The Successor

"Secretary Kim. I'll ask you directly. What are you here for?"

"Why, I came to escort Miss Seo-yeon back."

Even when Seo-yeon snapped at him, Secretary Kim simply stood there like an immovable boulder.

As if venting frustration she could no longer contain, Seo-yeon pressed him even harder.

"Do you intend to report this to the Chairman?"

"Yes. That is my job."

"What's the purpose? Does the Chairman not want me seeing my brother?"

"I wouldn't know. As you said, Miss Seo-yeon, I am nothing more than the Chairman's hunting dog. I report what I witness to my master and act as my master commands. That is all."

"So you're saying you have no purpose of your own?"

"As I said earlier, I merely followed because you have been away from home frequently of late."

"How unpleasant."

It struck me that it had been a long time since I'd seen such a venomous expression on Seo-yeon's face. Perhaps the first time since our sibling relationship had been restored.

Secretary Kim remained impassive either way.

Suddenly, a question occurred to me.

"Secretary Kim, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for an outsider like me to ask this."

"There is no need to use honorifics with me, Young Master Si-hyeon. Please speak comfortably."

"I take it the Chairman still hasn't found a successor who satisfies him?"

Secretary Kim fell silent.

As if to say that was beyond what a hunting dog could answer.

But the silence was itself an answer.

Seo-yeon, too, seemed to have already sensed this, because instead of being surprised or angry, she bit down hard on her lip.

I knew full well that this remark was picking at Seo-yeon's wounds.

So I hadn't particularly wanted to bring it up, but if my guess was right, I couldn't afford to reveal the full extent of my newly close relationship with Seo-yeon in front of this man.

"I can roughly guess. The Chairman is getting on in years, yet the succession issue remains unresolved, and he's shown interest in me every ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time I've seen him. I doubt I'd satisfy him either, but even allowing for that, it seems there's been a real shortage of capable successors."

"Frankly, I'm surprised."

The boulder-like man finally opened his mouth.

"What surprises you?"

"I had assumed you would have no interest in the Hancheon Group succession race, Young Master Si-hyeon. That is merely my own thought, of course."

It was a reasonable assumption.

In fact, I still had no interest in the successor position.

The internal state of the succession race was something I could quickly infer from my grandfather's reactions and what Seo-yeon had told me.

"I still don't have much interest. And I'd like to keep it that way. But does the Chairman also have no particular interest in me?"

"..."

Secretary Kim closed his mouth again.

He apparently couldn't state his own opinion as if it were the Chairman's intent.

"If it's hard for you to answer, there's a simpler way."

It wasn't a method I particularly wanted to use, but I might end up facing him eventually anyway.

If so, it was better to just gauge his intentions now.

"Can you reach the Chairman?"

"I will check."

Secretary Kim made a call.

Before long, the call connected, and Secretary Kim began speaking with Chairman ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Han.

"Yes, I'll put him on right away."

With those final words, Secretary Kim handed me the phone.

I took the phone and brought it to my ear, and a dignified old man's voice rang in my ear.

"It's been a while."

"I trust you've been well, Chairman."

"Still so stiff. Enough. I heard you asked for me. What is it?"

"I assume you've heard the situation from Secretary Kim. I'll ask you directly. What do you intend to do about Seo-yeon?"

"What do you mean, what do I intend to do? Are you saying I should control even my granddaughter meeting her own family?"

Unexpectedly, his reaction was different from what I'd anticipated.

I'd thought he would use Seo-yeon's treatment as leverage to demand something from me.

"I thought you'd be stricter."

"Did Seo-yeon tell you that about me?"

"I'm only guessing based on my memories of you from childhood."

Chairman Han chuckled as if he knew everything anyway.

"I suppose it can't be helped if you think that."

Seen this way, he really did seem like a kindly grandfather.

Sighing inwardly, I asked him point-blank.

"To be honest, I thought you intended to use Seo-yeon as leverage to drag me into the succession race."

"There's no need for that."

Chairman Han said it decisively.

"There are plenty of people who want to sit on the throne. It's true that I'd like to hand the group to my own blood if possible, but I have no intention of forcing it on someone who doesn't want it."

Well, putting a leader in charge who doesn't want the job would be a shortcut to ruin.

In that case, couldn't Seo-yeon also quit the succession race surprisingly easily?

But my complacent thought collapsed with Chairman Han's next words.

"Though the story would be different if a leash were attached."

"A leash?"

"I mean your sister. For her mother's sake, wouldn't she have to keep striving in the succession race?"

When I looked at Seo-yeon, she averted her eyes.

Suppressing my agitation, I asked with feigned composure.

"What do you mean, for her mother's sake?"

"You don't know? I suppose that's possible. Ji-young wouldn't have told you. She wouldn't have wanted to worry her son."

What I heard from Chairman Han was something I had never even begun to imagine.

My mother had left home to marry my father.

But that marriage hadn't lasted long, and in the end they divorced when I was five.

And my mother had returned to her family.

Up to that point, it was a story I already knew.

But what came after was the problem.

When my mother returned after running away, she had nothing.

No influence, no foundation, nothing.

To gauge his daughter's abilities, and out of a sliver of lingering affection for her, my grandfather had entrusted her with the management of Hancheon Hotel.

Thanks to that, my mother had been able to build a foundation of her own, after a fashion.

But compared to her siblings, that foundation was truly meager.

So meager that once Chairman Han stepped back from the front lines, she would inevitably be pushed around by others.

"If Ji-young loses even her management rights over Hancheon Hotel, she'll have nothing left. For her mother's peaceful old age, Seo-yeon would have no choice but to work hard, wouldn't she?"

At those words, I unconsciously clenched my teeth.

My eyes met Seo-yeon's, who was watching me with an anxious expression.

Now I understood why Seo-yeon had resented me all this time. No, rather, it was a wonder she hadn't been able to hate me completely.

Because I hadn't been by her side, Seo-yeon had had to bear all the responsibility and duty for our mother alone.

"I see."

It wasn't hard to grasp why Chairman Han had revealed this to me.

Because this man knew that I still went to visit my mother.

It was a leash more certain than any half-measure.

A leash long and transparent, giving the illusion of freedom because it was almost invisible, yet impossible to ever remove.

And now, that leash had been fastened around me too.

"I heard you're coming for Ji-young's birthday as well. Let's meet then."

"Yes, I'll hang up now."

The call ended.

When I handed the phone back to Secretary Kim, he silently took it.

"Secretary Kim, I'd like to speak with Seo-yeon alone for a moment."

"I'll wait here."

Taking Seo-yeon's hand, I led her to a quiet, secluded spot.

Seo-yeon followed behind me in silence.

Going home would be the surest option, but I didn't want to show Aria this kind of face.

"Han Seo-yeon. Why haven't you said anything until now?"

"Because you had your own life too, big brother. Because in the end, you could never have abandoned Dad."

"Then at least after we reconciled, you could have told me—"

"Then I could tell you even less."

Tears welled up in Seo-yeon's eyes.

Her tearful eyes trembled uneasily.

"Big brother, could you have said it? To someone you love, could you have asked them ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to give up their entire life so far for your parents?"

That was true.

Even if I somehow won Chairman Han's favor, pulled ahead in the succession race, and inherited the group, the process wouldn't be smooth.

At the very least, it would be completely different from the ordinary life I'd lived until now.

That was why Seo-yeon, no matter how hard and painful it was, had hidden the truth about our mother from me to the very end.

I needed time to sort out my thoughts.

"For now, go home today."

I carefully wiped away Seo-yeon's tears.

"Fortunately, from now on we can meet without you having to hide it from our mother's side like this. I need time to sort out my thoughts too."

"Why do you need to sort out your thoughts? I'll figure out something about Mom, so you just—"

"How could I leave it all to you? I'm not just your brother; I'm Mom's son too."

I gave Seo-yeon a light hug.

At first, Seo-yeon's body stiffened in surprise, but soon she slowly hugged me back.

"Don't worry. It's not like I'm suddenly going to become the owner of Hancheon Group. I don't have the confidence for that in the first place."

"Then what will you do?"

"I'll have to think about it from now on. It's late, so go home for today. Let's meet later."

After lightly stroking Seo-yeon's hair, I stepped back out onto the road.

Secretary Kim was still waiting in the same spot.

"You've returned, Young Master Si-hyeon. Miss Seo-yeon."

"Yes. We've finished talking."

Seo-yeon stepped forward and got into the back seat of the sedan.

I waved to Seo-yeon.

Secretary Kim gave me one final polite nod before getting into the driver's seat.

Soon the sedan's door closed completely.

Watching the sedan grow more distant, I turned around.

When I got home, Aria, who had been waiting at the front door, greeted me.

"Ah, Brother! You're late. Did something happen?"

"What would have happened? I just lost track of time talking."

Pretending to be nonchalant in front of Aria, I headed for my room.

"Ah, Brother—"

"Sorry, I'm a bit tired today. I'll head in first."

Without even turning on the light in my room, I flopped down onto the bed.

Honestly, I couldn't get a handle on what to do.

Even if I joined the succession race now, could I pull ahead?

Impossible.

The only weapon I had was Chairman Han's favor, which could vanish at any moment.

But I couldn't just leave Seo-yeon like this.

In the dark room, I sank into thought about what lay ahead.

Then someone knocked on the door.

"Aria? What is it?"

"Brother, may I come in?"

"Come in."

When I gave permission, Aria opened the door and came in.

Aria was startled to see the dark room.

"Goodness. What were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you doing without even turning on the light?"

"Just... I had some things to think about."

"Did you fight with Seo-yeon?"

"It's not that. Really."

It was even less something Aria needed to know.

This was a matter between me and Seo-yeon.

I found myself wondering if this was how Seo-yeon had felt. She must not have wanted to drag me into it either. On the other hand, she probably still wished I'd stayed by her side.

I felt like a pathetic brother.

Instead of waiting for Seo-yeon to reach out first, I should have reached out first myself.

I was angry at myself for not having done so.

I unconsciously bit down hard on my lip, and tasted iron.

"May I turn on the light?"

"Do whatever you like."

"Then let me change the question. Would you prefer to keep the light off, Brother?"

"That's... yes."

I didn't want to show Aria this kind of face.

Even though the room was dark, I still covered my face with my arm.

Aria came over without turning on the light and sat beside me.

Then she carefully took hold of the arm that wasn't covering my face.

Aria's fingers slowly moved from my arm to my hand.

Aria's hand, pressed against mine, pulled my hand somewhere.

"Hup."

My fingers felt something soft and yielding.

This time, Aria pulled my hand even more firmly so that my palm pressed fully against that something.

Startled by the sensation, my hand unconsciously squeezed whatever was in front of it.

"Hahng...!"

A suggestive moan tickled my ear.

What had I just heard?

I hurriedly opened my eyes.

There was my hand, kneading Aria's breast.

"What is this."

I was too shocked to even speak.

Aria answered cautiously, her face flushed.

"I, I heard that when a man is feeling down, touching a woman's chest helps him feel better..."

Aria, what on earth are you talking about.