Chapter 218
“Director Jung . I’ve been waiting for quite a while, you know?”
Director Jung HyunTae didn’t know what Richard’s intentions were .
Originally, they agreed that Richard was not going to do much here, but he stepped up now… This wasn’t within his plans .
No matter how incompetent he was though, he did have some discerning eyes .
Richard smiled and urged Director Jung HyunTae .
“Hahaha . It looks like you were caught up in talking about past events . Won’t you introduce him to me?”
The flow of the conversation was interrupted thanks to Richard’s interruption .
KangYoon and Lee HyunJi whispered to each other .
‘Looks like he isn’t ordinary . ’
‘I think so too . ’
Just as the two whispered to each other, Director Jung HyunTae cleared his throat and introduced Richard to the two .
“This person is Richard Tracson, and he’s the greatest investor to our company . Branch president, this is…”
Along with Director Jung HyunTae’s introduction, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi shook hands with Richard .
“Hello, I’m Lee KangYoon . ”
“Hello there . You can call me Richard . I heard a lot about you . Although the relationship between MG and World is complicated, I’ve always wanted to meet you . ”
Richard smiled .
His expression, though, contained a hint of coldness .
Regardless, KangYoon smiled as he replied .
“Your Korean is really good . Although MG and World have different goals, I hope we can continue to be in a good relationship . ”
“I tried my best to learn . I hope we get along . I’ll invite you out sometime . ”
Although they both had smiles on their faces, sparks could be seen between the two .
Turning around, KangYoon and Lee HyunJi discussed the impression they got from Richard .
“This man named Richard, I can feel something’s cold about him . I personally find him scary . ”
KangYoon agreed to Lee HyunJi’s words .
“I think so too . I got the impression that there’s something hidden behind that smile of his . ”
“Maybe I’m biased since he’s an investor in MG but… I don’t think he’s an easy person to deal with . Director Jung HyunTae was easy to deal with since I could basically read what he’s up to but that Richard guy doesn’t show what he’s thinking at all… I think we need to be careful of him . We don’t know what he’s up to by investing in MG either . ”
KangYoon nodded in agreement .
The party continued after that .
Lee HyunJi and KangYoon greeted various people .
Many people that were invited to the party wished to meet KangYoon and KangYoon did not reject anyone . Thanks to that, he was able to get to know a lot of people and he gained a lot of information as well .
Not long later, KangYoon was able to find President Kang ShiMyoung in one corner .
He, unlike everyone else, brought Jin HyeYoung of Wincle, a new group, rather than someone from their most famous group, Cranbugs .
“Oh, President Lee . It’s been a long time . ”
President Kang ShiMyoung extended his right hand out as he greeted KangYoon .
No matter how much of an eyesore KangYoon was, he couldn’t show that here .
Next to him, Jin HyeYoung, who was eating some vegetables, also took a deep bow .
KangYoon replied with a smile and talked about China, a hot topic for everyone here .
“I heard that you were going to China . ”
“Haha, you’re quick to the news . We are moving around quite busily . Oh, does World have any plans to go to China as well?”
President Kang ShiMyoung’s eyes gleamed .
President Choo ManJi alone was a strong competitor . If KangYoon decided to step in as well…
Fortunately, KangYoon shook his head .
“It would be a lie to say that I don’t have any plans, but it won’t be happening for the foreseeable future . Hm . ”
“You don’t have any plans right now? Right now seems like the biggest opportunity . ”
Of course, he was just probing him out .
KangYoon replied with a smile .
“Even if it’s the biggest opportunity, it will be the worst opportunity if I decide to jump in without any preparations . ”
“Hahaha . I learned something new today . ”
KangYoon had no foreseeable plan to go to China .
‘Now I just have to push YoonSeul out of the picture . ’
He had heard that MG had no plans to go to China either .
As long as DiaTeen was out of the picture, he would be able to monopolize the huge Chinese market .
Just as he was fantasizing, KangYoon’s gaze turned around to where JooAh and Jung MinAh were .
But it didn’t seem that normal there .
“Heheheheh . Unni~ . ”
“Wh, what’s wrong with you? Hey . ”
KangYoon could see that a lady wearing a black dress was trying to hug the lady with the white dress .
‘Those girls?’
Jung MinAh, with a rather flushed face, was trying to hug JooAh, while JooAh was trying her best to break away from her .
It was clear that some alcohol had a role in this .
He apologized to President Kang ShiMyoung and headed towards the two .
“JooAh, MinAh . What are you two doing?”
“Oppa, you’re here! This girl’s completely out of her mind . ”
“Whoaaa? Ajji, it’s the ajji I like . ” (T/N: Ajji – she’s basically slurring ‘ahjussi’ . )
Jung MinAh, who was in JooAh’s arms, ran into KangYoon’s arms immediately after she saw him .
He wasn’t able to hide his shock in this situation .
“MinAh? What’s wrong with you? Are you drunk?”
“Druuuunk? Nooo, I’m completely fiiiiine . Hehehe . ”
MinAh was creating an embarrassing scene in front of many eyes .
Although not many people had seen them yet, KangYoon was worried .
KangYoon called out to Lee HyunJi who wasn’t far away .
She was surprised to see what was happening and hurried towards them .
“I think I’ll have to take MinAh home first . Please take care of the aftermath so that no one talks about this in the future . ”
Lee HyunJi nodded at KangYoon’s request .
“Okay . But there aren’t any drinks here with high alcohol content, but she’s turned into a koala now . No, maybe a panda suits her better? Pfft . ”
Lee HyunJi giggled as Jung MinAh had locked her hands around KangYoon as to never let him go .
While JooAh and Lee HyunJi were giggling, KangYoon was not in a good mood .
“MinAh, MinAh? Let go of me first and . . ”
“Hehehehehehe . Dis ish good . It’sh the ajji I like . ”
Seeing KangYoon sweating profusely, JooAh was laughing out loud .
“Hahahaha . Oh man . My stomach hurts . ”
KangYoon sighed a little before lifting Jung MinAh . It was the so-called princess carry .
“Oooh, you’re quite strong, oppa . ”
JooAh joked with KangYoon .
“KangYoon-oppa . ”
“What is it?”
“Don’t do something indecent . ”
“…Hey . ”
KangYoon frowned and hurried to the parking lot .
Some people looked at him and Lee HyunJi immediately went up to them and started talking .
***
FinesTok, located in a building in Geumcheon digital district, was getting bigger and bigger .
As the number of users increased, the company’s scale was getting larger and larger as well .
In this situation, FinesTok was putting its effort into launching its music service .
“So we’re being stopped at the final moment . ”
President Ha SeYeon clutched her head while reading the report in her office .
Senior chief Jeon HyungTaek, who was responsible for business related to the music service, continued his report with a grim voice .
“The existing music distributors, that is, the telecommunication companies, are objecting to our launch . All of those companies are saying that they will not provide their services if someone works with FinesTok’s music service . ”
“Isn’t that considered collusion? If we went into a lawsuit… oh . ”
She was almost reckless, but she soon calmed down .
A lawsuit was a long process . Although FinesTok was getting bigger, they were still lacking compared to bigger companies .
“If we raise the ratio of our shares to 40%, then we’d be no more competitive than others… the distribution is holding us back at the last moment . Alright . Looks like I should talk with World first . Okay, Senior chief Jeon, you can do what you were doing . ”
“Understood . I’ll first tell the developer team to keep programming per the original design . ”
“Yes . ”
After Senior chief Jeon HyungTaek left, President Ha SeYeon fell back on her chair .
“Just what’s so good about this music business?… Sheesh, it isn’t easy to break the norms . ”
Her sighs filled the office .
***
Even during his manager days, where everything was a war with time, KangYoon rarely drove past the speed limit .
He never made a situation where he needed to drive fast, and if such things happened, he tried to look for faster routes . KangYoon put a lot of effort into providing a safe and fast service for the celebrity he was in charge of .
Thanks to that, his driving habits were very gentle .
However, today was an exception .
Vrooooom!
“Hehehehehe! Go, go!~~ I love you~ I love you– my president~ I love youuu~~”
“Ugh . ”
KangYoon was barely calm while listening to the screeches coming from Jung MinAh .
His GPS navigation repeatedly told him to slow down, but KangYoon ignored all of them .
“My ahjussi, ah, you’re so pretty…”
“MinAh, I’m driving!”
“Ah~n Let’s go somewhere good . Who cares~ . ”
Speaking some scary words, Jung MinAh, who was on the back seat, tried to hug KangYoon .
Even though her eyes were practically out of focus, she didn’t seem like she would go to sleep anytime soon with all her energy .
Thanks to that, KangYoon had to stop midway several times and take her off him .
“Heheheheh . ”
“*Sigh…* . ”
Jung MinAh clung to him like a child .
The faint smell of alcohol as well as the faint smell of shampoo tickled his nose, but that all didn’t matter to him .
Thankfully, there was an end to his agony .
After wrestling with her for over two hours, KangYoon was able to take her to her residence .
“MinAh, let’s get off . ”
“Hehehehehe . ”
Jung MinAh jumped right into his arms .
“Fine, sheesh . ”
KangYoon carried Jung MinAh into the residence .
‘There!’
Having made it to Jung MinAh’s room, KangYoon practically threw her on the bed like he was throwing luggage .
His throw contained his frustration towards her .
She fell asleep as soon as she was in bed, as though nothing had happened .
KangYoon powerlessly walked out of her room and sat on the sofa .
“Fuu, there just had to be no one at the residence at a time like this…
KangYoon sighed as he wiped off the sweat on his forehead .
Murphy’s law said that there was no one at the residence today…
“Krrrhhhhh . ”
KangYoon laughed hearing the rough(?) breath noise coming from the room .
“Alcohol turned that girl strange . Just what did she drink? Phew . ”
It wasn’t that Jung MinAh was bad with alcohol .
Moreover, she was aware that today’s event was an important one, so she should have been careful .
Just why did she cause such a disturbance?
While he thought about many things the empty residence entered his eyes .
“It feels rather cold here, maybe because there’s no one here?”
Eddios’s residence was always bustling .
Now that everyone was given leave after the traffic accident, it was rather empty right now .
Thanks to that, Jung MinAh was all alone .
KangYoon went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator .
“…There’s some food at least . I guess it’s enough for one meal . ”
KangYoon then had a look at Jung MinAh’s room again .
‘She’s had it hard… being all alone in a place like this . ’
Of course, that didn’t mean that she wasn’t in the wrong for today’s incident . This and that was separate .
After thinking for a while, KangYoon took out his phone .
“…Looks like I should have HeeYoon help out . ”
***
The next day .
Jung MinAh twitched due to the sunlight shining through her window and opened her eyes .
“Ugh…”
Her head started aching .
“I remember drinking with JooAh-unni yesterday… did the party go well? Huh?”
She was remembering what happened yesterday until she heard the sound of chopping outside her room .
Today wasn’t the day where the caretaker would visit, so Jung MinAh opened her door while rubbing her eyes .
The person she saw in the kitchen was someone completely unexpected .
“HeeYoon-unni?”
“You woke up?”
Jung MinAh’s eyes widened, but HeeYoon, wearing an apron, continued chopping vegetables as though nothing happened .
“Unni, what brings you here so early in the morning?”
“Well, let’s talk about that later, shall we? Why don’t you go wash up? I’ll have breakfast ready . ”
HeeYoon made doenjang-jjigae and some side dishes .
As Jung MinAh rarely had home-made meals, she was touched .
“Unni… you’re the best . I’m touched . ”
Jung MinAh ate greedily .
The jangjorim and the doenjang-jjigae were fantastic .
She was happy .
“Unni, seconds . ”
Jung MinAh kept on eating without a word .
A while later .
Feeling full, she made a smile of satisfaction .
“Fuah . Thanks for the meal! Thank you, unni . ”
“You’re welcome . Here, give me the dishes . ”
“What? No . I’ll wash the dishes…”
Jung MinAh said she would do the dishes, but HeeYoon pointed at the table .
“You see that laptop over there? There’s a video on it . ”
“A video? About what?”
“Watch it and visit my brother . ”
Jung MinAh, who was rather worried because parts of her memories from last night were missing, nodded her head and went to see the video .
“Is this it?”
She played the file that was titled ‘Jung MinAh video’, which was the only file on the desktop .
When she did, the video about how she clung on to KangYoon while he was still driving, started being played .
‘Wh, wh, wh… what is THIS!?’
Jung MinAh’s eyes turned into that of shock .
Her own self was clinging onto KangYoon while uttering nonsensical gibberish .
All filmed .
‘Did, did I make a mistake yesterday?’
The sky suddenly turned yellow .
She was supposed to be representing the company at the part!
Jung MinAh quickly got ready to get out and headed to World Entertainment .
When she arrived at the office, Lee HyunJi told him that KangYoon was on the rooftop and she hastily walked up to the rooftop .
“Ah, ahjussi!”
Slamming open the door, she called out to KangYoon who was looking down from the rooftop .
KangYoon waved at her and she hastily walked towards him .
As soon as she walked up to him, she immediately bowed .
“I’m so sorry! You had to go through much because of me…”
It was clear that an important event was ruined thanks to her .
Alcohol! The alcohol was the problem .
Then, KangYoon sighed before speaking .
“…Yeah, you should be . ”
“… . . ”
“Just how much did you drink yesterday?”
“It was just four glasses of cocktail… I, I’m sure of it . ”
“What cocktail?”
Jung MinAh then spoke with a whisper-like voice .
“Uhm… Blue… something? It was some kinda jewel… it was so tasty so I… heheh . ”
Jung MinAh stuck out her tongue in embarrassment .
“Blue Sapphire? The drinks that appeared yesterday were all expensive . I think they all had high alcohol content…”
“Is that so? Maybe that’s why I started feeling good… and my memories stop there . ”
“……”
KangYoon sighed .
Thankfully, Lee HyunJi managed to take care of the aftermath so that no one talked about it . If Jung MinAh accidentally did something?
KangYoon glared at Jung MinAh .
“MinAh . Although nothing bad happened this time . Yesterday… is a mistake, right?”
“…Yes . I’m reflecting . ”
Jung MinAh became dejected, but KangYoon shook his head as he continued .
“Although nothing much happened, I don’t want to see this happening again . We were representing our company there . I hope you understand the significance of it . ”
“…Yes . I’m sorry . ”
“Okay . That’s enough . ”
KangYoon no longer told her off .
He had faith that Jung MinAh would not do such a thing again .
He smiled and switched topics .
“Was breakfast good?”
“What? Yes . HeeYoon-unni’s cooking was the best . ”
“Come around next time for a meal . It must be boring for you to be all alone at the residence . ”
“…Yes . ”
Jung MinAh looked down . She felt sorry and embarrassed by KangYoon’s consideration .
Was he even aware that his actions were stirring even more feelings in her heart?
She smiled while feeling the hand rubbing her head .