“Father―!”
A not-so-pleasant voice was heard from downstairs. It seemed that the aunt who had visited Ichon-dong previously had come again.
The aunt’s face was filled with a sense of solemnity. Her attire was more modest than usual, as if she had taken great care not to offend Grandfather’s mood.
Moreover, she had brought her son, Yoo Jin-seok, as if he were a handbag.
“Auntie, it’s heavy, so please take it quickly.”
Goodness, how much did she bring? The golden cloth she was holding was bulging. It was obvious to anyone that the food she brought was made by someone else, but she would certainly boast that she made it herself without getting her hands dirty.
Just then, Grandfather walked out of the study.
“What brings you here?”
“Father, is there any place I can’t come? The weather is hot, and you don’t handle heat well. I brought you some refreshing chogyetang to help you with your health. It will taste better than the samgyetang made by Hyeon-ja. Jin-seok, greet your grandfather.”
“Grandfather, have you been well?”
Anyone would think he had just returned from Cheonghak-dong. Yoo Jin-seok bowed his head with great tension.
He inherited his parents’ timid nature, which remained unchanged. He couldn’t even make proper eye contact with Grandfather.
Nevertheless, the aunt’s face was beaming with a smile. She had achieved her primary goal of not being chased out because of her son.
“Father, do you like the taste?”
“Yes, it tastes like chogyetang from a famous restaurant.”
Of course, since it looked like chogyetang that could have been made by a hotel chef, there was no way it wouldn’t taste good.
As the lunch was nearing its end, the aunt started to speak cautiously.
“Father, did you know that our Jin-seok ranked first in his class this time? His mock exam scores were quite good, and his homeroom teacher asked if he had any plans to study medicine.”
“Is that so?”
“But you know, our Jin-seok hates the sight of blood, just like me. So I’m worried about what to make him do in the future. Should he perhaps apply for the business department at Korea University?”
Even a passing dog would laugh. Anyone listening would think he was a rare genius.
In his past life, Yoo Jin-seok had been charged with fraud, and his highest education was dropping out of university. He had even gone into hiding abroad before returning to Korea.
No matter how much the butterfly effect occurs, could a student who doesn’t study get into Korea University?
As expected, the more the aunt lied, the more uneasy Yoo Jin-seok’s face became.
“By the way, Hyun, are you studying hard? I see you often in newspapers and news as a violin prodigy, but you should still study well. You can’t neglect your studies just because you’re in the arts. I’ll make sure to attend your next solo concert.”
Grandfather let out a silent chuckle. He seemed exasperated.
I had been at the top of my class since entering high school. If I put my mind to it, being the top student was nothing.
Moreover, the solo concert wasn’t something one could attend just because they wanted to; it was always sold out, and there were constant requests to increase the seating.
“Aunt, can I get some tutoring from Jin-seok hyung today? I’m a bit weak in math, and I think I could improve quickly if I learn from him.”
“What?”
At that moment, both the aunt and Yoo Jin-seok looked visibly flustered.
“Ahem, how have you been?”
As if he had forgotten past memories, Yoo Jin-seok started chatting with me as if nothing had happened. It had been three years since then, so it was understandable.
Moreover, he had been a con artist in his past life. He must have learned to be shameless since he was young.
“You want me to teach you math? I guess it’s time for hyung to show his skills again.”
Yoo Jin-seok’s confidence grew as I obediently listened to him.
However, he couldn’t even start when I placed the workbook on the desk. Although the problem was difficult, his serious expression made it look like he was taking a college entrance exam.
“Hey, you should ask your teacher at school to teach you these applied problems. How can you ask hyung to teach you? By the way, is that your violin? The case looks quite old.”
He subtly changed the subject and approached the old violin case in the corner of the room.
It was a violin my mother had played when she was young.
“Don’t touch it.”
“What?”
“I said, don’t touch it.”
Yoo Jin-seok’s eyes widened in shock at my sudden informal tone. But then he turned red and looked down at me.
Of course, he was still bigger than me. He was two years older, so it was natural.
“You little brat, you’ll soon be penniless. Once my mom and uncle hand over the company to those foreigners, you’ll be like a dog chasing chickens―!”
“Hand over the company?”
What was he talking about?
Realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, Yoo Jin-seok quickly closed his mouth, but his eyes were still filled with anger. It seemed he hadn’t gotten over the humiliation he suffered from his much younger cousin. But that didn’t matter to me.
Click.
I got up and locked the door. I had promised to tutor him for at least an hour, so he had no choice but to stay in this room. I had already told the housekeeper that we didn’t need any snacks, so no one would come upstairs for a while.
Yoo Jin-seok looked momentarily flustered but soon regained his confidence. Of course, given the size difference, he thought he could easily win.
But there was one thing Yoo Jin-seok didn’t know.
“Jin-seok.”
I grabbed his shoulder with my left hand as if flowing with water,
“It wasn’t that I couldn’t hit you back then.”
Yoo Jin-seok’s eyes widened.
“I just didn’t hit you.”
My remaining fist shot towards his abdomen like a bullet.
“Hey, Hyun, are you going to work today?”
I had become quite close with Kim Yeon-ji, who was sitting at the desk at the Seocho-dong headquarters. She now almost knew my work schedule at Jeil Group.
At that moment, Kim Yeon-ji widened her eyes and looked at my neck.
“Hyun, are you hurt? You have a band-aid on.”
“The violin string suddenly snapped. It’s nothing.”
Who would have known? I didn’t expect him to faint from a single punch. Yoo Jin-seok had scratched my neck with his fingernails as he fell backward.
In my past life, I had often dealt with violent criminals at the Western Prosecutor’s Office, so I knew how to defend myself. Thanks to that, I knew exactly how to subdue someone with minimal bruising.
‘I’m glad my right hand is okay.’
I was worried that I might have hurt it since it had been a while since I used my fist. But Yoo Jin-seok’s courage was even smaller than I had anticipated.
There was no need to wake him up and beat him again. As soon as he saw my eyes, he spilled everything he knew. But still.
‘Is history repeating itself?’
No, maybe because Dongju was still strong during the financial crisis, foreign corporate raiders were eyeing it.
Considering the fragile domestic companies, Dongju was one of the few solid ones.
Yoo Jin-seok had told me the following.
‘My uncle and aunt are trying to sell their shares in Dongju.’
Some unknown foreign company had approached his uncle and aunt, offering to buy their shares.
Having lost his credibility within Dongju, his uncle was desperate and seemed ready to sell Dongju, channeling the notorious collaborators of the Japanese colonial era like Yi Wan-yong.
“Hyun, are you going to work today?”
“No, I have something to discuss with Manager Kim.”
“Thanks for the advice you gave last time. I made sure to include it.”
As soon as I entered the Strategic Planning Department, Deputy Oh Tae-seok, who had been my mentor, greeted me.
Since the heated debate in the conference room with Manager Kim, Deputy Oh seemed to trust me. Moreover, other team members also showed a certain level of trust in me. In this place, it was as if I had shed my student status.
I headed to Manager Kim Sang-guk’s office. I had urgent business.
“Manager Kim, did you find what I asked you to?”
“Yes, it was quite a task, but just as you said, there is an organization trying to acquire Dongju’s shares. However, there are many secrets. I barely managed to find out the company’s name.”
Why would I, a young person, need to personally search for an unknown foreign company? This was a time to use connections.
Moreover, Manager Kim Sang-guk of the Jeil Group’s Strategic Planning Department was one of the most well-connected people in Korea.
Manager Kim tapped his memo pad with his pen and spoke.
“The company’s name is VH Company or something like that?”
What was the point of worrying? No suitable alternative was coming to mind anyway.
I tried to find out more about VH Company, which Manager Kim Sang-guk had mentioned, but there was nothing to dig up. Moreover, it was completely different from the foreign capital that had absorbed Dongju in my past life.
“Grandfather, are you awake?”
It was late at night, but Grandfather was reading a book in his study. His vigorous appearance was in stark contrast to my past life. It was hard to believe he only had two years left.
Grandfather stroked my head with a warm hand.
“Grandfather, do you get regular health checkups?”
“You rascal, my doctor says I’ll live to be a hundred, so don’t worry. You nag more than your grandmother did in her lifetime if I miss a single checkup.”
“You have to live a long, long time.”
“Yooha’s grandfather also said I should see my grandchildren get married before I die.”
Grandfather then looked at the silver ring on my finger and asked if it was an engagement ring with Yooha. What on earth had Yooha told Chairman Wang?
Grandfather sternly added that he would never agree to me becoming a son-in-law.
But that wasn’t what was important right now.
“Grandfather, did Aunt say anything?”
“Your aunt? She asked if it would be good for Jin-seok to start learning the business at Dongju after entering university. She seems bothered by you getting business lessons from Chairman Son.”
The aunt’s intentions were really baffling. She was trying to secure a position at Dongju by flattering Grandfather, but behind his back, she was planning to sell Dongju’s shares with her brother.
I made up my mind and looked at Grandfather.
“Grandfather, please listen to what I’m about to say without being too shocked.”
“What are you about to say that requires such a serious tone? Your grandfather’s heart is strong, so speak up. Is it that you want an expensive violin?”
If that were the reason, it would be better. I told Grandfather everything I had heard from Yoo Jin-seok and what Manager Kim Sang-guk had found out.
What good would it do if I tried to handle it alone? It would be faster if Grandfather, the current owner of Dongju, took action. Then.
“Do you think your grandfather wouldn’t know that?”
“What?”
“Your uncle and aunt have quite a bit of Dongju’s shares. No matter how much I try to get them back, those cunning kids won’t easily let go. So I asked Chairman Wang to create a separate company. Do you know what VH Company stands for? Think about it carefully.”
What was he talking about? Grandfather made a peculiar expression and got up from his chair.
His next words were like a bucket of cold water being poured over my head.
“Violinist Hyun, hence VH.”
