Chapter 5
Chapter 5
An Unreliable Memory
I believe his memory is not fully intact.
Before opening the door to the chairman’s office, a man adjusted his clothes, cleared his throat, and let out a small sigh. Chairman Yu’s secretary observed the man’s typical pre-meeting jitters without a hint of ridicule before knocking on the door.
“Good morning, Chairman. I am Im Seung-hyeon, Assistant Manager of the Strategic Planning Division.”
“Come in. Let’s skip the pleasantries.”
Chairman Yu Chang-ho, seated at the head of the table, possessed an intense gaze despite his age. Feeling as though he were facing a tiger, Im Seung-hyeon lowered his eyes slightly.
Not only was the Chairman present, but to his left sat Vice Chairman Yu Geon-min, who had a kind-looking face, and to his right, Managing Director Yu Eun-ho.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Yes, sir.”
Yu Eun-ho indicated the seat next to him in a low voice.
He’s handsome and his voice is handsome too. The world really is unfair, Im Seung-hyeon grumbled inwardly.
“So, how has that boy been lately? I heard he’s well enough to be discharged…”
The ‘boy’ Chairman Yu was referring to was the problem child of the entertainment industry, the hellmouth, Yu Yeon-seo.
“Yes, the young master is recovering steadily. However, I have occasionally found wads of tissue mixed with blood when checking the trash can.”
“The doctor said there was nothing wrong…”
Yu Geon-min’s leg trembled with anxiety. Chairman Yu slapped his knee. Im Seung-hyeon pretended not to notice the scene and continued speaking with a placid expression.
“The young master is adamant about being discharged, so it seems he will need to visit the hospital for regular check-ups.”
“I see. Were there any other unusual developments?”
“The CEO and a manager from his agency came to visit, but I sent them away for now. And…”
Im Seung-hyeon had actually ‘volunteered’ for the post of guarding Yu Yeon-seo’s hospital room. It was a position no one wanted, to the point where they were about to randomly assign it to a new employee. His volunteering was said to have brought a collective sigh of relief from the Strategic Planning Division.
“Say what you need to say, without holding back.”
Yu Eun-ho prodded Im Seung-hyeon, who had been hesitating, his lips twitching as he debated whether to speak.
“Well… sir, when you visited last time, did the young master seem alright?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Yu Geon-min frowned.
“Did he… recognize the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, and you, sir?”
“Isn’t that a given?”
Of course, he had. Chairman Yu scoffed, annoyed at the memory of Yu Yeon-seo arguing back so fiercely.
“In my opinion… I believe the young master’s memory is not fully intact.”
At Im Seung-hyeon’s words, the Chairman and Vice Chairman, who had been leaning back comfortably, leaned forward. Yu Eun-ho asked the question for them.
“Why do you think so?”
“First, his demeanor toward us has become… polite, I should say. Before, the young master’s personality was a bit…”
As he trailed off, the three generations of the Yu family nodded in understanding. They were well aware of Yu Yeon-seo’s terrible temper. It was just that blood is thicker than water, so they had always brushed it off with a simple, ‘kids can be like that.’
“He had a near-death experience. Wouldn’t it be natural for him to have some sort of realization?”
Chairman Yu crossed his arms, looking displeased, but he couldn’t hide his prominent cheekbones, which betrayed his feelings. Has my ruffian of a second grandson finally decided to grow up? If so, a little memory loss didn’t seem so bad.
“What’s wrong with our Yeon-seo’s personality? People can be like that.”
“It’s because you coddle him so much that his personality is…!”
Chairman Yu was about to scold Yu Geon-min but managed to swallow his anger upon remembering Im Seung-hyeon was still present. The quick-witted Im Seung-hyeon pretended not to have seen it.
“He also asked for his personal information. He didn’t seem to know his own user IDs. He also inquired about his assets and related passwords, people he was close to as a child, and his relationships with peers during his school days.”
Yu Yeon-seo, who never cared about others, asking about his relationships? And Yu Yeon-seo, the money-grubber, not knowing the scale of his own assets and passwords? Yu Eun-ho’s expression instantly turned serious, and he pressed his lips together. Yu Geon-min and Yu Chang-ho looked just as grave.
“I found it suspicious, so I asked a doctor, and he said it’s possible after a severe blow to the head. Of course, I didn’t mention it was about the young master. I asked a doctor from a different hospital, just in case.”
Im Seung-hyeon quickly added. Chairman Yu nodded in understanding. He was worried about Yu Yeon-seo’s condition, but his discharge was just around the corner. He would find out for himself when he saw and spoke to him.
“I see… You’ve done well.”
“I’ll take my leave then.”
Im Seung-hyeon, reading the room, exited the chairman’s office. Yu Eun-ho followed him out and called his name.
“Mr. Im, do you have a moment?”
“Yes, Managing Director.”
Even if he didn’t, how could he refuse a summons from the owner’s family? He would have to make time. Im Seung-hyeon followed Yu Eun-ho to a nearby conference room.
“The atmosphere in the Chairman’s office wasn’t exactly suitable for coffee, was it? What would you like to drink?”
“I’ll have an iced coffee, then…”
Yu Eun-ho gestured toward the door, and his secretary, who had appeared out of nowhere, placed the drinks down and quickly left. As the door closed, the transparent glass turned opaque.
“I heard you ‘volunteered’ to be Yeon-seo’s attendant at the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“As you know, my younger brother is not what you’d call a well-adjusted individual. Even if it’s temporary, being his direct attendant? It’s a position everyone avoids.”
At Yu Eun-ho’s cynical remark, Im Seung-hyeon, unsure whether to agree or not, just smiled awkwardly.
“Your willingness to volunteer was suspicious, so I took a look at your personnel file. I hope you understand.”
“Yes, sir. It’s fine.”
Im Seung-hyeon wasn’t bothered. He would have done a background check on himself too. Yu Yeon-seo’s reputation was the stuff of urban legends, and every employee avoided him. It was only natural to suspect an ulterior motive.
“Graduated from Hanguk University and joined Juseong Group right after. The competition was fierce, but the interviewers’ evaluations of you were excellent.”
“I was lucky.”
“Luck is a skill. Your qualifications are better than mine, and I was born with a silver spoon.”
“You’re too kind, sir.”
Are you really the type of person to say something like that?
Im Seung-hyeon looked at the youngest managing director in front of him. He was born into privilege, but he was also smart and capable. Unlike his brother, his private life was clean, making him one of the most eligible bachelors among the chaebol families.
And this man was flattering him with empty words? There was a reason for such flattery. Im Seung-hyeon tensed up.
“In school, you were on the national reserve team for judo… Why did you quit?”
“I suffered a minor injury. I had to quit the sport. But it doesn’t affect my daily life.”
“You quit sports and got into Hanguk University right away… Impressive. From Nowon District, the second of two sons and one daughter. Your older brother was an idol trainee and is now… an actor?”
“He’s more of an aspiring actor at this point.”
Wait, my brother’s information isn’t in my personnel file. Im Seung-hyeon felt goosebumps on his arms.
“Why would someone like you… for Yeon-seo?”
“Well…”
Yu Eun-ho looked at Im Seung-hyeon as if he truly couldn’t understand.
“You can be honest.”
There was, of course, a reason why Im Seung-hyeon had volunteered to attend to Yu Yeon-seo. Having lived his life being told he was as sharp as a tack, he had spent three years at Juseong Group gathering rumors and combining them with the experiences of his colleagues. It all led to one conclusion.
‘The Yu family dotes on Yu Yeon-seo.’
The fact that he wasn’t cast out despite all the trouble he caused, and the material and emotional support he received from behind the scenes, proved it.
And when Im Seung-hyeon was called into the chairman’s office, he had spotted Yu Yeon-seo’s merchandise on the chairman’s desk. Official merchandise, at that. A season’s greetings calendar?
How did he know this? Because his younger sister was a Love Letter. It was information Im Seung-hyeon would rather not have known.
In any case, with one exception, his aunts, uncles, and cousins all adored Yu Yeon-seo. It seemed Yu Yeon-seo also tempered his behavior around his family, so his tantrums were perceived as mere childish fits.
‘Honestly, that’s why I wanted to get close to Yu Yeon-seo.’
Since he monopolized the family’s affection, Im Seung-hyeon figured a few crumbs might fall his way if he stayed by his side.
Besides…
‘He’s not the train wreck the rumors make him out to be.’
The moment his colleagues heard Im Seung-hyeon was being temporarily dispatched to Yu Yeon-seo’s hospital, he was met with a barrage of concerned and sympathetic looks.
[Oh my, Seung-hyeon… what will you do? Will you be okay?]
[Sir, shouldn’t we hold a farewell party for him now?]
[Never make eye contact with him. The moment you do, you’ll be hit with the resignation beam!]
A resignation beam? What is he, some kind of monster? In the end, a company dinner was scheduled for that evening, and he became the guest of honor at his own premature farewell party. Hello, I still have my employee ID card.
[If you keep standing there, when will you go home?]
[It’s alright, young master. This is my job.]
[You must be tired. Go home now. There are other people here besides you. If you don’t go home right now, you’re fired. Got it?]
[Yes, sir. I’ll be leaving now, young master.]
But contrary to his worries, Yu Yeon-seo was docile. He had even been let off work early. Was this really the same utter hellion from the rumors?
‘But can I really be this honest?’
Im Seung-hyeon glanced around cautiously.
‘Ah, what the hell.’
This was Managing Director Yu Eun-ho, after all. He had recently resolved a sexual harassment case within the company, preventing an innocent person from being wrongly accused. It didn’t seem like he would be penalized for speaking honestly.
“To be frank… yes, I did approach him with intent.”
Im Seung-hyeon spilled out his thoughts, sugarcoating them as much as possible. Yu Eun-ho nodded slightly.
“You’re perceptive. That’s right. Yeon-seo is our family’s troublemaker, but he’s also the one who gets all the love. If you can last just three months under him, our family’s perception of you will change.”
“But I never intended to use the young master, sir. The truth is… my colleagues in the department are so talented that I felt I might fall behind in promotions… I felt I had to do something…”
Im Seung-hyeon earnestly defended himself. Yu Eun-ho chuckled.
He didn’t dislike perceptive people. Im Seung-hyeon had a good reputation at work, was a judo black belt, and with his brother aspiring to be an actor, he would likely know a fair bit about the entertainment industry. He was more than qualified to be assigned to Yu Yeon-seo.
“Still, you have a lot of courage. Everyone who worked under Yeon-seo quit within a few days.”
“Y-yes, they did.”
Yu Yeon-seo didn’t have the authority to fire people, but if you got on his bad side, you were marked. Your corporate life would be over that day.
So, he had been a little scared. After building up his qualifications so painstakingly to get into Juseong Group, what if he was fired for nothing because of the owner’s hellion grandson? For Im Seung-hyeon, this was a project where he had a lot at stake.
“Well… I’m well aware of his reputation, but you never truly know a person until you’ve experienced them for yourself.”
This wasn’t just a self-serving statement; it held a hint of sincerity. His personality is actually decent, isn’t it? Yu Eun-ho grinned.
“Good. Then you will continue to work under Yeon-seo from now on.”
“Yes, sir.”
“A sudden promotion would attract unwanted attention from other employees, so… I’ll double your salary and give you a quarterly incentive.”
“I will work hard!”
“You may go now. My secretary will guide you.”
Yu Eun-ho waved his hand. Im Seung-hyeon struggled to keep his legs steady. The aftermath of meeting face-to-face with the two tigers of Juseong Group, Chairman Yu Chang-ho and now Managing Director Yu Eun-ho, was significant.
“Ah, Managing Director. There was something I wasn’t sure if I should mention in front of the Chairman earlier.”
“What is it?”
“Well… the young master requested information about the family.”
Yu Eun-ho furrowed his brow. Does he really have a memory problem? But this is something he could have said when my grandfather and father were here, isn’t it? Is he filtering information for me now?
At his change in expression, Im Seung-hyeon quickly added.
“He also requested information about ‘that person’…”
“...I see. You did well.”
At the mention of ‘that person,’ Yu Eun-ho’s shoulders flinched. What a perceptive man. He hoped his brother would keep this one around for a long time.
But a suspicion arose: why would his brother ask an attendant for information that was readily available with a simple internet search? Then again, it could also mean his brother’s memory was that severely damaged.
“Haa…”
His worried sighs only grew deeper.