Damn it!
I didn’t think about that.
In my previous life, I served as a military judicial officer. Since I passed the bar exam before joining, I treated officers as neighborhood uncles. Once they found out I was a scholarship student of the Daeil Group, some generals tried all sorts of things to get close to me. But in this life, it looks like I’ll end up serving as a regular soldier.
‘Verbal abuse, assault, disorder.’
Cases I frequently saw in the military court. Of course, it’s not that I’m afraid of twenty-year-old kids. I couldn’t bear to sacrifice the youth I regained for the sacred duty of national defense.
Relying on the power of a conglomerate family? That would be fortunate if it prevents me from being sent to a remote frontline. After all, Son Ilsung also served in the front lines.
“Is that true?”
When I looked at Park Sunyoung with a fierce expression as if to ask, “Is there not a single lie?” her eyes widened. She didn’t expect me to react so intensely. Only after she nodded repeatedly could I sit down.
I had to change my thinking.
What’s the point of ranking in art?
Such a weak thought! In an era rampant with democracy, ranking is natural. Otherwise, how can one know their own capabilities?
A competition tied to military service? Don’t worry, even if Beethoven came back to life, I would still win.
Crunch.
At the moment my fist clenched on its own,
“Oppa, what’s military service?”
Son Yooha tugged at my sleeve, looking at me curiously. From her perspective, it was clearly something important, given my heated reaction, but she couldn’t figure it out no matter how much she thought.
When I answered shortly with “Military,” Son Yooha frowned. Her expression resembled Chairman Wang when he was deep in thought. Soon,
Son Yooha, as if resolved, tightened her cherry-like lips. “If oppa goes, I want to go too!”
Thud!
This time, the black stone showed its skill. It captured the white dragon from the upper side to the center. Having broken the “big dragon can’t die” rule, the momentum of the black stone was about to declare victory. A smile bloomed on Chairman Wang’s face.
“Where did the old man who plays Go go?”
Chairman Wang returned the exact words he had heard. At times like this, he seemed incredibly childish, yet he was an elderly man who wielded influence over the South Korean economy.
Chairman Yoo, seated opposite, stared endlessly at the Go board, looking like a general facing a disadvantageous front line.
“Old man, do you think glaring at the board will overturn it? How about giving me a move?” Chairman Wang teased Chairman Yoo.
“If you call me hyung, I’ll give you a move. Go ahead, try it.”
“You sly old man.”
Chairman Yoo swallowed his pride and raised his head.
“By the way, Son, do you know much about violins?”
“Violin? Why suddenly bring that up? Are you trying to stall for time?”
Chairman Yoo shook his head. Even without a stopwatch, would he really stall for time?
He suddenly thought of his grandson who endlessly stared at Hirose’s violin. Though he had taken an interest in classical music because of his youngest daughter, he wasn’t knowledgeable about instruments.
“Expensive ones can be quite pricey. You saw it before too, didn’t you? Hirose’s violin. They say it was forty thousand dollars in the 60s. Back then, an apartment in New York didn’t even cost forty thousand dollars.”
Chairman Yoo couldn’t hide his surprise. Forty thousand dollars was a lot of money even now, let alone decades ago.
“Now, it would easily be worth more than ten times that. It’s priceless. They say collecting art is better than gold. But even if you’re interested, such instruments don’t come up for auction unless you’re lucky. Why, are you interested?”
It wasn’t that he lacked the financial means. He was just surprised by the unexpected price.
“Son, how about a bet on this game?”
“A bet?”
Like father, like son, Chairman Yoo’s face showed Kang Hyun’s reflection. The opponent took the bait quickly.
“Fine, if you win this game, I’ll grant you any wish. But if you lose, you have to call me hyung for a week. Hearing it for too long might make me pass away sooner.”
As Chairman Wang smiled,
Thud!
A white stone fell onto the Go board without hesitation.
The sound of cicadas that heated up the summer days could no longer be heard.
The typhoon and monsoon rains that came together, along with the chilly weather without a hint of summer, had driven them away. But in the place left by the summer cicadas, an unexpected guest had arrived.
Rumble─!
Like someone hitting a percussion instrument, the heavy rain pounded on the window. “Ajumma, how long has uncle been like that?”
In front of the porch, my little uncle was kneeling, taking the heavy rain with his entire body. His once gray suit had turned into a soaked navy color, and the incessant rain made it almost impossible for him to open his eyes properly. Yet my little uncle didn’t seem to move from his spot, like a stone statue.
He’s not usually like that; could he have a cramp?
“It’s been about an hour. I’m worried he might catch a cold.”
Ajumma seemed quite concerned. Meanwhile, Grandpa walked over to the dining table nonchalantly.
It was as if there was no one in front of the porch, not even sparing a glance. This particular sternness of Grandpa’s always impressed me.
“Grandpa, will uncle be okay?”
Of course, as his good grandson, I had to say something different from what I felt.
“Hyun, do you know why your uncle came today?”
Grandpa asked me a question instead. From uncle’s perspective, it was like a fire had been lit under his feet. He probably thought he’d be called back to the company soon, as usual.
But this time, it was different. If he wasn’t careful, he might end up living as an unemployed person for the rest of his life, just like the third son of the Daeil Group.
But why did he come today? Given my uncle’s lazy nature, I thought he’d be slower to react.
“The weather forecast said the monsoon would start tomorrow, that rascal.”
I barely managed to hold back a laugh. My uncle never fails to surprise me. He thought he was being clever. Unfortunately, the monsoon came earlier than expected, and he paid the price for trusting the weather forecast blindly.
Even after breakfast,
Grandpa got ready more leisurely than usual.
Rumble─!
As the heavy rain fell,
“Father, please give me one more chance!”
My uncle, perhaps because he had been in the rain for too long, shouted with a slurred voice. The raindrops on his face made it hard to tell if it was tears or snot.
When Grandpa stopped in his tracks, Mr. Kim, the chauffeur holding the umbrella, also came to a stop.
“Beomkyung, do you know what you did wrong?”
“I didn’t know much about Assistant Manager Cho’s case. But I will now punish severely and behave properly. There will be no more worries for you!”
His voice was clear enough to cut through the rain. He must have thought this was his last chance. It looked like a scene from a drama. But Grandpa turned his gaze away without a word.
“You fool, that’s why you can’t succeed!”
Tsk, he still thinks it’s just a corruption case involving one assistant manager. That’s why when Dongju was later absorbed by foreign capital, he was helpless.
As Grandpa and I walked away, my uncle’s face turned pale.
“F-Father!”
My uncle tried to stand up and follow us but collapsed with a splashing sound. Judging by his pained expression, he must have a serious cramp in his leg.
Grandpa’s office now felt almost cozy. Though it was called the chairman’s room, it didn’t exude any sense of authority.
Instead, the well-worn furniture vividly showed how much Grandpa cherished Dongju. On one side of the wall, there were still classical music records, giving it a vintage feel.
‘Competition.’
Ever since I heard the suggestion from Park Sunyoung, the word hadn’t left my mind. Just then,
“Hyun, shall Grandpa give you a homework assignment?”
Grandpa’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
Homework? What could he mean? Was he going to ask me to do advanced high school studies like Yooha?
“If you can make Grandpa laugh, I’ll buy you something nice.”
Grandpa smiled. It was a vague assignment. If it was just laughter he wanted, I could turn on the TV and show him a comedy show right now. But what would he give me? He said it was something nice.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
‘Wanyong?’
It was Jeon Wanyong, or rather, former executive Jeon.
“Ah, you’ve come.”
Grandpa warmly greeted former executive Jeon. It was curious, but there must be a reason I didn’t know. Grandpa was never an easy person.
Former executive Jeon glanced at me and then bowed deeply to Grandpa.
Former executive Jeon talked with Grandpa for quite a while, mostly about new material development.
‘He should be an actor instead.’
If I didn’t have memories of my past life, I would have undoubtedly thought of him as a diligent executive. His expressions, gestures, and every little action were impressive.
Where did my uncles find such people, not just one but in sets? The proverb “You become like those you associate with” hit home in that moment.
Once Wanyong left,
“Hmm.”
Grandpa’s brows furrowed. A stark contrast to how he had just treated former executive Jeon.
With a loud thud, Grandpa placed the documents he was reading back on his desk. He couldn’t quite figure it out. This guy seemed to be the root of all evil, yet he cleverly hid his tracks.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue inwardly. I remembered the months of overtime my seniors had to endure because of the Jeon Wanyong incident in my past life. He was clever enough to skillfully evade the law. He was a master at it.
“Grandpa, can I take a look too?”
At my sudden question, Grandpa half-opened his eyes.
“You, Hyun?”
Indeed, the documents were complex for a child. They included not only financial statements but also confidential information about new material development. Additionally, there were issues related to legal clauses.
Grandpa nodded briefly. His eyes still held a mysterious look.
I grabbed the stack of documents from Grandpa and sat on the sofa.
I leaned forward and picked up an idle pen. The clicking sound of the pen’s button accompanied the turning of each page.
A habit I developed during my prosecutor days, I used to receive piles of documents daily. Thousands of pages? A passing prosecutor would laugh.
As they say in the prosecutor’s office, they cut down a tree a day, receiving piles over a meter tall on a cart daily. Imagine how good I got at reading those piles?
Click.
Grandpa watched me with a curious gaze. It was only natural, given my rapid page-turning and occasional red pen checks.
It seemed surreal that I was actually reading at such a speed.
Just ten minutes in, “Grandpa.”
Closing the last page, I stood up. Indeed. “What will you give me as a reward?”
