Chapter 185 – Boom! 5

Chapter 185 – Boom! 5

At the words “Young Lady,” Lee Hyerim felt her face flush.

In the past, she would have laughed it off, but today he looked unusually different.

Woojin, standing and smiling, how should she describe him…

His shoulders seemed wider, and he looked incredibly reliable. It was as if he had appeared on horseback, reaching out his hand and pointing to a light over there.

Oh, right.

There was something she had to give Woojin.

She also wanted to help Woojin.

After much deliberation, thinking of Woojin who sometimes showed unexpected sides, she thought of something, and her hand moved towards her bag.

At that moment, Woojin said,

“We’ll be late. Let’s go.”

“Oh? Yes.”

Lee Hyerim stood up and murmured to herself.

Should I call it a gift? Today isn’t the only day.

The two got into the car, and Woojin took the steering wheel.

Lee Hyerim suddenly had a thought.

That nine out of ten times when she traveled with Woojin by car, Woojin was the one driving.

Her thoughts didn’t stop there, and past memories began to resurface.

When he removed a loose thread from her shoulder, when Woojin, who enjoyed food, would first serve her food on a plate, calling it a great restaurant.

When he waved goodbye with the sun behind him, it was so dazzling that she couldn’t see Woojin’s face clearly.

Now that she thought about it, the way he treated her had gradually changed.

“Woojin.”

Woojin replied, looking straight ahead.

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

A faint smile formed on Woojin’s lips, though he said nothing.

“I should be the one saying thank you more.”

“I to you…”

Woojin opened his mouth again, as if cutting her off.

“I’ve learned about many great restaurants, met many people, and visited places I hadn’t before. Hyerim, I’ve learned so much because of you.”

He was sincere.

He had seen and felt a lot because of her.

He felt the joy of giving to Han Bora.

Family was, needless to say, a given.

He still couldn’t stop his self-observation of the influence of neuroscience and hormones, but he also realized there was a stage beyond that self-observation.

It was the act of reacting fully to emotions.

Joy, pleasure, happiness, and so on…

Of course, anger was also included.

He intended to take appropriate action against those who deserved his anger.

He would catch bad guys as soon as he saw them.

Even if it’s not the police, it’s possible now.

Because the conditions have been met.

Woojin was trying to find normalcy amidst such relationships.

Lee Hyerim smiled awkwardly.

“What are you talking about? I’m the one who learned.”

So far, Woojin had shown through actions.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

When solving a problem, it was always action over words, as in ‘This is how it’s done.’

‘It will be like that.’

It really did turn out that way.

Lee Hyerim continued speaking.

“I’m the one who’s grateful.”

“Then let’s say we’re even.”

Lee Hyerim chuckled.

Even if other things gradually change, that kind of old-man-like way of speaking that occasionally comes out never changes.

However, it doesn’t match his face at all, making her let out a laugh.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

At that moment, Woojin, who was waiting for the light, looked at the car in front and said,

“What if I become a taxi driver?”

Lee Hyerim wasn’t surprised, as she had seen Woojin many times before, and slowly nodded her head like a person practicing asceticism.

It might have been something he truly wanted to do.

He really could do it.

However.

“Not now.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my Executive Assistant.”

“Oh, I got a job as an Executive Assistant starting today.”

Woojin, smiling slightly, turned his head to her.

“Are you feeling a bit more relaxed now, Young Lady?”

Lee Hyerim slightly lowered her head, covering her face with her hair.

He even helped her relax on the way to meet her Grandfather.

It felt like her stiff body had loosened up.

Lee Hyerim looked up again and smiled at Woojin.

“Well, well, our new Secretary even takes care of my feelings. I’ll have to give you a raise. How much do you want?”

“Instead of a raise, I’d appreciate it if you bought me something delicious once a week.”

“Deal.”

***

Lee Hyerim arrived at Chairman Lee’s Residence in Hannam-dong, opened the car door, and stepped out.

Woojin did not follow.

It was a gathering only for those with Shinhwa Group blood.

A storm of emotional turmoil would rage with various thoughts mixed in, but their outward appearances would be as calm as the eye of the storm.

“Our Young Lady, you can do it.”

Lee Hyerim waved at Woojin’s words.

“I’ll be back. Let’s go eat something delicious later.”

“Young Lady, how about Jjamppong? The sweet and sour pork there is beyond words.”

“Sounds great!”

Lee Hyerim, who was smiling, turned around.

With each step, the smile she had been wearing gradually faded, and she muttered to herself, as if repeating it inwardly.

She had tried to do something terrible to her Grandfather.

Her Grandfather knew about it.

And she was the one who told him.

Although it was Woojin’s plan, Lee Hyerim kept self-hypnotizing herself, just in case she made a mistake.

If I said something wrong, Woojin’s efforts would be in vain.

Then, it felt like she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

Soon, as she went inside, she saw her Uncle Lee Jeongho sitting in the Living Room.

He was running his hand through his hair with a stiff expression.

“I’m here.”

At her words, Lee Jeongho just turned his head and furrowed his brows.

“What brings you here?”

“Grandfather called for me.”

“Father did?”

“Yes.”

Lee Jeongho looked at Lee Hyerim with an uncomfortable expression. No, he didn’t care if he was embarrassed in front of his niece.

The problem was how Father would react.

As Lee Jeongho was thinking that again,

Lee Hyerim didn’t think of her Uncle as a person.

Lee Hyerim gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. But she didn’t show it.

Instead,

“Uncle. What’s wrong…?”

“Shut up and be quiet.”

Lee Hyerim’s gaze, looking at Lee Jeongho, lowered.

Because he truly no longer seemed like a person.

At that moment, Lee Jeongmi and Lee Jeonghye arrived.

They immediately went up to Chairman Lee’s Study, but they were blocked by the man guarding the door.

“He said he would be down soon, and that no one should enter.”

Lee Jeongcheol, who arrived with them, also sat on the sofa and asked his daughter, Lee Hyerim,

“Did Grandfather call for you?”

“Yes. I also came in a hurry… What’s going on?”

“I don’t know either.”

Lee Jeongcheol, who answered briefly, did not open his mouth again.

He was just more curious about his father’s well-being.

And also.

Lee Jeongcheol asked his older brother, Lee Jeongho.

“You don’t look so good.”

Lee Jeongho, who had his head slightly bowed, only lifted his eyes to look at Lee Jeongcheol.

Does he know what he did? Or is he completely unaware?

Chief Jo was also implicated in embezzlement and various other charges.

Given the situation, there’s a high probability that Father wants to quietly hush this matter up.

Lee Jeongho was soon able to conclude.

The guy looking at him with his usual dry eyes doesn’t know that fact.

Did they say no parent can win against their child?

Somehow, he had a feeling that Father might overlook this matter.

If he said it was something Chief Jo orchestrated alone….

Lee Jeongho once again recalled the video he secretly filmed of Father at the villa.

He clearly seemed to have symptoms of dementia.

But no matter how much he blackmailed the attending physician and tried to persuade them, the answer was always the same.

“He is healthy.”

What in the world… Suddenly, everyone’s gaze turned to the second floor.

It was because Chairman Lee was coming down.

His usual indifferent gaze, a face that showed no hint of what he was thinking.

The only difference was that he was holding a long switch in his right hand.

The daughters immediately stood up and approached Chairman Lee.

“Dad!”

“Where have you been, you’re only just coming now!”

Tears welled up in the eyes of the two people standing on either side, as if supporting Chairman Lee.

“Did you get hurt? Go sit down.”

“You have no idea how worried I was. You’re not sick, are you?”

“Dad, you look a bit thinner. Are you really okay? Huh?”

Chairman Lee let out a silent sigh through his nose.

These were the guys who had seen his video and thought up all sorts of schemes.

There was no one to blame.

He had sown the seeds himself, and he had to reap them.

As Chairman Lee sat down, Lee Jeongcheol spoke with a slightly worried voice.

“Father. I’ve been looking for you for a long time. Your body…”

“You incompetent fool.”

Lee Jeongcheol was puzzled that Father would suddenly say such a thing, but he didn’t speak.

Because he was always like that.

Lee Jeongcheol didn’t know it, but Chairman Lee was smiling faintly as he looked at him.

But no one noticed the smile, and it vanished in an instant.

Chairman Lee knew that his second son, Jeongcheol, was the most blunt but also the most affectionate.

He has desires, but his ambition is small.

When he had gone into seclusion, he should have taken some action, but he couldn’t.

He is not fit to take over Shinhwa Group.

However, he thought that Jeongcheol had a better knack for raising children than he did, having raised Hyerim well.

“Father…”

At Lee Jeongho’s cautious tone, Chairman Lee gestured towards the table.

And he picked up the switch he had been dangling.

“Go up.”

“Father…”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and go!”

As the eldest, Lee Jeongho felt his self-esteem and pride sink to the depths of the ocean.

At this age, in front of his younger siblings and his nephew.

He wished he could hide in a rat hole if there was one, but there was nothing he could do, and there was no room for escape.

Chairman Lee was deliberately inducing these thoughts in Lee Jeongho.

That Shinhwa Group could not be his.

Soon, as Lee Jeongho got onto the table, Chairman Lee spoke with his usual expression.

“Roll up your pants.”

Lee Jeongho pulled up his pant legs to his thighs.

Lee Jeongho’s calves, envied by people all over the world, were revealed.

Lee Jeongho closed his eyes in shame.

The wrinkles around his eyes grew like cobwebs.

Smack!

The switch struck his calf as if winding around it.

“How many times have I told you that you must always be able to see the big picture when it comes to work?”

Smack!

“When things didn’t go well, you should have layered escape routes.”

Smack!

“How carelessly you must have listened to your father’s words.”

Some understood Chairman Lee’s words at this moment, while others did not.

Smack!

Lee Jeongho’s calf burst open, and blood oozed out.

But Chairman Lee didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping.

Smack! Smack!

No one in the room could stop Chairman Lee.

The daughters gulped, and Lee Jeongcheol merely watched, as if trying to understand his father’s intentions.

Smack! Smack!

It was only after Lee Jeongho’s calves were all torn and bleeding profusely that Chairman Lee dropped the switch with a thud, as if throwing it away.

Chairman Lee’s gaze was fixed on Lee Jeongho’s calves.

The kind of person who should lead Shinhwa Group must, at times, be as cunning as a fox, and once they’ve bitten, they must never let go.

Even if there’s no opportunity, they must create one, and even if there’s no pretext, they must invent one to suppress their opponent.

And they must make it their own.

They had to be able to sway people’s hearts.

But now, there’s someone who has shown all of that with their bare hands.

Chairman Lee’s gaze turned to Lee Hyerim.