Lights Don't Go Out in the Annex - Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9
“To know about that, you still have a long way to go. Anyway, the executive meeting will be over in about an hour. No need to feel burdened.”
In-cheol, with years of experience serving under the chairman, skillfully chatted with Tae-gyeom, turning his upper body sideways and walking not bothering to look ahead. His relaxed demeanor seemed deeply ingrained.
“Although your new assignment hasn’t been decided yet, regardless of the role you take on, it’s crucial to build good relationships with the executives since the whole company functions organically.”
Instead of responding to In-cheol’s words, Tae-gyeom let out a whistle. Wondering what was happening, he looked over and saw Shin Joo-ah and Mr. Gong standing side by side under the canopy in front of the mansion’s garage. Mr. Gong, aware of Tae-gyeom’s gaze, politely bowed his head.
“Madam Shin, even though it’s scorching hot, did you come out to see your son off on his first day at work?”
In-cheol courteously bowed to the young mistress of the mansion, who was at least ten years younger than him. Shin Joo-ah, who had replaced the original wife and entered the mansion, still had a youthful appearance that made it hard to guess her age even after twenty years.
Her lips slowly parted in a graceful smile, and her voice flowed out like the rolling of beads.
“Even if the UV rays are scary, it’s a historic day when my precious child starts his first day at the company. I have to see him off on his way.”
Poof. Tae-gyeom burst out laughing.
Shin Joo-ah turned her gaze towards Taegyeom, her expression unmoved. He chuckled and spoke.
“I find it amusing when you call me your kid. You could barely blow your nose on your own when I was born. Have you forgotten that we’re only ten years apart?”
“…….”
A moment of awkward silence filled the garage. A faint blush appeared Shin Joo-ah’s stiff cheeks. Trying to lift the mood, she turned to In-cheol and asked.
“It seems like Tae-gyeom was offended by my words. Mr. Hwang, did I say something inappropriate?”
“No, not at all. It was amusing. You came out to see him off with a warm heart. It seems our young master woke up earlier than usual today, and he doesn’t seem to be in his best condition yet. Haha.”
“Mr. Hwang, you seem to handle social situations well.”
Tae-gyeom twisted his lips sarcastically. The atmosphere cooled down rapidly. In-cheol cleared his throat and made a dry cough.
“Let’s go, you said we’re running late.”
Tae-gyeom gestured to In-cheol, pulling out the tie he had stuffed into his pocket. After bowing deeply to Shin Joo-ah, In-cheol ushered Tae-gyeom to the waiting sedan.
The driver, who was already there, opened the back door wide. As Tae-gyeom was about to get in the car, Shin Joo-ah’s voice cut in sharply through the air.
“Didn’t we promise to get along well on your first day back here? Remember what the Chairman said?”
Tae-gyeom stopped dead in his tracks, his face turned around, expression frighteningly stoic. The relaxed and nonchalant demeanor had vanished like melting snow, replaced by sharp and keen eyes that stared directly at Joo-ah.
“We live in the same place, yet we can’t even see each other’s faces, which is frustrating. I thought we could have a meal together as a family and have a chat, but you chose to go out instead.”
“….”
“Didn’t you receive my message? I had someone deliver it to the annex the other day, along with some snacks. But there was no mention of your response. It’s frustrating, really.”
“Ah, the sandwich.”
With his straight and long index finger, Tae-gyeom tapped his forehead and smirked. It was a face that seemed to have finally remembered something.
Joo-ah approached him closely and snatched the tie from his hand. She then spoke with an elegant tone, offering advice.
“When you receive food from an adult, it’s proper to acknowledge it with a thank you. If we had grown up together, I would have taught you such manners thoroughly.”
Joo-ah’s eyebrows slightly raised in disappointment. Tae-gyeom’s long gaze froze for a moment, but it soon softened again.
“As you all know, I’ve become a terrible person because I don’t have an adult around to teach me manners.”
Tae-gyeom shrugged nonchalantly, his tone light. It was an open secret that his mother and Chairman Kwon’s first wife, Go Yeon-hee, had passed away with an illness less than a year after leaving for the United States.
“Just learn from now on.”
Joo-ah flashed a wide smile, her expression as forgiving as if dealing with a child’s tantrum.
“Tae-gyeom, now that you’re finally living in Korea with your parents, I want you to settle in quickly. Help your father with the business, learn the company’s work, marry a girl from a good family who can help the business, and have a successor as soon as possible. There’s nothing more important than that.”
Tae-gyeom made a bored expression, rubbing the bridge of his nose, wondering why he had to listen to this.
“After your Father fell ill, I realized I shouldn’t just focus on Jin-gyeom’s growth for my own ambitions. Your father is already in his late sixties, it’s about time he had a grandson.”
With a hand covering her mouth, Joo-ah chuckled softly. Impressed by the young lady’s noble demeanor of embracing even the children of the first wife to fulfill the family’s grand ideals, In-cheol vigorously nodded in agreement.
“Oh, speaking of which. Do you remember the girl I sent on errands to the annex? Don’t you recall seeing her when you were younger? I heard she’s been living in this house even before you went abroad for your studies.”
“Who?”
Joo-ah lifted her heel and hung the tie around Tae-gyeom’s neck. Taegyeom watched her hands carefully tying the knot and gazed at her calm and serene face, his eyes quiet and contemplative.
“Why, you look so pretty with those wickedly upturned eyes.”
In no time, the hostess’ hands, which had assisted Chairman Kwon’s morning routine for the past twenty years without missing a single day, neatly tied the tie. Afterward, she patted Tae-gyeom’s broad shoulders and gently smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes.
Tae-gyeom, who was willing to let Lady Shin do whatever she wanted, replied grimly.
“Well, as you know, there are plenty of pretty girls who come and go from the annex.”
At his words, Joo-ah covered her mouth again chuckled softly.
“Ah yes, I see. You’re quite something. You used to say you couldn’t steal a glance, but now you can’t help yourself from looking at pretty girls, huh?”
“Hmm, you must be referring to the young lady who was cleaning the annex earlier.”
As In-cheol interjected, Tae-gyeom’s indifferent gaze suddenly shot towards him like an arrow. Although his gaze was calm and composed, oddly, it sent a chill down In-cheol’s spine.
Sensing the cold reprimand in Tae-gyeom’s eyes, as if telling him not to interfere, In-cheol quietly closed his mouth.
“Isn’t it amusing that the driver’s daughter has lived here longer than I have?”
Mr. Gong carefully observed Tae-gyeom’s mood, swallowing a dry gulp. His deeply sunken, unwavering eyes boring into his stepmother. It was obvious that he found nothing amusing about the situation.
“Well, you know, Chairman’s compassion is so great that he can’t just overlook employees in difficult situations. That girl was running around in a school uniform not long ago, but she got into a good university, which makes her parents so proud.”
She swept her eyes over Tae-gyeom’s well-groomed attire with pride, as if she were really his mother sending her son off to his first day of work.
Meanwhile, Tae-gyeom’s brow furrowed deeper in displeasure, and his patience was wearing thin.
“But her mom died and her dad had a big accident not too long ago, leaving the child all alone and wandering, so we decided to let her stay in the mansion.”
“So, what’s your point in telling me all this nonsense?”
“Just. Not for any particular reason, but since you’re around the same age and perhaps you knew each other from when you lived here before, it might help you adjust to living in Korea if you interacted with her.”
Tae-gyeom let out a short, empty laugh. The corners of his smooth mouth twitched upward in disbelief.
“Mother.”
His voice was low and deep. Revealing no irritation, no displeasure, or other emotion for that matter.
At his call, a strange delight appeared on Shin Joo-ah’s face. The term ‘mother,’ which came out of Tae-gyeom’s mouth for the first time, seemed to be interpreted by her as a sort of surrender.
Tae-gyeom responded coldly.
“Don’t be coy.”
The cool warning settled heavily in the air.
“……What? What did you say?”
Shin Joo-ah, doubting her own ears, stammered with a bewildered expression. She was in disbelief that Tae-gyeom called her coy.
It was a bitterly hostile and vulgar expression that she hadn’t heard from anyone else, in at least, the last twenty years, while guarding her position as the mistress of the GK Group.
Lady Shin, who had lived an elegant life, was visibly shocked by the rawness of Tae-gyeom’s words and trailed off with a contemplative look on her face.
“How could you say such a thing…….”
“If you have a bad head, don’t use it, and don’t try to play tricks on me.”
Joo-ah’s lips trembled uncontrollably, showing signs of uneasiness. Her face turned pale and flushed with embarrassment. The elegant smile that had gracefully adorned her lips vanished, replaced by a sudden fierceness in her expression.
Tae-gyeom watched with satisfaction as Lady Shin’s expression changed, then climbed into the back seat of the sedan without hesitation.
“What do you mean? Who do you think has a bad head? Ha! I can’t believe what I’m hearing!”
Joo-ah belatedly recovered from the shock and yelled back.
“You, of all people, have the bad head when you don’t even have any common sense to read the situation. Do you even know why the Chairman called you?”