RB - 62

Chapter 62: The Birth of H, the Nation’s Mistress

Seized by an ominous premonition, Seo-yeon quickly answered the call. Before she could say anything, Ji-min’s voice blurted out.

“Han Seo-yeon, are you okay?”

Seo-yeon immediately sensed that her uneasy feeling was about to become a reality. Ji-min’s voice was filled with tension and worry—something Seo-yeon had never heard from her before.

“Ji-min, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

After a brief silence, Ji-min finally spoke in a heavy tone.

“…Turn on the TV. They’re talking about you.”

Seo-yeon dropped her phone with a clatter and hastily pressed the remote control to turn on the TV. On the investigative program Breaking File: Day and Night, a pixelated video of herself—Han Seo-yeon—was being broadcast. With trembling hands, she grabbed her beer can but couldn’t bring herself to take a sip. She could only feel its coldness, which grounded her in the harsh reality of the moment.

On the screen, the reporter’s narration cut through the silence of the empty room.

“H, who previously caused a scandal at work for having an affair with a married man, has now caught the attention of two brothers from A Group. If a fraternal power struggle erupts over the succession, how will it impact the company? Concerns are mounting over potential disruptions to A Group’s overseas trade and domestic distribution businesses.”

As the reporter’s narration ended, Ji-min’s frantic voice continued pouring out from the dropped phone.

“Han Seo-yeon! Hey, Han Seo-yeon! Seo-yeon!”

Unable to drink the beer, Seo-yeon set it down on the table, took a deep breath, and picked up her phone again.

“Ji-min, what do we do about Bi-ryu? He’ll see all this… He’s in a critical period for college entrance exams.”

“In this situation, why are you worrying about Bi-ryu, who’s studying just fine? You idiot, get a grip! Your own problems are piling up!”

Ji-min’s scolding, almost a scream, made Seo-yeon’s heart ache with sorrow. Without pausing, Ji-min continued.

“Listen carefully. All these incidents are connected to Park Yeo-wan! This is no ordinary situation.”

“…What? How do you know that?”

“Breaking File: Day and Night is a show I regularly watch. I’ve been following this story since it started, and when I realized they were talking about you, Han Seo-yeon, I was shocked.”

“Shocked?”

“I rushed straight to the director’s office. But… turns out there’s no one to trust.”

Ji-min hesitated, and Seo-yeon, growing impatient, snapped.

“Just tell me already! My heart’s burning up here.”

“The director was on the phone with someone, so I waited outside the door and accidentally overheard the conversation.”

“So? What did you hear? Tell me quickly!”

“The director was yelling at Park Yeo-wan. But what they said was… strange. Something like, ‘Do you think Seo-yeon will come to her senses with this level of scandal?’ And then, ‘I’ll give you stronger material.’ They even mentioned digging up dirt from your high school days—how you took money from friends to do their assignments—and linking it to Bi-ryu living with you… Ugh, I can’t believe it myself. It’s terrifying. The director…”

Ji-min’s voice trembled with palpable fear.

Seo-yeon collapsed onto the living room floor like a deflated balloon. In a weak voice, she said,

“Thank you, Ji-min. I have another call coming in, so I’ll hang up for now.”

Forcing herself to end the call despite Ji-min’s unfinished words, Seo-yeon stared at the ceiling. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Unbearable trials kept piling up. Linking her life with Bi-ryu in such a dirty way—what exactly was the director’s true nature?

Suddenly, her phone vibrated violently again. The caller was Jin-hyuk. After a moment’s hesitation, Seo-yeon answered. Jin-hyuk’s voice, laced with urgency, came through.

“Manager Han, why are you taking so long on the phone? Do you want to see me lose my mind?”

“…I’m not in the mood to talk right now, Jin-hyuk.”

“You have to. I’m outside your apartment right now. There’s a swarm of reporters here, so I’ve called private security. You need to get out now. Pack lightly, put on a hat, and cover your long hair. Try to look as masculine as possible.”

Instead of responding, Seo-yeon’s sobs leaked through the phone. Jin-hyuk felt his heart shatter, but he pressed on, targeting her Achilles’ heel.

“Think about Kim Bi-ryu. If you keep this up, Bi-ryu will get hurt too.”

The effect was immediate. Seo-yeon sprang to her feet as if doused with icy water. Frantically packing and disguising herself in Bi-ryu’s clothes, she steeled her resolve. She couldn’t ruin the bright future of her younger brother, Kim Bi-ryu, whom she had raised since infancy.

“Jin-hyuk, I’m ready. Where should I go? Are there reporters at the main entrance?”

“The security team is blocking the main entrance. Head to the underground parking lot. Hurry!”

Hiding behind a pillar in the underground parking lot, Seo-yeon scanned her surroundings before rushing to Jin-hyuk’s car. Jin-hyuk looked at her with a precious gaze, then drove out of the apartment complex.

Jin-hyuk’s black Benz mercilessly sliced through the darkness blanketing the streets. The sky was pitch-black, dotted with countless stars, and a prolonged silence hung between them. Occasionally, the vibrating buzz of Seo-yeon’s phone broke the quiet. Calls and texts were pouring in from her acquaintances.

Surprisingly, there was no contact from Bi-ryu. Given that his boarding school banned phones and media access, it was likely he hadn’t heard the news yet—a small relief for Seo-yeon.

“Are you okay, Manager Han?”

Seo-yeon stared at Jin-hyuk’s profile as he drove and asked,

“Where are we going?”

Instead of answering, Jin-hyuk gave a bitter smile and turned the car onto a tree-lined road. Ten minutes later, the vehicle headed toward the dormitory of the specialized high school where Bi-ryu was enrolled.

Seo-yeon wasn’t particularly surprised that Jin-hyuk knew where Bi-ryu’s dorm was. As Shin Jung-hyuk’s brother, he was undoubtedly skilled at gathering information quickly. In every sense, the Shin brothers were extraordinary individuals.

Contrary to Seo-yeon’s worries, Bi-ryu didn’t appear to be crying. Instead, he spoke with a resolute voice.

“Sis, don’t worry about me. Focus on your fight. Winning this battle and freeing yourself from the past—that’s all that matters.”

Seo-yeon clenched her teeth to hold back tears, and Bi-ryu pulled her into a tight embrace. The baby she had bottle-fed since infancy had grown taller than her, but more importantly, his kind heart had matured.

“Let go of me. Since when did you start acting like an older brother? Move aside.”

“If you keep getting annoyed, it’ll become part of your personality, sis.”

Seo-yeon teased him in a tone meant to mask her quivering voice, and Bi-ryu, unyielding, showed off their playful sibling chemistry.

“Bi-ryu, how did you find out? Did the school tell you something happened?”

As soon as she finished speaking, Seo-yeon glanced at Jin-hyuk, suspecting he might have contacted Bi-ryu beforehand. But her assumption was wrong.

“I got a call from Ji-min earlier. She yelled at me, saying not to do anything that would interfere with your fight. Honestly, why is Ji-min so intense?”

Seo-yeon finally understood. Ji-min must have given Bi-ryu a stern lecture. Otherwise, gentle Bi-ryu wouldn’t suddenly act so mature overnight.

“Did that girl yell at you?”

“That’s not important. Sis, you have to win. The Han Seo-yeon I know never loses. You’ve always fought tooth and nail to survive. You can’t afford to lose this big battle.”

Feeling a surge of strength from Bi-ryu’s words, Seo-yeon nodded confidently.

“Of course. I’ll definitely win. You focus on studying hard too. Remember to text me when your grades come out.”

“Ugh, sis! Don’t ruin the emotional moment. When have I ever slacked off on studying?”

“You used to beg for hugs just the other day. I can’t believe how much you’ve grown, Kim Bi-ryu.”

Jin-hyuk, who had been quietly listening, burst into uncontrollable laughter. Bent over, clutching his stomach, his laughter only fueled Bi-ryu’s indignation.

Bi-ryu’s forced maturity was all because of that dark-haired man. He had acted overly adult-like to impress the handsome stranger who had accompanied his sister.

Truthfully, he wanted to ask her a hundred times, “Why did you hide everything from me? Aren’t I your family?” and a thousand times, “Who is that man? Did you secretly get a boyfriend? Should I get one too?” 

Sighing deeply, Bi-ryu straightened his back and glared at Jin-hyuk. Though tall for his age, Bi-ryu still fell short compared to Jin-hyuk, who was taller and broader-shouldered. Everything about him irritated Bi-ryu.