Chapter 24

“Mr. Ki! Even if you’re bothered by what happened, it’s still okay for me to talk to you… But if I cause trouble whilst I’m associated with you, how can I face you after that?”

“—Just because of that? Was your reasoning that shallow?”

“Huh? That’s what Yi Joon told me—”

He hid it because he didn’t want me to worry, but he apologised, saying that he didn’t know I would be this angry.

They both endured getting picked on because of what I said on a whim. Maybe Eui Yeol was innocent enough to act this way, but I wondered why the hard-headed Yi Joon did the same too.

So my heart felt stuffy when I learned that Yi Joon had also acted that way because of me.

“—Really?”

“Then… wanting to get closer to the World Party Leader’s grandson…  Did you mean it or not?”

The appearance of Jung Yi Joon, who was unable to hold in his temper and screamed, seemed different today.

Something… Something was anew. Is this the feeling of seeing a brother grow mature?

‘Our Yi Joon has changed!’

It was so wonderful to hear that he, who never put up with anything or anyone before, put up with something in consideration of my position.

“Ah! Why are you laughing!”

“Heh heh—”

When my mouth twisted and I couldn’t hold back my laughter, Jung Yi Joon suddenly blushed in anger.

However, seeing that there was no real anger on his face, he seemed more embarrassed that he had been found out.

I really thought it was awesome. If this kind of situation happened more often, maybe he would become nicer, day by day. Feeling better, I clung to Yi Joon.

“What, what—”

“Yi Joon-ah1, what else do you want to eat? Would you like to order more cake?”

“What… what are you saying?”

“Aww, where did I find such a pretty piggy? Our Yi Joon is nice.”

“Ah really!? Is that what you think of me?”

I stroked Jung Yi-joon’s hair as if I was stroking Ha Hyun-seo’s hair. The boy in front of me was whining but he never dared to brush off my hand, what a cute kid.

I kept saying, “Why are you so kind, pretty?”

As I patted his hair, he pouted his lips. Although he wore a look of disagreement, he seemed happy with my compliments.

“Yeah…I am yours.”

“Huh?”

“Because I’m yours, I won’t do anything that puts you in trouble!”

He exclaimed with blushing ears.

“Yeah Jung Yi Joon is Ki Young Jae’s property all right.”

“I envy Yoon Jae.”

As I smiled and affirmed Yi Joon’s words, Eui Yeol muttered something, but I didn’t quite catch it.

As I turned to him, he smiled with a slight bitterness.

Yi Joon let out a small laugh as if laughing at what Eui Yeol said.

I wondered what the hell he said, but neither of them seemed to want to elaborate, so I had no choice but to move on.

* * *

A few days after that situation happened, the consequences surfaced. I had thought it wouldn’t pass by so easily, but…

I didn’t know they would turn a children’s fight into a grown-up fight so savagely.

“The president has called you… it’ll be a long way home this evening.”

“Well—”

“What the hell did you do?”

I was immersed in thought as I turned around to face Ki Hyun Joo, who asked me contemplatively, saying it was a big deal.

How should I tell her…

The fact that I was the one who made the mistake… how should I explain…

As I pondered, time passed quickly and it was time for me to leave.

It seemed that we would probably be staying for dinner, so it would be better to take only a few people rather than several.

Hyun Joo became anxious when I said that I would take only Kwon Jae Hyeok and Jung Yi Joon with me.

“Are you really okay? What if I follow you?”

“What if you followed me—”

No one would listen to Hyun Joo. The family still valued and operated under a patriarchal system and she faced several forms of discrimination. Due to this, there was no way that her presence would be helpful.

I shortened my words, but Ki Hyun Joo realised what I meant and became pale.

“Right…If I went—”

Although she was smarter and more capable than Ki Yoon Jae, it was a little regrettable that she was discriminated against and as a result, was unable to demonstrate her abilities.

Besides, Ki Hyun Joo had a superpower…

The only thing that Ki Yoon Jae had which was better than her was my face. Hyun Joo was much superior than me.

“Cheer up.”

I tapped her on the shoulder and comforted her.

Ki Hyun Joo grabbed my hand and whispered to me,

“Promise… You’ll have to work hard for that promise.”2

“—Huh.”

But I don’t know what kind of promise that is?

What can I do to keep that promise?

I couldn’t ask her to elaborate on her words, so I grew frustrated and tears came out.

What the hell was that promise?

I thought it was important, but why didn’t Ki Yoon Jae remember?

Because he doesn’t keep his promises?

I couldn’t figure it out.

As I couldn’t say I didn’t know what she was talking about, I had no choice but to pretend I did and nod my head.

As if satisfied with that alone, Ki Hyun Joo let go of my hand and sent me off to have a good trip.

While driving, I simulated how to defend against Jae Mu’s questions.

By the time I came up with a convincing explanation that could be used in my defence to an extent, I’d arrived at Ki Jae Mu’s residence.

“Welcome, Master. The president is waiting in the dining room.”

“Yes.”

The location remained in my memory, so I was able to find it on my own without any guidance.

In the huge mansion where one person lived alone, there was a large dining table fit for 10 people in the dining room.

Ki Jae Mu, who sat at the end, saw me coming in and motioned with his hand for me to sit down.

“Hello, Grandpa.”

“Um, yes. Let’s eat dinner first.”

I sat close to him and waited for Jae Mu to pick up his spoon first, and then I picked up a spoon too.

As I was about to pick up a side dish, Ki Jae Mu opened his mouth.

“Is school going well?”

“—Yes.”

I immediately put it down and answered, but the answer was still a little delayed. Jae Mu groaned a little as if telling me he didn’t like my response, and then asked again,

“I heard that the World Party’s Go Hyuk had his grandson beaten—”

His eyes were questioning whether that was true.

When I nodded my head in agreement, Jae Mu took a deep breath.

I was a little surprised at how well he held up his anger.

This was because, in Ki Yoon Jae’s memory, Ki Jae Mu was the type of person who threw things first.

It seemed that the father-and-son duo of Ki Young Woo and Ki Sung Yoon, who caused accidents every time, were the reason for Jae Mu’s warpath, but he was giving Ki Yoon Jae a chance because he’d never had an accident before, excluding the future confrontation with Eui Yeol, the main character in the future.

“Why?”

“Because he did not know his place and coveted what’s mine.”

“Is that the reason to destroy a friendship that has been around for decades?”

“Yes.”

I nodded.

I saw Ki Jae Mu clenching his teeth in response to my casual answer, so I spoke quickly,

“It is not a sin to covet. I am Sungwoon and anything about Sungwoon is mine. Even if it’s just a pebble, it can only be the best if it carries the name of Sungwoon.”

“…”

“They can look at it, but… taking it as if it’s theirs is a different matter altogether… at the very least they need my permission, the owner, to use it… unless they’re ignoring me.”

“Hmm—”

“Because I am a person of great importance, the successor of the company, and the person who will lead it into the future. Ignoring me is the same as ignoring the company.”

“That’s right, no matter how much of a rich family they are… it’s still Sungwoon who’s above them.”

Ki Jae Mu seemed relieved to some extent by my explanation, so I was able to relax for an hour.

“Nowadays, anyone can post anything on the internet, and they did… However, it was so dull and poorly written… they left out the fact that he’s a jerk and a bully at school… if such a thing were to be found, the name of the school would be tarnished.”

“Oh, they dared!”

“It seems that it would be difficult for the World Party to be passed down to their grandchildren. At 17, he’s no longer young, he’s of age to know what he can and can’t do, maybe—”

After that, Jae Mu talked about keeping the status-quo with the World Party up to Ki Yoon Jae’s father’s generation and his considerations for a new partner after that. At my words, Jae Mu thought for a moment.

“Hmm, Go Go-hyeok, he’s been arrogant lately. I don’t even know what he’s up to.”

Apparently, he also had something he didn’t like about the leader of the World Party.

He raised a small political party that used to be king of the provinces into a ruling party that ruled the whole country, but he seemed to want to escape the grasp of Jae Mu because power had gotten to his head.

Perhaps, Jae Mu’s mind was full of thoughts about whose hand it would be better to hold instead of the leader of the World Party.

Now that Ki Jae Mu was deep in thought, there would be no more questioning… I relaxed and enjoyed dinner.