Pyeongchang District, Jongno-gu, Seoul, at Chairman Cheon’s house. Chairman Cheon was laughing so loudly it seemed the living room would burst.
“Hahaha! That crazy bastard!”
“Chairman. You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Haven’t you seen that boy’s interview? A remarkable fellow is a remarkable fellow.”
“The Young Master is also very straightforward.”
On the TV, Mu-hyeok’s interview was playing. Watching Mu-hyeok’s calm, almost brazen face, Manager Ha shook his head from side to side.
“Hahaha! That’s how a man should be. Yes, absolutely.”
But it seemed the interview was perfectly to Chairman Cheon’s taste. After laughing for a good while, Chairman Cheon asked, his face still holding a smile.
“So. Have you scheduled the appointment with my in-law? Did you tell her I’d like to meet with just the two of us, without Mu-hyeok?”
“Yes. But it seems it will be difficult for her to travel alone… I think you will have to go down there, Chairman.”
“That’s not a problem.”
“Then I will make the preparations.”
Chairman Cheon couldn’t take his eyes off the TV, the corners of his mouth twitching repeatedly.
“I felt so relieved after talking to that old man from Ilseong Group today. How much did he look down on us, calling us an ignorant family that only knows money? How much did he boast about all his children going to Korea University and famous foreign universities…”
“Aren’t those the same people who come all the way here to borrow money from you, Chairman? Even if they curse you behind your back, company chairmen are the ones who wait for hours to ask you for a favor.”
As Manager Ha rarely chimed in like this, Chairman Cheon nodded with a satisfied look.
“Maybe it’s because I started earning money recklessly without even finishing elementary school, but my own kids had no head for studying. Still, Ji-soo and that boy are saving my face. Ji-soo was quite good, wasn’t she?”
“Yes, she got into Korea University. Didn’t you give her 1% of Ilseong Electronics shares as a gift then, Chairman?”
“That’s right, I did.”
Before long, the smile vanished from Chairman Cheon’s face.
“What’s the latest on the president-elect?”
“There are no particular movements yet. I heard they are in the middle of selecting personnel for the launch of the transition committee. Two spots have been assigned for your people, Chairman. Where should we place them?”
“Two?”
“Yes, it seems that even though it’s the ruling party, the color of this new government is different from the military regime, isn’t it? Because of that, making too many demands is…”
“Enough. I understand without you saying more. Two, you say… Where do you think would be good?”
At Chairman Cheon’s question, Manager Ha pondered for a moment before speaking.
“First, one person in the economic division is essential, and I think it would be good to place another in political affairs.”
“Political affairs?”
“Isn’t the political affairs division the largest? I heard they are in charge of public security and the prosecution.”
“Hmm.”
After a brief moment of thought, Chairman Cheon nodded.
“Do that. They’ll go straight into the Blue House from there, right?”
“It seems likely. We plan to plant our person as the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs.”
Stroking his chin in thought, Chairman Cheon brought up another topic.
“What are the two of them up to?”
“Well…”
Manager Ha, who seemed to hesitate a little, soon opened his mouth.
“We’ve determined that the second son is involved in something separately, without the first son’s knowledge.”
“Is that so? Is it anything problematic?”
“He’s involved with gangsters, so it’s a bit…”
“What? Gangsters?”
Chairman Cheon’s brow furrowed.
“Weren’t all the big organizations rounded up and put away?”
“Two organizations under the protection of the Blue Wind Association have been expanding their influence under the surface. They are disguised as corporations and act like businessmen, avoiding violent incidents.”
“What are they doing?”
“It appears he has gotten involved in the slot machine business.”
“Foolish boy. The best he can do is a gambling business?”
“Still, isn’t this the first time he’s done something separate from the first son? It seems he probably received help from his father-in-law.”
Chairman Cheon clicked his tongue.
“He’s probably just cleaning up after his in-law. Nothing good will come from getting involved in such things…”
“Will there be a problem?”
“Keep a close watch on him.”
“Yes.”
After the conversation ended, a smile began to spread across Chairman Cheon’s face again as he sat quietly for a while.
“No matter how I think about it, I really like that Mu-hyeok. How great it would have been if he were my son, not my grandson.”
“…”
That day, Chairman Cheon was completely absorbed in the fun of calling various people to brag about his grandson.
“No… it’s about my grandson. Yes, Kim Mu-hyeok, the one who got a perfect score this time. That boy is my grandson…”
Even as the new year dawned, my daily routine didn’t change. I would begin to make my moves in earnest once I went up to Seoul, but for now, I focused on spending time with my grandmother. I left the house for my morning exercise.
How long had I been running? A car pulled up beside me.
“Hey! Dong-sang!”
When I turned my head, I saw the face of Park Dong-soo, grinning as he rolled down the window.
“…Isn’t calling me ‘younger brother’ going a bit too far? I believe I mentioned it last time.”
“Hahaha! You haven’t changed a bit~” “Are you making your move now?”
Park Dong-soo nodded.
“It’s about time to get moving. I have to be the one to fill the empty spot of Sa-seong, don’t I?”
“Still calling him hyung-nim? You know better than anyone what he did when he was caught, don’t you, mister? Well, if it’s about some kind of gangster loyalty, I have nothing to say.”
“Hah, you crazy bastard. Who talks to a gangster calling him a gangster to his face? Yeah, that’s how this world works. The justification is important. Still, our Sa-seong is gonna be in there for life, so we have to take care of him from the outside. Right, boys?”
“That’s right, boss.”
What a load of crap.
“Well, you do you. But once the government changes, you won’t be able to openly swing knives around like you used to. Not unless you have the government’s protection.”
“I suppose so, huh?”
“Yes.”
“But hey, dong-sang. I hear you’re good at studying? Good at fighting and good at studying, wow~ I’m jealous, you know?”
I lightly ignored his nonsense.
“I’m only saying this because of our connection from the hospital, but things will probably be very different from before. If I were to give you some advice, you should focus on legitimate businesses. You’ll have to use violence when necessary, but for now, do your best to walk the tightrope between what’s legal and illegal. Loopholes are not illegal.”
At that, Park Dong-soo furrowed his brow.
“I don’t know. My head’s not so good, so I don’t know if I can do that kinda thing well…”
“Hahaha. You don’t have to do that kind of work yourself, mister. Hire someone with a good head on their shoulders, whether it’s a lawyer or someone else. Create a legitimate company, and as for what happens behind the scenes… well, you’re the expert, so I don’t need to tell you, right?”
“Hmm…”
“Take over Busan first. Then I’ll help you advance into Seoul next time. Mutual aid. You know what I mean, right?”
“Hey, dong-sang. What’s your real identity?”
“Later… For now, just take over Busan. Then I will come find you in the future. See you next time. Mis. Ter!”
“Hahahahaha, I’ll be looking forward to it. Let’s go, boys!”
My gaze followed the moving car. When the car was no longer in sight, I started running again.
‘He’ll do fine, right? I don’t know if he can handle the Blue Wind Association’s cleaners by himself, but it’ll be helpful to forge a sword for myself that no one knows about.’
Perhaps because of the cold winter wind, the sweat I had shed dried quickly. At the end of my workout route, Myeong-soo and Hyeon-seong were waiting.
“Hey! What took you so long?”
“Sorry. I ran into someone I know and talked for a bit.”
“Who?”
“Just… someone.”
“What’s this? Her?”
Myeong-soo wiggled his pinky finger. I grabbed that pinky finger and bent it back slightly.
“Ah! Ah! You son of a bitch, that hurts! Stop it. I’m sorry, I won’t do it again!”
Myeong-soo glared at me, clutching his hurting finger.
“…Rotten bastard.”
“Anyway, why’d you want to meet here? What are you planning?”
“Aren’t we adults now? Twenty years old! Let’s go to my dad’s place and have a drink.”
I narrowed my eyes at the smirking Myeong-soo.
“…Already getting into trouble.”
“Hey, hey! We did nothing but study for three whole years, right? And we’re just gonna study like crazy when we get to university, so we have to try it at a time like this. Right, Hyeon-seong?”
“Mhm.”
He didn’t answer, but Hyeon-seong also looked slightly expectant.
“Sigh… Fine, let’s go. Go!”
“I already told my dad. I was going to get a private room, but I just got a table. It’s our first time at a nightclub, so we have to enjoy it properly.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
“Sigh… You immature punks.”
“Hah, look at Kim Mu-hyeok pretending to be so innocent. Anyone would think you go all the time. Let’s go!”
Myeong-soo led the way, and Hyeon-seong followed behind him. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the guy who usually just argued with Myeong-soo following along so obediently. As I stood still and watched, Myeong-soo turned his head and shouted.
“Hey! Mu-hyeok! If you don’t hurry up, we’re going without you!”
“Yeah. I’m coming, I’m coming.”
Before long, we arrived at Arabian Nights in the Nampo District. It was the nightclub where Myeong-soo’s father was the owner.
“What’s this? Myeong-soo?”
The person managing admissions at the entrance recognized Myeong-soo.
“Hyung! I’m coming in.”
“…Are you already old enough to come to a place like this?”
“Yeah. I told my dad. I’m coming in, okay?”
“Alright, have fun. Don’t cause any trouble.”
We greeted the doorman and went down to the basement. As we descended, the loud music made my ears go numb. Come to think of it, I’ve never been to a nightclub before.
Just then, a waiter with a name tag that read ‘Sung-ryong’ on his chest approached Myeong-soo.
“Oh! Myeong-soo!”
“Hehe. Hyung, get us a good spot.”
“Of course~ Let’s go. It’s our Myeong-soo’s first time, so I gotta set you up with lots of girls. You guys follow me too.”
Guided by Sung-ryong, we went inside. The sound of music and flashy lights. Men and women were dancing together on the stage.
“Now I can go up there and dance too. I used to come by sometimes, but I just stood and watched.”
Hyeon-seong was rolling his eyes around, surveying the inside of the club. The sight of the big bear-like guy, nostrils flaring in excitement, was cute. When we sat at the table we were guided to, a bottle of whiskey was already laid out, even though we hadn’t ordered it—the perk of Myeong-soo being the owner’s son.
“Let’s drink like crazy and die tonight!”
“Mhm.”
“Take it easy, it’s your first time… If you get wasted and act up, I’m just going to go home and leave you here.”
“Wow! You heartless bastard. Hyeon-seong, let’s you and I die together!”
“Okay.”
Because of the loud music, we couldn’t hear each other well. So our voices kept getting louder. An excited Myeong-soo opened the whiskey and poured everyone a glass.
Then he suddenly raised his glass high and shouted.
“Our friendship is forever!”
Fuck… this is so embarrassing.
“Forever!”
Hyeon-seong followed suit. I had no choice…
“…Forever!”
I shouted along as well.
“Let’s try the first glass straight.”
“Won’t it be strong?”
“It’s fine.”
The taste of the alcohol going down my throat was quite strong. The taste of the first whiskey I drank in this life was…
‘…It’s fake, isn’t it?’
It seemed like they had mixed soju into the whiskey. In my past life, I drank an incredible amount. From expensive liquor to soju, I drank every single day meeting people, and the only things that grew were my tolerance for alcohol and my belly fat.
The moment the alcohol entered my mouth, I knew right away. It was fake whiskey… Well, since it’s Myeong-soo’s father’s place, let’s just drink it.
“Kuh! This is whiskey. How is it?”
“…It’s fine.”
“It’s drinkable.”
“Hey! This is expensive stuff! Hyeon-seong, you’re enjoying this luxury because of me. Don’t you forget it when you go to Seoul.”
As their conversation dragged on, I opened a beer bottle by myself. I lifted the bottle and chugged it down.
‘This is much tastier.’
A few more glasses were exchanged, and the pleasant drinking session continued. We were also set up with girls and went out on the stage to dance.
“I’m tired. Let’s go home now.”
“Hey! Mu-hyeok. Why are you backing out by yourself? Let’s hang out a bit more. Right, Hyeon-seong?”
“Mhm… I agree with Myeong-soo.”
Because those two wanted to stay a bit longer, we were set up with girls a few more times.
“How old are you guys? I don’t usually hang out with kids, but that one over there is pretty cute.”
“Mu-hyeok? That guy’s a celebrity, a celebrity.”
“So your name is Mu-hyeok? Wanna hang out with noona?”
“No, thank you. I just came here to drink.”
Sung-ryong kept bringing women over. He mostly sat them next to Myeong-soo, but they kept showing interest in me.
“Hah… Let’s go now. Grandma’s waiting.”
“Let’s get set up just one more time before we go. Can’t we?”
Seeing the desperate look in Myeong-soo’s eyes, I sat back down. Just then, a woman was led by the hand by a waiter to our table. She was the prettiest girl I had seen so far.
Myeong-soo, who also seemed to like her, immediately poured her a glass of whiskey and started talking.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-one. How old are you?”
“Twenty.”
Myeong-soo raised his glass and said.
“Let’s all have a drink. Meeting like this must be fate.”
“You’re more of a man than you look. Alright, let’s drink.”
I lifted my beer bottle and we clinked our glasses. After we had been talking for a while, a man came out of a private room in the corner. The man, who had been looking around for a moment, soon approached our table.
“Hey! Who the hell are you guys?”