CH 307

"It's so rare to see you wanting to speak to me first, Mister Jin-Ho," said Jo Gyu-Min with a bright smile.

Countless times did he seek out Kang Jin-Ho first in the past when needing to discuss things, but the reverse of that was extremely rare. They would often meet up again after their initial conversation ended and had to follow up on what they discussed. However, Kang Jin-Ho calling Jo Gyu-Min first and proposing a meeting over a hearty meal was the first in their years-long relationship. Jo Gyu-Min could swear by that.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled a little as he looked through the driver's side window of Jo Gyu-Min's car. “It's just that there were some things I needed your advice on.”

Jo Gyu-Min continued to smile, not really caring about the reason.

'Finally, it feels like he's acknowledged me.'

Kang Jin-Ho could be quite stingy with expressing his emotions, never mind praising someone. Serving someone like that was bound to raise some doubts such as 'Am I really a useful existence to this person?'

Despite doing one's best, one would eventually begin to wonder if everything one had done was really beneficial to their boss' cause.

To Jo Gyu-Min's eyes, Kang Jin-Ho was undoubtedly a superman. Even without Jo Gyu-Min, Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't have encountered many difficulties in his life. He possessed enough strength to support his life without outside help, even if some minor inconveniences couldn't be fully avoided.

Jo Gyu-Min was under such self-doubt, unable to get himself free of those questions, yet Kang Jin-Ho came seeking him out first. No wonder Jo Gyu-Min couldn't hide his delight. “Since you're not much of a gourmet, you probably didn't call me out today just to treat me to a meal, yes?”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded. “A hobby like that doesn't sound so bad, though.”

Jo Gyu-Min chuckled loudly. "In that case, I should take you to some of the best eateries around later on. Honestly, I'm getting more nervous about today than on my first date, you know?"

“...Please calm down, Chief Jo. You're making me want to go home.”

"Oops. Sorry about that," Jo Gyu-Min changed his expression to something more stoic, thinking he had gone a bit overboard. "Please, get in."

“Okay.”

When the two of them were hanging out, the chauffeur duty always fell on Jo Gyu-Min's shoulders. That was the tacit agreement between the two. As for the reason? It was plainly obvious.

'I do not ever want to get in any car Mister Jin-Ho drives! Even under the threat of death!'

Jo Gyu-Min nearly developed a mental trauma with cars while acting as a driving instructor for Kang Jin-Ho in the past. His neurosis had gotten better these days, but that didn't mean he'd allow Kang Jin-Ho behind the wheel of a car he was in. As long as Jo Gyu-Min still had the strength to turn the steering wheel and step on the accelerator, Kang Jin-Ho would never occupy that driver's seat!

Jo Gyu-Min was adventurous, but an adventure like that where his life was constantly in peril was absolutely a no-go even for him. Getting killed in a car accident would be a terrible way to go, but dying of a heart attack while riding shotgun would be even worse!

“Mister Jin-Ho, how was your driving while taking your mother to the store?”

“I think I did okay,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Really?”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted before replying, "Well, seeing as I haven't been sued yet, Madam Baek must be satisfied by my driving. Although Eun-Yeong seemed a little frustrated by how slow I was."

"O-oh. I see." Jo Gyu-Min hesitantly nodded at that unexpected reply. He also made sure to add one more item to a memo pad in his head: if Baek Hyeon-Jeong occupied the seat of honor in a car driven by Kang Jin-Ho, he would transform into an exemplary driver for all to follow. This information might come in handy someday!

“In any case, how was the shopping trip? Did you have fun?”

That was when Kang Jin-Ho flinched so hard that even Jo Gyu-Min sensed it.

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Kang Jin-Ho cautiously asked, “There's something I can't quite understand...”

“Yes?”

“When I'm presented with a black shirt, then another black shirt, and yet another black shirt, why am I supposed to pick the best black shirt out of the three?”

“...Mister Jin-Ho, please listen. That is not within the realm of understanding for us men.”

‘Actually, you may never understand it, Mister Jin-Ho. Even I can't do it, after all!’

That pained reply was enough to paint the picture of the hellish river of trials and tribulations Kang Jin-Ho had to cross. And it was so vast and deep!

“...In any case, I'm relieved to hear that the shopping trip went well. Is your mother feeling better now?”

Flinch!

Jo Gyu-Min discovered Kang Jin-Ho shuddering just a little and could only look on with pity.

Kang Jin-Ho slowly muttered, “She... She says... It'd be nice to... hang out often like that.”

“...I'm guessing she was very satisfied, then?” Jo Gyu-Min briefly closed his eyes while inwardly praying for Kang Jin-Ho's future good health. “Still, hanging out with your mother won't necessarily involve shopping in a department store all the time.”

“It must be, right?”

Jo Gyu-Min was slightly taken aback by Kang Jin-Ho's face as the latter asked back. It had been over five years since Jo Gyu-Min first met this young man, but it was the first time he saw such a pleading expression on Kang Jin-Ho's face. Realizing that even Kang Jin-Ho could make such a... puppy-like face, a chuckle wanted to break free from Jo Gyu-Min's self-control.

'Just how bad it was for him to...'

Then again, even 'regular' menfolk found the womenfolk's shopping trips hard to endure. So, to a type like Kang Jin-Ho, it must've felt like a journey to the deepest depths of hell itself. A man who had no fashion sense and only wore clothes his mother had bought for him suddenly had to tag along on a shopping trip? One where it wasn't about buying his clothes but buying women's stuff, no less?

Jo Gyu-Min sighed weakly and tried to console Kang Jin-Ho. “Still, silently doing your job as a pack mule will spare you from being subjected to demeaning name-calling.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed, too. "Sounds like it's coming from personal experience?"

"Most men have gone through that experience before, you know." Jo Gyu-Min chuckled languidly.

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head slightly. “In your case, was it with a girlfriend?”

“...My mother, actually.”

“Oh...” Kang Jin-Ho stopped talking at that revelation. Meanwhile, Jo Gyu-Min suddenly turned on the wipers even though there was no rain, only to turn them off and wipe the corners of his eyes instead.

'Gee whiz, I thought it was raining...'

After a period of heavy silence, Jo Gyu-Min muttered quietly, "...I'll find one eventually."

“Yes, I believe you will.” Kang Jin-Ho replied as a grin formed on his face despite his best effort. To his eyes, Jo Gyu-Min was an excellent man, so it was a mystery why he was still single.

'Then again...'

One had to look at the heavens first if one wanted to pluck the stars. Jo Gyu-Min couldn't even clock off on time, often staying late into the night at work. He didn't even have any hobbies to speak of, either... So, where would he go and suddenly find himself a girlfriend?

“We're here.”

While Kang Jin-Ho seriously wondered if he needed to find someone to set up a blind date for Jo Gyu-Min, their car slid into the parking lot of a fancy-looking restaurant.

Kang Jin-Ho looked around. "Mm? It seems we've come pretty far?"

“I've brought Chairman Hwang here in the past, although he didn't seem to like the dishes overall. I'm not sure how you will respond, however.”

"Huh. Shouldn't you normally say that the chairman thoroughly enjoyed the dishes of this place?"

"...Unfortunately, Chairman Hwang's the type who thinks not eating a bowl of rice all the time will kill him instantly. Even after having a few prime cuts of the best beef, he left to find another eatery offering a traditional Korean dinner."

“Huh. I was thinking of inviting him to my pizzeria soon, but I guess that's out of the question now.”

“No, he'll have some of your pizza, Mister Jin-Ho. It's just that he'll head to a traditional Korean diner soon afterward.”

‘What a diehard Korean Hwang Jeong-Hu was, then…’

Kang Jin-Ho thought that to himself while shaking his head.

Forty years. That was how long Kang Jin-Ho had lived as a Korean. And he lived as a Chinese for far longer than that. Living that kind of life meant he held no prejudice toward food. To him, anything edible was good enough to be called food.

“Shall we go inside, then?”

“Alright.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded and followed Jo Gyu-Min through the entrance.

The maitre d' welcomed the duo in. “Welcome, sirs. Do you have a reservation with us?”

Jo Gyu-Min shook his head briefly. “No. We don't have.”

“A table for two?”

“Yes.”

"Please follow this waiter as he'll show you to your tables."

The two followed the waiter the maitre d' had called over and settled on a table. Then, they ordered simple dishes.

The waiter took out his notepad. “How would you like your steak done, sir?”

Kang Jin-Ho firmly replied, “Well done, please.”

“Sir, the meat could end up slightly tougher than usual with well-done. Will that be acceptable?”

“Yes.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

No matter how tough a slab of steak was, it would still be just a piece of meat to Kang Jin-Ho. Not to forget, he possessed enough jaw strength to chew through a tire, so a tough piece of meat wasn't going to be a problem.

Once the waiter went away, the smiling Jo Gyu-Min asked Kang Jin-Ho, "I didn't know you enjoyed tough steaks, Mister Jin-Ho."

“I'm not interested in seeing blood even on my food, you see.”

“Oh. Uh...”

In a way, Kang Jin-Ho's reasoning sounded exceedingly plain. Nothing unusual about it, but when it came out of Kang Jin-Ho's mouth... How should Jo Gyu-Min put it? That reply sent a chill down his spine?

Well, people had different tastes in their preferred food, so...

Jo Gyu-Min coughed to clear his throat. “Ahem. So, what do you think? Is the mood in this place good?”

“Well, yes. It's nice, but...” Kang Jin-Ho looked around the somewhat-fancy interior of the restaurant, then sighed in lamentation. “You shouldn't be coming to a place like this one with me but with a girlfriend...”

“...I don't mind. Keep assaulting me like that. I had a feeling that something like this might happen, so I came prepared with antacids. No indigestion can stop me now.”

Jo Gyu-Min's soul briefly left his body before returning to where it belonged. Once the starters began arriving, Kang Jin-Ho and Jo Gyu-Min picked up their cutlery.

“Let's talk while we eat. So, did you call me because there’s a new hardcore task I have to deal with?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled while cutting into his food. “Actually, I have something to ask you.”

“You normally do that over the phone, so the meaning of you wanting to speak to me personally is... the subject matter is rather delicate, I assume?”

"Yes, it is." Kang Jin-Ho smiled in satisfaction after Jo Gyu-Min managed to understand him without too many words being said. "It involves Chairman Hwang."

“Chairman, you say?” Jo Gyu-Min blinked his eyes, clearly taken aback.

'I shouldn't find this strange, but it kinda is, isn't it?'

Kang Jin-Ho inquiring about Hwang Jeong-Hu shouldn't be strange. What Jo Gyu-Min found so strange about this was that... Well, Kang Jin-Ho had never asked about anything related to Hwang Jeong-Hu first until now. Even if he absorbed all the info Jo Gyu-Min brought him, he had never displayed much interest in Hwang Jeong-Hu's matters.

So, what changed now?

“Mister Jin-Ho? Could it be that you're finally interested in Jaegyeong?”

“Of course not.” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head.

'Thought as much...' Jo Gyu-Min slowly nodded at Kang Jin-Ho's unhesitant reply. He wondered if Kang Jin-Ho had developed some kind of desire for Jaegyeong at the latter's sudden display of interest in Hwang Jeong-Hu, but that didn't seem to be it.

In that case, why did Kang Jin-Ho want to know more about Hwang Jeong-Hu now?

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Jo Gyu-Min. “I was merely curious about what kind of life he has been living, that's all.”

"What kind of life...?" Jo Gyu-Min mulled that question after finding it a bit too vague. "Despite being a secretary directly reporting to the chairman, I'm tasked with official duties and not involved in his private life in any capacity whatsoever."

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow at that unexpected reply. “Does that mean you can't find out?”

“Well, I can if I try. But Chairman Hwang's personal secretaries are shockingly tight-lipped, you see. Getting personal information through them will be quite tough.” Jo Gyu-Min put the fork down, then quenched his thirst with a glass of water. “If you tell me why you wish to know more, perhaps I can come up with an effective solution. When you say Chairman's life, what did you actually mean, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“You know, the usual kind. Where does he sleep, and who does he live with? That sort of stuff.”

“...Oh, just that.” Jo Gyu-Min slowly nodded. He figured something major would be asked of him, but it seemed Kang Jin-Ho was only curious about Hwang Jeong-Hu's more mundane daily stuff. “Something like that should be easy to uncover, but I can already think of a better way.”

“A better way, you say?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

“Yes. Why don't you personally go there?”

“Go where?”

“Isn't it obvious? To Chairman Hwang's private residence, of course.”

“...Mm?”

Jo Gyu-Min smirked meaningfully. "If he learns that you wish to pay him a visit and hang out, he'll most likely welcome you with open arms, Mister Jin-Ho. Even I've never entered the chairman's home before, but for you? I'm guessing it'll be open around the clock."

"Mm..." Kang Jin-Ho groaned as if he was in a dilemma, then began nodding away. "In that case, can you tell him that I'd like to stop by his home soon?"

“Are you serious?” Jo Gyu-Min looked weirdly at Kang Jin-Ho.

“Yes, I am.” Kang Jin-Ho firmly nodded.

That answer tipped Jo Gyu-Min into a pit of confusion.

'What's suddenly gotten into him?'

Kang Jin-Ho had always been thoroughly disinterested in his surroundings. Such was his level of disinterest that sometimes he seemed extremely lacking in sociability. But someone like that suddenly grew curious about Chairman Hwang's private life? A topic he never bothered to know more about until now? How could Jo Gyu-Min not find this weird?

“Can you tell me what happened, Mister Jin-Ho? Or is it too difficult to discuss even with me?”

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “I don't follow?”

“Mm... May I ask why you suddenly developed an interest in the chairman's private life?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. He didn't think being upfront with Jo Gyu-Min would be a problem since his reason wasn't worthy of being a secret. "What happened was..."

Kang Jin-Ho proceeded to explain what happened back at the Jaegyeong Department Store.

At the end of the explanation, Jo Gyu-Min's expression stiffened considerably.