A Righteous Reporter? (1)
"Excuse me?" Ryu Geun-tae was half-certain he had misheard. 'Have I momentarily lost my mind?' But he hadn't misheard.
"I told you to send a full set of home appliances to that reporter's family home."
"Chairman, the reporter I just mentioned is the one planning to write a scathing article about YK Department Store..."
Yoon-gi sighed and furrowed his brow while listening to Ryu Geun-tae. "Secretary Ryu."
Because this was a side of him he had never shown before, Ryu Geun-tae tensed up, fearing he had made a grave mistake. "Y-yes! Chairman!"
"Lately, I feel like you've been forgetting your place."
"N-no, absolutely not. I am always thinking of how to serve you..."
Yoon-gi cut him off. "Lately, you've been acting more like the President of the Department Store. If that's what you want, I could make it happen, but is that really what you want?"
Yoon-gi's secretary versus the President of YK Department Store. Only then did Ryu Geun-tae realize his error. "I apologize. I will ensure this does not happen again..."
"Do you realize what the problem is?"
"Yes, I am truly sorry..."
Yoon-gi was certainly not a fool. That meant every order he gave had a reason. As a secretary, his duty was to execute orders; there was no reason to explain the situation regarding the reporter to Yoon-gi again. That wasn't advice—it was leaving room for persuasion. But a secretary trying to persuade the Chairman? That was a clear overstepping of authority.
"If you know, that's enough. And stop looking so dejected. People make mistakes."
"Yes, I will never! Let this happen again."
Even though Yoon-gi told him it was okay to make mistakes, Ryu Geun-tae tightened his own leash once more.
"Ho-je, think about it again. If you publish this, you might really die. Do you want to get dragged off to Namyeong-dong? Do you not know the relationship between YK Department Store and the New Military Regime?"
At the Editor-in-Chief's words, Kim Ho-je, a political reporter, shook his head. "Chief, I really want to write this article. If I don't write it, who will?"
"You crazy bastard! Why would you write an article that no one else dares to touch!" The Editor-in-Chief, whose hair was slicked back with pomade and grease from not washing it for two days of all-nighters, pounded his chest.
"Chief, I really don't understand. The News Director approved it, so why are you the only one saying no?"
"You idiot! That guy can just say, 'I thought the Editorial Department handled it,' and slip away. He has no actual responsibility!"
At the Chief's words, Kim Ho-je pulled up the outer corners of his signature squinty eyes, looking angry. "Chief, this is too much. Where did the Chief who used to tell me that a reporter needs guts go? Don't tell me you've already surrendered to the New Military Regime?"
"Hey, how could you say such a thing..."
Seeing the Editor-in-Chief looking deeply wounded, Kim Ho-je realized he had made a slip of the tongue. "I'm sorry. I made a mistake..."
Knowing how hard the Chief worked for the reporters under him, Kim Ho-je bowed his head sincerely.
"Phew... Yeah... I guess it's all because you have guts. But, Ho-je. Can't you think about it one more time? It's not just any connection; it's a group involved with JD and JSD. If you touch them the wrong way, you'll really die."
"It doesn't matter. The public has a right to know."
"The right to know... Phew..."
The Editor-in-Chief pulled out a cigarette and lit it, then offered the pack to Kim Ho-je. Kim Ho-je took one, and the Chief lit it for him as well.
"Don't you remember the old days? We spent half a month undercover just to catch one case of corruption involving P. We smoked cigarettes together just like this back then..."
Hearing the familiar words, Kim Ho-je's expression softened.
"Ho-je."
"Yes, Chief."
"Fine, publish that article."
"...!"
Kim Ho-je looked at the Chief with a moved expression, and the Chief continued.
"Instead."
"Yes?"
"Think about it for just five more days. If you still want to run the story after five days, I'll stake my neck to get it passed. You don't think I'm lying, do you?"
"Absolutely not."
The Editor-in-Chief had never lied, even if he had killed stories from the start, so Kim Ho-je crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and grabbed the Chief's right hand with both of his.
"Thank you. Thank you! Chief!"
"That's enough. And get your affairs in order during those five days. If you suddenly go missing after the article comes out in five days, what are your parents supposed to do?"
Kim Ho-je's expression turned somber for a moment, but he soon nodded, wearing a confident look. "Don't worry. Kim Ho-je is a man. I'm not the type to be afraid of things like that."
"Fine... Anyway, go home now."
"Yes!"
Since it was already past 11 PM, Kim Ho-je left the newspaper building, feeling relieved and ready to head home. The night air was biting with cold wind. Feeling the sharp breeze cut at his cheeks, Kim Ho-je suddenly thought of his parents back in his hometown. 'Right... maybe I should go see my parents' faces while I'm at it...'
"Well, who is this?" A grandmother in her mid-60s with a slightly hunched back ran out into the yard wearing rubber shoes.
"Mother, I'm home."
Kim Ho-je, in his mid-30s, was single, so aside from his siblings, his only family was his parents.
"You said you were so busy with reporter work, how did you come today? Honey! Come out here! Ho-je is here!"
"Eh? Ho-je is here?"
The door of the slate-roofed house swung open, and his father in his late 60s ran out into the yard and hugged Kim Ho-je. His skin was pitch black from farming, and his face was wrinkled from the sun. Seeing his parents, who still lived in this remote village farming because none of their children had succeeded, made Kim Ho-je's heart ache.
His parents had boasted to everyone in the neighborhood that their son was a reporter, but since becoming one, he had never once given them a proper allowance. The only thing he had bought them was a pair of red long johns with his first paycheck. Because most of the money he earned went to supporting student activist groups or buying food for those imprisoned for anti-government protests, Kim Ho-je was living in poverty himself, let alone taking care of his parents.
"Have you been well?"
"We've been well. Of course we have! Even if we weren't, seeing your face makes all the bad thoughts fly away! But you're busy, how did you come?"
"I got some vacation time."
Kim Ho-je couldn't bring himself to say, 'I came to see you before I die,' so he made a vague excuse and shifted his gaze. However, his parents, overjoyed just by their son's arrival, didn't notice.
"First, come inside. You haven't eaten, right?"
"Yes, actually, I've been craving Mother's cooking."
"Just wait a moment. I'll get a meal ready for you quickly."
Watching his mother excitedly head to the kitchen, Kim Ho-je followed his father inside.
"Huh?"
For a moment, Kim Ho-je doubted his own eyes. 'What are all these...?'
A large color TV in the living room, a massive refrigerator in the corner of the room, an air conditioner installed on one wall. Checking the kitchen and other areas, he saw a washing machine, a VCR, and an audio system. It was literally every type of home appliance he knew of. A smile formed on Kim Ho-je's lips without him realizing it.
"Did my sister or brother buy these?"
But his father shook his head with an awkward smile. "They told me not to tell you, but I guess it's okay to say...?"
"What? What do you mean?" Kim Ho-je looked puzzled, unable to understand what was going on.
"Well... a few days ago, someone came and gave us all these things."
"Wh-who?"
Having hit rock bottom during his life as a reporter, Kim Ho-je never believed that someone would give such things out of pure kindness. Just as he was thinking that if someone had approached them with impure motives, he would stake his career as a reporter to never let it slide, his father opened his mouth.
"They said there's no reporter as righteous as you in the world and praised you so much, it made us feel good. They said you're doing such a great job as a reporter... We hadn't heard that from you, so..."
Listening to his father, Kim Ho-je was experiencing severe cognitive dissonance. His life as a reporter was structured to create enemies, not allies. Of course, he had connections with anti-government groups, but there was absolutely no chance they could provide this kind of support to his home. They weren't in a position to be that well-off either.
"Ah, Father. Did they reveal who they were?"
"Let's see, who was it...?"
As Kim Ho-je stared at his father as if to pierce through his memory, his father answered with a slightly burdened smile.
"That, what was it. I think they said YK Department Store..."
After spending four days at his parents' home, Kim Ho-je returned to Seoul and was drinking at a street stall instead of going to the newspaper office. The 200,000 won his parents gave him to help with living expenses—he knew where that money came from, so he didn't spend it on alcohol. Thus, his only snack was noodles with a bit of green onion and soy sauce. Even then, he didn't eat the noodles, just sipped the broth and drank straight soju, his expression troubled.
'What on earth is YK Department Store's intention? They told me not to tell you? They praised me as a righteous reporter? What is the reason?'
No one had ever approached him like this before. Most would threaten him not to write the article, or in severe cases, resort to violence. But YK Department Store had given his family enormous gifts and left.
'They must already know that I'm planning to write a bad article.'
The reason Kim Ho-je planned to write a critical article about YK Department Store was because he had heard and seen the fact that they were lavishly entertaining reporters. Naturally, his actions would have been reported to YK Department Store by his fellow reporters.
'But I don't get it.'
Feeling stifled, Kim Ho-je downed three glasses of soju in a row and finally made a big decision.
'Let's go find them.'
8:00 AM. Kim Ho-je was honestly quite surprised that the other party had agreed to meet him despite his reckless request. He never imagined that President Ryu Geun-tae, who mingled with the aides of the New Military Regime including JD and JSD, would meet a lowly reporter like himself in person.
'Is it because they're still small?'
Small in scale, but with infinite potential. That was YK Department Store, but Kim Ho-je thought it might just be because they were small.
"Nice to meet you. I am Ryu Geun-tae, President of YK Department Store."
As soon as the office door opened, Kim Ho-je shook the hand Ryu Geun-tae extended, and following his guidance, he sat down.
"Why on earth did you do that?"
Kim Ho-je's words were sharp, and there was no pleasantry. But Ryu Geun-tae answered without showing a hint of offense.
"I don't know about YK Department Store, but personally, I respect people like you, Reporter Kim."
"What...?"
He didn't seem to understand at first, but those words sent ripples through Kim Ho-je's heart.
"I am the type of person who could never act like Reporter Kim. I am a cowardly breed. That is why I simply did what I could for you."
"Wh-what on earth does that..."
"If I had delivered the money directly to you, you surely would have refused. That was the only favor I could offer. You must have known, right? I am... truly sorry."
Ryu Geun-tae's action of bowing at a 90-degree angle only increased Kim Ho-je's confusion.
"You knew... everything...?"
Kim Ho-je asked to confirm the fact he suspected, and Ryu Geun-tae confirmed it.
"Yes. Honestly, I was worried. But even if I told you not to write the article, you would have written it anyway, so I just provided my personal support."
"Huh..."
Kim Ho-je let out a low sigh of deep bewilderment and looked at Ryu Geun-tae. However, the disdain he had initially felt was almost gone from his eyes. Now, it was just confusion, disbelief, a bit of goodwill, and a sliver of suspicion mixed together—pure chaos.
In the midst of this, the office door suddenly opened, and an employee entered, handing Ryu Geun-tae the morning newspaper.
"President, here is the morning paper."
"Ah, thank you. Just leave it on the table over there."
"Understood."
Although the newspaper was folded in half, Kim Ho-je could clearly see a portion of the front page.