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Chapter 10
It was Yoon Jinwoo. She hadn’t expected him to know her number.
How did he know? Why was he calling?
A flood of questions rushed through her mind.
Instead of asking, she stayed silent. Asking anything seemed pointless.
─ “What are you thinking?”
Jinwoo, sounding nervous, broke the silence first. That at least saved her from figuring out how to start the conversation. She answered calmly.
─ “I only missed the events because I was busy with work.”
His meaningless excuse made Kang Dasom chuckle softly. She quickly straightened her expression, worried he might have heard it, and replied firmly:
“I’ll see you at home.”
She hung up, leaving Jinwoo’s flustered voice behind.
Dasom sipped her water silently. He didn’t expect me to push back like that.
Another call came. This time, it was Yoon Sunghoon.
“Yeah, oppa. Okay, I’ll head to Seonam-dong then? It’s close, so I’ll be there in about an hour.”
Sunghoon kept apologizing. Dasom reluctantly agreed to go. By then, Kang Jongwoo had returned.
“Alright, I’ll leave now. Got it.”
While eating noodles the chef had prepared for him, Jongwoo listened quietly to Dasom’s phone call. When she hung up, he finally spoke.
“Guess you’re really going.”
“I have to.”
“Chairman Yoon’s birthday? Isn’t it already late?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t need to see the chairman. The person I need to impress is someone else.”
“Jang Jubin?”
As expected, Jongwoo had figured it out. There was a reason he’d managed to push aside the Kang chairman and take over UL Cables.
“Yes. Chairman Yoon is practically waiting for his funeral. The one really leading the group is Vice Chairman Yoon Junseok. And when it comes to family matters, he can’t ignore his wife.”
Yoon Junseok and Jang Jubin had married for political reasons. Coming from a powerful political family, Jang Jubin had been the biggest factor in putting Junseok where he was.
She had spent her whole life supporting him—even handling dirty work—just to make him chairman.
And Junseok? He would do anything she said. It was no wonder people called her the “shadow power” of the Cheonmyeong Group.
“It might already be too late to win her favor.”
Dasom knew that the Cheonmyeong family was conservative with such events. Even Lee Sooha, the broken-off fiancée of the eldest son Yoon Jihwan, still visited often and practically acted like a daughter-in-law.
“Don’t you trust me, oppa?”
“There’s nothing to trust yet. You haven’t shown anything.”
“I’ll handle it.”
She drew the line, not wanting to explain further. After a pause, Jongwoo nodded.
“Drop the formal talk.”
“…Sorry?”
“You wanted us to be siblings, didn’t you? Then talk comfortably. What kind of brother and sister speak formally to each other? We’re not strangers.”
Dasom hesitated. Jongwoo deliberately emphasized the word “strangers.”
After a long moment—
“Okay.”
That one word took her five whole minutes to say. Jongwoo hadn’t pressured her once.
“Seonam-dong? That’s thirty minutes from here, right? Do you have a car?”
“I was going to take a taxi.”
“And the formal talk?”
“Um…”
“Forget it. Just come with me.”
Jongwoo stood up first.
“What if people notice us together?”
“Then I’ll just stay in the car. Why worry about something so small? Relax. And stop using honorifics.”
“I’m still a little awkward… sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Let’s go.”
They went to the underground parking lot. A large van pulled up.
“I’ll drop you nearby.”
“Alright.”
Dasom forced herself to drop the formal tone. She had never spoken informally to family before. To her, family had always been people who were physically close but emotionally distant.
She kept stealing glances at Jongwoo during the ride. He was staring out at the dark Seoul skyline. She never thought she’d end up like this with him.
To be honest, even when she sent information to Night Investment and tried to draw him out, she hadn’t been confident.
Now she was glad she had. A small part of her even regretted not reaching out to him before her death in her past life.
Since things had come this far, she decided to trust Jongwoo—just a little more.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“I need people.”
“What kind?”
“People who’ll listen to me.”
“Is it urgent?”
“No.”
“I’ll find some and send them through Team Leader Baek.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re always thanking me for everything.”
Dasom was at a loss for words.
Jongwoo didn’t even ask what she planned to do with those people. Maybe he didn’t care?
Compared to the reckless Kang siblings she knew, Jongwoo felt unfamiliar.
The car stopped. A secretary helped her out.
“When I’m done with my business, I’ll contact you. Do your best.”
Dasom bowed her head instead of answering.
He sighed.
“Family doesn’t bow to each other. I’ll have to reteach you that.”
His words sounded like scolding, but the tone wasn’t unpleasant. The van door closed, and he was gone.
Dasom climbed the hill to the massive estate. The tall walls blocked any view inside.
She pressed the bell. A buzzing sound came, followed by a guard’s voice from the intercom.
“Who is it?”
“I’m here to see Sunghoon oppa.”
“Please wait a moment.”
With a click, the heavy gate opened. Bright lights filled the garden, and the upstairs glowed with an ongoing evening party.
All eyes turned as the unexpected guest entered.
“Dasom! You’re finally here.”
“Sorry for being late.”
“No, no… sigh. Why are we even talking here? Let’s just go inside.”
Sunghoon wrapped his arm naturally around her waist, pulling her in.
“Father and Chairman are in the study, but at least greet Mother.”
“Alright.”
The birthday guests weren’t just company executives. Their wives were also there, each well aware of whose favor their husbands needed to succeed.
In the middle of the crowd, like a flower among them, stood Jang Jubin.
As soon as Sunghoon approached, Jubin turned with her glass of sparkling wine.
“Mother.”
“……”
“This is Dasom, the girl I told you about. She’s Youngjun’s little sister from UL Cables.”
At the name UL Cables and Youngjun, Jubin set down her glass and walked over.
“Oh my, really? You’re Youngjun’s sister?”
“Yes, I’m Kang Dasom.”
“I’ve heard you’ve been seeing my Sunghoon.”
“Sorry for being late. Something came up.”
“That’s not important, dear. I’m grateful you came at all. Come this way—you should greet the chairman. I’ll be right back.”
Jubin slipped into the conservatory, away from prying eyes.
“Mom, the chairman is in the study… Ah, mom!”
Sunghoon and Dasom hurried after her. As soon as the door shut, Jubin crossed her arms and scanned Dasom up and down.
Her earlier warmth was gone.
“You know Youngjun well. He was Sunghoon’s school friend.”
“Right, mom. I think it’s time I really get married…”
“What are you thinking?”
“What do you mean—”
“I wasn’t asking you.”
For Jubin, Sunghoon was a constant source of disappointment. Unlike Jinwoo, he hadn’t chased acting dreams—but his messy womanizing was worse. She had even considered marrying him off overseas to avoid further shame.
When he said he’d bring a girl, she had only planned to look at the face. Nothing more.
“My son may be foolish, but he’s still my son. Who do you think you are, some nobody, to seduce him?”
“Mother—”
“Don’t call me mother!”
“Excuse me, but I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
Dasom spoke clearly—not too loud, not too quiet. She hadn’t planned to go this far, but since Jongwoo had given her something, she wanted to repay him.
“I really do love Sunghoon oppa.”
