The Merchant's Hidden Desire
“B-Branch Manager!”
The employee startled by Inomiya Haru, who trailed off mid-sentence while bowing to me, tried to pull her back up.
“W-Why are you doing this all of a sudden? To a freshman……”
“Park Juhyeon.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Shut up and bow right now. This is an important guest of our International Trade Club.”
“T-This freshman?!”
“Right now.”
“I’m sorry for my rudeness!”
The employee quickly grasped the situation and bowed toward me. I patted both their shoulders lightly and said,
“Straighten up first. Let’s talk like that. There are eyes watching, aren’t there?”
“Yes. As you command.”
Only after Inomiya Haru straightened did the employee stand as well.
“Park Juhyeon.”
“Y-Yes!”
“I’ll escort the guests to the branch manager’s office myself. Could you prepare some refreshments?”
“Yes!”
After sending the employee off, Inomiya Haru swept her gaze over us once and turned.
“This way, please.”
“Lead on.”
Following her, we arrived at an elegant black door. She opened it first and stepped inside, and we followed into a modernly designed branch manager’s office. Unlike the ordinary exterior, it was adorned with luxurious artwork and opulent items.
As we stood there blankly looking around, Inomiya Haru pointed to the sofa in one corner with both hands.
“Please, make yourselves comfortable, young master.”
At her suggestion, I naturally took the seat that looked like the head, and Jinwoo, Sea-a, and Youngje sat in a row to my right. Meanwhile, Haru began filling a basket with pastries from the room’s tea set.
“B-Boss. What the hell is going on? Isn’t she this club’s branch manager?”
Unable to believe the absurdity, Jinwoo leaned toward me, whispering for an explanation. The others nodded in agreement, staring intently at me.
In response, I gave the answer I’d prepared in advance.
“My family is the majority shareholder in her family’s company. We’ve been close since I was little.”
“M-Majority shareholder?”
“Yeah. They hold significant shares in this International Trade Club too, so it’s not strange.”
To be precise, the club and Inomiya Haru’s family had been established with the Calione family’s backing, making it possible.
Last night, while planning our club strategy, the thought had suddenly struck me.
Come to think of it, I remember the academy having a few clubs connected to the Caliones……?
So I’d immediately asked Parnello Ramichi, who confirmed:
—The daughter of the Inomiya Group is the branch manager of something called the International Trade Club. You’ve probably seen her a few times at family events in the past, young master. Her name was…… Inomiya Haru, I believe.
As expected of Asia’s top mafia family, they even had influence inside the academy through affiliated clubs. Apparently, when she started the club, her father had invested in it under my name.
No wonder even in the game, they somehow procured rare items that were hard to get from outside vendors—Calione’s influence at work.
“Your family even has shares in academy clubs? What the hell do they even do?”
Youngje stuck out his tongue in shock, unable to believe they’d invested directly in the academy.
“Just a conglomerate that does this and that. We got lucky.”
Realizing I didn’t want to say more, Youngje didn’t press further.
“Thank you for waiting. It’s been a long time, young master.”
“Yeah, it has. I was pretty surprised to hear you’d started a club at the academy.”
“It’s still a modest club, so I’m embarrassed. And I never dreamed you’d come to me with such a request.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
Inomiya Haru set the basket of refreshments in front of us and sat on the empty sofa. Her expression was ice-cold as she said she’d never dreamed of it.
“If the contact was too sudden, I apologize. Were you inconvenienced?”
She shook her head at my words.
“How could I be? All of this is possible only because of your family’s investment. But……”
She trailed off, eyeing me.
“You seem very different from the last time I saw you, young master.”
I’d wondered when she’d bring it up.
“I’ve grown up. I can’t stay under my father’s protection forever.”
I shrugged with a smile, and she nodded.
“……I see. By the way, I heard you’ve started successor training recently. Congratulations, young master.”
She glanced at the ring on my finger and bowed her head to me. I grabbed her shoulder to stop the formal gesture.
“This is the academy. Let’s leave family talk at that.”
She lifted her head at my words, glanced at my name tag, and seemed to grasp the situation. Nodding, she said, “My apologies.”
—Branch Manager, I’ve brought the tea.
“Yes, come in.”
The employee entered with a tray of five cups at her voice. I could sense the fear emanating from her now—unlike her initial reaction to me, she was genuinely afraid. It felt oddly amusing.
The employee quietly set the cups before us, bowed silently, and left. After she was gone, I lifted my teacup to wet my lips and got straight to the point.
“The consent form for the Silver Club I mentioned yesterday. Is it ready?”
“Yes, I can hand it over as soon as you say the word.”
“Good work.”
“It’s only natural if it lets me repay the young master’s grace, even a little.”
Her response was utterly businesslike. I studied her face: unyielding black eyes, neatly tied long hair, and a pitch-black uniform reminiscent of a suit. Her expression was so impassive it blurred the line between human and doll—thoroughly professional.
Was she planning to end it just like this?
Well, considering Eugene Han Calione’s original personality, it made sense. But I had no intention of leaving satisfied with that.
“Jinwoo.”
“Yeah, Boss?”
Jinwoo, munching on snacks while staring at his smartphone, glanced up.
“Take the others outside. I need a private word with the International Trade Club branch manager.”
“Private? What’s that mean?”
“It means Eugene wants to talk one-on-one with the club manager! Come on, out!”
“Huh? Hey! I’ll go! I’m going!”
Having quickly sized up Jinwoo from our short time together, Sea-a—who’d initially been scared of him as a Calione member—now grabbed Jinwoo and Youngje’s sleeves in exasperation and dragged them out.
Sea-a’s turning out more reliable than I thought……
Confirming they were all gone, I turned back to Inomiya Haru, who was calmly sipping her tea despite everyone opposite her leaving.
“Inomiya Haru.”
“Yes, young master.”
She set down her cup and met my gaze.
“What kind of person was I, the one you knew in the past?”
“You mean yourself, young master……?”
“Yes.”
She gazed into space, deep in thought, then looked back at me and spoke simply, as if introducing an acquaintance.
“A brat who liked me.”
What?
“At family events, you’d always run to me begging to play, throwing tantrums. If I refused, you’d grab my skirt and wouldn’t let go.”
Hold on.
“Once, you demanded I become yours. When I politely refused, you threw yourself on the floor, crying and screaming you wouldn’t get up until I became your girlfriend.”
No way.
“Without the family’s prestige, young master, you were nothing but a brat.”
Her words were merciless, yet her expression showed no flicker of change.
I never imagined I’d done that to her as a kid. Eugene Han Calione had been even more of an idiot than I thought.
“……Hopeless.”
“What do you mean?”
She’d overheard my mutter and asked.
“I had a proposal ready, but after hearing that, it feels basically impossible now.”
She tilted her head at my words.
“Then just order it.”
“Hm?”
“Not as Eugene Han Calione, but as the Calione family’s heir. Order it, and I can’t refuse. The Calione family is our group’s true owner.”
Her expression remained unchanged, but I could tell she meant it. The moment she suggested an order, faint fear rose from her.
But.
“I don’t want to do that to you.”
“What do you mean?”
She still looked puzzled.
“I don’t understand what you mean by not wanting to do that to me.”
“Exactly what I said. I don’t want a situation where only I benefit.”
She stared blankly at me. I held her gaze and continued.
“I’m not that kid from the past anymore—I’m an academy freshman. It hasn’t even been long since enrollment, so I can’t just order around the club branch manager. That’s why I want to make you a proposal. One where we all benefit.”
“……A proposal where everyone benefits?”
“So you’ll at least hear me out?”
She nodded.
“Before being a Calione vassal, I’m the International Trade Club branch manager and a merchant. If you say it’s profitable and I refuse without hearing it, people would call me a merchant who lets emotions override profit.”
I barely suppressed a laugh at her words, which basically meant go ahead, I’m listening.
As expected, this was Inomiya Haru.
Branch manager of the International Trade Club. A merchant prioritizing practical gain over sentiment. Loyal to Calione because it profited her. In the story to come, she’d dominate Seoul’s commerce and earn the title Golden Empress.
To her, I slowly drew out the desire she’d hidden tightly beneath her emotionless mask.
“International Trade Club’s promotion to Gold Club.”
“……Pardon?”
“I’ll make your dream of promoting the International Trade Club to Gold Club come true.”
For the first time, her ironclad impassivity shattered to pieces.