A Hint Over Breakfast

The next morning.

I headed down to the first-floor dining room, straightening my school tie. Normally this would be the hour when Mother, Seon-ah, and I shared a cozy breakfast for three — but today, an unfamiliar guest was seated at the table.

No, a face quite familiar to me.

"You're up?"

"Yes. I hope you slept well."

When I greeted him, the man seated across the table rose to his feet at once. Mother gestured toward him and made the introduction.

"Say hello. This is Executive Director Choi Dong-soo — he's helping me with the company."

"Good morning. I'm Choi Dong-soo, Head of Management Planning."

Looking at Choi Dong-soo's face, I smiled to myself.

Wow. Back then, he still looked good.

Neatly combed hair, skin with a healthy glow, eyes brimming with sharp intelligence. The last image I carried of Choi Dong-soo from my previous life was of a face carved deep with wrinkles and worn down by worry.

When the company hit hard times, he was the man who stayed up nights worrying over it even more than I did — its owner — until his health gave out.

"A pleasure. I'm Kang Seon-woo."

"Ah, yes. Your mother has told me a great deal about you."

"Complaining about the son who's nothing but a worry, I suppose?"

At my half-joking remark, Choi Dong-soo waved his hands dismissively and smiled.

"Not at all. She praised you until she ran out of words — called you remarkably bright and said how proud she is."

"Well, now I'm embarrassed."

I shrugged and took my seat.

"Since you're here, why not join us for breakfast?"

"Thank you, but I've already eaten. And…"

Choi Dong-soo paused for a moment, then opened his briefcase.

"I'll need to head to the office ahead of you and proceed on the Chairwoman's instructions alone."

At those words, Seon-ah's eyes and mine swung to Mother at the same time. When she gave a small nod, Choi Dong-soo took out two sets of documents he'd prepared and laid one before each of us.

"These are proxies delegating the voting rights for the Sunjin Sangsa shares you both inherited."

I picked up the documents instead of my chopsticks and skimmed through them. Just as expected.

Fast, this time.

In my previous life, it was only after the relatives' attack had already begun that we'd scrambled, feet to the fire, to collect proxies in a panicked rush. But this time was different — they were preparing in advance. Getting Choi Dong-soo at Mother's side early seemed to be paying off already.

This is the way. Consolidate the friendly shares ahead of time, and even if an attack comes, responding is far easier.

I feigned ignorance and asked.

"A proxy — does that mean something's happening at the company?"

"No, nothing's happening."

Mother explained gently.

"It's just that Mom needs the shares you two hold so she can run the business more smoothly. You're still students — you can't attend every single shareholders' meeting, can you?"

"Ah, fair enough."

Without a moment's hesitation, I picked up the pen waiting on the table.

Scritch, scritch.

I didn't even pretend to deliberate — I simply wrote my name on the signature line. Watching me sign without a flicker of doubt, my younger sister Seon-ah grabbed a pen in turn and followed my example.

"Here you go."

I handed the signed documents to Choi Dong-soo.

"Thank you. I'll have these notarized right away."

He tucked the papers away with care and rose from his seat.

"I'll be going ahead, then."

"I'm sorry, Director Choi — making you come out this early in the morning."

"Not at all, Chairwoman. I'm the one who asked to greet you on your way to work. Please, enjoy your breakfast."

Choi Dong-soo bowed politely and turned to leave.

Hmm. Should I drop him a hint before he goes?

It felt like a waste to let him leave just like this. I took a sip of water and tossed the words out casually.

"By any chance, do you run simulations on defending the Sangsa shares?"

Choi Dong-soo stopped mid-stride and turned around.

"…I'm sorry?"

"Oh, just curious. We look at old hostile ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠M&A cases in my club, and in all of them, everyone seemed to run the numbers in a scramble at the last minute. So I assumed our company would have all that prepared in advance too — but if you don't, it might be worth doing? At the very least, you'd get a rough idea of what a defense would cost."

For a moment, the air above the table froze.

Choi Dong-soo's eyes wavered. Mother's spoon stopped midair.

"Seon-woo, what on earth are you talking about?"

Mother stared at me in astonishment. I shrugged with an air of innocent nonchalance.

"Oh, it's nothing. I've been learning all sorts of concepts in my school's stock investment club lately. We do case studies on M&A too."

"In a club?"

"Yes. I went through the old hostile M&A cases, and patterns started to emerge. And once I saw them, I naturally ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠started looking at our own company, and…"

I looked Choi Dong-soo square in the eye.

"Our Sangsa's share structure looked a bit shaky to me. The major shareholders' stake isn't as high as you'd think, so if someone decided to make a serious play, we could be in danger. Then Director Choi happened to show up collecting proxies, and it reminded me."

Choi Dong-soo stood there, frozen. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected a high school student to start talking about vulnerabilities in a share structure.

"Collecting the proxies — that's related to this, isn't it? If not, I'm sorry for pretending to know more than I do…"

"No, no! We have been running simulations."

"Ah, so you do. Personally, I find the stealth approach the most interesting — you know, when someone comes in concealed behind foreign capital. There are cases like that, right?"

They almost certainly had never run a simulation on that scenario. Not if my memory served. I had to deliver the hint with precision — and at my words, Choi Dong-soo nodded slowly.

"You're right… it would be wise to run a proper review, exactly as you suggest."

He bowed deeply to me once more.

"Thank you for the advice. I'll take it to heart. Then, excuse me."

Choi Dong-soo bowed and left through the front door. Only after the sound of the closing door faded did I turn my head, smiling.

Mother and Seon-ah were still staring at me with the wide eyes of startled rabbits.

"…"

"Why are you all looking at me like that? Your food's getting cold."

I picked up my spoon as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry for making you come all the way to my house first thing in the morning."

Sunjin Group Headquarters. The Chairwoman's office.

Kim Ja-young was in a private meeting with Choi Dong-soo, who had come to report the moment she arrived at work.

"Not at all. I know perfectly well that was the only time you had free to spend with your children, Chairwoman. It was right for me to be the one to move."

Choi Dong-soo bowed his head with a warm, amiable smile. Kim Ja-young felt gratitude for his loyal service — and yet, at the same time, what had happened at the breakfast table still nagged at her.

"And… please don't dwell too much on what my son said this morning."

"I'm sorry?"

"Seon-woo's been studying hard lately — stocks, clubs, and whatnot — so he's apparently picked up quite a bit. You understand, don't you? Boys that age always want to show off what they know in front of adults."

Kim Ja-young added this carefully, in case Choi Dong-soo might have taken offense. He ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was, after all, a senior executive of Sunjin Group and her own strategist — hardly her son's tutor or some subordinate to be lectured at.

No professional enjoys being schooled by a high schooler, after all.

But Choi Dong-soo's reaction was nothing like what she expected. He shook his head with a grave expression.

"No, Chairwoman. Offended? Not in the least. If anything, I was astonished."

"Astonished?"

Choi Dong-soo looked Kim Ja-young straight in the eye as he spoke.

"As you know, the inheritance process itself is now complete, but our side's friendly stake is woefully inadequate. That's precisely why I came by so early — to hastily consolidate the friendly shares."

"…"

"To be honest with you, I had grown complacent, thinking proxies of this scale would be enough. But what Seon-woo said hit the mark dead center."

Kim Ja-young's eyes went wide. Choi Dong-soo was not a man given to empty flattery or servile praise.

"It's precisely because we're short that we should be running simulations from every angle, starting now. Which is why I sketched out a plan on my way in this morning — I'd like your approval immediately, if I may."

Choi Dong-soo drew a document holder from his bag and spread it before Kim Ja-young.

"A TF?"

"Yes. A team dedicated to defense simulations, assuming external attacks from every possible angle."

Kim Ja-young skimmed the documents. It was an extremely detailed, thoroughly practical proposal.

"Seon-woo's remark… was it really that significant? Significant enough to warrant standing up a task force right away?"

"Yes, it was. The management control issue that has troubled you, Chairwoman, was never something to take lightly. Frankly, it has been weighing on me for days as well. But hearing Seon-woo's words crystallized my conviction: this is not something we can afford to postpone any longer."

Choi Dong-soo's voice was full of certainty. Kim Ja-young looked back and forth between the document and his face, stunned.

Her son had changed the mind of Choi Dong-soo — a seasoned strategist.

"Very well. If you believe it's necessary, Director Choi, then do it."

Kim Ja-young took the pen he offered and signed at the bottom of the proposal.

"Then I'll put it into action today and report back as soon as the task force is fully staffed."

"I'm counting on you."

Choi Dong-soo bowed respectfully and left the office.

Kim Ja-young gazed quietly at the family photo resting on her desk. In it, her husband Kang Tae-jin and the young Seon-woo and Seon-ah were beaming.

Has Seon-woo… changed?

The boy who, before his father passed, hadn't even adjusted to school — that withdrawn, hesitant son was nowhere to be found. The Seon-woo of late seemed… like a grown man.

Could his father's sudden death have forced the boy to grow up far too soon? The thought made her chest ache in a quiet corner of her heart. But at the same time, she couldn't deny the wave of reassurance rising within her.

"That's right…"

Kim Ja-young nodded as she looked at her son's face in the photograph.

"It's a good thing, surely."

With a faint smile, she turned back to her desk. It was time for her, too, to grow stronger — for the sake of protecting the company.

The bell rang, marking the end of afternoon classes.

Amid the restless buzz of the classroom, I rested my chin on my hand, gazed out the window, and sank into thought.

Ah — my advice had better have landed.

The words I'd dropped so casually to Director Choi Dong-soo over breakfast. For me, it had been quite a gamble. An ordinary high schooler suddenly holding forth on management defense and share structures — how startled Mother and Director Choi must have been.

I managed to paper over it with the stock club excuse, at least.

Risky or not, it was something I had to say. The enemy would come with knives sharpened, thoroughly prepared. If our side took that attack with no defenses in place?

Nothing would be different from last time.

Fumbling to draw up a defense strategy only after the first blow lands, missing the golden window — that would be the inevitable script. So even at the cost of drawing suspicion, I had to warn them in advance.

All I can do is pray he's quick on the uptake.

I could only hope that Choi Dong-soo hadn't brushed off my words, and had moved at once to prepare.

I was deep in the middle of working it all through when —

"Seon-woo."

Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to find Lee Min-jae, our class president and the head of the stock club, standing there.

"Oh. What's up?"

"You're coming to the club after school today, right?"

Min-jae asked again, eyes full of doubt, as if to confirm it.

"I told you this morning. I'm coming."

"You have to come. We can't do it without you."

Min-jae's impatience was understandable. Word was that last ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠time's mock investment competition victory had made quite an impression — applications for this semester's new member recruitment had come flooding in.

Six applicants, no less. He had every reason to be anxious.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

I chuckled and gathered my textbooks from the desk.

"Alright, then I'll just pack my bag and be right out. Let's go together."

Just as Min-jae said this and turned back toward his own seat —

Bzzt—

My phone buzzed in my pocket, short and heavy.

My stomach dropped the instant I read the message. I had known it was coming, yet feeling it actually arrive was another matter entirely.

So it begins.

The vultures were on the move. There was no time to be idling at some club welcome event for freshmen.

I slung my bag over my shoulder roughly and shot up from my seat.

"Min-jae!"

"Huh? All packed?"

Min-jae, walking ahead of me, turned to look back. I put on a deliberately urgent expression.

"I'm really sorry, but something's come up at home. Urgent. I have to go right now."

"Huh? It's nothing bad, is it? Want me to come with you?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll definitely make it to the club next time! Just take good care of things today — I'm counting on you!"

Without waiting for his answer, I sprinted for the back gate.