Grandpa's Tears and the Golden Shares
The unrealistic emperor lunch on the 50th floor rooftop sky garden comes to a perfect end. For the final dessert, Seol-ah personally pops a Yubari melon generously dusted with gold leaf right into my mouth, wrapping up our lunchtime bliss.
"Full? Does my Jinwoo want anything else?"
"Ugh, my stomach's about to burst. I've never had sushi this delicious in my life. Thanks, Seol-ah."
I pat my bulging belly contentedly with a grin, and Seol-ah cups my cheeks with both hands like she owns the world, peppering my lips with endless kisses. The white-haired Michelin three-star chef who flew in from Japan on a private jet clears his throat at the sight, but to this straight-shooting chaebol heiress, other people's stares are worth less than a speck of dust.
"Alright, shall we head back to our seats now that we've got some digestion to do?"
"This afternoon, nap on my lap on the sofa in my office."
"I'll even sing you a lullaby."
Nap. The Planning Director utters that sweet forbidden word from a working stiff's dictionary with total confidence. I've lost even the will to resist, so I meekly let her lead me back into the VVIP elevator.
But the moment we arrive on the 15th floor Strategy Planning Department, I sense the office atmosphere is 180 degrees off from normal.
"Uh… Seol-ah. What's with the vibe? Did war break out or something?"
The office is in full-blown ultra-emergency mode. Even though lunch hour just ended, every executive and employee is lined up ramrod straight along both sides of the hallway instead of at their monitors. They're all staring at the floor, not daring to breathe loudly, their faces ashen. Sweat beads on the executives' foreheads.
Seol-ah picks up on the icy tension too, gripping my hand tighter and furrowing her brow slightly.
"Director! You're here!"
The chief secretary comes running on shaky legs and whispers something in Seol-ah's ear. Her expression hardens to ice in an instant.
"The Chairman's here? Without any prior notice?"
"Y-yes! He just came up on the private elevator to the 15th floor."
"He's waiting in your office right now!"
Chairman. My heart plummets at the word. The founding patriarch's eldest son of Taesung Group, the living legend who built the Taesung empire from nothing. The omnipotent power player who dominates Korea's economic news daily—Han Taesoo—is on this floor right now.
Drama tropes flash through my mind.
Wait, the Chairman's Seol-ah's grandpa.
What if he catches me with her?
'A dirt-poor intern dares seduce my granddaughter?!' Then a face full of water or an envelope flying at me?
No, after seeing Park Team Leader go flying this morning, it might be a real drum barrel ending in the West Sea!
I tremble like a leaf and tug at Seol-ah's sleeve.
"S-Seol-ah! What do I do!"
"Should I bolt for the emergency stairs?!"
"Hide in a bathroom stall?!"
"Jinwoo, stay put."
Seol-ah wraps her arms firmly around my waist as I try to flee, her tone unyielding. There's not a trace of fear in her eyes. Instead, fierce flames burn like a beast whose territory has been invaded.
"I told you."
"Don't leave my sight."
"Grandpa, president—whoever comes, just stay by my side."
"If anyone touches a single hair on my Jinwoo, I'll blow up the entire Taesung Group HQ."
Isn't that your grandpa's company? Why do you keep threatening to blow stuff up, you crazy tyrant!
As I scream internally, the heavy door to the Director's office bursts open.
"Han Seol-ah!! Where is that punk!!"
A lion's roar echoes through the entire office. An elderly giant with snow-white hair—but an aura as intimidating as a twenty-something—storms out into the hallway, flanked by dozens of bodyguards and aides. It's Chairman Han Taesoo. His presence is a hundred times more terrifying and overwhelming than on TV.
The Chairman's sharp tiger-like gaze locks onto us at the end of the hall in an instant. More precisely, on the mystery young guy tightly holding his granddaughter's hand. Straight to me.
"You—who the hell are you?"
"How dare you hold our Seol-ah's hand…!"
His eyebrows twitch. The nearby executives squeeze their eyes shut, bracing for someone's imminent demise. My legs go weak; I'm about to collapse.
"Grandpa."
Seol-ah steps in front of me and cuts him off with a frosty voice.
"Don't shout."
"You're scaring Jinwoo."
"Wh-what?! Jinwoo?!"
The Chairman's body jerks like he's been struck by lightning. The predatory glare that was devouring me moments ago starts quivering in disbelief at the name "Jinwoo."
"You… did you just say Jinwoo?"
"Kang Jinwoo?"
"The Kang Jinwoo who turned the whole family upside down for 15 years searching for him?!"
"Yes. That's right."
Seol-ah lifts her chin defiantly, not backing down an inch.
"My first love."
"My universe."
"The husband I'll feed and support for life."
"So don't you dare mess with Jinwoo, or I won't hold back."
"That Europe branch consolidation project you forced on me yesterday?"
"I'll trash it in the bin right now, so watch yourself."
Insane. Threatening the chairman of Korea's fifth-largest conglomerate to his face. Is this the true blood of chaebol royalty? I cling to the hem of Seol-ah's suit jacket from behind, panting for breath.
But the next moment shatters all my expectations.
"Oh my…! Oh, heavens!!"
Suddenly, Chairman Han flings his cane to the floor and comes lumbering toward me at full speed. His guards startle and reach to support him, but he shoves them aside and closes the distance in a flash.
"Y-you're… are you really Kang Jinwoo?!"
"The real deal?!"
"Uh… yes? Y-yes, sir!"
"Nice to meet you, I'm intern Kang Jinwoo of the four trillion—"
Gasp! As I awkwardly bow, he seizes both my hands. His wrinkled grip trembles violently. Tears of emotion well up in the Chairman's eyes.
"Thank you!"
"Truly, thank you!"
"Thank you for staying alive, young man!!"
???????????????
"…Pardon?"
"If you hadn't shown up,"
"our Seol-ah would've turned into a real monster!"
"Gulping down handfuls of sleeping pills every night,"
"sending half the company to the ER—that ruthless workaholic demon…"
"Suddenly started wolfing down two bowls of rice and smiling on her way to work from yesterday, and I couldn't believe my eyes!"
The Chairman shakes my hands up and down, wiping his tears.
"We poured billions every year into detectives and info firms just to find you!"
"Later, she was ready to launch satellites to scour the neighborhood—I barely talked her down!"
"Taesung Group's finances nearly went bankrupt over you alone!"
My jaw hits the floor. Satellites? To track me down? I shoot Seol-ah a horrified look. She strokes my cheek with a serene, loving smile, like what's the problem?
This family's utterly mad. The scale is unreal.
"Kang! No, son-in-law Kang!"
"S-son-in-law?!"
I freak at the sudden title upgrade, but the Chairman's already anointed me Taesung's perfect savior.
"Our Seol-ah said she'd lock you in a penthouse for life and make you play games all day!"
"Brilliant idea!"
"You just breathe!"
"Don't lift a finger!"
"If you keep her heart at ease forever,"
"I'll hand over 30% of our Taesung affiliate shopping mall shares right now!"
"Grandpa."
Seol-ah crosses her arms with a snort.
"Who're you trying to fob off with 30%?"
"You think Jinwoo'd settle for pocket change?"
"Cough up 50%."
"And transfer the Cheongdam-dong penthouse deed fully to Jinwoo."
"Or I'll take Jinwoo and emigrate to the US to join your rival company."
"O-okay! 50%!"
"Take it!"
"I'll call legal right now to stamp the stock transfer!"
"Son-in-law Kang, please stick to our Seol-ah like glue."
"Don't run away, I beg you!"
The man who rules Korea's economy is begging a returning business student intern to be his granddaughter's security blanket. Even dangling 50% shopping mall shares as collateral against me bolting.
The Strategy Planning staff lined up around us gawk in dazed stupor, reality shattered. We thought he was a parachute intern—turns out he's the "princely consort" come to devour the group whole.
"Alright, Grandpa."
"You've confirmed it, so leave now."
"My Jinwoo didn't sleep last night; he's tired."
"I need to put him down for a nap in my office, so don't interfere."
Seol-ah waves him off dismissively.
"Got it, got it!"
"Rest well!"
"Son-in-law Kang, eat plenty of good stuff for your health!"
"I'll send top-grade tonics to the main house tomorrow!"
The Chairman bursts into a beaming laugh and vanishes into the elevator under guard escort. In the storm-swept hallway float my compass-lost brain and the surreal number "50% shopping mall shares."
"See, Jinwoo?"
Seol-ah whispers softly in my ear. Her fragrant shampoo scent envelops me, along with an irresistible absolute possessiveness.
"Grandpa approved too."
"You're completely mine now."
"Down to your bones, every strand of hair—all of it."
I rub my face with trembling hands. Bank balance 300,000 won, fretting next month's rent—job hunter Kang Jinwoo. As of today, I'm officially Taesung affiliate majority shareholder and the perfect, absolute husband to the pitiless chaebol heiress.
No resignation. No job-hopping. In this ruthlessly sweet, deadly golden prison, I'll spend life blissfully fattened on premium hanwoo beef and sushi she provides.
Honestly? Is there a more perfect employment success story out there?
I gently stroke Seol-ah's head on my shoulder, flashing the world's brightest, most capitalist smile. Life? Totally worth living.