A Classmate Becomes a Rival (1)
He had wondered what this so-called surprising information could possibly be. But having the division head keep summoning someone as junior as himself was becoming a burden. Almost nobody else ever called for him—even Deputy Song, his own mentor, was never summoned by the man.
"Have a seat."
Kim Chirok blinked and sat down. Director Jang spoke with a sly grin.
"Don't be too shocked. This stays between us. Turns out Bang Mihee just bought a five-billion-won apartment in Banpo."
"What? Five billion?"
"The Jamsil Recents place I live in is barely cracking three billion these days. Five billion is something else, isn't it?"
"I don't understand. Her father's a PE teacher..."
"Heh heh heh. She didn't buy it with her father's money. Bang Mihee earned every last won of that apartment herself."
"How on earth did Bang Mihee pull that off? She makes even less than I do."
"Don't breathe a word of this to anyone."
"Who would I even tell?"
"It's poor form to go around talking about other people's money."
"I won't say anything."
"I heard about how Bang Mihee made her money because I deal with the owner's family fairly often."
"Even so, five billion is hard to wrap my head around."
"Bang Mihee is sharper than she looks. Working at the Chairman's side, she must have gotten her hands on some high-level information."
"Is that so?"
"My guess is she used that information to play the stock market."
"You still need seed money to invest in stocks..."
"Bang Mihee probably teamed up with some outside operator syndicate to pull it off. That's just my speculation, of course."
"Doesn't sound impossible."
"Listen, Kim Chirok. Marry Bang Mihee. I casually asked her about you, and she seemed to have a favorable impression."
"Pardon? What did you ask her about me?"
"I asked her what she thought of Kim Chirok. She said you seemed like a good man."
At those words Kim Chirok flushed, his face going red. It was proof that Bang Mihee thought well of him.
Director Jang's eyes crinkled with amusement.
"Heh. Looks like you're blushing."
"Me? Am I?"
Kim Chirok had a habit of turning red whenever anything happened to him. Even back in school, a single word of praise from a teacher would make his face flush. A man shouldn't be like that. He couldn't help thinking he was too timid—too much of a pushover.
Director Jang sat down and leaned in close, his mouth nearly at Kim Chirok's ear.
"Do it right and marry Bang Mihee. The Chairman even said he'd like to see her find a match within the company someday."
"I'm not at the stage of getting married yet."
"I'll talk to Accounting and have them advance you the wedding expenses. Bang Mihee seems like she's planning to leave the company the moment she gets married."
"Sounds like she wants to start a business."
"The Chairman treats her like a daughter. You think he wouldn't hand her some kind of concession? He's given a business interest to a former secretary before."
"The Chairman seems quite considerate toward his secretaries."
"The Chairman is merciless with people who mess up, but he always rewards those who do well. There's even a story that he bought a house for his chauffeur after thirty years of service."
"He's an impressive man."
"If you end up marrying Bang Mihee, go pay your New Year's respects as a couple every holiday. You'll shoot up through the ranks in this group."
"Hmm."
"There's nothing to think about. Court her properly and get married before the year is out. President Jeong-hee seems to have a good impression of you too. She even recommended you to Bang Mihee quite enthusiastically."
"Me?"
"President Jeong-hee probably figured that anyone who got into Seoul National University despite a difficult family background is a real talent."
"Is that true?"
"She even said this is the kind of person our group needs to cultivate. If you marry Bang Mihee, you'll have every executive and employee in the group congratulating you."
"But Bang Mihee has looks and money. Why would she marry someone like me? I don't even have enough money to submit a property-tax certificate to the company."
"That doesn't matter. If a man's smart, a house is something you can acquire in no time. Look at Bang Mihee. She's already got a place in Gangnam, hasn't she?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
"That's why Bang Mihee is looking for a smart man rather than some impressive family background."
"I understand. I'll think about it."
"Think too long and the opportunity might slip away. Plenty of guys are circling Bang Mihee right now."
"She's attractive, so that makes sense."
"Especially Jeong Chan-young from Team 1, who joined at the same time as you. Word is he's making a play for her."
"Jeong Chan-young?"
This was the first he'd heard that Jeong Chan-young liked Bang Mihee. Jeong Chan-young had never shown the slightest sign of it. Jeong Chan-young came from a good family and had money—Bang Mihee might well take a liking to him. And wasn't Jeong Chan-young's father the president of an affiliate company?
As Kim Chirok stood there stunned, Director Jang grinned again.
"Jeong Chan-young is a reasonable catch, I suppose. He's sociable, and his father is president of one of our group's affiliates. Hard to find fault with a candidate like that."
"So Jeong Chan-young likes Bang Mihee."
"But I have a feeling Cupid's arrow from Bang Mihee is going to land on you."
"I don't understand why she'd take an interest in someone like me when Jeong Chan-young, with his family background, is right there."
"That's her self-confidence talking. She's got money of her own, so she can afford to pick someone with looks and brains."
"I-is that so?"
"Bang Mihee really is something. If I were still a bachelor, I'd propose to her myself. She's a genuinely attractive woman."
"I understand. I'll think about it."
"Honestly, you'd be hard-pressed to find a woman of her caliber. Better to decide quickly."
"I understand. I'll discuss it with my mother as well."
"Not a word of what I said here leaves this room. Especially not the part about Bang Mihee owning a five-billion-won apartment."
"Understood."
Kim Chirok bowed and left the division head's office.
When he returned to his desk, Deputy Song pursed his lips.
"Why does Jang Zhuge keep calling for you?"
Kim Chirok didn't have a good answer, so he deflected.
"He was asking about my family background."
"Why would he ask about your family? You already got hired. I wonder if Jang Zhuge is cooking something up again."
This time the team leader called him over.
"Why does Director Jang keep summoning you?"
"He asked about my family circumstances."
"Not to give you work? Once you're in the company, that's that—why pry into someone's family? Don't tell me he offered to play matchmaker?"
"Haha. That's not it."
"I heard he has a niece who can't get married. He's probably trying to set you up. Brush it off. I guarantee she won't be a match for you."
Kim Chirok wondered what the team leader's reaction would be if he knew Director Jang had told him to marry Bang Mihee, not his niece.
"Haha. It wasn't about matchmaking."
"Then is he going to give you a commendation for getting into SNU despite a tough background? Ah—PR is putting together a company pamphlet. Maybe they want you as a model?"
"A pamphlet?"
"They'll put employee faces in it, at least. Bang Mihee will be in it for sure, no question. And you've got decent looks, so someone probably recommended you."
"It wasn't about a pamphlet. He just asked about my family and told me to work hard."
"That so?"
The team leader tilted his head. Kim Chirok returned to his desk.
He sat there, but the work wouldn't come to his hands at all.
Does Bang Mihee really have feelings for me?
A woman of her caliber wouldn't come up short against anyone. Her face was pretty enough that people would call her beautiful, and her figure was killer. On top of that, she'd made a lot of money. She seemed like a decent catch.
But the way she loved luxury brands, the way she drove a car far beyond her means—that bothered him. And her makeup was too heavy. She also came across as cold and haughty.
Ah... if only there were a woman who resembled Hirosue Yoshiko.
Yoshiko had that East Asian look about her. She was pretty, and she seemed like the type who would be devoted to her husband. She was also skilled with traditional instruments like the shamisen. He didn't know what kouta even was, but she sang those songs well too—she seemed rich in artistic sensibility.
Should I make a formal proposal to Bang Mihee?
She might have some vague idea that he was struggling financially. Director Jang or President Jeong-hee might have mentioned it. And perhaps Bang Mihee, having money of her own, really would look for a smart man rather than a family background.
Would she actually choose someone, even if he had no money, as long as he was intelligent?
His mother had gone to a matchmaking service and come home humiliated. So he figured an arranged marriage was out of the question for him. He wasn't the dating type, either. Whenever he stood in front of a woman he liked, the words just wouldn't come out.
But the fact that his classmate Jeong Chan-young liked Bang Mihee was a shock. Jeong Chan-young had been approaching her in secret, without anyone knowing. And Jeong Chan-young was outgoing, spent money freely, and had a way with words—Bang Mihee might well like him more.
A quiet competitive fire began to kindle in him. He had spent his whole life being crushed by Jeong Chan-young. What if he were the one to claim Bang Mihee? That would be the first time he ever beat Jeong Chan-young at anything.
Would that mean the son of a poor cleaning lady had beaten the son of a conglomerate affiliate president?
A thrill ran through Kim Chirok.
But if he and Bang Mihee got together, his relationship with Jeong Chan-young would turn very ugly. He might even find himself ostracized among their old classmates.
All right. Bang Mihee isn't my type, but I'll propose. I can't lose to Jeong Chan-young. I lost to him every single day in school—I will not lose to him out here in the real world too.
Kim Chirok clenched both fists tight.