PAHO 46

Thanks to all eyes being on him, no one saw Won Hyeonseong, but Na Taebeom could see him clearly. A contemptuous threat flashed like a momentary ripple across the man’s respectable, handsome mask. Na Taebeom deliberately put on an even brighter smile. Soon, Won Hyeonseong grinned back.

“It’s nice to see you in a place like this. Director Na Taebeom.”

As if he had never been so cold, Won Hyeonseong returned a gentle greeting. After shaking his hand, Na Taebeom spoke as if something had just occurred to him.

“I saw on the news on my way here that you received some award this time, Mr. Division Head. What was it? Something about a circular economy, I think.”

“…”

Won Hyeonseong was smiling like a figure in a painting. It was a smile completely devoid of vitality.

“Anyway, I stopped by to offer my congratulations as a brother.”

“I’m pleased that you went out of your way to come.”

He gave a glance to the crowd standing around them, as if to say, “excuse me.” As Won Hyeonseong naturally turned and headed for the banquet hall entrance, Na Taebeom, who had been watching him, soon followed.

Secretive, curious gazes poured down on the two men as they passed through the corridor. Most of the curiosity stemmed from the fact that an illegitimate son of the Samwon Group, who rarely appeared in official settings, was brazenly showing his face at a time when Division Head Won Hyeonseong had been designated, in name and in reality, as the next-generation successor. Some were also simply admiring their looks.

Na Taebeom willingly enjoyed the blatant attention. The more he enjoyed it, the more hurried Won Hyeonseong’s steps became. It was a move that seemed to be trying to avoid exposing Na Taebeom in this place for long.

“The weather’s been hot, but I trust you’ve been well?”

Won Hyeonseong, who was walking ahead, said. As if conscious of his voice echoing, it was rather high and gentle.

“Thanks to you looking out for me, Mr. Division Head, I’m still breathing.”

Unlike Won Hyeonseong, Na Taebeom’s tone was light, yet tinged with a subtle fierceness. Whistling as he walked, Na Taebeom suddenly smiled as if he had just remembered something.

“Come to think of it, I got a dog.”

“A dog?”

“A thief keeps breaking into my office, so I thought it would be good to have one. It’s a mutt, but it’s sturdy and barks well.”

In front of the passageway leading to the veranda on the opposite side of the banquet hall, aides and assistants from both sides stood like soldiers, split to the left and right. Na Taebeom threw open the ornate, arched glass doors and clicked his tongue at the unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke that wafted out. The veranda, landscaped with flowerbeds and decorative lights, seemed to be used as a smoking area, as there were traces of cigarette smoking here and there. It was a shame, given the view of the mountains and the palace across the way.

Won Hyeonseong, who had walked deep inside, took a cigarette out of his inner pocket and placed it in his mouth. A gloomy irritation shadowed his face as he hollowed his cheeks and blew out smoke.

“I never expected you to just show up.”

His monotone voice seemed to be trying hard to hide his displeasure. Na Taebeom, who was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed, tilted his head.

“You contacted me saying you had something urgent to ask, but you didn’t expect my visit?”

“I said let’s meet for a moment. I didn’t tell you to come all the way here.”

“I’m not as patient as you are, Mr. Division Head. It’s more convenient for both of us to have unimportant conversations quickly and get them over with.”

Flick. The sound of a match being struck cut him off.

“You haven’t changed. Still talking like a little punk.”

Won Hyeonseong, who had snapped coldly, lit his cigarette. He looked as if he could finally breathe only after taking a drag, and Na Taebeom shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re the one who hasn’t changed, Mr. Won. I heard you were quitting smoking, but it looks like you couldn’t kick the habit after all. Well, it’s not easy to quit domestically made cigarettes. Especially the handmade ones—they should be classified as drugs rather than tobacco, but the law isn’t made of rubber, so I guess it bends to fit certain people.”

“…”

Narrowed eyes stared at Na Taebeom in response to the clearly intentional provocation. What other reason could there be for not a single buyer being caught two years ago when an illegal cigarette manufacturing ring was busted in Gangwon Province and given an expulsion order? He took a deep drag of the sweet-smelling cigarette, blew out a long stream of smoke, and spoke.

“You are aware of how much of a fuss the media and even civic groups have been making because Director Na issued a blockade without any consultation this time, aren’t you?”

“Hmm, I’m not really sure.”

At the half-hearted reply, Won Hyeonseong frowned.

“If you’re not sure, then be sure now. Thanks to the new enforcement decree, public opinion didn’t get any worse, so it’ll pass without any major problems, but if you act so recklessly one more time, it’ll be difficult for both of us.”

“Difficult for both of us?”

“In November, there’s a national audit. I’ve already prepped the submitted documents, so don’t screw things up with any pointless acts, and just go play ruffian on the playground. Like you always do.”

It was a statement no different from a notification. Na Taebeom, who let out a hollow laugh as if he found it absurd, said,

“You sound like you’re scolding me for significantly interfering with your work, Mr. Division Head. And even meddling in my business. But all I did was give those idiots a little, tiny warning to get their act together. That’s not wrong, is it?”

“It may not be wrong, but I think Director Na, of all people, should know that depending on the circumstances, it can become wrong.”

“I know? Me?”

Even though cheoseo had passed, the wind blowing onto the outdoor veranda still carried a hint of heat. Won Hyeonseong, who casually rubbed the cigarette ash that had fallen on the floor with the toe of his shoe, gave a slight smile.

“The anniversary of the death of Ms. Na Jimin, the CEO of the Environment Daily, is coming up soon.”

It was a sweet tone that matched his nonchalant face, which was feigning ignorance. Na Taebeom, who had been silently watching him, raised the corners of his mouth into a grin.

“Wow, I’m so honored. For you to remember my mom, Mr. Division Head.”

“Since you’re so honored, you should go visit her at the columbarium. No matter what a mess you are, you’re still her biological son. Even if she’s dead, she’d be disappointed if you don’t show your face even once.”

“Thanks for the advice, but I’ll handle my own filial duties, so you should worry about yourself, Mr. Won. Even the hale and hearty Madam Han could have an accident one day, by chance.”

Just as their gazes clashed with tension—tap, tap—the sound of glass being tapped made both men’s eyes turn simultaneously to the veranda door. The aide from Samwon tapped the guest invitation name tag hanging around his neck. It was a signal that it was about time to return to his seat. Won Hyeonseong, who let out a sigh, threw his cigarette on the floor and crushed it out with the toe of his shoe.

“I’m done with what I had to say, so I’m leaving. See you at the family gathering, or whenever.”

As Won Hyeonseong tried to walk away, Na Taebeom suddenly grabbed him and shoved him hard against the railing. Won Hyeonseong, who was now suddenly leaning back over the railing, bared his teeth.

“What the hell are you doing.”

At the sudden subjugation, the sound of flustered footsteps could be heard from outside the door. Na Taebeom, smiling, roughly straightened the lapels he was holding.

“Your tie was crooked, Mr. Division Head. If you went out looking like this, our pretense of being loving brothers would be meaningless, wouldn’t it?”

“You.”

“And next time you tell me to come and go for such a trivial reason, I might not just push you against the railing, I might throw you over it.”

At the threat, which contradicted his affable expression, Won Hyeonseong’s eyes narrowed fiercely before he finally slapped the arm away. Fiddling with his tie with a disgusted expression, he turned and left the veranda. The aides, who had been at a loss, soon followed their superior in a group.

“Judging by his reaction, it doesn’t look like he planted a spy.”

Na Taebeom, who had been watching the retreating presence, said as he turned to Gil Useong, who was approaching his side. The spy he was referring to was Nam Gyeonhwa.

As there had been three intrusion attempts at Wieyeonggwan in the last one or two years, Gil Useong had insisted that he couldn’t simply rule out Nam Gyeonhwa as a suspect. Na Taebeom hadn’t completely dismissed that possibility either, but seeing Won Hyeonseong’s attitude now, it was clear that nothing had been leaked through Nam Gyeonhwa.

Gil Useong, with his hands behind his back, looked around at the canopy ceiling and the surroundings. His eyes, searching for any surveillance cameras he might have missed, found nothing suspicious. Turning off the recording device attached to his button, he spoke.

“So what did you talk about.”

“He brought up the blockade right away. It seems to have been more annoying than I expected.”

Nakdo was the entertainment district and sewer of both the Republic of Korea and Seoul. Sexual perversions and pleasure addictions that couldn’t be revealed above ground were covered up with money, so the moment someone started digging, it would turn into a massive WikiLeaks. In the midst of that, it was an area strictly demarcated by law, so intervention using public authority was impossible unless martial law was declared. Therefore, it seemed there had been subtle pressure from within the family to resolve this blockade.

For Won Hyeonseong, who sought to break away from the entrenched universalism of family-run conglomerates and present himself as a humane, young, and competent businessman, the situation of being mentioned in connection with a mere entertainment district full of lowlifes must have been extremely distasteful. Coming down the stairs, Na Taebeom loosened the tie around his neck. The stifling feeling finally seemed to dissipate.

“Was there any sign from the secretary’s side? Fidgeting with his phone or anything?”

“He took a call for a moment, but judging by the words I could hear, it wasn’t anything special. It seemed he was coordinating flight times for an overseas trip next month.”

“He’s going abroad?”

“It’s probably for his Shanghai schedule. There was an article about Eurasian economic cooperation expansion or something.”

“Still, back up the recording file on an overseas server just in case. That’s what the Division Head does best. Coming up with code words.”

Ever since the transition to a volunteer military system, military service was no longer something to be evaded but had long since become one of the credentials enjoyed by the privileged. Suppressing a yawn, Na Taebeom stretched his arms wide. He wasn’t invited in the first place, and besides, he hated being like a doll clapping its hands in a boring place.

Gil Useong’s steps stopped as he was passing through the banquet hall. A man and a woman who appeared to be a couple were waiting for a car at the elevator landing. Before long, a black limousine arrived. Gil Useong couldn’t take his eyes off the profile of the woman getting into the car.

“Someone you know?”

At Na Taebeom’s question, Gil Useong silently turned and walked away. It was an uncharacteristically rude gesture for him, but Na Taebeom didn’t bother to point it out.

The man who had just followed the woman into the limousine was the incumbent president of the civil engineering division of Samwon C&T. The woman who got in first was his wife, a new spouse who had replaced his deceased former wife. The Cinderella scandal—about an obscure actress with nothing to her name except that she was from the metropolitan area marrying an old chaebol—had been major news both online and offline a few years ago, but it was old news that had long since died down.