Chapter 8.5

The meal, which had a relatively light menu, began to be served to the group. During dinner, the conversation went smoothly. Mainly, CEO Min spoke the entire time, and Lee Seop answered. 

Known as a master conversationalist with a sophisticated air, Min was adept at leading and maintaining a comfortable atmosphere while easily changing subjects. He also made sure his son, Lee Hyeonseong, and even Min-kyung participated in the discussions without any force.

During dinner, Min-kyung's mind was reviewing the lawsuit related to the company's reconstruction, a lawsuit related to a Chinese trademark right, the sale and acquisition of the fashion brand, and other future joint projects. But she couldn't think of any practical or specific questions the Min-kyung could support.

As expected, CEO Min stood up before the dessert was served. "Now, you all have a glass of wine and a good conversation among your younger generation. Ha… I had a great time tonight."

CEO Min shook hands with Lee Seop and Min-kyung one last time before leaving the restaurant.

The awkward silence filled the space he left as the waiters came by to refill their wine glasses one after another. Lee Seop picked up a glass of water instead of the wine, drank it slowly, and straightened the knot in his tie. He then looked straight at Hyunseong and started.

"Attorney Lee Hyeonseong?"

"Yes, sir."

"You said that Attorney Min Ji-hoo here was your senior in law school, right?"

Hyunseong nodded his head slightly, "That's correct, sir. I'm sorry I wasn't able to greet you properly last week; I have been swamped."

"Oh, have you met the Executive Director?"

Lee Seop interjected and answered Ji-hoo's question.

"What was it, two weeks ago? I saw you here at this hotel on the 8th floor with Deputy Director Kang. It wasn't the right time for us to greet each other properly."

Lee Seop coldly glanced at Min-kyung from the corner of his eye before directing his attention back to Hyunseong. 

Ji-hoon continued the conversation effortlessly, "Ah, I see. Yes, in fact, Hyunseong went to the same undergraduate school as me and graduated from Columbia Law School."

Responding to Min Ji-hoo's words, Lee Seop raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'Oh?'

"Columbia… if you think about it this way, we both are alumni. Then, do you attend any alumni association meetings?"

"Yes, I have heard about how influential the Columbia Korean Alumni Association is. I'm unsure if I can join since I wasn't an undergraduate student, but if they ever ask me, I will go whenever." Hyunseong smiled.

"What influence? We just get together, reminisce, and have fun. I will call you when the next alumni meeting is scheduled." Lee Seop said, smiling back.

Lee Seop raised his wine glass, "Then, shall we toast?"

Min-kyung sighed softly without realizing she did. She hoped this toast would ease the awkward tension building between Lee Seop and Hyunseong. Four glasses gently clinked together.

"Nice to formally meet you."

After exchanging a short greeting in lieu of a toast, the four were about to take a drink of their wine. Lee Seop stretched his arm over and, with his left hand, grabbed Min-kyung's glass. To be more precise, he wrapped his hand around hers, which was holding the glass. Min-kyung wasn't the only person shocked at the move.

'No, why?' Min-kyung couldn't speak or ask; she just opened her eyes wide. The confused gazes of the two men across from them also focused on the clasped hands.

Lee Seop spoke in a soft, calm voice, "You don't need to drink, you can't."

Min-kyung opened her mouth, about to argue that one glass was fine, but the nightmare memories of the cocktails formed in her mind, and she quietly sat down her glass. Catching a whiff of the amazing smell of the wine, she looked at Lee Seop with resentment as he leisurely took a drink of his wine.

"This wine the CEO bought us is rare, so it's hard to get. Wouldn't it be okay to have one glass of it?" Hyunseong gently advised her, then explained further to Min Ji-hoo, who was curious about the casualness two. "I told you, I have a friend who works at Mulsan, TK."

"Oh yes, a close friend of your cousin."

"That's right. We also were in our school's statistics department. Our school year was the same, even though Min-kyung is a year younger than me, she graduated early from our science high school.

"I've heard a lot about you!" Min-joo, who rejected politics and conglomerates to choose love, looked like a pretty picture with an angelic smile and spoke to her in a friendly way.

It made Min-kyung automatically raise the corners of her mouth, "Yes, I look forward to working together in the future."

"I should tell you, actually, when the Executive Director said he'd bring in a working team to his staff, I was worried about what lawyer I should bring. Bringing Hyunseong must have been fate. It's great, really."

"What fate?" Lee Seop cut off their conversation. He didn't say much, but his tone was such that even if he added a curse at him, it would've seemed natural. 

Min-kyung's eyes widened. This kind of cynical talk was something that TK's eldest grandson never displayed publicly. 

"This is a contract. Isn't it, Attorney Min Ji-hoo?"

"Yes, it is. I'm very grateful for the partnership that will form through this contract, Executive Director Tae Yi-seop."

Fortunately, Min Ji-hoo answered smoothly, smiling, without a hint of embarrassment. Seeing Lee Seop's empty glass, he poured more wine into it. Lee Seop scowled at the man as he poured the wine, watching it all, Min-kyung's throat went dry.

Where on earth is the social mask that Lee Seop usually donned at meetings? She wanted to get on the floor, search for it, and put it back on him. 

Min-kyung looked at him anxiously as he drank half his wine before he asked without any smile, "But, what I'm curious about. You're in the same grade as Attorney Hyunseong, so why do you call him oppa?"

He directed a personal question at her in front of the group. Min-kyung clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth. Damn you…. 

Without giving her a chance to respond, Hyunseong interjected, "Yes, we were in the same grade, but see, she's a year younger than me. Of course, she calls me Oppa. I first met Min-kyung when she was in a club with my cousin, so that's how we first met."

Lee Seop straightened his back and stared at Hyunseong, "Min-kyung?"