Vol. 1 - Ch. 19 - Are you expecting something, or are you wary?

Ko Ha-Ri. Her innocent smile was a spitting image of Ho-Jun’s older sister, Min Mi-Ra.When Jae-Yoon smiled kindly at Ko Ha-Ri, she pouted her lips and whispered secretly, not before glancing around once, as if someone might overhear them, “Was the soybean paste soup tasty? Saw you downing two bowls.”

“Ah, it was refreshingly good today.”

“Hmm…”

She even crossed her arms and glanced at Jae-Yoon cutely, as if eating two bowls of soybean paste soup was such an extraordinary thing.

At that moment, Jae-Yoon genuinely felt as if Ko Ha-Ri was really his niece. He badly wanted to give her some allowance, but he hesitated, wondering what meaning a 50,000 or 100,000 won allowance would mean to a chaebol.

Still, he was supposed to be her uncle giving her allowance after all. Jae-Yoon reached into his pocket.

“Oh? Pocket money time?”

“Huh? How’d you guess?”

“Hand in the pocket gives it away. What else could it be? A gun?” { E/N: ???? }

“Hah.”

Wondering how much would be appropriate, Jae-Yoon pulled out four 50,000 won notes and held them out.

“Oh, wow. Uncle’s wallet is a bit thicker. You only gave me one note when I was a high schooler.”

“Like it?”

“They say black money has its charm. Ah, seriously, my mom needs to get with the times. Treating me like a kid even though I’m in college.”

Ha-Ri vigorously waved the 50,000 won notes in both hands. Jae-Yoon thought that at least Ho-Jun’s oldest sister, Min Mi-Ra, had raised one fine daughter. On the other hand, the second brother, Min Tae-Jun, not only disrespected Min Ho-Jun, but even did so to his own children.

Jae-Yoon shook his head to clear away stray thoughts and firmly patted Ko Ha-Ri on the shoulder.

“Let’s head back in. It’s getting windy. Don’t follow me when I go for a smoke. It stinks.”

They slowly walked across the yard. If he had siblings and nieces of his own, would they have been as cute as this? Jae-Yoon wondered. He was pulling the front door open, thinking such thoughts, when…

“Uncle?”

“What is it? Why are you lowering your voice? Want something else?”

“The soybean paste soup was made with fish stock.”

What’s that…?

While Jae-Yoon pondered how to respond, Ha-Ri continued with a bright smile, “Why do you look so surprised? You deliberately ate extra just because your niece was here, didn’t you? You’re always scolding me for being a picky eater. Now, it means you can’t be a picky eater, right? Anyway, you don’t have to keep that up from now on.”

The kid’s right. Still, it was a bit tacky. Jae-Yoon gave an awkward smile and walked back inside.

**

“Young Master.”

In the overly spacious living room was an overly large sofa. On the sofa sat the eldest sister-in-law, sipping tea alone. She poured Jae-Yoon a cup of red tea as well before speaking up, “Feeling a lot of stress lately?”

“Not particularly.”

“Today, you seem a bit...different from usual.”

“Different how?”

“How do I put it…? You seem irritable. And your complexion is darker, too. If you need counseling from Dr. Cha, let me know. Rather than going to the hospital yourself and drawing eyes, I mean.”

Hmm? How should I interpret this reaction? Pretending to care while probing me?

Jae-Yoon briefly recalled the eldest sister-in-law’s profile for a moment. According to Section Chief Lee Hyun-Woong’s judgment, she was a fox. Not just any fox, but a rare firefox.

The cherished daughter of the chairman of the prestigious distribution corporation, Time. Time Department Stores, Time Marts, Time Malls; her splendid contributions made up at least half of the rapid growth seen by It’s Food. The main spots in their distribution channels were always taken up by It’s Food products, after all.

What kind of person could she be? It’s better to converse more instead of pondering on my own. I should avoid unnecessary assumptions.

“Why would it be burdensome if eyes were on me?”

“It’s uncomfortable. A CEO attending psychiatric sessions could definitely feel like an owner risk. People are quite creative with their words. Better safe than sorry, right?”

The sister-in-law picked up her teacup. It was an English-style cup lavishly decorated with gold foil. Her crude nail decorations clashed strangely with the refined teaware.

“Modern times don’t see that as a flaw. You go to an orthopedist for a broken leg, and if your mind is noisy, you go to a psychiatrist.”

“Oh my, Young Master. Noisy, you say? I was just joking. Do you hear whispers from someone inside your head? You should really see someone.”

What kind of situation does this lady think she’s orchestrating? She speaks as if truly laughing along, but she’s no simpleton.

“Your head must be noisy instead, preparing for a prosecutors’ investigation.”

The corners of Hong Ji-Hye’s mouth that rose just then seemed to drop slightly for an instant. But soon, her mouth stretched wider than before as she answered,

“Which businessman has never been investigated by prosecutors? I see it as a badge of honor. Proof you worked hard and ruffled feathers. It means there are that many people envious of you.”

“Oh my. Get that badge of honor one more time, and it won’t be an honor, but a star hanging.”

“Oh my, our young master’s wit has certainly grown.” She guffawed loudly, covering her mouth. The ornaments on her fingernails glinted.

“I wasn’t joking, Mrs. Hong Ji-Hye.”

“Excuse me?”

She was about to pick up the teacup, then hesitated and started caressing her pendant. It seemed like she caressed the pendant when thinking about something.

Jae-Yoon repeated, “I said, I’m not joking.”

“Young Master, you’re shining some serious lasers from your eyes.”

Funneling work. Jae-Yoon really hoped it was just a suspicion.

“I did not know Mr. Min Ho-Jun was so interested in It’s Food. I almost got a little touched.”

“Mrs. Hong?”

At Jae-Yoon’s soft call, his elder brother’s wife, Hong Ji-Hye, looked up. This woman adeptly upheld close ties with the significant allies of Min Kyung-Jun’s faction, positioning herself as a prominent figure in social circles. Just looking at the data on Hong Ji-Hye, Jae-Yoon thought Min Kyung-Jun chose her as his spouse because of her background. However, after sitting face to face and having a conversation, he was certain it was not simply because of that.

If Min Kyung-Jun were to hesitate, Hong Ji-Hye would take the lead in dealing with the wives of the chaebol families. History could change with her political maneuverings.

She existed like a right arm that danced knives with her tongue, instead of her husband.

Although her title was Director and she only briefly appeared at the company, looking up close, Jae-Yoon realized that Hong Ji-Hye, not Park Geon-Joong, was the real power holder of It’s Food.

On the surface, she might display hostility similar to the second brother, Min Tae-Jun, but that was a calculated strategy. She employed the technique of sidestepping and speaking in a roundabout manner to conceal her true feelings.

If that were the case, a meaningless conversation would only be a tiring war of words. The rhetoric of a seasoned middle-aged woman was not something a young man could endure.

“What does It’s Food mean to you, Mrs. Hong?”

As the unexpected question flew in, Hong Ji-Hye shook her head and answered, “You should ask him about that. I don’t know much since I’m just an employee playing company with the title of director.”

She narrowed her eyes, then picked up the cookie Jae-Yoon brought and turned it around in her hand. Then, she asked, “Heard you were on air today. That was with MilkBot, right?”

“Quite an honor to be recognized by you.”

“I’m a big fan of Jeong Mi-Ran. How’d you manage to get her? Guess I should tell him to scout Jeong Mi-Ran for the new meal kits. Fits perfectly with this luxury meal kit vibe.”

“The PD in charge really nailed it. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“The broadcast was good. I watched it again. You seem to have a talent for home shopping in your blood, huh? Can’t fool the blood. Right? That cat was adorable. It was also good that Jeong Mi-Ran taught me how to use the app. Couldn’t help but buy. Seriously.”

She seemed at ease as she leaned back on the sofa.

A tactic of giving and taking, indeed. She is a versatile person. If such a person becomes an ally, they will truly be reliable. But what is this person’s desires?

“Call me next time. I’ll set you up with a few.”

“What’s with you today, Young Master? Gotten all smug all of a sudden.”

As Jae-Yoon smiled frivolously, she continued, resting her elbows on her knees, “Mr. Park’s son, doesn’t he work in the Planning Department?”

“He’s an expert in handling It’s Food’s marketing, so wouldn’t he be the perfect fit?”

“Got a bit of an issue with the Parks. How to say it…? Never mind.”

Halting mid-sentence on purpose? Jae-Yoon was curious, but did not show it. It seemed like a clumsy attempt to dominate the conversation by stopping at crucial moments.

“But, wait, Ho-Jun?” Ho-Jun’s elder sister-in-law, Hong Ji-Hye, calmly called out as she picked up another cookie. Her voice was much calmer than before. “Mr. Park’s son, heard he’s stopping the food broadcasts? Your doing, Young Master?”

“Who else but me could make that call at It’s Home Shopping?”

“Nice. But you won’t reverse that decision, will you?”

“What do you mean?” Jae-Yoon asked curiously.

Unlike the second brother, Jae-Yoon did not sense any hostility from Hong Ji-Hye. If he had to compare her to an animal, Hong Ji-Hye was like a cat. Her claws were quite sharp. She could even draw blood with a lazy stretch, but Jae-Yoon sensed that she had not revealed her claws yet.

“That moron. Hope we don’t have to deal with him anymore. Creeps me out.”

“Since you don’t like it, I’ll try my best, Mrs. Hong.” Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ ɴøᴠel Fɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“You know, Mr. Park’s son, his eyes are bloodshot from trying to take over the position. Ho-Jun, please do something about it. Greedy people always cause trouble. I don’t think you wanted a painting like that either. Isn’t it time for It’s Home Shopping to change a bit?”

Hong Ji-Hye’s gaze swept over Jae-Yoon. He thought it was a strange expression. It was not something he could describe as strange, but it was a strange sense of foreignness that he could not pinpoint.

Hong Ji-Hye had judged that Park Geon-Joong would never be an asset to It’s Food. She had simply pretended not to know, diligently watching as her husband’s loyal subordinate. But now, she was elated at the prospect of gaining an unexpected ally. Not an outsider, but family. Whether it was the child of the legal wife or an extramarital child, their origin did not matter to Hong Ji-Hye. All that mattered was that they were a Min.

As Jae-Yoon drank the remaining black tea in his cup, a low voice could be heard. It was his eldest brother, Min Kyung-Jun.

“What’s all the fun about? Ho-Jun, come see me for a moment.” Without waiting for a response, Min Kyung-Jun strode up the stairs.

“Doesn’t suit him, trying to act all high and mighty, right? Have a good chat. I’ll be watching home shopping programs.”

Jae-Yoon left Hong Ji-Hye, who was picking up the remote, and went up the stairs. He knocked on the door to the study and heard a voice telling him to come in.

In the center, a large walnut desk exuded a sense of authority. And right behind it, a bookcase, densely packed with books and plaques, filled an entire wall.

Jae-Yoon had an unexpected thought. He expected that any businessman would have a lot of pretentious books, such as success stories written by famous CEOs, investment methodologies, or economics books. Unexpectedly, this was the study of a true bibliophile, with a variety of classic novels, mystery novels, and modern novels.

“Interesting?”

Min Kyung-Jun asked abruptly before Jae-Yoon could even sit down, so it seemed like he was talking about the broadcast, or maybe the story of the Parks.

Jae-Yoon’s eyes fell on the book on the desk. The cover read ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’.

“I’m talking about the broadcast, not the book.”

Min Kyung-Jun quickly put the book away as if he was conscious of Jae-Yoon’s gaze.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in practical work.”

“Neither did I know my brother paid such close attention to me.”

“Ho-Jun. Min Ho-Jun.” Min Kyung-Jun called out with a firm voice, and Jae-Yoon met his eyes. His strong and masculine features gave off an intimidating aura.

“Go on.”

“I didn’t put you in that position to play around.”

“Brother, you think this is child’s play?” Jae-Yoon retorted, running his index finger across the desk.

It was just a broadcast. Is that something that warrants a private meeting in the study?

Jae-Yoon had been diligently inquiring about the Min family for over a month. To the point where he even knew what toiletries were used in the second-floor bathroom; but now, Jae-Yoon found it difficult to predict what Ho-Jun’s eldest brother, Min Kyung-Jun, meant by asking such a question.

“So, if it’s not child’s play, what is it? Some grand decision by our last born?”

Min Kyung-Jun’s tone and expression were hard to read. In such cases, there was no need to pry.

The clock on the wall read past 9 p.m. Jae-Yoon decided it would be best to have a straightforward conversation.

“Rushing the dinner and this meeting was not just for kicks, right? Shall we talk openly? What do you want, brother? Are you expecting something, or are you wary?”