Originally, we canceled our lunch plans and changed the schedule to have dinner with Seo-ha’s family, heading towards her family home.
As my hands gripped the steering wheel absentmindedly, I could feel them trembling slightly.
Just thinking about meeting the chairman was nerve-wracking enough, but knowing that Seo-ha’s entire family would be gathered made it impossible not to be nervous.
“Uju, you okay? Maybe it would be better to meet later…”
“I’m fine. I’d feel bad canceling the appointment that I made with such effort.”
“Still…”
Seo-ha, noticing my expression, suggested changing the plans out of concern, but I firmly shook my head each time.
Of course, things had escalated beyond expectations, but ultimately, it was an experience I’d have to go through someday. Rather, I thought of it as a chance to meet her family and greet them properly; I could consider this a blessing in disguise.
The anxiety I felt was just worry about my own inadequacies, but the thought of meeting her family didn’t concern me much at all.
In fact, Seo-ha even assured me that her family wasn’t that picky, so there was no need to worry.
Though she might have said that to reassure me, I didn’t think Seo-ha was the type to make empty promises.
“By the way, I’m worried that the gift I prepared is too modest. I hope it will be okay…”
“Don’t worry. Our parents aren’t the type to fuss over those things. In fact, they’ll be happy that their future son-in-law brought a drink that suits their taste.”
“That’s a relief.”
After all, trying to impress the chairman of the Changseong Group and his family with extravagant gifts would be foolish. It might be better to show my sincerity instead.
– You have arrived at your destination.
With mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement, the car soon arrived in front of Seo-ha’s family home.
“I’ll take care of the bags, Seo-ha.”
“Okay, thank you.”
As I got out of the car and grabbed the bag from the trunk, we approached the front gate.
“…Wow.”
A quiet admiration escaped my lips as I beheld the overwhelmingly magnificent house—or rather, mansion—visible beyond the bars.
Is that a house? It looks like a palace. I can’t even count how many windows are visible from the outside. It’s hard to fathom.
“Welcome, Miss.”
As I approached Seo-ha, holding the bag, a robust man appeared, opening a small iron gate next to the entrance. He looked like someone straight out of a UFC fight, making me blink in surprise.
“Oh, Director Choi. It’s been a while. I’m sorry I haven’t visited often.”
“Well, we’re fine, but the chairman and madam have been quite disappointed. Please visit more often.”
“I will, for sure. By the way…”
Seeing us engage in friendly conversation, Seo-ha, who seemed quite familiar with him, smiled and then discreetly stepped back to stand beside me.
“This is someone you haven’t met before? This is my boyfriend, Kang Woo-joo. Please greet him.”
“Oh, so that’s who it is! It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Choi Jeong-sik, the head of Security Team 2 at Changseong Group.”
As the towering man bowed deeply, his sheer presence was visually striking, making me feel as if I were encountering a successor of a dark organization.
“I’m Kang Woo-joo. But really, you don’t need to be so formal…”
“Haha, how could I? I’ve served the Changseong Group for 17 years. Please take good care of the young lady.”
It seemed that Seo-ha was more like a niece than just a client to him, suggesting a relationship similar to that of an affectionate uncle and a nephew. He seemed to have a great heart.
“Don’t worry about that. Just rest assured.”
Confidently shaking his hand in response, the bodyguard, who seemed a bit surprised, smiled appreciatively and opened the door for us.
At last, the courtyard and the true appearance of the mansion, which had only been visible through the bars, were revealed.
I felt as though I had passed a first-stage trial from a cartoon.
“Let’s go in, Woo-joo. After dinner, I’ll show you around the house.”
“Oh, that sounds great!”
For someone who was curious about how the inside was structured, this was delightful news. The problem was whether there would be time after dinner, but that was something to think about then.
Ding-dong.
As Seo-ha approached the front door and rang the doorbell, a cheerful sound echoed, and I sensed someone coming from inside.
Click.
“Oh my, welcome! It’s been so hard to see our daughter’s face, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, I’m sorry for visiting so late, Mother.”
The middle-aged woman who opened the door seemed to be Seo-ha’s mother, and as they exchanged smiles and greetings, she spotted me standing awkwardly in the back and her eyes lit up.
“Is that our daughter’s boyfriend? Nice to meet you. I’m Seo-ha’s mother.”
“P-pleased to meet you. I’m Kang Woo-joo.”
“Hehe, don’t be so stiff. Come on in. Dinner is already prepared.”
As I bowed at 90 degrees, her smile mirrored Seo-ha’s as she welcomed us inside.
I followed them inside, my neck craned as I took in the grandeur of the mansion.
Then, I spotted people gathered on the large sofa in the living room.
Among them, a middle-aged man exuding an unusual aura noticed us and began walking over.
He approached me directly, leaving Seo-ha behind, and extended his hand while speaking.
“Welcome, Kang Woo-joo. I’m Seo-ha’s father.”
That’s right. This was Chairman Ryu Tae-jin, the owner of the Changseong Group and Seo-ha’s father.
“Ah, hello. I’m Kang Woo-joo. I truly appreciate your invitation today.”
“There’s no need to be so formal. I just wanted to see my daughter’s boyfriend’s face.”
“Yes. But, Chairman, please feel free to speak casually…”
I hesitated to call him father or father-in-law, thinking it might be rude, so I carefully suggested that he use a more relaxed term.
The chairman regarded me with a neutral expression, letting out a small “Hmm,” before nodding as if he understood.
“If you find it comfortable, we can proceed that way. Go greet the others.”
“Yes.”
Glancing at Seo-ha, who seemed to be receiving greetings from the chairman, I turned my gaze towards the others standing behind me.
The tall man standing in front was likely her brother, and the woman on the right must be her grandmother.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Woo-joo.”
“…….”
Since I was technically lower in status, I approached first and bowed, but her brother scrutinized me with half-closed eyes without saying much.
Uh… did I do something inappropriate?
The brief moment of silence felt agonizingly long. Unsure of what led to this, I considered whether I should apologize right away when suddenly—
“Hey, nice to meet you, brother-in-law! I’m Ryu Do-hoon, Seo-ha’s older brother. Thanks for coming despite your busy schedule!”
“Ah… yes, yes. I appreciate it…”
The previous tension dissolved in an instant as Seo-ha’s cheerful brother’s joyful greeting left me momentarily dazed.
Come to think of it, Seo-ha had once mentioned that her brother was bright like their mother, and she envied that quality.
But this was beyond bright—his aura was practically radiant. I thought I might have never encountered such high social skills in my life.
“Ugh, Do-hoon. At your age, speaking informally to someone you just met?”
Meanwhile, noticing her son’s behavior, Seo-ha’s grandmother clicked her tongue, evidently unimpressed by his casual familiarity with a newcomer.
But the subsequent response from Seo-ha’s brother was priceless.
“Come on, Grandma. He’ll understand this much, right, brother-in-law?”
“Uh, uh, of course. You can ignore that.”
Suddenly throwing an arm around my shoulders in a move that sent an SOS signal, I was left frozen, merely nodding along.
Seeing this, the grandmother shook her head disapprovingly at her grandson before turning to me.
“I’m Seo-ha’s grandmother. I’ll apologize on behalf of my rude grandson. He’s been singing praises about wanting to meet his sister’s boyfriend before meeting you.”
“Ah, no need. Hahaha…”
Grasping the hand extended by her grandmother, I felt reassured as she smiled and nodded. It seemed my first impression wasn’t too bad after all.
“Now that the greetings are done, let’s have dinner and chat.”
“Sounds good. Otherwise, the food will get cold.”
In the midst of exchanging greetings under kind gazes, the chairman and madam led us toward the kitchen.
“Woo-joo, since I’m here, don’t worry.”
As I moved slowly, still burdened by the weight of formality, Seo-ha approached me, winked, and held my hand, relieving some of my tension.
Yeah.
Now the real beginning starts.
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