To Grandmother's House

I had two items on today's schedule.

One was already finished. Now I was on the road to knock out the last.

The problem was that this last one was a full overnight affair—two days, one night.

"Is this the right area?"

"One moment."

I pulled out my phone and checked the address they'd sent.

"Yeah, I think this is it."

"Jiwoo, how do you not even know where your grandmother's house is?"

"It's been a really long time since I last came."

No matter how hard I dug through my memories, I couldn't place Grandmother's house. I'd never been there even once. Every time, Grandmother had come up from the countryside all the way to Seoul to see us herself.

"Still, looking at the address, it should be around here... Wait, Jiwoo, it isn't that place, is it?"

Hoyeon pointed at the two-story country house sitting right in front of us. Judging by the exterior alone, you'd never think it belonged in the countryside. A single, stately old mansion of considerable scale stood there, looking for all the world like it had been lifted out of another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠century.

"Uh... I'm not sure? Let me call real quick."

I dialed Mom at once.

The call cut off. If Mom was coming out to meet us, all we had to do was sit tight.

I told Hoyeon as much. She nodded, and we were just leaning back into the car seats when—

Knock knock.

Someone rapped on the window.

"Excuse me? Unauthorized vehicles aren't permitted past this point. Please reverse and leave."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A man who looked every inch a groundskeeper made the request with careful politeness. We were still trying to figure out what to do when—

"Jiwoo~!"

Far off, a figure waved and hurried toward us. Ji Hyuna.

"Hm? The groundskeeper? Jiwoo, did something happen?"

"Madam. I was just turning away an unregistered vehicle."

"Registered—ah, I forgot. Please add this car to the list. She'll be coming by more often from now on."

"Understood."

A few words from Mom and the groundskeeper nodded, jotted down the plate number and make in his notebook, and left. Only then did I let out a breath and climb out of the car.

"Mom."

"Jiwoo! It's been so long! My baby. Why have you gotten so skinny! Don't tell me... they're abusing you at the company?"

"For example?"

"Bullying, harassment. Or—someone isn't hitting you, are they? Let me see your body. Take your clothes off!"

We were standing in the middle of the road. How exactly was I supposed to strip?

"Ma'am. Nothing like that happens at the company. I watch over her myself, and the members get along extremely well."

Nice assist!

The moment Mom reached to hike up my clothes and check for bruises, Hoyeon stepped out of the car.

"So if you could trust us a little more and leave her in our ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠care, we'd be grateful."

"I'm sorry. It isn't that I doubt you. I just worry about Jiwoo."

"I understand that you worry. And... now that I've confirmed she's with her mother, I'll be heading back."

Hoyeon got back in the car and drove off just like that.

I'd already told her we'd return with the family tomorrow, so there was no reason for her to linger. Today's gathering was a family affair.

Still—she could have stayed a little longer. She'd already driven more than six hours today. The trip back would take another three or four. That was nearly ten hours behind the wheel in a single day.

I'd driven in my previous life. I knew. Driving looks like nothing until you're staring down the lunatics on the road, and then it takes more nerve than most people have.

"All right, Jiwoo. Let's go in. Your grandmother's waiting for you."

"For me? We've barely even met."

"I know. But she adores you. If you go in and give her a hug, she'll probably slip you a fat stack of allowance."

Would she, though?

The Grandmother I remembered—what little of her I remembered—had been strict, solemn, and deadly serious, all three at once.

Mom took my hand firmly and led me into the old-fashioned house that had no business sitting out here in the countryside.

"So this is Grandmother's house?"

"No, this is the villa she uses. You wouldn't know, but while your grandfather was alive he was quite the successful businessman. He passed, and your grandmother took over. The reason she called everyone today is probably..."

Mom didn't finish the sentence, but I knew what the rest of it meant. A family business, and a summons from the head of the household. Combine those two and you only got one answer.

Handing the seat down to an heir.

Honestly, we didn't need it. I hadn't taken a single lesson in successor management, and Mom and Dad already had careers—a prosecutor and a hospital professor. Nobody was hungry for the job. I was perfectly happy with mine, too.

It would work itself out somehow.

Those were the days, when I still thought that.

The moment we stepped inside, the air was thick with power plays and verbal sparring from every direction.

Ah... I shouldn't have come.

"Welcome."

The first person to greet us inside was a man who looked remarkably like Dad—only a little older, maybe.

"Ah, hello."

I bowed my head, just a touch on guard. He seemed to pick up on the fact that I had no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠idea who he was, because he introduced himself.

"I'm Lee Hyun-seok. Your eldest uncle."

"Ah... hello! Uncle!"

"It's been a long time. I last saw you when you were very small. Your third uncle and your grandmother are in the study, so go pay your respects."

"Yes."

Dad was the middle of three brothers. He'd always been good at school, but he'd never had much interest in the family business and had built himself up from nothing. That was why he wasn't on bad terms with the other two. They knew he wasn't the type to snatch what belonged to them. And so both brothers had always been kind to me, too. I'd heard they'd bought me plenty of toys when I was little. I didn't remember any of that, though.

After greeting my third uncle, I stopped in front of the study.

Knock knock.

A light rap, and from inside came a voice so lovely it could have gone straight into voice acting.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

I eased the door open and stepped through. Expensive books and furniture everywhere. And in the chair, watching me, a gray-haired old woman. I'd been told she was already past eighty, but a healthy vitality poured off her from head to toe.

I closed the door gently and bowed my head.

"Hello, Grandmother. I'm Lee Jiwoo."

"So you came, Jiwoo. You've had a long journey. Go out and rest. I'll call for you later."

Mom had said she'd be delighted if I just said hello. Instead, Grandmother dismissed me with a blunt wave of the hand. Standing there like a statue wasn't going to help.

"Yes. I'll come see you again later."

I left the study without a fuss.

"Haa."

The sigh slipped out the moment the door shut behind me. This was going to be hard. Mom had said one hug would melt her on the spot. Looking at Grandmother, though, she radiated an aura that made it impossible to just walk up to her. Even Go Eun-hye, my great senior, didn't put out an aura quite like that.

Hard to get close to her.

I let out another breath and started wandering the house they called Grandmother's villa. Sitting still wasn't going to accomplish anything. The three women they called daughters-in-law had already claimed the kitchen, and when I tried to slip in and help, Mom materialized behind me, seized me by the nape, and marched me out.

I'd only wanted a taste. Truly. Just once. A single bite. And they'd thrown me out over that. For a second I almost glared at her with genuine resentment.

"Jiwoo, you go sit over there and manage your schedule. You just came off work a little while ago."

At Mom's second eviction notice, I nodded. Not that I had anything left to manage. The only thing I'd handled today was a brief advertising meeting—and not as the actress Lee Jiwoo. As the virtual idol Kuro.

It was a mobile game ad. An idle RPG. I'd installed it from the address they'd sent ahead of time and given it a light spin. Their pitch was so clean you found yourself nodding along just listening to it.

Still, I've got to play it myself.

You can explain a game beautifully, but if it isn't fun, viewers just tilt their heads. I didn't want to advertise something boring to Kumongdan.

So I sat there and played a few rounds of the download—and found a handful of bugs. Serious ones. The kind that, if exploited, would render the entire ranking system worthless.

I'll keep this on ice for now and look at the other ad offers.

I'd been sitting in one spot playing the game for quite a while when—

"Jiwoo~"

Someone called my name. I looked toward the kitchen. Mom was waving me over.

What now? Hadn't she just kicked me out for stealing food? The only reason she'd be calling me back now was one thing.

Happy mealtime.

At the thought of food, my stomach started howling.

Grrrk.

I got up and headed for the kitchen. The instant I crossed the threshold, a riot of cooking smells hit my nose, and I couldn't help the way my mouth watered.

Gulp.

It smelled amazing.

A smile was already spreading across my face at the prospect of eating. Meanwhile, my eldest uncle's and third uncle's expressions only grew darker.

"Everyone sit."

At Grandmother's last command as she appeared, we all took our seats.

"Listen while we eat. I've decided it's time I handed my seat down to you."

Uh...?

If she was going to drop a topic that heavy, this was no longer happy mealtime.