Translator: Wan ED/PR: Personal Ghost
44. After bad weather (5)
Ju-Oh Group’s headquarters building’s highest floor, executives exclusive VIP lounge.
Did he adjust the movement route beforehand?
Under the guidance of the secretary, we didn’t run into anyone when walking and entered the room.
While moving, Ju Su-gyeom was busy giving commands to the members of the secretary and bodyguard teams.
The majority of the commands were about settling the matter of Oh Hyejeong and Sawol Semin’s attack.
“Please personally check the recording devices, team leader-nim…. Yes, please do that… Did You say that there are no video recordings in the office recording devices?… Please replace the office window before the lunch break ends.”
As the window was completely gone, it would be more appropriate to say to put in a new one, rather than replace.
With what kind of hellish move did Oh Hyejeong used to invade the Ju-Oh headquarters in such a short period of time? Even when Ju Su-gyeom pointed things out, strangely no one noticed anything.
She is living at Sawol Semin’s side as a future bride right now, but she showed off the worthiness of a Player from the Ju-Oh Group’s clan.
‘As they possessed this degree of ability, during the Fantasy Auction just two of them infiltrated to try to snatch back Sawol Seeum, huh?’
But perhaps because their information was insufficient unlike during the Ju-Oh Group’s headquarters infiltration, or they were unlucky they ended up being captured and killed.
When I sat down opposite of Ju Su-gyeom and at Ju Su-hyeok’s side.
“So, it was the Unknown Supernova who called Oh Hyejeong?”
Ju Su-gyeom, who finished the call, suddenly came at me.
Before Ju Su-hyeok could give some kind of excuse, Ju Su-gyeom opened his mouth.
“Su-hyeok, you knew that Oh Hyejeong is coming, right?”
Ju Su-gyeom briefly explained his reasoning.
The point was that it was strange for Ju Su-hyeok, who knew what kind of marks Oh Hyejeong left in the engagement hall to bring a friend to such a dangerous place.
I naturally expected for it to be noticed, but when Ju Su-gyeom pointed it out in front of me in reality, the feeling was subtle.
Ju Su-gyeom who finished a simple summary turned his gaze from Ju Su-hyeok to me.
“Su-gyeom hyung… so…”
“It was for Hyeji, right?”
Before the kind and righteous title hero could make an excuse for me, Ju Su-gyeom spoke, cutting him off.
It was true that it was for Oh Hyeji, but the feeling was subtle.
“I heard about Eungwang School’s chess tournament from Hyeji. You got acquainted with her during that time, with this event as a trigger and seeing the heartbroken Hyeji, you gave her Oh Hyejeong’s contact information, right?”
As I listened to Ju Su-gyeom’s words, the identity of the subtle feeling became clear.
Why are you calling Oh Hyejeong by her surname, but calling Oh Hyeji just Hyeji?
You may be a blood relative of Ju Su-hyeok, but coldly speaking, isn’t Oh Hyeji just a dongsaeng you know?
It was worthy of praise that he accurately figured out most of today’s circumstances, but I just didn’t like him.
“So, Unknown Supernova, where did you get acquainted with Oh Hyejeong?”
That opportunity was difficult to speak about because it was closely connected to the incident related to ‘that word’.
Even if Ju Su-hyeok asked, it was a question I would be hesitant to answer, but I had no intention of answering Ju Su-gyeom.
“I think it’s difficult to say.” [1]
After I looked Ju Su-gyeom in the eye and replied, the corner of the lips on Ju Su-gyeom’s expressionless face raised very slightly.
It seemed that it was unexpected that I replied without any signs of nervousness.
Under the interrogation of Ju Su-gyeom, who was in the center of Ju-Oh Group’s royal family, the people who could spit back like this would be rare.
‘Before granting me a temporary entrance ID, the secretary would have delivered him my profile, right? He would have roughly figured out my background.’
I saw the head of the Hwang Myeong Group in the same class do such crazy things every day.
Ju Su-gyeom’s gaze was nothing.
“Su-gyeom hyung, should we eat lunch next time?”
After Ju Su-gyeom quietly stared at me, Ju Su-hyeok said a word.
Interpreting Ju Su-hyeok’s words, he said ‘If you press him any longer, we’ll leave’.
Those were words worthy of the title hero, who was considerate of the friend he came with.
“No. We’re going to eat.”
Ju Su-gyeom pulled the barely visible smirk again and rang the bell which was lying on the white table cloth to call an attendant.
The called attendant lowered to his knees to match my eye level and after meticulously checking if I had any allergies or if there was any food I avoided, withdrew.
‘Setting aside Ju Su-gyeom, Ju Su-hyeok seems to visit the headquarters building often, huh?’
The attendant only asked Ju Sug-yeom and Ju Su-hyeok to confirm if there were no changes to the already noted things.
It wasn’t long after the confirmation ended, the food was quickly served.
Hot and sour soup[2] with bamboo shoots and black pepper.
Geoduck clams[3] stir-fried in Black Bean sauce or Sichuan[4] sauce.
Jeongaraebok[5], which harmonized well the flavor of abalone and ginkgo nuts[6].
All dishes served were the best products of all specialities of the restaurant.
‘Are there many gourmets in Ju-Oh Group?’
While the side and main dishes were served, Ju Su-hyeok led the conversation.
The conversation skill to find a common topic to not leave me out and lead the conversation was exquisite.
If one had to nitpick on the content, the conversation was only superficial, but it effectively kept the atmosphere from being awkward.
The conversation topic centered on Eungwang School.
‘I guess Ju Su-gyeom also graduated from Eungwang School.’
As Ju Su-gyeom was not only a Player but was also pretty outstanding, it was natural, but thinking that the bastard who made Oh Hyeji cry was our senior, I just didn’t like it.
About the time when the cooled almond tofu with finely girded apricot was served.
Ju Su-hyeok opened his mouth.
“I had no idea that Su-gyeom hyung and Hyeji noona were close. But You seem to be good to Hyeji noona.”
For the first time, Ju Su-hyeok brought up a sensitive topic.
Ju Su-gyeom didn’t reply straight away and beat around the bush before he said.
“… I hadn’t talked with Hyeji after ‘Ju-Oh Split’.”
Why suddenly did the story of ‘Ju-Oh Split’ was brought up?
‘The origin of the short exchange cut-off between Ju family and Oh family was ‘Ju-Oh Split’.’
Ju Su-gyeom’s low voice sunk one tone lower.
Ju Su-hyeok finished his puberty voice change, but compared to Ju Su-hyeok, Ju Su-gyeom’s voice was much lower.
“What do you think was the trigger for the ‘Ju-Oh Split’?”
“Yes?… I know it was because of clashing opinions related to the management plans.”
Ju Su-gyeom shook his head.
“The fundamental reason was ‘Oh house’s misfortune’.”
“Misfortune?”
“Many people of the Oh house are usually short-lived. Among them was the next head of Ju-Oh Group.”
Ju-Oh Group was made together by the Ju and Oh families, but I thought that there was a tradition to always choose the next head from the Ju family.
As if it was also the first time Ju Su-hyeok heard about it, he had a surprised face.
“Hands are precious in Oh’s house. In addition, as they have short lives as many of them die suddenly, no one on the director board wanted Oh family to rise to high positions. Except for Oh family.”
“Yes? However… Right now there are many People with surname Oh in affiliates key positions…”
“That should be the result of ‘Ju-Oh Split’.”
I guess that was the real reason behind Ju and Oh families’ fight and steering towards the Group disbanding.
“So the two houses decided to connect through marriage. To become one house. And on the next major turn, they even made a plan to join the two surnames and turn it into ‘Juoh’.”
“Yes? Even change the surname?!”
You’re saying they made such a plan!?
It seemed that as Oh Hyejeong said, there were many senile people.
“Before another dead appears on Oh’s family side, they want the two houses to become one. As Ju family was responding more or less passively, and I’m here, you shouldn’t get involved in this story.”
“Su-gyeom hyung…”
“However, Oh Hyejeong and Hyeji are different.”
Ju Su-gyeom raised a lighter in his hand.
He was only holding it as if he had no plans of smoking a cigarette in front of us right now.
“Currently in Oh’s house, the only unmarried people in the age eligible for marriage are Oh Hyejeong and Hyeji. They would be receiving pretty big pressure. I wouldn’t expect to do such things even to a minor like Hyeji, but from what I heard, it was quite a struggle.”
My Playable Character Oh Hyeji experienced such events behind the scenes!?
Oh Hyeji who grew up upright and strong even though she received so much stress was truly admirable.
The instant my thoughts reached this point, I abruptly recalled something.
‘… No, it seems that there was a setting that Oh Hyeji went a bit astray during her 1st year.’
Currently, the 1st and 2nd place among the 3rd year students were firmly established as ‘TaoWonu&WooGihwan’, but below that things are different.
There was a fierce grade fight between 3rd to 10th place, but in particular Oh Hyeji and Yu Sang-hui were in a rival relationship as they always had similar grades.
Yu Sang-hui ended up correcting the almost crooked Oh Hyeji, but there was a rumor that because her way of doing that was a bit aggressive, after that incident the relationship between the two was awkward and not very good.
“At the beginning, Ju-Oh was a family-run business if I remember correctly?… I have no idea why they would regress against the flow of the era.”
“There are many among the executives who have different thoughts. But it will take a few more years for me or them to take control.”
When the conversation was cut off for a moment, Ju Su-hyeok opened his mouth.
“… But then why are You saying it here?”
It was as Ju Su-hyeok said.
Why would you bring up this story in the place with me, an outsider?
It was a fact possible to guess if considering the Ju-Oh Group before and after Ju-Oh Split and the Group’s executive board’s frequent replacements and lifespan.
But the story about ‘Ju-Oh’ becoming one family and such things were among many stories that outsiders couldn’t know and didn’t need to know.
I had no idea what was the reason for him to trouble himself to mention it.
The answer to that was following words:
“I want you to take good care of Hyeji. At least outside the house, I want to give her room to breath.”
“Then the reason is to take care of Hyeji noona?”
Ju Su-gyeom rolled the lighter on the palm of his hand and then replied.
Even though he was speaking to Ju Su-hyeok, Ju Su-gyeom’s gaze stopped at me.
“Please take good care of Hyeji.”
So that’s why you brought up the behind the scenes’ story of Ju-Oh Split in front of me?
As I was a person who avoided Ju-Oh’s eyes and even knew the contact information of the missing Oh Hyejeong, it seemed that I could take good care of Oh Hyeji.
I would naturally take care of my Playable Character, but as Ju Su-gyeom put it in such a roundabout way, the feeling was very subtle.
Before we finished lunch and left the place, Ju Su-gyeom spoke to me:
“If something happens to Su-hyeok or Hyeji, contact me. Also, if something happens to Oh Hyejeong… No, it doesn’t seem like Oh Hyejeong would like my help, eh?”
On a business card written with a flowing cursive was only the name ‘Ju Su-gyeom’ and his device code.
No matter how I looked, it wasn’t a business card for corporation usage.
Ju Su-gyeom, who gave me a business card remained in place so it seemed that he was thinking of smoking the herbal cigarette in the place with the best air circulation.
Before the door closed completely, I heard the sound of lit up a lighter.
Ju Su-gyeom was truly an unresponsive smoker.
* * *
A few hours after we left Ju-Oh Group’s headquarters.
I thought we would part ways for today, but Ju Su-hyeok said he wanted to go to Hongcheon.
As Ju Su-hyeok said ‘It seems I’ll think about useless things if I keep quiet[7]’, so I had no choice but to accept.
And when moving through Hongcheon, I and Ju Su-hyeok faced a certain pre-smoker.
“Ack! Where did you guys came from!?”
Ju Su-hyeok, who throughout the journey had a complicated face, lit up with a smile as he replied.
His face was smiling, but his voice and the content were harsh.
“Yunseop-ah, you’re smoking when you came to Hongcheon to train? Where are grandpa Tak and Hyodon?”
Upon our arrival in Hongcheon, we faced with Bang Yunseop holding a cigarette in his mouth under a terribly broken tree.
* * *
Eungwang School’s landscape area, Silver Training (Eunryeon) Building at the side of Clear Blue Lake (Cheongrangho).
Under the Seven Western Constellations, Baek-ho withdrew the White Fang and spoke:
“I have no interest in what your goal was.”
A blurry opponent flattered as they curled up their body.
The identity of this opponent was Heavenly Wings Mountain’s Spirit.
Mountain Spirit’s soul was completely exhausted in that beating up disguised as a spar.
“I intend to keep a blind eye if a prank is for protection, or it won’t crook descendants’ personalities. However.”
Baek-ho grabbed Mountain Spirit by a nape and held them up as he spoke:
“Don’t disturb Jo Uisin.”
*~*~*
[1] “I think it’s difficult to say.” — Jo Uisin is using a formal tone towards Ju Su-gyeom. Which is very normal considering their social standings, but still very funny.
[2] Hot and sour soup — suān là tāng.
[3] Geoduck clams — in Korean they’re called elephant clams.
[4] Sichuan — the name for Siuchan used here is 사천 (sa-cheon) which sounds like four heavens.
[5] Jeongaraebok — drew me crazy (because of all the searching). So it’s another Chinese dish, 全家福 (quán jiā fú), which means ‘happiness of entire family’. But! You see, the usual name is Jeongabok (전가복) not Jeongaraebok (전가래복). And the Jeongaraebok has unlucky word in it ‘가래 (garae)’, which means phlegm. But don’t worry! It has also a lot of other curious meanings like a type of shovel for digging, or type of rice cakes, or a type of hat worn during the Three Kingdoms period decorated with bird feathers or red silk and gold decorations the dictionary tells me.
[6] abalone and ginkgo nuts — in Korean abalone is ‘jeon-bok’ and ginkgo nuts are ‘eun-haeng’.
[7] It seems I’ll think about useless things if I keep quiet — this sentence can be interpreted also as ‘It seems that you will think about useless things if I keep quiet’. I chose ‘I’ll think’ because there is no way that Jo Uisin understand the second interpretation.
Translator’s note: As someone who always fails to understand corporate politics, beside isolating Ju-Oh and perhaps spreading the ‘curse’ to Ju family, what other goals would their ‘one family’ achieve? Someone tell me, I literally have not even one brain cell put in understanding of corporations.
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