CHAPTER 74

The fact that GK, which has long-established relationships with domestic media outlets, faced extensive media coverage without any prior notice, indicates that the situation had already been meticulously planned.

It was a kind of declaration of war, a meticulously planned offensive that even the friendly news outlets that typically tread carefully around GK couldn’t resist the temptation to cover.

Kyungrok absentmindedly tapped the desk with his fingertips and was unconsciously shaking his legs. Something was off. In times like these, Hwang Incheol, the executive who was usually the first to rush in and orchestrate a full-scale counterattack, had been unreachable for several hours, and there was no sign of him.

Although he was personally overseeing and organizing the situation, feedback from subordinates was excessively delayed. The feeling of being blocked by something indiscernible made Kyungrok uneasy and frustrated, as he couldn’t figure out the true nature of the obstacle.

An instinctive feeling of anxiety takes over. Anxiously gnawing at his lips, he heard the voice of Director Gong, who had just finished a call, approaching and saying, 

“Chairman, Kim Hyeong-il, the head of the legal team, will be here shortly. It’s taken longer than expected because he was denied an interview at the detention center, but he will brief you on the current situation and countermeasures.”

Kyungrok tried to control his growing impatience. He had to remain calm at times like these.

It would be a mistake to think that I, Kwon Kyoungrok, could be shaken by such a clumsy attack!

After enduring many crises over the years, overcoming them one by one, he managed to establish himself here. He clenched his jaw and, with a voice he barely managed to steady, asked, 

“What happened to the people we sent to handle the media situation?”

“We’ve been trying to contact them continuously, but the communication team hasn’t—”

Behind the increasingly frequent words of Director Gong, the voice of the TV announcer overlapped.

[In addition, there are controversies surrounding an extramarital affair involving Shin Joo-ah, the chairwoman of the GK Sponsorship Foundation, and the wife of Kwon Kyoungrok, the chairman of GK Group.]

A chill suddenly ran throughout the study. Chairman Kwon’s eyes widened and stared at the TV screen.

[The person implicated in the rumors is an executive at GK headquarters, known to be a long-time confidant of Chairman Kwon, who has been in charge of direct communication between the group head and the presidents of affiliated companies. This revelation is causing even more shock. In some circles of public opinion, a battle is unfolding over the authenticity of the news, questioning whether the press release was manipulated.]

A mosaic-covered photo appeared on the large TV screen hanging on the study wall. It showed a man and a woman sequentially getting into a black sedan with a dark parking lot as the background, captured at different times.

The following images displayed a photo with the driver’s seat and the passenger seat in a single frame. Though the picture quality was poor, likely taken from a distance with a telephoto lens, it was still clear enough to identify the subjects.

The moment when Joo-ah took off her sunglasses while sitting in the passenger seat was captured in the photo. While the man in the press release was mosaic-covered, anyone who knew him could easily guess the subject from his silhouette alone.

“What on earth is this…”

A voice, filled with intense anger, flowed through Kyungrok’s parted lips. Each word was punctuated with a strong sense of displeasure. He opened his eyes wide and glared sharply at Director Gong. The veins in his temple quickly turned reddish in an instant.

“That, seriously, is this for real?”

Kyungrok, muttering words hesitantly, his thin lips trembling, contorted his face and shook his head vigorously. Before questioning the authenticity of the news, there was something he needed to address.

“What on earth is this absurd situation where I’m hearing this nonsense blabbering on TV just now?”

“…I will check if there was a mistake in the information relayed from the control tower.”

“Now you want to check, just now?!”

The chairman, pouring out his rising anger, grabbed whatever was within reach and threw it roughly. The fountain pen that flew in a straight line hit Director Gong in the face and fell to the floor. Wincing, Jihoon brought his hand to his cheek, and when he lowered it, a long raw cut appeared on his cheek, oozing blood.

Even with such an incident, Kyungrok’s mood didn’t ease. The chairman’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Jihoon.

Even when hit by a flying pen, Jihoon remained too calm, as if he had expected it, and there was an air of urgency about him as if he was ready to withstand any anger.

The secretary, whom Kyungrok had previously considered reserved and competent, no longer appeared to be on his side. No, now, no one seemed trustworthy.

Kyungrok realized at that moment. That he was intentionally isolated.

A sinking feeling of dread washed over his consciousness. He could hear the crashing sound of his fame, reputation, and honor. A sinking feeling of dread washed over his consciousness. He could hear the crashing sound of his fame, reputation, and honor. It felt like all the art pieces displayed in the library, showcasing wealth and prestige, were melting away and covering him as if a suffocating illusion.

For twenty years, the faithful subordinate, who had been like a comforting blanket, like a close companion who would take care of everything, betrayed and deceived him. More unbearable than the dreadful betrayal itself was the fact that this absurd situation was publicly exhibited before the entire world, dealing a blow to his honor so severe that recovery seemed impossible.

He shook his head vigorously. It wasn’t over. He couldn’t just sit foolishly and take this.

“I need to go to the company, to the company, right now……!”

Chairman Kwon abruptly rose from his seat. No, he tried to get up, but before he could kick his legs off the floor and push himself to his feet, a pounding sensation in his heart took over his entire body.

His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat, as if he’d been attacked unexpectedly. The blood flow in his body stopped and his vision went black.

The chairman, with bloodshot eyes wide open, slammed his head onto the desk and collapsed.

* * *

Jinwoo flicked off the cigarette he had been smoking. The phone he had left in his pocket continued to vibrate persistently. When he casually took it out and checked the screen, he found a stack of text messages and emails that had accumulated in just a short time. The contacts bombarded him so intensely that the surface of the phone seemed to heat up as if it had caught fire.

Ignoring all sorts of messages and missed calls, he sent a brief message to his secretary. He wanted to fully savor this moment of stepping back from the whirlwind, knowing it wouldn’t come again. His secretary was smart and capable; she could handle and cover for him for at least an hour without any issues.

A lukewarm breeze grazed the tip of his nose. Since the tumultuous typhoon a few days ago, the weather has suddenly become cooler. Feeling the end of summer, Jinwoo opened the shop door and went inside.

“A cold noodle, please.”

Jinwoo said as he sat down at an empty table in the middle of the bustling store. Just as the employee who took his order was about to leave, another employee came by with a kettle of warm broth and side dishes and set them down on the table. Jinwoo hummed a low tune as he poured the meat broth into his cup.

The spacious hall was filled with customers. As a famous place known nationwide for its cold noodles, it was challenging to find an empty table even with the sudden cooler weather. The gazes of those eating cold noodles were uniformly directed toward the large TV hanging from the ceiling as if there were some particularly intriguing news.

‘Wow. Unbelievable. Crazy. I’m shocked. That’s total garbage.’ The sound of their voices rang out as they watched the news. Jinwoo opened his ears wide and gulped down the warm broth contentedly.

The people who weren’t watching the TV were clutching their cell phones in their hands, glancing back and forth between their cold noodle bowls and their phone screens. Even within their phones, pictures and videos not much different from the TV screen captivated their attention.

“Here are your cold noodles, please enjoy.”

The staff set the bowl of cold noodles down on the table. The cold noodles, which would probably be the last of the year, were topped with a boiled egg, cucumber garnish, and thinly sliced brisket. Jinwoo poured in a generous amount of mustard and vinegar and then stirred the contents with his chopsticks.

He lifted a mouthful of cold noodles with his chopsticks. Slurp. The harmonious blend of chewy noodles and the refreshing taste of the broth left Jinwoo astounded. Savoring the satisfying taste, he looked around while gulping down the cold noodles. Then, he leisurely observed the world he had turned upside down.

It felt utterly gratifying.

* * *

What day was today, again?

He blinked, looking at the dark ceiling. His head felt numb, as if time had been cut off. Rising slowly, Leeseo approached the window.

As she slowly raised the blinds that hung down to the window sill, a building on the opposite side of the narrow alley came into view. It was the first time she had looked out of this window since moving into this room.

She had been able to move in a few days early with the landlord’s permission because the one-room apartment she had contracted for, timed to coincide with the start of the semester, was vacant. Considering a single and one bag she carried when leaving the mansion, calling it moving was an exaggeration.

Just carrying the trunk from Seoul to Songdo, she collapsed on the bed as soon as she unpacked in the one-room apartment. Exhausted, she lay sprawled on top of the bed, covered only by a haphazardly thrown blanket since she hadn’t managed to bring a separate one.

After changing buses and trains, covered in dust, Leeseo hadn’t bothered to shower. Everything felt tiresome—washing, eating, even breathing. She just wanted to sleep without a single thought on her mind.

He drifted off to sleep like that and woke up around dawn feeling as if she had been pummeled with a club. When she opened his eyes, her body twitched as if she had been struck hard. She thought to herself that her heart must be in such pain to this extent, but upon closer inspection, she realized that she actually had a fever and was strangely shivering, with her arms and legs trembling.

Leeseo lay on the bed without a blanket, shoulders hunched, and chuckled. A cold summer, even when she didn’t even go out. The timing was quite incredible.