【10. Birthday】
Seunggeon’s daily schedule as the CEO of Taehwa Group was divided down to the minute. Most of it was filled with meetings, business reports, and business meetings.
He used all the time in between to read and process reports. The volume of approval documents that had to go through his hands as the final decision-maker was considerable. The same went for the materials he had to look through to grasp the overall business plans of the group.
However, what exhausted Seunggeon wasn’t the enormous volume of documents or the endless meetings. It was people. Dealing with the family elders was especially tricky.
―How about Friday?
“I’m not sure if I’ll have time. Just a moment. I’ll check now.”
―The weekend is fine too. It would be best not to let this week pass.
Seunggeon’s call partner was Jeong Jaewan, his third youngest maternal great-uncle. Jeong Jaewan’s voice coming from the phone on the office desk was relaxed, but its content was urgent.
Seunggeon pulled up the schedule table on his tablet. He already knew that Friday evening and the entire Saturday were empty. He had deliberately left them open to meet Chaehun. Since he couldn’t give up that time, only Sunday remained. After setting an appointment for Sunday evening and ending the call with Jeong Jaewan, Seunggeon pressed his lips together.
Yesterday afternoon, a painting sent by Jeong Jaewan had arrived for Seunggeon. And today, they scheduled a meeting. All of it was a gesture of apology, an attempt to make amends for trampling into Seunggeon’s home ten days ago.
Seunggeon, who became the CEO of Taehwa Group at thirty with his grandfather’s backing, had to pay as much attention to coordinating the complex web of interests as to company business. Taehwa Group was massive, and the problems of affiliates where his grandfather’s brothers each held a position were gradually becoming visible.
To defend management rights, he pulled three of the five younger maternal great-uncles to his side and placed two in opposition. However, the alliance wasn’t very solid. Because he was young and lacked a proper foundation, they tried to manipulate him however they pleased. They especially interfered severely with Seunggeon’s marriage issues.
Seunggeon had no intention of getting married. He also had no intention of taking over Taehwa Group. But his younger great-uncles dismissed this as youthful bravado and sneered.
When words didn’t work, there was only force. Seunggeon didn’t wage all-out war against the alliance. Instead, he put on a display of an example.
Over the past weekend, the corruption and scandals of his fourth youngest maternal great-uncle, the hospital director, all burst out at once. His downfall was predetermined—he who had stood at the very forefront of the anti-chairman faction demanding affiliate separation. Not only was he criminally charged with breach of trust and embezzlement, but if unlucky, he could even face actual imprisonment.
As the situation changed drastically in a matter of days, Jeong Jaewan’s attitude shifted. He sent a painting as a gift and was trying hard to appease Seunggeon.
Everyone had their own weaknesses. For someone who was the head of a company, what came out when you shook them wasn’t dust but corruption.
Jeong Gyuwan, the chairman of Taehwa Group, held the weaknesses of not only his enemies but also his family members in his hands. Jeong Gyuwan wielded power while implying he could use them at any time. And the same was true for Seunggeon.
It was a period of power transition. To deal with the cunning grandfathers, he had to show them directly with action, not implications. In that sense, shaking up Taehwa Hospital was very effective.
*Even after showing force, there are bastards who don’t get it.*
Even after going this far, Seunggeon lightly frowned as he anticipated that things ahead wouldn’t go smoothly.
“How annoying.”
Seunggeon spoke to himself. He had returned to Korea thinking he would live there for about two years. His grandfather’s prognosis was good. Rehabilitation was going well, and he was scheduled to resume external activities within the year.
Even if his grandfather returned to active duty, Seunggeon couldn’t immediately return to America. His grandfather was too old, and his younger brother being groomed as successor was too young. His brother was seventeen. Seunggeon had no choice but to play the role of stepping stone. Even if he wielded the knife to cut off ominous sprouts and found trustworthy professional managers, in the end, it was a matter of time.
He had already reached an agreement with his grandfather about this. His grandfather said if he wanted, he could take Taehwa Group, but Seunggeon flatly refused.
Seunggeon knew well that he wasn’t the type to form bonds while rubbing shoulders with people. He only calculated likes, dislikes, and gains and losses regarding people, placing no meaning in the relationship itself. It was a personality that didn’t quite suit being the CEO of a large corporation like Taehwa Group.
The work itself as CEO wasn’t difficult, but since he had no desire for power, various things were just annoying. Even so, since there was nothing he particularly wanted to do even if he returned to America, he was silently performing his role in Korea.
Seunggeon started reading documents again. It had been a while since lunchtime was leisurely. Lunchtime was usually spent in business meetings, but today’s scheduled partner was hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis, so time opened up. He substituted a boxed lunch for the meal and concentrated entirely on documents for the remaining time.
And as lunchtime was ending, Shim Jeongmin came to visit. In his hands was a jewelry box picked up from a department store.
“I personally confirmed the size and engraving.”
“It took longer than expected.”
“It was probably because of the size adjustment. More than that… are you really planning to give it to Kang Chaehun-ssi?”
“Yes.”
Seunggeon, who answered decisively, opened the jewelry box he received from Shim Jeongmin right there. The diamond bracelet sparkled beautifully in the May sunlight.
He had ordered it about a month ago. When Chaehun, who had collapsed with a cold, said he would accept anything, the moment the thought of putting a bracelet on his wrist came to mind, he put it into action.
The bracelet, with diamonds woven together and decorated like knots, was for women’s jewelry. Still, Seunggeon ordered it without hesitation. It took a month to increase the size so Chaehun could wear it and engrave the initials.
Seunggeon picked up the bracelet. The sparkling diamond bracelet was as splendid as what he saw in the catalog, so he was very satisfied.
Chaehun, with his strong pride, would furrow his brow while receiving the bracelet. Perhaps he might even say his taste was terrible. Nevertheless, he looked forward to seeing him reluctantly place the bracelet on his wrist.
Chaehun, who had exercised consistently for a long time, had overall beautiful body lines. The shape from his wrist to his fingertips was perfect, as if drawn by a skilled painter.
At first, it was just that it bothered him that Chaehun checked the time on his phone. He had only thought that a wristwatch would suit him well. Then, after receiving a question from Chaehun asking if he had a wrist fetish, he realized his own preference. He also learned for the first time that he was interested in dressing people up.
Seunggeon’s maternal grandmother loved to dress up her young grandchildren handsomely. Perhaps growing up watching his grandmother had influenced him.
His preference, realized after 30 years, was a bit unusual, but if anything, it belonged to the very mild side. He had no desire to dress up anyone other than Chaehun.
He was just convinced that the sparkling bracelet would suit Chaehun well.
“Isn’t it a bit excessive for a birthday present?”
“Birthday?”
Seunggeon, who had been meticulously checking even the engraving, looked up at Shim Jeongmin at the unexpected word. There was only one person here who could be having a birthday.
“Today is Kang Chaehun-ssi’s birthday.”
Seunggeon searched his memory. He had read the report, but he hadn’t paid attention to when the birthday was. If he presented a diamond jewelry bracelet on a birthday, Chaehun might properly get angry. Still, it didn’t really matter. But he had to prepare a birthday present separately.
“Let’s prepare a birthday present separately. With vintage wine.”
Wine came to mind for Chaehun, who liked alcohol. He designated several vintage wines that Chaehun might enjoy and asked Shim Jeongmin to prepare them by today. Watching Shim Jeongmin, who answered that he understood, leave the office, Seunggeon took out his phone.
Originally they had an appointment to meet tomorrow, Wednesday, but birthdays should be celebrated on the birthday itself.
[Let’s meet today instead of tomorrow. 8 o’clock.]
[Sorry, but 8 is difficult. How about 10? I have to go to my family home.]
The reply from Chaehun came quickly. It wasn’t difficult to guess he was going to his family home because it was his birthday.
[10 is fine too.]
[That’s a relief. See you then!]
Chaehun’s message with an exclamation mark was full of energy. Seunggeon, who smiled without realizing it, consciously pressed his lips together. He couldn’t deny that his smiles had increased recently, and that it originated from Chaehun.
Seunggeon had an indifferent personality. He was that way by nature, and his surrounding environment made his tendency even more solid.
From a young age, Seunggeon sensitively noticed people who approached him with a purpose. His own value changed from time to time, and each time, it wasn’t difficult to read the deception and desire hidden behind smiles of goodwill.
He was taught not to react sensitively to others’ deception and desire. Smiling like a good person didn’t suit his personality. Indifference was the most comfortable response, and he had lived that way until now.
If he searched his memory, Chaehun was the first person who became friends just because they were physically close in the same classroom for no reason. No, Chaehun was the only existence he could call an ordinary friend.
At first, he was wary of his goodwill that approached without concern, but Chaehun truly had no ulterior motive. Even after it became known that he was an alpha, his attitude didn’t change. He wasn’t intimidated or fascinated. Perhaps it was because of his omega younger sibling, but Kang Chaehun was always consistent toward Choi Seunggeon.
It was the same after they reunited after more than ten years. Even knowing he was a third-generation chaebol, even after he became the CEO of Taehwa Group, he acted like “so what?” He would act as if their meetings were obligatory, then speak bluntly without reserve like an old friend.
