Chapter 9 Part 1

The chairman’s office was spacious and tidy. While being guided to a leather sofa, Gihyun remained without even drinking the offered coffee. The chairman, sipping his tea, looked Gihyun over.

Gihyun had sworn he would never get involved with someone for the sake of his mother, but having discarded his stubborn pride, he thought that a battle of wills would be futile. Still, he did not act submissively.

Like he would with a business partner, Gihyun took out the materials he had brought. The chairman looked at him with curiosity.

“I have a business concept.”

The chairman flipped through the documents Gihyun handed over, a skeptical expression briefly crossing his face. Nevertheless, Gihyun calmly continued.

“I plan to create a patient-centered medical data platform to increase its value. I intend to set up a data exchange so people can easily access and utilize it.”

“What’s the reason for showing this to me?”

“I’m aiming for an ICO. I would like you to participate in the initial investment and be listed as a member of the advisory board.”

It was clear that Gihyun intended to use the chairman’s involvement to secure capital and enhance the company’s credibility. Gihyun added one more remark.

“You’re my only direct line to the chairman.”

“……”

“I’ll be able to provide for the ancestral rites.”

He added words he didn’t truly mean. Chairman Park began scrutinizing Gihyun again, this time with the eyes of a businessman.

“Is there value in investing in an intangible fantasy?”

“It will create a paradigm where the data subjects become the owners of their data. It aligns with future trends, and since no other companies have attempted it yet, entering now could lead to industry leadership and easier intervention in the distribution of data sales.”

“……”

“Even without your help, I am confident I will succeed on my own. I just want to succeed as soon as possible.”

“Why are you pressed for time?”

“…I have something to find.”

His sincerity slipped out.

“I’m not asking you to share or inherit the company. I’ll prove myself. Please consider helping me as finding a business partner.”

“And if I help?”

“Of course, you’ll receive a return on investment multiplied, and you’ll be able to dominate the market.”

The chairman leaned back in his chair. Soon, Gihyun heard him calling for the executive director. The first gamble had succeeded.

***

The investment solicitation based on the Seyoung Group was successful. Having secured hundreds of billions in investment funds, Gihyun rented an office and gathered a team. He worked and studied while sleeping only three to four hours a day. All he thought about was achieving success and making money.

One day, he thought that if he earned a lot of money and met various people, he might be able to forget Cha Minjoo. It was arrogance. Instead, Minjoo’s memory came to him every time he felt lonely. Minjoo’s warmth. The sound of Minjoo humming a song. He held onto those memories while working hard on his business.

The business became stable around the time he turned twenty-nine. Around that time, Gihyun called in a private investigator.

“I need to find someone.”

“Please, tell me. Is it related to business?”

“…It’s not related to the business, so I’d like you to contact me directly. I’d like you to find her as soon as possible.”

“We guarantee confidentiality. Once the contract is signed, we’ll find out everything: job, family situation, bank balance, who she lives with, her current personality, even the number of toothbrushes in her house.”

“I’ll pay the advance. Then I’ll consider the contract signed. Find a woman named Cha Minjoo. She is twenty-nine years old. She usually likes children and majored in early childhood education. She might still be working in that field. You may search all the early childhood facilities in the metropolitan area.”

“Do you need information about her relationships with men or anything like that?”

The investigator prodded insightfully. Gihyun unconsciously imagined Minjoo with another man. Something he had thought was his own. A feeling of coldness settled in his chest.

“…Yes. I need that.”

Gihyun, lost in sentiment, added,

“And also, Kang Yoonjung.”

“Cha Minjoo and Kang Yoonjung?”

“Also, Seo Changseok. Please find him too.”

He needed a target for his anger.

***

A month later, the investigation results came in. Sadly, only detailed information about Yoonjung was provided.

“Kang Yoonjung currently resides in Ichon-dong. She usually spends her time meeting acquaintances. Her husband is Son Ho-gwang, the CEO of ‘Standard Sync’.”

Gihyun received the report and checked the name of the company.

“If it’s ‘Standard Sync,’ I’ve heard it’s a company with a bad reputation. Dig deeper. I’ll add more to the request, so if there’s anything needed for the contract, send the documents.”

“What specifically are you referring to?”

“We need to expose corporate secrets. Find someone who could blow the whistle. It’s fine if they’re offered a share in my company or promised a position in Seyoung Group with support.”

After giving the instructions, Gihyun picked up the phone again. Before the signal rang a few times, the other party answered.

“Manager Lim, this is Park Gihyun.”

Formal greetings and small talk ensued. Gihyun got straight to the point.

“It’s a personal matter, but I need the legal team’s support from Seyoung. Yes, I’m planning to ruin a company, and I need to know if assets can be seized and if they can be sent to prison. If not, I’m thinking of forcing them to use loan sharks.”

Gihyun looked at the photo in the documents. The photo showed Yoonjung laughing with a friend.

“Make sure no money goes to her family.”

***

Gihyun had arranged everything and, after six months, was able to meet Yoonjung. When Yoonjung arrived at Gihyun’s office, she let out a sarcastic laugh as soon as she saw him.

“It was you.”

“…….”

“You really went all out to ruin my husband.”

The first greeting after several years was fierce. However, Gihyun remained calm and sat on the office sofa.

“You’re still so self-centered. Why do you think I did that?”

“Do you think I didn’t check?”

“Strictly speaking, it wasn’t me. If someone is honest from the beginning, they wouldn’t touch the clients’ money. Not with loans or drugs.”

“You crazy bastard, is that your excuse?”

“Is the asset seizure going well? I remember you used to complain about your house.”

Gihyun taunted her, and Yoonjung shook with anger, clenching her fists.

“Don’t be too upset. Seo Changseok also lost big while gambling. People who put others in danger should pay the price.”

“…you crazy bastard…”

“How does it feel to be a beggar after playing the role of a rich wife?”

With a bitter smile, Gihyun continued speaking, sitting with a slouch.

“Find another rich man. You’re good at that.”

Mockingly, Yoonjung approached and grabbed Gihyun by the collar. Gihyun casually removed her hand. With a look of disbelief, Yoonjung questioned him.

“Did you love me? Is that why you did this?”

Instead of answering, Gihyun pressed the button on the phone on his desk. He called the secretary and signaled for the secretary to see the guest out. He then gave his final farewell.

“Just a little venting over what I’ve lost.”

Seeing Yoonjung was the last thing he did.

***

After that, Gihyun still couldn’t easily find Minjoo. There were even jokes about whether she was just staying at home without engaging in social activities.

He had thought that if he had money, he could find her, but his anxiety grew. He even wondered if she might be dead. What would he do if the person who had been his reason and goal, Cha Minjoo, was now nowhere to be found? That was when he had to start taking sleeping pills. Without them, he couldn’t endure the occasional anxiety and sense of emptiness that came.

He hired a skilled private investigator three weeks after he started taking the sleeping pills. True to his expectations, the investigator made progress within ten days.

“I’ve come to confirm if the person you’re looking for is Cha Minjoo.”

The man handed over a photo. The woman, taken from a distance, was walking down the street. Her expression and shoulders showed signs of fatigue and exhaustion.

The face with remnants of baby fat. The smiling eyes that spoke of love for Gihyun were nowhere to be seen. Only a woman, heavily emaciated and struggling to manage her own body, remained. However, the facial features confirmed that she was Cha Minjoo.

“…That’s right.”

“I’ve also found her residence and the routes she usually takes.”

The investigator also mentioned Minjoo’s poor financial situation, but it didn’t register in Gihyun’s ears. He dismissed the man and stared endlessly at Minjoo’s photo. Then, putting on his outerwear, he stormed out and searched frantically through the places Minjoo frequented.

It was only when he reached a lunchbox shop that he saw a woman who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar. As soon as he spotted her from a distance, Gihyun took a deep breath.

Her face had become rough. Shadows had settled under her eyes. Minjoo’s eyes, which had once sparkled with hope for the future and affection for Gihyun, were now dry and melancholic. Her appearance, no longer endearing, instead unsettled Gihyun’s heart.

He recalled his mother, who had left him behind. The mother who had given only half-hearted affection that could never be fulfilled throughout her life.

The mother who, while looking sadly at the ground, was afraid that the window might fall one day. Her words had turned out to be true. The mother who remained a thorn in Gihyun’s heart.

Now, he would no longer resent or miss his mother. Instead, Cha Minjoo had taken her place.

“I wish I had found her sooner… Even now, though she’s by my side, I still miss her… it breaks my heart.”