Chapter 265: Woo-jin Fengxian
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 265: Woo-jin Fengxian
The headache that jolted me awake was frequent enough to be called familiar by now.
That didn't mean it didn't hurt, though.
"Ugh, my head."
I’d been drinking at the reunion yesterday, and then I’d had more to drink after getting off the ferry.
I had no idea how much I’d actually downed; my memory had cut out at some point. However, looking at my clothes, everything seemed to be in order. There were no signs that I’d stripped off anything.
Phew, thank god.
Since I had a tendency to cause trouble whenever I drank, I’d been momentarily terrified, but it seemed I’d dodged a bullet this time.
But where am I...?
Now that I had the mental leeway to look around, I realized the place was incredibly familiar.
It’s my room.
Not the dormitory, but my room at the main house.
Luxurious furniture, a pleasant fragrance instead of the scent of a lived-in space, and a room kept spotless without a speck of dust.
They were always prepared for me to drop by at a moment's notice, just like yesterday.
Maybe... Senior Ju-hee brought me here?
She’d insisted on not drinking because she was on duty as a bodyguard, so she must have stayed sober until the end and brought us all back.
Ah, I’m screwed.
Even if she was technically my bodyguard right now, a senior was still a senior.
The thought of her having to struggle—forcing a wasted version of me into the car or trying to soothe me—made me want to crawl back under the covers and never come out.
But I had to go out.
What happened to the others?
The people I was drinking with yesterday were Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah.
Plus those two delinquent girls whose names I didn't even know.
And Bong-geun.
It might seem random for Bong-geun to be there, but Jin-ah and I had practically dragged him along. I’d given him a Porsche, so I’d promised to buy him drinks. Bringing him along was my petty way of trying to settle that tab.
"By the way, what was Bong-geun’s last name again?"
He goes by James, so is it Je Bong-geun?
That didn't sound right.
Groaning from the hangover, I opened the door and stepped out.
When I reached the kitchen, I found everyone gathered together, eating a meal.
The irony was that the menu consisted entirely of dishes good for hangovers.
"What... is this?"
I expected to see my father and mother eating.
But seeing Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah sitting there with them was a surreal sight.
"Oh, he’s awake!"
I couldn't tell if she just didn't have a hangover or if she was putting on a stellar performance because she was an actress.
Either way, a bright-eyed Seo Ye-rin greeted me as usual.
"H-Hello..."
Choi Jin-ah, who had been making such a drunken scene over soju yesterday, bowed her head in embarrassment.
It seemed her memory hadn't cut out.
"Goodness, you’re finally up. Come and eat."
My mother was beaming much more than usual. She probably thought her future daughters-in-law had arrived.
My father was eating his hangover soup without a word.
He usually found it quite bothersome when the menu changed because of us.
Wait, what time is it?
I knew they usually had breakfast at 7:00 AM... but it was already 9:00 AM.
That meant they were eating breakfast two hours late.
"Why... why are you eating so late?"
As I hesitantly took a seat, my mother laughed and swatted my shoulder.
"I was worried my son, who came home acting like a dog, might try to eat dog food for breakfast, so I waited so we could eat together!"
"..."
Was I really that bad yesterday?
"Do you even remember what you said yesterday?"
My mother was cackling, which meant the content probably wasn't great.
"As soon as you got home, you kept shouting for your father. 'Fatheeeer! Fatheeeer! I have arrived! Your son is heeeere!'"
"...Really?"
I stole a glance at my father, but he remained silent.
Usually, when my mother gets carried away like this, he tells her to stop being so dramatic. Since he wasn't doing that...
It meant I really had done it.
"And what else did I say?"
I felt a prickle of dread on the back of my neck.
"‘Do you know who my favorite historical figure is?!’"
"..."
"‘It’s Lu Bu! Lu Bu Fengxian! That bastard from the Three Kingdoms!’"
"Mother, you could be an actress!"
"It’s... it’s exactly how he sounded."
Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah, sitting across from me, clapped in response.
"Is there more?"
When I asked with a sinking heart, my mother nodded with a grin.
"This is the highlight. I asked you why."
Why would you even ask that?
I had a feeling I knew what the reason was.
"‘That bastard betrayed his father twice! I’ve only done it once, so I’ve still got one more left!’"
"Ah, I think I remember now."
The fact that I actually remembered it was even scarier. Telling my father that my dream was to be Lu Bu was basically the height of being an immoral son.
"Father, I didn't mean— hiss."
It was hard to say I didn't mean it at all.
"Maybe about half? No, a quarter? That’s how much I meant it."
When I tried to correct myself, my father looked at me as if he were appalled.
"When you're finished eating, all three of you come to my study."
He set down his spoon and stood up, issuing the command.
Was I going to get hit with a cane?
Whatever it was, I knew it wouldn't be anything good.
*
After finishing the meal and before heading to the study.
I checked my phone.
I’d been too preoccupied earlier to check, but several messages had piled up.
Naturally, the two that stood out the most were from Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin.
They hadn't messaged me privately; they were talking in our group chat, and Seo Ye-rin had already been replying.
The conversation was surprisingly lively.
The two of them seemed anxious, clearly worried about the meeting with my parents.
I jumped in to reassure them that there was nothing to worry about.
Doesn't exactly feel like a warm welcome.
Look at how quickly they tamed down.
In the end, a man needs to have capability.
A man should at least be able to sacrifice himself to send them on a free overseas trip if he wants to keep three women around him, right?
Even if I didn't have much luggage, the two of them must have worked hard to move it...
Wait, no. Both of them are stronger than me.
Setting the details aside.
I headed to my father's study with Seo Ye-rin and Choi Jin-ah, who were waiting for me.
Every time I entered my father's study, the same thought crossed my mind.
Did he really read all these books?
The interior was practically a library. The walls were completely covered with bookshelves, and my father sat in his chair amidst the dense rows of books.
"Father, we’re here."
I realized only after entering that I should have knocked, but my father didn't seem to care.
He wasn't reading anything at the moment.
Lost in thought, he looked at me and asked, "How is your leg?"
"Pardon? Oh..."
Right, I’d injured my leg.
It had only been a week, but I’d gotten so used to it that I barely noticed a difference.
"It’s fine. I was even running around yesterday."
"..."
Choi Jin-ah, who had been running with me, cleared her throat awkwardly and looked away.
"I’ll let him know, so follow Secretary Choi and go to the hospital."
"Huh? I already have a place where I get treated."
I answered, but my father just stared at me with a silent, heavy gaze.
It meant that wasn't the answer he wanted, and my father never backed down in these moments.
"Understood."
In the end, a hospital visit was added to today's schedule.
I realized my return would be even later than I thought.
"Stay here for the rest of the break."
My father made the demand in his usual firm tone.
"What? No, I really can't. I have a place to stay."
I’d moved out of Yoo Ah-rin’s house, but I used it as an excuse anyway.
"I heard you’re freeloading at someone else's house. It’s rude."
"No, really, it’s fine."
"You won't be able to stay there forever anyway, will you? If you go back to the dorm, you’ll be all alone."
"..."
He wasn't wrong, but the injury wasn't even that serious to begin with.
I was already at the point where I could run around.
"I agree with the Chairman."
But then, Seo Ye-rin stabbed me in the back.
She raised her hand as if she were in a classroom and continued.
"He was staying at a friend's house—a girl named Ah-rin. But he has to go back to the dorm starting today."
"Ye-rin?"
"We can't stay in the dorm with him. Considering he’s not in great shape and would probably just eat whatever and live poorly, I think it’s better for him to stay here!"
After hearing Seo Ye-rin’s piece, my father’s gaze fixed on me again.
"Sigh... let me think about it. My second sister-in-law is staying here too. It might be uncomfortable for her if I’m around."
When I mentioned my pregnant sister-in-law, my father’s overbearing aura softened slightly.
"Miss Choi Jin-ah."
"Yes, Chairman."
She must have met my father before. Her greeting was practiced.
"Your father was very worried."
"Yes..."
Her reply left a bitter aftertaste.
But my father didn't seem to care.
"According to him, you’ve decided to date our Woo-jin?"
What?
I looked at Choi Jin-ah in shock.
Seo Ye-rin looked just as stunned as I was.
On the other hand, Choi Jin-ah, the person in question, looked like she was being subjected to something humiliating, her face turning bright red.
"A-A-Ah, well, you see. The truth is..."
I listened intently, curious myself, and Choi Jin-ah bit her lip before shouting.
"I-I like him, so I’m going to date him!"
Look at the expression on her face as she shouted with her hand over her heart.
"Father, that’s an obvious lie."
"Sigh."
I spoke up urgently, but it seemed my father had already realized it before I even opened my mouth.
She must have told her father she liked me for some reason.
"Whatever the case may be."
My father tapped the armrest of his chair and gave a low warning.
"Make sure no rumors regarding Woo-jin come out of this. Resolve it quietly."
"Yes, I understand."
"Since you have a connection, you might as well let her borrow your name."
"...Yes."
Whatever the situation, it was fine to use my name for now.
But it was a warning that he wouldn't stand by if any negative talk about me started because of this.
One could see it as a father worrying for his son.
But to my eyes, it was clearly a move to put her in his debt.
Tsk.
While I was clicking my tongue.
"Then..."
Finally, my father’s gaze landed on Seo Ye-rin.
Seo Ye-rin, wanting to make a good first impression, gave a bright smile and shouted.
"I’m Seo Ye-rin! I’m Kim Woo-jin’s college classmate!"
She’d said she wouldn't reveal our relationship out of consideration for Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin.
It seemed like she was handling it well.
However, my father already knew I was caught between the three of them.
And since my mother had already visited once, a sly lie like that could actually be offensive.
"Go to the hospital with Woo-jin today and get a health checkup."
"A health checkup?"
My father didn't say anything more after that. At his command, Seo Ye-rin just nodded vigorously in response.
"You may leave."
My father picked up a book he had set aside, signaling the end of the conversation.
I was about to lead Choi Jin-ah and Seo Ye-rin out.
"Chairman! I’m so sorry, but could I ask just one thing!"
Seo Ye-rin suddenly called out to my father, her hand raised high.
"Hey! Hey!"
"Miss Ye-rin is certainly..."
Choi Jin-ah muttered, impressed by her guts.
I was shocked too, knowing Seo Ye-rin as I did, but my father silently turned his gaze toward her.
"Do you prefer grandsons? Or granddaughters?"
"Hey!"
I tried to cover Seo Ye-rin’s mouth in a panic, but my father actually gave her a straight answer.
"A successor who inherits the family business must also have a sense of responsibility regarding their household."
"..."
"Just as the king's concubines strove to bear sons, a successor must think of the generations to come."
"Then a grandson—"
"However."
The expression on my father’s face as he looked at Seo Ye-rin softened slightly.
It was as if her bold and outspoken nature actually appealed to him.
"That boy is a prodigal son who doesn't listen to a word I say and ran away to do as he pleases."
With those final words, my father turned his gaze back to his book.
"As long as the child is healthy, that is enough."
At my father’s words, Seo Ye-rin beamed and gave a deep bow.
"Yes! Understood!"
We stepped out of the room.
I had to say something to Seo Ye-rin for her impulsive behavior.
"Hey, what were you thinking! My father knows about the three of us, but he’s letting it slide for now! He means for me to settle it on my own!"
"He did?!"
"Sigh, why were you in such a rush, Ye-rin? I mean, it seems like he actually likes you, but..."
I questioned her somewhat accusingly, but Seo Ye-rin put her hands on her hips and answered confidently.
"I knew the Chairman would like something like that."
"What do you know about my father?"
"Yesterday."
Seo Ye-rin answered with a smirk.
"You were shouting all that stuff about Lu Bu."
Why bring up that painful memory again...?
"I saw the Chairman smiling then."
"Huh?"
My father?
While watching his son shout about how his dream was to be a traitor?
"‘A man should have at least that much spirit.’ Something like that?"
"..."
"So I tried something similar. Boldly! Directly! And it worked."
Man.
Sometimes she’s so innocent, but when she’s being crafty, she’s incredibly sharp.
"Hehe! As long as they’re healthy, it doesn't matter if it’s a boy or a girl! And how did he know I was so healthy?"
Watching the excited Seo Ye-rin, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.
Choi Jin-ah, who had been listening to the conversation, seemed flustered by Seo Ye-rin’s blatant appeal, her face turning beet red as she fidgeted.
"Do you remember your drunken antics yesterday?"
When I asked casually, Choi Jin-ah straightened her back and began to stutter.
"M-M-Me? D-Drunken antics? There’s no way..."
"You’re a terrible liar. I enjoyed your performance yesterday. Next time, I’d prefer it if you used a violin instead of raw pork belly."
As I chuckled, recalling Choi Jin-ah playing a 'violin' with a slab of raw pork belly perched on her shoulder, she covered her mouth, looking like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole.