"Oh, I really didn't expect to meet you here."
Samuel Gardner, a middle-aged Westerner, couldn't hide his surprise when he saw Kang Hyun. He had visited several Asian countries on his travels, but this was his first time in Korea. The young gentleman was the only one who extended a helping hand to him in a foreign land he had first arrived in. Who would have thought he would meet the boy again at a banquet where only the wealthy families gathered?
"Mr. Gardner?"
I told him the middle-aged man's name without forgetting it.
"You remember my name. Do you know how much I regretted not asking the young gentleman for his phone number?"
"No. I just did what I had to do."
As the two people chatted happily, everyone around them focused their attention. That was because Kang Hyun's English pronunciation was not ordinary. Kang Hyun, who had studied law and was called a monopoly in his past life. How could it be different if it was a foreign language? His pronunciation, which was no less than that of a native speaker, was the result of hard work. The conversation with Samuel continued for quite some time after that. How much time had passed?
"Oh, Mr. Son. Excuse me. I guess I was just too excited to meet the young gentleman."
Samuel Gardner bowed his head politely, realizing that he had made a mistake. However, Son Il-seon shook his head as if it was okay, and Chairman Wang did the same. In fact, he even smiled with satisfaction after hearing the story between Samuel and Kang Hyeon.
"Chairman Yoo, you really did a good job raising your grandson. Isn't his pronunciation of foreign languages much better than that of my own children who studied abroad? If I close my eyes and listen, I can't tell if he's a Westerner or an Asian."
A look of surprise flashed across Grandfather's face. I had heard a little bit about it from Reporter Kim last time, but I didn't know he could speak English so well. Grandfather stroked my head with a surprised expression and said,
"Hyun-ah, I have something to talk about with the adults for a moment, so go play with your friends."
Friends?
Ah, you must be talking about the third generation of conglomerates.
"I will guide you."
Before I knew it, the manager had come up to me. Samuel Gardner still had a smiling face, but Son Il-sun's gaze stood out more. I've seen that look before. It was Son Il-sun's unique gaze. The kind of gaze he gives off when he sees a talent he wants.
'Wake up, I'll work under you in this life.'
I bowed my head politely to my grandfather and Chairman Wang and followed the manager. Now that I think about it, I haven't heard about Samuel. Who on earth is he to be invited to a banquet where three generations of the chaebol are gathered? He seemed to be quite close with Son Il-seon.
As questions continued to swirl around in my head.
"They all came."
The manager himself opened the jewel-encrusted doorknob.
her.
It would be right to say that it was a banquet hall within a banquet hall. The only differences from the outside were that the hotel staff were carrying glasses containing fruit drinks instead of wine glasses, and the age of those enjoying the banquet had decreased significantly. After finishing his guidance, the manager politely turned around.
So many eyes were pouring in that it was almost stinging. They were all third generation members of companies whose names were well-known. The young guys were already forming factions and building connections, perhaps learning from the adults. They probably thought they were imitating adults, but to me, they looked ridiculous. What's more, more than half of them ended up losing their names in the future.
"Brother!"
At that moment, a familiar voice pierced my ear.
uh?
Son Yu-ha was wearing a white dress. I also wore a suit and a bow tie, so I was well-dressed, but not like Son Yu-ha. She was full of guilt, like an actress going up to an awards ceremony. But hearing the Ice Queen call me oppa, even though it was in the past, her face came to mind and my hair stood on end.
"I missed you!"
Son Yu-ha approached me with a smile. Thinking back to the past life when she was called the Ice Queen, CEO Son Yu-ha of Jeil Trading Company, I felt an indescribable sense of dissonance, but what can I do? She is just an 11-year-old girl now. Anyway.
'That's unexpected.'
A banquet where three generations of the chaebol gather.
To be exact, it was a gathering where only those who were recognized as successors from the conglomerate family could attend. It was a well-known fact that Jeil Electronics President Son Il-seon was trusted by Chairman Wang, but Son Yu-ha was unexpected. Chairman Wang had three sons and two daughters, and he already had enough grandchildren to fill all ten fingers.
'I've killed all my grandchildren and now my granddaughter is coming.'
In this respect, Chairman Wang differed from his grandfather in terms of temperament. He was strict about survival of the fittest, not about primogeniture. Isn't this what has allowed Jeil Group to firmly maintain its position as the number one business group?
* * *
'Wow, where the hell am I?'
Park Seon-yeong was holding back her heart from thumping uncontrollably. While she was giving violin lessons to the granddaughter of a wealthy family, an unexpected offer came flying in. It was a proposal to play a concerto with Son Yu-ha at a banquet. There were many people who could play the piano for the accompaniment, but Yu-ha insisted that it had to be Park Seon-yeong, which was problematic.
Although it was only one performance, Payne's performance was beyond imagination.
Park Sun-young had no reason to refuse. She majored in violin, but her piano skills were also top-notch. No matter how talented Son Yu-ha was, she still lacked experience, so I thought she could easily cover for it if I persuaded her well.
However.
'That guy is the former chairman of Daehan Steel.'
I thought it was just an ordinary family gathering. Of course, I couldn't attend the gathering, but the people I saw through the crack in the employee waiting room door were all extraordinary people. Even people who weren't interested in the business world would have seen their faces on the nine o'clock news or in newspaper articles at least once.
Gulp.
Only then did Park Seon-yeong realize where she was. Her heart was beating so fast that it didn't subside even after taking Woohwangcheongsimhwan. It would have been better if Son Yu-ha had been there. Whenever she insisted that Park Seon-yeong had to play the piano accompaniment, she never showed her face.
"Brother, teach me the violin!"
I raised my head at the voice of Son Yu-ha asking me to teach him how to play the violin. I had been sitting on the chair, sipping orange juice since a while ago. I had no intention of becoming friends with the third generation of the conglomerates here. Furthermore, they did not approach me easily. It must have been because of Son Yu-ha of Jeil Group. Son Yu-ha was rough with the third generation of the conglomerates, as his nickname later suggested, but strangely, he did not seem to act that way toward me.
"Yuha, you already have a teacher, right?"
He is the third generation of the Jeil Group, which is called the conglomerate among conglomerates. Even if it is just a social hobby, he must have had an outstanding music teacher, so why is he doing this to me?
"No. Even you, sir, can't summon winter like my brother."
"winter?"
"Yeah, when you play, it really feels like winter."
What are you talking about?
The other day, when I played in front of Son Yu-ha, I was so immersed that I couldn't remember it well. But to say that I brought out winter? I'm not a magician, but the child's imagination is truly amazing. By the way, the orange juice from my grandfather's house was also very delicious, but this is even better.
* * *
"Hyun-ah, have you made a lot of friends?"
Grandpa asked with a friendly smile. I was friends with the third generation of the conglomerates, but I never thought of becoming close to them. It was a position I had longed for and hoped for all my life, but I felt awkward, like I was wearing clothes that didn't fit. Still, I answered yes to Grandpa's question and lowered my head. It's not a lie, because I ended up becoming close to Son Yu-ha.
"Yes, the people in this place will be needed one day. So be friendly with everyone. However, it is good to distinguish between those who need you and those who need you."
That's not wrong. In modern society, connections are more essential than anything else. By the way, why does my grandfather keep telling me this? Does he really think of me as his successor? Oh my, there's a wary look on my uncle's face.
"Okay, then let's go get some dinner."
It was the time when the so-called adults' conversation ended. The third generation of the conglomerates who had gathered in another space gathered in the original banquet hall. It was about time for dinner to begin, and coincidentally, the table that my grandfather and I sat at was with Chairman Wang and his party.
I bowed to Chairman Wang and sat down, but Son Il-seon continued to stare at me. The same goes for Samuel Gardner, who was sitting next to him. My uncle immediately wiped away his wary expression and tried to maintain a gentle expression. But.
'I can't see Yuha?'
Son Yu-ha, who should have been sitting with Chairman Wang, was nowhere to be seen.
"Chairman Yoo, our granddaughter will play a piece before the meal. She has recently become interested in playing the violin. She takes after her mother, so her skills are quite outstanding."
From Chairman Wang's boastful words, it was possible to infer Son Yu-ha's whereabouts. A luxurious-looking piano had already been moved to the stage at the very front of the banquet hall.
Let's all take our seats.
Thump.
Son Yu-ha and Park Sun-young walked out. Son Yu-ha was holding a violin that was just the right height for her, and with the addition of her pure white dress, she really looked like she had gone to a competition. However, the pianist who came out with her was noticeably nervous. Of course, it was understandable since they were not ordinary audience members but people who were in control of the Korean business world.
The gray-haired manager took the place of the host, and his reserved appearance made one feel as if one was looking at a music salon from 19th-century Europe.
'Your skills have improved quite a bit.'
The posture of holding the violin, the technique, and even the bowing. His skills have improved so much that it can be described as a rapid progress. It seems that he has now surpassed the level of learning it as a social hobby. He played two concertos in a row, and the last piece was Vivaldi's Four Seasons Winter, 3rd movement. The faces of the people attending the banquet changed as he played with all his heart.
'I thought it was just a simple show of wit.'
Who is Son Yu-ha? She is the granddaughter of Chairman Wang of Jeil Group. Moreover, she attended the gathering of the three generations of the conglomerate with confidence as the third generation. She must be coveted as a prospective daughter-in-law by people all over the table. Furthermore, who knew she could play the violin so well?
"You are truly amazing, Chairman Son."
Grandfather quietly admired Son Yu-ha's performance. When the performance was over, Chairman Wang's face was filled with a smile. He thought how proud he was that his lovely granddaughter played the violin so well. Son Il-seon was no different. Come to think of it, no matter how much you have conquered the world, praising your children is the most important thing.
After finishing his performance, Son Yu-ha bowed his head to the people on stage, looking like a violinist who had just finished a recital. There must be quite a few third-generation chaebol kids who are captivated by Son Yu-ha today.
"You did very well, Yuha."
As soon as Son Yu-ha arrived at the table where Chairman Wang was sitting, she was showered with compliments. However, her gaze was directed at none other than me. The question, 'Why is he doing this again?' began to creep into my mind.
"It's your turn, oppa!"
huh?
What is this? It's not like the sound of a gong being knocked on while I'm sleeping, and it's my turn all of a sudden. Chairman Wang looked at me and Son Yu-ha alternately with a puzzled look.
"Yuha, what are you talking about?"
When Chairman Wang couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked, Son Yu-ha opened her cherry-like lips without taking her eyes off me.
"They say Hyun-i oppa is really good at playing the violin."
As Son Yu-ha spouted off her words without any order, not only Chairman Wang, but also her grandfather, Son Il-seon, and even Samuel Gardner, who didn't understand Korean, looked at me. What on earth is this helpless little lady saying now?