Power & Sex, and... 66
After a long-overdue late lunch at the pork belly joint with the duty staff, we all parted ways. It wasn't until we got there that the staff finally spilled what they knew about the nasty rumors swirling around me, their faces lighting up with relief.
"Why don't you just quit the library and work as a volunteer instead? Things are only gonna get busier for you, and taking leave every time will just burden everyone else."
"……."
On the way back, I suggested to Ara that she quit her library job. She mulled it over in silence for a while before hinting that she'd decided to submit her resignation. Truth be told, with things as they were, resigning was the right call. If she weren't a civil servant but just a regular company employee, she would've been fired ages ago. Of course, no company would dare fire the wife of an active assemblyman.
"Maybe I should just hang out with the women's party members in the district and do volunteer work?"
"Got something in mind?"
"Yeah, we already formed a group for volunteer activities anyway. What if we make it regular?"
"What kind of stuff?"
"Help out lonely elderly folks in the area, and read books to kids stuck in the hospital."
In the end, she couldn't stray far from books even in her volunteering plans. Still, reading to long-term child patients in hospitals was a noble cause. Sure, the families of those patients probably weren't voters in my district, so it wouldn't translate to votes, but bringing smiles and fun stories to growing kids worn down by hospital life—and their exhausted parents—had real meaning. I gave it my ready approval.
"Mom~ I'm home."
"Back from America already?"
"Yes. Hope you've been well."
Thankfully, Mom hadn't heard the news about me. My sister-in-law brought out coffee and snacks, and we all sat around chatting about family matters and my life in Seoul. That's when my brother got home from work.
"Bro, you gotta stop with these dangerous gigs."
"What're you talking about?"
"Everyone who needs to know, knows. It just didn't hit the news."
"Like you said, it's all over now. Don't worry."
"I just want you to live like a normal assemblyman."
My brother came up to the rooftop while I was smoking. He'd heard the stories from somewhere too. Maybe one of the duty staff tipped him off, or he had his own sources. In Korea, family of politicians can't stay completely detached from the game anyway.
I gave him the rundown, calmed him down, said goodbye to Mom, and left the family home. I had to pay respects to my mother-in-law before heading back to Seoul.
After greeting her and sipping the coffee she offered, I boarded the train to Seoul. Once there, I picked up my car from the Mapo public lot and drove to party HQ. With the heavyweights announcing no-runs and the leadership resigning en masse to activate emergency committee mode, the protesters and fan cafe folks who'd been camping out front had packed up and returned to their jobs. The place looked peaceful.
Confirming the sit-in was over, I turned the car toward Guro, where Daesan Group HQ stood. At the main gate, security took my keys and escorted me to the lobby.
"I'm here."
"You fool! If something like that happens, you come to me for help!"
Chairman Lee was furious. It took a lot of apologizing to calm him down—until Eun-mi burst into the office, having heard I was there.
Her eyes were misty, like she'd been crying on the way over, and she shot me a reproachful glare.
"Do that again, and I swear I won't see you anymore!"
"Sorry. Things just spiraled."
No words left to say, and I couldn't hug her in front of the chairman, so I just squeezed her hand under the table to soothe her.
I needed to hit the Members' Office Building for party intel, so after a quick goodbye to the chairman, I gently pried my hand from a reluctant Eun-mi's grasp and headed to Yeouido. My office was still buzzing even at this late hour, despite my vanishing act. Made me feel like a total sleazy boss.
"Assemblyman, thought you'd start tomorrow? No Busan trip?"
"Working till now without clocking out? You're burning through the electric bill."
"Aigoo, you should've taken that bullet and checked into the hospital this time."
Kim Sil-jang was so glad to see me he cracked jokes he wouldn't normally in front of the aides, who started chuckling. His eyes were red-rimmed.
"Have a seat."
"How the hell are you so fearless?"
"Aigoo, I was scared shitless, that's why I went dark. I'm just dumb and couldn't hide right."
"You hear about Im Bi-seo? I regretted not tagging along so bad."
"Brother, I told you a million times—I don't like guys. Who you calling a perv?"
"For real! Back in the day, if you weren't an assemblyman..."
"What, gonna beat my ass like old times?"
"I give up. What do I gain fighting you? That stubborn ass and zero-fucks attitude shaved years off my life!"
"Anyway, sorry, brother. But how else do I become president without this shit? Cut me some slack."
"Damn. If you didn't have that mouth, I wouldn't even hate you. You hit home okay?"
Kim Sil-jang was one of the few who genuinely worried about me. We'd been through thick and thin for years—who wouldn't?
"Yeah, came straight up from there. Party quiet besides the news?"
"What big drama? Everyone's playing it safe. Kim Seong-gap's been hounding for you multiple times a day."
"I'll see him tomorrow."
"You really okay?"
"Didn't Im Bi-seo fill you in?"
"Where'd you pick him up anyway?"
"Thought he was sharp from the neighborhood next door. What do you think?"
"He's solid, but come election time, rumors might fly you're only hiring Jeolla folks."
"If they're swayed by that crap, they weren't voting for me anyway. Results matter, not region."
A bumpkin from Gyeongsang like me? No issue. But folks from Jeolla see a new guy from home as baggage, not a bro. The office manager and Kim Sil-jang were just looking out, but I wished they'd own their skills without apology.
What I need aren't regional hacks—they're people who'll help build a Korea where citizens thrive under my presidency. Jeolla boy, Gangwon guy, Chungcheong whatever—doesn't matter.
"Anyway, have someone handle Im Bi-seo's paperwork, Chief. New blood means drinks tonight."
I dragged the whole crew out for drinks as an excuse. No overtime pay for these workaholic aides—they'd forget to eat if glued to desks. Who knows if they'd survive till the next general election.
Since we were eating, I picked a spot a bit farther that did beef and pork. Introduced Im Bi-seo properly and apologized for the worry during my disappearance.
We wrapped dinner in high spirits and hit karaoke for round two, letting them escape work for a few hours. The aides grumbled at first, but booze loosened them up, and soon they were belting tunes, shaking off job stress.
"Good morning~"
The aides looked way brighter than before. Must've been the stress relief. Kim Sil-jang followed me into the office.
"Drank late last night?"
"Girls left after you did, but the rest pulled an all-nighter welcoming Im Bi-seo and crashed at the sauna. You gotta meet Kim Seong-gap this morning."
Kim Seong-gap was antsy. I scheduled him and Jeong Sang-won first, then Park Seong-hwan. Needed to cut ties with Seo Jeong-ho, so I'd redirect the Supreme Committee spot earmarked for National Assembly Reform Alliance his way.
Kim Seong-gap looked gaunt, exhaustion etched deep.
"Supreme Committee Member, you look wrecked."
"You stir shit up and vanish—what can I do?"
"Sorry. Had to keep it from my own wife."
"I get it. The acting chair's the floor leader now, but how about you join the emergency committee?"
"Me jumping in would stir talk. Pick someone solid and recommend 'em yourself."
He'd been dying to see me to secure his emergency committee slot for party expansion ahead of his leadership run. Couldn't step in himself or push blindly.