The Nightmare of the Past

"I’m currently working on a construction project, but the client has slashed the budget by 50%. In all my years in the construction industry, I’ve never been hit with this kind of 'price-gouging' before. It’s so miserable it makes me want to cry. I don’t know what I’ve been living for all this time, and I can’t see a way forward to pay the salaries of my employees, who are like my own children and friends."

At that time, his father had been forcibly recommended for the position of Chairman of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), taking it on like someone swallowing bitter medicine. You might ask, "Isn't being a Chairman a good thing?" But the workload only increased, he had to meet with politicians constantly, and he was expected to call here and there to represent the collective opinions of member companies. Just like now, the FKI Chairman’s seat was a position where, whenever a member company raised an issue, he had to run to others, begging and pleading with them not to do such things.

"...How much is it, and what’s the situation?"

Around that time—

"I am sorry. Mr. Chairman. Please, spare me. It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cannot be done."

"Am I trying to kill you, Director? 'Spare you'? I am merely a complainant raising my grievance—"

"...? Seongmin, Chairman Seong? Who are you with? No, is this fellow hanging up the phone, or what is this..."

Chairman Eun then took the phone and told him to hand it over to someone else. The Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection took the phone with both hands and—

"This is the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection. Is this the Chairman?"

"Yes. Hello. Is there something going on..."

"It is nothing of note. I will handle it well."

Even so, his father—as he had said—maintained a demeanor of calmness, seriousness, composure, and strictness in public, without a single curse word—

"Still, the FKI must report it if a member company raises a grievance. If you could put him back on so I can understand exactly what..."

"There is absolutely, absolutely no grievance. It is a matter we must handle, and I believe Chairman Han is far too busy to be concerned with such things. I will handle it immediately."

"Hmm. ...Well, I see. I don't hear very well, so..."

And that "nothing of note" incident took place at the office of the Chief Judge of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul.

"What is everyone doing here, why all of a sudden... ...?"

"Please follow us for a moment."

Jia’s father, Chief Judge Seo Minyong, watched as people in black suits wearing official identification badges swarmed in, tearing through documents in his office and copying hard drives as if a prosecution raid were underway. While he stood there in disbelief, the door to the Chief Judge’s office opened again, and the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, his face full of fury, dragged Jia’s father out while suppressing his emotions. Then, to the shock of the people passing by in the hallway—

"What on earth have you been doing to cause this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Her father, who had been blinking his eyes, wondering why this was happening so suddenly, heard the full story from the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection. It was proven that her father hadn't directly tried to embezzle money, and through active clarification and evidence investigation, the Board of Audit and Inspection revealed that it was the corruption of the court’s administrative staff and some court officials. However—

"..."

"I apologize. Chief Judge, we should have looked into it beforehand..."

"No. ...I will go meet the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court... You all carry on with your work."

That was the reason her father had to take off his judicial robes earlier than his age would suggest.

"My secretary is competent; she pushed for this ship rescue and is the person who helped me receive the medal. Furthermore, she received a Presidential Commendation at this awards ceremony. Did you perhaps not see it?"

"If it's a Presidential Commendation, I have plenty of those too. What's so great about just one..."

Ah. Jia’s father had just blatantly ignored the efforts and achievements of the nine Doowon Heavy Industries employees who jumped into oil-slicked waters to prevent marine pollution and pulled people out one by one in the pitch-black night, safely delivering them to the passenger ship.

"And my secretary’s father is the Chairman of Seongjeong Construction and its affiliates."

It was a sight to behold: her father, looking as if he’d been struck in the back of the head with a hammer, and her mother, clutching her husband’s sleeve, wondering what on earth this was all about.

"Sir, wait a moment. So,"

"You must have said that my secretary’s family is of low status, and that she is just a secretary doing menial tasks. As expected, you are a father who knows everything."

Jia’s father soon thought of the past with a devastated expression and unfocused pupils. Suddenly, a man claiming to be the chairman of some construction company had stormed into the Chief Judge’s office like a gangster, leading his secretary, vice-chairman, and president, and shouted at her father, who was in the middle of a long audit:

"A man who is a judge, a man who is supposed to be a leader—can't you even manage what your own employees are doing?"

"....I apologize. I have no excuse."

"'Repaying the expectations and trust of the people'... Ha, truly... We haven't been paid for the construction, so we are going to exercise our lien. Once you fill in the money, we'll take down the banners, so keep that in mind."

And truly, Eunbyul’s father had hung banners starting from the annex of the court building where Jia’s father was the Chief Judge, all the way along the landscaping line—

And the highlight banner—since they had been working on the landscaping project for the first floor of the main court building and hadn't been paid, these ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠banners were attached to the left and right of the main entrance of the Seoul Central District Court—

Jia’s father, reliving that nightmare of public humiliation, felt like he was going to vomit. There was no humiliation greater than that. He had barely managed to receive a reprimand—a light written warning—from the Judicial Disciplinary Committee, but in the process, he had been called in by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and berated to the point where he couldn't even perform his duties. Reporters had swarmed in, reporting on the front page that the court had failed to pay for construction, leading to the suspension of part of the court building.

"Hey, I’ve lived a long life, but... exercising a lien on a court building? Is this even possible?"

"I apologize, Senior."

Even the President of the Constitutional Court, his university senior, had called Jia’s father in directly and rebuked him with a look of pity. Feeling as though he had personally tarnished the honor of the court, which should have been held in high regard, he had fled the court and submitted his resignation.

"....Ah, ah...."

"At the very least, my secretary seems to do her job better than your daughter. She is decisive and puts her words directly into action."

He might not have intended it, but the remark about putting words directly into action seemed to have taken deep root in her father’s heart.

Around that time—

"Ah, so you were here."

"Father."

"Oh, you’ve arrived. You should have told me in advance. Hello, In-law. Is the Madam doing well?"

Jia’s father thought it was a stroke of extreme luck. It was because of the fact that he hadn't yet told his father the full story of all these events. Otherwise, he wouldn't have walked in with such a relaxed expression.

"Ah, yes. Hello."

Jia’s father said.

"Yes. Uh... by any chance, what were you discussing with our son...?"

"Ah... it’s nothing. I was just asking if they were living well in their marriage. And while I was at it, I wanted to hear about what happened when he received the medal this time..."

"Ah, is that so?"

Then his father ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠said—

"It is a good thing. It is a great thing. The only medal in our family was the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, but a National Security Medal... I still can't believe my son saved people."

Jia’s father, who had thought, *'This isn't how it's supposed to go,'* was confused because, in his memory, his in-law was someone who was always busy criticizing his own son. Every time they met, he only talked about his lacking son, his foolish son, and so on. In fact, that was why he had looked down on his son-in-law. But now, that "always busy criticizing" in-law was praising his son until his mouth went dry.

"To think that my son accepts the fact without a single boast—as a father, I don't know how happy I am."

"It’s embarrassing to express it to my son, but I’m even tearing up. As a father, I haven't done anything for him... He jumped into the sea alone to save people, and he brought the ship back. Isn't it truly amazing? I couldn't be more proud of my son."

Then, everyone except his father had their expressions stiffen.

"But what is going on..."

"Ah, no. It is nothing at all. What did you come here for...?"

"They said we should gather because there is something to guide us after the photo session. Please prepare. Since you’ve come, let’s take a commemorative photo together..."

"Chairman."

He said.

"...I will come out slowly. Please prepare with Mother first."

"Hmm. Yes. Well, he hasn't been to his in-laws' house often lately, so he must have a lot to talk about. Come out slowly."

"Yes, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Father. Thank you for letting me know."

Jia’s father was in a state of having narrowly escaped death. Since he had no idea what his former son-in-law, the current ticking time bomb, might blurt out. After her father left the room, he asked:

"What would you like to do?"

"...."

"There is no time, so I will do it this way. If you have nothing to say, I will consider it a refusal and send Jia home."