Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Don’t Trust Too Much
“It’s been a while. Do you remember me?”
“...Hello.”
Yu Yeon-seo hid his reluctance and played along for now. How many times had this happened already? In the past, after a few people who came to greet him were soundly rejected, no one would have approached him so amicably.
‘Damn it, I’ve been living too well-behaved.’
The troublemaker image he had so carefully maintained had long since faded. It was unclear whether it was because his activities in the entertainment industry had been going smoothly since the accident, or if good rumors had spread because his doting father had been bragging about him so much to everyone.
It had gotten to the point where…
‘…Should I shatter it?’
He had even considered it.
He stopped glaring at the champagne flute and handed it to a staff member. He would hold back, considering his family’s reputation on such a monumental day as their 80th anniversary. But he would have to try again someday.
‘Where’s Great-Uncle?’
After finally sending them away, Yu Yeon-seo looked around and frowned at the man standing before him.
“Hey, long time no see?”
“...Who?”
The face was quite familiar. But even with his good memory, he couldn’t pinpoint who it was.
“You don’t know me? Kim Seong-wu from HU Construction.”
Kim Seong-wu… he was someone from the synchronized memories. In the past, forced by his grandfather to attend a similar event, he had run into him.
Hadn’t he run away in a huff after Yu Yeon-seo entertained his pathetic provocations about his entertainment career and his biological mother? He didn’t remember him having this face back then... Well, that wasn’t important.
“Ah… you remember something from years ago quite well. Didn’t you get thoroughly shut down back then?”
Sensing he wouldn’t leave easily, Yu Yeon-seo decided to play along for the time being. The corners of Kim Seong-wu’s mouth dipped slightly, but only for a moment.
“...That was ages ago. Are you still holding onto that?”
Oh, this was a new reaction. As far as he knew, Kim Seong-wu looked up to his maternal cousin, Choi Ji-hun, like an older brother—a narrow-minded, petty, and hot-tempered man. He thought a little provocation would be enough to make him back off, but he was trying his best to appear composed.
“Right, nice to see you. Now, goodbye.”
“Wait a minute.”
Yu Yeon-seo stared blankly at Kim Seong-wu’s hand gripping his forearm. He already had a lot on his mind, and having to deal with such a trivial nuisance was starting to bring out his old personality.
Startled by Yu Yeon-seo’s gaze, Kim Seong-wu let go of his arm and forced a smile.
“Since we’re here, let’s talk for a bit. What have you been up to?”
“As I recall, you and I were never that close.”
“We can get close now, can’t we? Let’s forget about the past.”
This bastard… he must want something from me. Yu Yeon-seo glanced over Kim Seong-wu’s shoulder. Three women were glancing their way.
He gestured with his chin toward the person at the end of Kim Seong-wu’s line of sight.
“Is it her?”
“What?”
“The one you’re interested in.”
Kim Seong-wu clamped his mouth shut. His silence was an admission of guilt. Yu Yeon-seo smirked. The women waved at him. So… the women’s attention was on him, not Kim Seong-wu, and since he had a flimsy connection with him, he wanted to use it to his advantage somehow…
“You’re not trying to use me to hit on her, are you?”
“Wh-what are you talking about? No.”
“And considering you’ve had work done on your face… why do you have such low self-esteem? Were you always like this?”
Yu Yeon-seo leaned in closer and whispered in his ear. He had to bend down since Kim Seong-wu was shorter.
“You told me back then that a lowly bloodline doesn’t just disappear, and the son follows suit. Without even knowing your place.”
“Th-that was…”
“Don’t you remember?”
Meeting Yu Yeon-seo’s gaze, Kim Seong-wu flinched. In the past, any talk related to Yu Yeon-seo’s biological mother was taboo. A few people, unaware of this fact, provoked him by bringing her up.
They were probably quite jealous of Yu Yeon-seo, who lacked nothing in terms of looks or family background. Besides, the more they provoked him, the more he acted out, so it was his own image that suffered.
‘But it’s different now.’
Unlike in the past, when he had only fanned the flames of bad rumors by not explaining his actions, he now had a certain degree of trust from his family.
“Then again, if you remembered, you wouldn’t have dared to talk to me. Right?”
“That’s not it…”
“Kim Seong-wu, have some courage. A person is more than their outward appearance. What’s important is the heart.”
“Ugh…”
“Does it hurt? What are you going to do if you collapse so disgracefully? Everyone behind you is watching.”
Yu Yeon-seo squeezed a point on Kim Seong-wu’s shoulder and grinned. Kim Seong-wu’s face, contorted in a grimace, turned increasingly red. It must have been quite painful.
“Anyway, your looks and your personality are still a nosedive into the deep sea. You’re a lost cause.”
“Hk…”
“You can do it. Fighting. And don’t forget to stay out of my sight from now on.”
He gave Kim Seong-wu’s shoulder a perfunctory pat and quickly left.
He looked toward where he felt a gaze and saw Yu Eun-ho and Baek Seo-jun watching him while eating finger foods.
“...What did you do to him?”
“What, you were watching?”
“In case you caused trouble again.”
He knew that wasn’t the real reason. Yu Yeon-seo sighed softly and reached for a glass on the table. But Yu Eun-ho stopped him.
“You’re not feeling well, so don’t drink.”
“...You seem pretty popular, hyung. Are you sure you don’t need to go over there?”
There were still many people trying to strike up a conversation with them. Yu Eun-ho, having been pestered for a while, let out a small sigh.
“It was fine as long as I stayed near you…”
Ah… so the reason he always stuck by his side at these events wasn’t because he was worried he’d cause trouble… but because he genuinely felt more comfortable there.
“Where’s Great-Uncle?”
“Over there.”
Yu Seong-won had been laughing heartily with acquaintances from his active days and had just stood up to excuse himself for a moment.
“I need to go talk to him.”
“Should I come? Are you okay going alone?”
“Yeah, I think he likes me.”
He needed to find out why he had looked at him that way. Ignoring his brother’s advice to go home immediately if he felt unwell, he snatched Baek Seo-jun’s glass and poured its contents onto his hand.
“What the.”
“Get a new one.”
Following Yu Seong-won into the restroom, Yu Yeon-seo washed his hands at the sink and then looked up, pretending to have just noticed his great-uncle.
“Oh? Great-Uncle.”
“Yes, the first son’s second son.”
Having finished his business, Yu Seong-won used the sink next to Yu Yeon-seo’s.
“It’s been a while since you’ve come. How is it?”
“It has changed a lot.”
“Still, you seemed to be having fun with your friends.”
“Yes, well, now that I’ve seen their faces, I should be heading out soon.”
“...May I ask you just one thing?”
Yu Yeon-seo stopped Yu Seong-won, who was about to pass him and leave. He felt that if not now, he might not get another chance.
“Why did you look at me like that earlier?”
“...Was it that obvious?”
“I’m a bit sensitive to reading emotions. Because I’m an actor.”
If the look had only contained guilt, he might have suspected him of being ‘the Mastermind.’ But Yu Seong-won had pitied and sympathized with him. It could have been because a child had witnessed a tragedy due to an order he had given.
But this felt different. It was a purely genuine sense of sorrow.
“Anyone who knows your situation would look at you that way. Especially a blood relative.”
“I suppose so.”
Yu Yeon-seo deliberately put on a pitiful expression. If you pity me, then please give me even a small clue to identify ‘the Mastermind.’ At this, Yu Seong-won’s lips parted, and then, as if having made up his mind, he looked at him.
“Let me tell you a story.”
“...This way, please.”
Yu Yeon-seo led Yu Seong-won to a nearby reception room. On a table between high-end sofas sat a pitcher of water and glasses. Yu Seong-won let out a small, dry laugh at the seemingly prepared action, but Yu Yeon-seo was in no mood for pleasantries.
“So, do you know why I stepped down from the chairman position?”
“Grandfather never told me, so I only know the rumors. Like the one that my grandfather plotted something behind the scenes.”
“Haha, there was such a rumor…”
Yu Seong-won took a sip of water. He seemed to quite like Yu Yeon-seo’s directness.
“It was because my two sons were in an accident, right?”
“Yes.”
“Actually, that’s not it.”
Yu Yeon-seo hadn’t fully believed all the rumors, but given his grandfather’s cantankerous personality, he had half-conceded that it might be possible.
“I had no talent for management. It was your grandfather, Chang-ho, who was handling my work from the beginning.”
“So you were like a figurehead chairman?”
“Yes, I inherited the position simply because I was the eldest son.”
So, after handling an important matter for the company, he had already decided to pass the succession not to his own son, but to his younger brother.
“...But before I could even tell them, my sons started fighting with each other, you see.”
“Don’t tell me.”
“Yes, that accident… it wasn’t Chang-ho. It was them… against each other…”
Yu Seong-won couldn’t finish his sentence. Yu Yeon-seo offered him his handkerchief. It was a tragedy that occurred because he found it difficult to tell his two ambitious sons that he planned to hand the company over to his younger brother, so he kept putting it off.
‘He certainly has no talent for management.’
He was too soft-hearted and indecisive. He was the opposite of Chairman Yu, a cold-blooded man who, despite having a humane side, always spoke his mind.
“You and Eun-ho seem to get along well.”
“Yes, well…”
“Good. But you know… my sons were just as close as you two.”
If they ended up attacking each other, weren’t they not that close? Yu Yeon-seo kept his mouth shut. There must have been something that only a parent could feel.
“A conglomerate like Juseong… anyone would covet it. Just like my sons did.”
“I have no interest in a conglomerate like Juseong.”
“No, that’s not what I’m trying to say.”
Yu Seong-won started to rise from his seat. As Yu Yeon-seo shot up to support him, Yu Seong-won gripped his shoulder tightly.
“Don’t trust your family too much.”
“...Do you think my biological mother was caught up in that kind of incident?”
Yu Seong-won didn’t answer. But from his expression, his breathing, and his posture, Yu Yeon-seo could tell. This man wasn’t ‘the Mastermind.’
He was just a kind-hearted great-uncle, concerned for his grandnephew who had suffered a similar tragedy.
“I should be going now.”
“Just a moment.”
Yu Yeon-seo hadn’t only deciphered the look in his eyes. He also remembered the fleeting, uncomfortable glance he had cast toward his relatives. If he was telling him not to trust family, then there must be someone he suspected.
“If… if you have any suspicions, could you please contact me?”
“...You.”
Yu Seong-won saw the desperation in Yu Yeon-seo’s eyes. He didn’t know the full story surrounding Lee Hui-seo’s accident, but he could read the many hidden circumstances in that gaze.
“You’re suspecting something.”
“Please, I’m begging you to contact me.”
Yu Yeon-seo bowed his head.
After seeing Yu Seong-won to the entrance, Yu Yeon-seo returned to Yu Eun-ho and Baek Seo-jun.
“How was it?”
“…”
Yu Yeon-seo answered Baek Seo-jun’s question with silence. He had truly hoped he was wrong, but… He swept his gaze over his relatives. His stepmother, chatting and laughing with a guest, and his aunt and uncle.
Now, it was really only them left.