Chapter 12: A Family Gathering

“Is hyung not coming?”

“He said he left a while ago, so he’ll be here soon.”

Hearing Mihye’s words, Seokyung stuck close to Taekyung and whispered, so her mother couldn’t hear.

“Why does he always force himself to come when he probably doesn’t want to?”

Seokyung didn’t particularly like her eldest brother, Han Taewook.

If Taekyung was like a playful friend and an endlessly affectionate older brother, Taewook was just a relative who was more brusque and indifferent than their father.

He only knew about the company and work, and he was as greedy as a miser for management rights.

To Seokyung, that was who Taewook was.

Taekyung’s feelings about Taewook were not much different from Seokyung’s.

Taewook saw him not as a younger brother, but as a rival who threatened the management rights he was supposed to inherit.

Of course, Taewook tried not to show it, but unfortunately, he had no talent for acting.

Even when he forced himself to show up at family gatherings, he couldn’t hide his cold expression.

“I know, right? Why does he do that and upset our princess?”

Taekyung whispered back to Seokyung’s words and chuckled.

Mihye tilted her head as she watched the siblings share their secrets, but Taekyung just smiled.

Mihye would smile while looking at her son, but she would frown as she glanced at the still firmly closed door of the master bedroom.

“Your father is having a power struggle with you again.”

“I’ll go in and see him.”

Taekyung wasn’t too bothered by Mihye’s disgruntled tone and headed for the master bedroom.

Although they were bound by a loveless arranged marriage and had lived as a couple without major issues until now, his mother always disapproved of her husband’s petty pride battles with their son.

It was always Taekyung’s job to soothe Mihye and lighten the mood in the house.

Taekyung knocked on the door, then cautiously opened it and peeked his head in.

Since he was a son who usually only got on his father’s nerves, he had to humor him once in a while.

“Father, I’m here.”

Chairman Han was sitting at a table in a corner of the room, reading a book.

But his full attention was likely on the conversation coming from outside the room.

Though he probably couldn’t hear it clearly with the door closed and the distance.

Taekyung suppressed the laugh that was about to escape, entered the room, and closed the door behind him.

His father was probably still upset about the recent scandal, so he decided to take a low posture today.

“You were reading.”

“Yes.”

He hadn’t expected a reply, but his father answered briefly.

This wasn’t a bad reaction.

Encouraged, Taekyung pulled out the chair opposite his father and sat down.

The black eyes behind the glasses seemed to glance at him for a moment, then Chairman Han sighed, closed the book, and placed it on the table.

“Where did you meet that woman?”

“Woman?”

“The one in the picture.”

“Ah, Jung Gahee? We filmed a movie together. Father, you didn’t watch my movie, did you?”

“I don’t have time for that. Do you think I’m that free?”

Chairman Han, who clicked his tongue in disapproval at the brazen reply, stood up.

Taekyung, who had secretly laughed, immediately followed him.

Compared to 10 years ago, when Taekyung had first said he wanted to be an actor, his father had become much more lenient.

Taekyung’s father, Chairman Han Juhak, was a man with immense pride in having built the Younghyeon Group with his own two hands.

He was also a man with an almost obsessive belief that the Younghyeon Group should not be passed on to anyone other than his own flesh and blood.

It was a natural course of events for Taekyung and Taewook to bear the burden of following in their father’s footsteps and living the life of a businessman.

Unfortunately, Taekyung was not such an easy son, and Chairman Han, contrary to his stinginess with expressions of affection, loved his son deeply and couldn’t push his will to the end.

Even now, he would often nag him, saying, ‘You’ve done enough, so quit now and learn the business,’ but it was at a level that Taekyung could just laugh off.

“Father, I’m here.”

When he opened the master bedroom door and came out with Chairman Han, Taekyung immediately ran into Taewook.

It seemed he had come alone today, as his sister-in-law and nephews were nowhere to be seen.

Taewook was overly polite in front of Chairman Han.

Every time Taekyung saw him, he thought that Chairman Han and Han Taewook felt more like a chairman and his chief of staff than a father and son.

“Hyung, long time no see.”

Taekyung smiled brightly and greeted Taewook.

Looking over Taewook’s shoulder, he saw Seokyung covering her mouth and laughing silently, finding something amusing.

Taewook had already put on a forced smile.

“Yes, Taekyung. Long time no see. You seem to have some free time these days.”

“I’m preparing for my next project, but I still have some time for now.”

After exchanging a few meaningless words, there was nothing more to say.

Just as he was wondering what else to say, Chief Lee announced that dinner was ready.

It was a relief, as the atmosphere was about to become heavy.

The whole family headed to the dining room.

It seemed to have been a long time since just the five of them had gathered.

Taekyung took the seat opposite his mother, and Seokyung immediately took the one next to him.

Chairman Han let out a light laugh as he looked at Seokyung.

Even the stern father often let his guard down in front of his youngest daughter.

As Chairman Han started to eat, the others followed suit and picked up their spoons.

Before eating, Taekyung handed his rice bowl to the helper and asked for only half a serving.

Seokyung’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

“Oppa, are you on a diet?”

“Not really a diet, just managing. Filming starts next month.”

“What, so you’re not unemployed? What are you filming this time? A movie? A drama?”

“A drama. The article will be out next week.”

To Taekyung, Seokyung, who was pouring out questions, was just adorable.

She was the only one in the family who consistently monitored his work, so he welcomed her interest.

Seokyung, who had already forgotten about her meal, moved closer to Taekyung and pressed him for details.

“A drama… so it’s probably a prosecutor, lawyer, or doctor again, right?”

A hint of disappointment was in Seokyung’s voice as she muttered as if she already knew.

It was understandable.

Except for his debut work, all the projects he had done so far had been genre films without a love line.

There was no particular reason for sticking to genre films.

He had just chosen them because those were the scripts that came his way.

In the first place, he didn’t really understand the emotion of liking someone, and he didn’t feel the need to do a melodrama or rom-com either.

But this time, Taekyung, who was tired of playing similar roles, had made a different choice.

“No. This time, it’s a chaebol.”

He remembered Director Jang’s words, that there couldn’t be a more perfect casting than a real chaebol heir for a chaebol heir role.

Writer Kwon Hyojoo, who had heard those words, had laughed for a long time, saying she hadn’t thought of that.

Taekyung had also boasted that he would show them what perfection was.

“A chaebol? Don’t tell me it’s a corrupt chaebol?”

At Seokyung’s words, Taekyung finally burst out laughing.

He knew well how chaebols were portrayed in dramas and movies, so Seokyung’s words were not entirely unfounded.

Taekyung barely managed to stop laughing because of his father’s sudden cough and kindly answered Seokyung.

“I’ve been doing that for 10 years, so I’m getting a little tired of it. I’m trying a different genre this time.”

Taekyung, who had shrugged lightly, briefly met his mother’s eyes across the table.

His mother continued her meal without a word, but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes.

Seokyung, unlike her mother, couldn’t hide her curiosity and asked an excited question.

“Oppa, are you… doing a rom-com?”

“Yeah.”

Seokyung, as if moved by Taekyung’s answer, covered her mouth and let out a shrill scream.

She was the one who had been begging him to just once film a rom-com with that face of his.

As Seokyung slapped Taekyung’s arm and made a fuss, Chairman Han cleared his throat loudly and spoke in a feigned stern voice.

“Seokyung, you should be quiet during meals.”

“Yeees.”

Seokyung pouted and picked up her spoon again.

But as the youngest of the three siblings, and someone even Chairman Han had doted on, she was unlikely to listen to her father.

“A chaebol in a rom-com, hmm… is he a prickly, annoying character? The ‘You’re the first woman who’s ever treated me like this!’ type?”

“No. A man who’s been in a one-sided love with one person for over 10 years.”

A moment of silence fell after the indifferent reply.

Everyone’s eyes were on Taekyung.

However, Taekyung remained composed even under their intense gaze.

It was a reaction he had already expected, so there was nothing to be surprised about.

For him, who was rumored to change lovers whenever he was bored and to have a different s*x partner every day, to play a role of a man who had been in a one-sided love for a long time.

Even his family would think it was a drastic transformation.

It was a world rife with crime and corruption, but he was getting tired of doing works where the message ultimately boiled down to the realization of justice.

Just then, Director Jang had suggested that it was time for an image change, and the result was the roles he would be playing in his next project: Lee Woojin and Cha Seoljun.