Chapter 5
***
Heading across the outer room, where a simple reception table and couch were set up, Jae-yeon spoke softly.
"The layout has changed a bit, hasn't it? I made some changes, put up a false wall."
"Oh, yeah."
"The house is very well maintained. Oh, except for the attic, which I'm guessing they clean occasionally, but it's definitely uninhabited."
"...... Is that right?"
"Yeah, it was pretty run-down."
"...."
"Old doesn't mean run-down."
Do-geon was silent. He remembered Jae-yeon standing in the doorway.
"It's connected to my room, too. I need to be able to get in and out easily, especially if there’s danger."
"I see."
Jae-yeon didn't seem at all bothered by the muffled reply, and she opened the inner door to announce his arrival.
"Mr. Chairman, your grandson is here, Mr. Han Do-geon."
After a moment of silence, a low, cracked voice came through.
"..................Do-geon?"
"Yes, Grandpa, I'm here."
Do-geon replied. Jae-yeon opened the door wide and spoke in a low voice.
"It's a little dark in here. He doesn’t like bright things these days."
She whispered like she was telling a big secret, then smiled and stepped away.
"I'll be outside, then, if you'd like to talk."
Do-geon’s gaze lingered on the white face for a moment, then dropped. He turned and stepped into the doorway, the door closing behind him. Do-geon stepped closer to the bed. Lying under the covers, the chairman looked like a dry piece of wood.
"Grandpa, how are you?"
"You ugly bastard................"
"Haha, that's the first thing you say when you see me."
Do-geon laughed lightly, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
"Sorry I haven't been in much, things have been busy."
"Never mind. I don't care if you come in or not."
Each word was punctuated by a labored breath. Do-geon looked down at his grandfather with a bitter expression and muttered.
"You were fine the last time I called."
"What about the ..................ND merger?"
Han's question made Do-geon pause. He hadn't expected his grandfather to be interested.
When Do-geon joined one of the top three PEFs in the U.S. after college, and when he left to start a new PEF, Han didn't approve of his behavior.
As was often the case with chaebols, Han saw private equity as a pawn in the hands of his family. No matter how many wealthy people there were in the fund industry, they couldn't match the influence or connections of the chaebols.
For this reason, Han wanted his youngest grandson to return from the U.S. to work at Daejin, but when Do-geon refused to listen to him, he stopped paying attention.
“..................I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about it."
"You're good at it. I saw you lose the bid last time."
"I'm sorry....................., but enough about that. Dojun told me they had a baby girl, did you get to hold your great-granddaughter?"
"Anda's going to break her back."
Mr. Han said bluntly, but he added that she looked like she had a flying head. Do-geon laughed out loud.
They talked for a while, catching up. Han couldn't speak at length, so Do-geon usually led the conversation.
"I've never really had much to come in .................. for, except for the domestic investment authorization case, but then my grandfather was hospitalized and I ended up staying longer than I intended."
"That's when you were.................. cool, good thing I collapsed."
"I'd say that's a good thing."
"It just so happened that.................. I was with Jae-yeon, and you were in Korea, and it just so happened that.................. I'm glad.................. then."
Han's smile tightened for a moment at the mention of the name 'Jae-yeon'.
"Come to think of it, I heard she was your caregiver then, now."
Do-geon casually dragged the subject back to him.
"I thought it was someone else."
"He's.................. still there, with the addition. Did you say hello..................?"
Up to this point, Chairman Han had two mistresses and many lovers, but he had never invited them into his home. He had simply given them their own homes.
Of course, only then could Chairman Han move freely. Now, he can't do that, so he must have brought them inside.
"Can't I bring people into my house .................. at will?"
"That's funny, you were the one who insisted on not letting anyone into your house."
"That's my.................. business. This is my house, you bastard."
The chairman spoke gruffly, but his voice was so weak that it was barely more than a whisper. After only a few minutes of conversation, Han was already out of breath.
Han Yong-seop, who had once seemed to command the heavens and earth, was powerless in the face of time. Do-geon stared at the back of his wrinkled hand, which twitched intermittently, then covered his grandfather's hand with his own and spoke quietly.
"Will you come out and dine with us this evening?"
"Of course. Let's all go to......................"
"..................Rest, and don't say you can't come out later."
***
As soon as he left the room and closed the door behind him, Do-geon locked eyes with the woman. She was standing in the bright sunlight streaming through the window. He frowned slightly.
"Ah, are you finished?"
Jae-yeon, who was washing a tumbler at the sink, smiled. Lightfoot took a step back from the view.
"He can't hold a conversation for long."
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Would you like a cup of coffee?"
"I don't drink coffee."
"Or tea?"
"Thanks, but I already drank it downstairs."
"Oh, I see."
Jae-yeon only nodded, still smiling. Just when he thought the conversation was over, she spoke up again.
"Then where are you staying, Mr. Han Do-geon? I heard that you and Mrs. Han Seon-hee used to live in the original residence."
Transparent brown eyes slowly scanned his face. As if gauging his reaction.
After a moment of silence, Do-geon slowly spoke.
"I'll be staying in the outbuilding ..................."
After the death of his parents and his subsequent departure to the United States, the original mansion was completely empty.
His aunt, Han Seon-hee, moved in with her husband after they got married, but with a second house, the mansion was often empty.
Jae-yeon reacted slightly exaggeratedly, as if realizing something new.
"Oh, you mean the outbuilding directly connected to the main house?"
"Yes."
"Why don't you stay in the main house? It's got plenty of rooms."
"That's okay, I'm comfortable there."
"You're not comfortable in the main house?"
“There are a lot of people coming and going here."
"Mr. Han Do-geon."
Jae-yeon smiled and continued with the same familiarity.
"You're a bit on the sensitive side, aren't you?"
"...yes?"
Do-geon asked, stunned. He couldn't figure out what was so out of the blue and rude, or what she meant.
"What?"
"I just felt it, I guess."
Jae-yeon's eyes narrowed slightly.
"That you're sensitive. Oh, no offense."
Do-geon looked at her blankly without responding. He laughed and said “huh” as if it was ridiculous.
Jae-yeon spoke in an innocent tone, as if she hadn't read his displeasure at all.
"Well, I've actually never been to the outbuilding before. It's a big building from the outside, so I was curious to see what's inside, but the elderly lady doesn't like......... me very much."
"...."
"But now that you're staying there, I thought I'd ask you to invite me over, but if you're not too keen on people coming and going."
"..."
"Why not?"
Jae-yeon looked up at him expectantly. There was a moment of silence. Then Do-geon spoke slowly.
“Miss Jeong Jae-yeon.”
He strode toward her.
"Do you think I'm funny?"
Do-geon leaned in, whispering softly so it wouldn't be heard. They were close enough to intertwine their breaths.
"Or do you think you're funny?"
Jae-yeon's eyes never wavered, and he muttered, pushing himself upright again.
"I don't know what you were trying to do earlier..................."
"I'm sorry if I offended you."
The tiniest of smiles still tugged at the corners of her mouth, despite the apology. Her face was completely devoid of thought. It wasn't like she was mocking anyone. It was a hollow chuckle.
Do-geon turned and walked away, no longer feeling it was worth the effort. Just as he opened the door, he heard a soft voice behind him.
"I…."
Do-geon slammed the door without listening. The voice that was about to continue had the advantage.
He ran a hand through his hair nervously and stepped out into the empty hallway.
"What the hell is she doing?”
In all the years he'd seen his grandfather’s women, he'd only ever thought of them as pathetic, never as annoying. Even annoyance was an emotional drain on him.
But Do-geon was clearly annoyed now.
Not simply because of what he'd just heard, but because her mouth was spouting stupid things and her eyes were constantly probing him.
As if testing his reaction.
"Is she doing this on purpose? Why?”
He couldn't help but wonder. Normally, he would've dismissed her as a simple, stupid woman, but after seeing that shit yesterday...................
Do-geon frowned weakly and pulled out his cell phone. He opened the messenger window and quickly typed a message.
"Hello, Mr. Yoon, this is Han Do-geon. Can you do a quick background check on a person?"
***
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