Chapter 14
Hi readers,
Life has become busier, hence the extra delay in the coming of this chapter (and it is a bit smaller), but I am fully committed to finishing this story! My guess, though, is that I will continue to work on this story even after it is officially completed on this site. Thanks again for stopping by!
"Aigoo, who knew that Kang Son-in-Law was so accomplished?" said Appa, who was proud to hear of Inho's talent.
Dajeong beamed with pride. "Appa, he's the Minister of Culture and Tourism now."
"Aigoo, Minister of Culture and Tourism? And does he want to become prime minister, too?
"Haha, not right now. But who knows, maybe in the future… Appa, I have a big surprise that I'm waiting to tell him tonight."
Appa leaned in toward his daughter like an eavesdropping spy.
"Can you tell your abeoji?"
Dajeong was happy to whisper it in his ear.
"Aigoo!" he opened wide his arms to Dajeong, who received an air hug.
"I don't know all of the details yet."
"I can check!" said an eager Appa.
"Don't tell me, Appa! It will spoil the surprise!"
"All right," said Appa with his mouth all twisted. "Shall we continue with your story, then?
"Yes!" Dajeong nodded at once. "We had so much fun after Kang Gwajang-nim quit his job, because finally, we could help Kwon Yul in ways we couldn't before, like the time when…"
"Wait, Kang Son-in-law quit his job?"
"Ah, yes…"
#
Yul put Inho's resignation letter on top of his desk and faced his chief of staff.
"Your resignation is not accepted," he said in his usual brusque manner.
"I think it would be for the best, Candidate-nim," Inho replied. "The tabloids are already printing all kinds of nonsense about us, but it is nonsense that could hurt your credibility. In fact, they are saying that you pushed Dajeong-ssi on me in order to protect her, but they say you're still having an affair with her…"
Yul grimaced and rubbed his temples as Inho continued.
"It's enough to make me sick. But the important thing is that if I leave, then…"
"If you leave, they will think you are guilty of something for sure!"
"I don't want to have to defend those allegations at a press conference…"
"I will do that. You just focus on working behind the scenes!"
Inho shook his head.
"Candidate-nim, I want to help you in a better way."
"Does Kang Gwajang think he would help me better as an outsider?"
"While I hope I am never an outsider… Yes, I think I could help Candidate-nim better that way."
Yul gazed at him, dejected.
"I've already lost Dajeong-ssi. Must I now lose you, too?"
"Let me resign, and I will assist you in every possible way," Inho gently advised.
"I don't see how you can," replied a gloomy Yul.
"Instead of working for you, I will be working with you," said Inho. "I will be your invisible helper. I've already spoken with Deputy Chief Goh. He will run everything here for you on the ground, but I will watch over him… and you."
"And work for free?"
Inho grinned and saluted Yul.
"I'll be your ultimate volunteer, Candidate-nim! Don't worry, I have enough to survive on until the election is over," said Inho as he extended his hand.
Yul reluctantly shook it, but on an impulse he drew his chief of staff in for a bear hug.
"Kang Gwajang, if I may be permitted to give you one last piece of advice," he said.
"Yes, Candidate-nim?"
Yul spoke as they parted. "Remember, do not settle for being second if you can be first."
Inho raised an eyebrow, but Yul continued, "Because, Inho-ssi… you are second to none."
"Thank you, Hyung."
Inho bowed and paused for a moment to look around the office before he went out.
Yul was now alone, thinking of what might have been.
#
"Aigoo, but who was going to take care of Candidate Kwon?" asked Appa.
"Don't worry. As I said, Appa, we found fun ways to help him. For example, the following week, when he didn't get the right coffee…"
#
Yul and his entourage arrived early in Jeju on a chilly morning to meet with the island's governor. As he walked through the airport, Deputy Chief Goh brought him coffee. When Yul stopped to taste it, he frowned and examined his cup.
"What is this? It doesn't taste right."
"It's a soy latte, sir. I thought you might want something healthy…"
"What brand is it?"
"Ah… I'm not sure."
Yul handed the coffee back to him.
"Goh Daeli Gwajang, remember this. I like Starcrop Coffee, got that?"
Before the deputy chief could reply, a delivery man appeared in front of them with a tray of hot coffee.
"Starcrop Coffee! Delivery for Kwon Yul! Where is Candidate-nim?"
Everyone pointed at Yul. The delivery man dashed over and handed Yul his coffee.
"Your large caramel mocha cream latte, sir?"
Stunned, Yul slowly accepted the cup.
"Where did you come from, and how did you know that this was my favorite coffee?"
"It was an online order. In fact, the customer has contracted with our headquarters to provide you and your team with fresh coffee every morning until your campaign is over. Here," he said as he handed out the rest of the coffee on his tray to the others standing beside Yul.
"Can you tell me who your customer is?" asked Deputy Chief Goh as he tried to guess.
The delivery man squinted as he read the coffee order on his phone.
"It says here it was ordered by… Invisible Man..."
"Invisible Man…?" replied Yul thoughtfully as he remembered what Kang Gwajang had said about being his "invisible helper."
"Who is that?" asked Deputy Chief Goh.
"Beats me," said the delivery man as he shrugged. "I have more coffee to deliver, so I'll see you tomorrow morning. Annyeonghi Gyesipsio!" he yelled as he dashed off.
Cautiously, Yul tasted his coffee. Slowly, a big smile spread across his face.
#
"Aigoo, how clever," said Appa. "What else did you and Kang Son-in-law do for him?"
"Well, there was that time when Candidate-nim visited a truck factory, and Chairman Na—at least we suspected that it was him—hired a large group of protestors to stir up trouble, as usual."
Dajeong shuddered as she thought of that terrible day when she had rushed to Yul's side after he had been stabbed.
"Just like the last time when he was injured, Candidate-nim didn't have nearly enough security personnel to protect him."
#
In front of the Fortune Heavy Industries factory entrance, Yul attempted to quiet the protestors surrounding him, even as they pressed closer.
"If you would just listen to me, I would be glad to present my solutions to your problems!"
But they didn't listen and shouted, "Down with Kwon Yul! Down with Kwon Yul!" They marched forward in one column as if to crush him.
Yul glanced around him. If the crowd pressed any closer, his security personnel would be overwhelmed.
"What do we do?" asked Deputy Chief Goh, who stood beside him. "I've called for backup, but the government office told me that they had just dispatched most of their security personnel to Kim Jeongtae's event…"
Frustrated, Yul shook his head. "Kim Jeongtae certainly seems to get the best of everything, doesn't he?!"
Suddenly, the high, shrill sound of whistles being blown pierced their ears. They looked up and saw a group of men clad in black suits dash up to the protestors and sandwich themselves between the crowd and Yul.
"Stop! Do not come any closer!" they shouted in unison. They astounded Yul by forming a human wall around him and his team.
"Where did they come from?" asked a slack jawed Deputy Chief Goh.
"Maybe someone at the government office likes me after all," replied Yul, relieved.
One of the new security officers leading an elite team of bodyguards walked up and held his arm out to protect the presidential candidate.
"Please come with me, Candidate-nim."
Shielded by this new team of guards, Yul nodded and followed him into the factory building. Once they were inside, Yul expressed his gratitude.
"No need to thank us, sir. But we are not from the government office."
Yul's eyes widened.
"Then who do you work for?"
"I'm Officer Cha with Black Mountain Security, Candidate-nim."
"Black Mountain Security? Who hired you? Do I need to pay you, then?"
"Not at all, sir," said the guard as he shook his head. "This is all compliments of the Angel Shield Group. We will stay here, guarding you until you are safely back at your campaign headquarters."
"The Angel Shield Group? Who is the person in charge there?"
"He's asked to remain anonymous," said Officer Cha with a smile. "Good luck, Candidate-nim! We hope to serve you again in the future."
He bowed and left, leaving behind a very perplexed Yul.
#
Dajeong grinned as she thought of all the cool ways she and Inho had helped Yul during his campaign.
"But that wasn't the most exciting thing we had ever done for Candidate-nim…"
"Really? What could be cooler than rescuing a politician from a paid angry mob?"
Dajeong laughed. "Appa!"
"I'm getting smart, aren't I?" he said with a mischievous smile.
"Always, Appa! But no, the coolest thing we'd ever done for Kwon Yul involved a helicopter. It was daebak!"
"A helicopter?"
She nodded. "You see, Candidate-nim won his first presidential debate. He did so well that when he was on his way to his second televised debate, Kang Gwajang-nim had guessed that Chairman Na and his Black Table allies might try to cause trouble."
"Since the debate was going to start after sunset, Kang Gwajang-nim hired a helicopter to take Candidate-nim from his office to the Luxury Grand Hotel. But Kwon Yul was so stubborn…"
#
"Candidate-nim!" said Deputy Chief Goh as they were about to step out of campaign headquarters. "There's a helicopter waiting on the roof to take you to the debate location."
"A helicopter?" Yul chuckled. "My destination is only three kilometers from here. Why would I need a helicopter?"
"In case of traffic…"
But Yul waved his deputy chief of staff aside as he walked out.
"I will take the car like any other normal citizen. Tell whoever hired the helicopter that I thank him, but I won't need it."
And with that, he marched straight in the direction of his car.
"But Candidate-nim…"
Deputy Chief Goh dialed the helicopter pilot.
"I'm sorry, but Candidate-nim says he's taking the car."
"I'll have to see what my customer says," said the pilot before he hung up. He dialed another number.
"Candidate-nim wants to take his car. What do you want me to do?" he asked.
"Follow them and make sure they get to the hotel," said the voice on the other end. "If Candidate-nim arrives safely, then your job is done."
"Very well, sir," said the pilot.
However, Yul's confidence in his ability to get to the hotel was severely tested when a fleet of cars clogged the road and made traffic immovable.
"What is going on?!" exclaimed Yul. "On a Saturday afternoon there shouldn't be a traffic jam here!"
From the Luxury Grand Hotel, where Inho was monitoring Yul's situation, he called the chopper pilot.
"Do you know why traffic isn't moving?"
The pilot smirked. "I watched a huge number of cars suddenly enter the road from every direction and slow down traffic on purpose."
Inho gasped.
"You mean this is a man-made traffic jam?"
"Yes, sir!"
Inho glanced at his watch. It was now ten minutes before Yul's scheduled arrival time.
If he doesn't get there, he'll miss the beginning of the debate and be embarrassed on national television!
"Pilot! Can you rescue Candidate-nim from the car?"
"I sure can!" the pilot made a salute before he shifted gears.
In his car, Kwon Yul felt tenser by the minute. As his driver honked, the other cars around them inched closer to form a blockade.
"Unbelievable! Will we get there?" asked Yul.
Suddenly, a deafening roar filled the sky above them.
"EVERYONE, MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" the pilot shouted from a loudspeaker at the cars below. "OR I WILL CRUSH YOU!"
At once the cars surrounding Yul's vehicle moved off to the side so the chopper could land. Their drivers watched, confused and terrified as the pilot got out of his helicopter and ran to Yul's car. Yul rolled down his window.
"Candidate-nim! I've been instructed to take you to the hotel. Please come with me!"
Bewildered, Yul got out of his car.
"You followed me?"
"No time for questions, Candidate-nim! We must get you to the debate now!"
Yul sprinted behind the pilot to the helicopter. After he, Deputy Chief Goh, and two bodyguards settled in, the pilot lifted off and brought them to a safe landing on the Luxury Grand Hotel roof.
"Here we are, Candidate-nim."
"Thank you, Pilot-nim. How do I repay you for helping me?"
The pilot shook his head and said, "No need, sir. It's all been paid for by my client."
"And who is your client?"
"The Angel Shield Group."
Yul was speechless, but Deputy Chief Goh urged him to go inside.
#
"Aigoo, I agree, that was daebak!" said Appa as he nodded in admiration.
Dajeong smiled with pleasure as she thought of those memories.
"Candidate-nim did well during that debate, too. Like I said, Kang Gwajang-nim and I had so much fun every day, thinking of ways to help him, and practicing our music together…"
"But what about you? Did anything unusual happen to you during that time?"
"Ah, that's right!" exclaimed Dajeong as she remembered. "You won't believe what happened to me the next time I went to Yeongsan College for my music lesson! Do you know who Pink Boi is, Appa?"
"Pink Boi? Isn't he a singer?"
"Yes, he's one of the hottest K-Pop stars."
"Ah, the one who dyes his hair pink?"
"Correct!"
"Did you meet him?"
"Hoh!" a disdainful Dajeong grunted from the back of her throat. "I should've worn my disguise, Appa! He was on campus with Ruri, who introduced us. He graduated from there, you know. But I was shocked when he asked me out on a date!"
Appa's eyes widened. "What? No kidding!"
"I told him I wasn't interested, but he said that just made me even more attractive. He likes older noonas who have 'experience.'"
"Aigoo! That punk! What did you do?"
"I refused him until Ruri was ashamed of his behavior. In the meantime, some noonas and ajummas harassed me. Appa, it got so bad that I had to put on a hat and dress like a man every time I went out..."
"Aigoo…"
"Kang Gwajang-nim wasn't happy about it. But he did come with me to see his teacher once…"
#
Dajeong turned the doorknob and peeked into the practice room, where her teacher awaited.
"Seonsaeng-nim, I'm here…"
Jisoo smiled at her student who stood by the door.
"Come in… Heok!"
She gasped when she saw Inho behind Dajeong.
"Inho-ssi?" her face lit up as she put her trembling hand to her mouth.
Inho entered and bowed in apology to her.
"I'm sorry, Seonsaeng-nim. Dajeong-ssi said you wanted to see me…"
She got up and went to him at once. As she looked over him, she tried to hold back her tears.
"Look at you… still so handsome! I saw you on a billboard the other day…"
Instantly Inho's cheeks turned red. "Don't mention it, I'm so embarrassed…"
#
"Wait!" cried Appa. "Kang Son-in-Law was on a billboard?"
Dajeong laughed.
"That was my idea, but first I must tell you that Pink Boi was waiting near that classroom! I don't know how he recognized me in my wig, but I was shocked when he tried to kiss me during Kang Gwajang-nim's emotional reunion with his teacher! So my husband punched him, of course."
"What a jerk!" Appa growled. "But how did my son-in-law end up on a billboard?"
"I got the idea after we had our first big fight…"
"Aigoo, what did you fight about?"
"I can't even remember… I think he felt bad because he thought he could have had a musical career like Pink Boi's…"
#
In their living room, a tense Dajeong and Inho faced off against each other.
"Then leave!" he yelled as he pointed at the front door.
"Kang Gwajang-nim!" cried Dajeong.
"Go!" he said before he turned his back to her.
Indignant, Dajeong walked over to the door and opened it. Then she slammed it shut as she stood in place, glaring at him. Inho heard a neighbor's footsteps outside the front door and assumed his wife had left. Breathing hard, he couldn't believe what he had just done. Slowly, he lowered his arm back to his sides and stared at his kitchen counter in a daze.
"She never said she loved me, anyway," he muttered as he rubbed his head.
Dajeong grimaced and wanted to slap him, but she remained still, watching from afar. After a moment, Inho turned and saw her, but he thought it was just his imagination, so he ignored her and went into the spare bedroom. She quietly followed. For the next few minutes, he played a passionate tune on the piano.
Hmmm, he's a better piano player than he's let on, she thought.
Afterwards, he dragged himself past her into their bedroom to get his clothes before entering the bathroom like a droopy old man. He almost closed the bathroom door, but then he stopped.
"Why close it? No one's here!"
So he left it half open, even as Dajeong puzzled over how he could say such a thing.
As he undressed, he caught a glimpse of her by the door, but said nothing. Normally he would yell at her to stop gawking, but today he had no reaction… just dazed, mechanical movements as he removed his clothes one by one.
Dajeong couldn't stand it anymore as he removed his last piece of clothing.
"Inho-ssi, are you all right?" she asked out loud.
He turned back and stared at her, blinking several times.
"Now I'm being irrational, because you're not really there," he said as he pointed at her.
She couldn't help but laugh.
"Inho-ah, you are so funny! How can you say that I'm not here?!"
It took a moment for his mind to register that the real Nam Dajeong was standing in front of him.
"Da… Dajeong…?" he stammered as he grabbed a bath towel and wrapped it around himself. He put out his hand and felt her a few times to make sure she was solid flesh and not thin air.
"Why did you ignore me?" she asked, with her hands on her hips.
"Why… I thought you had left! I heard footsteps…"
"Those weren't mine," she teased, but he grew more somber.
"When my mother died, I used to imagine her standing there, watching over me. When my first girlfriend was gone, it was the same... So I thought you... weren't really there…"
A pang went through her heart.
"But I never left," she said as she gently put the palm of her hand against his cheek. "All I did was open and shut the door."
"You could have…"
She shook her head.
"I'm with you now..."
He cleared his throat.
"Dajeong, do you love me, or..."
She cut him off.
"When are you going to give me that last five percent?" she demanded.
"What?" It was now his turn to be puzzled. Hadn't he given her everything already?
"You're afraid to fall in love with me all the way. To your first girlfriend, you gave your all. To me, you've given… ninety-five percent."
She pressed closer and gripped a section of the towel around his waist.
"I want you… to be transparent… to stand before me like this…" she said as she tugged at his towel. With one pull it slipped away from him.
"Naked and unashamed."
He thought about her words for a moment before his eyes narrowed.
"Wait a minute… If I have to be this way in front of you, then what about you? Shouldn't you be the same?" he demanded as he reached out for her.
"Ah… I meant that figuratively," she said awkwardly as she backed up. He yanked the towel out of her hand and wrapped it around himself again.
"You mean literally?" he retorted with a mischievous look in his eyes.
She bolted, but he chased her around the apartment.
"Kang Gwajang-nim! Ah!" she screamed as he caught and started tickling her. She beat her fists against his chest to no avail. When he pinned her to the wall, he asked her a question.
"But why have you never said it?"
"What?"
"That you love me."
She thought of that night when she had impulsively told Yul that she loved him, and inwardly she cringed.
"I've learned my lesson not to carelessly say it…"
"I see…"
"But… I will say it to you at the right time."
She knew her reply could not possibly satisfy him, so she threw her arms around his neck and held him for a bit.
"Don't worry. I will stay with you."
He held her tight and shut his eyes as he cherished that moment.
"Can we stop fighting now?" she asked.
He nodded as they parted.
"Good, because I have another idea to help Candidate-nim."
"What?"
Grinning, she whispered in his ear.
"What?! I not doing that!" he exclaimed, aghast.
"We might as well try it, since we're going to take our wedding portraits, anyway. I'm meeting with Heechul tomorrow. Come with me."
"Wedding portraits?" he asked, befuddled.
"Yeah, we never took any formal wedding portraits."
"Oh… But I'm still not doing your crazy idea."
"Look, Kim Jeongtae has other celebrities publicly endorsing him in commercials and ads all the time. Kwon Yul needs to do something. I think we're the closest thing to a celebrity that he has."
"I'm not doing it!"
But of course he did, because not long after they met with Heechul, the residents of Seoul saw an interesting new ad pop up on their electronic billboards and tablet screens.
#
"Candidate-nim!" cried Deputy Chief Goh as he rushed into Yul's office with his phone. "Have you seen this?"
He put his phone on Yul's desk and showed him the sepia-toned ad. It consisted of three still scenes.
In the first scene, Inho stood against a light background on the left side of the screen. Wearing his usual black work suit, he stood looking rather glum. To his right were the words, "This is what Government looks like. Closed and opaque."
The scene shifted, and now Inho was standing with nothing on except his shoes as he looked down at himself, astonished. A wide black stripe across the screen obscured his mid-section. To his right were the words, "This is what Government should look like: Naked and Transparent."
In the final scene he was in his suit again, but with his jacket and shirt open and unbuttoned. Striking a pose with parted lips, he showed off his chest. To his right were the words, "For open and honest government, VOTE KWON YUL".
At the bottom of the ad in tiny print were the words, "Paid for by the Angel Shield Group. Not affiliated with Kwon Yul."
Yul's eyes bulged.
"What is this? What is he doing?!"
Deputy Chief Goh tried not to grin.
"Whatever it is, the women of the country are paying attention. Your polls just went up with them, and with younger people, too. By the way, Kang Gwajang-nim said it was Nam Dajeong-ssi's idea."
"Is he behind all of the extra help we've been getting?"
"Ah..."
Yul didn't wait for an answer.
"How could he afford two billion won to pay for that helicopter stunt that took me to the debate?!"
"I think he's working for a wealthy supporter. I would accept his help if I were you, Candidate-nim."
Chagrined, Yul could only grumble. The hallway outside his door was all abuzz as Inho's former colleagues gossiped about the ad.
#
"Aigoo, you got Kang Son-in-Law to do that?" exclaimed Appa. "When did you turn into a marketing consultant?"
"Haha, Appa, you would have liked the TV commercial we did, too! It was cheesy but so much fun!"
#
In her room at Yul's house, the children's nanny was eating her dinner and watching her favorite drama when a commercial break came on.
"Aigoo…" she groaned. "Just when things got interesting…"
But her eyes widened when a commercial looking just like a scene from another drama began. This one starred Dajeong and Inho.
"Aigoo, isn't that her…?" remarked the nanny as she pointed at her TV screen.
In the commercial, Dajeong went up to Inho and grabbed his hand.
"Alejandro, everyone thinks we're a couple, anyway. How about it, would you date me?" she proposed in a cutesy manner.
"I would, Dijae-ee, but the problem is…" said a pained Inho, who was holding on to something with his other hand. "The problem is that... I still love him so much..."
The camera panned to the other side of Inho, revealing that the love of his life was… a cardboard cutout of Yul.
Dajeong's eyes narrowed. "What?! Are you saying that he's more important than me? Impossible!"
She tried to drag Inho behind her, but he held fast to Cardboard Yul.
"I'm sorry, but I can't leave him here. I have… to hold on…" he replied through gritted teeth.
"No! Let go of him and be with me!" she demanded as she started a tug of war with Cardboard Yul for Inho.
"After the campaign, I promise!" Inho strained as he turned to the camera and pleaded with the audience, "Please help Kwon Yul win and do good things for our country?"
"Yeah, so we can finally be together in peace?" added Dajeong as she pulled him away from Cardboard Yul, who was left standing in the middle of the screen by himself.
Canned laughter ended the commercial as a voice over said, "Paid for by the Angel Shield Group."
#
Appa smiled, amused by his daughter's shenanigans.
"Aigoo, but didn't you say someone had found out that you were married? How did that happen?"
"Ah, we have Yinna-ssi to thank for that."
#
At their kitchen table over breakfast, Chairman Choi frowned as he read the news on his tablet.
"Abeoji, Chairman Na's tabloids are printing all kinds of false stories about Inho and Dajeong."
Grandpa continued eating, unfazed by the news. "That's to be expected. I'm afraid they may go through tough times until the election is over."
Yinna waltzed in just as the Chairman replied, "But where did these reporters get the news that they are married?"
She froze just as her father spotted her.
"Yinna."
"Yes… Abeoji?" she replied with a big, anxious grin.
"Did you tell anyone about Kang Gwajang's marriage?"
"Ah…"
The guilty look on her face answered him.
"But I didn't mention any names or give details! All I said was that the person I liked got married…" she said as her voice grew smaller.
"And your friends figured it out from there, didn't they?"
"But we've been friends for years, Abeoji! They would never betray me."
"Where did you tell them this?" asked Grandpa curiously.
"At the… nail salon?" she replied sheepishly as she realized her mistake.
"The nail salon, where women like to gossip?" said her father. "I thought you were more careful than that."
Tears filled her eyes after she heard his gentle reproach.
"I'm sorry, Abeoji… I was really hurt that you married him off to that woman, so I had to vent…"
The Chairman sighed and got up to hug her.
"Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but what you did could have major consequences for him."
"Abeoji, is it that serious?"
He nodded. "It could also endanger Nam Dajeong-ssi's safety, too."
"I still don't understand why everyone cares about her so much!"
"I'd like you to meet her. Didn't you say you always wanted to have an unni?"
"I don't think I'd want her as my unni."
"Don't judge until you've met her. You know he's sworn to protect her all his life, and your harabeoji and I care for Inho-ssi a lot, too."
"I'm sorry, Abeoji. I just hope Oppa doesn't suffer because of me."
"Even if he does, he will still be able to do Kwon Yul good," declared Grandpa.
"Ah, has Abeoji transferred the rest of the trust money, then?"
Grandpa nodded.
"The entire Angel Shield money now belongs to its rightful owners."
Yinna listened, wide-eyed.
"You mean Oppa owns that trust fund? But Abeoji… Aren't you jealous?"
Chairman Choi replied with a deep, hearty chuckle.
"Jiltu? Why would I be jealous? If it weren't for his grandfather, none of us would be here today. Besides…" he touched noses with his daughter affectionately. "I've made more than enough money in my lifetime as it is. Don't worry, you and your brother will have plenty."
"Thank you, Abeoji," she hugged him. "But when are Omma and Joonmyun coming back home?"
"Any day now, once his therapy is finished."
Grandpa looked at his son, who always seemed more somber whenever anyone mentioned Joonmyun.
"He will get better," said Grandpa.
The Chairman nodded and tried to smile.
#
"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee, what happened to the Chairman's son?"
Dajeong sighed. "It was a terrible accident that happened during a snowboarding competition when he was 13. He and some friends were practicing on a mountain when an avalanche occurred that buried him deep in the snow. He was rescued several hours later, but they had to amputate…"
"Aigoo… Poor boy…"
"Ajusshi took him to all of the finest specialists around the world. That's why Joonmyun and Madame Hwang were in America at the time I got married."
"What bad luck…"
"Perhaps it was not just bad luck, Appa."
"What do you mean?"
Dajeong glanced about the stately Official Residence courtyard before whispering, "Some suspect that the avalanche was… man-made."
"Aigoo! But why?"
"It's just a conspiracy theory, so don't mention it to anyone."
#
In her office, Assemblywoman Seo reviewed her reports with a sharp eye.
"Why are you standing there, Kang Gwajang? Come in," she said without looking up.
Inho chuckled as he walked in.
"As usual, nothing escapes you," he said.
She looked up at last and admired his coat.
"You look good, Kang Gwajang. I'm assuming that Nam Dajeong-ssi is treating you well?"
"Ah…" Inho quickly closed her office door.
"I had suspected you two for some time, especially after you wore a matching tie to her blouse at the Women's Association."
Inho sat down across from her. "I have something to tell you."
"Are you confessing?" she said in her usual self-assured manner. "To be honest, I'd like to know why you resigned."
"I felt that I could serve him better if I did."
Hyejoo cocked her head to the side as she analyzed his words.
"It's not because of the tabloids, is it? Why, they even wrote nasty things about my blind date. I couldn't believe it. They said he was a former criminal and other unsavory things. I don't think he'll be taking me out again."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Seo Uiwon-nim. But that's not why I resigned."
She studied him, unconvinced.
"How could you leave him just like that?"
"Don't worry. I'm still helping him, just in secret."
She laughed a bit sarcastically. "In secret… like Park Joonki?"
"Yes, but more directly, I hope. Have you decided to form an alliance with Candidate-nim?"
"I have, but the members of my party are still debating it."
"Then I congratulate you in advance," he said as he extended his hand to her.
She shook it. "Good luck, Kang Gwajang."
"The same to you, Seo Uiwon-nim. If I can help you in any way, let me know," he said before he left.
Hyejoo sighed afterwards.
"Poor Candidate-nim. Now all of us have left…"
#
At the Scandal News office, Dalpyo and Heechul were thinking about their Reporter Nam, when who should show up but her. Dalpyo jumped up from his chair when he spotted her.
"Reporter Nam! Where have you been! We've had so many assignments that you could have covered!"
Dajeong laughed. "I've been busy, Editor-nim."
"I dare say, you've been the media's darling."
Heechul came up and slapped Dajeong a high five. "Noona, are you really married?"
"Emm… Do you think I'd confess to that?"
"Are you here to work, or…"
"Actually, I'm here to give Heechul some work."
"Noona, I'm already tied up with another assignment, but I'm always happy to accommodate you."
"In that case, how about we meet this weekend? I'll text you the details."
"That will work."
"Wait… what about me?" asked Dalpyo. "Aren't you going to give me something?"
"I'll consider it," said Dajeong with a smile as she started for the exit. "In the meantime, be good."
"Reporter Nam! How can you leave us hanging like this!" cried Dalpyo. "Reporter Nam!"
#
Secretary Moon stood to attention in his boss' office. The news of Inho's resignation had delighted Chairman Na, but now he was bothered by the sudden appearance of the mysterious new Angel Shield Group.
"Do exactly as I say," said Chairman Na, "and find out if it's connected to that Angel Shield Trust Fund."
Secretary Moon bowed. "Yes, Chairman-nim," he said.
As he went out, he nearly collided with Hwayoung.
"Ah, excuse me, Samonim."
Hwayoung waited for Secretary Moon to vacate the premises before she marched into her step-brother's office. Chairman Na gave her a Cheshire cat-like grin.
"What is it, my dear sister?"
"What about Nam Dajeong? What you are going to do to her?"
"Why are you so interested in doing something to her?"
"That Kang Gwajang is cute."
Chairman Na chuckled. "So you want him for your boy toy. Tsk, tsk, Hwayoung… There are a million other fresh, young Korean boys that you can have… Why him?"
"He reminds me of someone I once knew… A broken artist… The type that would never fly away if you clipped his wings. It's a quality most young men don't have nowadays."
"Hahaha, so you want to keep him captive. Very well, then. Why don't you think of a way to… get rid of her… forever?"
Instantly her face lit up and the corners of her scarlet mouth drew up.
"What a capital idea! Would you help me do that?"
"Of course, dear sister."
They beamed at each other before she waltzed out of his office.
#
Appa crinkled up his nose. "Aigoo… What a crazy woman…"
"We didn't know she was stalking him at every event. Twice we noticed her because she was very enthusiastic, but we didn't think much about it. We just thought she was another noona who liked him. I remember that time when she went to the Mugunghwa Heritage Foundation autumn fundraiser…"
#
In a park, Ruri and Inho sat at a table near a stage where K-Pop artists were performing live. A big crowd of Ruri's fans and a group of ajummas who came to see Inho were gathered in front of the table. Dajeong stood to the side of the stage in her boyish disguise, observing everything.
Ruri shot Inho a mischievous glance and said, "Hey noonas! If you help us raise one hundred million won, I'll have Kang Gwajang guest star in one of my music videos!"
Inho's jaw dropped, but the ajummas clapped and cheered. Oh Hwayoung cheered the loudest.
"Kang Gwajang, fighting!"
"Ruri, I don't think…" Inho began, but Ruri acted as if she didn't hear him.
"And he'll be in makeup and black leather, too!" yelled Ruri, laughing.
"What?!" cried Inho.
The crowd of ajummas cheered even louder.
"I'll contribute one million!" cried Hwayoung first.
"Thank you!" shouted Ruri.
"I'll contribute two!" yelled another.
Kang Gwajang watched nervously as the donation meter kept rising.
#
Appa was laughing a lot by now. "Aigoo, Dajeong-ee, now I know why some people thought you were making this stuff up! Did Kang Son-in-Law really appear in a video with Ruri?"
Dajeong showed him the video on her phone.
"See?"
In the video, Inho was wearing black all the way—wild black hair, black eyeliner, black sleeveless leather outfit that showed off his biceps…
"Aigoo! He looks like a different person!"
"It was the only music video like this that he would do. He dances pretty well, don't you think? I wish I could have seen the reaction of the Kwon children… especially Nara!"
#
Holed up in his bedroom, Woori idled away his time watching online videos on his laptop. With one click he came across Ruri's latest video featuring guest star "Alejandro K."
"Alejandro K.? Who's that?" muttered Woori as he pressed "play". His eyes widened as the video began.
"Wait a minute, isn't that the ajusshi who worked for Appa?"
He got up and ran into Nara's room.
"Nara! Have you seen Ruri's new music video?"
He found her in a daze, staring at the same video on her laptop screen. She looked up at him and said, "Have you ever seen that ajusshi look like this?!"
Woori's jaw dropped.
"Wait a minute… he looked normal at the beginning of the video, what happened?"
"It's a story. I think Ajumma's in this video, too, even though they never show her face. In the beginning she and that ajusshi are having dinner when they get a call from Ruri. Ajusshi goes to the club where Ruri is dancing and tries to get her to stop, but she won't. Instead, she sprinkles magic dust on him and it turns Ajusshi into the wild person you see there. Look at the way he moves!"
The two children stared, unblinking, at Inho's precise, side by side dance with Ruri.
"I've watched this video several times," said Nara. "At the end, he wakes up in the morning thinking it's all just a dream, and he asks Ajumma about it, but she shows him a mirror, and his eyeliner is still on…"
Nara laughed as Woori shook his head.
"I can't believe he did this."
"He had to. He and Ruri raised over one hundred million for charity because she promised some ajummas this video."
"Someday he'll have fond memories of it, I'm sure," Woori smirked. "Just make sure Appa doesn't see it."
But Woori was too late, because at that moment in his appa's office, Yul was watching the same video just as Deputy Chief Goh entered.
"Somebody stop him before he totally embarrasses himself," said Yul.
"Believe me, he is already embarrassed," said Goh Daeli Gwajang. "He still can't believe he was in her video, but he did raise a lot of money for charity, and it hasn't hurt your polls any."
"Good," was all Yul could say.
But what if he becomes more popular than me?
He shook himself out of that thought.
So what? He's not running for president, and the more allies I have, the better…
#
"Dajeong-ee, when did Kang Son-in-Law's secret identity get revealed?" asked Appa.
Dajeong laughed a bit. "How did you know that it was revealed?"
"Well, it had to come out somehow, right?"
"Ah, yes, and we can thank our old friend Reporter Byun for that. You see, Choi Ajusshi and Harabeoji were very good to us. They taught us how to take care of the trust fund and get used to managing wealth. But more than that… They became family to us. I can't thank them enough."
"Even Choi Yinna-ssi?"
Dajeong nodded. "She's like my dear younger sister now. But she didn't like me at first. I'll never forget the first time we met…"
"Ahem," Appa cleared his throat. "You were saying about Kang Son-in-Law?"
"Ah, Kang Gwajang-nim's identity was revealed this way: Candidate-nim had a fundraising dinner planned at the Apex Hotel one night, but Chairman Na and his allies were determined to make it fail. Since the hotel belonged to one of his allies… something we didn't know at the time… he played a clever game."
#
Guests consisting of millionaires and various powerful political supporters arrived at the Apex Hotel lobby, greeted by the hotel manager.
"This way to Grand Conference Room C," he said as he led the guests to the room.
Meanwhile, Yul and his entourage also arrived and were escorted to a room with the sign, Grand Conference Room C. A hotel representative ushered him inside the ornate room and bowed.
"Please enjoy your dinner, Candidate-nim."
Yul looked around. The stage and dinner tables were all set, but no one had arrived yet.
"Excuse me, but where are all the guests?"
"Don't worry, we will escort them here as soon as they arrive," said the hotel representative with a crooked smile before he hurried out and shut the door.
"Well, let's make ourselves comfortable, at least," said Yul, who sat down at his table.
"Surely our attendance can't be this low," muttered Deputy Chief Goh as he went to the door. He tried to open it but found it locked.
He shook the door a few times.
"What is going on?! Why doesn't the door open?!"
Deputy Chief Goh and the other staffers banged on the doors.
"Ya! Open the door!" they shouted furiously.
On the other side of those doors, smug bodyguards stood in place to make sure no one would get out.