Chapter 196 – Everything I Want to Do – Part 7

Chapter 196 – Everything I Want to Do – Part 7

Woojin smiled faintly, thinking of Lee Hyerim.

At this very moment, I am a very simple and straightforward person.

“I am someone who wants to marry CEO Lee Jeongcheol’s daughter, Lee Hyerim.”

CEO Lee Jeongcheol stared at Woojin.

That wasn’t the answer he was looking for, but he was quite surprised when he received a call from Seongju Engineer Ring.

He couldn’t count how many times he heard them say they suddenly wanted to work together and expressed their gratitude.

When he asked why they had changed their minds, he received a bewildering answer from them.

‘Didn’t you send someone, Director Shin Woojin?’

It was absurd.

He had thought it might be an unattainable desire and was gradually letting go of it, but this guy who wanted to marry his daughter had reached into the picture and pulled out the rice cake.

Lee Jeongcheol tapped the table with his finger.

He had seen the resume, but that was secondary.

The present is what matters.

Did Father approve of the marriage after seeing this side of him?

He didn’t distrust Father’s judgment, but he wanted to confirm, so he gave him a week.

It didn’t matter how he sweet-talked or manipulated things within that time.

Because a result had been created.

Tap. Tap.

Lee Jeongcheol’s finger, which had been tapping the table, stopped.

Then Woojin spoke.

“I’ll always keep plenty of rubber gloves stocked so Hyerim’s delicate hands don’t get wet often.”

Lee Jeongcheol, whose trademark was always a poker face, suddenly looked strange.

“What did you say?”

“Please allow it!”

“For household chores, you can just hire someone…”

Lee Jeongcheol trailed off.

He’d never said anything like this in his life, so why was he saying it now…?

He felt like he was being manipulated by this guy, and then Woojin spoke.

“Are you agreeing?”

As Lee Jeongcheol stared silently for a moment, Woojin immediately prostrated himself.

“Please allow it!”

Lee Jeongcheol still said nothing.

Despite having accomplished such great things, seeing him like this, he looked a bit naive.

“Get up.”

“Yes!”

Woojin sprang up and clasped his hands respectfully.

He was tall with a handsome, gentle-looking face.

He handled tasks quickly, as if proving his father’s judgment and verifying his own test.

But his true intentions were impossible to read.

He definitely seemed to like his daughter, but…

“Do you like alcohol?”

Woojin thought the moment had come.

“I can drink it.”

Lee Jeongcheol slowly nodded and began to write something in his notebook.

Then he tore it out and handed it to Woojin.

Woojin approached Lee Jeongcheol and cautiously asked,

“Are these the things I must abide by if I marry Hyerim?”

Lee Jeongcheol looked at him again as if he was seeing all sorts of strange people and said,

“Come here by 7. Alone.”

What was written on the paper was an address.

“Understood.”

“You can leave.”

“I’ll see you later.”

Woojin bowed to Lee Jeongcheol and then left the CEO’s Office.

Lee Jeongcheol looked at the door Woojin had exited through and muttered,

“He’s a pain in the neck.”

Referring to his own neck.

***

Lee Hyerim, sitting in the coffee shop, was leaning towards Woojin, who was sitting opposite her.

“What did he say? Huh? What did he say?”

Her expression showed she was dying of curiosity.

Woojin took a sip of his caramel macchiato and said with a serious expression.

There was foam on Woojin’s lips, and his serious face suited him strangely well.

Because it was so Woojin-like.

“I think I received the final mission.”

Lee Hyerim wiped the foam from Woojin’s lips with her thumb and opened her mouth.

“Mission? What mission? Is he asking you to solve another problem?”

Her clear brow furrowed slightly, as if she wasn’t pleased with Dad.

If the MCU being developed by Seongju Engineering were to be installed in Shinhwa Group’s cars, it could overturn the reputation of being second in exports, having fallen behind other companies, and create a new history.

But another mission?

Was their expectation of Woojin high?

Or were they continually putting him to the test?

Lee Hyerim didn’t like that.

“Should we just get rid of everything we have and just the two of us get married?”

Woojin smiled faintly and shook his head.

“You have to be blessed. I want you, Hyerim, to wear a beautiful dress and be congratulated by many people.”

She, who had been leaning against Woojin, leaned back in her chair.

And she smiled brightly.

“That’s why I can’t help but like you.”

Father wants to have a drink with me.

A drink?

Yeah. It feels like the final mission.

Hyerim gently closed her eyes.

I thought my Dad wouldn’t be like that.

I often heard that it’s a tradition among Fathers with daughters in the Republic of Korea to make their prospective sons-in-law drink endlessly when they bring them over.

Don’t worry too much. I’ll come back alive.

Lee Hyerim’s eyes widened as she pointed to herself with her finger.

And I’m not going?

No, he wants me to come alone.

She leaned back in her chair again with a thud.

What on earth does he want to say? Woojin, if Dad says anything strange…

Hyerim, it’s okay. I think it’s natural that he doesn’t want to marry off his precious daughter to just anyone.

Lee Hyerim could only look at Woojin in silence.

Whoever her boyfriend is, his heart is as beautiful as his face.

Woojin gently reached his hand across the table.

Lee Hyerim also reached out and took Woojin’s hand.

Woojin smiled slightly and said,

It’s warm.

***

Woojin, riding in a taxi, was looking out the window.

The weather forecast was wrong again today.

Because it was pouring rain.

Soon, Woojin arrived at his destination, got out of the car, and entered a place called [Eunhye Store].

It was a small meat restaurant with only three tables.

Welcome. It’s raining a lot, isn’t it?

He, who appeared to be in his 50s and part of the Candle group, greeted Woojin with a generous smile. It seemed like he operated the shop alone.

“Hello. One more person will be joining us. Can we order a little later?”

“Oh, of course. Please wait comfortably. Comfortably.”

Woojin, who had taken a seat, checked the time.

There were 10 minutes left until the appointment time.

Just then, the sliding door rattled open, and CEO Lee Jeongcheol entered.

“You’re here?”

As Woojin stood up, Lee Jeongcheol, who had been nodding, turned his head and looked towards the kitchen.

And he said,

“Brother, I’m here.”

The owner, who came out of the kitchen, smiled and said,

“I told you to stop coming now.”

“It’s my choice.”

The president shook his head and gestured towards the table.

“Sit down, today’s pork jowl is excellent.”

“And please give us a bottle of soju.”

Lee Jeongcheol immediately sat facing Woojin.

“Do you like meat?”

“I can’t get enough of it.”

Lee Jeongcheol chuckled, and the owner placed sliced carrots, cucumbers, and soju on the table and asked,

“Who is this?”

He was referring to Woojin.

“Don’t be surprised. This is the guy Hyerim wants to marry.”

The owner’s eyes widened quickly.

His name was Jo Woochan, Lee Hyerim’s mother’s older brother.

So, he was Lee Hyerim’s uncle.

Lee Jeongcheol often visited his wife’s brother, who had passed away like this.

Being here, it felt as if his wife was smiling and welcoming him, and he could faintly smell the scent of that day he wished to return to.

“Wow… you’re handsome! Have a drink from my glass!”

Jo Woochan, who had been scrutinizing Woojin for a moment, offered him a bottle of soju.

Woojin stood up and carefully offered him a glass.

“My name is Shin Woojin. Thank you.”

Woojin turned and quickly drank the alcohol.

In the meantime, his judgment was complete.

His reaction to him.

The owner of the store had eyes similar to Lee Hyerim’s.

If his eyes were like a cow’s, Lee Hyerim’s eyes were like a deer’s.

Bringing him here and observing his reactions, it was highly probable that they were related by blood.

“Give me a drink too.”

As Woojin poured him a drink, he immediately downed it.

“Oh, look at me. I’ll get the meat. Just wait a moment. Just a moment.”

Jo Woochan turned towards the kitchen.

He had almost cut off contact with his niece, Lee Hyerim, since she was young.

Because it was obvious that if he worked in a place like this and met and contacted his niece, the Shinhwa Group family would consider Hyerim an eyesore and mistreat her.

Jo Woochan wished for Lee Hyerim to be happy at Shinhwa Group rather than in this place that smelled of meat, believing that even rolling in a pile of dung, this life was better.

Lee Jeongcheol silently offered the bottle, and Woojin respectfully accepted the drink.

Lee Jeongcheol did not accept a drink from Woojin but filled his own glass as if pouring for himself.

And he silently gulped down the alcohol.

Woojin also drank to match Lee Jeongcheol’s pace.

Woojin knew well why he was being made to drink without proper snacks like this.

It was to find out his drinking habits and what kind of person he usually was.

As the alcohol gradually takes effect, and one gets even more intoxicated, reason becomes paralyzed, and instincts emerge.

In other words, the self that has been designed throughout one’s life is exposed in its rawest form.

Here, Woojin had something he was a little conflicted about.

The Unconscious, dormant in his body, can be controlled, but if he gets drunk and even more drunk, it might burst out.

If that happens, he won’t be the one getting drunk; these two people here might end up passed out.

The Unconscious would definitely do that.

It means he could make an opponent drunk enough to soil themselves with the Righteous Path.

Because that guy had a strong competitive spirit even in the smallest things.

But there was a Room technique that could instantly resolve these worries.

Thus, Woojin drank two bottles even before the meat Jo Woochan brought was cooked.

Jo Woochan, who was grilling the meat, cut the pork jowl into bite-sized pieces and placed them on Woojin’s plate.

“Try some.”

“Thank you.”

Woojin’s eyes widened slightly as he chewed the pork jowl.

Then he looked at Jo Woochan.

Jo Woochan grinned at Woojin’s surprised face.

“How is it? It tastes good, right?”

“It’s the kind of taste that makes me want to close up shop…”

“Huh?”

Jo Woochan blinked, wondering what Woojin meant, then burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha! Exactly! A precious guest has come, so we should close up shop!”

Jo Woochan really did turn off the sign light and hung a ‘Closed’ sign.

He quickly returned and refilled Woojin’s glass.

“You can really drink. Come on, let’s have another glass.”

Jo Woochan and Woojin’s glasses clinked, and Lee Jeongcheol just quietly watched Woojin.

He truly was a good drinker; he was almost done with the third bottle, but his eyes weren’t drooping, nor was his tongue twisted.

‘It’s the kind of taste that makes me want to close up shop…’

No, is he getting drunk, saying strange things? It seems like he’s doing it on purpose.

While Lee Jeongcheol was thinking that, Jo Woochan began to ask Woojin various questions.

He asked everything, like what his job was, what his family did, as if trying to figure out what kind of person Woojin was.

“Come on, let’s toast. Jeongcheol, you too, don’t just sit there like a statue, have a drink.”

“Yes.”

Their glasses clinked again.

Woojin didn’t hesitate this time either and downed the drink.

But.

Thud.

Woojin’s upper body fell onto the table as if crashing down.

A short moment of silence.

Among the two people whose eyes were wide open, Jo Woochan suddenly stood up.

“Are, are you okay?! Hey!”

Even when he tried to shake him and help him up, Woojin’s body was limp.

“Shin Woojin! Snap out of it!”

No matter how much he called and tried to wake him, Woojin’s eyes wouldn’t open.

Feeling that Woojin’s situation, having collapsed from a normal state, was unusual, Jo Woochan quickly moved to the counter to call emergency services, and Lee Jeongcheol carried Woojin on his back towards the entrance.

“My car will be faster.”

A driver was waiting.

Jo Woochan quickly opened the sliding door.

Seeing him carrying Woojin on his back, the driver got out of the car and quickly approached.

Lee Jeongcheol said.

“Ignore all traffic lights and go to the hospital. Quickly.”

“Yes.”

Suddenly.

“Dad!”

A familiar voice. Lee Jeongcheol’s head turned to the side.

His daughter, Lee Hyerim, was running towards him.

“W-Woojin!”

“How did you get here…?”

“What happened?! Woojin? Are you okay? Woojin?”

“H-Hyerim. Well, you see…”