Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: Wojo
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“……”
“……”
It was an incredibly awkward moment.
Wearing black sweatpants and a stretched-out T-shirt, his hair greasy from lying down until just a moment ago.
Anyone could see he was just an ordinary man.
In fact, even though it was my first time seeing So-hee’s father, he just seemed like an average guy.
Anyway, the clothes this man was wearing didn’t differ much from what So-hee’s father wore.
When I came back from school earlier, he was wearing a very stiff-looking three-piece suit and even a tie, which made him seem incredibly intimidating.
But somehow, in this outfit, Soo-ah’s father didn’t seem like someone it would be strange to speak casually with.
“……Did you come out because you were thirsty?”
The man, who had been staring intently at me for a while, asked.
“Yes.”
When I nodded, he silently took out another cup from the cabinet and poured water into it.
Then, without a word, he handed the cup to me.
“……Thank you.”
I accepted the cup with both hands.
Now that I think about it, I had rarely said such things to adults before.
I hardly ever talked to the servants, and no matter how much older they were, I never felt the need to respect them.
There was no such thing as mutual respect between us, so even if someone much older gave me something, it wasn’t strange for me to take it with just one hand.
So, I suppose I was adapting well to the situation now.
If it had been that person, they wouldn’t have even thought to worry about such things.
“……”
But now, how should I drink this?
I didn’t usually watch much television, but I’d had enough opportunities to pick up some common sense in this area.
That person would turn away when receiving alcohol from someone older before drinking it.
“……”
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to follow what that person did.
I turned my upper body slightly to the side, holding the cup with both hands as I drank the water.
Honestly, the posture was a little uncomfortable, but still, this was a friend’s father.
I had to maintain at least a minimum level of politeness.
“……”
And Soo-ah’s father was watching me quietly.
After taking several sips of water and turning my head back, I saw that Soo-ah’s father was still just holding his cup, as if he had forgotten to drink.
Not that I could say anything about it.
……More importantly, I didn’t know what to do with the cup in my hand.
The man was standing right in front of the sink, so placing it there was awkward.
Just leaving it nearby seemed too rude.
Asking him to put it away for me felt even worse.
“……Give it to me.”
As if reading my thoughts, Soo-ah’s father reached out a hand toward me.
“……Thank you.”
After hesitating for a moment, I eventually handed him the cup I had used.
Watching the man place the cup in the sink, I began to worry about what to do next.
Not knowing proper manners turned out to be more serious than I had thought.
I’d only ever met adults where there was no need to be polite, so now that I was facing an adult I needed to maintain a relationship with, I found myself agonizing over every little thing.
When dealing with So-hee’s father, at least So-hee had been by my side.
So-hee spoke informally to her father, and her father treated her like an old friend without any barriers.
But Soo-ah and her father didn’t seem to have that kind of close relationship.
Judging by Soo-ah’s mother, there seemed to be some level of intimacy between them as mother and daughter… but there’s always a big difference between one person and another.
“……Soo-ah.”
Still staring at the sink, Soo-ah’s father finally spoke.
“I heard that she was the one who spoke first.”
At first, I didn’t understand the meaning, but I soon realized he was talking about Soo-ah and that person’s first meeting.
So I responded.
“……Yes, that’s right.”
Of course, I had twisted the story a bit.
The person obviously didn’t think highly of me, so I couldn’t exactly say, “Actually, I have two personalities, and the one Soo-ah spoke to wasn’t me.”
I knew how dangerous that would sound.
Especially since I’d been sleeping in the same bed as Soo-ah just a little while ago.
“I heard you’re very close to Soo-ah.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
This time, I could answer without hesitation.
We really were close.
So much so that it was hard to accept her apology.
Not to mention, publicly, it was also true.
Soo-ah had once lost all her acquaintances because of her association with me, and after running away from home, she stayed at my mansion.
Now, I was the one who had run away and was staying at Soo-ah’s place.
To say we weren’t close now would be betraying her.
Knowing how unreasonably kind Soo-ah was, she would probably think, “It’s all my fault,” and just move on.
“……I see.”
Soo-ah’s father, still looking down at the sink, slowly turned around.
His expression was stiff.
Even in the faint light of the moon, I could tell how hard his face looked, so I could imagine how rigid his expression really was.
“……Do you have any resentment toward Soo-ah?”
“……What?”
Again, a topic beyond my understanding was brought up.
“If you hold any resentment toward her, it’s not Soo-ah’s fault. It’s all my fault. If anything bothers you, blame me, not her.”
“……What?”
My mouth hung open slightly.
Did he overhear the conversation we had before going to sleep?
……No, I didn’t think that was it.
He didn’t seem like the type of person who would go that far.
Of course, you can’t always judge people by first impressions, but hearing him speak with such concern for his daughter made me think my assumption wasn’t wrong.
“May I ask why you’re saying this?”
Still not understanding, I asked him.
“……It was entirely my doing that Soo-ah didn’t talk to you when she was in middle school.”
“……What?”
And then, words I hadn’t expected spilled out.
*
In the end, we found ourselves sitting on the living room sofa.
We kept as much distance between us as possible while facing each other.
Honestly, there was no need to do this.
Anyone who saw the uncomfortable atmosphere between us would never think we were having a secret rendezvous.
“So, you’re saying… you did it because you were worried about Soo-ah?”
“More precisely, I was worried about this company.”
The story Soo-ah’s father told me was the same one I’d heard from other kids.
Various bad rumors had spread, and he didn’t want his company to suffer any disadvantages.
That’s why he didn’t want Soo-ah to be close to me.
……However.
“You believed such ridiculous rumors?”
Forgetting my manners for a moment, I blurted out.
Of course, I had believed those rumors too.
Most of the kids probably had.
Maybe even some adults.
But it was hard to understand how someone in his position, the chairman of a group, could believe those rumors.
I had thought someone in his position would’ve investigated the truth behind them.
“……Do you know what ‘Yanghaeng’ means?”
It seemed he was referring to “Lee Won Enterprises,” Yanghaeng.
“……”
“A ‘Yanghaeng’ is a company that made money by bringing goods from the West in a time when trade with the West was difficult. In simple terms, it’s a trading company.”
Soo-ah’s father sighed lightly before continuing.
“And since its founding in the late Joseon period, this company has expanded into various sectors. But the core of our business is still trade. Of course, times have changed, and the focus has shifted. We now sell more domestic goods than we import. After all, Korea now thrives on exports.”
“……”
I listened quietly.
“And among the goods we export and import, some are from Eugene Group.”
“Excuse me?”
“Yes, it’s surprising, isn’t it? A company that big still has places without branches. But no matter how large a company is, very few would venture into a market that hasn’t been properly established. That includes Eugene Electronics. Especially in places like Africa, where it’s common not to have branches.”
“So, you’re selling Eugene Group’s products in those places?”
“That’s right.”
“……”
I thought for a moment before asking.
“But if the market hasn’t been properly formed yet….”
“You think we should just give up?”
“……”
When I fell silent, Soo-ah’s father continued to speak slowly.
“Eugene Group is our ‘biggest’ client. Essentially, they’ve entrusted us with exploring and establishing markets. We connect Eugene Group with those countries. We’re supplementing what Eugene Group can’t do with our resources and capabilities. It’s a kind of partnership. And because of that….”
Even if only part of the rumor were true, it would severely damage Lee Won Enterprises.
……And that holds much greater value than some other child, unrelated by blood.
“……”
I couldn’t think of anything to say.
“……I know that even if I apologize, it won’t fix everything. But…”
Soo-ah’s father spoke again.
“At least in all of this, Soo-ah has done nothing wrong. All she did was try to overcome the pressure she was under….”
“……Is that so.”
My voice came out steadier than I expected.
It didn’t shock me as much as I thought it would.
Whatever the reason, the outcome was still what I had anticipated.
And for that reason, there’s no reason to resent Soo-ah.
……Soo-ah, even in this situation, had shown the courage to speak to me.
Despite going against her father’s wishes.
“Thank you for telling me.”
Because of that, I was able to say those words to Soo-ah’s father.
“……”
Soo-ah’s father just nodded in response.
……There will be no revenge against Soo-ah.
She had sacrificed everything, even what she had built up, to apologize to me.
But no matter how I feel, it’s hard to see this man in a good light.
……Even if he says it was for Soo-ah’s sake, she was ultimately neglected.
……Of course, it’s not my place to say anything.
Someday, Soo-ah will realize this and deserve an apology from her father.
When that time comes, I’ll be there to support her.
Just as Soo-ah is supporting me now.