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EPISODE 2
A members-only high-end golf course in Yongin.
“Hey! I told you I was going for a round! Why on earth did you call me directly for something trivial!”
Joo Soo-deok answered the phone irritably.
Despite his instructions to handle things themselves unless it was extremely urgent, his cell phone kept ringing annoyingly, putting him in the worst possible mood.
“Sir, Vice Chairman. It’s not about the company, but there’s an issue at Jaedamjae. It’s…”
As the secretary continued, Joo Soo-deok’s expression hardened. His face, which had turned cold for a moment, soon showed panic.
“What? Who’s there?”
He practically shouted.
As his voice rose, the people with him turned to look. Joo Soo-deok, looking awkward, made a placating gesture towards them and then lowered his voice as much as possible to continue.
“Why is she coming?”
“She says she needs to look for something at Dongwoo Hall.”
He was told she had come to Dongwoo Hall. His dead sister’s daughter. Joo Sae-i, that quiet yet cunning girl.
When she was stepping aside nicely, why now, so suddenly? His niece’s visit felt strangely unpleasant.
“Shall I let her in?”
“Let her in…? A grown man can’t even stop one kid, what use are you?”
The authority to permit entry to Dongwoo Hall was entirely delegated to Joo Soo-deok by the Chairman.
Meaning, if he himself kept quiet and let it pass, something like his niece’s visit would never reach the Chairman’s ears.
“Send her away nicely, very nicely. And be careful that the Chairman doesn’t hear a word about it.”
Joo Soo-deok chewed his lip slightly. He tried hard to suppress his unease.
‘What big deal could it be to not let in some insignificant kid?’
Just as long as Father doesn’t know. As long as Father doesn’t. Joo Soo-deok repeated silently to himself.
Hanging up abruptly, Joo Soo-deok turned towards the golf gathering members with a composed face.
Dongwoo Hall.
Although I came prepared to face my uncle, he was absent.
Instead, there was someone standing like a wooden post, blocking Dongwoo Hall.
“Are you going to keep blocking me like this?”
I opened my eyes as wide and bright as possible, looking up at Secretary Park.
‘Secretary Park, it’s been a long time indeed.’
Secretary Park Cheol-won.
A person Joo Soo-deok had used for a long time. He would later turn away from Joo Soo-deok, but to the current me, he was Target Number One to be wary of.
“Please step aside.”
“Young Miss, the Vice Chairman gave strict orders not to let anyone in without his permission.”
“I heard members of the Joo family have almost free access. I also have the Chairman’s blood in me.”
“Well, that’s… I’m sorry, but…”
Look at that troubled face.
Right after seeing me, he said he’d make a quick call and be back—it’s obvious even without seeing it. He clearly received orders from my uncle to block my entry.
‘I can’t be pushed away here.’
I spoke in a voice tinged with disappointment.
“Did my uncle tell you to block my entry? He said I could come find him anytime if I needed help…!”
I feigned a tone of grievance and pity, but what I said wasn’t entirely wrong.
At this time, my uncle would often say nice things to look good to me in order to receive my shares.
Come find me anytime, I’ll help you. Things like that.
Secretary Park, who was practically my uncle’s shadow, couldn’t possibly not know this.
I added with a face that looked ready to burst into tears at any moment, driving the point home.
“Maybe I read too much into words he just threw out because he pitied my situation…”
“N-No, that’s not it!”
Secretary Park fidgeted uncomfortably and took out his phone again. He seemed intent on contacting my uncle again, even though he could have just let me in.
‘Is it a dead end?’
Just as I was about to let out a deep sigh.
“You can just let her in.”
An unfamiliar voice came from behind me.
Startled, I turned around to see my aunt. The youngest of Chairman Joo’s one son and two daughters, Joo Jeong-hee
“This is a direct order from the Vice Chairman.”
“So?”
My aunt, who had somehow come right up behind me, retorted sharply. Without giving him time to answer, she opened her mouth.
“Where have you ever heard of someone with the Joo surname being unable to cross the threshold of Dongwoo Hall? Shall I report this to Father? That my brother’s secretary blocked the Chairman’s granddaughter?”
I don’t know why she’s taking my side, but go for it! Win!
“Step aside. I don’t like repeating myself. Why would someone who should know better act like this?”
My aunt grabbed my wrist, passed Secretary Park, and entered Dongwoo Hall.
“Why are you tiptoeing around like that?”
I quickly closed my mouth, which had been sniffing at the scent of wood. I cautiously gauged the situation before slowly answering.
“It seems my uncle doesn’t want me here. That’s why.”
My aunt put her hands on her hips and let out an exasperated sigh, as if frustrated.
‘Did I seem too timid? If I become disliked by her too…’
Contrary to my thoughts, however,
“If he gives you trouble, tell him. Say I let you in.”
She roughly placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke. My head bowed involuntarily.
“Th-thank you, Aunt…”
“…Just call me ‘Aunt’.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Adding ‘Madam’ after ‘Aunt’ makes me look old.”
Then she went ‘Hm’ and turned her back to me, as if she had no intention of dealing with me further.
‘This isn’t the time to worry about my aunt either.’
Although I was lucky to get a foothold in Dongwoo Hall now, there’s no guarantee it will be like this next time.
I need to find the script quickly.
The script my grandmother allegedly wrote herself.
I don’t know its exact existence either. This was also just written in Chairman Joo’s autobiography.
[My wife left behind several scripts during her lifetime. Most were lost in a fire, but the few that barely survived are being kept safely at Dongwoo Hall.]
I didn’t choose it simply because it was my grandmother’s script. It’s because of the sentence written after that.
[I wish to bring those few remaining scripts into the world someday. I want the actors I have nurtured to breathe life into my wife’s stories.]
There was nothing more perfect than this to prove my usefulness.
Performing it poorly might earn Chairman Joo’s displeasure, but somehow I wasn’t afraid. I felt confident I could do it well.
The only problem was…
‘I don’t see it!’
I searched everywhere, but couldn’t find anything that looked like a script.
All I saw were expensive-looking celadon, white porcelain, gold ingots, paintings, calligraphy…
‘It clearly said they were safely kept at Dongwoo Hall!’
Could he have lied in the autobiography? Or maybe they haven’t been moved to Dongwoo Hall yet…
Ugh. I screamed inwardly and plopped down. Then, what caught my eye was…
“The first month of the lunar year……?”
A small box with my mother’s name on it.
I absentmindedly picked up the box lying on the floor.
I don’t know what’s inside, but it’s light. I thought my dad had taken care of all the personal belongings…
‘Was there something left behind?’
Since there was no lock, I simply opened the lid of the box.
Inside were three sheets of yellowed paper, densely packed with text.
“The sea from that day still comes to me in dreams…”
Ah. I realized it as I read the words on the paper aloud.
I could tell even without reading further.
‘That’s the script.’
The old-fashioned handwriting and the stage directions written here and there confirmed that this was the script I was looking for.
I carefully spread the three worn sheets on the floor and took out my phone to take pictures.
‘If I take it and get accused of theft, it’s over.’
Even if it’s inconvenient, there’s no other way.
Only after taking pictures of all six sides of the paper did I stand up, looking satisfied.
‘Why was this in a box with Mom’s name on it?’
Even if I wondered, there was no way to know. But maybe I can ask someday if I get close to the Chairman.
‘The road ahead is long.’
But it’s not entirely hopeless.
Right now, I just want to go home quickly and read the script more. Even though it was brief, I felt my heart race when I read it.
“I’ll be going now. Thank you so much for today, Aunt!”
After tidying up, I bowed deeply in thanks and left Dongwoo Hall with a happy heart.
Joo Jeong-hee, who had been watching Sae-i’s retreating figure, fell silent in thought.
When did that tiny child, who used to cry in my sister’s arms, grow up so much? She felt completely different from my brother’s kids, who blurt out informal speech without a second thought.
‘This isn’t the time for me to be like this either.’
Even though my sister in January is gone, her child is also part of the Ju family.
She came of her own will; she shouldn’t be ignored like this.
Joo Jung-hee shot a glare at Secretary Park and headed towards Jaedamjae. It was time to report the matter between Secretary Park and the child to her father.
