Chairman Song Myung-hwan observed Kwon Ki Joo with a generous smile, noting that he was always inscrutable but recently seemed even more enigmatic.
What had changed? His demeanor seemed the same, but there was an undeniable sense of edginess.
As Ki Joo closed the distance, slowing his approach, the chairman spoke up.
“So, had lunch?”
“Grabbed something quick.”
“One should eat well, even if it’s just a meal. We work to live, after all.”
“You only had champagne yourself, sir.”
Ki Joo, though blunt, wasn’t entirely devoid of tact. This eased the chairman’s mind a bit.
“Busy these days? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine.”
Ki Joo was always a man of few words. The chairman, however, felt a twinge of concern.
“There seems to be some issue with the security team.”
“Just teaching them some procedures.”
In male-dominated groups, especially in physical jobs like security, brawls were not uncommon.
Ki Joo’s reply about teaching them probably was true. Probing further might be overstepping his boundaries.
Song nodded to end the topic.
“How did you handle Eun Chae yesterday? She seemed okay today.”
“I took her to her room.”
“I see. But you were a bit excessive yesterday.”
The chairman, preoccupied with maintaining appearances, was displeased with Ki Joo’s intervention, bordering on interference.
Despite the clear criticism, Ki Joo was unfazed.
“I’ve mentioned it before. Miss Eun Chae is rebellious.”
He frowned wearily.
“Pushing her too hard is unpredictable.”
“Cracking down usually works.”
“Not with Miss Eun Chae, as far as I know.”
True enough. Eun Chae’s increasingly unstable mental state was evident, like when she ran away from her engagement.
The chairman’s expression darkened.
“Are you trying to create problems? We’re almost there.”
Ki Joo spoke with a placating tone, but irritation was evident. He was frustrated by the interference in his work.
The chairman felt overpowered.
“So you’re saying, don’t provoke her?”
“Yes. She’s like a ticking bomb.”
The chairman conceded, acknowledging Eun Chae’s defiant nature.
“You’re better at handling people than I am, then.”
Ki Joo didn’t offer false humility in response, just quietly looked on.
Breaking the silence, Ki Joo spoke again.
“I’ll take it you’re entrusting Miss Eun Chae’s matters to me.”
“Let it be so.”
“But there’s something else you need to focus on: Choi Ji Yap from Gukga Ilbo.”
Ki Joo placed a brief report, including CCTV screenshots, on the table.
“He attended today’s event and was looking through files about D1’s early incidents.”
Reading through the report, Chairman Song Myung-hwan chuckled at the section outlining recent activities of reporter Choi, who had been delving into incidents over a decade old and even conducting interviews.
“What a character,” he mused.
“We should maintain a friendly relationship for now but gradually set him up.”
“How?”
“Congressman Kim’s eldest son, about to get married, has been meddling with drugs. He’s also taken a fair share of bribes. I’ll exchange that information first.”
“And if it worsens?”
“Once we secure the original files, we’ll deal with it definitively.”
“Reliable as always. Who else can I trust if not you?”
Chairman Song playfully tapped Ki Joo’s shoulder, showing his confidence. Ki Joo bowed, his lips twisting slightly.
How can you cover the sky with the palm of your hand?
The alarm in the car went off loudly. Ki Joo, who had been napping, slowly opened his eyes. The setting sun bathed his face as he sat up, relieved he hadn’t overslept too much.
6:30 PM. An ambiguous time.
He stretched to the dashboard to turn off the phone alarm and sat up. He put his wristwatch back on and rubbed his face.
Sleeping for just a moment had eaten up an hour. Fortunately, he had set an alarm, which was a relief.
Exiting the driver’s seat, he took his coat from the back and walked towards the art hall. There, Eun Chae was coming down the stairs with a friend.
Their eyes met and Eun Chae shyly averted her gaze. Despite feeling groggy from the sleeping pills she had taken the day before, seeing him snapped her back to clarity.
“I’ll go ahead,” Mi Rae said, sensing the odd atmosphere. Eun Chae nodded and waved goodbye, then approached Ki Joo, who was standing still.
Wondering what to say, she saw Ki Joo turn and head towards his parked car.
Eun Chae reluctantly followed him.
The silence continued in the car. Ki Joo appeared unusually distracted, gripping the steering wheel, rubbing his temples, and narrowing his eyebrows.
Eun Chae felt a mix of awkwardness and irritation, watching his back.
She thought about her sudden change in behavior – going from uncommitted to proposing an escape plan of love. But the situation felt suffocating.
Reaching home, they maintained a proper distance. Then, Eun Chae turned to him.
“Do you want a cigarette?” she asked, feeling the triviality of her question.
Regretting her words but unable to take them back, Eun Chae bit her lip. As expected, Ki Joo looked at her as if questioning the relevance of her question.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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