Chapter 134
*****
Han Yu-na saw a red-haired woman.
Hong Si-yeon.
She was the granddaughter of Madam Yang Chun-ja, a major player in the loan-sharking industry, and was already well known as her successor.
She had handled matters on her grandmother's behalf several times and was an impressive woman who could stand up boldly even to conglomerates.
Han Yu-na had also met Hong Si-yeon several times, so she knew her.
A young woman of exceptional ability.
In beauty, personality, and wealth.
An outstanding person who fell short in none of them.
That was all Han Yu-na thought of Hong Si-yeon.
But that had changed.
It was all because of Kang Noah.
An unparalleled genius fortune-teller.
A man who could see not only people's pasts and futures, but was also like a star that shone with its own light.
A wonderful man so noble that she could not even compare herself to him.
He and Hong Si-yeon were getting along.
A person like a star.
A person like the sun.
The two of them suited each other so well that it irked Han Yu-na a little.
After all, Kang Noah was Han Yu-na's closest friend—and her only friend.
To someone awkward and uncomfortable around people, Kang Noah was her sole refuge and the one place she could lean on.
She couldn't feel at ease with such a bright, cheerful, and popular woman beside him.
You already have so much.
So many people like you.
If that's the case.
Couldn't you give up someone like him?
But Han Yu-na couldn't say that to Kang Noah.
In case he came to dislike her.
In case he found her burdensome.
She was afraid that her one and only close friend might turn away from her over this ugly jealousy and possessiveness.
That was why she felt anxious.
She was afraid of revealing her ugly desire to monopolize him.
"........"
And yet she had come to a place like this.
Han Yu-na looked at Hong Si-yeon.
A beautiful, smiling face.
Fiery red hair and golden eyes like the sun.
Her red dress, which revealed her splendid figure, showed how thoroughly she took care of herself.
What an impressive person.
If it weren't for anything related to Kang Noah, Han Yu-na would still have admired her.
"Noah. Have you been well?"
"Me? I'm always well. Nothing happened in France, did it?"
"No. Thanks to you."
Saying that, Hong Si-yeon naturally linked arms with Kang Noah.
As if that level of physical contact were nothing at all.
Han Yu-na's heart lurched at how natural she looked.
'Jealousy... is it?'
It must be.
Born into the Saseong Group, Han Yu-na had everything she wanted.
With her outstanding talent and beauty, she had always inspired jealousy in others, but had never felt jealous herself.
Yet she felt jealousy for the first time in her life.
Envy.
A violent urge to smack Hong Si-yeon, who was holding that arm.
As the nauseating ugliness threatened to reveal itself, Han Yu-na bit her lip tightly.
'No.'
Kang Noah was noble and virtuous.
To remain beside such a person, she had to at least keep her ugliness hidden.
That was why.
That was why.
"...Hello."
Han Yu-na forced a smile and stepped forward.
.
.
.
Hong Si-yeon looked at Han Yu-na.
A scion of the Saseong Group.
A woman whose business acumen was second to none.
Even Madam Yang Chun-ja—her grandmother, a major player in the loan-sharking industry and a shrewd judge of character—held Han Yu-na in higher regard than Chairman Han Jun-ho of the Saseong Group.
They said that if Han Yu-na became chairwoman of Saseong, South Korea's conglomerate rankings would change dramatically.
That was why Hong Si-yeon knew about Han Yu-na, too.
A woman with outstanding abilities and a powerful background, yet one who did not hesitate to start from the bottom and learn the industry step by step.
Someone who desired her own growth through the difficult path rather than taking the easy road by using her background.
With cool judgment and flashes of brilliant intuition, she had illuminated Saseong's path forward.
To succeed her grandmother, Hong Si-yeon absolutely had to become close to her.
No matter how big a player her grandmother was in the loan-sharking industry, she was ultimately someone who lent and collected money.
If Han Yu-na could become a major client and was in a position to cooperate with other chaebol families, there was no reason not to befriend her.
That was what Han Yu-na was to her.
Someone she needed to befriend merely as a client.
And someone she had come to like for her outstanding abilities.
There was only one thing that made Han Yu-na look different to her.
It was because of Kang Noah.
Kang Noah.
A good person unlike herself.
Hong Si-yeon had lost her parents.
But because she had her grandmother, she had never once found life difficult.
Like her, he had no parents.
But unlike her, who had a wealthy grandmother, he had not even had a single relative and had grown up in an orphanage from infancy.
A person with the strong will to retain his goodness even in an environment as terrible as it was.
Someone who set his own standards and refused to fall.
Such a person and Han Yu-na had begun spending time together.
At first, Hong Si-yeon had thought of her as merely an ordinary client.
But everyone was bound to be drawn to a noble light.
Perhaps Han Yu-na, too, was approaching Kang Noah because she had fallen for his light, just as Hong Si-yeon had.
She hated that.
Hong Si-yeon possessed extraordinary beauty, a cheerful personality, and an excellent background.
That was why every man who approached her made his desires clear.
They wanted to possess the beauty known as Hong Si-yeon.
They wanted to take her background for themselves.
But there was one exception.
Kang Noah alone had approached her without any interest in such things, purely and sincerely.
That was so welcome, and she was so grateful.
Because he had saved her from possibly becoming a man-hater.
So.
If you save me, you have to take responsibility.
Other men would have fallen for her and confessed in no time, but Kang Noah had not wavered in the slightest.
It had been frustrating, but then the beauty named Han Yu-na had attached herself to him.
Someone so formidable that even Hong Si-yeon had to be wary of her.
Someone so outstanding that even her grandmother acknowledged her.
How could she not feel nervous?
That was why she was in such a hurry.
Hearing that Han Yu-na would bring him to the party made her even more anxious.
She was afraid Han Yu-na might tell everyone that he was her partner.
That was why she came to the party as soon as she returned from France.
Hong Si-yeon looked at Han Yu-na.
Though Han Yu-na's expression was impassive, Hong Si-yeon could tell, being a woman herself.
She had a deep interest in one person.
Han Yu-na was jealous of her.
And she herself was jealous of Han Yu-na.
***
Two women close to me met.
"Hello, Ms. Hong Si-yeon."
"Yes. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Han Yu-na."
My friend's parents are my parents too, and my friend's friend is my friend, right?
But I couldn't force that belief on anyone else.
"You two know each other, right?"
"Yes~!"
"That's right."
Then that was good enough.
As long as they didn't grab each other by the collars and fight.
Was it in middle school?
Once, some friends at school had gotten into a huge fight.
The teacher had stepped in and told them to make up and get along.
Of course, they shook hands and pretended to be friends in front of the teacher.
But the moment they left the teachers' office, they didn't even look at each other.
And they didn't say a word to each other until graduation, eventually going their separate ways in high school.
In other words, relationships weren't repaired just because someone else told people to reconcile.
So, never mind becoming friends—I just hoped they wouldn't fight.
"I heard you're giving Noah a great deal of help, Ms. Hong Si-yeon."
"Oh my. Hehe. Noah is a director at our company, after all."
"I see. Noah is also deeply connected to our company."
"Hehehe."
"Hahaha."
That was when Do Won-il approached and spoke.
"Hmm. The atmosphere between those two seems rather ominous. Is that all right?"
"Yes. It's fine."
Wasn't it enough as long as no one died?
Nothing like that was going to happen, so there was no problem.
"You went to America with Noah a while ago, didn't you?"
"Yes. We went to Dazney Land."
"Oh my. I went to America with him too. I went to Washington."
"I see."
"I got there first."
"...Did you?"
"Yes. Hehe."
Hong Si-yeon covered her lips as she laughed.
Then she gazed intently at Han Yu-na before speaking.
"Ms. Han Yu-na. I hear you're very close friends with our Noah."
"Yes. Noah is my closest friend."
"...Is that so? Are you just friends...?"
"....."
Han Yu-na fell silent.
She hesitated, moving her lips, then spoke seriously.
"For now."
"......"
Hong Si-yeon fell silent.
She looked surprised.
"But what is your relationship with Noah, Ms. Hong Si-yeon...?"
"Me? Hmm... How should I put it? We're very close friends and trust each other?"
"What a coincidence. So are we."
"......"
"......"
The two beauties stared intently at each other.
Just as they were about to speak at the same time.
I spoke first.
"Now, now. You two seem rather worked up. How about a drink each?"
I held out the champagne glasses sitting beside us.
The two beauties accepted them and calmly took a sip each.
Only then did they seem to realize that they had gotten too aggressive and worked themselves up.
"I don't mind you showing off how close you are to me, but there's no need to fight over it. Even putting me aside, neither of you would gain anything by fighting."
"That's..."
"That's true. Um. I'm sorry, Ms. Han Yu-na. I got too worked up, didn't I?"
"...No. It's fine. I overreacted, too."
I wondered if this would be enough for now.
I held out my hands to the two beauties.
"Come on. The party is nice, but let's go eat something delicious."