Only Bad for Me (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 2

New York to Incheon, UAIRLINE Flight 723e.

Seven hours flown, roughly eight more to go.

Somewhere midway between New York and Seoul.

The first-class cabin—where crew outnumbered passengers—slept under dim lighting.

Kwon Jae Ha’s gaze, drifting between an open laptop and scattered documents, suddenly landed on a cooling coffee cup. His eyes showed neither fatigue nor distraction.

[Kyle? Are you listening? Why Seoul all of a sudden? Is something wrong?]

Something wrong.

Recalling Pierre’s voice, Jae Ha let out a faint, bitter smile.

If there really had to be a problem—it was perhaps that not a single person dared to utter even a word.

At Blackstone Partners, America’s largest private equity firm, Kyle J. Alexis—otherwise known as Kwon Jae Ha—already held an unshakable position.

At age ten, holding stepfather Shawn Alexis’s hand, he’d entered that penthouse. Waiting for him there was Janice Alexis.

Mentor and parent. Superior and business partner. And, in the end, a grandmother like a dear friend.

Jae Ha gently pulled his lips away from the cup, offering a faint smile before shaking his head.

[Kyle, you’re not seriously thinking of staying single like Shawn, are you? You need a wife and children!] [You just want a great-grandchild, don’t you, Grandma?] [What’s the difference? It’s always been about what’s best for both of us! Oh, and by ‘child,’ I mean ‘children.’]

What exactly did she expect him to do? Ever since he’d mentioned his trip to Seoul, she’d repeated the same thing again and again.

The stern mentor he’d once known had completely vanished.

Truth be told, Janice’s initial rigid demeanor hadn’t lasted long—because the ten-year-old boy had been far too hard on himself.

Once, right after finishing his French and Chinese lessons, as he was preparing for piano practice, she’d even asked him:

[Kyle, I fully know how brilliant you are. But I simply can’t understand why you keep racing like a racehorse. Do you even know your own reason?]

Jae Ha rubbed the corner of his eye with a long finger and gave a grim smile.

Who had taught him purpose and reason in the first place? Had that ever changed? Not really—and there’d been no need for it to.

To swiftly and accurately gather and analyze information, then plan and execute efficient investments. To feel exhilaration plunging daggers into rivals’ backs. A life chasing maximum profit.

In short, he’d lived like a hunting dog—sniffing out money day and night, darting through swamps.

Ah, of course—a well-fed hunting dog, sitting comfortably atop wealth and fame.

Naturally, sycophants eager to snatch even crumbs from his table swarmed around him.

Pushing the empty cup to the edge of the table, Jae Ha let out a quiet scoff.

When he was fifteen, Janice had given him $100,000 to “play with.” He’d started buying and reselling internet domains—and tripled it within a year.

In truth, since then, Kwon Jae Ha had grown up entirely free from interference.

Thus, he’d become a full-fledged “Alexis”—and Korea had drifted further and further away.

“Shall I take your empty cup?”

Kwon Jae Ha gave a slight nod. To the attendant’s gentle follow-up—“Is there anything else you need?”—he simply replied, “No.”

.

.

Back in the galley, a flight attendant asked a colleague:

“Which one’s yours, senior? 6A or 6D?”

“I’ve got D. Looks-wise, A’s obviously the one—but somehow, just being near him gives me chills.”

“Right? He’s way too cold. I’ve never once seen him smile. Would it kill him to smile a little with that face? Ugh.”

“Maybe he doesn’t smile because he’s already swimming in money?”

The attendant’s eyes narrowed further, completely fixated on passenger 6A.

“Ugh, look at that tight shirt. Is he about to go swimming or what?”

“Seriously. Looks lean but actually pretty toned. Oops—D’s calling.”

“Huh?”

Spotting the blinking call button at her senior’s nod, the attendant gave an awkward smile and hurried off.

6D: Choi Sun Woo.

A board-certified surgeon at New York’s St. Rosevelt Hospital. Having just completed his residency, he’d recently secured a long vacation.

“Can I help you?”

“Yes, I thought I’d worn something comfortable, but apparently not. Could I get a pair of slippers? I can’t find mine.”

“Ah, here—they were tucked underneath!”

The attendant pulled out the hidden slippers from under the seat and beamed brightly.

Up close, he was clearly a gentle-faced, handsome man—rivaling even 6A in looks.

“Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Oh—can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“It’s just… I’m meeting a woman for the first time in three years. What kind of gift would be good? Do you happen to know what Korean women especially like these days?”

“Without knowing your relationship, flowers are always a safe choice for a woman, right?”

“Safe? As in… playing it safe?”

“Yes, safe. Is that a problem?”

Their voices lowered as they exchanged a few light chuckles.

Choi Sun Woo’s eyes naturally drifted toward 6A—the man he’d briefly nodded to upon boarding was still absorbed in work.

Flowers… quite romantic. Kwon Jae Ha’s gaze remained fixed on the graph filling his laptop screen.

Red and blue lines tangled sharply, rising and falling.

He retraced his reason for heading to Seoul.

The official pretext: restoring his company’s tarnished reputation. The true objective: building a Korea-based investment team capable of consistently delivering solid, long-term results.

But—

what stirred his heart now was something else entirely.

Obsessive fixation. Petty revenge.

Unbearable desire.

Call it whatever you like.

Whether he devoured or destroyed them—

whatever it was, it would undoubtedly be a cruel gift for the recipient.

The plane glided through the black sky at roughly 40,000 feet. Jae Ha stared at his own reflection in the dark window and tugged at his perfectly knotted tie.

Where the graph had been, a face now appeared—smiling brightly at someone.

Jae Ha’s fingertips touched that neatly folded corner of the eye.

JS PHARM, a pharmaceutical company.

Lunchtime in the company lobby café. Employees gathered in small groups around round tables, enjoying their drinks.

Eun Jo, hands wrapped around a hot mug, gazed blankly at her junior’s coffee—topped generously with whipped cream.

“It’s gotten pretty warm these past few days! For coffee, it’s gotta be iced caramel macchiato!”

At junior designer Choi Jang Mi’s spirited declaration, Eun Jo’s eyes curved prettily.

“I guess so.”

“Senior, you’re not thinking I’ll gain weight, are you?”

Eun Jo waved her hands dismissively.

“No way! I love whipped cream too. It’s sweet… and delicious.”

“Really? I’ve never seen you eat any.”

Watching her junior grin and take a long sip, Eun Jo lightly shook her head.

Just then, a fleeting image flashed through her mind—someone offering her something similar. Why now…? He hadn’t even appeared in her dreams lately.

“Ah, so refreshing. By the way, how’s our little cutie? Show me some recent photos!”

“Da On? These days, they’re busier than me—they’ve got a girlfriend.”

Jang Mi burst into laughter as she took another sip.

“Haha, even kids are diving into romance while I’m just… worried again about my upcoming summer vacation!”

“With all those weekends before summer break, that’s what you’re worried about?”

At Eun Jo’s playful scolding, Choi Jang Mi mockingly made a sad face—then her phone vibrated on the table.

“Excuse me for a sec, Senior.”

Nodding slowly to give her space, Eun Jo scrolled through photos saved on her phone.

What could she show? As she tapped through the screen, a bright, high-pitched laugh rang out.

Men in suits—the company CEO and his entourage.

The source of the laughter was a young woman dressed brilliantly like a tropical flower amid the drab suits.

That face…!

Startled, Eun Jo ducked her head and quickly turned her shoulder away.

Her face involuntarily scrunched up as if she’d seen a terrifying bug, and her heart began pounding.

“What’s wrong, Senior? Not feeling well?”

“Oh—no, I’m fine.”

“Oh! The elders must be heading out for a late lunch. Wow, that woman’s outfit! That’s the new Rene Rolinda FW collection!”

“Is it…? You know I don’t care about clothes.”

Eun Jo buried her nose in her mug. Did she recognize me? It is a bit far…

Wang Na Na—someone who should’ve been in the U.S.—why was she here?

The symbol of misfortune she hadn’t seen in six years. Eun Jo lightly thumped her chest, trying to ease the sudden tightness.

After work, Eun Jo stepped through the front door and immediately called out for her child.

“Da On! Yoon Da On!”

The child burst out of their room, running over with delight.

“Mom!”

“Alone? Where’s your aunt?”

“Auntie went out to work for Grandma! I was fine by myself—I finished a puzzle!”

“Auntie went to work for Grandma?”

“Grandma came by earlier too. It’s okay, Mom.”

“…I see.”

She meant the neighbor grandmother. Instantly catching Eun Jo’s worry, the child gave her a reassuring look.

…Calling her “Auntie Mom”? Little rascal. She’d definitely been filling the kid’s head with nonsense again.

Eun Jo pulled out her phone, frustration and anxiety boiling over.

Stubborn as ever—Min Ah wasn’t answering. Calming herself down with effort, Eun Jo knelt to meet the child’s eye level.

“Da On, who am I?”

“You’re my mom—who else?”

“Right? I’m Da On’s mom. There’s only one mom in the world. Isn’t that true?”

“But why not two? You’re my mom, and Auntie’s my mom too. Two is better than one—especially since we don’t have a dad.”

That round, adorable face, those clear eyes seeking agreement—utterly endearing.

“…”

“Mom…?”

Eun Jo pulled the child tightly into her arms.

Min Ah had recently passed the grade-8 nursing civil service exam and was awaiting assignment—but whenever she had free time, she’d gone out driving for a rideshare service.

Lee Min Ah—the younger sister Eun Jo had miraculously found during a winter when she’d lost everything and nearly let go of herself.

That’s why she’d lived.

Because she wasn’t alone anymore. That’s why Yoon Eun Jo had survived.

Vrrrrr…

Lost briefly in thought, Eun Jo snapped back at the vibration of her phone.

“Lee Min Ah! Where are you? Get home right now!”

[…Unnie.]

“Why does your voice sound like that? What happened?”

[Hic… Unnie, I’m… at the police station.] […]

Swallowing her shock, Eun Jo gently stroked the child’s head as if nothing were wrong.

“…It’s okay. I’ll be right there.”