Chapter 1572. Ardent (2)

“What brings you here?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu frowned deeply while staring at his latest guest. But he quickly undid his frown.

Right. I shouldn’t do that.

He couldn’t help but remember what Kang Jin-Ho had told him earlier; it was his attitude that relentlessly pressured his sons and made things so hard for them in the past.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing, father.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s expression crumpled ever so slightly again. “Then... You came here for a friendly visit?”

“Mm, yes. That’s right.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled hollowly. The person sitting in front of him was none other than Hwang Min-Su, his son. The thing was, he was sensing something he hadn’t sensed before from his son right now.

Hwang Min-Su’s expression was gentle. Relaxed. All the tension he felt whenever he had to deal with his father was no longer visible.

This is the first time I’ve seen him this way.

...And this must’ve been what Hwang Min-Su was usually like.

A corner of Hwang Jeong-Hu’s heart ached painfully when he realized how unfamiliar the sight of his relaxed son was.

“You look good, Min-Su.”

“Oh. Thank you. I’ve been sticking to a healthier diet lately, you see?”

“You even learned how to crack jokes, too?” Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled again.

Looking at his relaxed son made him feel relaxed as well. A strained relationship made things difficult for both sides, after all.

“In any case, what brings you here? So early in the day, too.”

“Does a son need a reason to visit his father’s workplace?”

“Huh? Will you listen to this guy?”

Not only jokes, but he even learned how to tease his own father, too?

“Looks like you’ve grown some balls after getting hired as a president or whatever in MK.”

Hwang Min-Su slowly nodded. “Yes, I won’t deny that.”

“...Mm?”

“Honestly, I’ve been far too timid for far too long, father.”

“Ever since you got kicked out of Jaegyeong?”

“No. Even before that.” Hwang Min-Su grinned bitterly. “I lived that way for so long because I figured I wasn’t good enough. But working for MK and doing things that match my abilities helped me realize something. That everyone has their rightful place. And that by giving your best to this role, you can finally gain the confidence you’ve been lacking for so long.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu scowled in disapproval. “All you did was turn some random cafe franchise into a success story, so why do you act as if you’ve pulled off a monumental feat or something?”

“...! Thank you for recognizing my success, father.”

“H-hmm!”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s face grew flushed after realizing his slip of the tongue. He suddenly realized this was his first time being this flustered while chatting to his son.

“Urgh... Looks like you’re all grown up now.”

“Yes, as far as my age goes, I’m not a youngster anymore.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You are still...”

“Father, you’ve also gotten quite old.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu turned his head in silence to stare at his son. Hwang Min-Su held his father’s gaze.

“...Huh. With how rejuvenated you look, I can’t even get emotional here.”

“Did you lose your mind or something? What are you on about?”

Hwang Min-Su couldn’t help but cackle just then. That was because he was somewhat flabbergasted.

He should’ve felt a tugging at his heartstrings while looking at his father’s aged face, but that was not the emotion he felt after realizing that Hwang Jeong-Hu actually looked younger than before.

“Father, I’m relieved to see that you’re still hale and hearty.”

“That’s right! I’ll still be here for the next ten years, okay! You better look forward to it!”

“Yes, I totally believe you.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu picked up the cup of now-cold coffee in front of him and quenched his thirst, then glanced at his son. “So? You still haven’t told me why you’re really here. I know you wouldn’t have come without a reason.”

Hwang Min-Su nodded. “I heard that you’ve picked our chairman as your successor for Jaegyeong.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Oh? And are you here to complain about it?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Because I’m not giving the company to you?”

“No, father. That’s not it.”

“...Mm?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s eyes opened wider, unable to think of something to say. Even though he had thought of many harsh words for his son on this exact topic!

Hwang Min-Su hurriedly waved his hands. “I know this isn’t something I should tell my own father, but even if you ask me to take over Jaegyeong’s chairman position now, I’ll have to refuse. I mean, why would I accept this position? When it’s basically a poisoned chalice?”

“...What? What do you mean by that?”

“If I do a good job, people will say it’s all thanks to the foundation you had laid out. But if I do a poor job, they will say I’m ruining all the good work you’ve done. Knowing all that, why would I succeed you? I’m not crazy. Besides, the chairman’s salary in Jaegyeong is pretty abysmal, anyway.”

“...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s jaw fell in stupefaction.

“Also, I don’t have to worry about money anymore. I earn quite a lot these days, you see? In fact, I think my annual salary package is better than yours.”

“...Huh. Does Jin-Ho pay you that well?”

“I’m not sure whether he’s shockingly magnanimous or simply lacks good financial sense, but whatever it is, yes, he pays me a lot of money.”

“Right... He hasn’t changed much in that regard, then.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu remembered the sight of Kang Jin-Ho refusing his money all those years ago. Although he was eventually forced into accepting the money, there was no doubt that his response was abnormal, to say the least.

Yeah, that guy is truly incomprehensible.

Hwang Jeong-Hu fake-coughed a little. “Okay, then what? What are you going to complain about?”

“I’m here because I don’t agree with your half-hearted resolve.”

“What are you on about this time?”

“You were thinking of absorbing MK into Jaegyeong, weren’t you?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu clamped his mouth shut.

“Doing so will boost Jaegyeong’s ranking within the business world. And it’d also improve Jaegyeong’s financial situation, too. In various ways, this ‘merger’ would’ve benefited Jaegyeong greatly. I’m sure you didn’t randomly pick this specific timing to raise this topic with our chairman. You were probably thinking of spending the next few years sweet-talking him into accepting the offer, weren’t you? And that’s why you were laying the groundwork.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tutted. “So what? Are you saying I shouldn’t have? The two companies will become one soon enough, anyway.”

“Jaegyeong is too antiquated, father.”

“...”

“Your greatest achievement is creating and building Jaegyeong from literally nothing. But your worst weakness is that you’ve voluntarily tied yourself to this company. Please remember that Jaegyeong isn’t a trophy you can take with you on your journey to the netherworld. No, it’s a source of livelihood for countless employees.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu was at a loss again, but not because his son had bested him in the argument of logic. No, it was because his son was staring straight at him with the kind of unyielding resolve he had never seen until now.

If only you had shown me this side of you sooner...

Hwang Jeong-Hu hesitated for a good few seconds before voicing his thoughts.

“Right. Had you acted like this since the beginning, I would have...”

“No, father.” Hwang Min-Su grinned and stopped his father. “I couldn’t have done this back then. After all, I didn’t even know my place and yet still took on a role that was far too much for me. And I even aimed for something that was way beyond my talent, too. Things sometimes can get a little tricky for me in my current job, but it still feels like I’ve found my place now. And that’s why I’m being candid with you like this.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu didn’t think that was the entire story. Confidence wasn’t enough to transform a person this much. Human beings weren’t that simple, after all.

One thing seemed crystal clear to him now, though; Hwang Jeong-Hu had spent decades trying to mold his sons into suitable successors to his company, but his efforts had only ruined them. However, spending only a few months under Kang Jin-Ho had morphed Hwang Min-Su into this respectable businessman.

But how could that be? What could have been the difference?

Hwang Jeong-Hu quietly asked, “It must be pretty easy-going over there.”

“Yes, you could say that.”

“I’m sure it’s not the work that’s easy-going and stuff. I didn’t raise you that way, after all. Even if you’ve tried to throw away your old habits, you couldn’t have thrown everything away, now have you?”

“You’re right. Even a short break can make me feel antsy, you see? Weirdly enough, I feel most relaxed while I’m working. And how busy I am has no bearing on how I feel about it.”

“Yeah, I get what you’re saying.” Hwang Jeong-Hu chuckled weakly, noticing a certain look on his son’s face. It seemed Hwang Min-Su wanted to say something, only to hold himself back. “Come out and say it, Min-Su.”

“But, father. I...”

“A man should be ready to learn till his dying day, even if the lessons come from my mistakes and faults. Anyone wanting to avoid that doesn’t deserve to be here.”

“...”

“So? What’s the difference between Jin-Ho and me?”

Hwang Min-Su furrowed his brow slightly. “Maybe it’s... Yes, I guess you could say it’s the difference in mindset.”

“Mindset, you say?”

“Yes. Our chairman believes we’re all doing our best. However, if we make the same proposals to you, your opinion will be drastically different. You’d look at us and complain about how sloppy everything is. Because that’s who you are.”

Because that was who Hwang Jeong-Hu was? He was an excellent businessman, and that was why things his sons suggested would never satisfy him. Was that why he always viewed their antics as disappointing?

Hwang Jeong-Hu tried to defend himself. “But that’s because...”

“Yes, I know. It’s not your fault, father.” Hwang Min-Su chuckled gently. “It’s a common story, isn’t it? Children of outstanding athletes unexpectedly aren’t as good as their parents. Or a father who has achieved great things in life only producing wastrels as his offspring. When that story applied to me, everything felt like torture. However, now that I’ve taken a step back, I can see how funny it all was. What was the point of all those struggles, I wonder?”

“...”

“The truth is, yes, I’m much more comfortable now. I do have one wish, though. And that’s for you to stop feeling sorry for us.”

“Feeling sorry? Me?”

“Am I wrong?”

“...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu clamped his mouth shut and chose not to say anything.

Hwang Min-Su closed his eyes. “I didn’t know back then. After reaching my age, though, I finally understood it. When I was young, you didn’t look like a human being to me. You were like a superhuman or a machine who could do anything you set your sights on. But in reality, you were just like every other father who struggled to raise his kids and put food on the table every day.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu’s shoulders sagged suddenly. If someone else had said such things to him, Hwang Jeong-Hu would’ve lost his cool instantly. But Hwang Min-Su had the right to say them. Because he was Hwang Jeong-Hu’s son.

Yes, he’s my son.

Hwang Jeong-Hu was suddenly reminded of that fact. A tiny little brat had grown up in the blink of an eye to become an adult who had the cheek to say all these things to him.

The tips of Hwang Jeong-Hu’s hands trembled imperceptibly.

“If only I had understood you a little better back then, things could have worked in a... better direction. But there’s nothing I can do about the past now. Still, it’s better late than never, don’t you think?

“Our chairman told me this sometime ago. I’m paraphrasing here, but he said that nothing will change even if I cling to what happened in the past. He’s right. I can stew in my regret for as long as I want, but if I lose sight of things that I can do now because of my regrets, won’t that make me the stupidest man alive? That’s why...”

Hwang Min-Su stared at his father and grinned brightly.

“How about we go on a fishing trip sometime?”

“...? Fishing?”

“Yes, fishing.”

“I’ve never fished in my life.”

“Don’t worry, I can teach you.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu scowled deeply. “What’s so great about staring at a fishing rod the whole day while getting baked alive by the sun?! Instead of wasting time like that, I’d rather do lots of other, more productive things!”

“Spending time with your children by going fishing together is important, father.”

“...”

Hwang Min-Su chided his father, but in a gentle tone. “How about taking your grandchildren with us? It doesn’t have to be fishing. Whether it’s hiking or just a long drive... anything will be fine. I want us to do things we weren’t able to do in the past. And do it together.”

Hwang Jeong-Hu ever so slightly grabbed the hem of his clothes just then.

“Don’t you think that will be enough, father?”

Hwang Jeong-Hu tried to say something. His lips parted several times only to clamp shut repeatedly. After a bout of silence, he finally forced himself to speak.

“You’re all grown up, son.”

“Well, I’m old enough to...”

“Yes, you’ve grown up so much.”

“...”

Hwang Jeong-Hu stared into the distance, his gaze softer than before. “I don’t want to go on some random fishing trip with you at this point in my life. I’m not free enough to do that.”

“I... see.”

Hwang Min-Su sighed softly. However, he wasn’t disappointed. Not yet. A first sip of the booze wouldn’t be enough to get anyone drunk, after all.

Didn’t Kang Jin-Ho teach him that the important thing was to set a target and to diligently tackle it with all he had?

“However...!”

It seemed Hwang Jeong-Hu had more to say.

“That story will change if we’re talking about my grandkids. Bring them around. I might have failed as a father, but I still want to give it a shot at being a grandfather to them. If they want to go somewhere... Well, we’ll have to humor them, no?”

“You think so? But they love fishing...?”

“Huh?! How did you raise your kids that they ended up loving fishing of all things, you dummy?!”

Hwang Jeong-Hu yelled in annoyance. Hwang Min-Su started guffawing instead, however.

A son who was laughing jovially away, and a father with a flushed face, stared at each other, unable to look away.

That was when a single teardrop pooled in the corner of Hwang Min-Su’s eyes.

And it was so easy, too...

They had to take a long way around to get here. And it had been far, far too long.