I’d Rather Live as a Villain

I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Episode 27

(Who is it?)

“There’s no need to do it like we did in Pyeongchang-dong starting tomorrow.”

In front of the house, by the entrance, Manager Noh Gyu-hyung parked his car and took out the luggage from the trunk that he brought from the Daejeon house.

While I was receiving the luggage from him, the executive spoke.

It was already 8 in the evening.

I couldn’t sleep at my mother’s house and come up because of work tomorrow.

It wasn’t just me or the executive taking a day off; it was practically impossible for both of us to leave our posts for six days under the pretext of a honeymoon.

So, I had lunch with my mother and spent a little time before coming up.

“Don’t come early and just stare blankly while we eat. Just come at the right time. The car is already registered, so once you enter the complex, a call will come to the house.”

“Yes.”

That was the part I had discussed with the executive.

In a house where just the two of us live, I wondered if there was any need to invite Manager Noh Gyu-hyung inside, like we did in the Pyeongchang-dong family home.

It seemed uncomfortable to me.

I had done the secretary work before, and I knew what it was like for the owner to spend time just looking at their phone while people ate breakfast.

And to have such a presence nearby during breakfast.

I wasn’t confident about that part.

“There are days when we have to go to Pyeongchang-dong, right? Once or twice a week.”

“Yes.”

“Just come a bit earlier to the family home on those days, like you’ve been doing.”

“Am I not supposed to come here and take you both to Pyeongchang-dong?”

“Hmm.”

The executive shook his head and said,

“This person has a car.”

This person…

It’s still an awkward title to be called.

Yet, it’s a title that brings gratitude and a sense of reassurance.

“We can go to Pyeongchang-dong in this person’s car. This person has to go to work as well. We’ll just have breakfast at the main house, and then go our separate ways to work—I with Director Roh. That’s all you need to know.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Oh, and you know about the banquet at the main house this weekend, right?”

The Pyeongchang-dong greetings had already been done right after the honeymoon, before going down to greet the family in Daejeon.

The great chairman, his spouse, and Vice President Kang Young-jin and his spouse.

It was just a light dinner with the people of the Pyeongchang-dong main house, but separately, this coming weekend, a small garden party-style banquet was being prepared for the direct family of the great chairman (Chairman Kang Man-ho’s siblings and their children), as well as some guests from the external family of Executive Director Kang Moon-jung, from the Hanshin Newspaper side.

It’s not often, but occasionally such banquets are held in the Pyeongchang-dong garden.

The nature of the banquet changes depending on who is invited.

When Vice President Kang Young-jin and Director Joo Yeon-hee were involved, the in-laws from the VR Group were invited, but this time, instead of the in-law’s family, people from Executive Director’s external family, the Hanshin Newspaper side, were invited, which was a bit special.

I actually felt more at ease with this arrangement.

Imagine if they had invited our family just like they did during Vice President Kang Young-jin’s time.

It would just make everyone uncomfortable.

“Yes.”

“Alright. You’ve worked hard today. Go on in.”

“This is…”

I gestured to Director Roh, who was eyeing the luggage taken out of the car, that I could carry it in myself, and told him to head home quickly, even though it was already late, as I ushered him into the car.

I entered the house.

Sure enough, there were traces of someone having been there all over the place.

Clearly, when I left for Daejeon in the morning, I couldn’t empty the sink and had to leave in a hurry.

The sink was as clean as a mirror, and my bedroom bed was perfectly made, just like a hotel room bed.

“Executive Director Yoon.”

“Yes!”

The voice of the executive director calling me from the first floor rose up.

Looking down through the indoor stair railing, I saw the executive director standing in front of an unopened painting.

The painting Vice President Kang Young-jin had given as a wedding gift yesterday in Pyeongchang-dong.

Staring blankly at the painting that had been casually propped against the wall under the TV in the living room, I approached the executive director, who seemed to be pondering what to do with it.

“Yes.”

The executive director, having finished contemplating what to do with this troubling gift, tore open the kraft paper wrapping with an expression that said he had found the perfect spot for the painting.

“Take this and follow me.”

He went up to the third floor.

If this house were our base camp, the third floor would be the headquarters within it.

I was curious about the executive’s intention in bringing a painting gifted by Vice President Kang Young-jin to this space.

“Over here, a bit higher…”

“Like this?”

“Just a bit more. Yes, that’s good. Hold still just like that.”

When seated across the conference table, the executive and I could both turn our heads this way to see it fairly.

He had ordered me to fix the picture frame in that position, then stepped back a few paces and took out his phone to take a photo.

“That’s it.”

“Should I put it back here?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s see, do you happen to have a toolbox at home… or not?”

“No, no. Who would need to hammer at this hour? It was just to see the position. After we go to work tomorrow, I’ll have the management office people hang it up when Aunt Jin-ok comes.”

I couldn’t help but ask.

It was a gift received in front of all the family elders, so I understood why it was brought here, but considering the relationship between Vice President Kang Young-jin and the executive, it couldn’t possibly be hung in this house.

“Why insist on hanging it here…”

“To see it every day. And to keep from getting complacent.”

“…”

“I received quite a nice gift. Every time I come up here and see this painting, it will surely motivate me.”

At times like this, I really think, Kang Moon-jung is truly Kang Moon-jung.

“May I enter Mr. Yoon’s dressing room?”

As if he had finished his business on the third floor, the executive cautiously asked.

“Yes, of course.”

In this house, in this space, was there anything that the executive needed my permission for?

Even my bedroom, my dressing room, I was always ready to reveal everything to the executive without any secrets.

We went down to the dressing room on the second floor together.

Entering, I was surprised to find several articles of clothing that hadn’t been there when I left for Daejeon in the morning, now inside the wardrobe.

And how did the executive know that these clothes would be in this wardrobe, among the many others?

It was pajamas.

Three sets of pajamas with different patterns were neatly arranged alongside some unfamiliar underwear.

“Jin-ok’s aunt has washed and organized everything new, so you can just wear them right away.”

“…Yes.”

“Earlier, when I was talking to Jin-ok’s aunt, she mentioned she had washed the underwear and hung them in the bathroom, right?”

I could show everything else to the executive, but surely not my worn underwear laundry.

“Don’t worry about that. If you look in the shower room, there’s a bin for laundry. If you have anything to wash, just put it there with the towels. Then Jin-ok’s aunt will take care of drying and organizing everything.”

“But still, the underwear…”

“It helps Jin-ok’s aunt with her work if you do it that way.”

It seemed like that was the case.

No matter how long I’ve lived in Pyeongchang-dong, over three years, the owner couldn’t possibly study everyone’s private habits and patterns.

It wasn’t particularly remarkable, but still, it was different from the environment and style I had lived in until now.

So there were subtly familiar things I had to get used to.

“And is it okay if I choose the clothes you’ll wear to work the next day, every day?”

“When have you not done that? I’ve sent you photos of the work outfits every morning.”

Watching the executive personally take care of the pajamas and underwear I slept in, and the clothes I would wear to work the next day, I wondered for a moment if his mother, the late An Young-hee, had been like this.

And if the executive had a real brother, not a half-brother but one with the same adoptive parents, I wondered if he would still have the image of a warrior woman as he does now.

“Tomorrow, wear this to work. It’s been almost a week since we returned from the honeymoon, and you’ll need something light rather than heavy.”

He tried on a yellow tie over a shirt with a hint of blue and placed it over a navy suit.

“I need to buy more watches. The cufflinks are fine for now, but I’m short on watches. You don’t have to come with me, right?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Watches. I’ll bring a few good ones tomorrow.”

“…”

“Yun, the executive, wouldn’t be of any help even if he went along, right? It would just take more time. For now, wear this tomorrow.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll choose the shoes for you tomorrow. That’s it for today. Go wash up and sleep, now.”

As if all his business here was done, the executive turned to go down the stairs, and I called out to him.

“Breakfast is…”

“Hm?”

The executive turned around.

“Then, starting tomorrow, I’ll take care of preparing breakfast.”

At those words, the executive’s cheeks rose in a smile.

He was someone whose dimples deepened when he laughed, and today they seemed particularly pronounced.

“I figured it would be much faster if I prepared it alone, rather than together like today.”

“Can you handle it by yourself?”

“Are you talking about cooking? Aunt Jin-ok has already made the soup, and the fridge is stocked with side dishes. All I have to do is heat the soup and transfer the side dishes to plates. You couldn’t even fry an egg, so I thought maybe we should each do what we’re a little better at.”

“Eggs, what… who can’t fry them? That was perfectly fried.”

“Is that why you didn’t eat and gave me both?”

“…”

“You sprinkled MSG instead of salt.”

“Really? That wasn’t salt?”

“MSG.”

“You should have said something. Did you just eat it? Are you a bear?”

“Why would I throw it away? Anyway, in the morning, you just focus on getting ready for work. It takes you much longer to get ready than me.”

“Ah, so that was MSG. No wonder the grains looked a bit odd. I thought it was rock salt and sprinkled it on… Good thing I didn’t eat it.”

***

First day back at work after six days.

“Have you arrived at work, Director? Good morning.”

“Indeed, it is a good morning.”

As always, Secretary Ju Dong-jin greeted me today.

“Did you enjoy your honeymoon?”

“It was wonderful. Did you rest well while I was away, Dong-jin?”

At that, Secretary Ju Dong-jin just smiled awkwardly.

“Let’s start with checking the schedule.”

“I’ve organized it and placed it on your desk.”

“I meant let’s have a meeting.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Come inside for a moment.”

Pretending not to know, yet knowing all along, that’s how I kept Secretary Ju Dong-jin by my side for two months.

Until I entered the wedding hall, I had been holding back with the thought that it wasn’t over until it was truly over.

But now that the wedding was over, it was time to start putting things in order, one by one.

Instead of offering a seat on the sofa to Joo Dong-jin, who followed me into the office, I made him stand in front of me.

Half-seated on my desk, I looked at Joo Dong-jin and offered a smile.

“Should I brief you on the schedule?”

“No, that’s been well organized, so I can look at it myself. Mr. Joo Dong-jin.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

“You’re thirty-one, right?”

“Yes.”

“Third year of employment.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

He was a friend who had been in charge of executive protocol in the secretarial office of the conglomerate before becoming a personal secretary to the executive level.

A friend whose main job was to accompany executives of director level or higher on overseas business trips, managing their schedules and appointments.

“Mr. Joo, you’re with Daeyoung Conglomerate, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And your position is the personal secretary to the head of the European Division.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“But why are you working for someone else, not for me or the conglomerate?”

“That, what do you mean…”

I had deliberately created an atmosphere that didn’t require him to be on guard, and then I caught him off guard.

“I’m not that gentle of a style. A real old-timer. I start by speaking informally to my subordinates who are younger than me. I find it more comfortable. But why haven’t I spoken informally to you once in the past two months?”

“…”

“Why do you think that is?”

“…”

“I always use the speakerphone for calls in this room, regardless of who I’m talking to, right?”

“…”

“You must have heard from outside. Why do you think I always use the speakerphone for calls in this room, even though I’m not hard of hearing?”

There was definitely another person monitoring my every move in the conglomerate, besides President Min Byung-jin.

And I had realized that it was Joo Dong-jin on the second day after the division head started.

Was there a reason for the division head’s personal secretary to change just because Park Je-dong was transferred to another department?

Even if things could change, was there really a reason for Joo Dong-jin, who belonged to the elite within the secretariat and had been in charge of executive ceremonies, to become my secretary?

“The case of the sherry wine. Interestingly, that presentation was one I had received only in the presence of the directors of the business division and the finance director, you know?”

“…”

“I didn’t mention the presentation to the president. There was no reason to. I’m the final decision-maker, so there’s no need to report to the president and get approval before the project even starts. But you knew about this content, which even the president wasn’t aware of, in Pyeongchang-dong.”

“…”

“Mr. Joo Dong-jin.”

I called out to Joo Dong-jin with a smile on my face, trying to appear nonchalant.

“…Yes, Division Head.”

“Who is it? Who sent you to be my secretary, and to whom are you reporting the contents of this room?”