“Our honey?”
Wonyoung flinched in surprise just like the emoticon and widened his eyes. At his innocent appearance as if he truly knew nothing, Taehyeok hesitated for a moment. However, that was brief, and Taehyeok fiercely pressed Wonyoung.
“Why do you keep butting in? Such a lowly thing? Just because we let you be in the same place, you think you’re something?”
‘No, I just said one word, you bastard.’
While Wonyoung desperately suppressed his anger, unable to let it out, Taerim spoke up.
“You’re the one who should stop flapping your mouth. Didn’t you learn that chattering during a meal is rude? Well, I suppose you’ve been uncivilized in that regard since long ago.”
“What? You bastard!”
“That’s enough, both of you.”
What defused the explosive situation was a calm remark. At Chairman Kyung’s heavy yet firm restraint, Taehyeok sat down as if nothing had happened.
“I apologize, Father.”
“I apologize.”
The fathers apologized on behalf of their sons’ mistakes. Taehyeok at least seemed somewhat subdued, but Taerim was elegantly eating his food. As if he had done nothing wrong and it had nothing to do with him.
‘What an impressive person.’
To have such an attitude even when the adults are apologizing right in front of him. In a way, it was cool.
“Are you not going to eat that?”
At that moment, Taerim spoke to Wonyoung. Momentarily flustered, Wonyoung pushed the half-remaining dish toward Taerim.
“P-please have it.”
“If it’s okay, will you feed me?”
“Pardon?”
Instead of explaining again, Taerim openly opened his mouth. At the sudden situation, Wonyoung’s thoughts stopped. Why is this person acting like this?!
And regrettably, the choices filled in those stopped thoughts.
[Feed him.]
[Don’t feed him.]
Even though he had no choice but to select one of the two anyway, he felt strangely disgusted.
What on earth was Kyung Taerim thinking? Why was he doing something he didn’t normally do?
As Wonyoung pondered, he suddenly recalled what Taerim had said before coming here.
—Even if I make some uncomfortable requests there, I hope you’ll comply just this once.
What did I answer back then? Of course I would.
Taerim must have his reasons. The Kyung Taerim that Wonyoung knew wasn’t someone who would do this without reason.
‘Fine, I get it.’
Wonyoung sighed and chose [Feed him]. Then he picked up the abalone with chopsticks and brought it to Taerim’s mouth.
“Here.”
“What on earth are you all doing…!”
Taerim’s uncle Jinseong slammed the table, but Taerim put the abalone Wonyoung gave him in his mouth, chewed a few times, and said.
“Mm, truffle. I definitely didn’t like it.”
“…”
“But that was because you, Kyung Taehyeok, tampered with the food I was eating. Now that we’re all grown adults, is there a reason to dislike it?”
At those words, the expressions of Taehyeok and Jinseong turned deathly pale. Wonyoung looked back and forth between both sides with a troubled face. What is this? What are they talking about without me knowing? Is this what chaebol-style mind games are like?
After that, Taerim gave commentary on each dish that came out, and Taehyeok and his father rapidly became silent.
Wonyoung also quietly ate his meal without understanding. Despite feeling like he might get indigestion, the food went down well.
Finally, after the meal ended, Chairman Kyung opened his mouth while drinking tea.
“This time, Taehyeok, you’ll go to HS Construction.”
“What? But, Grandfather…!”
Jinseong, who stopped Taehyeok, spoke instead.
“Father, Taehyeok is producing decent results in the distribution side where he currently is. After all the hardship he went through to get this far…”
“Distribution will be handled by Taeryeong.”
“…Me?”
With that, Chairman Kyung didn’t open his mouth anymore. He drove out Taehyeok who had been competing with Taerim and left Taerim as is at HS Holdings, the holding company. It was essentially a declaration confirming Taerim as the successor.
Taerim looked at Chairman Kyung with an indifferent face. Like someone who received what they were naturally supposed to receive.
Soon after Chairman Kyung left his seat first, Taehyeok irritably kicked the table and grumbled.
“No, does this make sense?! He brought a fellow man as his lover, and you’re just going to let that slide? You’re pushing me aside to some corner when I was doing well? Are you really going to hand over HS to that homo bastard?”
“Calm down, Taehyeok.”
“Uncle, stay out of this! I’m the eldest grandson of this family!”
How unsightly. As Wonyoung frowned thinking that, Jinseong grabbed the rampaging Taehyeok.
“Let’s go, Taehyeok.”
“Father!”
However, even at Taehyeok’s call, Jinseong got up and left without giving him a glance. Naturally, he did the same to his daughter Taeryeong. Only then did Taehyeok irritably get up and follow behind him.
They’re both a pair… As Wonyoung grumbled inwardly, Taeryeong spoke as if sighing.
“Thanks to Grandfather, I’m the only one who got stuck with a bad reputation again.”
“Taeryeong…”
“Leave it, Father. She’s doing it because she wants to.”
At Taerim’s icy sarcasm, Taeryeong frowned her pretty eyebrows. But in reality, even to Wonyoung’s eyes, she didn’t look like a daughter hurt by her father.
It really was a cutthroat, dysfunctional family.
“Let’s get up soon too, Narae-ssi. Father, you’ll be fine without us escorting you, right?”
Soon when Taerim asked as if about to get up, Inseong nodded and belatedly spoke to Wonyoung.
“Oh, Rae-ssi. I apologize for the rudeness earlier. I know it’s shameless, but please take good care of our Taerim.”
“Huh? Ah, ah, yes.”
Wonyoung, who answered half-heartedly, felt a bit strange.
That father and son really resembled each other, but this father and son didn’t seem to resemble each other at all. Though they looked similar.
“Let’s go now.”
“Ah, yes.”
Wonyoung chased after Taerim who was walking ahead with quick steps. As soon as Taerim exited the room, he stopped for a moment and said.
“Wait here. I’ll go get the car.”
“Huh? What about the driver?”
“I sent him ahead. I’ll drive.”
“Why?”
At that, Taerim firmly grabbed Wonyoung’s nose.
“Why are you so curious about everything?”
“No, why are you grabbing someone’s nose…”
When Wonyoung complained in a nasal voice, Taerim laughed as if he had no choice.
“Then why does Narae-ssi just let it happen?”
“…Well.”
Because I can’t hit you, my superior. As Wonyoung answered inwardly, Taerim let go of his nose.
“I can’t stop you.”
Then he just left. Left alone, Wonyoung caressed his nose and imitated Taerim’s words saying ‘I can’t shtop you,’ then sneakily looked around.
‘He’s not here.’
As Wonyoung was blankly waiting for Taerim like that, an unexpected person approached him. It was none other than Kyung Taehyeok.
“Let’s talk?”
Why would I talk with you? Just as Wonyoung was about to retort like that, he hesitated. Choices appeared before his eyes, and their content was unusual.
[Oh, yes, I understand. (Check if Taerim is coming, then follow.)]
[It’s a bit difficult here…]
‘What? Why are you talking like we know each other?’
Flustered and hesitating, Wonyoung chose the lower option for now.
“It’s a bit difficult here…”
“What, now that you’re backed by Kyung Taerim, you have nothing to fear? If I run my mouth, the one in trouble will be you, you bastard.”
“…Pardon?”
“What are you playing dumb for? Did you really seduce Kyung Taerim?”
“That is, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying…”
As Wonyoung trailed off feeling confused, Taehyeok suddenly grabbed Wonyoung by the collar.
“Hey, you ate up 100 million and you think you can act like you don’t know me? If it weren’t for the materials I gave you, you wouldn’t have gotten involved with Kyung Taerim… ugh.”
Taehyeok couldn’t finish his words and groaned. It was because Taerim removed his hand gripping Wonyoung’s collar with terrifying grip strength.
Wonyoung froze at Taerim’s appearance. Because Taerim must have clearly heard everything Taehyeok just said.
But 100 million, materials. Wonyoung had never received such things. He had never even seen them.
‘My debt stayed at 100 million. If I had received money, I would have paid off my debt first.’
However, the bigger problem than that was the misunderstanding Taerim must be having. The thought that he suspected Wonyoung approached him under someone’s orders might have become solidified.
Wonyoung, whose thoughts reached that point, hurriedly opened his mouth.
“Director…”
However, his call was drowned out by Taehyeok’s shout.
“Who the hell are you, you bastard! Let go right now!”
“Stop acting so disgracefully. Don’t tarnish the family name.”
“What?! What did you just say!”
In the explosive situation that seemed about to turn into a fistfight at any moment, Wonyoung unconsciously intervened.
“D-don’t do this! Why are you doing this outside where everyone can see? Calm down. Okay?”
At Wonyoung’s plea, a flicker of emotion crossed Taerim’s eyes. He soon let go of Taehyeok with a thud and brushed off his hands as if he had touched something dirty. Taehyeok flared up again, but Wonyoung pulled Taerim away.
“Let’s go quickly, Director.”
Taerim hesitated, then followed as Wonyoung led. But as soon as they left the building, Taerim coldly removed Wonyoung’s arm.
“D-Director…”
Wonyoung’s gaze at Taerim wandered aimlessly.
“I’ll take you home.”
With those words as his last, Taerim turned around immediately.
In front of the restaurant door was Taerim’s car with the engine running. Taerim silently got in it, and Wonyoung also cautiously followed and got in.
‘What do I do? What do I do…?’
Wonyoung, who was fastening his seatbelt, fidgeted restlessly and finally opened his mouth.
“Director, about what was said earlier…”
“I don’t want to hear it right now.”
“D-Director…”
“Let’s just go quietly.”
At Taerim’s ice-cold voice that he had never heard before, Wonyoung quietly lowered his eyes. He felt wronged and frustrated, but somehow his heart ached.
In that silence, Taerim, who stopped the car on the main road near Wonyoung’s house, said.
“Get out.”
“…Director, the thing is, I also…”
If not now, there might be no chance. Wonyoung tried to hurriedly make excuses even now.
