[076] The Cutting Wind Blows 2
“Wow, as expected from Min-young Seo! You really don’t hold back.”
A senior at the same table looked up at Min-young Seo with admiration.
That’s right! Min-young Seo. That was her name.
Wait, but what does “straightforward” mean in this context?
“Senior, mind if I join you for a bit?”
She pulled up a chair and quietly joined the group.
Men are predictable. As soon as a pretty woman joins, they make room with eager smiles.
It’s true what they say: a man’s greatest weakness is a woman’s beauty.
“Want a drink?”
When a senior offered her a glass, Min-young accepted it with both hands and tilted it slightly.
“Just half, please. I need to head back to the library.”
“Oh! As expected from someone preparing for the bar exam. No breaks for you, huh? But do you really have time to be here?”
There it is again. Straightforward!
I guess they call those racing towards the bar exam “straightforward.”
“Seniors, from what I see, you don’t have time to be here either. You could prepare for the civil service exam in about two years, but the bar exam… no one can guarantee anything, so it’s up to each of you.”
Huh? What’s she talking about all of a sudden? Is she bringing up the IMF crisis?
“Hey! Min-young Seo! What are you talking about out of the blue?”
“You seniors came here to check with Do-jun, right? About how the companies are doing, how long this dreadful financial crisis will last… Isn’t that it?”
Wow, she’s sharp.
I thought she was just a model student who got into law school because of her brains and was solely focused on becoming a judge.
But she quickly figured out why the seniors gathered here and understands the world well.
Even if she becomes a prosecutor, she won’t have to worry about her performance.
“Even the Seoul National University name doesn’t carry weight right now. The graduates are all in tears because of the harsh winds outside. And they say those winds won’t die down easily. At least we’re lucky. Since we’ve studied law, the civil service exam isn’t too hard for us.”
The seniors started looking back and forth between Min-young and me, as if we had said the same thing.
“Are you two dating or something? Do you discuss the Korean economy on your dates?”
One senior joked, and the guys at the table shouted.
“No way! That can’t be. Do-jun here isn’t even human. There’s no way our Min-young would date an alien.”
“Hey! Min-young, didn’t you say you hate guys who brag about their strength or money? Do-jun has both. Get a grip.”
“Jin Do-jun, go back to your world. You should be dating the only daughter of another chaebol family or a celebrity.”
This doesn’t feel like a joke. The guys’ eyes are practically on fire.
Min-young downed her drink and wiped her lips.
“Why are you guys overreacting? This is only the third time I’ve seen Do-jun since I started school. Who’s dating who…?”
“Right? Besides, there’s no time or opportunity. Do-jun doesn’t come to school, and Min-young only goes between the library and lecture halls, so dating is impossible.”
The sparks in their eyes disappeared.
Their banter was amusing and a bit enviable.
The saying that the mind controls the body is used in other contexts, but it applies to me too. With a middle-aged mind dried up of romantic feelings, these kids’ mind games just seem cute.
Sometimes my male hormones act up, but the stress from work suppresses them.
“Alright. I’ve seen your faces, so I’m off.”
Min-young wrapped her scarf around her neck and stood up.
“And Do-jun, I need to talk to you for a moment.”
“Me? Why?”
I barely managed to hide my surprise.
What is with this girl, barging in without warning? I understand why the seniors were flustered earlier.
“I have something to settle with you.”
“Hey, Min-young! You’re not thinking anything weird, right?”
One of the guys shouted at the expressionless Min-young, but her face remained unchanged.
“Come on! Are you messing with me?”
Finding her cute, I followed her outside without saying much.
“Ugh… it’s cold. What is it? What do you need to settle?”
“I’m saying this at the risk of embarrassing myself, so think carefully before you answer.”
“Alright.”
I answered a bit nonchalantly, trying to match the rhythm of this young girl, and Min-young seemed to sense my mood, biting her lip.
“What is it? Just say it.”
“My goal and duty is to pass the bar exam before graduation.”
“I get the goal, but what’s with the duty?”
“Everyone in my family is in the legal profession. Most of them passed the bar before graduating from law school. If I don’t pass before graduation, my whole family will start nagging me. So I have to pass, no matter what.”
According to Deputy Kim Yoon-seok’s investigation, her family is full of prosecutors and judges?
But most of them passed before graduation… that’s surprising.
“So it’s tougher than senior year in high school? Honestly, I don’t have time.”
“Time for what?”
“Time to date you.”
“What?”
Are all kids these days like this? Is she being honest or just bold?
“That’s my confession, and that’s your reaction?”
“You said you hate guys who brag about their strength or money. I have both.”
“But you’re handsome.”
“What?”
“You only have one reaction, huh? ‘What?’”
She mimicked my tone and let out a short sigh.
“My grandmother always said that a man’s looks are the most important. If a man is handsome, even if something makes you angry, you can forgive him.”
“So? Are you going to follow your grandmother’s advice?”
“No, I agree a hundred percent. I’m really weak for good-looking guys.”
I chuckled at the absurdity, and Min-young smiled bashfully. She is cute.
“Back to the point… Anyway, I don’t have time, and you don’t come to school often, so let’s just have a meal together once or twice a month.”
“What do you mean, ‘let’s just’?”
“Our date.”
This time, I couldn’t even laugh.
Has she been so focused on studying that she doesn’t know how to play the dating game? Or is she just too straightforward?
As I hesitated to answer, she looked at me intently and said,
“Think carefully before you answer. Honesty is good, but if you reject me, I’ll hold a grudge. They say a woman’s grudge can bring frost in July, but I’m a bit different.”
“How different?”
“I’ll become a prosecutor and dig through all your accounts. If I find any trace of illegal donations, you’ll see me in the interrogation room with handcuffs on.”
“Is that a joke to make me laugh because you’re embarrassed?”
“Not funny? I spent three or four hours preparing that line…”
Min-young started looking at me intently again.
It’s not easy to withstand the gaze of a pretty woman.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s making my heart race.”
She blinked, not understanding my words, and finally broke into a bright smile.
A bit slow on the uptake, isn’t she?
“You know my number, right?”
Min-young nodded vigorously.
“Call me. I’ll send a car.”
“A car? What car?”
“A car to pick you up. Remember? I’m a third-generation chaebol. Our dates won’t be ordinary, so brace yourself. I’m heading back in.”
As I lightly tapped Min-young’s shoulder and turned to leave, she called out urgently.
“This is a secret! If the others ask, just say I was scolding you for skipping group assignments.”
I waved my hand with a smile and went back into the pub.
When I returned to my seat, the guys’ eyes were intense.
“What was that? What did she say?”
“What do you think? She was scolding me for skipping group assignments…”
Just then, the door swung open, and Min-young popped her head back in.
“I’ve decided to date Jin Do-jun starting today!”
She shouted this loudly and then disappeared.
What on earth is going on in that girl’s mind?
Didn’t she just say to keep it a secret? Not even a minute has passed.
The guys’ eyes were now glaring at me as if they wanted to kill me.
“Haha. That’s just like her. Min-young is truly straightforward.”
One of the seniors laughed, clutching his stomach.
Ah… I think I finally understand what “straightforward” means.
“Hotels, department stores, resorts, golf courses. That’s not a small amount. Look at other groups. They have maybe one or two department stores or golf courses. That’s what a daughter gets. There’s a reason they say ‘a married daughter is an outsider.’”
“That’s why she’s getting into politics. She wants to make up for what’s lacking with power.”
“Lacking? Huh, really.”
Chairman Jin was at a loss for words at Jin Seo-yun’s ambition.
He knew he was partly to blame for spoiling his only daughter, raising her with too much affection.
Assemblyman Choi cautiously spoke up, watching Chairman Jin’s reaction.
“You don’t need to worry. She won’t look at the company and will focus on growing in politics.”
A man who can’t move an inch under his wife’s thumb, boasting about making it big in the rough world of politics, seemed even more pathetic.
Chairman Jin ignored his son-in-law and spoke only to his daughter.
“The opposition has taken power. The roles have reversed. Running as an opposition candidate and winning the election won’t be easy.”
“I’m more afraid of you than the opposition in power, Father.”
Seeing his daughter smile, Chairman Jin’s heart softened. Despite her age, she was still his adorable only daughter.
But he had to draw the line and protect what needed protecting.
Especially since he now had the Achilles’ heel his clever grandson had provided.
“Everyone, come in!”
At Chairman Jin’s call, half a dozen men in their thirties and forties entered the study.
They bowed to Chairman Jin and took seats around the conference table.
Jin Seo-yun’s expression brightened. She knew exactly who they were.
These were the strategists who stood by candidates supporting big businesses during elections. Though officially part of the Sunyang Economic Research Institute, they excelled at reading the political landscape rather than the economy.
Politics is a living organism, constantly shifting and evolving. Those who excel in this arena are adept at reading these changes, adjusting their strategies, and understanding the shifting sentiments of the electorate.
These individuals, often earning salaries comparable to CEOs, work behind the scenes, solely focused on winning elections.
“From today, these folks will be helping you out, Mr. Choi. Since you’ve decided to step up, you must win.”
Jin Seoyun gave her husband a subtle nod, prompting him to bow quickly, still unsure of the situation.
“Thank you, Father-in-law. I promise to win and repay your kindness.”
Chairman Jin nodded slightly and addressed his son-in-law.
“Can you stand by those words?”
“Of course. You are as dear to me as my own father. How could I think otherwise?”
Chairman Jin chuckled at his son-in-law’s sweet words and tossed two files onto the table in front of him.
“What are these…?”
As Assemblyman Choi looked puzzled, Jin Seoyun swiftly grabbed the files and opened them.
“One is a list of suitable candidates for the Deputy Mayor of Seoul and heads of affiliated agencies. I’ve especially selected people for the Urban Infrastructure Headquarters, Facilities Management Corporation, and Housing and Urban Development Corporation.”
“Father…”
Jin Seoyun looked at Chairman Jin in surprise, but he continued, ignoring her gaze.
“I’ve jotted down a few points you can use in your campaign promises. These folks will tell you when to announce them.”
Wasn’t this essentially a plan for Chairman Jin’s people to take over Seoul? The promises weren’t for the mayor but for the benefit of Sunyang Group. They intended to turn him into a complete puppet.
“Father-in-law, I also have people I need to consider, and our party will recommend some candidates as well. Those people…”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle it. They’ll prefer working at Sunyang Group’s headquarters over a city government position.”
Faced with the prospect of Chairman Jin’s people taking key positions in exchange for lucrative salaries, Assemblyman Choi fell silent. Though anger simmered within him, he had to hold back because of the look his wife was giving him.
He knew well that now was the time to comply obediently. The time for retaliation would come once he had power firmly in his grasp.