The Seoil Group’s 50th anniversary founding ceremony was being held in the auditorium on the first floor of the head office building. After handing his car off to a valet attendant in the underground level, Heesin waited for Yun Sena in the lobby. Ten minutes later, as she stepped out of her car, camera flashes went off all around.
He watched from a distance. It was one of those moments when the reality truly sank in — that Yun Sena lived in a different world from him. Soon after, other siblings arrived, and the journalists’ attention drifted away. Yun Sena came inside, spotted Heesin, and made her way over.
“Did you wait long?”
“No, I just got here.”
“How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
At Heesin’s compliment, the corners of Yun Sena’s mouth lifted in a pleased smile. He moved to stand beside her, and she looped her arm through his. Almost immediately, the eyes of the people in the lobby were drawn over. They looked curious about who the man standing next to Seoil Group’s youngest daughter was.
Heesin kept his nerves hidden and played it calm. Chairman Yun inviting him here was unexpected. Hadn’t he been the one who kept putting off meals with excuses about being busy? Heesin knew the chairman hadn’t been enthusiastic about his daughter’s relationship. He was curious what could have changed in the man’s thinking.
They passed through the entrance and headed inside, where chairs were lined up in neat rows. People came up from all directions to greet Yun Sena. Among them was Choi Yuno, who he’d met not long ago.
The man smiled with the same brazen face as ever.
“Prosecutor. We keep running into each other.”
“Indeed. Small world.”
“I heard the Kim Haeseong case was closed as a suicide. See? I told you I was innocent.”
“Time will tell.”
“Oh come on. Let it go. Nothing good comes from fixating on me. For anyone.”
Circumstantially, it was clear the man was connected to the deaths of Kim Haeseong and Kim Juwon. In the phones of the deceased, there had been messages sent to Choi Yuno — demanding money before exposing everything. What exactly that exposure concerned, he didn’t know. Whether it had to do with drugs, or with his sexual preferences.
“If the opportunity comes, let’s meet again. Though I don’t know that it will.”
When Choi Yuno disappeared, Yun Sena grabbed his arm.
“Oppa. Don’t pay Choi Yuno any mind.”
Then she pulled Heesin over to meet someone. It was a middle-aged woman with streaks of white in her hair. The woman was Yun Sena’s paternal aunt — she assisted Chairman Yun and oversaw the management of affiliate companies under him. It was said that in most conglomerate families, the process of inheriting wealth drove people apart, but Chairman Yun had managed to maintain fairly close ties with his siblings.
“Auntie. The person I mentioned. Introduce yourself, oppa. This is my youngest aunt.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Kang Heesin.”
“I’m Yun Jeonghui. I’ve heard a lot about you. Too handsome to be wasted at the prosecutors’ office.”
He responded to that with a slight smile rather than words.
“You’re at the Seoul Central District, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then you’d know Jo Cheolwoong.”
What? Jo — the deputy chief? Oh, this is not a good feeling. He never could have imagined hearing Deputy Chief Prosecutor Jo Cheolwoong’s name from her lips. He said he did, and she continued with a smile.
“He’s an old classmate of mine.”
Damn…. If I’d known this, I would have been a little less confrontational with Jo….
The regret came too late — there was no undoing what had already been done.
“Is that so. Deputy Chief Jo is a wonderful person. He’s also a senior I deeply respect.”
Yun Jeonghui pursed her lips in an odd smile.
“I doubt that.”
“……”
“I know he’s a dinosaur — he was notorious for it even back in school. He played sports until middle school, so there wasn’t a person in the neighborhood who didn’t know him. I still can’t believe he became a prosecutor. Honestly, I thought he’d end up a gangster. And on top of that, the man is as much of a snob as they come.”
“……”
Unable to listen any further, Yun Sena stepped in to rein her aunt in.
“Auntie, that’s enough. Save the old classmate stories for later.”
“Alright, alright. Have to listen to my darling girl.”
Then, before she left, she glanced back at Heesin.
“You said Kang Heesin, right? I’ll put in a word with Cheolwoong to go easy on you.”
She gave him a wink and moved away. Heesin’s gaze followed her retreating figure. More precisely — the necklace she was wearing. Why does it look familiar? I feel like I’ve seen that somewhere before….
He was still trying to place it when Yun Sena tugged at his arm.
“Oppa. My younger cousin is coming over there. Say hello.”
A moment later, a girl who looked quite young approached. Yun Sena said she was a high school student — her cousin. Despite being only nineteen, the luxury items she’d casually thrown on looked to be worth over a hundred million won at a glance. He thought of his younger sister, who used to secretly work part-time jobs to save up tens of thousands of won in tutoring fees.
Chairman Yun had been married three times, so there were more relatives than Heesin had expected. Even more surprising was the fact that Chairman Yun’s first wife was in attendance. Given that the eldest son and eldest daughter held key positions on the front lines, it was perhaps understandable — but seeing the first wife and third wife in the same room together was a rare sight.
“We meet again. Even nicer running into you like this.”
Before he knew it, Yun Sena’s second older brother had approached. Even as half-siblings, none of them were on bad terms with Yun Sena — not outwardly, at least. Chairman Yun placed extraordinary emphasis on sibling harmony, and it was clear this arrangement would hold on the surface for as long as he was alive.
“I heard you took on an important case?”
The second brother casually broached the subject.
Where on earth had he heard that from.
“I heard Representative Choi was connected through Im Gyeong?”
Heesin responded with an ambiguous smile, and the man gave him a pat on the shoulder.
“Good luck. Looks like you’ve finally found a way to get on our father’s radar.”
It was a remark that walked the line between encouragement and mockery. Yun Sena, who had been talking with an acquaintance nearby, came over. What are you two talking about? Her half-brother shrugged — as if to say, nothing much. Yun Sena’s eyes narrowed slightly. She pulled Heesin aside and whispered quietly.
“Did my second brother give you a hard time?”
Heesin gave a small smile.
“No. He gave me some brief advice.”
“What advice?”
“Advice that’s useful to me.”
She was in the middle of asking what he meant when the MC’s voice came over the speakers. The founding ceremony would begin shortly, and all distinguished guests in attendance were asked to please take their seats. There were assigned seats, so they went to theirs. He was mildly surprised to find his seat was relatively toward the front — right next to the family section, no less. At this point, he was genuinely curious what Chairman Yun had in mind.
“We will now begin the 50th anniversary founding ceremony.”
Shortly after, a large LED screen played a video tracing the company’s history. It covered how Chairman Yun had started with five employees in a small parts factory, overcome hardships and trials, and built one of the country’s leading companies — and how Seoil Group was now expanding globally through overseas ventures.
The moment the video ended and Chairman Yun appeared on stage, everyone in the room rose to their feet.
He gestured for them to sit, and the MC promptly conveyed the message. Chairman Yun approached the microphone, and his commemorative address began. He was tall for his age, with a lean build, a full head of hair, and an aura that carried even from a distance.
Looking at photographs of him in his youth, he had been as striking as any actor.
Come to think of it, Im Gyeong looked remarkably like his father among all the siblings.
When Chairman Yun’s address concluded, thunderous applause filled the hall.
Rather than stepping back, Chairman Yun continued speaking.
“And today, we have a very special guest who has come to offer his congratulations.”
Several executives stirred. Chairman Yun’s own children were just as caught off guard. They exchanged glances with one another, and so did the rest of the family.
“Those of you who know him will recognize the name. I’d like to introduce my son — Im Gyeong, who has been making his mark in the East Asian investment market.”
The room went silent as though cold water had been poured over it. A few sharp-eyed executives began clapping belatedly, and others followed suit. Chairman Yun, having dropped his bombshell, turned around with a satisfied expression.
At last, Im Gyeong walked out from behind the curtain. Under the lights, his face was striking enough to put any celebrity to shame. Instead of his usual flamboyant suits, today he wore a toned-down, deep-colored formal ensemble. He stepped up to the microphone, adjusted the height, and smiled.
“Good afternoon. It is an honor to be asked to offer congratulatory remarks at such a meaningful occasion.”
He clearly saw a few executives who had been aligned with the eldest or second son’s camp squeeze their eyes shut. He turned his head to look beside him — Yun Sena too was biting down hard on her lip, eyes blazing. It was only then that he realized: no one had known about this surprise that Chairman Yun had prepared.
