Chapter 133
Chairman Han Jun-ho was flustered.
He seemed to think he'd misheard me.
"Ha, hahaha. Hold on. You're really close to a Saudi prince?"
"Yes. I can even call him. Shall I?"
He hesitated, then shook his head.
It seemed there was no need to contact the prince right now.
"If we can reliably secure the Saudi project, there's no need to associate with people in power."
He probably said so because it could lead to unnecessary talk.
But not now—later.
If it was after securing the project, the matter would be different, so he cautiously asked me to connect them then.
"Huh. I feel like I'm indebted to you far too much."
"Oh, it's just introducing you to one person."
"That's the problem—it happens to be a Saudi prince..."
But that was as far as it went.
Chairman Han stopped being flustered and gave a wry chuckle.
"Since you've been helping Saseong's development this much, I can't just sit by and do nothing."
Having said that, he spoke confidently.
"Come work for Saseong. We'll give you an official position..."
"Ah. I'll have to decline that."
"What?"
"I'm not the type to be tied down."
Dowon-il, who was standing beside us, smiled crookedly.
Chairman Han frowned deeply when he saw that, but he didn't press the matter any further.
"Tsk. What a shame."
"Well, I'd still like to remain close to you, Father."
"That's only natural. Oh, come to think of it, Yu-na mentioned that you like fishing?"
"When I was at the orphanage, the director took me a few times."
I took to it from then on.
"Sea fishing? Or..."
"Anything is fine."
"Then can you make some time next week? Let's go fishing together."
"Sounds good. But is it really all right for you to go fishing, Chairman?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
He cocked his head.
Then he took out his phone and held it out.
His phone showed fish he'd caught himself.
"This is a red sea bream I caught last time."
"Oh... That's nearly two feet long, isn't it?"
"Heh heh. Right? It's huge, isn't it? I wrestled with it for almost forty minutes."
That wasn't all.
He was serious about fishing—he even owned a boat.
"I even have a boat in Alaska."
"Why do you have one in Alaska...?"
"I once went there for a construction project. I went fishing with a friend I made there... Take a look at this."
"O-ohhh... That's a halibut, right?"
Halibut.
A giant flatfish.
It was a photo of him holding a gigantic halibut almost the size of a child.
Wow. People actually catch things like this?
Maybe I should go sometime.
"If you ever have occasion to go to Alaska, let me know. I'll lend you my boat."
"Oh... Thank you."
But I wondered if I'd ever have occasion to go.
Anyway, I decided to gratefully accept the offer.
"Father..."
"Oops. I've been keeping him all to myself. Young people should spend time with their peers. Hahaha. Yu-na, get along with Noah."
"Yes!"
Something felt a little strange.
It was as if I were his son and Han Yu-na were someone else's daughter.
Anyway, Chairman Han moved away after naturally and proudly flaunting his closeness with me.
"You really must be close with Chairman Han Jun-ho."
Dowon-il was impressed.
"Chairman Han Jun-ho is famous for having a very eccentric and intimidating personality."
"Um... It's good to be honest about your personal impressions, but did you forget that his daughter is right here?"
"I'm only saying what I have to admit is true..."
Han Yu-na nodded in agreement.
Oh, come on.
Aren't you, his daughter, not supposed to say that?
"By the way, I didn't know he liked fishing."
"Why not?"
"You can read the future, can't you, Teacher?"
"That's right."
"Fishing is a battle against uncertainty, isn't it? Even someone who's fished for decades can come up empty-handed, while a first-timer can catch a big one."
"Yes."
"I thought someone like you, Teacher Kang, who can turn that uncertainty into certainty, wouldn't particularly enjoy something like fishing."
"Haha. That's not the only thing that's fun about fishing, is it? Mr. Dowon-il, do you have any hobbies?"
He nodded firmly.
"I believe managing the company and protecting my family are my only duties, and I've lived my life accordingly."
"That sounds like a boring life. Why not take up a hobby?"
"...Are you saying that after seeing my future?"
Yeah.
I was saying this after seeing his future.
He becomes chairman of Cheonmyeong Group.
But that's all.
He becomes chairman of Cheonmyeong Group and lives for the group and his family,
but that becomes his entire life.
What a terribly boring life.
"I have no hobbies or anything I particularly like. All I do is live as chairman of Cheonmyeong Group, like a cog in a machine."
"...Is that a bad thing?"
I looked at Han Yu-na.
She was similar to Dowon-il.
She had worked all her life and knew nothing of play.
"I think it is."
Han Yu-na said quietly.
She lightly took hold of my arm.
"If it weren't for Mr. Noah, I might have lived my whole life the way you do, too."
"......"
"Even rubber will snap if it's kept stretched. How much more so a person? I think everyone needs time to rest and somewhere to set their mind at ease."
"...I see. But I've never had any fun in my life. I don't have any hobbies, either..."
"Then how about trying Dunsa?"
I couldn't pass up the chance to recruit a newbie.
Dowon-il hesitated at my suggestion, then shook his head.
"I'm not really into online games."
Damn it.
It was a shame, but nothing could be done.
Newbies were weak and timid by nature, weren't they?
Forcing him would defeat the purpose.
"Try hanging out with your younger brother."
Though Dowon-gyu was called a wastrel, he was actually closer to a carefree idler.
He didn't cause trouble for those around him, but he knew how to have fun.
It wouldn't be bad for the brothers to have a good time together on this occasion.
"Hmm... That might be good, too. I hear my younger brother is interested in baseball."
"Oh? Really?"
"Yes. He cheers for the Hyesung Phoenix."
"Ah..."
Hyesung Phoenix.
A baseball team based in Daejeon.
They bounced between ninth and tenth among ten professional baseball teams, turning their fans into bodhisattvas.
I hadn't known Dowon-gyu was a fan of theirs.
"Yes. Well, it should be good for cultivating patience."
That couldn't be a bad thing, either.
Dowon-il thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I suppose I should try that. Thank you for the advice."
"It wasn't anything particularly impressive. I hope only good things lie ahead of you."
Dowon-il smiled.
Then he stopped as he was about to leave.
"Oh, and I've prepared a gift for you."
"A gift? Out of the blue? You already gave me stock."
"It's a personal gift. I hope you'll accept it."
A gift offered should never be refused.
I decided to simply say thank you and accept it.
"You've even become close with the president of Cheonmyeong Steel. That's just like you, Noah."
"Hahaha. It's nothing."
"President Dowon-il is famous for being very upright and uncompromising, and difficult to befriend..."
"Really?"
"Yes. I saw him a few times at parties and social gatherings before."
Because he was handsome and capable, people approached him, but apparently he cut them off cold.
Han Yu-na marveled at me, saying he was so icy that befriending him hadn't been easy.
"It seems everyone is won over by you, Noah."
"Oh, you're flattering me too much."
"I'm only stating the facts."
She looked at me as if envious.
"If I had social skills like yours, Noah... perhaps I wouldn't have been so lonely, either?"
"Who knows? People often feel lonely even in a crowd. There's no way to know. And..."
I lightly took Han Yu-na's arm.
Her slender arm, wrapped in her suit jacket, tensed.
"I became your friend, didn't I? So don't get so depressed."
"...Ahaha. That's right. I'm your friend, Noah."
A faint smile played at the corners of her mouth.
"Um... Teacher Kang Noah. Hello."
A couple from the party approached.
A young man and woman.
I glanced at Han Yu-na, and she quietly explained,
"The second son of the Jowon Group and the eldest daughter of Yeongil Trading."
"Ahaha. Ms. Han Yu-na has already filled you in. I'm Lee Seong-jun, executive director of Jowon Trading."
"I'm Park Se-a. It's nice to meet you, Teacher Kang."
"I see. Shall I read your fortunes?"
"Yes! Yes!"
Right. Why else would these people come over?
I checked their futures and shuffled the cards.
"Let's start with Mr. Lee Seong-jun."
"Yes!"
Most people who could take a card I held out without hesitation were innocent.
They were people with nothing to be ashamed of and no secrets.
Perhaps that's why?
Lee Seong-jun's future held nothing special.
"You know your older brother is going to become chairman, right?"
"Yes. To be honest, I'm not very interested in the company. The thing is... we're planning to get married soon."
"Yes. You get married without any problems. Your married life itself will be trouble-free, too. You've been together for a long time, haven't you? You were childhood friends, right?"
"Yes!"
"The two of you will be very happy together. So you don't need to worry too much."
The two of them were overjoyed.
Could it be because of them?
Other people approached with smiles and asked me to read their fortunes, and since I had no particular reason to refuse, I read them.
"Could you read mine, too?"
Then I heard a voice.
A familiar voice.
When I looked up, I saw a red dress and red hair.
Hong Si-yeon, a beautiful woman with striking golden eyes, was smiling brightly.
"Oh."
"Ahahaha~! Mr. Noah, you've gotten even more handsome while I was away~!"
She gave a cute, coquettish laugh in her characteristically lively voice, then slowly shifted her gaze.
What she was looking at was—
Han Yu-na, standing beside me in a black suit.