A Relationship of Convenience - Chapter 43

In front of the convenience store. A blue plastic table. Peanuts and snacks carelessly spread out. On top, beer cans chosen to taste lightly clink together.

Seeing Da Hae clap her hands saying “Ah, this taste!”, Se Dong’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“You made me into a love idiot? You, to me?”

Wiping off water droplets from the can’s surface onto her t-shirt, Da Hae chuckled.

“I thought that’s how it was since you only hang out with guys.”

Ah, ah. Expressing his frustration, Se Dong hits his chest saying the conversation isn’t getting through.

Then Da Hae clinks her beer can against his and shouts a toast.

To Oh Se Dong’s escape from being single!

Even just thinking back to their brief overlapping study abroad days, Oh Se Dong was popular regardless of continent, be it North America, South America, or Asia.

Particularly with the same gender, that is.

Naturally, romance took a back seat as he was constantly surrounded by gloomy men.

Though equipped with encyclopedic knowledge of machines and programs, sadly his nerdiness didn’t shine with the opposite sex.

“The elder brother.”

Da Hae, who had been giggling while reminiscing about old times, had her smile drop at his sudden inquiry about him.

“He’s probably doing well.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

As if urging the end of the sweltering season, the cicadas occupying the street trees cried out with all their might.

It’s already been two weeks since escaping isolation on the island and returning to the secular world.

His news, which he said would keep him busy for a while, was often encountered through the news.

The next chairman to lead Samyeong Group. Third-generation management. Samyeong Entertainment’s stock price hitting new highs daily.

As a side note, attention was also on the family-ship with Young Son Group and his spouse’s activities, so his own paparazzi cuts were not uncommon.

She could guess what Se Dong was thinking as he narrowed his brows and looked at her suspiciously.

It must be why she’s commuting from here instead of going to the newlywed home.

When she throws a peanut missile at Se Dong, who won’t take his eyes off her as if demanding an explanation, he catches and eats it readily.

“It’s an important time, you know. So I don’t interfere.”

“Isn’t that when you should be by his side even more?”

“Nope. Not the case.”

“Ah− Suspicious. So, so suspicious.”

“Don’t say anything unnecessary to Lady Bae. She’s worried.”

“I was provided housing by the great lord. I must fulfill that duty.”

“Dirty lackey.”

“So, when are you getting divorced?”

“…What are you talking about.”

She almost fell for that shallow trick of trying to fish for information.

As she brushed it off vaguely, this time he pokes at the ground with a sullen face.

“General Kye.”

“What. What now.”

“Perhaps…”

The voice that was uncharacteristically hesitant created a brief pause before continuing.

“…Is that person, like, giving you a hard time?”

When she just stared at his face without answering, Se Dong said quite seriously.

“No, they say only those involved know about male-female relationships, but looking closely there are so many strange things. He leaves you all alone during flower viewings, and it’s the newlywed period when you should be lovey-dovey, but you keep coming here.”

That man comes to see you but just leaves.

He kept the last part secret since he didn’t know what situation they were in.

On days when she worked overtime or came back from company dinners, he invariably witnessed it.

The sight of Kang Jae Kyung’s sedan parked in front of the complex for a long time late at night before leaving.

He gave up trying to say hello, wondering why he wasn’t going in if he came to see his wife. Lest a third party’s meddling become poison instead.

Suddenly, the white fingers tracing the mouth of the beer can stopped. The tightly closed crimson lips opened slowly.

“Se Dong.”

“Yeah. That’s right, Da Hae. Think of me as your elder brother and open up.”

Da Hae, who had dropped her head, jerked it up and raised her cheekbones, grinning to show her teeth.

“What do you know. You little punk.”

“…Ah. So annoying.”

Se Dong put the mini fan that had been on the table close to his face and pouted his lips.

He decided to stop prying here.

He sensed that she was avoiding talking seriously about Kang Jae Kyung.

Yet when his story came up, she smiled shyly with an unfamiliar face, which was annoying in its own way.

“You two are incurring an enormous debt to me, let’s say a benefactor. I’m not someone to be treated so carelessly, I’m telling you.”

“What’s with the sudden debt collector setup. Stop talking nonsense and go buy more beer.”

Though grumbling, Se Dong entered the convenience store to buy beer, grasping his cell phone.

He briefly texted an unsaved number and stared blankly at Da Hae through the glass door.

Though he hadn’t yet brought up the reason he asked to meet today, he decided to see Kang Jae Kyung directly rather than adding to his friend’s worries.

“You ungrateful wretch, I’ll show you how to repay kindness properly.”

* * *

A snack shop near the high school.

Traces of time were clearly visible on the wooden tables and messily scribbled walls.

In the wide, flat rectangular pan, red rice cakes bubbled up boiling, and next to it, various limp fried foods were piled up like mountains.

“It’s not a place I bring just anyone. I’ve been generous.”

Amidst the uniforms pouring out to match lunchtime. A suit and physique that stood out prominently.

Even though he declined, they insisted on making him wear an apron, resulting in quite an adorable appearance as Jae Kyung just looked at the snack set spread across the table.

The text from Oh Se Dong last night had moved him.

[Jindo dog deployment. Enemy provocation. Urgent need to strengthen posture. −Oh Se Dong−]

He had come willingly since he said he’d explain the details when they met, but was starting to regret it a bit.

He had been nervous that it might be about Da Hae, but that moment of concern was becoming pointless.

Regardless, Se Dong deliciously ate tteokbokki with one leg crossed at the ankle.

“You’re not eating? Ah, are you on a diet?”

His voice was muffled as he pulled the curly fish cake into his mouth.

“If there’s no business, I’ll leave first. I’m busy.”

“The shareholders’ meeting is tomorrow, right? If you leave now, you’ll be even busier.”

Jae Kyung checked his watch with a twist of his wrist, letting out another sigh-like breath.

Se Dong, who had cleansed his palate with fish cake broth, rummaged in his pocket.

Saying he sure was impatient, a folded piece of paper emerged in that hand and was held out between the plates.

“I’m not interested in other people’s power struggles. But I ate tteokbokki twice, so I should pay my dues.”

An email address scrawled in pen. Jae Kyung also knew it was the domain address of a foreign service company that was difficult to track users and was being misused.

As the pitch-black eyes that had been quietly looking down at it took on a serious light, Se Dong, who had put down his chopsticks, proudly patted his full stomach.

“I always want my side to win. If I had to choose, the elder brother is on our side, right?”

It was a month ago that he received a message from Leo, his study abroad friend and dormitory mate.

News that the group that had been active as anonymous white hackers had degenerated into cyber gangsters.

Not only did they hack indiscriminately for money, but they also engaged in misconduct such as planting ransomware and demanding cryptocurrency regardless of scale, and he was going to be involved in a big job this time and was about to hit the jackpot.

Coincidentally, it was a company in South Korea and the target was the game company you liked, so I thought of you, he said. He said he’d come to Korea if that was resolved well, so let’s meet.

At the time, he didn’t think much of it, but somehow the more he chewed on it, the more the target seemed like Kang Jae Kyung’s company.

It came to mind that he had vaguely mentioned Samyeong to his friends based on hazy memories.

So he was just suspicious, but after seeing articles about the Samyeong family being in an uproar over asset distribution, he became somewhat certain.

After that, it wasn’t difficult to narrow down who was behind it.

Someone who would benefit from Kang Jae Kyung’s mistake. Someone with the financial resources to move hackers. It must be his family entangled in inheritance.

“I’m not certain the target is the elder brother’s company. Even among close friends, business secrets are absolutely confidential. It’s like a rule among professionals.”

“What do you think will make me trust such information from Oh Se Dong?”

“That’s for you to figure out, and hey. Anyway, did I earn my meal?”

Se Dong, who had neatly stacked the empty plates and stood up, checked the clock on the wall.

“Contact me in 3 hours. If my guess is right, that’ll be just about wake-up time in that country.”

There was no particular change of expression on the man’s face. Whether he was calm or indifferent.

They say people with dark inner thoughts are like this, even his attitude towards such matters was quite uninteresting.

“Feeling them out is up to the elder brother’s ability. Whether you add money and try to persuade them in reverse, or devise a way to block them. That choice is also yours.”

Se Dong, who bowed his head saying he ate well and turned his back, grabbed an additional hot dog on his way out.

Saying that guy who looks rich over there will pay.

The sharp gaze that had been quietly following the receding frivolous figure soon fell to the note clutched in his hand.

There wasn’t much time to think. There were no other options either.

After finishing payment and leaving the restaurant, Jae Kyung put his phone to his ear.

“This is Kang Jae Kyung. All team leaders assemble in 10 minutes.”

So there was no choice but to trust the one who said he was on our side.