A New Beginning
"Look, let's stop with the noise and talk about something productive. This is really important."
"...What kind of productive?"
"What else? Getting Min Suyeon on board."
He was adamant that he absolutely had to bring that woman in. Despite the brief commotion, the three of them returned to the topic at hand—
"Master, is she really that important? I’m smarter than her..."
"I'll acknowledge that when you go get a degree in chemistry."
"...I hate you..."
It was as if they had already decided on this, but since today was Eunbyul’s turn to handle the chores, she briefly slipped over to her own place to change into comfortable clothes. When she returned to his apartment—I don’t even know when she memorized the door code—she tied on an apron and opened the fridge, wondering what would make a good late-night snack. Meanwhile,
"Do you have any good ideas?"
"Hmm. ...When it comes to catching someone, making them your own..."
"..."
"There’s really nothing better than blackmailing them with something they’d be ashamed to have exposed."
Right. That’s just like you. ...And it’s not just you; it’s very Eunbyul-like, too.
"I’m not just saying that to be empty-handed, Master. I didn't say it as a joke, either."
"Uh-huh."
"Everyone has their own difficult circumstances. Is there anyone in this world who is perfectly stable, happy, and has everything going for them?"
"I used to be the wife of a rich husband who worried about going to work, then for a while, I was a woman who lost everything but her career—and now, I’m a woman who serves her husband as her master. It’s not like I have no worries. At first, I worried about what kind of nonsense they’d spout at the company... then I worried about how I’d live alone after throwing away my lifelong partner with my own hands... and now, my worry is, 'I want Master to love me more, what can I do to make him happy?'"
...I suppose that’s possible. It doesn't sound like empty talk. Let's hear her out.
"So, I think we should gather as much information on this Min Suyeon woman as possible and make a trade equivalent to what she needs."
"Rather than just crushing her with your position, it’s better to be... sometimes, being honest is best, right? Like how you accepted me when I told you I’d die if you weren't there... try being honest with her, too."
As she spoke, Jia started muttering to herself about what she could say and how to be honest,
"Like, 'I really need your ability,' something like that? The reason why she *must* work with you."
"I have that, at least."
While they talked, Eunbyul slowly placed two plates on the table and brought over two cans of beer, pouring them neatly into their respective glasses.
"Oh, that looks good. You’re pretty good at this, too."
"...I learned a lot from... my sister."
Since they had worked late, both of them had come home without a proper dinner. Jia had already taken care of herself, so a simple steamed egg dish and boneless pig's trotters were placed on the table. After each of them picked up their chopsticks, took a bite, and toasted with their beers,
"So, what do you have?"
"Her poverty."
"Ah!"
"Anyway, the sister is using her head quite a bit. The senior seemed like he was just going to blindly tell her to work together..."
It’s a problem that she’s strangely 'female-corrupted,' but she was a smart woman to begin with. Anyway... right. I did say that woman had no money.
"Is Min Suyeon really that short on money? To what extent..."
"Well, according to Byeol, that’s the case."
"Yes. She doesn't have any. She’s extremely poor. How’s the seasoning on that, sister?"
"Hmm... it’s tasty, but it’s a bit bland. You didn't put salted shrimp in it again, did you?"
"Oh, right. Ah... ....."
"Put it in next time. It really brings out the flavor."
Min Suyeon has no money. I have a lot of money. Doowon? Also has a lot of money. Then, if I satisfy her salary requirements, the possibility of her joining is high.
"By the way, how good is her ability? Is she someone you absolutely must have?"
"The level of study she’s done in this field... it seems like she’s been at it since her freshman year of college. She seems to have published many papers on RISS... and she even received some incredibly picky scholarships."
"Aha."
"Well, I heard her talk about alternative gasoline, and it was like she pulled it straight out of her brain... she even told me to change the materials. I wondered if it was just advice, though."
"I see. But Master, the scholarship... how much was it?"
When Eunbyul told her the calculated amount, Jia did some mental math for a moment and said,
"...That’s strange. Master, a college student doesn't need that much money."
"...? Hey, since she’s in the College of Natural Sciences, it could cost more,"
"No. Like Byeol said, you mentioned that she received separate scholarships on top of her tuition. Seoul National University pays scholarships as a percentage of tuition per semester anyway, so anything beyond that can be handled by applying to scholarship foundations. She would have received all of that... doesn't that mean she needs additional money?"
Uh... i-is that so?
"For example, she might have massive debt at home. Or she might need money for something expensive. And it has to be ongoing."
"...Hmm, but when I actually met her, she didn't look like she had no money. Her clothes were a bit... well, anyway, I’m trusting Eunbyul since she said so. Should I do some investigating?"
"What are her clothes like?"
"Just work clothes."
Jia, wetting her lips with beer, rolled her head while staring at the TV for a long time,
"You said that woman cursed at you?"
"Yeah. That’s right. I’m not angry about that..."
"Seeing how hard her life is, it feels like she’s been poor for a long time."
Ah, right.
"...That woman hates Eunbyul."
"Do the two of you know each other?"
"No... well, Min Suyeon’s father worked at our company and was laid off. I heard she’s been very poor ever since."
"Then why does she hate you?"
"Like father, like daughter, she cursed at me... and... I did do some bad things to her."
He chuckled, thinking about how he had blocked her from joining the club. Then, the conversation between the three of them died out, and he felt stifled, thinking about how there were difficult problems lurking everywhere.
"Well, that’s Byeol’s problem. Anyway, Master, try approaching that woman actively."
"Hmm... would that be good? She was pretty indifferent earlier."
"What’s there to lose? You’re offering her money. You said she’s poor. And try to probe more accurately."
"What kind of..."
"To confirm exactly, you need to explore if she has any separate difficulties while she’s employed. To do this, you’ll need to form a sufficiently good relationship. It’s highly unlikely the problem is at the company. If it were, she’d usually just quit. Find out why such a capable person isn't taking a high-paying job abroad and is staying only at Doowon."
"Since it’s highly likely to be a private matter, once you’ve formed a relationship, you should dig a bit deeper into that. For example, a simple drinking session? While doing that, ask... why did you curse like that back then? I heard from Eunbyul that you were short on money, and if we work together, I can accommodate those conditions, and so on."
At this point, he asked why she was selling herself out, but Jia said in a cold voice,
"This is a problem you have to sacrifice for. ...Me too. Do you know how unpleasant it is for an ex-wife to know her ex-husband is drinking with another woman?"
"Then why are you telling me to do it, sister?"
"That is,"
Right. You hated Eunbyul too,
"It can’t be helped. I want Master to look only at me, but Master has too much work to do for that."
"..."
"I like the time I spend with you, but I hate seeing you make a stressed face because of work during that time. If it comes to that, I’d rather close my eyes once—if that woman can be won over with a drink and some emotional manipulation... if that means Master won't have a hard time, then I’m happy. So you sacrifice too."
He had an 'Oh~' expression, Eunbyul let out a dry laugh, and Jia continued the story she was telling.
"I think you should join Master’s work that way. Besides that, listen to her stories well and play the role of a friend? Actually, I really liked it when Master listened to my worries. Sometimes, I’d talk about how I got into an argument with a school peer, or who kept making mistakes at the company... I liked that he listened to those things. It might work on other people too."
"Well, that’s a good point. In its own way... it is a method."
Unlike the suggestion to acquire Salaim, this was quite a rational and persuasive argument. So, he nodded to Jia, saying he would try it, and Eunbyul—
"No, sister, what if Min Suyeon falls for the senior while doing that?"
"Hey, this is work, first and foremost. How can Master handle three women,"
"What are you talking about... Min Suyeon even got street-cast, so what are you going to do if you tell him to approach her like that...!"
That was something neither he nor Jia had heard of. As soon as Eunbyul finished speaking, Jia turned her head unnaturally, like a robot’s neck joint,
"...Are you going to bring in more?"
"What? No. Absolutely not. I have no intention of doing that. Absolutely not."
"You must not bring her in."
"I’m human too. It’s hard. I’m tired..."
"If you bring in one more,"
...
"I’ll cut it off with scissors. ...Not Master, of course, but that woman’s neck..."
"..."
"Like this, snip, right in front of Master’s eyes—"
"Sister, stop it and just drink your beer."
Geez, who would come in here anyway...?