SS - 27

“Though I don’t know about the later investments, I’m certain that the initial investment wasn’t made entirely according to your wishes. Therefore, I’ll calculate and return not only the initial investment but also the dividends accrued from it.” 

Joo-hyuk spoke firmly, meeting Chairman Wang’s displeased gaze without flinching. 

“And as for the total amount you’ve invested so far, I’ll work to settle and return that as quickly as possible.” 

“You already know there’s no need to go that far.” 

“That’s how I intend to protect KMS.” 

Once a stain appears, it can never be completely erased. If that’s the case, the best option was to dilute the stain before it spread further. 

Severing ties with Chairman Wang was the first step in that process. 

“So stubborn. Now I understand why Chairman Choi resorted to such methods.” 

Chairman Wang shook his head disapprovingly. 

“I’ll send you the records of my transactions with Chairman Choi by today. Just return that specific amount. The rest is genuinely my investment in you and KMS, based on trust.” 

At Chairman Wang’s words, Joo-hyuk hesitated briefly. If the records of transactions with his father existed, perhaps it wasn’t necessary to return the entire amount. That would certainly be better for KMS. 

Besides, even if he returned the full investment, the money had already been spent, so public perception wouldn’t change drastically anyway. 

“Understood.” 

Joo-hyuk bowed deeply and turned to leave the greenhouse. 

Secretary Park, who had been waiting outside, straightened up and approached him. 

“Where to?” 

“Back to the company.” 

With a nod to Chairman Wang’s secretary, who stood at a distance to see him off, Joo-hyuk left the grand estate. 

He wished his heart felt lighter than when he had arrived, but against the clear blue sky, a gray fog of unease continued to rise within him. 

“If you had counseled her properly, do you think this would’ve happened? I don’t care anymore. Whether she ends up in jail or dies on the streets, it’s none of my concern. You deal with it.” 

At the police station, Sena recalled the phone call with Misun’s mother. 

Her voice wasn’t loud with anger, nor was it weak with despair—it was calm, almost indifferent, as if Misun’s fate truly didn’t matter to her. She ended the call without another word. 

Not long after, the police brought Misun out from the holding cell. She didn’t even glance at Sena. 

If she wasn’t going to own up to her actions, then why did she do it in the first place? 

The question lingered on the tip of Sena’s tongue, but she knew better than to ask. 

“Hands.” 

The detective sitting across from Sena barked at Misun. When Misun raised her hands, the detective roughly unlocked the handcuffs. 

“Be grateful the victim doesn’t want to press charges or make a big deal out of this.” 

“...” 

“Kids these days really have no fear.” 

Misun remained silent, staring at the floor. The detective clicked his tongue in disapproval. 

“Thank you.” 

“Don’t thank me. As I said, the victim chose not to press charges. And since no settlement is needed, isn’t that practically saintly? The surgery must’ve cost a fortune too.” 

It was true. 

Misun had stabbed Sena’s thigh with scissors, which likely required major surgery. Yet, Sena had refused to demand compensation for the medical expenses. No wonder the detective had called her an angel. 

Still, Misun remained silent. The detective shook his head, though not without casting a sympathetic glance toward Sena. It was clear from his expression that he pitied her situation—after all, it was obvious that Misun’s parents had abandoned her, leaving her counselor to pick up the pieces. 

“Let’s go.” 

Sena thanked the detective and gently pulled Misun by the hand, leading her out of the police station. 

She had rushed over during lunchtime, but by the time they stepped outside, the sun was already setting. 

“Hold on a moment.” 

Sena left Misun standing alone for a moment while she checked her phone. There was a message from Joo-hyuk replying to her earlier text about being late due to a client issue. 

「I’ll be late today too.」 

Something clearly seemed to be going on with him, but assuming it was related to the upcoming KMS launch, she decided not to dwell on it. 

There was no contact from Misun’s parents, and Sena didn’t feel inclined to reach out to them either. She slipped her phone back into her bag. 

“Shall we go?” 

Misun stood with both hands stuffed into her jacket pockets, kicking the ground lightly with the toe of her sneakers. 

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I did it?” 

“Huh?”

“Why aren’t you asking why I stabbed that person?” 

“Hmm. If I ask, will you answer honestly?” 

She desperately wanted to ask. 

How could someone just stab another person with scissors? It was a serious crime, wasn’t it? 

But should she really ask? Wouldn’t prying into this shake the fragile state of Misun’s mind even more? 

“Either that bastard dies, or I die… One of us had to go.” 

Misun’s sharp gaze met Sena’s as she spoke, her tone resolute. 

Sena was reminded of something Misun had said during a previous counseling session: 

“I hated guys like my dad so much that I ended up liking someone completely opposite. But people can be deceiving no matter how they appear on the outside.” 

Wasn’t the boy Misun referred to back then the same one who got stabbed today? 

No, there was no doubt about it. They were definitely the same person. Unless something significant had happened beforehand, it didn’t make sense for the other party to simply drop the charges and let the matter fade away without pressing further. 

Only now did Sena begin to vaguely grasp the nature of the dark shadow looming over Misun. 

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you too shocked to speak? Surprised that the quiet kid you’ve been counseling could think like this?” 

Even as Misun lashed out, Sena kept her lips tightly sealed. 

“Why aren’t you talking? You’re going to kill me, right? Aren’t you supposed to lecture me?” 

Passing police officers glanced at them briefly before looking away. Their pitying gazes made Sena sigh softly. 

“If you kill him, what changes?” 

“The object of my hatred disappears. The bastard who ruined me is gone.” 

“Do you think your hatred will disappear with him? What about the rest of your life?” 

“Then maybe I’ll die instead.” 

So she intended to destroy herself either way? No, that couldn’t be true. 

Sena knew it wasn’t true. 

“If you really intended to kill him, you would’ve aimed for a different spot. And if you wanted to die yourself, you would’ve done it long ago.” 

“You think I can’t do it?” 

“No, you might actually do it someday. But—” 

That wasn’t the point. 

“Don’t ruin yourself.” 

“It’s already too late. I’m already ruined.” 

“No. No matter how much others hurt you, don’t destroy yourself.” 

For a moment, the two stared deeply into each other’s eyes. 

You know what I mean, Sena silently conveyed through her gaze. 

Misun was smarter than she appeared. Though she had temporarily gone astray due to certain events, she was undoubtedly capable of finding her way wisely. That was the Misun Sena had come to know. 

As expected, Misun was the first to avert her gaze. With a short click of her tongue—”Tch”—she brushed past Sena and headed toward the parking lot. 

“What are you doing? It’s cold. Where’s the car?” 

“That way. Follow me.” 

With a faint smile, Sena walked ahead. Hearing Misun’s heavy footsteps trailing behind her, Sena felt a little lighter. 

The towering wall that had seemed so insurmountable in the counseling room had crumbled all at once. Thankfully. 

“Then let’s adjourn today’s emergency shareholders’ meeting.” 

As soon as the head of the management support team finished speaking, the shareholders gathered in the auditorium rose from their seats with somber expressions. 

Some still shot disapproving glances at Joo-hyuk, muttering among themselves, but overall, the atmosphere remained relatively friendly. 

“President Choi, this isn’t your fault, so don’t let it get to you.” 

One of the major shareholders approached to console Joo-hyuk. 

“To be honest, I don’t think this is such a big issue. Many shareholders share your stance.” 

“Thank you for your words.” 

“I understand your concerns given the rumors surrounding your father, but business is business. Of course, I also fully understand your intention to keep the media company neutral by distancing it from political influence.” 

Throughout the meeting, there had been repeated murmurs questioning whether it was truly necessary to return the investment funds from his father. 

“Thank you for understanding my intentions.” 

It was a firm statement: the decision had already been made, and further debate was unwelcome. 

Fortunately, the man caught the underlying message in Joo-hyuk’s words and offered a faint smile before falling silent. 

According to the records sent by Chairman Wang, 80% of the initial investment had come from Joo-hyuk’s father, Chairman Choi. During the meeting, it was decided to return not only the principal amount but also the accumulated interest and dividends. Though it would be challenging to do so immediately, they resolved to proceed as quickly as possible.

There would likely be accusations later that they were trying to cover up the issue by acting belatedly, but doing something was better than doing nothing. It was a weight off their shoulders for now. 

“I hope Reporter Seo hears about this as late as possible.” 

Eun-yoo approached and spoke, having observed quietly from the back of the meeting room. The deep furrows on her forehead seemed more pronounced than ever before, even during her time as editor-in-chief. 

“It’s not for nothing that we held the shareholders’ meeting somewhere other than the company.” 

“And in secret, too.” 

“Exactly.” 

Still, it was only a matter of time before Reporter Seo got wind of the news. If he didn’t uncover something like this, he wouldn’t be much of a journalist. But Joo-hyuk hoped fervently that today wouldn’t be the day the full story reached him. 

Only four days remained until the broadcasting station’s launch. He just hoped everything would go smoothly until then. 

“How far we’ve come…” 

Eun-yoo trailed off, her voice heavy with emotion. 

She had endured all manner of persecution and ridicule alongside Joo-hyuk, from the first issue of KMS to this very moment. KMS was her pride and joy as much as it was his. That was why she, like him, was enduring this pain without complaint. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Stop. What do you have to be sorry for?” 

“It’s because of my father.”