[The Kingmaker's Proposal]
“Have you arrived?” Shin Ho-jun adjusted his glasses, pushing the frame up with his index finger. To YS, however, the gesture felt like a prelude to something grave.
‘W-what on earth is going on? Why is the ANSP Director’s right-hand man here? Don’t tell me... is JD finally trying to take care of me and DJ? Is this a desperate gamble?’
YS quickly reassessed the situation. ‘No, that’s not it. If they were planning to drag me away, I’d already be stuffed into a van by the ANSP goons by now. So, at the very least, it’s not the worst-case scenario I’m imagining.’
Just as he was calming his racing heart, Shin Ho-jun picked up the teacup from the table, took a sip, and let out a satisfied sound. “The tea is excellent.”
“...Excuse me?” YS wore a bewildered expression. Shin Ho-jun was a man notorious for getting straight to the point and leaving. Yet here he was, drinking tea and offering a review of its flavor. ‘Is he trying to have a peaceful conversation with me?’
That was how YS felt, and he began to regain his composure. A man who never showed peace or goodwill suddenly doing so was unsettling, but given the circumstances, it seemed unlikely that disaster was imminent. YS sat down, albeit still a bit hesitant.
“What brings you... here?”
At YS’s cautious inquiry, Shin Ho-jun finished the now-lukewarm tea, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. As the sound of the tea going down echoed, YS’s own throat moved in a rhythmic gulp.
“There is a place I would like you to accompany me to.”
“A-and where might that be?”
“It is not the ANSP.”
“Phew... Wait, what?”
For a moment, YS looked puzzled. It wasn’t “not the ANSP,” but “not the ANSP either.” ‘Not the ANSP either? Does that mean it’s somewhere I wouldn’t expect?’ To satisfy his curiosity, YS asked directly.
“Are you saying it’s not a place that will cause me physical or mental harm?”
Shin Ho-jun replied with a calm expression. “Physically, I can assure you of your safety. Mentally, however, you might find yourself doing a bit of ‘agonizing.’”
“Hmm...”
As YS continued to ponder, Shin Ho-jun finally provided the definitive reason.
“Assemblyman N is calling for you.”
***
“To be honest, I expected you to call for JP, not me... This is unexpected.”
Realizing there was truly no danger to himself, YS finally felt a sense of relief.
“I apologize. I seem to have startled you quite a bit.”
It was a sincere apology from N. He immediately continued, “Frankly, during the military regime, opposition figures were subjected to immense oppression. Especially Assemblyman DJ, who suffered through countless tortures. This is the ugly corruption of the military, and a burden that those of us from the military must carry for the rest of our lives.”
YS’s eyes widened. N was also from the military. That he could speak so freely about such matters and admit to the faults was simply unbelievable.
“I am a member of the ruling party, but I, too, was pressured heavily by JD. To be honest, I am one of the masterminds behind the 12·12 Military Insurrection. It’s just that I didn’t have a chance to stand out during the military regime, so the public didn’t make an issue of it.”
YS could not fathom N’s way of speaking, which laid his own political weaknesses bare. Such conversations were things one should never have with an enemy. ‘Is he really planning to make me an ally? But that’s realistically impossible, isn’t it?’
If YS joined N, N would be the certain winner of the upcoming presidential election. After all, if two parties merged for a single candidacy, there was no reason for N to concede. Furthermore, the moment N’s party and YS’s party united, they would receive “reluctant support” from a significant portion of the citizens who had previously viewed them negatively. If that happened, it would be impossible for DJ and JP to defeat N, even if they joined forces. But this was only possible if YS conceded.
If you place a single piece of meat in front of three starving lions, two of them are bound to die. Politics is no different. However, the situation was slightly different from what YS had imagined.
“I’ve heard that you, Assemblyman YS, prefer things to be straightforward.”
“Yes, that is true. Shouldn’t a person handle matters in a refreshing, decisive way?”
Indeed, YS was the type to coolly demolish the former Japanese Government-General building and aggressively implement the Financial Real-Name System. The fact that the wealthy elite endlessly blamed him as the culprit behind the IMF crisis was a testament to his drive.
“That is why I will say it plainly. Join me.”
“I refuse.”
For a moment, laughter erupted in the private room where N and YS were sitting alone. Not just one person’s laughter, but both. With the liquor table between them at the high-class restaurant, N picked up the bottle first.
“Hahahaha! As expected of Assemblyman YS. Have a drink.”
“Hehehe, my apologies. But honestly, wasn’t that the answer you expected?”
“Indeed, indeed. Ah! In that case, I must do this.”
N took YS’s cup, poured drinks into both his own and YS’s, and then drank both of them himself.
“Hmm?”
At YS’s puzzled look, N laughed and replied, “I did this in case you were worried there might be poison in the drink or the cup. Now, can you drink with peace of mind?”
“Puhahaha! I think I’ve misunderstood Assemblyman N quite a bit until now. You and I actually have some things in common.”
Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult to find such common ground. In standard history, N was a key figure in the 12·12 Military Insurrection and had many dark secrets to hide. But in Yoon-gi’s history, N had no reason to satisfy his desires through dirty means. That gave him a certain composure—a composure that allowed him to click with YS.
“I’m glad you think so.”
N handed the cup back to YS, and YS gladly accepted it.
“I never thought I’d be doing something like ‘passing the cup’ in a place like this.”
While the younger generation in the 2010s might not be familiar with it, Korea had a culture of “passing the cup,” which still existed in groups with older members. It was a way to drink quickly and get intoxicated, where you would pass the cup to the other person after drinking, and they would have to drink immediately and pass it back. Of course, it was a practice that was disappearing as hygiene and health awareness improved in South Korea, but it was still common at the time. It was fortunate that neither N nor YS had hepatitis.
“Thank you for coming!”
“Thank you for inviting me!”
Apart from the presidential election, N and YS toasted to their personal rapport. With a sharp *clink*, they downed the liquor and immediately poured more into each other’s cups. Three cups in a row. Though not physically drunk, they were intoxicated by the atmosphere when N spoke first.
“Assemblyman, do you know why I’ve suddenly become so active in politics?”
“Isn’t it because the ‘Three Heos’ have effectively fallen from power? I understand your activities began in earnest from that point on.”
It was a sharp analysis in its own way, but N just smiled.
“Then why did the Three Heos fall?”
“That’s because... they messed with YK, didn’t they?”
YS was curious why N was asking such things, but he answered anyway.
“That’s right. They messed with YK. Then, when do you think my relationship with YK began?”
In an instant, YS realized half of N’s intentions. His brain began to spin furiously. ‘It definitely wasn’t a recent alliance. To an outsider, it might look like YK switched from the fading JD to the promising N for the next election. But hearing N talk now, that’s clearly not it. Did they approach N as soon as the Three Heos fell?’ It was a plausible deduction. After the Three Heos fell, N was the closest to the presidency among pro-government figures. JSD would never be accepted by public opinion, and Choi Hee-du was a military man with no public recognition. ‘Wait, don’t tell me...?!’
YS hit upon a shocking deduction.
“Assemblyman, don’t tell me you were receiving support from YK even before the Three Heos fell?”
N smiled and nodded.
“That is correct. YK reached out to me before the Three Heos had even fallen. And I have been waiting for my opportunity, trusting only in YK.”
“You madman...”
It was natural for YS to react this way. Approaching N after the Three Heos fell made sense. But approaching N *before* they fell? That was logically impossible to comprehend.
‘Investing in N thinking he would become the presidential candidate is absolutely impossible. Then, d-d-d-don’t tell me?’
YS’s jaw dropped just thinking about it. N watched him and quietly took a drink, and YS, having finally closed his gaping mouth, managed to speak again.
“Don’t tell me... was it YK that caused the Three Heos to fall? Not JD?”
N nodded.
“That is correct.”
“My god, heavens above...”
The inner workings of politics were beyond anything he could have imagined, and YS couldn’t keep his head straight.
“And today, YK’s ‘Kingmaker’ wanted to see you. That is why I arranged this meeting.”
“Me?”
YS felt his heart pounding.
“Yes. Would you like to see them?”
“Y-yes.”
At YS’s answer, the door to the private room opened. *‘Chairman Choi Ki-hyun is truly an incredible man.’* YS looked at the opening door, expecting to meet Chairman Choi Ki-hyun.
“...?”
However, what appeared before him was not Choi Ki-hyun, but Yoon-gi.
“When is Chairman Choi arriving...?”
“Isn’t Chairman Choi right here?”
“No, the Chairman Choi I’m talking about is...”
YS, who had gotten this far, dropped his jaw once again.
“No, don’t tell me? Don’t tell me?!”
He couldn’t believe it. It was enough to make YS jump to his feet. But N just smiled calmly.
“That’s right. Contrary to what is known to the public, YK was not built by Chairman Choi Ki-hyun. While he may have provided some financial support, it was built entirely by Choi Yoon-gi, who is standing right here.”
“Are you asking me to believe that right now?”
“Does it matter if you believe it or not?”
At N’s subtle remark, YS, who looked like he was about to storm out, stopped.
“Excuse me?”
“Whether Yoon-gi here is the Kingmaker, or whether Chairman Choi Ki-hyun is just putting Yoon-gi forward, the support you receive from YK remains the same. Isn’t that right?”
It was certainly true.
“That may be...”
“You are free to leave right now. But would leaving truly be to your benefit?”
In the end, YS sat back down. He still had a reason to listen.
“Nice to meet you. As you know, I am Choi Yoon-gi, the Chairman of YK.”
At Yoon-gi’s polite greeting, YS stood up again to show a modicum of respect. Although Yoon-gi was a formidable presence, the age gap made it difficult for YS to show perfect deference. Even N had initially thought he was the superior one.
“Now, let’s all sit down and talk.”
At N’s lead, Yoon-gi sat down facing the vertical length of the table, between N and YS. He then turned his head toward YS.
“Assemblyman, I’ve heard you like things to be straightforward.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true...”
“That is why I am saying this: I would like you to unify the candidacy and support DJ.”