Awakened Patient 3
“You’re willing to stake your life on my grandson? Is that really what you want?”
“I don’t mean to entrust my life to Director Jin Do-jun. I simply wish to be by his side, as close as possible.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked why. Why would you risk your one and only life to be with our Do-jun?”
Chairman Jin’s eyes blazed with intensity.
Kim Yoon-seok flinched under the pressure.
He wondered if he had made a mistake. After all, this was Chairman Jin’s most cherished grandson. Did the chairman misunderstand him as someone who intended to cling to his grandson for life just because he had saved him?
“I want to stand at the forefront.”
“What?”
“I’ve always had to remain in the shadows, unnoticed. I’m ashamed of that role. You asked me earlier what I wanted. Now, I’ll tell you clearly. I want to stand proudly at the front, without shame.”
“You insolent fool!”
Chairman Jin’s anger seeped through his clenched teeth.
Kim Yoon-seok never imagined such a reaction.
He thought he might receive a pat on the shoulder and be told to take good care of the grandson, but instead, he had only provoked the chairman’s wrath, and it felt like all opportunities were slipping away.
“Someone like you would only hold Do-jun back. You think you can latch onto my grandson like a leech just because you threw your body on the line once?”
“Chairman, I never had such thoughts. If I ever become a burden to Director Jin Do-jun, I would rather cut myself off and step back. Please believe me.”
If it weren’t for the cast immobilizing him, he would have knelt down.
It was frustrating to be lying there, wrapped in bandages, trying to express his resolve.
“Enough. You’ve just thrown away your third chance. Fools like you can’t even tell the difference between gold and dirt.”
Chairman Jin stood up abruptly, kicking a chair in frustration.
“I won’t take back what I’ve already given. Once you’re able to walk, I’ll have you thrown out immediately. If you ever hover around Do-jun again, I’ll take that pitiful life of yours.”
He didn’t forget to shout a warning that was close to a threat.
“Chairman…”
Kim Yoon-seok wanted to grab Chairman Jin’s leg as he left the hospital room to show his sincerity, but all he could do was watch his back.
“You told me not to visit the hospital yesterday. If you’re calling about the spicy fried chicken, the answer is no.”
Grandfather had been pestering him since morning to come quickly.
His voice boomed through the phone, making it hard to believe he had just had surgery.
When he rushed to the hospital, he found his grandfather waiting with a stern expression.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“There’s someone who wants to be your dog. Are you aware of this?”
The sudden question caught him off guard, but he knew who it was about.
“Are you talking about Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-seok?”
“Yes, that one.”
“You met him yesterday.”
“He refused a large sum of money but said he wanted to stand by your side. Did you give him permission?”
Did he make a mistake?
Was his grandfather displeased that he was already gathering people around him at such a young age?
“I decided to give him a conditional chance.”
He didn’t know what had been said between them, but it was too late to feign ignorance.
“Conditional?”
“Yes. I promised to forgive him three times, even if he messes up my work.”
“And if it’s more than three times?”
“I’ll let him go. He saved my life, so I gave him three chances. Isn’t that enough to repay the debt?”
“Hmm…”
After a moment of silence, his grandfather spoke again, but his words were completely unexpected.
“What do you think is a dog’s virtue?”
“A dog?”
“Yes, the kind people like.”
“Loyalty to its owner, I suppose? There’s even a term for loyal dogs. You don’t attach the word ‘loyal’ to anything else.”
“Wrong.”
Wrong? If loyalty isn’t a dog’s virtue, then what is? No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t come up with anything other than loyalty.
“Loyalty comes with conditions. It’s about guiding the owner in the right direction. That’s why a loyal dog isn’t afraid to speak harsh truths. When the owner is on the wrong path, loyalty is about blocking the way and steering them right.”
“Isn’t following the owner regardless of right or wrong also loyalty? There’s even a term for blind loyalty.”
“That’s a sycophant.”
This was difficult. If loyalty isn’t a dog’s virtue, then what is? Surely it wasn’t love?
“A dog’s virtue is devotion.”
Ah…!
Devotion, where one gives their all, body and soul, without hesitation or condition. Unlike loyalty, it comes without strings attached.
“Do you think he’ll be devoted to you?”
“So far, yes.”
When he answered confidently, his grandfather gave a slight chuckle.
“Why?”
“He didn’t hide his true feelings.”
No lengthy explanation was needed. His grandfather could see through most things with just a word or two.
“But he’s already made a mistake.”
“With you, Grandfather?”
His grandfather nodded.
“He told me he wanted to serve you. Does a dog ask someone else for permission to choose its owner? He considered me above you.”
If it were trivial, it was endlessly trivial. Given that it was his grandfather and the chairman of the group, wasn’t it reasonable to say such things?
It seemed excessive not to allow even such trivial matters, but he reconsidered.
This wasn’t just about hiring an employee. It was about choosing someone who would be like an extension of himself. There couldn’t be any shortcomings.
“Is there another mistake?”
His grandfather looked at him incredulously.
“Do you still want to give him a chance?”
“I made a promise. I don’t want to be someone who discards promises to subordinates like old shoes.”
If devotion is the virtue of a subordinate, then trust is the virtue of a superior.
He couldn’t become someone like Jin Young-ki or Jin Young-jun.
“He’s lacking in many ways.”
“I think it’s just a lack of training, not a lack of character.”
“Sunyang is full of talented people without any shortcomings. You can just choose from them.”
“I have no connection with them. If I guarantee their success, they can become my people anytime. But that’s all there is.”
Seeing his determination, his grandfather got off the bed.
“Follow me. I’ll show you how quickly he makes his third mistake.”
His grandfather strode confidently toward Kim Yoon-seok’s hospital room.
“Watch closely. See who he fears more and whose approval he seeks.”
He understood what his grandfather was trying to confirm.
If Assistant Manager Kim had decided to become his person, he shouldn’t be concerned with his grandfather’s approval.
As his grandfather said, a devoted dog should have its eyes only on its owner.
But was that an easy task?
After all, his grandfather was the chairman of Sunyang Group, his current employer, and much older than him. It was natural for Kim to pay more attention to his grandfather.
Standing outside the hospital room, he felt a bit nervous.
Did he lack the ability to judge people? Or were his criteria for choosing people different from his grandfather’s?
His grandfather flung the door open with a bang.
Assistant Manager Kim Yoon-seok, who was lying in bed with his upper body propped up, was startled to see the two of them.
He watched only Kim’s eyes and mouth.
Who would he look at, and to whom would he speak?
Unable to stand, he couldn’t bow or lower his head. He could only greet them with his eyes.
And then he spoke.
“Director, I’m sorry.”
His grandfather’s eyebrow twitched at Kim’s first words.
“It seems my connection with you ends here. I’ve only disappointed you with my shortcomings.”
His grandfather seemed surprised.
He had expected Kim to plead with him, trying to clear up any misunderstandings, but instead, Kim had drawn a clear line.
“I don’t know what’s happened, but you give up quickly.”
“I didn’t know my place. I’ve realized that now. I happened to save you by chance, but I won’t deny that I had ambitions to gain more from it.”
“Who doesn’t have ambitions? When an opportunity comes, you seize it, and you use it to fulfill your desires.”
“I’m lacking in ability and skill. It seems I was just driven by ambition.”
Kim Yoon-seok finally turned his gaze to his grandfather.
“Thank you for reminding me of my place, Chairman.”
How would his grandfather take Kim’s attitude?
He decided to stand back and watch the conversation unfold.
“Do-jun.”
“Yes.”
“Step outside for a moment.”
What was this about?
Not only he but also Kim Yoon-seok looked surprised.
“I need to have a word with this man. Go on!”
“Is this your true intention?”
Chairman Jin asked as soon as his grandson left the room.
“You risked your life, and all you got was an apartment and some relief from worrying about your child’s education. Don’t you feel wronged?”
“I’ll be content with having dreamed a short but brilliant dream.”
Kim Yoon-seok looked Chairman Jin straight in the eye and answered calmly.
Chairman Jin began to scrutinize him, searching for any trace of ulterior motive.
“Alright, I see you’re willing to give up without a fuss. That’s commendable in its own way. I’ll make sure you have enough money to live comfortably. You won’t need to worry about your living expenses.”
“No, thank you. I’m still young. I can’t just live off the money you give me and waste my life away.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Just take the money and live easy. It’s a chance to enjoy life without working for it.”
Kim Yoon-seok couldn’t help but chuckle at Chairman Jin’s words.
“That was my dream, you know. How great would it be to live life on easy street? But watching Director Jin Do-jun made me realize how foolish and naive I was.”
“Why Do-jun?”
“I’m in the strategy department. I’ve heard bits and pieces about how Director Jin Do-jun’s cousins live. Endless money, credit cards with no limits. It’s a glamorous life anyone would envy.”
“And?”
“Director Jin Do-jun is also a third-generation chaebol, but I’ve never seen him waste a single day or even an hour. He’s at the office in Yeouido by 7 AM. He grabs a quick meal at a simple diner nearby and heads back to work. I don’t know exactly what he does, though.”
Kim Yoon-seok spoke of the much younger Jin Do-jun as if describing a respected mentor.
“If you were to give me a large sum of money, I wouldn’t be able to live like Director Jin Do-jun. I’d squander it and waste my life. That’s not how I want to live.”
Wanting to stand by Jin Do-jun, to be with him, was another way of saying he wanted to live life with purpose and intensity.