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“Why are you suddenly giving me dogs? And three of them?”
“Do these look like dogs to you?”
“If they’re not dogs, are they tigers?”
“You fool.”
Yijun shook his head in disappointment. Dojun grabbed him as he turned to leave, as if saying more would hurt his mouth.
“Are you leaving just like that?”
“What if I don’t?”
“If you’ve come, at least eat something before you go.”
“Isn’t it almost the ancestral rite anyway? I’ll go then.”
Only then did Dojun realize that even if it was a dream, Yijun was not a person of this world. One side of his chest felt empty, and a desolate wind blew. He felt a lingering regret at letting Yijun go like this.
“Wait.”
“What now?”
“Aren’t you angry at me?”
“Why would I be angry?”
“You liked Haejoo too.”
“It’s scarier that you’re only realizing that now.”
Yijun stared at Dojun, then let out a hollow laugh.
“Congratulations, Dojun. Everything will be fine.”
Suddenly, his vision shimmered, and Yijun’s form blurred. As Dojun tried to grab him, the air rippled like water, slowly spreading away. He tried to follow Yijun, but something tugged at his pant leg. Looking down, he saw three puppies tangled around him.
“What are these?”
He tried to pick up the three puppies, but they suddenly merged into one. Before he knew it, only the unruly yet cute one remained with Dojun. As soon as he tucked the puppy inside his clothes, he woke up.
“Phew!”
It was a dream. It was the first time he had seen Yijun in a dream since he passed away. The fellow who appeared out of nowhere after several years suddenly gave him a puppy and left serenely. It was so vivid that he spread his empty hands and looked down at them. The fluffy touch of the puppy was still so real, it was eerie.
“It was a dream.”
Outside the window, the sun had already risen. He checked the time, just past 8 AM, and then checked on Haejoo. The still pale Haejoo was sleeping soundly, unaware of the world. Dojun grabbed his phone and went to the bathroom. He found Secretary Song’s contact and pressed it; she answered immediately.
“CEO, did you rest well?”
“You worked hard yesterday.”
“Don’t mention it. Your statement seems to have put out the urgent fire, at least.”
“That’s good.”
“The police will issue a summons to Choi Inho today, but it’s uncertain if he’ll comply willingly.”
“He’ll resist as much as he can.”
“That being said, how about you meet Lee Yura once?”
It seemed as if the situation was being twisted to make it appear that Haejoo ignored her family after succeeding as an actress. Even with the explanations, the doubts hadn’t been completely resolved.
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“The trial is approaching, and the media will be paying attention.”
The thought of meeting someone he didn’t particularly want to see again caused him significant stress. Even so, Yura wouldn’t regret her past wrongdoings.
“Wouldn’t meeting her just escalate the anger for no reason?”
“The public criticism towards Lee Yura and Park Gyeong-ae is also considerable.”
“Is that so?”
“If things continue like this, Lee Yura is likely to be at a disadvantage in court. She’ll probably be in constant anxiety in the detention center.”
Secretary Song analyzed the situation overnight and reported it to Dojun. Dojun thought deeply and made a firm decision.
“Let’s do that. Is there anything else?”
“Director Yoo Jinhan’s side released an article last night saying they will hold a press conference.”
“Using Haejoo as a front?”
“It seems to be their intention.”
“Whose idea was that?”
“Their situation doesn’t seem to be easy either.”
“Resolution is needed?”
“It seems so.”
“I’ll think about it.”
After finishing the call, he came out of the bathroom to find Haejoo sitting up. A fresh glow emanated from her clear face.
“How are you feeling?”
“I want to sleep.”
“Sleep more.”
“I have to meet Director today, so I think I should go for a bit.”
Haejoo’s shoulders were slumped, her eyes barely open. Dojun laid her back down on the bed and got under the covers with her.
“I had a dream.”
“A dream?”
“Yeah, in my dream, my brother gave me three puppies. But the three of them merged into one.”
“Isn’t that a conception dream?”
“Conception dream?”
Dojun’s eyes narrowed mischievously. Out of curiosity, he picked up his phone and went online.
“Since the puppy was white...”
No matter what was happening in the world, the two of them became serious because of the dream. When they searched for interpretations of dreams, various opinions came up.
“It could be a conception dream.”
“But why did he give three?”
“Are we going to have three children in the future?”
Dojun’s sharp gaze turned towards Haejoo’s belly. At the moment his eyes opened wide, Haejoo pinched his ear.
“You’re talking nonsense!”
“I can raise them.”
“Are you trying to kill someone?!”
“You’ll never die. Lee Haejoo won’t die.”
“...Huh?”
“I had no choice but to let Jun go, but I don’t want that to happen to you too.”
“No, I just...”
“Even if it was a dream, it was good to see my brother’s face after a long time.”
Dojun had a very hard time overcoming the emptiness after Jun passed away. After Jun’s funeral, he couldn’t even see him in his dreams. It was as if he was that cold-hearted. But last night, he suddenly appeared, gave him a puppy, and left. Dojun stroked Haejoo’s lower abdomen. The baby growing diligently there felt admirable and lovely.
“It’s almost my brother’s ancestral rite.”
“When is it?”
“In a week. I’m thinking of bringing Father home for a bit too.”
“Can I attend?”
“Of course, you can. Why would you even ask?”
“If my condition is good, I’d like to prepare the ancestral table.”
“Don’t overexert yourself. We’ve only been commemorating him.”
Haejoo, feeling languid, lay down again. He, who was about to order breakfast through room service, opened his arms for her. Then he patted Haejoo, who was deeply nestled in his embrace. Soon, his eyes closed, and Dojun fell asleep with her.
________________________________________
On TV, news reported that the police had issued a summons to Choi Inho. Choi Inho, who was watching the situation from his office, scoffed.
“Do you think I’ll comply so easily?”
Public opinion was divided into two camps. One group defended Haejoo, who had suffered severe abuse, and criticized the media, while others still enjoyed the gossip. Since Haejoo hadn’t directly appeared yet, there was still an opportunity.
“Seongyu, let’s release another article.”
“What should it be about?”
“The true nature of President Park and Park Dojun, who committed violence under such a father!”
“What about Lee Haejoo?”
“Just that for now.”
If he had known this would happen, he would have left Yura alone a little longer. Dojun and Jinhan were so powerful that it was clear this would become a brawl. Behind Haejoo was the strong backing of Yoo Jinhan. Chairman Yoo of GN had such a fiery temper that Real Fact could easily be shut down overnight. In that case, he had no choice but to target Dojun and manipulate public opinion.
“Why don’t you try meeting Lee Yura again instead?”
“What would I ask her?”
“Whether Lee Haejoo’s private life was clean or not.”
“Aha?”
“What’s the most devastating scandal for an actress?”
“Wow, our Seongyu has gotten much smarter.”
It didn’t matter if Yura denied it. Choi Inho hummed a tune, knowing he just needed to guide her to that outcome. Seongyu quickly drafted the article. Reading the draft, he added missing details and submitted it to the editor-in-chief for approval.
“Reporter Choi, are you sure about this?”
“About what?”
“Park Dojun is not to be trifled with. They say he goes all the way when he sets his mind to something.”
“Do you think I’ll just take it lying down?”
“They say Park Dojun stops at nothing when it comes to family matters. What will you do?”
“I’ve already caused so much trouble. Do you expect me to back down now and say it wasn’t me?”
Today, the internet and various media outlets were still buzzing with Haejoo’s story. Moreover, despite being half-doubtful of Dojun’s statement, women were widely envious.
“Since it’s come to this, let’s go all the way!”
“I don’t know anything. If something goes wrong, you’re responsible, Reporter Choi.”
Choi Inho glared at the approved draft. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, filling it with provocative phrases and untrue content.
“It’s the same whether I die this way or that way. ...Seongyu, put out the article!”
Without looking back, he published the article about Dojun. Normally, he would have observed public opinion from his office, but he got up from his seat.
“I’ll go see Lee Yura alone. Seongyu, you monitor the situation.”
This time, Choi Inho set out alone, trudging along. He felt an uneasy feeling. He repeatedly pondered whether meeting Yura was the right thing to do as he gripped the steering wheel.
“Will she meet me?”
Yura was about to face trial. Choi Inho had double-crossed her. He continuously pondered what sweet bait to throw her this time. It was already moving from lunchtime to afternoon. He was about to apply for a visit when a dark shadow enveloped Choi Inho.
“What?”
He frowned and lifted his head. The person he finally met was a man with superior physique and intense eyes. Murderous intent dwelled in the gaze looking down at Choi Inho.
________________________________________
Last night, Jinhan couldn’t overcome his headache and was rushed to the hospital emergency room. It was due to his excessive worrying over Haejoo. When he opened his eyes, he saw the luxurious hospital room. Chairman Yoo and his mother, Hwang Young-ok, were by his side.
“What happened?”
“I rushed here when I heard you collapsed.”
“My head just hurt a little.”
“What kind of struggle is this for you, all because of that girl?”
“Mother, Haejoo is the face of our agency.”
“Tell her to quit acting and everything else!”
Hwang Young-ok flared up. Chairman Yoo, with an emotionless, dry expression, then spoke.
“I hear that child, Lee Haejoo, doesn’t listen to you well?”
“Who said that?”
“I heard it from an employee at your company.”
“That’s not true.”
“It’s also strange how she got married when she was young, and she’s just pretty, but useless.”
“Father, you said you wouldn’t interfere with my affairs.”
“I trusted you and poured a huge amount of capital into GN Entertainment. Are you going to ruin a company like this because of one girl?”
“What are you going to do?”
“She must thoroughly take responsibility for the company’s losses.”
“Father!”
“The world isn’t so easy.”
Finally, Jinhan ripped out the IV needle. As blood splattered everywhere, a waiting nurse rushed over and held him.
“If Father interferes, I won’t stand for it.”
Jinhan, having issued a threat, changed his clothes. As he picked up his unfastened watch, Chairman Yoo asked in a calm tone.
“Do you like that child?”
“---!”
“If you want her, I’ll let you have her. But only on my terms.”
“Haejoo is already married anyway.”
“Park Dojun? The money-lender is her husband, isn’t he?”
“Haa.”
“Those who act relying on trivial skills have never survived in my hands.”
“I’ll be going now.”
Jinhan left the hospital room. In the hallway, the manager team leader stood fidgeting.
“If you say anything useless in front of Father again, I won’t let it slide.”
“They kept calling and threatening me, so I had no choice.”
He got into the car driven by the manager team leader. Jinhan silently gazed out the window while driving, then opened the internet. He felt his stomach churn upon seeing Choi Inho’s new article that had been uploaded again.
“What did he write now?”
It gave him no room to breathe at all. Annoyed, he opened the article to check it. The article, unlike Dojun’s statement, exposed President Park as an unscrupulous loan shark. It claimed he had exploited poor commoners with interest rates approaching 50%. It then criticized Dojun’s statement, saying it lacked evidence.
“Hmm.”
That wasn’t all. It also reported that Dojun had engaged in various acts of violence, trusting such a father. It implied that not a few people had been harmed by him, and among the victims of his violence was Haejoo’s sister, Yura. Finally, it also revealed the background of how Dojun grew the Gino Group. It exposed that he had built his current wealth solely for success, with money stained by others’ tears of blood. Choi Inho also included interviews with those he met during his investigation. The article content seemed plausible enough.
“Choi Inho just posted another article.”
Just then, the manager team leader, who had parked the car in front of the agency, also read Choi Inho’s article. He was astonished by the jaw-dropping content.
“It’s surprising, but I don’t think we should believe it at face value. Look at the comments.”
The comments quickly exceeded several hundred. Most of them reacted as if they had expected it, pouring out criticism that people who loved money couldn’t be trusted. As Jinhan’s mind raced, a van stopped in front of the company. Hyunseong got out of the driver’s seat and bowed to Jinhan. Then he opened the van door.
Finally, Haejoo appeared.
Unlike yesterday, her eyes held a light that hinted at vitality.
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