Chapter 40. Change
Looking down at Yooa’s cheeky face, he let out a hollow laugh.
Her head was held high, and the gaze she cast downward was provocative. He raised both hands and dry-washed his face, trying to hide his embarrassment.
“Eek!”
The moment Lee Jun moved, in the blink of an eye, her back hit the mattress.
“H-How did you do that? Ah—!”
As he whispered a warning, scolding her for acting up, Yooa froze. Lee Jun gently bit her round cheek without hurting her and spoke in a low voice, as if he couldn’t allow her defiance.
“You’re saying nonsense.”
“Lee Jun… huhh, mm…”
His touch brushed only the places that felt good, making Yooa arch her back. The interior heat caused condensation on the camping car’s windows. The hazy droplets stayed there all through the dawn and into morning.
✦✦✦
Chairman Kang, who had kept to himself for health reasons, now began appearing in public more frequently. He even expressed intent to attend the company’s foundation day and upcoming year-end ceremony. He called for Yooa.
“Sorry for making you come all the way here. I just don’t have the time to go down.”
“It’s no problem.”
“That’s why I keep saying, just move into the house. Then we don’t have to bother going back and forth, and we can see each other often. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“I’d like that too, but for the company’s stock value, it’s better if I don’t.”
They weren’t even married yet—living together prematurely would only stir gossip.
People always look for something to criticize, and she didn’t want to be the target. Chairman Kang seemed to understand that, his expression growing somewhat complicated as he rubbed the wrinkles around his eyes.
“My not-even-legally-registered granddaughter-in-law is this concerned about the company, yet my actual daughter—what on earth is she doing with her life…”
At his brief lament, Yooa bowed her head.
She knew it was Juhui who had tampered with the medicine, and that this was why she had collapsed during Grip Company’s new product launch event. The retired chairman was only suffering this much stress because of that.
“You look healthier than before.”
“I should. These days I make sure to walk 8,000 steps a day.”
Chairman Kang gave a bitter smile, saying he had to stay healthy at least until the company succession was complete.
He was burdened by his lacking daughter and pitied his talented grandson, born with overflowing capability, yet fatherless.
Chairman Kang had never named a clear successor. That might be why everything had gone awry.
“Next time, I’ll bring you soft knee pads and comfortable walking socks.”
A shift had occurred in his heart.
Rumors had already spread quietly that whenever he appeared in public, Lee Jun was by his side. Gossip in the financial world whispered that he had chosen Executive Director Kang Lee Jun as his successor.
“Yooa.”
“Yes, Grandfather.”
“When you’re my age, all you want is to share a meal with your children and see your grandchildren smile.”
Straightening her posture, Yooa tried to discern what he truly meant.
Ever since they had begun to share a secret, Chairman Kang had smiled at her more often and revealed his inner thoughts. Was this another such moment?
She placed her hands on her knees and listened attentively.
“Since half the joy in my life has disappeared, I’d like you to fill that space.”
“……Yes.”
“There are thousands of employees in Taegyeom Group and their families. I can’t let my personal desires harm them. These are people who dedicated their lives to the company. I owe it to them.”
Yooa sensed that he had let go of his daughter.
Chairman Kang was no longer speaking as a father, but as the head of the group, seeking her agreement.
“You’ve made the right choice.”
“Right?”
Relieved, Chairman Kang stood up and said he needed to rest.
As she supported his arm, Yooa felt deeply grateful for his swift and decisive judgment—so different from before.
“Grandfather is resting in the bedroom. Please don’t go upstairs or make loud noises.”
“O-Okay. Got it.”
Pyeongchang-daek, known for her excellent cooking, was startled by Yooa’s sudden appearance.
She had once worked as a driver’s wife and came from the same hometown as Mr. Yoon—Yooa’s father—so they had been on friendly terms. But now that Yooa had returned as the master of the house, she was at a loss for words and struggled to use formal speech.
“You must’ve worked hard preparing lunch. Can I stay and eat too?”
“Of course!”
Pyeongchang-daek quickly got to work, responding to Yooa’s warmth just like before.
She placed neatly prepared party noodles (janchi guksu) on the table—egg garnish on top of savory broth, along with grilled shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, and carrots. She even brought freshly made kimchi on the side. Yooa smiled brightly and eagerly sipped the soup.
As she quietly placed the seasoning sauce next to her, Pyeongchang-daek fidgeted awkwardly, unable to focus her eyes.
“I can’t find this noodle taste anywhere else. It’s so refreshing and deep. How do you do it?”
“Well, I soak kelp in water the night before, then add stir-fried anchovies without oil, and—oh, look at me rambling.”
Realizing she had gotten too comfortable from the compliment, Pyeongchang-daek took a step back.
Yooa smiled and finished her noodles slowly.
She knew that some of the long-serving staff who had witnessed her childhood and her father’s death now felt uncomfortable around her.
After finishing the meal, Yooa approached the kitchen, where Pyeongchang-daek was preparing ingredients for dinner.
“Is there… anything you need?”
“Please speak casually, ma’am.”
“How could I?”
Yooa embraced her, rubbing her cheek against hers like a spoiled child, just as she had done in the past.
“Why not? We used to be like this.”
“Still…”
“Ajumma, please call me by my name. Okay?”
After a moment’s hesitation, seeing Yooa hold her hands gently, Pyeongchang-daek finally nodded.
“Okay, Yooa.”
She had lived her whole life alone and was practically a part of this house’s history. She had cooked for Chairman Kang the longest and survived even after others had been driven away by Juhui.
She was like a grandmother who used to sneak Yooa snacks—glutinous rice cakes, sweets, jelly, and sweet rice punch.
Yooa looked at her, eyes brimming with tears.
“I want to eat your noodles for a long time.”
“Hm?”
“If possible… I’d like to share that taste with my child too.”
It had been 30 years of living under Juhui’s constant pressure.
Hearing Yooa trail off, Pyeongchang-daek gripped her hand tightly as she tried to pull away.
What made her uneasy about Yooa wasn’t Yooa herself—but the fear that once she married into the family, it might cost her the job she’d worked so hard to keep.
“I even made baby food for Executive Director Kang myself, remember?”
But when Yooa said she wanted to keep seeing her for a long time, Pyeongchang-daek couldn’t help but beam.
She waved her hand cheerfully, asking what else Yooa wanted to eat. Yooa smiled sweetly in response.
Now that she had conveyed her feelings, it was time to set the trap.
“For that to happen, there’s something I need you to do.”
Chairman Kang always shared meals with visiting guests to ensure no one left on an empty stomach. Even Juhui would call in the talented Pyeongchang-daek for important private appointments.
That’s why, knowingly or not, she had overheard important things. A few years later, however, Juhui, fearing this, had sent her to a nursing home with the promise of caring for her forever.
“Me?”
With no family of her own, Pyeongchang-daek couldn’t survive even one year in that quiet nursing home before she passed away.
Yooa wanted to know what she had heard. Just what had Juhui said that made her kill off someone who had endured under her rule for 30 years?
“This is something only you can do.”
