Chapter 3: A Major Change
“The expansion potential is undoubtedly with YS. He can sweep the capital region, Gyeongnam, and Honam. The ruling party can only secure votes from Daegu, Gyeongbuk, Gangwon, and parts of the capital, so the next presidency is almost certain.”
The CEO of Sunyang Construction, whom Chairman Jin trusted the most, was the first to voice his opinion.
“What about DJ?”
“Of course, DJ could unify the opposition, but he has weaknesses. He’s plagued by the Red Complex, so he’s likely to concede this time. He’ll step aside in exchange for a promise for the next time.”
“Any other opinions?”
Everyone exchanged glances, signaling their agreement.
Chairman Jin let out a small chuckle.
Everyone seemed to have unwavering faith in the unification of the two Kims. It wasn’t just them. How many among the public doubted the unification of the two Kims?
Every influential person Chairman Jin had met so far believed in the unification without a doubt. Only his young grandson didn’t believe in it. Of course, that might be because he was completely unaware of the political situation and trends.
But his reasoning was spot on. The young grandson had a keen insight into human greed.
The heads of the core subsidiaries were momentarily tense, unsure of the reason behind Chairman Jin’s smile.
Was he pleased?
Or was he disappointed?
But his next words gave no clue to his true feelings.
“Let’s wrap it up for today. Keep your ears open and gather as much information as you can.”
With a smile, Chairman Jin ended the meeting.
It was time to tackle the task I’d been putting off.
Or rather, hesitating and fearing. But it was something I had to face eventually.
First, I asked my tutor for a favor.
Given that he was earning a new Sunyang Group employee’s salary for doing little more than checking my homework for 30 minutes a day, he couldn’t refuse my request.
“Let’s have an outdoor lesson this Sunday.”
“An outdoor lesson?”
“Yes, to the West Coast, Dangjin.”
“Dangjin? Why the sudden interest in the West Coast?”
“It’s the only place in our country where the sea faces north, as the textbook says. I’d like to see it for myself.”
A flimsy excuse, but one he couldn’t refuse.
To keep this cushy job, he had to go along with my whims.
“Uh, sure. Let’s go.”
“Can you drive, sir? Do you have a license?”
“Yeah, I have a license, and it’s not just gathering dust.”
“Then I’ll ask my father for the car. You just need to get permission for the outdoor lesson.”
A smile spread across my tutor’s face. How often does a college student get the chance to drive a luxurious foreign car?
My parents easily gave their permission.
Believing that school and studying were everything, they probably wanted to push me to see the sea.
“Do-jun, be honest. Why do you want to go to Dangjin?”
It was a time without GPS or smartphones. My tutor, who was slowly getting used to driving while using a national map book as a guide, asked me slyly.
I had a prepared answer.
“Actually, I have a friend who transferred schools. I want to see him.”
“Really? Then why didn’t you just say so?”
“If I told the truth, they’d ask what kind of friend he is, what his parents do, why he transferred… It’d be a hassle.”
“Oh, you’ve grown up, huh? To the point where talking to your parents is a hassle?”
Kid, I’m not just grown up; I’m getting old.
We passed the time with idle chatter, and before we knew it, we were in Dangjin.
A past that existed only in my hazy memories from 30 years ago.
I was now experiencing the miracle of those memories unfolding before my eyes.
A landscape untouched by West Coast development.
The jolt of the car on the unpaved roads.
Instead of beaches filled with pensions, there were small shops catering to a few fishermen, though they were called supermarkets.
As I entered the neighborhood where I used to live, with only a few visible apartments, tears welled up.
I experienced the wonder of memory once again.
Seeing the barbershop at the edge of the neighborhood reminded me of my childhood hairstyle, and the beauty salon vividly brought back my mother’s youthful appearance.
Passing the school gate, the faces of friends and teachers I hadn’t thought of since graduation came to mind.
Retracing my memories, I approached the house where I grew up.
“Sir, could you wait here for a moment? It’s just over there.”
“Have you been here before? How do you know the way so well?”
“My friend explained it to me in detail several times.”
I gave a short answer to my curious tutor and quickly got out of the car.
My heart pounded as I saw the sign across the street.
[Yoon’s Laundry]
I couldn’t bring myself to take a step.
Could I really face my parents?
What if I accidentally called him ‘Dad’? To him, I was just a child he’d never seen before…
But my biggest fear was something else.
What if I ran into my past self, Yoon Hyun-woo?
Would something miraculous, like in a movie, happen?
I couldn’t just stand there imagining.
I took a deep breath and slowly walked forward.
Through the glass of the laundry, I saw my father. The sight of my young father through the steam of the iron and my mother sorting laundry brought tears to my eyes again.
I leaned against the wall of the laundry, waiting for my tears to dry.
Steeling myself, I opened the door to the laundry.
The old door creaked, and both of their eyes fell on me.
“Um…”
“Hmm? A kid I haven’t seen before. Are you here to pick up laundry?”
What should I say?
“This kid looks well-off. Must not be from around here.”
Seeing my mother scrutinize me up close, I felt a wave of regret.
I should have waited a little longer.
If I had come when I was older, I could have offered real help.
My mother, just entering her late thirties, looked ten years older.
Only now did I see the hardship etched on their faces.
“Did you get lost? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
I couldn’t indulge in sentiment any longer and hurriedly spoke.
“Isn’t this Jin-woo’s house? Yoon Jin-woo?”
I planned to pretend I had come to the wrong house and leave. It seemed the most natural.
“Jin-woo? No, it’s not.”
“Oh, I see. I’m sorry.”
As my father tilted his head in confusion, I quickly bowed and spoke.
“Honey, do you know anyone named Jin-woo?”
“Not sure. Should we ask Hyun-ji? See if there’s a Jin-woo among her school friends?”
A jolt ran through me.
Hyun-ji?
Could it be?
“Um, who is Hyun-ji?”
“Hyun-ji? Our only daughter. She’s probably around your age… You’re not from around here, are you? Our daughter is so pretty that everyone in the neighborhood knows her. Haha.”
An only daughter, Hyun-ji.
I hadn’t misheard. I, Yoon Hyun-woo, didn’t exist.
I fled the laundry. If I had stayed any longer, I might have collapsed.
“What’s wrong? Wasn’t it your friend’s house?”
“Huh? Oh, no. It was, but… my friend wasn’t there.”
“Then should we wait longer?”
“No, it’s fine. Let’s just head back.”
I avoided my tutor’s suspicious gaze and looked out the window.
“Sir, I’m a bit tired. Can I take a nap?”
“Sure. You must be tired. Sleep well. I’ll wake you when we get home.”
“Thank you.”
I watched the laundry fade into the distance, then leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes.
I didn’t think about what had happened.
Reincarnation? Regression? Possession? Time travel?
I didn’t want to analyze or question the cause and effect.
I just had to accept the outcome. After all, I couldn’t change this strange result that had already occurred.
And the outcome was that my only connection to my parents was my memories.
I wiped away my tears. My tutor, seeing my tear-streaked face in the rearview mirror, said nothing and simply increased the speed.
Even though it was a child’s tears, they seemed too poignant to question.
I sat staring blankly at my open notebook for a while.
The detailed records of the future I had kept might become useless.
My very existence had already caused a significant change.
The spot where I, Yoon Hyun-woo, should have been was inexplicably taken by an only daughter.
There’s no need to invoke grand theories like the butterfly effect. The mere fact that Chairman Jin Yang-cheol liked me could change the future.
If the future changes, it could mean that my powerful weapon becomes meaningless.
Damn it.
I need to be more cautious and deliberate with my actions, words, and plans.
The major currents of the future must remain unchanged for me to secure what I want within them. I must change Sunyang Group without changing the world.
It’s not an easy task. Sunyang Group’s influence in our country is immense.
Despite the turmoil in my mind, an unchanging fact brought tears to my eyes again.
The existence of ‘me,’ Yoon Hyun-woo, doesn’t exist in this world. Only the primal emotions etched in my mind remain. These emotions will gradually erode and fade, and Yoon Hyun-woo will disappear completely.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and closed the notebook.
I must let go of the past.
Focus only on the future.
I will live as the perfect Jin Do-jun to sit in the chairman’s seat of Sunyang Group. It will be a difficult path, but…
“Wait a minute.”
I blurted out without realizing it.
I counted on my fingers, recalling memories.
“Young-jun, Hae-kyung, Kyung-jun, Soo-kyung, Tae-jun…”
Thirteen.
Including me, Chairman Jin Yang-cheol’s grandchildren numbered exactly thirteen.
But why does the number in my memory say twelve?
Who is the missing one?
I pulled out the notebook from the drawer. I began to review the densely recorded memories, trying to figure out what I had missed.