The Stray Cat
"Hmm."
"What, not interested?"
"Yeah. Still not interested. It's boring and tedious."
Only after Jae-eon crushed out his cigarette did Hee-eon slow his pace. As he closed the distance to Sa Jae-eon, Hee-eon kept replaying a single line the woman had said.
More precisely, your grandfather.
He'd called it boring to Jae-eon, but honestly, he wasn't sure. Boring, or just irritating.
What he was certain of was that her look—like a frightened mouse, yet trying to outdo him—was thoroughly ridiculous.
He cast his gaze sideways downward, watching the annex recede behind them. Then Sa Jae-eon suddenly appeared in his field of vision, blocking it entirely. Their heights were similar, so their eyes met abruptly.
"Your expression is weird, kid."
At Jae-eon's remark, Hee-eon clicked his tongue briefly and lengthened his stride. Jae-eon quickly caught up and flicked his cigarette away. The red ember landed on the snow and turned to ash almost instantly.
"Be honest with me. You went over there to find out what kind of woman she is, right? She's not some bar hostess, and the chairman doesn't like those kinds of places either."
"A stray cat."
One who'd come to pick the old man's pocket.
Thinking of the woman's attitude, Hee-eon nearly let out a hollow laugh again. He climbed the stairs quickly and opened the workshop door. To his surprise, a cool chill greeted them both.
Jae-eon followed him into the exhibition room, opened a cabinet in one corner, and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. Two glasses. For snacks, there was only a pack of disposable cheese and a pack of olives.
But that was enough.
This place wasn't meant for people. The temperature, lighting, and humidity were all calibrated for the ceramics. Having alcohol here at all was more than they could ask for.
"Once Kyo-eon lands, he'll probably come looking for that woman first."
Jae-eon checked the whiskey label as he asked.
"It's going to get noisy."
"With Kyo-eon's personality, he'll probably try to go after her himself."
"I suppose so."
"You know what happened with your grandfather, right? You do, don't you?"
Jae-eon plopped onto the sofa and popped the cap off the whiskey bottle. He poured himself a drink without hesitation and swallowed it like water. The harsh, bitter heat spread through his esophagus in a rush.
Hee-eon, seated across from him, accepted the glass Jae-eon offered.
Something between the two of them…
"It's a bit revolting."
He didn't mean the whiskey tasted bad.
He'd just imagined the woman clinging to his grandfather in his parents' bedroom. More precisely, the grotesque image of a young, youthful woman pressed against an old man's skin spotted with age.
The woman in the annex had finished her meal with a thoroughly exhausted expression. Her face was pale, her lips red, and her eyes held a desperation bordering on defiance. And yet she'd still pretended to be tough.
That's why it was boring. Too obvious. If she'd at least overturned a table, maybe it would've been a little more interesting.
What was clear, however, was intent. The woman had an agenda, and it pointed directly at Sa Jae-cheol himself.
What was she, exactly? Really the chairman's mistress, or someone else entirely?
"Starting tomorrow, I'll be spending time with that woman alone. You think that's okay? Judging by how far she's come… she doesn't seem to have much left to lose."
As expected, Sa Jae-eon was quick to assess. Hee-eon gave a slight nod. He'd been thinking the same thing.
If someone had a lot to lose, they wouldn't drag themselves into this hell willingly.
"I told you. It's just some obvious cliché. Don't worry about it."
"The timing's terrible. Of all times, right now."
"His birthday's coming up soon."
"And there's talk about putting Kim Ui-jae in the secretary position. Though it's not official yet."
"Lawyer Kim's getting a sudden promotion?"
For roughly the past five years, Sa Jae-cheol had revised his will once a year. He'd draw red lines through the original and make corrections. Without that process, the will held no legal effect.
Naturally, the only person who knew the will's contents was the chairman's secretary. And once Sa Jae-cheol's death was confirmed, it would be the secretary who read the will aloud.
The time for a new will was approaching, and Kim Ui-jae would soon hold a rather powerful weapon in his hands—one of the few that could be wielded against the Sahwa bloodline.
"Hee-eon-ah."
Hee-eon, who had been staring blankly out the window, turned his head toward Jae-eon. Jae-eon pressed his lower lip and narrowed his eyes.
"That woman… she looks a bit like Yoon Jun-hee."
The whiskey that had just wet his throat made the tip of his nose burn. His eyes distorted.
"What are you talking about?"
"Quite a bit. Well, the atmosphere is different, but that particular… I don't know how to put it. That swaying quality, maybe?"
"So?"
"I'm curious about her real reason for sneaking all the way here. She knows where this is. If she just needed money, she'd be better off taking a big score and leaving. Who knows? Maybe she's hiding something, like Yoon Jun-hee did."
Hee-eon let out a short laugh.
It was an extremely blatant expression of his thoughts. Every word carried sincerity, which only made it more pathetic. Uncharacteristically desperate speculation for Sa Jae-eon.
"Go after that woman before Kyo-eon does. Let's make a bet—see who finds out first why she snuck in here."
The next day, Yeon-jae woke up not on a soft bed but slumped in a chair at the vanity. She stretched out like a cat, and her stiff body popped and cracked.
"Ha… what a self-inflicted hardship."
The reason she hadn't used the bed last night was Sa Hee-eon's words.
Thinking that this was where he lived, and that bed had been used by someone else, a strong sense of aversion had risen in her. Naturally, she hadn't wanted to lie down there either…
Thanks to that, her entire body ached and there wasn't a single spot that didn't hurt. On top of that, her dreams had been restless, and she wasn't even sure she'd actually fallen asleep.
Should she have just asked them to bring a separate blanket?
She finished washing up in the bathroom with a body as stiff as a corpse and opened the bedroom door. The savory smell of sesame oil and clattering sounds made her senses prick up.
"Oh my, you're up? Have your meal first."
Contrary to her tension, the voice that came through was a middle-aged woman's warm tone. A short middle-aged woman suddenly appeared from the kitchen, greeting her with a bright smile.
"Ah, um…"
As she stammered, an unpleasant voice followed from the reception room sofa.
"This is the person who'll be taking care of the annex from today. Eat your meal, Jeong Yeon-jae."
Why the hell was that bastard clocking in here?
Kim Ui-jae, dressed in the same neat, clean suit as yesterday, sat on the sofa scrolling through a tablet.
She couldn't hide her hostility toward the uninvited guest. Glaring at him, she turned and headed into the kitchen. Straight ahead hung a large picture of a moon jar, and on the dining table sat a full set of seaweed soup, simmered to perfection.
"I'll eat well, thank you, ma'am."
"I made pot rice on purpose today. I set out only easy-to-digest dishes, so please eat comfortably."
"Um, if you haven't eaten yet…"
"Oh, I already ate. Would it be okay if I cleaned the bedroom now?"
"Ah, yes. Go ahead."
"Then, enjoy your meal."
The woman smiled warmly, set barley tea in front of Yeon-jae, and grabbed the vacuum cleaner before opening the bedroom door. Even then, Kim Ui-jae didn't take his eyes off his tablet, calmly sipping his coffee.
Then, perhaps sensing her gaze, he spoke with a mocking tone.
"I won't bother you while you eat, so go ahead and sit down."
"Are you afraid of my shit? It's just the smell that bothers me. But why are you here in the morning?"
"To inspect Jeong Yeon-jae's phone."
Kim Ui-jae leaned the back of his head against the sofa and rolled his eyes toward her. She held up the phone she was gripping.
"Give you this?"
The man, who had been staring at her as if challenging her to a staring contest, shook his head and tapped his tablet.
At Yeon-jae's obvious glare, Kim Ui-jae straightened his posture and asked in an unusually calm tone.
"You don't have to. I have everything here. Let's see… our team leader has been diligently sending messages, and even checked in on acquaintances. But who came here yesterday?"