Green and Park Chan Wook went straight to the study to play Omok. Only In Young and Sun Woo were left in the living room.

“I heard you told your father you won’t divorce Green?”

“Yes.”

“You did well.”

Sun Woo looked at In Young with surprise at her words. He didn’t realize she approved of Green this much.

“If he finds out you’re determined to stay at K1 Construction, your father will be very angry. He firmly believes you’re presidential material.”

“He’ll give up soon. It’s time he broke the habit of overestimating his child.”

In Young chuckled at Sun Woo’s resolute answer. At times like this, Sun Woo seemed to resemble her more than Jin Young Cheol.

“What does Green say?”

“Even if I say I have political aspirations and really want to do politics, she says she’s against it.”

In Young thought it was such a typical thing for her to say. And she realized.

Though she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, Green had a big influence on Sun Woo’s firm decision to stay at K1 Construction.

*****

When she first sat down to play Omok with Park Chan Wook, Green was on edge. She thought he might give her another warning.

But once the game started, Green completely forgot her wariness towards Park Chan Wook and focused solely on Omok.

“Grandfather, are you not feeling well today? Why can’t you see such an obvious move?”

After winning three games in a row, Green looked at Park Chan Wook with concern rather than joy. His skills were clearly different from when he won five games in a row last time.

“Child, did you go home and practice Omok just to beat this old man?”

“That’s not it… You’re just playing really poorly today, Grandfather.”

Park Chan Wook chuckled at Green’s blunt words. Then he suddenly continued with a serious expression.

“Every newspaper article is saying that this Park Chan Wook leaked to the press that Sun Woo is Jin Young Cheol’s illegitimate child in order to kick Sun Woo out.”

“Yes. I saw those articles too.”

Green muttered with a disgruntled expression. Park Chan Wook narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Green keenly.

“And yet, child, are you not upset with me?”

Green suppressed her unease and asked what she was most curious about.

“Did you really do it, Grandfather?”

“…Yes, I did.”

Green was greatly disappointed by Park Chan Wook’s answer, though she had suspected it. Despite Park Chan Wook’s previous warning and all the media fuss, she had still hoped in a corner of her heart that he hadn’t done it.

Because up until now, Park Chan Wook had seemed to genuinely care for Sun Woo.

“Why, why did you do it?”

Green stumbled over her words in confusion. She felt she had to know the reason, for Sun Woo’s sake if nothing else.

But Park Chan Wook said something unexpected.

“Child, I quite like you.”

Green bristled for a moment.

‘He just admitted with his own mouth that he stabbed Sun Woo in the back, and now he suddenly says he likes me? Does he think I’ll be happy about that without any misgivings?’

As Green pouted her lips in displeasure, Park Chan Wook looked at her as if he found her amusing.

“When that rascal Sun Woo was holed up in Marseille for over a year without budging, I thought he didn’t want to live with you. So I tried not to get attached, but now I see he was working himself to death there because he wanted to live with you quickly.”

“…”

“Above all, my daughter In Young seems to quite like you.”

“Mother does?”

Though her anger hadn’t subsided, Green couldn’t help but respond. Honestly, she had never felt that In Young particularly liked her.

“That kid In Young has never been good at expressing her feelings since she was little. I only noticed now that I’m old.”

“Is… that so?”

“Smart kids are clumsy with expressing emotions. Low EQ, that’s their weakness. In Young’s IQ is 138.”

“Wow, really?”

“Of course. You think just anyone can be vice president of K1 Construction?”

Caught up in the joy of praising his child, Park Chan Wook boasted shamelessly in front of Green.

“Child, do you know Sun Woo is a Mensa member?”

“No way! Sun Woo is?”

“That’s how he became a department head! You think Sun Woo got that position for free?”

This time Green was genuinely surprised. To think Sun Woo was a member of Mensa, which only geniuses could join!

“When Sun Woo passed the Mensa test in 9th grade, I was so happy I threw a party. It was the first time I’d been that happy about my child since In Young got the top score on the Seoul National University entrance exam.”

The pride and satisfaction on Park Chan Wook’s face when talking about In Young and Sun Woo was sincere. That’s why Green was even more confused.

“If you dote on Sun Woo so much, Grandfather, why did you leak his private matters to the press?”

Strictly speaking, Park Chan Wook’s fondness for Green was also because she was Sun Woo’s wife. Why would someone like that expose Sun Woo to the world naked?

Park Chan Wook quietly lowered his gaze as he watched Green sink into confusion.

“Because I was upset!”

“What?”

For a moment, Green couldn’t hide her bewilderment. If he had grievances, shouldn’t he have resolved them through talking? How could someone who’s the CEO of a major corporation handle things in such a manner?

Yet Green was certain. Park Chan Wook didn’t do it to drive Sun Woo away.

“Tell Sun Woo. If he understands, he should act accordingly. If he doesn’t understand, he’ll have to live as a salaried worker for the rest of his life.”

Green just gaped, unable to comprehend Park Chan Wook’s increasingly incomprehensible words.

“Tell him I’ll kick him out right away if his performance drops!”

Seeing Park Chan Wook speak even more spitefully on purpose, Green had an inkling and carefully asked.

“By any chance, is there a young lady from a good family that you’ve chosen? Are you upset because Sun Woo said he won’t marry her?”

This was the scenario Green feared most. After all, in dramas, don’t wealthy families often arrange engagements for their grandchildren when they’re young?

“Nonsense! I wasn’t even satisfied with Jin, but I allowed it because In Young said she liked him. How could I interfere with Sun Woo’s marriage?”

Green was truly surprised many times today. Park In Young liked Jin Young Cheol?

According to Sun Woo, Park In Young and Jin Young Cheol had met through an arranged meeting. So she thought it was something like a political marriage. But to think Park In Young had liked Jin Young Cheol!

‘What on earth did Mother see in Father to fall for him?’

When her eyes met Park Chan Wook’s again, Green snapped back to reality from her strange curiosity.

The person who genuinely cared for and was proud of Sun Woo was Park Chan Wook, and the one who exposed Sun Woo’s private matters to the press because he was upset was also Park Chan Wook.

The gap between the two was so large that Green was confused about which was Park Chan Wook’s true self.

Then Park Chan Wook asked her with interest.

“What are you so curious about?”

“Grandfather, you love Sun Woo, don’t you?”

“What do you think?”

“You love him. Very much.”

He stared intently at Green in response to her confident answer.

“Then believe what you see. Don’t doubt it.”

“But I’m confused because of you, Grandfather, who’s making Sun Woo suffer.”

“Do you know the fastest way to learn swimming?”

“What?”

Green just blinked at Park Chan Wook’s sudden question. They were talking about Sun Woo, and now the topic suddenly jumped to swimming.

“First, you throw them into the water. When water enters their mouth and nose and they can’t breathe, they instinctively struggle to survive and learn to swim. You can’t learn anything by sitting at the water’s edge imagining what it’s like in the water for a hundred days. To swim, you have to get in the water.”

“Are you saying you deliberately exposed Sun Woo’s private matters to the press because you wanted him to learn something?”

“I was tired of watching him sit at the water’s edge imagining what it’s like for a hundred days.”

Though she still couldn’t fully understand what Park Chan Wook was saying, Green felt she knew a little. At least that Park Chan Wook definitely didn’t do such a thing out of hatred for Sun Woo.

As the wariness gradually disappeared from Green’s eyes looking at him, he handed her a small bag.

“You won at Omok today, so this is a gift for you, child.”

“Oh, it’s a pretty bag. Thank you.”

Seeing Green’s eyes widen in surprise at the unexpected gift, Park Chan Wook clicked his tongue as if looking at a naive child.

“Silly girl, you have to look inside. Don’t just be surprised by the wrapping.”

Goodness, how many people would think of a luxury bag as just wrapping?

From then on, Green’s fingertips began to tremble. If the “wrapping” was worth hundreds, how much could the contents be worth?

Inside the bag were a card key, a bankbook, and a business card.

“Studio Green?”

Green tilted her head at the words on the business card and looked at Park Chan Wook.

“I was wondering what to give you as a gift, so I prepared a studio. Oh Chang Rok, I heard he’s quite a famous photographer, do you know him?”

“Of course I do! I even attended a special lecture by photographer Oh Chang Rok.”

“That fellow said he’s moving his studio to Yangpyeong, so I acquired his studio in Cheongdam-dong. It has the basic equipment, and you should get new cameras that fit your hands.”

“Grandfather!”

Green stared blankly at Park Chan Wook, still unable to believe the fortune given to her.

She had already been feeling the urge to pick up a camera again, and now she had her own personal studio, which could be called every photographer’s dream!

“Deposit the rent to the account written there at the end of each month. I’ll give you three months’ grace, but after that, know that I’ll take back the shop if you’re even a day late.”

Watching Green stare at the business card in disbelief, Park Chan Wook spoke harshly on purpose while twitching the corners of his mouth.

Green was too overwhelmed to answer and just nodded her head vigorously.

*****

The car carrying Sun Woo and Green left the Pyeongchang-dong mansion, crossed the Han River, and was heading towards Cheongdam-dong.

“Sun Woo, I’m absolutely not rushing you, but could we go just a little faster?”

“We can’t. There’s a speed camera right after we cross the bridge.”

Seeing Green become dejected right away, Sun Woo ruffled her hair with his right hand.

“Are you that happy?”

“Yes, I’m so happy it doesn’t feel real. Do you think it will feel more real when we get there and see it?”

“They say construction isn’t finished yet, so we won’t be able to go inside even if we go now.”

“That’s okay. I just want to go and see the front of the building.”

Even though he spoke a bit teasingly, Green couldn’t hide her excitement.

When Sun Woo skillfully parked in the parking lot of the building at the address on the business card, Green jumped out of the car as if springing out.

The “Studio Green” gifted by Park Chan Wook was located on the second floor of a small 5-story building.

“Even small buildings in Cheongdam-dong must be really expensive, right? Grandfather is really something else, buying things like this without a second thought.”

At first, Green thought Park Chan Wook had only contracted the studio. But she was really surprised to learn that Park Chan Wook was the building owner.

Looking around, Sun Woo admired Park Chan Wook’s eye for property. It looked good for investment purposes too, being close to a subway station with a good commercial area nearby.

Sun Woo deliberately didn’t mention the building’s price, thinking Green would be too shocked if she knew such a small building cost over 20 billion won.