Episode 57. Filial Piety (2)
Was it because Kang Dae-oh came to work early today and stayed in the office all day, focusing solely on work without any external appointments?
Unlike usual, Kang Dae-oh was able to finish his work quite early today.
4:30 PM.
Checking the time, Kang Dae-oh began preparing to leave work early.
Just then, he ran into Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun, who had come to his office to see him.
“Oh, President. Are you leaving already?”
“Yes. I made plans to have dinner out with my wife today.”
In fact, this was why he had diligently worked since morning.
Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun nodded several times and said, “It’s good for couples to spend time together occasionally. I’m also planning a trip to Hong Kong with my wife this time… Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t come to see you to talk about this.”
Kang Dae-oh had already adapted to Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun’s way of speaking, so he didn’t mind if their casual conversation dragged on.
He was already accustomed to it.
“I’m sorry, but could you quickly process just this? It needs to be done today…”
Kang Dae-oh checked the approval document that Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun handed him.
Nodding briefly, Kang Dae-oh sat back down in his chair and meticulously reviewed the contents.
No matter how busy he was, carelessly stamping a document could lead to big trouble.
From beginning to end. He had to examine every single letter in detail before stamping it.
This was Kang Dae-oh’s ironclad rule as a businessman.
Swish, swish.
Kang Dae-oh used his pen to leave his signature, then handed the approval document back to Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you, President. By the way, it would have been a big problem if we had met even a little later today.”
“If it’s really not possible, you can just call me. I can turn my car around midway.”
“Oh my! I couldn’t do that. You have an important appointment today, President.”
Kang Dae-oh smiled wryly, told Senior Managing Director Shin Young-jun he would be going, and then resumed his steps that had momentarily paused.
As soon as he started the car, Kang Dae-oh contacted Min Seung-yeon.
“Oh, honey. It’s me. I just left the office. I’ll pick you up, so wait a little. I’ll call you again when I’m almost there.”
“Okay, I got it. By the way, nothing’s wrong, is it?”
“Why would you say that?”
“No. You suddenly suggested eating out with just me, so I wondered if something happened that you couldn’t tell the kids.”
Kang Dae-oh opened his mouth to reassure his anxious wife.
“It’s not like that. On the contrary, it’s something you’ll like, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
As both Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon grew older, their worries also increased.
To ease Min Seung-yeon’s anxiety even a minute or a second faster.
‘I need to go quickly.’
Kang Dae-oh chuckled and gripped the steering wheel firmly.
Kang Dae-oh found Min Seung-yeon at her company and took her to the restaurant he had reserved in advance.
Perhaps because it was a place they frequented, the owner himself came out to guide the couple.
“I saved a good spot for you today, President. Please enjoy your time together.”
Kang Dae-oh nodded briefly, expressing his gratitude to the restaurant owner.
Meanwhile, Min Seung-yeon’s anxiety still hadn’t subsided.
“Are you really sure nothing’s wrong?”
“Yes. Don’t you trust your husband?”
“It’s not that, but…”
“Don’t worry and eat to your heart’s content.”
Just then, the course dishes they ordered began to arrive one by one.
Kang Dae-oh picked up a piece of bread meant to whet their appetite, dipped it in sauce, and put it into his mouth, smiling contentedly.
“The bread here is still delicious.”
“…”
Seeing Min Seung-yeon’s stiff expression, Kang Dae-oh chuckled.
He had originally intended to tell her after dinner.
However, if this atmosphere continued, Min Seung-yeon might get indigestion, so he reluctantly decided to reveal it in advance.
“Here, this.”
“What… is this?”
Kang Dae-oh handed her an envelope.
It didn’t look like an envelope containing cash.
Because the contents inside were long and made of slightly stiff paper.
Min Seung-yeon’s eyes widened when she saw what was inside.
“This is… a concert ticket, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. It’s a ticket to Song Hye-yeon’s solo concert, which you love.”
“Oh my goodness! Where did you get this? Are you perhaps close with Hye-yeon-ssi?”
“Well… not exactly.”
In fact, it was a ticket Kang Yeyoung had obtained for him.
However, Kang Yeyoung had set a strange condition when she got the ticket for Kang Dae-oh.
She asked him to keep it a secret that she got the ticket.
Instead, she told him to say that Kang Dae-oh himself had obtained it and given it to Min Seung-yeon.
There was only one reason Kang Yeyoung said this.
To help her dad earn some points with her mom.
Kang Dae-oh swallowed a laugh inwardly at Kang Yeyoung’s thoughtful gesture.
‘You didn’t have to go this far.’
Still, since it was a condition Kang Yeyoung had set, Kang Dae-oh decided to quietly follow it.
When he vaguely said he got it through an acquaintance, Min Seung-yeon’s face brightened as she said, “Tell that acquaintance thank you! Absolutely! You got it?”
“I will. There are two tickets, so let’s go to the concert together later.”
“Yes, I got it!”
Perhaps it was because she received an unexpected gift.
Min Seung-yeon was as delighted as a child who still believed in Santa Claus.
Many people visited the concert hall to see Song Hye-yeon’s concert.
30 minutes before the stage began.
Kang Dae-oh checked a message he received from someone and immediately said to Min Seung-yeon, “Let’s go.”
“Huh? Where?”
At first, Min Seung-yeon thought Kang Dae-oh was suggesting they go to the restroom before the stage started.
However, Kang Dae-oh’s destination was not the restroom.
“To meet Hye-yeon-ssi.”
It was the waiting room where the star of today’s stage was waiting.
Min Seung-yeon seemed greatly surprised by Kang Dae-oh’s words, asking with wide eyes, “C-can we meet her?”
“Yes. If we go now.”
Min Seung-yeon hurriedly got up from her seat at Kang Dae-oh’s words.
It was a golden opportunity to meet Song Hye-yeon. She couldn’t let this chance slip away due to hesitation.
Following her husband, Min Seung-yeon briefly left the concert hall and moved to the back of the stage.
The guards blocking the restricted access area for non-staff immediately let Kang Dae-oh pass without even asking his purpose for entry.
Watching Kang Dae-oh like this, Min Seung-yeon felt her husband was very new to her.
“What? My husband, was he that influential? I didn’t know.”
“Well, that’s…”
Kang Dae-oh didn’t elaborate.
Although it seemed like he was hiding something from his wife, Min Seung-yeon didn’t pay much attention to it.
The singer she had longed to meet, Song Hye-yeon, had appeared before her eyes.
“Hello! I’m Song Hye-yeon.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Dae-oh. And this is…”
Min Seung-yeon’s eyes sparkled, and she seemed to be hinting that she wanted Kang Dae-oh to introduce her quickly.
Kang Dae-oh almost burst into laughter at his wife’s blatant reaction, but he desperately exercised patience and calmly continued, “My wife, Min Seung-yeon.”
“I know. I often buy and wear clothes from your company’s brand, CEO Min Seung-yeon.”
Min Seung-yeon’s face brightened.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! Look at this. This is the tracksuit I wore during rehearsal earlier. It’s not uncomfortable to move in at all, and it absorbs sweat well. So I mostly use it when practicing choreography or exercising. I love it so much that I bought several more of the same design and rotate them!”
It wasn’t empty flattery made up to make Min Seung-yeon feel good.
Moreover, since Min Seung-yeon was the fitting model for the tracksuit that Song Hye-yeon enjoyed wearing, she couldn’t help but feel even better.
What could be more delightful than hearing that a singer she admired and looked up to enjoyed wearing the clothes she modeled for and advertised?
As they held hands and continued their conversation with squeals of joy, just before they parted ways, Song Hye-yeon said to Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon:
“Later, let’s all get together with Yeyoung-i and have a meal.”
When her youngest daughter’s name was mentioned by Song Hye-yeon, Min Seung-yeon briefly tilted her head.
Before his wife could become more suspicious.
Kang Dae-oh spoke first.
“Understood. Good luck with the concert today, and we’ll go back to our seats and enjoy it thoroughly. Honey, let’s go.”
“Okay, I got it. Hye-yeon-ssi, fighting!”
Until the very end, Min Seung-yeon continued to cheer for Song Hye-yeon.
As the concert began, Min Seung-yeon pulled out her secret weapon prepared for today, the light stick, and began cheering loudly.
In recent times, Kang Dae-oh had not seen Min Seung-yeon cheering so enthusiastically and loudly since she cheered for the South Korean national football team playing in the World Cup.
‘Thanks to Yeyoung-i, I get to see this side of my wife too. It’s nice.’
Thinking he should thank Kang Yeyoung again later, Kang Dae-oh also immersed himself in enjoying Song Hye-yeon’s concert.
After spending time in a daze, they eventually reached the last song.
After swallowing their regret and singing along to the last song with Song Hye-yeon and her fans gathered in the concert hall, Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon headed to the parking lot.
Perhaps because so many people had gathered at the concert hall, getting out of the parking lot was quite a task.
Still, Kang Dae-oh was in a good mood.
“I think it’s been a very long time since I saw you cheering so hard like today.”
“Does it remind you of when we used to date?”
“Oh, right.”
Before they got married, when they were a couple, they used to enjoy dates by going to concerts like this.
Those memories resurfaced vividly after a long time.
Having finally managed to exit the parking lot, Kang Dae-oh turned the steering wheel to head home.
As he drove down the road, watching the daytime scenery turn into night, Min Seung-yeon suddenly said to Kang Dae-oh:
“When we get home later, I definitely have to thank Yeyoung-i.”
“Yeyoung-i?”
“It was Yeyoung-i who got the tickets, right?”
Kang Dae-oh smiled wryly.
“You figured it out.”
“Yes. Yeyoung-i deliberately made you do it to earn some points with me, didn’t she?”
Kang Dae-oh slowly nodded, admitting everything.
“She’s such a filial daughter, really.”
“Indeed.”
Thanks to Kang Yeyoung, their relationship as a couple had once again grown stronger.
Isn’t this enough?
Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon both thought so at the same time.
