# Chapter 70
On a weekday morning, news about the Ian Group was reported.
The marriage between Ian Group owner’s son Director Ahn Hyungju and Y Industries owner’s son Division Head Kim Yoon. The internet and stock communities were in an uproar over the alliance between Ian Group and Y Industries.
Additionally, the love story between the two resurfaced.
From rumors about Director Ahn Hyungju’s deep friendship with Division Head Kim Yoon since childhood, to behind-the-scenes stories of Kim Yoon singing at Ahn’s wedding, everything was being discussed.
The romance of two people who, after many twists and turns, met again as spouses. Both online and offline were buzzing with the prospects of these two companies becoming even more powerful through their marriage alliance.
“So, he’s not the protagonist of those marriage rumors after all?”
“No. Apparently, he was known as a weirdo in those circles from the beginning, so nobody even wanted to get engaged to him.”
Yeomin recited the objective facts. Jiho was dutifully nodding beside him.
And the person facing them was none other than Yeojin. Yeojin, who had been serious, burst out laughing in just three seconds.
“That’s amusing.”
It was a very cool assessment. Yeomin agreed with that.
“It is pretty funny.”
“Anyway, setting that aside… the president of Ian Group fully supports your relationship? Is that even possible?”
“I know, right?”
Hearing it from Yeojin’s mouth, it really did sound absurd.
Yeomin agreed with Yeojin’s words as if he were a third party, but then, feeling Jiho’s gaze from beside him, he came to his senses and continued his explanation.
“From the beginning, they doubted whether he was even capable of liking someone and thought he’d live alone his whole life. But then I appeared, and they felt relieved. Between their son being gay and their son being an emotionless robot, they said they’d prefer the former.”
“No matter what, how does that make sense?!”
“And Seol Jiho has a younger brother. Very sharp and competent.”
Meaning there was no need to entrust the future of Ian Group to someone like him.
At Yeomin’s calm explanation, Jiho nodded once again.
Did you come here just to nod?
“Hmm.”
Yeojin crossed her arms and scanned the couple with a serious face. The calculator in Yeojin’s head was spinning rapidly.
The ridiculous situation where her younger brother, who had supposedly been in a contract relationship with a chaebol heir, suddenly declared he was in a real relationship.
Even for Yeojin, it was somewhat confusing. In fact, Yeojin had a similar stance to President Ahn.
She had never particularly expected Yeomin to like someone else in a romantic sense.
“…”
Yeojin looked towards Jiho. Well, being from Ian Group makes him an ultra-premium diamond spoon, and his face is admirable enough to draw gasps?
“Well, since things have turned out this way, I have nothing more to say. Please take good care of our Yeomin. And about the watch incident back then, I didn’t do anything right either, so let’s both consider it never happened.”
“Was there such an incident? I don’t recall.”
With that bright smile, Yeojin was almost entranced.
‘It wasn’t the money, but that face that seduced Joo Yeomin! To think my brother was such a hopeless face-obsessed idiot.’
Now that she thought about it, despite not making many friends, Yeomin had always talked about his handsome class president friend since he was very young.
Yeojin had suspected her brother might be gay since then, but given his closed-off personality, she thought he’d never realize it in his lifetime…
Wow, how did things work out like this? I guess you never know what life has in store.
“If you two are happy, that’s what matters. It’s quite unexpected that you’re telling me about this, though.”
At that, Yeomin seized the opportunity to nag.
“I’m making this clear in advance so you don’t try to exploit this weakness and do something shady behind my back. And just you try asking Seol Jiho for favors or asking him for things.”
“I’ve reflected a lot since then! I don’t do that anymore!”
Yeojin raised her voice. Just then, Yeomin’s phone rang. It seemed to be a call from the school. Lately, he seemed to be busy working as a student employee at the school as well.
“I’ll be back after taking this call.”
Yeomin, looking somewhat distrustful, told them “Behave” before leaving.
That left Yeojin and Jiho alone. Yeojin looked Jiho up and down from across the table.
The only word that came to mind was “outstanding.” He was someone anyone would desire.
That’s why she didn’t approve of him.
“If you later dump our Yeomin saying you’re going to marry a woman, I’ll expose everything on the internet. Don’t underestimate us. Well, you can underestimate Joo Yeomin, but not me!”
Yeojin was someone who never backed down when it came to guts and audacity. For her, threats and tricks were also a kind of defensive mechanism to protect herself.
“I don’t know what schemes are behind your family accepting him now, but I bet they’ll discard him as soon as they don’t need him anymore. That’s typical of you chaebol people, right?”
Yeojin trusted money, not people.
But even with such blatant threats, Jiho didn’t flinch at all. Yeojin had met many people in her life, but it had been a while since she’d met someone with such strong spirit.
“Being so suspicious runs in the family, I see. Or did Yeomin hyung learn it from his noona?”
Even that was sharp.
“It’s not suspicion, it’s having a keen sense of reality.”
Yeojin added.
“I’m the one that such a suspicious hyung chose, doesn’t that make you wonder?”
Jiho was very proud of that fact. It was the intoxicated smile of someone who had won the world.
‘Your confidence is through the roof. I wonder how much Joo Yeomin sucked up to you.’
Yeojin felt slightly overwhelmed by Jiho’s high spirits. Until a moment ago, she had thought he matched well with Yeomin, but suddenly she didn’t like him.
She couldn’t be looked down upon like this. Yeojin deliberately provoked Jiho.
“I felt this when I saw you at Yeomin’s studio apartment before. You know, as a person…”
“…”
“You’re slightly, how should I put it… fundamentally obnoxious.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“Yes, right. It was a compliment.”
Right. A compliment. I’m suddenly in a better mood?
“Anyway, I’ll take care of Yeomin hyung in every way possible, so don’t worry about anything.”
Jiho’s words sounded exactly like, ‘Joo Yeomin is mine, so mind your own business.’
To show such possessiveness in front of someone of a different gender and blood relation. He seemed to have an unusual level of obsession, judging by his appearance.
‘Joo Yeomin, can you handle this? Or rather, is this the aspect you like about him?’
Well, that’s all something Yeomin would have to deal with anyway.
Yeojin crossed her legs the other way and sneered.
“Are you confident you won’t break up? Yeomin gets bored easily. He’s secretly quite capricious.”
“If we break up, I’ll win him back.”
“What if he doesn’t take you back?”
“Then I’ll cling to him until he does.”
How is he blocking every question like a goalkeeper? Even that attitude didn’t please her.
Now that she couldn’t exploit him anymore, the fact that the person in front of her was from Ian Group was of no use whatsoever.
“You seem young and don’t understand, but real love also means knowing when to let go if the other person’s feelings have changed. Jiho-gun.”
Hearing those words, Jiho smirked. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he spoke with absolute conviction.
“I’m not interested in that kind of love.”
It was a manner of speaking that left no room for doubt. Even if such love existed, he would never engage in it.
“I’m only interested in keeping him by my side forever, being together for thousands of years. Even if things change, I’d rather be unhappy by his side. Rather than living without hyung.”
“Can you say that in front of Yeomin too?”
“I’ve already said it dozens of times.”
Yeomin must also be out of his mind. Whether he was blinded by his face, blinded by money, or whether that kind of attitude had captured Joo Yeomin’s heart. Who could know what was in his mind?
Yeojin sighed. This wasn’t an interview anyway. She didn’t have the qualifications to be the interviewer either. This much reconnaissance was enough.
Yeojin confirmed that Yeomin was still on the phone at a distance and spoke in a sweet voice.
“I may not seem like it, but I’m actually someone who’s friendly to you, Jiho-ssi. Yeomin has suffered a lot because of a sister like me, so I’d like him to have someone reliable by his side from now on.”
Jiho responded indifferently to Yeojin’s forced emotional speech.
‘Damn, even emotional manipulation doesn’t work.’
Then straight to the point. Yeojin brought up what she really wanted to say.
“If you ever need help while dating Yeomin, or if you’re curious about something, feel free to contact me anytime.”
“I don’t think I’ll need anything.”
I knew you’d respond like that. But you won’t be able to refuse anymore, will you? Yeojin smiled meaningfully.
“Hmm~ I probably have quite a few photos of Yeomin when he was little…”
“…”
“I have pictures from his kindergarten talent show, and I think I also have a video of him dancing at his high school festival.”
She could see Jiho’s pupils shaking. His upper body was already leaning forward about 10cm.
Yeojin wrote her number on a napkin and pushed it towards Jiho.
“Ah! Of course, you know it’s not free, right?”
Jiho stared at the napkin pushed in front of him, then looked at Yeojin. And then…
With a smile, he tucked it into his shirt pocket like a handkerchief.
“I’ll be in your care. Noona♡”
It was the moment a powerful alliance between Joo Yeojin and Seol Jiho was formed—something Joo Yeomin knew nothing about.
