Chapter 4: Even Knowing Fate
In the morning, as Dohyuk emerged into the living room after getting ready for work, his eyes went cold. Yeon was sitting in the living room in the exact same posture as the night before. Moreover, he’d put the cloth back over his eyes. Dohyuk couldn’t understand why he kept them covered, but he didn’t care to know the reason either. He decided to just think of it as some strange habit and move on.
Sensing Dohyuk’s presence, Yeon stood up. But that was all—he didn’t ask if he’d slept well or if he was heading to work. He simply stood in perfect posture, facing Dohyuk’s direction.
Dohyuk pretended not to see him, or rather, treated him as if he didn’t exist at all, and headed for the entryway. Since Yeon hadn’t moved from the living room all night, Dohyuk assumed he wouldn’t care whether he left or not. But Yeon silently followed him without making a sound.
Was he planning to follow him to work? The mere possibility was unpleasant. No matter what his mother had said about keeping him close, this was a line he couldn’t allow to be crossed. Besides, his attire was too conspicuous—bringing him along would only invite ridicule. If Kang Sunhyuk saw him, he’d gleefully mock Dohyuk for being so scared he needed to bring a shaman with him.
“I thought I told you your permitted spaces are the living room and one room?”
He finally spoke, wondering how far Yeon intended to follow.
“I don’t intend to follow you to work. However…”
Yeon stretched out his hand, just as he had the night before. Unlike last night, Dohyuk didn’t guard against it this time. As before, the hand stopped short of touching him and moved its fingers as if searching for something in the air.
Ping. Though not as clear as what he’d seen in the darkness, a faint light formed between his fingers before vanishing. How did he do that? Was he wearing some light-emitting device between his fingers? Dohyuk sneered at the thought that there were all sorts of ways to pull off a scam.
With a sharp sound, Dohyuk struck his hand away, and Yeon’s suspended hand was knocked aside by the force.
“Keep it reasonable.”
It was quite displeasing to have this false performance conducted in front of him. It made him feel like he too was being treated as a gullible rich person, which hurt his pride.
“Ah, not yet…”
Yeon tried to say something, but Dohyuk didn’t listen to the end and turned away. Bang! The door closed with a loud sound.
“You’re here, sir.”
As he came down to the first floor, Director Choi, who was preparing the car, bowed to him.
“Have someone watch him. Make sure that guy inside doesn’t leave the house. Keep monitoring the CCTV in the apartment too. If you see any suspicious movement, contact me immediately.”
Though Dohyuk hadn’t specifically explained that his mother had brought a shaman the night before, he assumed Director Choi had already been informed by her. As expected, Director Choi simply answered that he understood without asking any questions.
Standing in front of the closed entrance, Yeon untied the cloth covering his eyes with a low sigh.
There were still a few more strands of malicious connections remaining… They weren’t intense enough to require immediate attention, so cutting them tonight would be fine.
But judging from Kang Dohyuk’s attitude just now, it wouldn’t be easy even at night. He’d likely prevent Yeon from getting anywhere near him.
What should he do?
Yeon found his own concern amusing. Normally, he would approach the person, lower their guard, and help them understand what he was doing. People who requested this kind of service usually harbored vague anxieties. Just by listening to their concerns and offering a few words of reassurance, their defenses would lower.
After building trust first and closing the distance, his work would become much easier.
With Kang Dohyuk, this was difficult. Not only did Dohyuk not feel any anxiety, but his strong self-confidence meant he didn’t trust others even slightly. He didn’t think anyone could help him.
That arrogance would bring trouble… But who knows? If people knew their fate from the beginning, would they act more wisely?
No. Probably not.
Even knowing, there was nothing that could be changed. Just like himself now.
***
As soon as he arrived at work, there was a summons from Chairman Kang Mansik. When Dohyuk went up to the chairman’s office, Executive Director Kang Sunhyuk and Kang Chahyuk, Dohyuk’s other half-brother who held the title of director at Dragon Holdings, had also been called.
“Sit down.”
Kang Mansik, seated in the chairman’s chair on the sofa, gestured toward his sons. When Dohyuk sat on his right, Kang Sunhyuk sat opposite him. Kang Chahyuk looked them both over, grinned, then came to sit beside Dohyuk.
“Kangsan Construction has officially contacted us to set a date for a formal business presentation about the Yeouido project. Given the scale of the project, even though they’re mainly proceeding with us, they probably want to gather other investors.”
As soon as he heard about the Yeouido project, Kang Sunhyuk already looked bored. Though he occupied the Executive Director’s seat, he was only interested in power games, not actual work. Salary thief—that was the perfect description for someone like Kang Sunhyuk.
“Just tell Dohyuk and Chahyuk to handle it. It’s not like you’re going to assign me anything anyway.”
When he openly showed his intention to just sit on the sidelines, Kang Mansik’s brow furrowed slightly. With just that, Kang Sunhyuk cleared his throat and straightened his posture. Tsk, a low click of Kang Mansik’s tongue could be heard.
“Chahyuk, coordinate with Kangsan Construction to prepare for the business presentation.”
Kang Chahyuk looked somewhat surprised at Kang Mansik’s instruction.
“Me, not Dohyuk hyung?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
He seemed puzzled that such an important task was being given to him rather than Kang Dohyuk.
Dohyuk inwardly sneered. The specific business plans had already been established after last week’s presentation. All Kang Chahyuk had to do was organize them into a format suitable for presenting to investors.
Kang Mansik often behaved as if he was holding Dohyuk in check this way. While he’d entrust all the cleanup to Dohyuk whenever something went wrong, he never showed any indication that he’d make Dohyuk his successor. Placing the useless Kang Sunhyuk in the Executive Director position, above Dohyuk, was along the same lines.
To prevent Kang Dohyuk from dominating—for this reason alone, he let Kang Sunhyuk, who was nothing but a parasite, cling to the ill-fitting position of Executive Director.
Kang Chahyuk was somewhat better. He wasn’t at Dohyuk’s level, but he at least managed to complete assigned tasks reasonably well. Still, he wasn’t director material. After barely graduating from a mediocre college, he’d been immediately placed in a director position.
Because of Kang Sunhyuk and Kang Chahyuk, at first, Dohyuk had been lumped in with them too.
“Ha, fuck. It’s disgusting. I don’t know why these gangster bastards are pretending to do business. Always resorting to threats. I heard all the executives there are Chairman Kang Mansik’s children? These gangster bastards throwing their weight around just because they have some money—it makes me sick. Pft!”
That had been the CEO of Forest Entertainment, ranting away. Thinking no one would hear, he’d vented his frustrations in front of his company’s employees, but Dohyuk happened to be passing by. Even then, Dohyuk had simply given him a cold look and continued on his way. Later, the man came to Dohyuk directly, kneeling and begging for forgiveness, but there was no mercy to be had.
Despite receiving investment from Dragon Holdings, he’d failed to succeed, and the investment became debt. The deal ended with the condition that they’d take over his house, company, and even the entertainers from his agency. It wasn’t because of his behind-the-back insults that Dohyuk had shown no mercy.
From the beginning, Dragon Holdings had invested in Forest Entertainment with the intention of acquiring it. Dohyuk had interfered with the CEO’s ambitious expansion into China. He’d contacted the Chinese company the CEO was trying to contract with first and offered better terms. He only asked them to stall, pretending they were proceeding with the Forest Entertainment contract.
In the end, Forest Entertainment had failed to finalize the contract and just wasted time, and when the agreed deadline with Dragon Holdings passed, they lost everything.
‘How does it feel? How does it feel to have everything taken by the gangster bastard you looked down on?’
Formally, it looked like Dragon Holdings was absorbing and merging with Forest Entertainment. On the day the CEO stamped the contract, Dohyuk looked at him with an expressionless face and asked. Only then did he realize he’d been thoroughly played by Dohyuk.
If it had been Kang Sunhyuk, he would have immediately caught the man when he heard the badmouthing and broken his limbs. He wouldn’t have hesitated to threaten to bury him in cement in the sea. But Dohyuk was different. Though he’d grown up watching Kang Mansik, Dohyuk didn’t prefer such crude methods.
If the CEO of Forest Entertainment had quietly withdrawn, he would have at least kept his life. But he’d accelerated his own demise by doing something stupid like yesterday.
“Dohyuk, you sit at the negotiation table. Secure the lead position for the Yeouido project.”
Though he maintained his expressionless face at Kang Mansik’s next instruction, inwardly he laughed. As expected. Compared to this directive, Kang Chahyuk’s presentation preparation was no different from preparing for an elementary school talent show.
“Kangsan Construction has staked everything on this project. They won’t easily give up the lead position.”
When Dohyuk gave this basic response, Kang Mansik’s sharp gaze fixed on his face.
“That’s for you to figure out. You know that’s your job, right?”
Easier said than done. The Yeouido project had only become feasible after Kangsan Construction had lobbied the government for over a decade. It was a project centered on two main ideas: creating a walking path using the Yeouido Saetgang to make it a tourist attraction with a modest atmosphere, in contrast to the Han River; and buying up the surrounding areas around Yeouido, which already had many high-rises, demolishing old apartments, and building skyscrapers and new apartments in their place to create a Manhattan-like feel.
“Director Baek Hyeri.”
When Dohyuk mentioned the name of Kangsan Construction’s only daughter, Kang Mansik’s eyes narrowed.
“I will meet with her.”
It seemed to be the direction Kang Mansik wanted, as a gentle curve formed on his lips and the corners of his eyes turned upward.
“You bastard.”
As soon as they left the chairman’s office, Kang Sunhyuk started picking a fight.
“Now you’re even seducing women to get your work done?”
Dohyuk’s tongue clicked at Kang Sunhyuk’s stupidity.
“She’s not just any woman.”
As he ignored him and turned his head away, Kang Chahyuk stepped between them.
