47.
Jeong Heejun’s heart sank. Throughout his difficult life, he occasionally recalled Haseo alongside childhood memories. Haseo had been a child who was good at studying and knew how to make friends. Unlike me, he probably grew up normally. Graduated from school, got a job, lived an ordinary life with laughter and tears. And then met someone new to fall in love with.
Just imagining this used to bring him peace of mind. Being able to find serenity in wishing for another’s happiness was only possible because that person was Haseo. But why hadn’t he been able to achieve that?
‘I need to do something.’
Jeong Heejun found Haseo’s misfortune terrible. Now that he thought about it, when they briefly met face to face, Haseo’s expression hadn’t looked good.
‘But there is something fortunate about this.’
The young man who had nothing but debt had come to Seoul to meet his biological father. And his father also happened to be the chairman of Isaac Finance. If their meeting went well, perhaps he might receive quite a bit. Originally, he had considered cursing at his father when they met.
He smiled in front of Secretary Ahn, but considering what his mother had told him all these years, it wouldn’t have been unreasonable. Jeong Heejun hid his hatred for his father behind a composed face. The reason he had obediently come this far was to meet his father and look for an opportunity to get revenge.
His mother shouldn’t have died so unhappily. After his maternal grandmother passed away, Jeong Heejun deeply loved his mother, his only remaining family. That’s why he had intended to hurt his father in any way possible.
But there was Haseo. Even if he left a scar on his father, he wanted to resolve Haseo’s problems first.
‘Even if I can’t be happy.’
He didn’t want to turn his back on a friend who had given him such great help. So he decided to postpone his revenge against his father. He could do that anytime as long as Chairman Jang was alive. Jeong Heejun decided to temporarily wear a different mask.
“The Chairman is looking for you.”
So when Secretary Ahn came looking for him, he smiled with the face of a happy son.
“So I can finally meet my father.”
And so Jeong Heejun left Choi Mujin’s home with a single photo of Haseo in his possession. During his stay at Choi Mujin’s place, much had changed for him too. Instead of his usual clothes, he wore attire purchased by someone Secretary Ahn had arranged. In the meantime, he had also visited a hair salon. After changing from head to toe, he looked like a different person.
The calluses on his fingertips from work remained, but with his changed appearance, he could even pass for someone from a wealthy family. Looking at Jeong Heejun, Secretary Ahn remarked:
“Your posture is good. Standing straight with your back and shoulders makes you look dignified.”
“My mother always told me to maintain good posture no matter where I was.”
“She sounds like a wonderful person.”
Secretary Ahn complimented his mother with a slight smile. But Jeong Heejun didn’t trust him completely. After all, Secretary Ahn was Chairman Jang’s man. Perhaps he was his eyes and ears, so Jeong Heejun couldn’t let his guard down.
Secretary Ahn guided Jeong Heejun to the building where Isaac Finance was located. Chairman Jang’s office was on the top floor, from where one could see the Han River. In Seoul, they say homes with a view of the Han River are the most expensive.
Jeong Heejun admired the scenery visible through the glass as he rode the elevator up. Can you earn this much money in the financial industry? Though it couldn’t compare to major corporation buildings, it still seemed quite impressive to him. Upon reaching the top floor, Secretary Ahn, who got out of the elevator first, bowed his head.
“This way, please.”
It seemed like an action not fitting for the times, but the person in question didn’t seem to mind. Chairman Jang’s room had a door that was anything but ordinary. A luxurious-looking door made of pitch-black wood with a golden handle.
Knock, knock.
When Secretary Ahn knocked, a deep voice flowed from inside.
“Come in.”
Following those words, they opened the door and entered to see a man. He appeared to be not young, but his physique was quite solid, and he was tall. His white hair had been dyed black, making him look younger.
“Hello.”
The man, Chairman Jang, stepped forward with open arms as soon as he spotted Jeong Heejun.
“So you’re my son!”
As he approached and embraced him, Jeong Heejun felt his stomach twist. Suppressing the urge to push him away immediately, he hugged Chairman Jang back.
“Father.”
“Yes, I’m your father. You’ve grown up well. First, let’s sit here, here!”
Chairman Jang led Jeong Heejun to a shiny leather sofa. Sitting on the plush sofa, his body was comfortable, but his heart was not.
“Let me see. Your name is Jeong Heejun? You took your mother’s surname.”
“Yes.”
“It couldn’t be helped at the time. My wife was quite greedy. She tried to harm every woman I met. I wanted to contact you many times, but I couldn’t.”
Lies. Those were ugly lies. But Jeong Heejun showed an appropriate demeanor to his father whom he was meeting after a long time. Feeling confused by his father’s friendly behavior, he mixed in a bit of fondness. Even so, Chairman Jang didn’t suspect Jeong Heejun.
‘Hey, you could be an actor!’
A colleague from his workplace had once said that after seeing Jeong Heejun in action.
‘I have a pretty good eye, but you’re the first person I’ve seen who can hide emotions so well. Why are you even here?’
He had criticized him then. An actor… There was once a time when he had such a dream. But Jeong Heejun had never told anyone about that dream. Because his circumstances didn’t allow it. He knew that successful entertainers earned a lot of money, but how long would it take to reach that point? His mother had told him to find his dream, but Jeong Heejun didn’t.
He valued the people by his side more than his dreams.
“You could have at least contacted us. Mother waited for you.”
Here, he showed a bit of resentment.
“She waited?”
“Yes, she talked about you a lot.”
“And those weren’t just curses?”
“Of course, she did say such things occasionally, but you know. Mother’s personality, I mean.”
“I know. I know. She was a good woman. Too good a woman to keep by my side. You need to have a bit of toughness to endure.”
Chairman Jang said this while clasping his hands together and wearing a regretful expression. He had accumulated experience throughout his life, but Jeong Heejun could tell that it was all pretense.
“But at least I’ve met you now.”
Chairman Jang spoke with a bitter smile.
“I thought I’d live my whole life without a child. But when I found out about you, I felt I had to meet you.”
Jeong Heejun remained silent for a moment. How Chairman Jang interpreted this became immediately apparent.
“I know you must resent me a lot. But still, we’re blood. Let me take responsibility for you.”
“How do you plan to take responsibility?”
“Anything. I’ll do anything you want.”
Chairman Jang’s eyes gleamed slyly. It was a sign that just because he said such things, Jeong Heejun shouldn’t state everything he wanted. Jeong Heejun carefully chose his words.
“In that case.”
“In that case?”
“Please let me stay by your side for a while. I want to know more about the father my mother spoke of.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea!”
Whether it was the answer he wanted or not, Chairman Jang was extremely pleased with Jeong Heejun’s response.
“That’s right, yes. If you’re my child, you should be by my side. Then first, I’ll have to arrange a house for you in Seoul. And you’ll need a car too. Do you have a driver’s license?”
As if he didn’t already know. That Jeong Heejun had obtained a driver’s license to work in delivery.
“Yes, I do.”
“I’ll get you an amazing one. And you can gradually learn the business.”
“I’d be grateful for that.”
“Really, your mother raised you well.”
While listening to the flattery, Jeong Heejun continued his conversation with Chairman Jang. After the important parts passed, the rest was insignificant. How Chairman Jang had come this far. And boasts about what he had acquired because of it. In the end, most of it was inherited from his accomplished grandfather. Yet he thought he had achieved everything himself.
While thinking he was cunning, there were gaps in this aspect. He was a man full of pretentiousness. But why was someone like Choi Mujin working under such a person?
“Oh right, since you’ve decided to work by my side, I should properly reintroduce you to Mujin.”
“Do you mean Director Choi?”
“Why call him that? Director Choi is older, so you could just call him ‘hyung’ and he could call you ‘dongsaeng.'”
“Is that okay?”
“Of course. I’ve had him with me since I was at the bottom. Originally, he couldn’t even eat one proper meal a day, but I made him what he is now. That’s why his loyalty is exceptional.”
For someone who was a chairman, his language was quite cheap.
“Now that I think about it, let’s call Mujin. If we call him now, he’ll arrive right after lunch.”
“Wouldn’t Director Choi—I mean, hyung—have work to do now?”
“No. I told him to take it easy for a while. And even if he did, he’d come! When I call!”
Saying this, Chairman Jang took Jeong Heejun to a nearby restaurant. It looked quite expensive, but he said that as a regular, he could enter without a reservation. There, Jeong Heejun tasted dishes he had never eaten before in his life. Pasta garnished with caviar, well-baked artisanal bread, steak made with expensive beef.
At first, he wondered if he could eat properly in front of Chairman Jang, but the food went down well. Jeong Heejun showcased his hearty appetite by devouring several plates. And Chairman Jang seemed pleased with this.
“A man should eat well like that. I’ve maintained this physique until now because I eat well.”
Even during the meal, Chairman Jang’s mouth didn’t stop. And when they returned to the building after the meal, Jeong Heejun met Choi Mujin again.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
