A walnut table with the marks of an old tree.

In the center, with Chairman Jang Ho Muk in the middle, Ki Hyeok and his wife sat on the right, while Ji Wan and Do Eum sat on the left.

The dinner was a proper Western course, starting with salad and ending with steak.

Unlike Ki Hyeok, who was busy taking care of not only Lady Jang’s steak but also Seo Hyeon’s beside her, Ji Wan was silently emptying only the plate in front of him.

The softly flowing music filled the silent table.

“Isn’t it time for the news? Turn off the music and put on the news.”

At Lady Jang’s words after swallowing her steak, the butler swiftly turned on the news in the living room.

Erasing the classical melody, the clear voice of the announcer filled the spacious room.

[Bando Construction’s CEO Seo Ji Wan has signed a business agreement with the small and medium-sized enterprise ‘O Young Display’ for the construction of next-generation smart homes.

Some view this agreement with another company, despite having ‘Smart touch’, the smart home platform of their subsidiary Bando Electronics, as evidence that their own system is not perfect, and there are also significant views that this might be the opening salvo in a power struggle between Electronics Executive Director Seo Ki Hyeok and Construction CEO Seo Ji Wan.]

Suddenly, a different atmosphere flowed.

It had not always been cordial, but now it was a powder keg atmosphere, as if even the thin ice that could have been stepped on before would now shatter completely.

[This move by Bando Construction’s CEO Seo, to provide more advanced smart home services by adding O Young Display’s home IOT technology to the home network platform planned for the Doan district, is expected to cause a sensation in the domestic construction industry, which has openly continued to use its subsidiary’s products.]

“It’s noisy, turn it off.”

At Chairman Jang’s words, whose mood had soured, the TV turned off and only a quiet stillness flowed.

“I said the construction that had been stagnant was raised as much as you, so it’s your share, CEO Seo. But where are you pointing your blade if not at your own flesh and blood?!”

Ki Hyeok’s angry eyebrows rose in tandem with Chairman Jang’s roar.

Ki Hyeok had believed that even if Ji Wan had openly said such things, he would naturally make an agreement with Bando Electronics.

The Doan district, with its considerable number of households and good response, would have been perfect for promoting ‘Smart touch’, Bando Electronics’ self-developed home platform.

To make a business agreement with a small and medium-sized enterprise without a word.

Ki Hyeok’s jaw clenched fiercely.

“O Young Display is the company that first established a smart home system in Korea, providing a near-perfect home service through decades of trial and error.”

As Ji Wan calmly replied while wiping his mouth with a napkin, Ki Hyeok retorted.

“Don’t you think that what took them decades, Bando Electronics finished in just 3 years? No, where is O Young Display even attached? How dare you bring a mom-and-pop store to Bando.”

As he put down his napkin, Ji Wan’s sharp eyes scanned Ki Hyeok.

“Kim Sang Jik, the manager who presented the initial draft of Smart touch. Wasn’t he headhunted from that mom-and-pop store? Bando Electronics spent millions to bring in someone who didn’t research and develop O Young Display’s system from the beginning, but only promoted an already completed system.”

At this clear sarcasm, Ki Hyeok’s eyebrows twitched fiercely.

Regardless, Ji Wan’s words continued.

“So, was the system that took 3 years with the information extracted at the cost of millions perfect? Orville in Gangnam, Hill River in Gangwon, Summer Resort in Yangyang. Are you going to say that when Bando Electronics’ Smart touch has been exploding with serious touch error complaints every year?”

Seo Hyeon’s hand, quietly holding a knife, trembled slightly.

“That’s why I repeatedly asked for a little more investment in electronic system facilities…”

“If more investment was made, would the system have been modified and a better quality screen developed? Since when has Bando Electronics trembled over a single won? Why beg for investment, I ask. It should be proven with reliable data and definitive experimental results!!”

With no trace of emotion in his expression or gestures, everyone’s gaze turned to Ji Wan.

Putting down his knife, Ji Wan uttered his final words.

“With the revised system, if you win in a fair bidding competition, we’ll reconsider for the next site.”

The handle of the knife was clearly in Ji Wan’s hand.

It was a warning that whatever it was, if it wasn’t fair and square, it would never be him, even if it killed him.

“If you want to put something in the building I built, bring the real thing, not a fake. That’s all.”

“Wh-what, you bastard!!”

Ki Hyeok, gripping his knife, shouted while trembling.

Clunk.

At the sound of Chairman Jang putting down his water glass, the surroundings were silent again.

“This is your only chance, CEO Seo.”

As always, Chairman Jang pretended to take a step back, but unchangingly took Ki Hyeok’s side.

“Whatever it is, isn’t Bando Electronics the head of Bando? I’m saying don’t look down on it. A household that the owner looks down on, outsiders won’t see differently. That’s something that can’t happen even if dirt enters my eyes.”

At Chairman Jang’s command, Ki Hyeok, who had leisurely leaned back in his chair, smiled comfortably.

It was as good as a definitive statement that Seo Ki Hyeok was the head of Bando.

“What would happen if a mere snake were to fidget in front of a dragon? It would be swallowed in one bite without a peep. Tsk tsk, such an inflexible character.”

Despite the dragon Chairman Jang spoke of being the Bando Electronics he had nurtured, not Ki Hyeok, Ki Hyeok’s expression was triumphant as if he were the dragon.

Just as Ji Wan was about to firmly close his mouth at the tsk directed at him, it happened.

“…Um, I don’t think it’s my place to interject, but.”

It was Do Eum, who had been quietly eating all along.

“A snake might be swallowed in one bite, but couldn’t it still irritate the dragon’s nerves?”

The woman, who had calmly wiped her mouth once with the napkin in front of her, continued without hesitation.

“It fidgets before its eyes, making the dragon wonder why it’s doing that, looking around, and in the fire it breathes out in irritation, it might put a great prey in its mouth. Who knows? It might even catch a beautiful cintamani.”

The gaze that had been glaring at Ji Wan turned to Do Eum, who was speaking cheerfully.

“Even if the snake is eaten, it’s not entirely a loss for the dragon. If the dragon is Bando, the snake’s provocation is certainly beneficial for Bando’s development. Please consider his intentions, Grandmother.”

It wasn’t a voice trembling with fear.

It probably wasn’t words spoken with any calculation either.

The woman who had been standing outside the conversation all along, observing like a bystander, not only directly refuted the old woman’s words clinging to the existing state of affairs, but also added a rebuke that even irritating opponents should be used as stepping stones for the company’s development, so no one opened their mouth.

Seo Hyeon, with a face turned pale white, only emptied her water glass, and Ki Hyeok raised his eyebrows and snorted.

With perfect timing, a kitchen maid brought out a dish on a silver tray.

“This is a dish prepared by the young mistress of Hwa-an-dong.”

Needless to say, everyone’s gaze turned to the plate.

Neither a stew nor a stir-fry, with anchovies sitting atop young zucchini in a bit of broth, visually it made one wonder what country’s cuisine this was.

It seemed to be the contents of the yellow wrapping cloth that Do Eum had been carrying so preciously all the way from Hwa-an-dong.

With the untimely appearance of anchovies on the table that had been a Western feast, an out-of-place aroma spread in an instant.

Seo Hyeon, who had been waiting for an opportunity to flatten Do Eum’s nose, grabbed her own nose and,

“What is this?”

she shot sharply.

Ki Hyeok also frowned, and Do Eum seemed to be embarrassed for a moment, but then.

“It’s called ‘young zucchini and anchovy jjigae’. It’s a dish that the elder I used to serve really enjoyed. The young zucchini growing in the garden was doing well, so I tried making it, thinking Grandmother might like it.”

It was one of the North Korean dishes particularly liked by the former elder who was a displaced person, hastily prepared based on Chairman Jang’s previous mention that her hometown was also in the North.

Thinking that it might be a story she didn’t want to reveal, not even written in Chairman Jang’s biography, Do Eum omitted saying it was Grandmother’s hometown food.

The old woman, who had only briefly scanned the plate in front of her, continued with her words.

“Your father is likely to go before me.”

It was about CEO Seo Myeong Han, who was recuperating in a place with a good view due to poor health, son to Lady Jang and father to the two men.

“Bando’s assets will go to whoever should take them, and whoever should leave will leave, but if they don’t come into the world in the first place, there’s nothing to take or leave. Even if it’s a father with nothing more to gain, take care of him. How hard is it to look in on him once or twice?”

“Yes.”

“I was planning to visit soon anyway.”

Ki Hyeok and Seo Hyeon answered in succession.

“That’s enough for today, you can all go now.”

Seemingly displeased with Ji Wan who remained silent to the end, Chairman Jang stood up.

She didn’t even glance at the plate of food prepared by that woman, as Do Eum bowed her head in respect.

*****

“To call that food, trying to win over an old person’s heart with such inadequate cooking. Just where is that woman from and what has she been doing?”

Ki Hyeok, who had gotten into the car, irritably loosened his tie knot.

It was certainly contemptible.

Not even using fancy, high-grade ingredients, but mere anchovies for Bando’s Chairman Jang.

What bothered Seo Hyeon was not that.

It was the calmness with which she showed not even a speck of disappointment, as if she had expected Chairman Jang’s behavior of not even glancing at the dish she had prepared with care, let alone any agitation.

Ah, that one is no ordinary person.

If I blink for a moment, I’m likely to be deceived right under my nose.

“There are those who stir men’s hearts with inadequate sympathy, let alone cooking.”

At Seo Hyeon’s seemingly mocking tone, Ki Hyeok’s head, which had been resting on the headrest, rose angrily.

“Stop beating around the bush and speak plainly, I’m already tired, don’t make me more on edge.”

“How unfortunate. Your condition is at its worst, so you won’t be able to go to Nonhyeon-dong today.”

Nonhyeon-dong.

It was the officetel he had given to Clara behind Seo Hyeon’s back.

What was the use of being careful and making a fuss about keeping it a secret?

Seo Hyeon’s unnecessarily competent secretary, Manager Shin, had uncovered his tracks without a single exception.

“It’s just a hobby. Think of it that way.”

To call having a woman outside of his wife a ‘hobby’.

Despite the absurd excuse, Seo Hyeon remained composed.

“Do you know why I turn a blind eye to your noble hobby?”

As if uninterested, Ki Hyeok took out his phone from inside his suit and turned it on.

“It’s obvious with people like you who fall in as if you’re going to die but soon get bored and drop out.”

Ding, ding.

As the power came on, unread messages and missed calls came in one after another.

“The Seo Ki Hyeok I know is not someone who holds onto things for long, no matter what he grasps. But he’s also not the type to easily discard things he’s lost interest in, so…”

The woman’s gaze slowly moved from the man looking at his phone to outside the car window.

“If someone doesn’t take care of it for him, he’ll just accumulate antiques he can’t process.”