TE 25

Joo-hyuk hadn’t failed to notice Moon Seok-ho’s humiliation. He simply felt no reason to consider the other’s feelings.

With elegant nonchalance, Joo-hyuk’s finger tapped rhythmically on his thigh, checking the metal watch on his wrist. His gesture, exuding boredom from the moment he sat down, seemed to measure how much unnecessary time he was wasting.

Seok-ho’s bushy eyebrows twitch involuntarily. He despised the innate aura of those born with a silver spoon, knowing it was something he could never attain.

However, he quickly composed himself, forcing his raised eyebrows down and regaining control of his expression. After all, anger would achieve nothing here.

“…Let’s get to the point,” Seok-ho declared, setting down the wine bottle.

It was clear that flattery wouldn’t work on this person. Rather than risk irritating his counterpart by wasting time, it seemed prudent to address the main issue directly. For both their sakes.

“I’ll withdraw completely from Bihwa Island. To be frank, I hadn’t anticipated Chairman Kwon would be so displeased. I merely sought to utilize seemingly abandoned land…”

“Do you like art?” Joo-hyuk interjected, his expression betraying boredom even as Seok-ho offered his brief explanation.

“What? Art…?”

“I do,” Joo-hyuk continued, unprompted. “It’s pleasing to the eye, collectible, and appreciates over time. Ultimately, it’s profitable.”

Seok-ho, unsure where this was leading, dared not interrupt. He forced his lips into a thin line, resigned to listening to this unexpected art discourse.

“You either keep it for aesthetic satisfaction or wait patiently to convert it to cash. Either way, preservation is key. Damage decreases value.”

“Ha ha… Yes, I suppose so.”

“In that sense, Bihwa Island is a work of art.”

“…”

“One I’ve crafted with my own hands.”

Joo-hyuk likened Bihwa Island to a masterpiece of his own creation. Given his significant role in transforming the island into its current influential state, such a perspective wasn’t entirely unwarranted.

However, Seok-ho lacked the patience to indulge what he perceived as the arrogant ramblings of an upstart youngster.

“You’ve tarnished the value of my island. Such damage is often irreparable…”

“Yes, I understand. I know, but…”

“If there’s no way to compensate, then punishment is in order.”

As Moon Seok-ho was about to offer another insincere apology, Kwon Joo-hyuk cut him off.

“That way, you’ll never again lay eggs like a parasite in someone else’s home.”

At the word ‘parasite’ used to describe him, Seok-ho’s face finally hardened.

He remained silent, finally realizing the gravity of the situation. This man would accept nothing he offered – no negotiation, no apology.

With no clear path forward, Seok-ho found himself at a loss for words.

Just then, a waiter approached with the whiskey Seok-ho had ordered. Joo-hyuk, however, loosened his tie and seemed ready to leave.

This couldn’t happen. If he let him go now, the opportunity would be lost forever.

What could he say to keep him here? What could captivate this arrogant young man’s attention?

“There is one area of art that interests me,” Seok-ho ventured, carefully watching Joo-hyuk’s expression. The man’s face remained impassive, betraying no emotion. Moistening his dry lips, Seok-ho decided to take a chance.

“Isn’t the most valuable art the beauty of a woman? Youth is fleeting, of course, not something one can possess for long.”

Joo-hyuk showed no interest in women. Background checks revealed no girlfriends, not even close female acquaintances. Seok-ho had even wondered if he might be gay, but the man was so private that it was impossible to know for sure.

Seok-ho brought up women for one reason only – he was gambling on a single possibility. He remembered the intense gaze Joo-hyuk had fixed on his daughter as she danced and sang for her father…

“You must have heard my prayers, so you surely know. How many priceless works of art lie within my grasp.”

He fervently hoped that his intuition wasn’t deceiving him.

“If you’d like, I could offer you one…”

“That won’t do.”

However, Kwon Joo-hyuk wasn’t so easily tempted by the sweet fruit the old fox dangled before him.

“I’m afraid I can’t play along with something so vulgar.”

Instead, with an expression of apparent disgust, he rose without hesitation.

In stark contrast to his openly disdainful demeanor, his graceful hand poured a drink for his companion, much as Moon Seok-ho had done earlier.

Yet, unlike Moon Seok-ho, there was no hint of subservience in Kwon Joo-hyuk’s whiskey-pouring gesture.

“Consider this a gift.”

To the very end, he remained the impudent youngster, uttering words that crushed his opponent’s pride. But as Moon Seok-ho watched Kwon Joo-hyuk’s retreating back, he neither gnashed his teeth nor seethed with anger.

Though Kwon hadn’t shown the adorably transparent interest in his collection that Seok-ho had hoped for…

Unlike the beginning, the end had been somewhat emotional.

And that meant the bait had been taken.

The mention of his daughter, Moon Seo-ha, had struck a chord.

The fact that among the countless women at his disposal, his own daughter seemed to be to Kwon Joo-hyuk’s taste was the strongest card Moon Seok-ho could have hoped to play.

As the sense of humiliation faded from his face, what remained was his original, despicable smile.

***

A Date

It was a date.

-Come out now.

“N-now? Why?”

Seo-ha had watched countless dramas. They weren’t just about steamy bedroom scenes. They portrayed the intricacies of relationships between men and women, both day and night. These dramas became quite useful study guides for Seo-ha.

In one drama, the female lead was seen consulting her friend about her relationship with the male lead. It was during this scene that Seo-ha first encountered the term ‘push and pull.’

Despite not being very active on the internet or having many friends to learn new slang from, Seo-ha grasped the general meaning of the term. She understood it meant not being too eager, nor blindly agreeing to everything the other person says.

So, Seo-ha decided to put what she had learned into practice.

“Um, Mr. Ki Tae-beom. I have my own schedule too, you know. You can’t just expect me to come running whenever you call…”

-Let’s go on a date.

However, the power of those three words, “Let’s go on a date” was immense. It instantly disarmed Seo-ha, who had been trying to practice pushing back.

For the first time in her life, Seo-ha actively utilized internet search engines. She had never needed to before, as her father provided everything she needed, and she lacked particular interests that required research.

It was only through her searches that she learned there were specific outfits for dates. Despite the cold weather that usually had her reaching for sweaters and comfortable pants, Seo-ha pulled out a dress from her closet.

Donning a coat over her dress, Seo-ha stood before the full-length mirror on her bedroom wall, doubt creeping in. ‘Should I change into something else…?’

On second thought, it did seem a bit much. Someone who usually didn’t dress up suddenly appearing all dolled up would surely catch Tae-beom’s attention. He’d realize she had dressed up just for him.

Of course, if he didn’t notice, there wasn’t much point in dressing up, but still, she didn’t want to be so obvious.

Maybe it would be better to change back into her usual clothes?

But as she unconsciously checked the time on her phone, all thoughts of clothing evaporated. It had already been 40 minutes since Tae-beom had called asking her to come out.

Hastily grabbing her bag and wallet, Seo-ha forgot even to put on her coat properly. She flung open the door with a clatter, rushed down the hallway, and descended the stairs.

If her first sexual experience had been as nerve-wracking and frightening as she had anticipated, her first date brought a tingling, bubbly feeling rising in her chest.

With an unconscious expression that revealed all of her excitement, Seo-ha opened the front door.

***

Tae-beom felt a throbbing pain in his head.

The cause was undoubtedly the woman sitting in the passenger seat beside him.

“Miss Seo-ha will be out soon,” he said, trying to maintain his composure.

“Mr. Tae-beom…” Park Hee-jung’s voice was laden with desperation.

Despite his repeated attempts to avoid conversation, she had seized this opportunity to approach him. Her hand gripped his wrist tightly, refusing to let go.

Tae-beom’s eyes flickered to her brightly painted nails, so different from Seo-ha’s. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling the onset of a migraine.

Hee-jung had two desires.

First, she wanted to rekindle her relationship with Tae-beom. The ‘relationship’ she yearned for was the thrilling affair they once had, conducted in secret behind her elderly husband’s back.

Second, she needed to confirm the nature of Tae-beom’s relationship with Moon Seo-ha.

Provoked by Seo-ha’s actions and guided by a woman’s intuition, Hee-jung sensed something peculiar between them. However, she lacked concrete evidence and, truthfully, part of her didn’t want that confirmation. All she wished for was to hear from Tae-beom’s own lips that there was nothing between him and Seo-ha.

Tae-beom wasn’t oblivious to Hee-jung’s intentions.

In his mind, the scales tipped back and forth as he calculated his next move, aware of the delicate situation he found himself in.

Moon Seo-ha and Park Hee-jung.

Park Hee-jung and Moon Seo-ha.

Tae-beom found himself at a crossroads, weighing his options. Was it truly wise to discard one and go all-in on the other?

He had initially dismissed Park Hee-jung as useless because she knew next to nothing about Moon Seok-ho’s business dealings. However, he now realized she might prove invaluable when it came to Moon Seo-ha.

For instance, Hee-jung could be the perfect tool to make the precious young lady, already wounded by her stepmother, more dependent on him – the metaphorical dog she’d been warned against. The thought was as cunning as it was cruel.

If that was the case…

There was no need for further hesitation.

As if forgetting how he had been avoiding Hee-jung’s calls and messages until now, Tae-beom reached out his hand towards her. His mind was made up, the pieces of his manipulative puzzle falling into place.

The game was about to change, and Tae-beom was determined to be the one holding all the cards.