episode_0045

“If it weren’t for Eunhye, not only this old man, but also my granddaughter could have been in trouble. It’s too late, but I finally want to express my gratitude.”

As he made a surprised expression, recalling the past events, the grandfather let go of the hand he was shaking and suddenly bowed his head.

“P-Please raise your head. I just asked for help around, and to receive thanks… ”

“No, if Eunhye hadn’t called Yun Ji Sun, it could have been a big problem. I owe you both a debt of gratitude that I can never repay in my lifetime.”

I never expected to receive thanks from an adult much older than the uncle.

And on top of that, the fact that this adult is speaking to me in honorifics…

I was at a loss on how to handle this situation, so I looked at Kang Dani for help, but she just smiled mysteriously without any response, leaving me even more confused.

Seriously, where did this uncle disappear to?? Even though it’s his own house, this is not right! Leaving me alone at crucial moments like last time… Isn’t this too much!

“Chairman, Olke seems to be in a difficult situation, so please stop here for now.”

After being held by the grandfather for a while, Kang Dani finally spoke up.

“I need to get a hold of myself, meeting Eunhye, whom I missed so much, has made me feel old… I’m sorry, Eunhye.”

Once again, the grandfather bowed his head and then gestured for me to sit on the empty chair while he took the one he was sitting on earlier.

But I was concerned about what Kang Dani said. At first, he clearly called him grandfather, but then the title seemed to have changed, wasn’t it Chairman instead of grandfather?

“Um, I apologize for being rude, but I have a question. Earlier, did Hyung call you Chairman instead of grandfather…?”

As I hesitantly opened my mouth while glancing at the two, they both looked surprised at my question.

What, what? Did I just say something extremely rude??

“Grandfather, didn’t you tell Olke anything?”

“No, I didn’t directly tell Eunhye, but I’m sure I mentioned it to Eunhye’s stepmother…”

Leaving me in a state of confusion, the two muttered to themselves for a few moments before showing a wry smile and turning their attention to me.

“Olke, can you take out the business card I gave you yesterday?”

“A business card? Oh, yes, I have it right now.”

I didn’t understand why they wanted me to take out the business card, but as Kang Dani said, I took out the business card I received yesterday from my wallet.

Come to think of it, I just received it yesterday and didn’t properly check it… Huh?

“Um… Hyung?”

“Why are you calling me Olke?”

“This business card… there’s something strange written on it… Is this Taebaek by any chance the one I know…?”

“Haha, you’re being too harsh, Olke. Yes, I work as a secretary at that Taebaek you know.”

“Really!?”

If the Taebaek I work for is the same one, then it’s the Taebaek Group with significant global influence! Even as a student who worked part-time every day, I knew about it… Wait, then…

“Grandfather, could it be… C-Chairman Kang Seokho?”

As I shouted in astonishment, the grandfather smiled awkwardly and nodded his head.

Looking like the person in the picture I saw on the internet… This can’t be real…!!

“Jueun?”

Why? Why would the chairman of a famous conglomerate want to meet me so badly?? Just because of something that happened 15 years ago?? No, even if he was a lifesaver, I barely remember him now, so why now??

“Jueun?”

Wait, could it be that in Jueun’s memory, the sudden marriage proposal between the two families led to Minjeong being sent away, not Jueun, who was just a newly adult orphan at the time??

But in this day and age, arranged marriages between families like that? A strategic marriage? Even if such a thing existed, it wouldn’t be possible for it to be finalized so suddenly in a short period of time! Surely… the chairman here didn’t have a hand in this, right?

“Jueun?”

“Huh… Y-yes, yes!? You called me…?”

Startled, I, who was spinning strange thoughts in my head, finally came to my senses at the call of Grandfather… Chairman Kang Seokho. As I responded to the call, trying to calm my surprised heart, the chairman burst into a hearty laugh.

“Are you very surprised? Hahaha, there’s no need to be that surprised… Well, I have a lot to say, but let’s start with the main topic, shall we?”

“Yes, yes!”

Afraid of appearing rude, I nodded vigorously. Looking at me, the chairman chuckled and continued.

“After the incident that day, I tried to find out the whereabouts of the two of you in order to repay the favor in any way possible. Not long after, I met Yoon Jisun, who, after saying she wasn’t worthy of it, asked me to take care of her children if she ever did something wrong…”

“…”

Upon hearing the chairman’s words, I was so shocked by the unexpected truth that I was completely speechless.

I couldn’t believe that she had made such a request to the chairman, and I couldn’t understand the chairman’s strange obsession with repaying favors until the end.

“And later, when Yoon Jisun passed away in a truck accident… and when I tried to take Jueun as my adopted daughter as requested by her, or if not, to take one of my own children as my adopted daughter, everything went awry because of the appearance of Jueun’s father. So, at the moment when I was about to end the funeral for Yoon Jisun, I found out how she was being treated in that household and decided that if I couldn’t take Jueun as my child, I would accept her as a granddaughter or daughter-in-law in our family.”

“So does that mean that me becoming Mr. Ahj… I mean, Seonwoo’s wife was something you had planned in advance?”

At my cautious question, the chairman nodded confidently without a hint of hesitation.

No… even if he wanted to accept her as a granddaughter, allowing a newly adult to live with a man who showed no sign of shame? Isn’t this wrong… Was the chairman really a selfish person?

Well, if it was Jueun, I wouldn’t mind.

In fact, I would welcome it.

Thank you, Chairman.

“But… if by any chance Seonwoo mistreats me or makes Jueun uncomfortable, she can go to a different good place at any time–”

“No.”

“What?”

What on earth is this grandfather talking about! Is he planning to separate me from Seonwoo? Absolutely not!

“Seonwoo has always treated me well, never made things difficult for me, and never made me uncomfortable. So, I won’t go anywhere else as long as Seonwoo is there, so please keep that in mind!”

As I shouted with all my might, the echo of my voice filled the room, making not me, but the two people looking at me, flinch.

I may have shouted without realizing it, but I will never regret raising my voice to both the chairman and Mr. Kang Dan, as they need to be firmly reminded so they won’t have any frivolous thoughts, even if it makes me look rude.

Yes, I am confident!

“…Eunhye?”

“Oops.”

Suddenly, a familiar voice from behind made me turn around, and there was an old man who had entered the room without me noticing, looking shocked and stiff with a flushed face.

Wait… did he hear everything I just said?

Oh no!

“Kang Sunwoo, if you’ve come in, don’t just stand there, come and sit here.”

“Uh… Yes, sir.”

In the tense atmosphere, the chairman suddenly spoke to the old man in a serious tone, looking somewhat relieved yet not entirely pleased, with a face that seemed undecided.

Oh, I hope I didn’t ruin the mood because of me. What should I do!

“Dan, what you said was all true. Sunwoo, that guy is really…”

“I told you, sir. He’s a guy who does what he wants, right? Heh heh.”

Are they having another strange conversation! Don’t make people anxious, please talk to us too!

“Kang Sunwoo. And Miss Eunhye.”

“Yes, sir…”

As soon as he called us, the old man took a deep breath and then, with a happy expression, he cleared his throat and spoke.

“When do you think would be a good date for your wedding?”

…What?

“W-Wedding… Did you say wedding!?”

This time, the noise of the old man and me talking overlapped and echoed in the room.

Wait a minute? What do you mean by wedding! How can someone like me marry an old man like you!

“It seems like Eunhye wants to continue being with Sunwoo, and since their cohabitation started with the premise of marriage, isn’t it natural to consider it?”

“No, it’s not natural! I said I would live together for now, but whether we get married or not, I will decide later! But suddenly marriage? Please, I beg you, don’t make decisions like this on your own–”

“As the leader of the organization, you have to take responsibility for any woman you have taken into your arms, both outwardly and inwardly, isn’t that right, Kang Sunwoo?”

Under the chairman’s firm tone, the old man seemed to be at a loss for words, showing a strange expression as he locked eyes with me.

I don’t know what the old man is thinking right now…

Whatever decision you make, I will follow it, so please do as you wish…