Shattered Illusions (3)

Sunday arrived — the day Bang Mihee was moving into the Banpo apartment.

The thought of a woman living alone in a place that size left Kim Chirok speechless.

Did Jeong Chan-young go over today to help her haul the boxes?

He wanted to stop caring about anything that had to do with Bang Mihee. No matter how he looked at it, the woman did not seem right in the head. Even the designer clothes she draped herself in and the imported cars she drove around in sat poorly with him.

And yet the fact that a young woman was already living in a five-billion-won apartment in Banpo, Gangnam — that, he had to admit, was something to envy. Standing in front of Bang Mihee, his Seoul National University diploma felt like nothing at all.

He could almost hear Oh Ha-young cackling behind him, a phantom laugh that wasn't quite there.

But if Bang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mihee really had been a club girl, he supposed he ought to thank Oh Ha-young. She was the one who had dug up that information and brought it to him. Without it, he would have kept chasing after Bang Mihee, asking her to marry him.

He never would have guessed that dating Oh Ha-young back in Incheon would pay off like this.

Over a meal with his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mother, he spoke up.

"Mom. You remember Jeong Chan-young? He was in my class when we lived in Dogok-dong."

"Of course I do. Isn't he Pig Mom's son? From the apartment complex where I used to work as a cleaner?"

"You remember her too."

"How could I forget? You and Jong-hyuk used to laugh every time that woman walked by, calling her a pig."

"I heard that lady's pretty good at golf."

"What? Golf? That's what having money does to people — they mess around with that nonsense."

"Apparently they play as a family?"

"Let them play or not, I don't care. But that woman always looked so uncultured to me. I don't know if she's got money or not, but why was she always wearing that gold necklace and those flashy rings?"

Neither Kim Chirok nor his mother had the faintest idea that Jeong Chan-young's mother had once been a maid in the Chairman's household. She was a Gangnam socialite now. How could they have known her past?

"Turns out Chan-young's father is the president of one of the affiliates at the company I work for."

"Is that so? Then you should work hard and climb all the way to president yourself. Then we'll move back into an apartment in that neighborhood."

"I have no desire to live in that neighborhood again."

Another week passed, and Sunday came around once more.

This was the day Jeong Chan-young's family and Bang Mihee were going golfing. It was also the day Kim Chirok was sitting for the JLPT.

The test site was not far from Bongcheon-dong, where he lived — a high school in the neighboring district of Dongjak-gu.

On his way to the exam, Kim Chirok found himself thinking that Jeong Chan-young was probably heading to the golf course in his BMW right about now.

Bang Mihee's probably gone with heavy makeup and sunglasses on.

In the past, that thought would have set him on fire. The idea of Jeong Chan-young playing golf with the woman he was dating would have been unbearable. He would have wanted to run over and grab Jeong Chan-young by the collar then and there.

But not anymore. Bang Mihee's real face was not that of a beauty, and she had been the kind of woman who frequented clubs. His affection for her was draining away by the day. He even felt a little sorry for Jeong Chan-young, dating someone like that.

Birds of a feather. Let them have their fun.

Today, Kim Chirok's heart was at peace — still and clear as a mirror over still water. And so the JLPT seemed to go well. He had taken N1, the highest level, but he had a feeling he might actually pass.

Monday arrived.

After work he went to the Japanese language academy in the evening. He was starting to wonder if he should quit the academy altogether. He had reached a point where self-study was more than enough. He was also considering signing up for a native-speaker conversation class. The company covered the tuition anyway, so it would not be a burden.

That was why Kim Chirok was standing in front of the classroom directory posted on the academy bulletin board when he ran into Jang Min-soo from the real estate company, who had also come to class.

"Oh? Hyung-nim? What are you doing here? You took the JLPT yesterday, right?"

"Oh, Jang Min-soo."

"Did it go well? You're a Seoul National University ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠graduate, so of course you did great."

"It went alright."

"But why are you staring at the bulletin board like that?"

"I was thinking of switching to a native conversation class. By the way — you still in touch with Yumiko?"

"Hehe. We talk all the time."

"You're going to Japan next month, right? To meet Yumiko's parents?"

"Yes, next month. But Hyung-nim, you're still seeing the person you're dating, aren't you? You two meet often?"

"We're not. It's over."

"What? You broke up?"

"That's how it went."

"Sounds like you're the one who dumped her. With your looks and that school you went to, I'd have thought the woman would be the one chasing you. So why'd you dump her?"

"She seemed a little too obsessed with designer brands…"

"Then maybe she's like one of those Japanese papakatsu girls?"

"Papakatsu? What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't know? Well, a word like papakatsu wouldn't exactly show up on the JLPT. It refers to young Japanese women who go out with rich older men."

"Is that so? There are women like that in Japan?"

"I've heard there are plenty. That's why when I first met Yumiko, the only thing I checked was whether she was wearing designer clothes. Luckily, Yumiko wasn't like that at all."

Kim Chirok thought his own powers of observation were worse than this real estate employee's.

He smiled.

"Yumiko seemed down-to-earth to me, too. And she's got that cute charm — Jang Min-soo, you must be a lucky man."

"Hehe. Thank you."

"Still, the idea that young Japanese women date older men just for designer goods is pretty shocking."

"I've heard there are a lot of them. Even among college students, apparently."

"Really?"

"The ones who love luxury brands would, I suppose. Doesn't Korea have compensated dating too?"

"So Japanese papakatsu is like compensated dating?"

"Something like that. In Japan, young women pick older men because their actual boyfriends are broke and boring to go out with. Rich older guys splash money around and buy them designer stuff, right?"

"But that's only a tiny minority, surely."

"No. The numbers are supposedly quite substantial. But Hyung-nim — you didn't get caught by a tsutsumotase, did you?"

"A tsutsumotase? What's that now?"

"A honey trap. A gold digger. There's no way a smart guy like you got caught by one of those, right?"

"No. The woman I broke up with used to work in the chairman's secretary's office at a major company."

"Ah, is that so? Anyway, you should be careful if you go to Japan. You're at a big corporation, so you'll be going on business trips a lot, won't you?"

Class time was approaching, and Kim Chirok headed into the classroom.

The Japanese instructor said with a gentle smile,

"The JLPT went well yesterday, I hope?"

"Yes, it went reasonably well."

"If you pass, you absolutely have to treat us."

"I'll do that."

Thursday arrived. Director Jang of the Strategic Planning Office called Kim Chirok in.

Kim Chirok entered the director's office. Director Jang, who normally beamed and crinkled his eyes in a smile whenever he saw him, was different today. His expression was stiff.

"You and Bang Mihee seem to have cooled off lately."

"Does it look that way?"

"I told you to make the first move — to break the ice with the Ice Princess. But now some other guy's about to crack it first."

"It doesn't matter to me."

"Doesn't matter? What are you going to do if someone else snatches a beauty like that? You've put in so much groundwork already."

"Women as beautiful as Bang Mihee are all over Gangnam if you just walk down the street."

"Bang Mihee is different from the beauties on the street. She's someone the Chairman thinks of as a daughter. Where else are you going to find connections like that? Show a little more initiative. You're good at everything else — your only flaw is that you lack aggression."

"If it's meant to be, it will be. If not, it won't."

"Listen to this guy, talking like some enlightened monk."

"I don't intend to force anything."

"Look, I'll be honest. I want Bang Mihee to end up with you. I think you're a far better man than Jeong Chan-young."

That much was true. Director Jang wanted Bang Mihee paired with Kim Chirok, who had no powerful background behind him. Then Kim Chirok would become his man. Having a young man close to the Chairman in his own camp was a good thing.

Jeong Chan-young, on the other hand, was a burden. His father was the president of an affiliate company. People like that would assume they had won Bang Mihee through their own merit. They would never think Director Jang had done a fine job playing matchmaker in the middle.

And Director Jang knew Jeong Chan-young well. If that kid married Bang Mihee — the Chairman's favorite — he would swagger around even more than he already did. The tendency was already there. Marriage would only make it worse.

Director Jang did not want to see that either.

He wanted to give the lukewarm Kim Chirok a jolt. So he said,

"Listen, Kim Chirok. Do you have any idea what Jeong Chan-young has been up to while you've been dragging your feet? You don't know he took Bang Mihee to the golf course last week, do you?"

"I heard about it."

"You heard about it? And it doesn't bother you at all?"

"Well, playing a round of golf with a coworker isn't unheard of. I can't play golf anyway, so I suppose that's how it is."

"Hah. You're a good man — too good, if anything."

"Besides, Jeong Chan-young's parents went along that day. So what could have happened?"

"What? So President Jeong of H Construction and his wife went too?"

"That's what I understand."

At this, a peculiar smile crossed Director Jang's face.

"I see. You can go. But try to be more proactive from now on. I really do hope you and Bang Mihee end up together."

"Thank you."

Kim Chirok bowed and left the office.

Director Jang sat alone, that strange smile still on his face, muttering to himself.

So President Jeong and his wife played golf together, did they? That maid-bitch of a wife has really come up in the world. She barely finished middle school, married well, lives in Gangnam, and now she's out playing golf.

Director Jang went to President Jeong-hee's office.

He sat down at the table in front of her and spoke as if he were airing a grievance.

"Bang Mihee seems more inclined toward Jeong Chan-young than Kim Chirok."

"She's a girl who loves designer brands, so I suppose she's choosing the man with money."

"Kim Chirok needs to show more initiative, but he won't, and that's the problem."

"A person's basic nature doesn't change overnight. What worries me more is whether President Jeong will find out about Father's relationship with Bang Mihee."

"I told you, didn't I? President Jeong is the type who'd look the other way even if he knew."

"They're frightening people."

"By the way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠— you did tell the Chairman, didn't you? That if Bang Mihee gets married, she'll be let go from the Group."

"Father says he never expected things to go as far as a pregnancy, even though he made a move on Bang Mihee while he was drunk. So these days he's been keeping his distance from her."

"I see."

"Yesterday he even told me he finds it embarrassing to look me in the eye."

"Haha. Did he now? The Chairman has a magnanimous, heroic streak, so I suppose even he makes mistakes like that."

"That's why these days he's been staying at the Yangpyeong Villa. He's invited a geisha he used to spend time with in Japan when he was young."

"A geisha? Well, geishas are professional entertainers, so he can enjoy himself as he pleases. But if the Chairman knows her, she must have been quite a famous one."

"She was famous, apparently. These days she runs an ochaya — a geisha banquet house — in the hanamachi, the old flower district of Kyoto."

"So she's an okasan, then. The madam the geishas call Mother."

"It seems so."

"When is this woman arriving?"

"The president of the electronics affiliate mentioned it. Apparently she'll be here soon."

"Once she comes to Korea, she'll probably meet all sorts of elder statesmen from politics and business. Drinking with gisaeng in Korea gets you talked about, so they'll tell her to come to Japan instead."

"If she comes, that might well happen."

"That's why there used to be rumors that Lee Byung-chul, the founder of Samsung Group, used to go to Japan a great deal to enjoy himself. And Lee Byung-chul even attended Waseda University."

"I've heard Chairman Lee Byung-chul spoke Japanese well and had many acquaintances in Japanese business circles."

"Chairman Lee Byung-chul's trips to Japan were actually a good thing for the development of Korea's then-backward economy."

"A good thing?"

"He would have invited Japanese business figures to Japanese restaurants and quietly talked business while they were enjoying themselves, wouldn't he? Conversations about joint ventures and technology transfers probably came up a great deal in those settings."

At those words, President Jeong-hee offered a smile that conceded nothing — neither yes nor no.