Leave It to Taeseong

Bongshik and Dahun.

And after them, my third brother from the balls.

Lee Taeseong.

He was massive, and his face was cut mean enough that you could feel people peeling out of his way just walking down the street. Thanks to him, I coasted through my school years. Whenever somebody picked a fight, Taeseong stepped in first and handed down the punishment.

I still remember what he said back then.

That was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the man he used to be. Now he wasn't a cop at all. He was the head of a business.

The pitch was dressed up nicely enough, but the actual work was collecting money people were owed, or taking jobs from clients who smelled an affair and tailing the spouse in question. Client satisfaction must have been high. The requests kept coming, and he seemed to be making decent money off them.

Even so, wasn't it a hell of a gap from a man whose dream had been the police?

And I, with a friend like that on hand, had gotten my nose cut off in broad daylight—cheated on without so much as noticing. If I'd known it would turn out this way, I would have put a tail on her myself.

Taeseong had offered the service free, more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than once, to me and the rest of the guys. Every last one of us turned him down. How could you suspect the woman you meant to spend your life with? That thought had been nothing but my own rotten judgment.

I'd been kicking myself over it, and now, at last, the chance had arrived. I dialed Taeseong's office number.

I burst out laughing. Getting older hadn't made pranking a friend any less fun.

He said it like a joke, but more than a few people had tasted that fist and never quite come back to their senses. If the hidden-camera creep had been Lee Taeseong instead of Team Leader Park, I had a feeling even Punch King Rolf might have lost. I probably wouldn't have found the nerve to start in the first place. Looking at Taeseong's frame, five hundred kilos across the big three was the floor. Six hundred wasn't out of reach.

Which was exactly why I hadn't said it sooner.

As if he were getting even for the prank call, Taeseong seized the opening and roasted me. Hm. The next time an ability like Punch King Rolf came along, I swore I'd save it for Lee Taeseong.

Only after he'd laughed himself out did he pick the thread back up.

Me hitting someone was beside the point. If Taeseong hit him, I was genuinely worried it would turn into attempted murder. That was why I said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it.

Lee Somin and Team Leader Park's affair was in Taeseong's hands, so I could breathe. When it came to getting a job done, he was flawless. That was why the clients never stopped coming.

The next thing I had to worry about was the rebate. I had the suspicion. I didn't have the proof. I couldn't just come out and say Team Leader Park was taking a kickback from Changjo Construction in exchange for steering the vendor selection their way, and even if I did, nobody would believe me without evidence.

What was I supposed to do with this? I was turning it over when a voice cut in.

"Assistant Manager! Did you enjoy your lunch?"

Lee Jayeong had come up beside me.

Jayeong. The answer had been standing right in front of me. The youngest granddaughter of Jinseong Group—wasn't she in a position to make just about anything happen, no matter what I told her? Using her didn't sit right, but this wasn't the moment to fuss over every little scruple. If I missed this chance, I didn't think I'd ever catch Team Leader Park. Even if the affair got around, from his side of it he was already on his way out to the provinces. A rumor like that wouldn't leave a scratch.

"If you're finished eating, would you like to grab a coffee with me..."

"Let's get coffee. I'll buy."

Watching Ju Jinyeong shoot up from his seat and head for the door, Lee Jayeong thought, He's gotten bold all of a sudden. Well, of course. I've been coming on this strong—how could he not fall for me?

"I'm coming with you, Assistant Manager!"

Lost in the misunderstanding, she hurried after him.

Jayeong and I used what was left of the lunch hour to duck into a nearby café.

"What would you like?"

"Haa—Assistant Manager. I've had so much work today, I think my blood sugar's crashed."

She pressed at her temples like someone coming down with anemia. For a sugar crash, nothing beat a chocolate latte. So a chocolate latte it would be—

"A chocolate-cream Frappuccino, five pumps of hazelnut syrup, four pumps of mocha, espresso whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and whole java chips, please."

At that point, wasn't she just chanting a spell? We sat down with an iced Americano and the chocolate drink she'd received after reciting her incantation.

"By the way, what were you worrying so hard about back at the office?"

Jayeong spoke first. I hadn't expected her to take the bait on her own. I slipped back into acting mode.

"The thing is, actually... never mind."

"...?"

The simplest way to make someone itch is to start a sentence and stop. Curiosity only swells from there. Jayeong leaned in a little.

"Oh, come on! You can't just start talking and quit!"

"Even if you knew, it isn't something you could help with. I feel like I'd only be loading the burden onto you."

"What is it? Tell me. You never know. I might actually be able to help."

That was the answer I'd wanted. The bait was in the water. Time to talk. I relayed Team Leader Park's phone call exactly as I'd heard it, as if I'd stumbled onto it by chance. As she listened, Jayeong's brow drew in shade by shade.

"So you're saying our team leader is going to push Changjo Construction at tomorrow's presentation for the showroom contractor, and he took a rebate in return?"

I nodded.

"But all I've got is a hunch, no hard proof. It's driving me crazy."

I let out a heavy sigh. At this level, didn't I deserve an acting award?

"So that's why Team Leader Park started coming in today."

"If my guess is right. Anyway, Jayeong, let it go in one ear and out the other. Get tangled up in something like this and it could turn into a real headache."

"...Are you worrying about me right now?"

"If you can call it worry, then yes. Whistleblowing and all the rest—nothing good comes of standing out."

A faint smile touched the corner of her mouth.

"Thank you, Assistant Manager. For worrying."

"Don't mention it. We're about out of time. Shall we head back to the office?"

"Yes, but I've got a quick thing to handle, so you go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

"All right, then."

I turned back toward the company and left her behind. Why she'd sent me on ahead was as obvious as a fire. Just this once, I'll owe you. In return, I'll buy you a really good meal.

After sending Jinyeong off, Jayeong drew her brows together again.

They dared pull that kind of stunt in my company?

Unable to swallow the anger, she knocked back what was left of her drink in one go. Work had already left her head aching, and slamming something that cold made it throb. Even more annoying.

She opened her phone and called Manager Lee.

Jayeong hung up and thought it through. A group ranked fourth in the business world. To sit at that height in Korea meant that, when you needed it, you could borrow the power of the state for private use.

A rebate was unfair, of course, but from the group's perspective it wasn't a case large enough to actually call the authorities in. Even so, a few warnings to the company would be enough to scare them into confessing. That part was nothing.

And then she thought of Ju Jinyeong again.

He worried about me.

And he protected our company, didn't he?

No—our company is my company, so in the end, he protected me?

I knew it. He really is a prince on a white horse.

Lee Jayeong had the blinders of love strapped on good and tight.