Get Lost While I'm Asking Nicely

"Myorang—no, Samsaek! Over here. Look, hyung has a Churu for you!"

Jun-sang desperately waved the Churu in one hand toward Samsaek-i.

Unfortunately, Samsaek-i had absolutely no interest in him.

Meeea~wwn.

Samsaek-i, who let out a long yawn on the shelf mounted on the wall, turned his head away as if he couldn't care less.

Anxious at the sight, Jun-sang took another step closer.

"Samsaek! Samsaek! Aren't you glad to see hyung after so long? I even have a Churu here, aren't you happy? Come here~"

He called out pleadingly, but the cold-hearted Samsaek-i wouldn't even show his face anymore.

However, there was a kitten who showed interest in Jun-sang—or rather, the Churu in his hand.

Mew.

"Huh? Who are you?"

A strangely sluggish sound for a cat's meow, and a chubbiness that made it hard to believe he was a kitten.

It was the appearance of Meok-bo.

Even though all the siblings, including Bo-ri, ignored Jun-sang, Meok-bo approached with a majestic air and demanded the Churu.

Meeew.

"Huh? You... you want this?"

Mew.

"Okay, you can have it. Hmph, Samsaek, I'm giving yours to him, okay? I'm really giving it to him!"

...

Despite Jun-sang's final ultimatum, Samsaek-i showed no reaction whatsoever.

No, far from reacting, he didn't even show his face.

Piqued, Jun-sang finally tore open the Churu and gave it to Meok-bo.

Mew.

Delighted that the Churu had finally appeared in front of him, Meok-bo stood on his hind legs to eat it.

At the same time, his front paws tightly gripped Jun-sang's hand holding the treat. This was a habit Meok-bo had developed because of Dojin.

Concerned that Meok-bo was growing unusually large compared to his siblings, Dojin only gave him half a snack at a time.

Unlike his siblings, after having his snacks snatched away mid-meal a few times, Meok-bo developed the habit of holding onto the hand feeding him.

Lick, lick.

"...Is it good?"

Jun-sang asked, his eyes sparkling.

Meok-bo, eating the Churu without even pausing to breathe, was incredibly cute.

Although Samsaek-i was much prettier, Jun-sang found himself leaning toward Meok-bo rather than the aloof calico who wouldn't come when called.

Just then, Eun-ju, who had been talking with Jun-sang, entered the playroom.

"Oh my, who is this? He looks so plump! What's your name, little one?"

Mew.

Meok-bo let out a short meow.

He found it annoying that Eun-ju was petting his head and chin, calling him cute.

Yet, he still licked up every single drop of the Churu Jun-sang was feeding him.

"He's Samsaek-i's brother, and his name is Meok-bo. As for why... I think you can tell just by looking at him?"

"Ah... Pfft!"

At Dojin's words, Eun-ju scanned Meok-bo and burst into laughter.

It wasn't a very elegant name for a cat, but there was no better name for this particular feline.

"So your name is Meok-bo? Meok-bo is very social. Thank you for playing with our Jun-sang."

"Sigh, that's not sociability, it's just his appetite."

Dohee corrected Eun-ju.

Having entered the playroom with Dojin, she hadn't taken her eyes off Meok-bo from the moment she walked in.

"Tsk, what a traitor. He'll follow anyone who gives him a Churu."

Dohee's eyes narrowed further as she glared at Meok-bo.

Since he was the only cat who welcomed her, she had gone out of her way to give him extra treats, but now she saw there was a clear motive behind it.

"Just you wait, Meok-bo! No more ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Churu for you."

It was the moment Dohee, realizing she had been treated as a mere Churu shuttle, declared war on Meok-bo.

Of course, Meok-bo didn't care in the slightest.

"Mom, look at this! He eats so well! I think he likes me."

"Right? It looks like Meok-bo really likes our Jun-sang."

Eun-ju, chiming in with her son's excitement, turned to Dojin.

"Thank you for letting us visit today. Jun-sang was throwing a huge fuss, constantly asking when we were going to see Samsaek-i."

"Haha, you didn't contact us for a while after your last visit, so I was actually curious. Judging by Jun-sang's reaction back then, I thought he'd want to come every day."

"Sigh... I know. I never imagined our whole family would catch COVID-19. Thanks to that, we were stuck at home for a month, unable to budge."

Dojin already knew about this.

Because he had read the notice posted on her channel.

Upon seeing the notice, Dojin had quickly called Kkulnyang-i.

He was worried that the source of the infection might have been them.

Fortunately, Kkulnyang-i laughed and told him not to worry.

"Ah, that's a relief. I was worried about what to do if it was because of us. How is the family's health?"

The phone call ended after they agreed that Kkulnyang-i's return content would be a revisit to Sekki House.

Kkulnyang-i's son, Jun-sang, had missed Samsaek-i dearly,

and Dojin also found this meeting quite pleasant.

Is it because she has a child? She strangely feels like an older sister.

Kkulnyang-i's current age was thirty-six.

Considering Dojin was thirty-eight before his regression, she should have felt more like a younger sister, but Kkulnyang-i didn't give off that vibe at all.

Instead, she possessed an aura that embraced those around her, to the point of making him think of an older sister he never had.

Perhaps that was why even Bo-ri and the others didn't show any particular aversion to Kkulnyang-i.

Mew...

Even when she petted them to the point of interrupting their Churu-eating, like just now.

It was while they were watching Kkulnyang-i, her son, and Meok-bo.

A knock sounded at the cat playroom door.

Knock, knock.

"Um, Boss. You should come out for a moment."

"Yes. Just a moment."

At the man's call, Dojin excused himself to Kkulnyang-i and stepped outside.

"Did another problem come up?"

Dojin, stepping into the hallway, asked the man who had called him—Hong Eun-seop, the leader of the security team.

Eun-seop nodded calmly and spoke.

"There has been a conflict with our staff."

"Sigh, what is the reason this time?"

Dojin asked, sounding exhausted.

He wondered what kind of issue it was now.

However, the words that came out of Eun-seop's mouth were not about some minor issue like before.

"They are using the air bounce without permission, claiming they need it for filming. Our staff tried to stop them, telling them they must speak with you first, but they are stubbornly pushing ahead, claiming it was already agreed upon."

"Ha, these bastards, seriously."

A curse finally slipped from Dojin's mouth.

He had seen the warning signs from the start, and now they had finally crossed the line.

"Ha!"

Arriving at the playground under Eun-seop's guidance, Dojin couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

"Why is all of this gathered here?"

The play equipment that had been scattered around was now all gathered in the playground.

Moreover, looking closely, the condition of the equipment was strange.

The surfaces, which had been clean since they were recently purchased and barely used, were now covered in scratches.

Looking even closer, he could even see places where holes had been temporarily patched up.

"Why is the equipment in this state?"

"I was told the staff handled them carelessly. Apparently, no matter how much our guards tried to stop them, it was no use."

"This is driving me crazy."

As Eun-seop continued, Dojin's expression grew increasingly rigid.

Looking at the ground, the playground floor was gouged here and there.

A place that had been carefully maintained with natural grass so that animals and children could play safely had turned into an eyesore in an instant.

"Ah, Dojin."

Just as Dojin was glaring coldly at his surroundings, a voice calling him reached his ears.

Turning his head, Dojin saw a thin man with a sly impression waving his hand as he approached.

"..."

"What's up? Did something happen? Why is your face so stiff?"

At the man's tone, which suggested nothing was wrong, Dojin's eyebrows twitched.

Perhaps due to his slit-like eyes, the man felt even more despicable.

"...Are you really saying that after looking at this?"

At Dojin's cold words, the man looked around.

It looked like an exaggerated gesture at first glance, but Dojin could tell.

The man in front of him genuinely didn't understand what was wrong.

Sure enough, the words that came out of the man's mouth were exactly as Dojin expected.

"Uh... well? I don't really know. Ah, is it because the set is messy? You have to be understanding about this. You don't know much about it, but in filming, only the angle in the shot needs to look clean. Everywhere else always looks like this."

Just as Dojin was about to snap at the man who spoke as if this were completely natural, a voice calling the man came from behind them.

"Hey! Assistant Director Jo, where are you!"

"Ah, Director! I'm over here! Sorry, Dojin, let's talk later."

Leaving those words, the man patted Dojin on the shoulder and ran off.

For Dojin, it was a situation that only provoked a hollow laugh.

"...Unbelievable!"

They say when you're completely dumbfounded, you just laugh.

That was exactly how Dojin felt right now.

Dojin asked Eun-seop beside him.

"Have they been acting like this the whole time?"

"Pretty much. Some slipped away like that, and others just ignored us. Most of the time, they either got angry or looked down on us."

"They looked down on you? You, Team Leader Hong?"

"Not just me, but the entire team."

"These bastards really need a lesson."

At Eun-seop's words, Dojin headed toward where the voice had come from earlier.

Passing by people and equipment, he arrived in front of the camera.

There, the man who had just acted so nonchalantly in front of Dojin was bowing obsequiously before a man sitting in a chair.

"What's going on? I thought you said you settled all the location arrangements? Why do those guys keep picking fights?"

"Haha, that's just how civilians who don't know anything about filming are. Actually, I just spoke with the person in charge here."

"Really? So there won't be any more annoying interruptions?"

"Of course. Don't worry and just keep going! With me here, what could go wrong?"

"Is that so? I really picked the right assistant director. Beom-su, you rascal! Keep this up. Do well, and I'll make sure to pull you up with me in the future."

"Oh my! Thank you, sunbae-nim! I will continue to serve you well."

"What a joke."

Dojin scoffed at their conversation.

Those two might not know it, but the looks the surrounding staff gave them were not very pleasant.

Who were they pulling up and who were they serving while shooting a mere indie film?

Most of the staff were college students, paid less than minimum wage, yet these two were putting on all kinds of airs.

But then, a conversation that should never have reached Dojin's ears drifted over.

"Ah, by the way, I heard the dog owned by the representative here is really famous?"

"Ah, Ttorang-i? Yes, that's probably true. I heard one of her videos got over a million views."

"Why don't we have her make a cameo in our movie while we're here?"

"Huh? An animal? Wouldn't that be a bit difficult? Animals aren't easy to control."

"What is there to control? We can just shove her in a cage and get a few shots of the main characters carrying her around."

"Oh! There's that way? That would be great since we wouldn't need to train her. As expected, you're an idea bank, sunbae-nim."

"Heh, cut the flattery. Anyway, go tell the representative we want to use the dog. It's just a stray mutt he picked up anyway, so it shouldn't be hard."

"Yes, then I'll go right now..."

"Cut the bullshit."

Dojin, who had been listening closely since Ttorang-i was mentioned, could no longer hold back when the director called her a "stray mutt he picked up," and stepped forward.

"Huh?"

"Do... Dojin?"

Panic flashed in the eyes of the two men as they glared at Dojin, who had dared to interrupt them.

Since the representative of this place, who hadn't visited the set once since their first meeting, had suddenly appeared, they couldn't help but be shocked.

The director's gaze naturally shifted to the assistant director.

After all, the assistant director had repeatedly claimed to have a close personal relationship with Dojin.

However, Dojin's words were much faster.

"This is ridiculous. You begged me to help because it was an indie film, so I let you borrow the place for a few days, and now you think you own the place."

"W-what? You! Aren't you taking things too far?"

Offended by the dismissive tone, the director jumped up from his seat.

But Dojin didn't even spare him a glance.

He had been staring coldly at the assistant director the entire time.

"Did you beg me to help you just once for this, Beom-su hyung?"

"..."

At Dojin's words, the assistant director, Jang Beom-su's face turned pale.

To him, the current situation was like hell.

When he first found out that Dojin, who came from the same orphanage, was the representative of Sekki House, he thought everything would go smoothly.

He believed he could get his abilities recognized by a third-generation chaebol heir who shot indie films as a hobby.

Geumwon Construction might not be a conglomerate, but it's quite solid among mid-sized companies. If I make a good impression, securing investment for my directorial debut won't be a problem later.

For his own future, Beom-su spared no means.

Not only did he contact Dojin, whom he hadn't spoken to since leaving the orphanage, but he also begged those close to Dojin to help persuade him.

That was how he had barely managed to borrow the location by whining.

Although meeting Dojin after so long felt a bit awkward, he thought he didn't need to worry anymore once the location sponsorship was secured.

But an unexpected obstacle arose.

The people responsible for security here were unexpectedly strict.

"There is no clause in the sponsorship contract allowing the use of our electricity. Please unplug the cord."

"You must not move the equipment without permission."

"Are you sure this was discussed with the representative? We haven't received any such instructions."

"You must clean up after filming. Tomorrow's shoot is tomorrow's shoot, but you need to clean up today's mess."

Things that would normally be overlooked or tolerated during a shoot were strictly forbidden by them.

Unable to take it anymore, Beom-su had gone to find Dojin, but the person he met was not Dojin, but his employee.

That employee, who introduced herself as Jo Seungwan, was even worse than the security guards, not better.

"We should be following the terms of the contract. The use of the location and equipment requires prior approval; otherwise, you must follow the instructions of the person in charge. Am I mistaken?"

"..."

"But it's strange. Our security team isn't usually that rigid, yet there's this much friction. Did you perhaps move the equipment arbitrarily without telling us?"

In the end, Beom-su gave up on arguing further.

He realized this place was not very favorable to filming.

Instead, Beom-su decided to put on a thick skin.

It's hard to get permission, but easy to get forgiveness.

This saying, often applied to married couples, was surprisingly common on filming sets as well.

"What are they going to say once we're done using it? I'll just buy him a meal later and apologize. A guy who succeeded enough to buy a place like this wouldn't hold a grudge over something like that, right?"

His way of thinking, viewing the world only to his convenience,

and his past experiences of being accommodated just because he was part of a film crew, drove him to run wild.

"This was already discussed with the representative. You don't know about it? Then go check with him. Why are you telling us?"

"Ah, then how are we supposed to turn on the lights without drawing electricity? What, do you want us to ride a bicycle to generate power or something?"

"Could you step back? You're interfering with our shoot. You keep getting in the way while we're moving our equipment."

"Geez, if you keep bothering us like this, I'll have no choice but to speak to the representative. The representative and I used to eat and sleep under the same roof. What did you say your name was again?"

Beom-su thought that if he pushed hard like this, the other side would have no choice.

What kind of employee would report every little thing to the boss?

But there were such employees.

"The only reason I tolerated your reckless behavior until now was because we came from the same orphanage. Unlike others, we didn't have parents or siblings to protect us. But now I see that wasn't the case for you, hyung. You just thought of me as an easy pushover to exploit."

"..."

"I told you when we first signed the contract. If the terms of the contract are not properly fulfilled or if you cause harm to our staff, the contract will be terminated immediately. You remember, right?"

He remembered.

How could he forget when he had worked so hard to remove that clause?

He had whined and tried to gloss over it.

He had asked for understanding by talking about industry details Dojin wouldn't know, and had even pushed hard with subtle threats.

But every time, the answer Beom-su received was always the same.

"Then should we just not sign the contract?"

Ultimately crushed by those words, Beom-su had failed to delete the clause.

And that very clause was now catching up to him.

"Everyone, get out. You cannot use any of the footage filmed here either."

"What? Who do you think you are! Who are you to tell me to discard what I filmed!"

The director was the first to react to Dojin's words.

He had remained quiet because the situation was turning strange,

but the statement that they couldn't use the footage finally snapped his thread of reason.

In fact, it was a miracle that someone raised as a third-generation chaebol had held back this much.

But to Dojin, he was just a loach muddying his home.

"Check the contract for details. Get lost while I'm still asking nicely."

"What? How dare this bastard... Do you know who I am! You bastard! You must think I'm a joke just because you own a crappy closed school like this, but I'm the grandson of Chairman Ban Il-sik of Geumwon Construction! I'm a direct descendant of the chairman!"

"I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠don't care if you're a direct descendant or a pair of tongs, just get lost. Clean this place up. Ah, you'd better restore everything properly. I will charge you for all the damaged equipment and the ruined grass."

"What is that crazy bastard saying... Hey, you bastard! Come here!"

"Do... Dojin."

Beom-su called out to Dojin, who was walking away while ignoring the raging director.

His expression looked as desperate as when he had come to sign the contract.

But Dojin had already been fooled by that face once.

"Don't ever show your face in front of me again. And don't bring up our orphanage connection either."

With those final words, Dojin walked away.

And once Dojin disappeared, the playground literally turned into a chaotic mess.

"L-let go of me! Do you know who I am!"

"I don't care, just pack up quickly."

"Wait a minute, that's personal equipment. Don't touch it carelessly."

"If you care so much about your personal equipment, why did you handle our private property so carelessly? You're the one who poked a hole here, right? We will file a claim for compensation specifically listing your team and your name."

"W-wait a minute. Let go of this."

"I believe you were told to destroy the memory. Why are you backing it up?"

"W-well, that's because we don't know what will happen with the contract later..."

"We just received word from the representative. He said there is absolutely no chance of the contract changing, so delete it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and hand over the memory card. We will send you a new product of the same capacity."

"..."

Thanks to all the security staff at Sekki House rushing over on Dojin's orders, the area was cleared up much faster than expected.

Eun-seop, who had been watching the scene closely, glanced at the director who was still shouting, and pulled out his phone.

After a brief ring, the call connected.

At the warm voice that put him at ease just by listening, Eun-seop's brow relaxed for a moment.

But soon, managing his expression, he calmly began to do what he had to do.

"Chairman, there is someone here who needs to be dealt with. It's Geumwon Construction..."