The Handover That Wasn't an Heir's Burden
“......?”
Blue waves of surprise rippled through Song Ji-na and Chairman Lee’s eyes.
“What did you just say?”
Song Ji-na asked to make sure she hadn’t misheard.
“The Presidential Office says they’re awarding our Kang-to the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal.”
The answer came from Hyung-wook.
“Kang-to.”
Song Ji-na turned to look at him.
“So they say. It’s so sudden that I’m a little flustered myself.”
“Flustered? He did something worthy of it. Accept it without question.”
Chairman Lee chimed in.
“Yes! A medal...”
Eun-seo was excited too.
“As expected of our Kang-to Beopsa. He’s bringing honors to our family already!”
Song Ji-na glowed with pride. She was so pleased her neck muscles stood out.
“It’s all thanks to Grandmother, Father, Mother, and my brother and sister supporting me.”
“Congratulations. On your medal.”
Chairman Lee took Kang-to’s hand. His grip carried all the pride in his heart.
Kang-to’s status had been properly established now. He no longer felt like a freeloader riding on Cheonjo Group’s coattails. And because his family treated him warmly, that feeling only grew stronger.
The younger generation gathered for a second round elsewhere. It was a high-end celebrity bar that Eun-seo frequented. The moment she walked in, greetings rang out from every direction.
“Executive Director Lee.”
“Director.”
It was enough to make Kang-to’s popularity on the island look modest by comparison. He could see the stature of CHJ Entertainment in an instant.
“Who’s this? Is he some secret weapon you’ve been hiding, Director?”
The especially friendly one was Naive Bae Ri-rin, the top idol singer who was now all the rage.
She played piano and violin, and with her explosive vocals she was sweeping even Billboard. True to her fame, she glittered like a pearl even beneath the dim lights. Her big eyes, especially those dark pupils, were incredibly charming.
“You say you’re drained, so why aren’t you resting?”
“Oh, come on. For recharging, nothing beats gossip. Song Si-nae’s team came back from their U.S. tour the day before yesterday, remember? We’re teaming up and roasting you behind your back. Feeling the sting yet?”
“You’ve never met my younger brother before, have you?”
“Oh? He’s your younger brother? Your real brother? Or your little brother you’re raising?”
“You’re getting cocky.”
“Can’t help it. It’s my style.”
“You don’t even watch the news, do you?”
“Why would I? The schedules you give me don’t include news watching, do they?”
“Oh, I know her. She’s Beopsa Kang-to from the island village lighthouse shrine, right?”
Song Si-nae, seated at the table by the window, lit up and cut in.
“You really know me?”
“Of course. I’m close with Ji-hye, you know? I’ve been bragging about this Beopsa nonstop through text. Told her if her luck’s tangled up or some man’s giving her grief, she should go see him. I even got his phone number.”
Song Si-nae proudly announced Kang-to’s number.
“Seriously?”
“But... Director, you’re a regular here too?”
“Even if he’s my own real younger brother.”
“Amazing.”
“Enough. Say hello, then go gossip somewhere else.”
Eun-seo moved in to clear the scene.
Even after that, they greeted three or four more groups before finally settling in at their table. Every single one of them was a celebrity people would recognize by name alone. They ordered cocktails. Hyung-wook and Eun-seo had packed schedules the next day too, so getting drunk was out of the question.
Maybe this was Eun-seo and Hyung-wook’s hideout. Bringing Kang-to here was a good sign. It meant Eun-seo and Hyung-wook didn’t feel ashamed of Kang-to’s image at all. Kang-to’s head-on challenge was starting to become real.
“Oh, what is this? I was going to show off a little by introducing you to some celebrities...”
Eun-seo shrugged, genuinely surprised by Kang-to’s popularity.
“That’s only because you’re here. If you went to Kang-to’s island, you’d be flat on the floor in no time. Want proof?”
Hyung-wook piled on. He showed them photos and videos posted on Kang-to’s fan cafe—crowds under the lighthouse, tourists everywhere. It was no joke.
“Whoa, it’s like our Kang-to kingdom.”
“I had no idea, so I went off on a yacht acting all cool. Thinking about it now, I’m just glad I made it back alive, right?”
“Same here... I sent Na Hye-ri over, and she came back with her mind completely blown.”
“Kang-to.”
Hyung-wook’s hand landed on Kang-to’s shoulder.
“Yes, Hyung.”
“Again with the ‘Hyung’?”
“Yep.”
“Honestly, after hearing about Father, we did have some mixed feelings. But Grandmother said something, didn’t she? That it would be far more advantageous to make you a younger brother than an enemy, so we should stop puffing up our pride and think it through properly. You know Grandmother always has a sharp head on her shoulders.”
“......”
“And to add to that, Grandma said this too. If we’re going to accept you as a younger brother, then we should open our hearts and do it right. You’re not someone who’d ever be a burden to our family.”
“......”
“We’ve got our own awkwardness, and you’ve got yours too... Brotherhood isn’t some chemical bond completed by a legal filing, is it?”
“It isn’t... no.”
“Now that you’re officially registered as family and the public announcement’s been made, let’s do this properly.”
Hyung-wook showed him a news article about Director Seo Ki-baek that had already gone up online. It had turned into a headline in no time, complete with a photo.
“Thanks, Hyung. And Sister...”
“And this.”
Hyung-wook pulled out a digital key.
“What is it?”
“I set up a one-room office in Cheongdam. You’ll be coming to Seoul a lot from now on, won’t you?”
“......?”
“Father arranged it, so don’t say a word and just take it. If this turns into noise, then people start questioning me and Eun-seo’s ability too.”
“Hyung.”
“So. A toast?”
Hyung-wook lifted his cocktail glass.
Clink.
The three siblings’ glasses met beneath the lights.
Family.
Kang-to had grown up without a father. He had only had a short time in his mother’s arms. From middle school onward, except for parts of summer vacation, they had lived apart. His great-uncle and great-aunt had given him affection, but there were limits. Then Hyung-wook and Eun-seo filled that empty space. It was something Kang-to had earned through his own ability. That made it all the more precious.
“Uh, Director Lee.”
As the mood grew warm and gentle, Song Si-nae approached.
“What? You want me to buy you a cocktail?”
“No need for alcohol. Could I borrow your younger brother for a bit?”
“Our Kang-to?”
“Yes.”
“What about me?”
“We’re already sick of seeing you, Director. Honestly, not seeing you is what we call healing.”
“You want to die?”
“You told Naive to recharge, and now you won’t help?”
“You talk a lot...”
Just by looking, it was obvious they wanted Kang-to to read their fortunes.
“And if you’re going to ask for a fortune reading, our Kang-to is top-class, so he’s very expensive?”
“Oh come on, use your clout a little.”
“And just now you said not seeing me is healing?”
“Ugh, you remember everything, Director.”
“Anyway... what am I supposed to do, Kang-to? Give your sister some face.”
Eun-seo’s request came down at last.
“Waaah.”
Applause broke out among the stars. It had been two people, and now there were three. Cha Yi-rin from another table had joined them too.
“Beopsa-nim, are you really Director Lee’s younger brother?”
“Yes.”
“Amazing. How can your face be on such a different level? Don’t you think?”
“Yeah. Director Lee’s got total fake-mother-Gotel-from-Rapunzel vibes, but Beopsa-nim looks like a handsome DiCaprio.”
“Rapunzel?”
“The area outside the concert hall is dangerous. You kids should just rehearse and sing.”
“......”
“But Beopsa-nim.”
Song Si-nae propped her chin on her hand and asked,
“Yes?”
“About Ji-hye. You matched her up with Director Hong, right? Said they’d be a good fit.”
“I did.”
“Can those two really pull off an inverted hit? It’s hard to believe...”
Song Si-nae jabbed Cha Yi-rin in the side.
“I mean, sort of... Our manager knows Director Hong pretty well, and he says the man’s practically divorced from success...”
“You heard her, right?”
Song Si-nae’s gaze returned to Kang-to.
“Do you like flowers? Our island is famous for wind flowers, and they kind of suit the three of you.”
It was praise, and also an attempt to change the subject. In a mood like this, she was probably aiming to slip into asking for a fortune reading.
“I like roses.”
“I like gugjeolcho.”
Cha Yi-rin’s answer, following Song Si-nae’s, was a little unexpected.
“You know gugjeolcho?”
Kang-to asked back. There was gugjeolcho on Chilui Island too. Island kids would know it, but it was surprising that someone from the city—especially a top star—would know it.
“Actually, Naive knows it better.”
When Cha Yi-rin said that—
“Really?”
Song Si-nae turned to Naive.
“My late father was a gugjeolcho maniac. He planted a ton of it in the flower beds, and he taught me how to tell gugjeolcho apart from mugwort aster and purple Korean aster. They all look pretty similar.”
“Wow, you know that much?”
Song Si-nae clicked her tongue in admiration.
“Want me to explain?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Naive Bae Ri-rin opened her phone.
“First, the leaves. Gugjeolcho has divided leaves, but mugwort aster has tiny leaves with thick, jagged teeth near the bottom. Purple Korean aster, though, has long leaves with soft serrations along the edges. See?”
Naive flipped through images as she explained.
“Second is the shape of the flower. Gugjeolcho is white or pale pink, while mugwort aster has a single purple bloom and purple Korean aster has either a single pale-purple bloom or a double one.”
“That’s hard...”
“Last is the blooming season. Gugjeolcho flowers in autumn, while mugwort aster and purple Korean aster bloom in summer. If you can’t tell them apart, just remember that much.”
Even after Naive’s explanation, Song Si-nae looked miserable. Flowers in nature were like that; telling similar ones apart took time and real know-how.
“My head hurts.”
After all that drama, Song Si-nae brought the subject back to Kang-to again.
“Beopsa-nim, can you tell me when I’m going to get a boyfriend?”
“You don’t have one?”
“Rapunzel’s fake mother hates the idea of me having a boyfriend.”
The chatter went on. Even under the dim lights, they shone with beauty, wit, and cheer. They were people too, after all, so like ordinary high school girls or college students, they chirped away with endless energy.
“I’ve had a drink just now, and it’s way too dark in here.”
In the end, it had to be fortune-telling. Kang-to quietly pulled back. His gongsu wasn’t supposed to be public entertainment.
“Fine. Let’s book you in as a group and storm the Beopsa’s island!”
Song Si-nae kept rallying the troops.
“No way. I just checked and this month is fully booked. Next month only has a waiting list.”
“What?”
“Beopsa-nim, can’t you make an exception with your clout?”
Song Si-nae’s whole-body aegyo wasn’t something easy to ignore.
“Are you really coming?”
“Of course. Who’d joke around in front of such a miraculous Beopsa? You might end up calling down heaven’s punishment on us.”
“Not heaven’s punishment, exactly, but if you do come, I’ll give you our Director Seo’s number, so call that line. I’ll let him know in advance.”
“You’re promising?”
“Yes.”
“Waaah.”
The top stars squealed again. Honestly, Kang-to thought they were kidding. But not long after, he found out that what they’d said that day had not been a joke at all.
“Welcome.”
The president greeted Kang-to personally. The chief of staff and most of the senior secretaries were there too. Beside Kang-to stood former Minister Kim, Producer Kwon, and Section Chief Park, along with the excavation specialists. The only person missing was Dr. Ailey. She couldn’t make it because of her schedule in England.
“Where on earth does this body get such mystical power...”
The president laughed as he took Kang-to’s hand.
Then came the commemorative photos.
True to his MZ generation roots, Kang-to snapped a few selfies too.
Click.
He took one with the president and more with the whole group. There was one person he wanted to show them off to. Sol-bi, who listened obediently to her great-aunt and ran wild across the island. He didn’t care whether anyone else knew or not—he wanted to be a source of pride for his daughter.
Lunch was seolleongtang.
“For Koreans, it’s the strength of a ttukbaegi,” the president said, urging everyone to eat.
He took care of his entire team with such thoroughness that everyone felt proud in turn.
The medal and commendation plans were announced here.
“Now that I’m the president, I can’t simply overlook the hard work all of you have done.”
Kang-to had already been tipped off, so he listened calmly as the president praised them.
“Beopsa Kang-to.”
Once the banquet ended, Minister Kim reached out and pulled Kang-to along.
“I was devastated after sending my son away like that, but thanks to you, Beopsa-nim, I’ve found strength again.”
“Those are the words I should be saying.”
Kang-to smiled. Minister Kim’s experience and character were excellent. So it felt good to know he had helped, even in a small way.
“That’s why I’m saying this... do I perhaps have good fortune around me?”
“Pardon?”
“Actually...”
Minister Kim looked around, then lowered his voice.
“Because this operation has been so highly regarded, I’ve been offered the position of Prime Minister in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. Do you think it’s a role I can handle?”
Minister Kim looked at Kang-to.
“Speaking as one citizen, I’d say you’d handle it more than well enough.”
That was Kang-to’s answer. It wasn’t a gongsu, just his genuine belief.
Kim Ki-wook, Prime Minister.
The title fit like it had always belonged there.
On top of that, Section Chief Park’s special promotion to deputy director was confirmed.
The return team for Dr. Ahn’s remains had reached its grand conclusion.
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