right in the back of the head.

“I already told Da-bin. She’ll take care of Ria together with you, and the two of you—”

“Who?”

“Why are you suddenly getting so serious? It’s better than taking care of her alone, isn’t it? She even said she’d clear her schedule immediately because she was worried you’d have a hard time. Isn’t she considerate?”

“Ha…………….”

So this was it.

Sung-hyun rubbed his face and abruptly stood up.