# Chapter 51
“Can you explain to me in as much detail as possible what has happened so far?”
“…Yes.”
I told him the story.
I could guess what kind of story he wanted to hear, so I explained how people within Seyoung Group had approached me and what they had said and done.
He closed his eyes and nodded as he listened to the story.
“My aunt’s attitude toward me has changed recently.”
It didn’t feel right to be talking about others in such detail, like I was tattling on them.
But after realizing I wasn’t in a position to be leisurely about this situation, I felt I had no choice.
He nodded his head and seemed to listen even more intently.
A smile appeared on Grandfather’s face.
“If my thinking is correct, that Jihyuk didn’t even tell his wife about his plans. What he was thinking when he dragged you into this, that is.”
“I think so too.”
Before I knew it, I was saying such things, and Grandfather nodded with satisfaction.
“Now that I’ve heard your story, I have a rough picture of what’s going on. I can also see who approached you with what intentions.”
I didn’t find that surprising.
I had also organized a few thoughts while talking to him.
“The most interesting ones are Jiyoung and Seungwon. Seungwon might have learned about his father’s intentions a few times during all this. Either Jihyuk gave him hints or perhaps told him directly.”
“I don’t think that’s the case. I happened to see Hyung’s smartphone once, and there was a group chat where he was talking with other people. It was something I saw by chance, but from the content they were exchanging, they seemed to be enjoying my appearance.”
“Tell me in detail.”
I told him about how Hyung had shared around a photo of me wearing a Crop T-shirt.
Grandfather nodded with an amused smile.
“Yes. I remember that too. One of the members of the group you manage also posted your photo on the internet. So our secretariat stepped in and handled that matter.”
“The legal team… not the secretariat?”
“The secretariat pressured the legal team to act. The legal team is naturally slow-moving. Things can only be resolved efficiently when the secretariat steps in. Didn’t they actually resolve the issue in a short time? Such matters are faster through the secretariat than the legal team. Putting the legal team forward is just to create the impression that things proceeded through proper channels, but in reality, a more effective method was used.”
I didn’t fully understand his words yet, but I had a vague idea.
“I guarantee you that Seungwon is not the type who can calculate and act on all these things. That’s just not in his nature.”
He then told me it was fortunate that I had learned about Hyung early on.
“It seems Seungwon is maintaining friendly relationships with other guys as well.”
“Yes. Hyung is doing well.”
I said that because it felt good to hear Grandfather praise Hyung who had helped me during difficult times, but he immediately clicked his tongue, looked at me, and shook his head.
“Foolish boy. I wonder if he can even protect his own rice bowl. There are beasts swarming around you, desperate to devour you, yet you seem carefree.”
“…”
What I heard from Grandfather was shocking.
The people I had thought were on my side might have been moving according to hidden schemes all along.
But I needed to hold onto someone.
To stand alone on a precariously swaying ship’s edge, I needed to hold onto someone.
Even if that person wasn’t actually favorable toward me.
When I said this, Grandfather fell silent in thought for a moment.
“And now I can’t trust you either, Chairman. If the people who have given me trust until now have turned their backs on me, shouldn’t I be even more wary of you?”
“Everything else is fine, but call me Grandfather. I have that right. I gave birth to your father, and my child gave birth to you. Don’t I have every right to be called Grandfather by you!”
He suddenly seemed fixated on that title.
I wondered why he was making such a big deal about it now, but it wasn’t completely incomprehensible.
The sudden accident that befell my father.
How devastated he must have been to lose his son because of it…
Thinking that it couldn’t have been easy for him to accept that, I nodded.
“I understand, Grandfather.”
“I’ll get you an officetel near the company. No. I’ll give you money, so you get one yourself. Get one within 10 minutes’ distance. Don’t work overtime, leave work on time and go home. I’ll send someone at that time every day, so ride in that car and come here with them.”
“…”
“You’ll need time to verify things too. About whether you can trust this old man’s words. Take your time to confirm. That will cost money too, so I’ll provide that as well. I’ll also give you the money you mentioned for buying a house. A package will arrive by tomorrow, and there will be money in it, so receive it and use it.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Let’s leave it at that for today. If I keep you too long, others might find it strange.”
I could tell he was suspicious of his secretaries.
The secretaries always followed him around and were with him no matter what he did.
So if they were involved, I thought it wouldn’t have been impossible for my uncle to have kept all those things hidden until now.
I also thought they must be truly frightening people.
Before leaving, I briefly wondered if I should tell Grandfather about the incident with Cha Yeonwoo.
But not yet.
No matter how precariously my position might be swaying, if what I was holding onto was a beast with its jaws open, I would only be hastening my death.
On my way home, my mind became impossibly complicated.
I wondered what my uncle would be thinking if he had seen that.
As soon as I got home, I wanted to check if there were any bugs or hidden cameras in the house.
But if I showed such movements, my uncle might suspect me and put pressure on me right away.
If he knew that I was suspicious of him, he might use every means at his disposal to close in on me.
‘He knows.’
At first, it was a vague suspicion.
But once that possibility was raised, many things gradually came to mind.
Even the smile and expression my uncle had when looking at me seemed to take on new meaning belatedly.
‘How much does he know? Just about Cha Yeonwoo? Or about my relationships with the other guys too?’
If he had seen Cha Yeonwoo and me engaging in intimate acts, my uncle might have thought there was more and assigned people to follow Cha Yeonwoo separately.
‘Then, at the dorm too…?’
Although it was something I didn’t want to imagine, it wasn’t impossible.
It was fortunate that Crop Five maintained a good relationship with Noona and had a positive influence on Seyoung Group.
If that hadn’t been the case, who knows what might have happened…
With my mind in chaos, it was sad that there was no one I could rely on.
I could trust the members, but they were far away, and I hesitated to contact them because I thought they might be busy preparing for their performances right now.
If I left a message, they would get back to me, but right now I wanted to hear someone’s voice immediately to feel reassured.
I wanted to hear Han Sijin’s voice.
‘…!’
Noona who suddenly appeared at the department store when Crop Five was starting.
The smartphone Noona gave.
From then on, all our members had been using the smartphones Noona had given us.
The smartphones released by Seyoung Electronics were hugely popular, and being able to use those products before others might have been considered a great privilege.
But if it was meant to monitor the lives of the members and me…
If I thought about the combination of my uncle and Noona, it didn’t seem difficult.
No matter how secure the system might be, if it was possible to manipulate it beforehand, Noona might have known the conversations we were having.
‘…’
Once I started to doubt, there was no one I could trust.
The only person I could think of in this situation was just one person.
* * *
Mom tried to hide her confusion.
I went home and asked Mom to go out and have a meal somewhere nice.
Mom seemed to think it was strange that I was doing this, but said it would be an honor and went to change her clothes, and I followed her.
“How about wearing what I pick out for you?”
Mom seemed to think I was acting differently than usual, but she nodded.
By then, the smile had already disappeared from her face.
Mom was someone who frighteningly picked up on my mood.
She didn’t put on the necklace or earrings she usually wore, and even took off the ring she always had on her finger.
Looking at me, she seemed to realize that I was worried about something.
She put down her watch and smartphone and followed me.
Seeing that she left her smartphone behind, I was almost certain.
