Chapter 547: Biggest Idiot
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 547: Biggest Idiot
For Kim Jae-un, today was a rather special day.
It was because tomorrow was a day off.
Since becoming Chairman, the days he had truly rested could be counted on one hand. He was that dedicated to the company, driven by a desire to live up to the expectations of the father who had chosen him.
However, with every day of work, he came to realize just how massive the shadow of his father—the man who had led Korea’s Uju Group—truly was.
That was why Kim Jae-un didn't rest.
No, he couldn't.
Even when a moment of respite arrived, the pressure to constantly prove himself followed close behind.
People feel anxiety when they lack something. When that lack is filled, the anxiety is relieved. On the surface, it seemed like a very simple, logical structure.
Yet, sometimes, people felt anxious even when they lacked nothing.
Kim Jae-un was exactly that kind of person.
He lacked nothing.
His life was perfect enough to be the envy of anyone, yet he was always anxious. It felt like a sort of curse.
Feeling lacking despite having everything.
Feeling anxious despite having no reason to be.
Because of that, there was no solution.
Having left the office late, he silently checked his phone.
It was 9:00 PM.
Normally, this would be considered staying late, but for Kim Jae-un, leaving even later than this was his daily routine.
Maybe I should have a glass of wine for once.
His wife and son were waiting for him at home.
Since tomorrow was a holiday, he had wanted to take them somewhere, but his wife, being considerate of his exhaustion, suggested they just stay home and rest.
Still, they would be together all day.
His youngest brother, who had six wives, was somewhat blind when it came to love.
In truth, Kim Jae-un was quite similar.
At first, he had chosen his wife because he thought she would be the most helpful among various candidates. Now, she was someone he couldn't live without.
Vrrr! Vrrr! Vrrr!
Puzzled by the sudden call, Kim Jae-un tilted his head before answering.
"...Hello? What is it?"
He remembered that whenever Kim Woo-jin called at this hour, it usually wasn't for anything good.
And what came out of Kim Woo-jin’s mouth was more serious than he had expected.
His heart skipped a beat. No matter how much of a troublemaker he was, the boy was still his brother.
"By who? Where are you now?"
What on earth were the bodyguards doing, just standing by while the kid got thrashed—?
"......What?"
His mind went blank for a moment.
Thinking it might be the name of a bar, he asked for clarification. Kim Woo-jin let out a snicker.
"Sigh..."
Realizing only now that Kim Woo-jin had called just to mess with him, Kim Jae-un asked flatly.
"Where are you?"
"I want to beat you up myself."
*
At an outdoor table in front of a convenience store.
Kim Jae-un, who had actually shown up, was currently apologizing to his wife over the phone.
"I'm sorry. Woo-jin called me out for a bit."
"I'll be home soon."
"Of course."
The call ended.
Kim Woo-jin, sitting opposite him, cracked open a beer and asked, "I mean, why did you actually come all the way here?"
The bump rising on his head was proof that he had already been served justice by his Big Hyung.
As Kim Jae-un opened his beer, Kim Woo-jin nudged his can forward.
Clink!
The two beer cans collided before they both took a swig.
It’s been a while.
It had been a very long time since he’d had a mass-market canned beer like this.
Even the snack Kim Woo-jin had picked out was just some tough, dried seafood. No matter how much he chewed, it remained a rubbery mass in his mouth—a far cry from the food he usually ate.
Conversely, Kim Jae-un felt a strange sense of peace in this atmosphere.
"So, you're saying you got beaten up and lost in a game?"
"Yeah, exactly. I got my ass handed to me."
Despite his words, Kim Woo-jin’s reaction was indifferent. It made Jae-un wonder if that was really the only reason he had called.
"So, I wanted to ask Hyung for a favor."
"A favor?"
"Lend me some money."
"......"
He took it back.
This punk had definitely called him out for exactly this.
"As far as I know, you shouldn't be short on cash?"
Surprisingly, Kim Woo-jin received money from quite a few sources. Their father regularly provided him with living expenses, and their mother would secretly slip him pocket money.
Kim Woo-jin no longer refused any of it. As a college student, he couldn't maintain his lifestyle without it.
"I don't get to handle it."
Kim Woo-jin gulped down his beer with a bitter expression and began to complain.
"......"
"The girls manage it. They said if I handle it, I'll just blow it all."
"Woo-jin."
"Yeah?"
"You really met the right women. They see right through you."
"......"
Hearing that, Kim Woo-jin smirked. Even though he knew he was being insulted, he actually seemed happy. He took it as a compliment toward his wives.
"Right? Hyung, I've messed up most things in my life, but landing those girls was the greatest success of my life."
Woo-jin spoke with pride.
Jae-un wondered where that insane confidence came from. Then he remembered that their father had seen that very boldness and considered choosing Woo-jin as his successor.
That thought left a strange bitterness in him.
I was also...
Kim Jae-un had been quite popular back in college too. Of course, many people had approached him blatantly because his status as the heir to Uju Group was well-known.
Regardless, he had gone through a similar period as Kim Woo-jin.
At the time, Kim Jae-un had chosen his current wife based on stability and calculation. He didn't regret his choice.
However, the boldness Kim Woo-jin possessed was something he could never have imagined for himself.
"Kaaaah! Why does this beer taste so good?"
"......"
Looking at the current Kim Woo-jin, he was clearly a different person from himself.
Kim Jae-un still found himself thinking occasionally.
If it hadn't been him.
If Woo-jin had taken over the Chairman's seat.
Would things have been better than they are now?
That was the question.
"Woo-jin."
"Yeah?"
Kim Woo-jin answered with a piece of squid hanging from his mouth. His expression was incredibly bright.
"Do you have any regrets?"
"Regrets about what? I just had one. Messing up my game during exam week."
"Not that kind of regret. I mean the Chairman's position."
The emotion in Kim Jae-un’s eyes was one of complicated weariness. He knew that he wasn't satisfied, not even for a moment.
It wasn't a situation to complain about, nor one to be dissatisfied with, and there was no need to be anxious.
And yet, he was anxious, over and over again.
Kim Jae-un was starting to doubt if he was truly the right person for this position.
"What's this? You want to retire already? Hyung, if you want to retire, at least wait until Min-cheol gets into college."
"...Min-cheol is Un's son. My son is Jae-han."
"Ah, right."
Annoyed, Kim Jae-un grabbed a piece of squid and threw it at his face. He couldn't tolerate his brother getting his own son's name wrong.
"Anyway, you wanted to be Chairman so badly, so why are you acting like this now?"
As Woo-jin popped the thrown squid into his mouth, Kim Jae-un let out a sigh and took another long pull of his beer.
Gulp, gulp.
Seeing how easily it went down, he wondered if he had been under that much stress.
"Whew... Am I the strange one? No matter how much time passes, I'm constantly anxious. I keep wondering if I'm doing a good job."
"What's with you getting drunk off one can?"
"I'm not drunk. I'm just speaking freely."
Kim Jae-un was actually quite a strong drinker.
But he was likely feeling this relaxed because he was in front of the brother he had acknowledged.
"What do you think? If you were in my shoes... what would you have done?"
"...I probably would've sold the company and invested it all in crypto?"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"Heh, I'm just saying it sounds that annoying. I'm living happily right now, so why are you suddenly dropping this heavy stuff on me?"
Grumbling, Kim Woo-jin held out his beer can.
The two cans clinked again.
Did people not realize that the Chairman of a major conglomerate was drinking beer in front of a convenience store late at night?
Watching the people pass by, Kim Jae-un felt a strange sense of catharsis.
"I guess I'm just strangely anxious. When I think about the things I'm carrying—"
"What do you want me to do about it?"
Kim Woo-jin’s expression turned somewhat serious. His cynical smile was reminiscent of how he used to be before he mellowed out.
"What do you want? What do I know about that? What can I even do for you, Hyung?"
"......Your way of speaking is truly garbage."
"You're the one coming to the wrong place to whine. Coming here in the first place is weird. The person who actually wants to listen to your stories is already waiting for you at home."
"What are you—"
As he started to speak, Kim Jae-un slowly met Kim Woo-jin’s eyes.
Kim Woo-jin let out a sigh and held out his phone.
On the screen was a text from Jae-un's wife, asking Woo-jin not to keep his Big Hyung out for too long.
"......"
"Go talk to Sister-in-law. When I met her last time, she looked like she wanted to hear what you had to say all the time."
He wondered if the Love Chair was part of that effort. At Woo-jin’s words, Kim Jae-un nodded silently.
There was someone who was waiting for his story more than anyone else.
The reason he hadn't spoken was simply because she was the person most precious to him, and he didn't want to worry her.
Having finished his beer, Kim Jae-un crushed the can.
"Whew."
Talking about it probably wouldn't make it better.
Kim Jae-un knew this anxiety wouldn't just vanish.
However, just sharing his worries with his delinquent brother had eased his mind to some extent.
His time with his wife would surely be even more special.
"I'm going."
Kim Jae-un stood up.
Kim Woo-jin waved him off.
"Take it easy. Invest more time in your family. Like me."
"......"
There were no further words.
Kim Jae-un climbed into the car waiting to take him home.
Leaning back in the rear seat, Kim Jae-un spoke to the secretary in the driver's seat.
"I'd like to... extend my vacation a bit. I want to spend some time with my family."
Surprised by his words, the secretary’s eyes widened before he gave a bright smile and nodded.
*
Thanks to the money Big Hyung gave me as a "consultation fee," I was able to safely indulge in some microtransactions.
Isn't a mobile RPG a world where money solves everything, after all?
Thanks to that, I was able to turn everyone who came to kill [Sex King Woo-jini] into corpses and even perform a humiliation dance over them.
Pure catharsis and thrills.
Feeling the taste of money, a slow smile spread across my face.
"Ha, that was good."
It was a great way to relieve stress.
And now, tomorrow is the exam.
"......"
Staring blankly down at the game screen, I slowly came to a realization.
The biggest idiot was me.