Chapter 19: Navigating Family and Ambition

Grandfather may be old, but his mindset was ancient. I paused to consider my response. Since the original plot doesn’t have me taking over the company, I figured I could push back a bit.

“That’s something families can sort out later. But if an incompetent guy like me ruins the company, there’s no fixing that.”

His eyes widened, a flicker of anger crossing his face.

“How dare you say that!”

“I’m grateful for your faith, Grandfather, but I don’t think I’m cut out for it.”

Or deserving of it.

I shuddered at how he’d react if he knew I wasn’t his real grandson. He glared, then said.

“…What’s your plan, then? No one in my house lives idly.”

Ouch, that stung my conscience.

Despite my reservations, I put on a confident face and replied boldly.

“I’ll let you know soon.”

Haewon Trading’s building was massive but showed its age. Despite renovations, decades-old architecture couldn’t compete with sleek modern offices. Wearing an employee ID around my neck, I watched the swarm of workers pour out at quitting time, fascinated.

They all look the same.

The building entrance was chaotic at rush hour. I’d made an appointment to talk with Seung Hee, but I was starting to regret it. A quieter place would’ve been better for a conversation.

Then, I spotted Seung Hee in a light blue blouse and black slacks, laughing with colleagues as she exited. Her bright expression was so unlike the one I saw at home, I wondered if it was really her.

She noticed me, her face briefly stiffening before she flashed a smile, said quick goodbyes to her team, and strode over.

“Why come to the office when you could see me at home? There are enough eyes on me as it is.”

I was genuinely impressed by her quick mood switch.

Is she faking social skills at work, or does my face just kill her vibe? I grinned brighter.

“Then let’s escape to a restaurant. I’m starving.”

“Meet me at the Japanese place across the street. The one we went to last time.”

She turned abruptly. Even an ex who ghosted with my money would get a warmer reception. I grabbed her arm.

“Where are you going? We’re going together.”

“You drove.”

“I took the subway.”

“What?”

She stared, incredulous, our eyes finally meeting. Was it that shocking? After a pause, she said suspiciously.

“You’re the guy who throws a fit if you can’t drive your convertible on a rainy day. That habit cured that fast?”

“…”

Just how much of an attention-seeker was Seung Hyun? My face flushed for something I didn’t do.

“That… disease is cured. And you don’t like attention at work, right?”

She shut her mouth, her expression saying, You noticed that? It wasn’t hard to figure out—she’d openly complained about drawing attention as a new employee when I was hospitalized after the head injury.

Seung Hee wasn’t the stereotypical third-gen chaebol tyrant from the news. Her bullying seemed reserved for her future sister-in-law.

She eyed me warily. The restaurant wasn’t far, so I managed to ignore her side-glances from the passenger seat during the drive.

The restaurant was clean and quiet, with private rooms—perfect. Seung Hee sat and cut to the chase.

“What’s this about?”

“Can’t I catch my breath? Are you this direct at work too?”

She smirked.

“When have we ever had a good long talk?”

Fair point. I nodded and pulled out the sleek fountain pen case.

“Here. Grandfather says congrats on your project. Said you’ll have more signing to do, so you need a good pen.”

Her eyes widened. More signing meant a promotion. A flash of uncontainable joy crossed her face, but then she glared.

“Why’d he tell you?”

“Guess he’s trying to snap me out of it? Comparing me to someone successful for a wake-up call.”

Her expression hardened. As our ordered dishes arrived, colorful sashimi set in the table’s center, neither of us touched it. Before she could overthink, I added quickly.

“But… I’m really not interested in Haewon Electronics. You know I’m not cut out for it. And Grandfather probably knows too.”

She looked surprised, not expecting me to bring it up. Her thoughts were obvious: hearing Grandfather compare us, she worried the hot-headed, prideful Seung Hyun might suddenly try to prove himself. That’d put her at a disadvantage—favoritism doesn’t care about ability.

This was exactly why I arranged this talk. While Do Yoon is my top priority, Seung Hee’s no less critical. To prevent them from teaming up, I needed to erase their hostility toward me. They allied not because they trusted each other, but because Seung Hyun was unbearable.

Unlike Do Yoon, who softens with kindness, Seung Hee’s not so pliable. I had to prove I’m harmless. I said seriously.

“…I’ve been idle because I wanted to do something else.”

“What?”

I took a deep breath and said with a grave face.

“I… want to get into entertainment.”

“Huh?”

She blinked, confused, as if she couldn’t process it. A heavy silence followed. Then she looked at me like I was trash.

“Not satisfied with dating celebrities, now you want to start a company? Are you aiming to be a trainee? Crazy guy going after minors now…”

“No, no, no! Not that—media, specifically!”

I panicked, stopping her wild imagination. What did “entertainment” make her think? Though, given the original Seung Hyun’s antics, it wasn’t baseless. Cold sweat ran down my back. She frowned.

“…Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Since when?”

“Always. I barely graduated in the States because I wasn’t into studying. I just pretended because Grandfather scared me.”

Once I started lying, it flowed easily. I even felt baseless confidence that the real Seung Hyun might’ve been like this. Glancing at her, I added.

“I wanted to be a producer, but I don’t have the brains to pass the media exam.”

To clarify, in my past life, I had no time to study. Scraping by daily was tough. I planned to join a subcontractor production company as an assistant director and grind for a decade to become a producer.

But the reality of that dream was brutal. Shoots cut you off from the world, sleep was two to three hours a day, and none of my seniors were healthy. I didn’t quit for one reason.

I had no other options.

But is that true now?

“…What do you think Grandfather would do if I suddenly studied to be a producer or joined a subcontractor doing grunt work?”

Seung Hee looked baffled but replied coolly.

“He’d kidnap you in your sleep and ship you to the States. Or marry you off.”

Harsher than expected. I said seriously.

“So I compromised with reality. How about joining Haewon E&M’s marketing team?”

It was a well-thought-out decision, tied to my past work and Seung Hyun’s major. Seung Hee, hearing my specific plan, looked genuinely confused.

“What’s that supposed to mean… You sound crazy.”

“So, I need your help.”

My eyes sparkled.

The sky was clear blue, and the spring breeze through the bus window felt refreshing. I was humming, and Do Yoon glanced at me.

“Something good happen?”

“Huh?”

Oh, yeah.

No reason not to be in a good mood. Yesterday, Seung Hee said she’d “think about it.” My request was simple: gather info for joining Haewon E&M and keep my plans from the adults.