Homunculus (1)
It was the early hours of the morning, closer to dawn than night, when most people were still asleep. Yet seven people had entered the waiting room. Kwon Seong-gyun and his wife, along with their daughter Kwon Seung-hye, who had once passed the ball to me in that ridiculous soccer game. Following them were Kwon Je-gyun and his wife. Seong-gyun and Je-gyun had briefly observed the surgery before leaving, only to return with their families. Finally, Oh Il-mu and a middle-aged man I vaguely recognized stepped inside, and the door to the guardians' waiting room, which had stood open for some time, finally closed.
Rising from the sofa, I surveyed the faces of those who had entered. Including myself, every direct descendant of Chairman Kwon Byung-do was now gathered here. It could only mean one thing: the reading of his will was imminent.
Oh Il-mu stepped forward first.
"As the notary for Chairman Kwon Byung-do's will, I am here to witness its disclosure. First, allow me to offer my condolences to the family members gathered here for this unfortunate turn of events, and I sincerely hope for his swift recovery."
As Oh Il-mu prepared to continue, Kwon Je-gyun suddenly interrupted.
"We already know all that. Stop repeating yourself and just read Father's will. Isn't that why you insisted we all come here, even with Ho-gyun present? There he is."
"Je-gyun!"
Seong-gyun quickly tried to rein him in, but Je-gyun glanced around with a flustered expression before clamping his mouth shut. Every person in the room—even the oblivious Kwon Seung-hye—was glaring at him as if they wanted to tear him apart. No one here wasn't curious about the will's contents, but Je-gyun had crossed a line with that single remark. It sounded as though he cared nothing for his father's recovery and only wanted the company handed over to him immediately. Depending on how one interpreted it, his words could even be seen as hoping Kwon Byung-do would never wake up—a dangerously reckless statement.
Apparently, teenagers weren't the only ones struggling with impulse control due to underdeveloped prefrontal cortices. Kwon Je-gyun, despite his age, still seemed trapped in that turbulent phase.
"I'm sorry. Attorney Oh Il-mu, please continue."
Only after Je-gyun, now visibly shaken, offered his apology did Oh Il-mu resume.
"Thank you. Chairman Kwon Byung-do's will was notarized by multiple attorneys. I was responsible only for the document outlining the disclosure schedule, and I am here today to carry out that duty."
Ah. That cleared up several questions. First, why the chairman had entrusted his will to Oh Il-mu. That arrangement had only made sense before the Kwon Il-gyun retrial. Once I revealed that Oh Il-mu had forged the previous chairman Kwon Seong-wook's will twenty years ago, Kwon Byung-do would never have left his own will in Oh Il-mu's hands. Yet he had only shared the disclosure schedule with him while entrusting the actual contents to other attorneys. Typical of the chairman's meticulous nature.
Second, even though I hadn't asked directly, I now understood why Oh Il-mu had never revealed the will's contents to me. Given his past involvement in forging a will, it wasn't a matter of attorney-client confidentiality. If he had known what was written, he would have tipped me off so we could prepare a strategy. The fact that he hadn't meant even Oh Il-mu was kept in the dark.
Finally, the identity of the middle-aged man who wasn't family yet had entered with everyone else became clear. I had thought he looked familiar. It was Attorney Jeong Jung-an, whose profile photo I had seen several times. In person, his hairline had receded much farther than in the pictures. Life must have been rough for him as well.
Noticing my gaze, Oh Il-mu continued the proceedings.
"According to the medical team, the chairman's chances of regaining consciousness within a week are extremely low. Therefore, per the prearranged schedule, I will now disclose the contents of the will prepared for the event of his coma. Attorney Jeong Jung-an, who is present with us, handled its notarization."
"Hello. I am Jeong Jung-an, handling various legal matters."
At Oh Il-mu's gesture, Attorney Jeong Jung-an stepped forward and bowed politely to everyone, living up to his name. A loud gulp echoed through the silent waiting room as his hand moved toward the black bag he had brought. Kwon Je-gyun's Adam's apple bobbed visibly. The fool was clearly harboring the delusion that he would be named successor.
Attorney Jeong Jung-an retrieved a document envelope from the bag and began reading the will aloud.
"One. The fact that I, Kwon Byung-do, am in a coma must be known to the fewest people possible. Until I either awaken or my death is confirmed, anyone aware of this fact shall remain silent. I have already informed the hospital director of this, and the medical staff have agreed to maintain confidentiality. I ask that everyone present here also refrain from disclosing this to others, in accordance with my wishes."
This much had been expected. If word spread that Chairman Kwon Byung-do had collapsed, it would only harm the company. His reluctance to show such vulnerability was palpable.
"Understood," Kwon Je-gyun replied curtly, his tone impatient, as if urging the attorney to hurry to the important parts. He fixed Jeong Jung-an with a sharp glare.
"Two. Until I, Kwon Byung-do, either recover from the coma or pass away, the position of chairman of QS Group shall remain vacant. However, since the roles of head of the Central Management Headquarters and chair of the QS Group Presidents' Council cannot be left empty for long, Kwon Ho-gyun shall assume them temporarily and fulfill those responsibilities."
In name, the chairmanship would go to no one. In practice, all the chairman's authority was being handed to me. As Attorney Jeong Jung-an finished and looked my way, a low groan escaped someone.
"Ugh."
It was Kwon Seong-gyun, jaw clenched tight as he stared at the floor, desperately trying to keep his emotions from showing on his face. Kwon Je-gyun, by contrast, expressed his feelings far more directly.
"Hold on. Attorney Jeong Jung-an, was it?"
"Yes, Second Young Master."
"I think you misread something just now."
At the elementary-school-level correction, Attorney Jeong Jung-an checked the will in his hands with a bewildered expression before replying.
"No, I read it exactly as written."
"Even if we accept the Central Management Headquarters position, how can Ho-gyun chair the Presidents' Council when he isn't even the president of any affiliate?"
Glances sharp enough to cut glass were hurled at Je-gyun. Yet he continued glaring at Attorney Jeong Jung-an with venomous determination, refusing to back down. Only after a single bead of sweat trickled down the center of his bald head did the attorney, eyes fixed on the will, answer.
"Ah, that is addressed in the third clause, which I was about to read."
"What is it? Read it already."
"Three. QS Co., Ltd. shall acquire shares in Law Firm Seungbaek. The acquisition amount shall be 200 billion won, and the exact number of shares shall be determined through separate negotiations between the head of QS Co., Ltd.'s Central Management Headquarters and Law Firm Seungbaek."
This would make Seungbaek an affiliate of QS Group, naturally allowing me, as its representative attorney, to take a seat at the Presidents' Council. Je-gyun's flimsy argument collapsed in an instant. The sound of Seong-gyun grinding his teeth and Je-gyun's face contorting filled the waiting room.
Kwon Byung-do had been remarkably considerate. Beyond appointing me chair of the Presidents' Council, the third clause carried another hidden meaning. When I had secured the right of first refusal for QS Life Insurance shares from him, I had never revealed how I planned to raise the funds. I had only said I would acquire them through Law Firm Seungbaek. Hearing that, the chairman had arranged for 200 billion won to be injected into Seungbaek. The total needed for the QS Life Insurance shares was 300 billion. Why only 200 billion? Perhaps he had considered QS Co., Ltd.'s various financial circumstances. Or maybe he was assigning me the task of securing the remaining 100 billion myself, confident I could handle it. Either way, it was excellent news. I had been prepared to raise 300 billion, but now only 100 billion was required. The other 200 billion could be used elsewhere.
While I was mentally refining my future plans, Je-gyun finally lost his temper and snatched the will from Attorney Jeong Jung-an.
"Is it really written like that? That can't be right. Let me see it."
The attorney looked as though he might die of frustration. Being repeatedly doubted about basic literacy would do that to anyone.
"Yes. I read it correctly. See for yourself."
Je-gyun's face twisted so violently that I worried it might actually break. Veins bulged on his arms from how tightly he gripped the document. Still, he couldn't bring himself to tear it. With a hollow sigh, he handed it back.
"Hah. So it is."
Having survived the crisis, Attorney Jeong Jung-an wiped the dozens of sweat droplets from his scalp and looked at the group.
"This concludes the portion of the will that Chairman Kwon Byung-do instructed to be disclosed to all family members in the event of his coma. Thank you for your attention."
As the atmosphere suggested the reading was drawing to a close, Seong-gyun cautiously revisited one of the attorney's earlier remarks.
"Aside from the will meant to be disclosed to the entire family, is there another will intended only for specific individuals?"
"Ah, yes. There is."
"Even so, we're all one family. It doesn't seem right for some to see the full will while others see only part of it. Can't you disclose the rest here?"
At Seong-gyun's request, Attorney Jeong Jung-an shook his head.
"That is not for me to decide. I am merely following Chairman Kwon Byung-do's instructions. There must be a reason he ordered the remaining will to be disclosed only on a limited basis, and I cannot disregard his intent."
"Then at least tell us who that person is."
"I'm sorry. I cannot. I will personally visit the individual who is meant to see the rest of the will."