Chapter 10
It was Yoon Jin-woo. She hadn’t expected him to know her number.
How did he find out? Why did he call?
A flood of thoughts raced through her mind in an instant.
Instead of asking questions, she stayed silent. It didn’t seem like asking anything would matter.
─ What are you thinking?
It was Yoon Jin-woo, sounding anxious, who asked first. Thanks to that, she didn’t have to worry about how to start the conversation. She answered calmly.
─ I didn’t go before because I was just busy with work.
At his meaningless excuse, Kang Da-som let out a small laugh. Worried he might have heard, she quickly straightened her expression and spoke in a firm voice.
“See you at home.”
She could hear Yoon Jin-woo’s flustered voice on the other end, but she hung up before he could say more.
Da-som quietly sipped her water. She hadn’t expected him to come at her like this.
The phone rang again. This time it was Yoon Sung-hoon.
“Yes, oppa. Got it. So I should head to Seonam-dong? Since I’m nearby, I’ll be there in about an hour.”
Sung-hoon apologized over and over. Da-som reluctantly agreed to come, as if she were being dragged into it. Just then, Kang Jong-woo walked in.
“I’ll head out right away. Okay.”
Jong-woo, who had stopped by to have a bowl of banquet noodles specially prepared by the chef, quietly listened to her phone call as he ate. Once she hung up, he finally spoke.
“So, you’re actually going?”
“I have to.”
“Chairman Yoon’s birthday? Isn’t it already late?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t need to see Chairman Yoon. The person I need to impress is someone else.”
“Jang Ju-bin?”
Of course, it was Jong-woo. There was a reason why, before her regression, he had ousted Kang Chairman and become the head of UL Cables.
“Yes. Chairman Yoon is just waiting for his last day. The one who really runs the group is Vice Chairman Yoon Jun-seok. And when it comes to family matters, Vice Chairman Yoon never ignores his wife’s opinion.”
Yoon Jun-seok and Jang Ju-bin were bound by an arranged marriage. Coming from a prominent political family, Jang Ju-bin was the one who had paved the way for Yoon Jun-seok’s rise.
She was the kind of woman who had never hesitated to do the dirtiest work to secure Jun-seok’s position as Chairman.
And Yoon Jun-seok was completely under her thumb. It was no accident that people called her the “shadow power” of Cheonmyeong Group.
“But isn’t it already too late to impress her?”
According to Jong-woo, the Cheonmyeong family was very conservative about family events. Just look at Lee Soo-ha, the fiancée of eldest son Yoon Ji-hwan. Even after their engagement was broken, she still came and went from the Cheonmyeong household like a daughter-in-law, working hard to prove herself.
“Oppa, don’t you trust me?”
“It’s not about trust. You haven’t shown me anything yet.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
She drew a line—she didn’t want to explain everything in detail. After some hesitation, Jong-woo nodded.
“Fine. Speak comfortably.”
“…Sorry?”
“You said you wanted to be siblings. So drop the formal talk. What kind of siblings talk like strangers, using honorifics every time? We’re not outsiders.”
Da-som’s lips parted slightly. Jong-woo had put unusual weight on the word outsiders.
She hesitated for a long while.
“…Okay.”
It took her five full minutes to say that single word. Jong-woo hadn’t pressured her once during that time.
“Seonam-dong is about thirty minutes from here, right? What about a car?”
“I was going to take a taxi.”
“And the formal speech?”
“Well…”
“Sounds lame. I’ll go with you.”
Jong-woo stood up first.
“What if people notice you?”
“Then I just won’t get out of the car. Why are you fussing over that? Don’t worry. And I told you—drop the honorifics.”
“It’s still a little awkward. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Let’s go.”
The two of them stood and left. When they reached the underground parking lot, a large van pulled up.
“I’ll drop you nearby.”
“Got it.”
Da-som finally worked up the courage to speak casually. She had never once spoken informally to her family before.
To her, family—siblings—were people who were physically close, but emotionally distant.
On the way, she kept glancing at Jong-woo. He stared out the window at the darkening Seoul skyline. She had never imagined she’d end up like this with him.
Honestly, when she first sent documents to Knight Investment and pulled Jong-woo out, she wasn’t certain.
Now she was glad she had taken that chance. She also felt regret—if she had shown him even a little interest before her regression, maybe she wouldn’t have died so miserably.
Since things had come this far, Da-som decided she would trust Jong-woo, just a little more.
“Oppa.”
“What?”
“I need someone.”
“What kind of someone?”
“Someone who’ll listen to me.”
“Urgent?”
“Not really.”
“I’ll look into it and send them through Team Leader Baek.”
“Thanks.”
“You thank me for everything.”
Da-som was at a loss for words.
Jong-woo didn’t even ask what she planned to do with that person. Somehow, it didn’t feel like a big deal.
Was it because she had only seen the reckless Kang siblings before? Jong-woo felt unfamiliar.
The car stopped, and the door opened automatically. The secretary who had gotten out first held Da-som’s hand to help her down.
“When I finish up, I’ll be in touch. Do your best.”
Instead of replying, she bowed her head. Above her, she heard Jong-woo sigh.
“Looks like I’ll have to teach you all over again—family doesn’t bow their heads to each other.”
His words sounded like scolding, but the tone wasn’t unpleasant. The door closed, and the car drove off.
Da-som climbed a hill straight away. A tall wall blocked the view inside.
When she rang the bell, a buzzing sound came, followed by the guard’s voice from the intercom.
“Who is it?”
“I came to see Sung-hoon oppa.”
“Please wait a moment.”
With a click, the large gate opened. The garden lights were bright, and upstairs a night party was in full swing.
All eyes turned to the sudden guest.
“Da-som! You’re here already.”
“Sorry I’m late.”
“No, I… sigh. Why are we even talking here? Let’s go inside first. That’s fine, right?”
Sung-hoon naturally put his arm around her waist and led her in.
“Chairman and Father went inside, so at least greet Mother.”
“Of course.”
Those celebrating Chairman Yoon’s birthday weren’t just the heads of affiliates.
Their wives also knew exactly who they needed to impress for their husbands’ careers.
Amidst the group of elegantly dressed middle-aged women, Jang Ju-bin stood like a flower in full bloom. When Sung-hoon approached, she set down her sparkling wine and turned around.
“Mom.”
“……”
“This is Da-som, the one I told you about. She’s Young-joon’s younger sister from UL Cables.”
At the mention of UL Cables and Young-joon, Jang Ju-bin put down her glass and walked over.
“Oh my, really? You’re Young-joon’s sister?”
“Yes, I’m Kang Da-som.”
“I’ve heard you’ve been seeing my Sung-hoon.”
“Sorry for being late. Something came up.”
“What does that matter? I’m just grateful you came despite being busy. Come, you should greet the Chairman. Excuse me for a moment.”
Changing into slippers, Jang Ju-bin walked naturally into the house.
“Mom, the Chairman’s in the study—ah, Mom!”
Instead of heading toward the study, she slipped into the greenhouse, away from prying eyes.
Sung-hoon and Da-som followed quickly. As soon as Sung-hoon shut the door, Jang Ju-bin crossed her arms and looked Da-som up and down.
The welcoming expression she had shown earlier was gone without a trace.
“Young-joon. Of course I know him. Sung-hoon’s old schoolmate.”
“That’s right, Mom. I really should settle down and—”
“What are you thinking?”
“What do you mean, what?”
“I wasn’t asking you.”
To Jang Ju-bin, Sung-hoon was a source of pain in a different way than Jin-woo.
He hadn’t thrown away his future to become an actor like Jin-woo, but his relationships with women were a disaster. It had gotten so bad that, despite the prestige of the Cheonmyeong name, they had even considered arranging an international marriage.
She had practically given up on his woman problems. So when he said he was bringing someone, she didn’t expect much—just wanted to see what the girl looked like.
“My son may be a fool, but he’s not trash. Who do you think you are, trying to seduce him with no background to speak of?”
“Mother.”
“Who are you calling ‘Mother’?”
“I’m sorry, but I think you’re misunderstanding.”
Da-som began, her voice clear—not too loud, not too soft. Honestly, she hadn’t planned to go this far.
But since she had received something from Jong-woo, she wanted to repay him in kind.
“I really do like Sung-hoon oppa.”
