Chapter 18
"That's all. Whether he died early or left... it doesn't matter."
Hye-jeong wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled my face closer to hers. Her deep eyes shone only on me.
"What's important is that you, his only masterpiece, are by my side right now."
"Mother...."
"So, don't try to find out more about your father. Mom only needs you, Minho. And you... you only need Mom, right? Hmm?"
Her voice carried an undeniable pressure. It was an unspoken warning not to dig into the past any further, and an obsessive love demanding that I only look at her. But then, something strange crossed my mind.
"But I'm Kim Minho, so why is noona Shin Minseo?"
"Hoho~ Well, when a boy is born, he inherits his father's surname, and when a girl is born, she inherits her mother's surname, doesn't she?"
"Eh? What kind of..."
"That's how Mom's surname is maintained... You didn't even know that?"
At Mom's words, I made a face that said, 'Is that even possible?' But then I remembered that this world was different from the one I used to live in, and I thought, 'It could be possible.'
But what did my unknown father's surname matter? It was only natural that the mother who loved me and bestowed this immense wealth upon me, right before my eyes, was more important.
"I didn't know. Anyway, I understand, Mom..."
"Good boy, my son."
Hye-jeong kissed my lips deeply, as if satisfied. The wet sound of our tongues intertwining filled the living room. The topic of my father was thus washed away with Hye-jeong's saliva.
"Now, shall we get to the main point?"
Hye-jeong, who had finally opened her mouth after a long time, said with sparkling eyes.
"The main point?"
"Yes. You're all grown up now, so you should participate in family matters."
"Family matters? Me?"
How much could a mere 22-year-old kid know about business? However, Hye-jeong picked up a business card from the table and handed it to me.
[ Medium Co. / Executive Director Kim Minho ]
"Executive Director?"
"Yes. It's the corporation that manages our buildings. Professional managers handle all the practical work, so don't worry. You just...."
She tapped my chest and winked.
"Just go to the office sometimes, boost the staff's morale with your handsome face, and act as a Face Madam with Mom at parties and gatherings."
"A Face Madam, huh...."
"Yes... In this desolate world, do you know what great power it is to have a robust son by your side? Make Mom proud."
It wasn't bad. No, it was quite splendid. An Executive Director of a Chaebol Family who doesn't have to do hard work, just look good.
"Alright. That much is nothing."
I fidgeted with the business card Hye-jeong handed me, my hands trembling.
It was just a piece of paper, but the weight it conveyed to my fingertips was extraordinary. The gold-foil lettering embossed on the high-quality pearlescent paper shimmered under the living room lights.
Medium Co. Executive Director Kim Minho
"Wow...."
A gasp escaped me unconsciously. Just as this company belonged to my mother, my name written on this business card was practically her property.
But I didn't feel bad. Just a few days ago, I was delivering on a motorcycle, and now I wake up to find myself an 'Executive Director' of a Gangnam Building owner's corporation.
In a 1:10 world, this business card was clearly a more powerful free pass than any weapon.
"Thank you, Mom. I'll really... do well."
When I turned my head to look at her, Hye-jeong pecked my lips lightly, as if I were adorable.
"Yes. Not just with words... you have to do well with your body too, our Executive Director-nim."
She bit my earlobe playfully and smiled seductively.
Was it just my imagination that the words 'Executive Director' on the business card felt like an abbreviation for 'Always Ready for Pregnancy Squad'?
"But Mom, I have another question."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"If our family is this amazing... don't we have any relatives? Like an Auntie or an uncle...."
Usually, a Chaebol Family would have relatives intertwined. Moreover, it was strange that Mother managed all this wealth alone. At my question, Hye-jeong wore a peculiar smile.
"I was just about to talk about that."
She placed her hand on my thigh, drawing circles with her finger, and spoke softly.
"Actually, these buildings aren't just Mom's. The shares are split exactly 50/50."
"What? So there's a co-owner?"
"Yes. My younger sister... so she would be your Auntie."
"Auntie?"
"Yes. Her name is Shin Hye-seon. She's the co-owner who shares the buildings with me 50/50, and also the co-chairperson of the foundation."
An Auntie, huh. If she was Mom's younger sister, by the law of genetic preservation, she would surely be an incredible beauty. I asked, filled with both tension and anticipation.
"Then does Auntie visit often?"
"Not often... just sometimes? Actually, she doesn't really like coming here."
Hye-jeong fiddled with my tie, wearing a strangely smug expression. The smile that spread across her lips was as relaxed as a victor's.
"She has... quite an inferiority complex towards me."
"Inferiority complex? You said Auntie is also a building owner. She must have a lot of money, so why?"
At my question, Hye-jeong chuckled and lightly poked the bridge of my nose with her index finger.
"Minho, do you know what power is more precious than money in this world?"
"Hmm... surely not...."
"Yes. It's a son."
Hye-jeong put her arm around my shoulder, speaking as if she were showing off her most precious jewel.
"Your Auntie... unfortunately, she only has two daughters. Whether her husband's Seed was weak, or if there was a problem with her womb, I don't know... but she tried so hard to have a son and ultimately failed."
"Ah...."
I nodded. A world dominated by a 1:10 gender ratio. Women were common, and men were rare.
No matter how much money one had, failing to secure a male with the 'Seed' to continue the family line would have been a fatal weakness and a subject of ridicule in this world's high society.
On the other hand, Hye-jeong possessed me, a robust son, and a genetically perfect 'pure-blood' son at that. It was as if Mother had achieved an overwhelming victory in the invisible power struggle between sisters.
"So, when she sees you, her eyes will probably pop out. Because I, her older sister, have the 'son' she yearned for her entire life but could never have."
"Something more precious than money... a son, huh."
I chewed on Hye-jeong's words and swallowed dryly. The 1:10 gender imbalance. Even an Auntie with immense wealth had to feel inferior to Mom and bow her head, simply because she didn't have a 'son'.
(I'm really something, aren't I?)
I wasn't just a lucky survivor. I was a biological noble, inherently qualified to stand at the pinnacle of this immense wealth and power.
The pathetic inferiority complex I felt while riding a delivery motorcycle in my previous life was instantly replaced by a sense of superiority that enveloped my entire body.
Jiiing- Jiiing-.
Just then, Hye-jeong's smartphone, placed on the table, vibrated.
Hye-jeong's brow furrowed slightly as she checked the screen.
"Oh, it's Lawyer Kim. How tactless, ruining such a good mood..."
She squeezed my thigh tightly once, then released it, as if regretful.
"Minho, Mom needs to take this call. It's about an important contract."
"Yes, go ahead."
"Okay. Go rest in your room for a bit. I'll call you when Auntie arrives, so save your energy until then. Got it?"
Hye-jeong blew a sticky wink and disappeared into the master bedroom to answer the phone, leaving me alone in the living room, sinking deep into the sofa.
The soft touch of the high-end Italian leather sofa enveloped my back. As the tension eased, the fatigue from the intense Sexual Intercourse I'd had with Mother since morning, and with noona last night, washed over me all at once.
"Haa... this is good."
I closed my eyes and savored the scent of shampoo Hye-jeong had left behind, and the quietness of the house. This perfect world, perfect power.
It felt like floating on clouds. A languid drowsiness washed over me like a tide, and my consciousness slowly sank beneath the surface of sleep.
Cold raindrops struck my helmet shield. The metallic smell of asphalt, acrid exhaust fumes, and the heavy weight of the delivery box strapped to my back.
"Ah, fuck. They're gonna bitch about the late delivery."
It was a familiar scene. I was speeding down Gangnam-daero on my worn-out motorcycle.
(Hey! All the soup spilled! Where are your eyes?)
(If you don't study, you'll end up like that man?)
(I'm sorry. I'm sorry....)
Memories flashed by like a panorama... my wretched life, ignored by people, bowing my head to customers, risking my life on the road for just a few thousand won.
(No.... I don't want to go back!)
The me in the dream screamed. This was a nightmare. I was now the son of a building owner, an Executive Director, and that kind of gutter-like life was over!
That's when it happened.
Beyond the dense rain, someone trudged out of the darkness. He was soaked to the bone, glaring at me.
Pale skin, hollow eyes, and... a face identical to mine, not a single detail different.
[...Who are you?]
When I asked in a trembling voice, he twisted the corner of his mouth and smiled chillingly. It was like looking in a mirror, yet it was an alien terror, completely different.