Chapter 5
“Oh my! I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to hit you, oppa.”
The woman frowned, checking whether her nail had been damaged, and muttered to herself.
“Ugh… I’m so sleepy. Why is it so noisy?”
Ichaan staggered out as if he had just woken up.
With his hair sticking up in all directions, unfocused eyes, and wearing nothing but a pair of underwear, he was a sight too indecent to look at.
“……”
“Uh… Hyun-ah? Why are you here? The airport—”
The moment he spotted Hyun-ah, Ichaan picked up the shirt from the floor and awkwardly slipped his arms into it.
“Fuck. What time is it? Damn it. Where the hell did I leave my phone this time?”
Grumbling irritably, he headed toward the dressing room to get changed, then frowned at the woman slumped nearby.
“Hey. Why are you still here?”
“Oh my… oppa. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? You were saying last night how insanely turned on you were by me— mmph!”
Ichaan clamped a hand over the woman’s mouth and kicked her clothes aside with his foot.
“Get out. Now.”
“So this is how it is? You’re done with me so you throw me out?”
Get out…
Ichaan ground his teeth and glared at her.
“Asshole. Not like you’re even good at it.”
The woman spat insults at him as she pulled on her clothes.
Who even is this woman?
Ichaan couldn’t even remember her name. She was just one of the women who had come into their private room at the club last night, someone he’d brought back out of habit.
“Hyun-ah. This is… I mean—”
As he shoved the woman out, Ichaan tried to smooth things over.
His grandfather had repeatedly told him to go greet Hyun-ah at the airport today, and now this had turned into a headache. Fuck. Baek Woo-sik had collapsed, so why was everyone still so desperate for this marriage?
“Hyun-ah. For now, sit down. Want something to drink?”
“No. More importantly, the Chairman asked to have dinner together. Please get ready.”
Hyun-ah recited the schedule expressionlessly, as if none of this moved her in the slightest.
The girl who had reacted like a teenager to Yoon Gyeom’s every action was nowhere to be seen.
“Ah, damn. I’ll change and come out. Wait a minute.”
As he walked toward the dressing room, Ichaan wondered what excuse he could possibly give her.
Why did she have to show up at this exact timing?
“Listen, Hyun-ah. That woman… there’s nothing between us. She just had nowhere to go, so I let her stay. Oppa just…”
“You don’t need to explain.”
She had no intention of playing along with his lie. It didn’t matter to her who Ichaan slept with. She knew well that women were nothing more than one-night amusements to him. It was disgusting and filthy—but she felt relieved that she wasn’t the one in that position.
“Hyun-ah…”
Her cold reaction made Ichaan even more anxious.
If this reached his grandfather or father, how badly would he be scolded…?
His gaze shifted to Yoon Gyeom, who stood beside Hyun-ah like a wooden guardian statue.
Why the hell is that bastard here?
And the strange tension between the two of them triggered something animalistic in him.
I don’t like it!
Anger surged up inexplicably.
“Jung Yoon Gyeom! You bastard—did you bring Hyun-ah here on purpose to screw me over?”
Ichaan lunged at Yoon Gyeom as if venting his frustration. There was a bandage on Yoon Gyeom’s cheek, covering the earlier scratch, but Ichaan didn’t notice.
“Oppa!”
Startled, Hyun-ah cried out, but Ichaan had already grabbed Yoon Gyeom by the collar. Yoon Gyeom simply looked at him without resisting.
As Ichaan raised his fist, Hyun-ah clung to his arm.
“Oppa, what did Mr. Yoon Gyeom do wrong?”
“Hyun-ah, why are you taking this bastard’s side?”
Ichaan frowned deeply.
He had always thought she was a girl with no interests beyond studying, a girl without emotions. This was the first time he’d seen her react so fiercely.
“Could it be… you two…?”
Sensing something strange, Ichaan looked between Hyun-ah and Yoon Gyeom.
“Argh! Won’t you let go?”
As Ichaan loosened his grip slightly, Yoon Gyeom immediately twisted his arm behind his back. In an instant, Ichaan found himself being restrained instead.
“Mr. Jung Yoon Gyeom!”
The man Hyun-ah remembered would not let Ichaan off easily.
In her memory, Yoon Gyeom had been strong enough to take down three men.
She tried to stop him, but the killing intent radiating from him frightened even her.
“Let go! You thug. If I get so much as a scratch, do you think you’ll get away with it?”
“Fine, hyung.”
Smiling, Yoon Gyeom released his hold.
“Hey! You—”
“Hyung, don’t push me too far either.”
“Damn… I swear. Ah, shit.”
Finally freed, Ichaan glared at him while rubbing his wrist.
“Hyung…? You said hyung?”
Hyun-ah covered her parted lips in shock, looking back and forth between them.
“You two are brothers?”
She had never heard that Jung Ichaan had any siblings besides himself between Jung Chan-soo and Hong Se-ra.
“I don’t acknowledge that bastard as my brother.”
Ichaan’s face twisted with displeasure.
“What? What happened?”
She couldn’t help but be bewildered. How could Ichaan have gained a younger brother during the single year she had been away?
“It’s none of your business. Ah… the old man must be waiting. Let’s go.”
Casting a wary glance at Yoon Gyeom, Ichaan grabbed Hyun-ah and pulled her along.
On a vast estate in Seongbuk-dong, two houses faced each other across an artificial stream.
The one on the right belonged to Chairman Jung Young-woong, and the one on the left to Jung Chan-soo.
An awkward atmosphere hung over the entire dinner.
Jung Ichaan and Jung Yoon Gyeom were brothers?
Hyun-ah could hardly believe it. She didn’t know the details, but Ichaan seemed highly dissatisfied with the decision.
He grumbled that he would never acknowledge Yoon Gyeom as his brother.
According to Ichaan, Yoon Gyeom was nothing more than someone meant to assist him in running the group in the future, not someone who deserved to be treated as family.
<Do you know how he sucked up to the old man? They’re putting that orphan on the family registry. To prevent him from becoming my uncle, my father decided to register him under our branch instead.>
Without even looking at her reaction, Ichaan continued ranting.
<He’s only one year younger than me. Calling him my uncle would’ve been ridiculous. Better a younger brother.>
If he was one year younger than Ichaan, then he was five years older than Hyun-ah. The memory surfaced of how, to seventeen-year-old Hyun-ah, Yoon Gyeom had seemed like a full-grown adult.
She had once heard that Chairman Jung had wanted to adopt her father, Baek Woo-sik, as well. So the situation didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.
Ichaan went on explaining things she hadn’t even asked about, clearly eager to belittle Yoon Gyeom.
<That bastard won’t get a single penny of inheritance from the old man or my mother anyway. He even signed a waiver to give it up as a condition for being adopted. He’s just a disposable tool for people like us.>
Hyun-ah felt uncomfortable, as if his words were insulting her father, who had once been in a similar position. But she kept her expression neutral.
Since this marriage was being pushed forward by Chairman Jung—the benefactor her father owed—it was better to maintain a good relationship with Ichaan.
Ichaan’s words kept circling in her mind. Without meaning to, she glanced at Yoon Gyeom.
At that exact moment, their eyes met.
Feeling as if her complicated emotions had been exposed, Hyun-ah quickly lowered her gaze to her food.
“Hyun-ah. I’m sorry to hear about your father.”
Jung Chan-soo called out to her with a sorrowful expression.
Chan-soo thought Hyun-ah’s return was a golden opportunity to solidify Ichaan’s position as successor. Ever since Yoon Gyeom appeared, he had felt nothing but unease.
<Once the marriage with Hyun-ah goes through, I’ll officially name Ichaan as successor. Then Woo-sik or Yoon Gyeom will naturally help him. I’ll finally be able to retire in peace.>
Chairman Jung had promised as much, making this the perfect chance for father and son to secure management rights. Moreover, with Baek Woo-sik still unconscious, the timing was ideal.
The marriage between Hyun-ah and Ichaan had to succeed at all costs.
“To think such a healthy man would suffer such a misfortune… I truly have no words.”
“…Thank you for your concern. My father will wake up.”
“Yes. He must. Hyun-ah, now that you have no reason to leave anymore…”
Chairman Jung Young-woong slowly chewed the salted yellow corvina the maid had deboned for him.
“How about you stop delaying and hold the engagement with Ichaan, then begin preparing for the wedding?”
“When my father wakes up…”
Hyun-ah tightened her grip on her chopsticks and carefully gauged the Chairman’s expression.
“You’ve heard that your father’s chances are slim, haven’t you?”
“Chairman!”
“Representative Jung here said that, out of respect for his friendship with your father, he wants to hold the ceremony while he’s still alive. Isn’t that thoughtful of him? He may be my son, but he has a deep heart.”
Chairman Jung chuckled heartily, praising Chan-soo for once speaking well.
“Thank you for your consideration, but I haven’t even had the chance to apply what I studied…”
She had brought it up as an excuse to delay the marriage, but inwardly she also felt it was a waste. She had studied fiercely overseas for years and had even secured employment.
If not for her father’s accident, she would have spent the next few years working for herself.
“I would like to postpone this marriage.”
She said it. The moment her true feelings slipped out, her heart pounded violently.
“Hyun-ah!”
The air at the table instantly turned cold.
Had she offended Chairman Jung?
As she carefully observed him, the Chairman, who had raised his voice, cleared his throat.
She’s just another young girl reluctant about marriage these days.
Softening his expression, Chairman Jung continued.
