12 Hours After

Translator: Khan

Editor: Aelryinth

“Well, so… in your opinion, it’s better to go with this person than an outsider?”

“Yes, we don’t have enough veterans because it’s only been ten years since the Internet broadcasting business was created. It’s hard to say that it’s been verified, even if we hire a person from another company. So even if someone comes, it’s hard to say that it’s a sure thing. If you pick Kim Jung-kyun, you’ll at least feel secure.”

Kim Jung-kyun was the one who had come and stuck to me when the position of Ahn Yong-kyun had been shaken. But I couldn’t pick him for being good at flattering. Ahn Yong-kyun had used to crawl in front of me like a dog.

I nodded for now. “Well, then I’ll search for him… no, I’ll think about him and let you know as soon as possible.”

“Yes, boss. And about the acquisition of Jiwoo Entertainment?”

“Yes?”

“The price has been agreed upon at the price we talked about. On the Chinese side, it seems like they need something to show to the Communist Party, rather than the amount. So I think I can carry it at a low price.”

“It’s good.”

“This side needs a new CEO, too. The Chinese CEO will go back to China as soon as the investment is over.”

“Let President Kwon have an additional position, or have one of the OH Entertainment directors be the president and give him a promotion.”

“Yes, then I’ll do that, boss.”

“Yes.”

After lowering his head, Vice President Jang left the president’s office. I folded my fingers over my head, then breathed a sigh and muttered, “There’s no end to this. It’s endless.”

In September, after the incident of Director Tak Joon-gi had finished, I had thought I could relax a little, but instead I had been busier than usual. I saw the calendar on the desktop. If what was stored in a cell phone was a secret treasure trove, this was my true schedule. Other than the “Blue E&M’s new CEO appointment ceremony” and “Jiwoo Entertainment’s merger and acquisition,” which had been discussed just now, the entire schedule was set in succession. The next schedule was ‘IPO Institutional Investment Briefing of Lee Won-jae.’ However, the name was not properly written.

‘What was the name of the company?’ I couldn’t remember it very well, but I had to go. This was a promise. CEO Lee Won-jae had sided with me in an important match-up, so I would go out and give him an investment commitment. The reputation of me and Invictus Investment had increased in the investment world these days, and they would have the potential to get a good price just by showing off my face. If someone did me a good thing, I would pay him back. It was about keeping my trust.

‘Ah, I’d like to take a break… but I’ll have to go to this one.’

But then, the phone rang. I answered the phone.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“I got a call from MBE. They’re asking if you can make another appearance in ‘Meet the Super Ant.'”

“Ah… that?”

“Yes.”

Come to think of it, I remember having a fight with a male announcer in the past.

“I’ll think about it if it’s over one billion dollars.

“Oh really? One billion dollars? Hahaha, if that happens, I will invest first.”

One billion dollars. A few days ago, my assets were at that level, because the value of my Kai Games’ stake had grown. I wanted to go out and press his nose. ‘Look, it took less than a year, didn’t it?’

“You first appeared in the new year… It’s been just eight months. You go out in front of the camera again. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to show off that you made a breakthrough.”

“Yes… when is that?”

“It will be filmed on the first Wednesday of next month. It will be aired on the last Thursday of next month.”

“… yes. I’ll do it.” The schedule had increased by one more.

“Yes, boss. I’ll tell that to the television producer.”

“Yes.”

In the early days of investing, there had not been much to do. There was a lot to do these days because of the increasing number of subsidiaries and our reputation. Even leaving miscellaneous affairs to Vice President Jang as usual, it would be difficult to make hundreds of thousand dollars by clicking a few times at home without going to work. It wasn’t a good thing to do.

————————–

September fifteenth, 8:55 p.m., I sat on the couch watching television without getting an email today. The emails had killed Tak Joon-gi, but it wasn’t something to regret about.

“BKS Nine o’clock news.”

I looked at the familiar logo. My chest was supporting a pale face with long hair. I asked, stroking the long straight hair from top to bottom, “It sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

Ah-young, who was in my arms, looked up at me and said, “You have to come out well.”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Originally, the nine o’clock news wasn’t something for couples to watch, but there was something special to watch for today, Ah-young’s interview.

A day before, Ah-young called me. “Oppa, I got an interview request from a broadcasting station. Shall I go?”

“Interview? Where?”

“BKS. It’s the nine o’clock news.”

“Oh, really? Is this about your father?”

“Yes, they wanted to ask me how I felt at the time.”

The re-examination of Go-young Food was quickly over, as the information Crow had brought was so accurate. Police conducted a reinvestigation based on the information, and the innocence of Go-young Food and President Lee Kang-san was quickly revealed.

“It wouldn’t be bad to go out and talk about it. You wanted to get your parents’ honor back. BKS nine o’clock news is public television’s main news. Don’t you think a lot of people all over the country will see you there? I think it’s a good opportunity.”

Ah-young listened to me and thought for a moment, “Yes… I do. Okay, I’ll do it, oppa.”

She had decided to do it. The result was what was coming out today, now.

“Here’s the next news: the controversy over the delivery of food and garbage food of Go-young Food, which made the world buzz four years ago. But it turns out it was actually a victim of stock manipulation. Oh Jae-min has covered it.”

I was excited to see it. “Oh, yes.”

Ah-young covered her face with shame. “What do I do?”

Ah-young’s interview scene was inserted around the middle of the news clip. “It’s a good thing the truth has come to light right now. I hope it doesn’t happen in the future.”

About fifteen seconds, it was a short interview, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it. My girlfriend on TV was so pretty. I looked down at her face, ignoring the television. But she wasn’t turning her head towards me at all.

“Why don’t you look at it?”

“I can’t see. How’s it going? Did it come out well?”

I smiled instead of answering. It was very unrealistic of me to think that the beauty on television was buried in my arms. I told her, “You’re good. You’re prettier than an announcer.”

Although she didn’t see herself because she was so embarrassed, Ah-young said, “Most of all… people should have seen it…”

————

Her wish became a reality, more intense than expected. The next day, there was a commotion on the Internet because of Ah-young, who was called ‘The Go-young Food Daughter’ or ‘The Manipulation Interview Girl.’ The TV clip which was seen most again was Go-young Food news. It was a strange phenomenon that the nine o’clock news overtook other entertainment programs to top the list of views. I’d watched it several times, too. “I’m glad the truth is revealed now. I hope it doesn’t happen in the future…”

There was a commotion when I saw the comments.

– Wow, the real goddess, the goddess.-

– This is nine o’clock news? Not a drama? That’s a normal person? Not a celebrity?-

– I think she can slap a female celebrity on the cheek with her beauty.-

– Let’s stop interviewing and do acting.-

– Go-young Food? Where is it? I’ll eat all three meals with it in the future.-

There were some comments saying, ‘Have you seen the news?’ but happily, many people had found out that Ah-young’s parents were innocent.

‘Good for her.’ I scrolled down, thinking about it. By the way, those comments were noticeable.

– Wow, goddess, let’s be mine, Ah-young.-

– Don’t talk bullshit. She’s already my girlfriend.-

“These bastards…”

When I used to do mergers and acquisitions and sell-offs, I’d received countless bad comments.

‘Who is Han Sang-hoon?’

‘The bastard’s buying this?’

‘You son of a bitch! Take out your short stock sale.’]

However, even more than those, these comments were worse. It didn’t seem like it was very pleasant to have a girlfriend on and off the Internet.

———

On September twentieth, I visited a mausoleum where Ah-young’s parents were buried. I didn’t want to, but she asked me to come with her. If I thought about it, it was less burdensome than in visiting her living parents. While she burned incense and prayed, I also joined my hands by her and prayed silently, ‘I’ve avenged. Please watch your daughter from heaven and protect her.’

After that, I went out of the place with her in my arms. Suddenly, she asked me, “What did you pray for?”

“There’s nothing to say to dead people. I told them to get along well in heaven and take good care of their daughter.”

“Umm… really?”

I nodded. Then Ah-young said, “I told my parents that the man next to me is my boyfriend and… I told them he is the one who avenged them, and he’s a grateful person.”

I did not tell her I was the one who sent off Tak Joon-gi, but she seemed to know it intuitively. At the time of Bisang Construction, it was she who had come to visit and asked what was going on.

I didn’t tell her I did it, but she knew it. She didn’t ask me outright, either. If we fully understood each other, we didn’t have to say it.

‘You knew about it, too.’ By the way, I thought of it, but she added a word, “And I also told my mom and dad, ‘Maybe… I don’t know yet.'”

“About what?”

She tapped me in the chest with her slender arms. “About what?”

The only word that came to mind was ‘marriage,’ which she seemed to be thinking about already, even if we had been together for a while. I didn’t force myself to say the word. This, too, should be something we should think about, but not talk about for a while.

————

September went on and on, and it was finally September twenty-eighth. At last, the day came. In my busy September schedule, it was a special day. It was the day Crow would report, the day to solve the mystery. I booked the most expensive room in the deluxe hotel buffet and waited for him.

‘I’m good at eating anything.’ For someone who answered like that, I didn’t know what he would like, so I prepared everything. It was a response to his words.

At the appointment time, Crow appeared before me, “Hello, sir.”

I greeted him more warmly than ever, “Welcome, Crow.”

He was holding a large envelope at his waist. I looked at it and he held it out to me.