Negotiation
“M-Me, returning to showbiz…?”
Mom's comeback to the entertainment world. That meant one thing. She would step back in front of the public as the official exclusive ad model for Hansung Food.
I'd considered other celebrities, but this was a time of utter chaos—a real storm of winds and waves. No matter how great the product, if the ad model got caught up in drugs, scandals, unexpected accidents, or controversies, the product's value would plummet in an instant. Companies naturally shoulder massive risks with advertising. That's why consistent management is essential, but who can control that perfectly…?
Even Haeguri, which had been a huge success in my past life, relied heavily on that first impression. I'd decided to bring Mom back into showbiz to block all those risks from the source.
Yoo Harin would go on to massive success later and become a top star acknowledged by all, but other celebrities always got tangled in rumors at least once. I chose the safe bet. Well, that wasn't the only reason.
“Dad and Mom's marriage story is so romantic.”
“R-Romantic? Me?”
I nodded at Mom's question.
“Yes! Dad gave up all his rights as Grandfather's son just to marry you. Doesn't that seem like a total romanticist to everyone? Super dreamy, right?”
“!”
“If you make a comeback now, you'll be right at the center of media attention. And if you appear as the exclusive model for Hansung Food, which Dad runs, it couldn't make for a better picture.”
“B-But…”
I knew. For Mom to return to showbiz, she needed Grandfather's and Dad's permission. Grandfather had offered group-level support for the ads, but he hadn't explicitly approved Mom's comeback.
On the flip side, Dad would welcome it with open arms. Simple. Mom had retired at the peak of her career to marry him, so he'd support whatever she did quietly from behind.
But Grandfather was different. He saw entertainers as worthless flies. Back when my parents were getting married, he'd opposed it fiercely just because Mom was a “ddittara”—a performer.
Fortunately, years later, with no daughters in the Hansung family, my birth earned her recognition from the main house. But that didn't mean Grandfather would ever permit her comeback.
I have to make Grandfather understand somehow.
This was a problem even I, with my past-life memories and future knowledge, couldn't predict.
“Leave Grandfather to me.”
“S-Seoyeon?”
“You think just for getting a family member back into showbiz, they'd kick us out of the mansion? Hehe, I might get a little scolding, though.”
Grandfather had told me to run wild and promised group support. Of course, this was just another of his tests. If I didn't deliver satisfying results after being told to go all out, I'd probably have to give up something precious to him.
Maybe the Haeguri ad was my second proving ground.
I clenched my fists in secret.
Mom's entertainment comeback. And a massive Haeguri ad success!
Alright. Let's do this!
＊
Han Seongcheol quietly turned the pages of his book and spoke to Woo Shijang beside him.
“Woo Shijang.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
“Our little Seoyeon. How's she been faring?”
Woo Shijang calmly summarized what he'd seen and heard firsthand.
“The young miss appointed Director Kim Wooyoung for the Haeguri ad and scouted an actress named Yoo Harin for the radio hosting.”
“Same ddittara as before, eh?”
To Han Seongcheol, singers and actors were all the same lowly performers.
“Yes. Yoo Harin is quite famous domestically. Just recently, she struck gold with the Hansung Jjapaghetti ad.”
“Hmph! A ddittara's a ddittara—all the same lot. Hansung Jjapaghetti was purely our Seoyeon's creation. No one can deny that!”
Not long ago, he'd held an executive meeting and declared full-group support for Hansung Food's Haeguri. Some executives grumbled, but he'd crushed them forcefully. It was his granddaughter's second challenge, after all.
Han Seongcheol closed the book and furrowed his brow.
“Lately, things inside the group feel off.”
His eldest son, Han Umin, and second son, Han Yujun, weren't getting along. They were fiercely competing over even 1% more shares. He didn't like this family infighting.
“This Chuseok, I'll call everyone in. No more skipping out with 'I'm busy' excuses. Time to straighten out that insolence of not showing their faces to this Han Seongcheol.”
“I'll inform the young masters separately.”
“Good. It's been too long since I've seen my grandkids' faces. Tell them all to come for Lunar New Year!”
“Understood.”
As Woo Shijang bowed and withdrew, he leaned back in his chair and slowly closed his eyes. His granddaughter kept popping into his mind.
Then came a soft knock at the door.
“Grandfather, it's Seoyeon. May I come in for a moment?”
“Seoyeon?”
Han Seongcheol straightened his posture. If asked what his greatest joy was these days, it was undoubtedly these delightful meetings with his granddaughter. She always stirred up his boring routine with her witty ideas. A faint smile slowly spread across his lips.
“Come in, child.”
“Good morning, Grandfather!”
“Heavens! It's already past lunchtime. Isn't that morning greeting a bit late?”
“Hehe~”
She scampered over and plopped right onto his lap.
“Kuhahaha~”
According to the nanny who always watched over her, she stayed up all night planning for the future. He couldn't help but worry if it might harm her health.
“So, you wanted a meeting with this old man?”
＊
How did I manage to get a meeting with Grandfather?
Before entering the study, Woo Shijang winked with one eye and subtly hinted that Grandfather's mind wasn't at ease.
Long live Uncle Woo Shijang!
Sitting on Grandfather's lap, I poured on all the babyish charm in the world. At times like this, he'd laugh heartily and stroke my hair.
“So, you wanted a meeting with this old man?”
Whew… Now that I was actually sitting before him, all the perfectly organized words in my head had flown away blank.
The absolute power of the Hansung family. A top-ten domestic corporate chairman, overseeing dozens of affiliates and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees. That was my grandfather, Chairman Han Seongcheol.
“Grandfather, I have something to ask about the Haeguri ad this time.”
“Haeguri ad, eh. I heard from Woo Shijang that our granddaughter's handling it splendidly.”
“Yes. Director Uncle says the ad and radio hosting are going fine. But one problem came up.”
“Problem?”
As Grandfather asked, I fell into brief thought. This was the real showdown now. One wrong word, and Mom's comeback would vanish into the distance.
“Grandfather, do you trust ddittaras?”
“Hohoho, how could this old man trust those ddittaras?”
As expected…
“That's why I wanted to talk with you. On TV, they get wrapped up in all sorts of weird rumors. What if that hurts Hansung badly?”
“Hohoho, true enough. I'd sooner trust a dog than a thief—no, there's no one trustworthy in this world.”
“Hehe, even so, I think I can trust you, Grandfather.”
“Hohoho~”
A bit of flattery, and his stern expression softened. The classic “When I grow up, I'll marry Grandfather!” attack! A critical hit landed. I could see his shoulders rise ever so slightly.
Hehe~
“Is that why you're meeting this old man?”
“Yes. Since we can't trust ddittaras, Seoyeon has to pick someone herself.”
“I see. But our granddaughter can't appear in the ad again…”
At the mention of appearing in the ad, I threw a fit. Hansung Jjapaghetti had been a smash hit. Thanks to it, every time I went out, people swarmed a five-year-old me for autographs—a total spectacle. Once, I even got lost in a crowd.
Ugh, hate even thinking about it…
That was the first time I'd felt a real threat to my life—a horrific incident.
“Hehe, I wasn't planning to appear in the ad. As the Hansung family's only daughter, too much media exposure might make people think I'm frivolous.”
“Kuhaha! Our granddaughter's finally got the mindset of a true Hansung! Well said! We give orders to those below us—we don't run around on foot ourselves. Good thinking!”
I burrowed even deeper into Grandfather's embrace.
“Grandfather, that's why the ad model's spot is empty now. We can't just trust anyone, right?”
“Quite so. But surely our clever granddaughter has a solution?”
It wasn't a conversation you'd expect between a group chairman and a five-year-old. But Grandfather seemed to believe his blood should handle at least this much. No awkwardness between adult and child—the talk flowed smoothly.
“So Seoyeon thought about it. We need to scout an ad model, but no suitable ones, so I looked around. And I found one!”
“Oh? Who? That one? This old man will step up for his granddaughter!”
“Mom! More precisely, Yoon Chaeun, the former top star!”
“What? You want to put your own mother in the ad?”
Eek! Grandfather's eyes narrowed like a snake's. Hurry and explain why I chose Mom. Swallowing hard, I carefully opened my mouth.
“To make the ad a success, we need to spread it far and wide.”
“…True. We spend all that money filming ads for exactly that, no?”
“Yes. But we can't trust other ddittaras.”
“Exactly.”
“But Mom's different. She's never caused any trouble that hurt the Hansung family, right?”
“Well… that's true…?”
Yes. Excluding the incident where she bewitched Dad, hehe…
“Plus, Mom and Dad's marriage story is like a dream to the common folk. Hansung Group, run by you, Grandfather, is Korea's best, after all.”
“That's right! Hansung, led by me, is the nation's finest!”
Grandfather muttered with full pride. If only he didn't occasionally diss the Hyundai family…
“The top corporation in Korea, Hansung Group, and Mom, who joined the family despite being just a ddittara. Doesn't that feel like Cinderella from a fairy tale to you, Grandfather?”
“…!”
“It's like eating Haeguri will let you achieve a Cinderella dream like Mom's. It'll change how people see Haeguri compared to regular ramen.”
“Hmmm…”
Judging by Grandfather's reaction, he was almost convinced. I drove in the final nail.
“Grandfather, if the Haeguri ad becomes a huge hit, Hansung can close right up to Hyundai Group!”