MHF 2

Chapter 2

Ha-jin’s words—that you never knew what the future held—had become reality.

Cruel coincidence had gone so far as to bring the private Su-a face-to-face with Ha-jin.

The truth was that Su-a’s family, so respected by the public, was very different from what it appeared to be. They were facing far more problems than anyone would have imagined.

Her family had served in the military for generations and had never once been involved in a scandal. Their integrity was what had earned them the people’s respect.

But that same integrity had prevented them from accumulating wealth.

Their family motto emphasized giving back rather than greed, and even the modest fortune they had possessed had gradually dwindled through various charitable donations.

To make matters worse, Su-a’s grandfather was a stubbornly upright man who naively believed that other people were as honest as he was. Con artists could never get the better of him, but that very innocence made him an easy target for unscrupulous people around him.

After falling victim to numerous petty scams from a young age, her grandfather eventually became entangled in a tremendous incident in his later years.

He had been deceived by the grandson of a teacher he had respected and ended up saddled with a debt of several billion won.

It was the worst possible situation, an amount large enough to bring the entire family to its knees.

Red foreclosure notices had been slapped onto the cabinet where the family’s various military medals and decorations were displayed, and the house that held Su-a’s precious childhood memories was on the verge of being auctioned off.

Su-a’s father ran around in every direction, desperately trying to find a way to resolve the situation, but even relatives and influential acquaintances turned their backs on him.

All the trust and reputation the family had built over the years proved utterly useless when they actually needed help.

With the family on the verge of losing even the lofty honor they had guarded so carefully, an entirely unexpected guest came to their home.

“I believe our side can take care of that problem for you.”

It was Chairman Do Young-do, the head of LOW, a globally influential arms manufacturer.

Chairman Do Young-do was a huge man, with a solidly muscular physique that could rival even Su-a’s father, who had never neglected exercise throughout his life.

As one would expect from a businessman who held sway over the world, there was something extraordinary about him. He radiated an unmistakable aura.

Suddenly, Su-a felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

She remembered the arrogant man she had seen at the military event—the man who had borne an uncanny resemblance to Chairman Do Young-do.

That man who had seemed like a beast at the very top of the food chain.

That man whose languid, relaxed movements somehow made it seem as though he could pounce on an enemy at any moment.

That very man who had inexplicably inspired a sense of awe.

No way…

Whether or not he knew about Su-a’s unease, Chairman Do Young-do got straight to the point without hesitation.

“We can’t let anything interfere with our general’s future, can we? Not over a paltry sum of money like that.”

The fact that the money Chairman Do Young-do dismissed as a paltry sum was an amount Su-a’s family could never hope to raise even if they sold everything they owned left her feeling painfully aware of the disparity between them.

Of course, both Su-a and her father knew that he had no intention of giving them the money for free.

Chairman Do Young-do was a businessman who moved according to profit and profit alone.

Hoping for a favor from him without offering anything in return was pointless.

“How old is your daughter this year?”

“…Twenty-eight.”

What Chairman Do Young-do wanted was the clean and righteous image associated with Su-a’s family.

For quite some time, LOW had been plagued by allegations of committing ugly acts of corruption, particularly through progressive media outlets.

No matter how much money they possessed or how much power they wielded, that disgrace had not been easy to shake off.

“A three-year difference. Perfect.”

His plan was to establish an in-law relationship with a military family respected by the public and use it to cleanse the company’s image.

If they succeeded, LOW would gain not only money and power but the support of the people as well, becoming a company with virtually no one capable of standing against it.

On top of that, they could quietly bury the fresh allegations of corruption that were beginning to surface.

Which meant that, by sheer circumstance, the youngest daughter, Su-a, had become the only key capable of saving her family.

“He’s my son. As I mentioned earlier, he’s three years older than your daughter. He’s thirty-one this year.”

Chairman Do Young-do took a photograph from inside his coat and placed it on the table.

Su-a’s eyes naturally fell upon the man in the photograph.

Her heart sank.

So there really was no such thing as baseless anxiety in this world.

As far as she knew, Chairman Do Young-do had more than one son.

And yet, of all people, it was the man she had met at the military event who had appeared once again.

“His name is Do Ha-jin.”

Unaware that Ha-jin and Su-a were hardly strangers to one another, Chairman Do Young-do smiled with confidence.

“He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?”

That was certainly no exaggeration.

Even in person, Ha-jin was an exceptionally handsome man.

His neat, refined features looked as though a god had sculpted them with the utmost care, and the way clothes sat on his body was particularly striking. Regardless of his personality, there was no denying that those qualities were impressive.

But that was all.

Su-a had never given any thought to anything beyond that—least of all to him as a potential husband.

He was that different from her.

“He can be a little rigid, but he’s not some frivolous fool.”

“Even so, how could I let my daughter…”

Naturally, Su-a’s father hesitated. The situation wounded his pride and pricked his conscience.

Chairman Do Young-do abruptly stood up, cutting him off.

“I’ll give you exactly three days. I’m rather impatient by nature.”

His manner was polite on the surface, yet rude underneath.

Perhaps this was how people in that family forced others to submit.

Su-a found Chairman Do Young-do’s arbitrary behavior, made possible by his position of power, rather irritating.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

“If I don’t hear from you after three days, I’ll consider the matter closed as well.”

After Chairman Do Young-do left, Su-a’s father said nothing.

One day passed.

Then two.

And even as the final day of the deadline approached, he still remained silent.

Perhaps he knew there was only one answer he could give, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to place such a burden on his daughter.

“What am I supposed to do, Dad?”

In the end, unable to bear the suffocating uncertainty, Su-a went to her father first.

“I can’t force you to do anything, my daughter. I’ll abide by whatever decision you make.”

Reluctantly, her father handed the choice over to Su-a.

Her grandfather was bedridden.

Her mother was consumed with worry, facing the prospect of losing their livelihood and even their home, while being unable to afford her husband’s medical expenses.

Her father was throwing away his pride and going from person to person, asking to borrow money.

Even her eldest brother had offered to sell his newlywed home.

Su-a loved her family dearly.

Her answer had already been decided.

And her father knew it, too.

“Big Brother went on a blind date with Sister-in-law because Mom chose her based on her circumstances, didn’t he?”

That was the only excuse Su-a could come up with to ease her father’s guilt.

“I’ll just think of this as going on a blind date and getting married, too.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? They say other women are desperate to become daughters-in-law of conglomerate families. I’m the one who had the opportunity practically roll right into my lap. And I can pay off Grandpa’s debt while I’m at it. It’s killing two birds with one stone.”

For some reason, she had to struggle to hold back the tears that threatened to spill as she spoke.

“I’m different from you and my brothers, Dad. I don’t think I can live a life of integrity like you do.”

“Su-a…”

“But please take Grandpa to the hospital. If this keeps up, you’ll make yourself sick.”

Looking back, that moment had been a pivotal point in Su-a’s life, one that would completely turn everything upside down.

Even though she would soon come to regret her decision, at that moment, she had no room to consider any other choice.

Several days later, Su-a met Ha-jin again.

“Hello. My name is Chae Su-a.”

Su-a greeted Ha-jin as though they were meeting for the first time.

Ha-jin stared at her for a moment before giving a quiet chuckle.

“You’re prettier in civilian clothes.”

His opening remark was an unmistakable reference to their previous encounter.

Su-a’s throat went dry.

Remembering herself in the flowing ivory dress, with her makeup carefully done, embarrassment washed over her.

It made her look as though she had gone to extraordinary lengths just to look pretty for him.

His deep eyes seemed to strip away every layer of her composure, lingering over the most private parts of her.

She became painfully conscious of herself, wondering whether he might be secretly laughing at her.

“Didn’t I tell you? You never know what the future holds.”

There was no real contest to be won or lost here, yet Su-a couldn’t shake the feeling that she was somehow the one who had lost.

Still, she endured it because the decision to marry Ha-jin had been hers and hers alone. No one had forced her into it.

Ha-jin stared at the earrings sparkling conspicuously from Su-a’s ears before asking in a meaningful tone,

“Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“Excuse me?”

“Marrying me.”

She had felt it before, but Ha-jin was a difficult man to understand.

Even though he unfailingly spoke to her politely, there was not the slightest hint of warmth in his words.

“I wonder whether a fish that has lived in clean water can really adapt to filthy water.”

“Then, Executive Director Do, do you not like me?”

Su-a asked him bluntly in return.

The man lifted the corners of his handsome mouth into a faint smile.

“No.”

He truly was difficult to read, revealing absolutely nothing of what lay behind his expression.

“If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have come here.”

Can I really become husband and wife with this man, when everything about him is unfamiliar to me?

The sudden question filled Su-a’s mind.

“I feel the same way.”

At that moment, a cool breeze slipped through the slightly open door and brushed past Su-a.

The stray wisps of her hair were tousled by the breeze and clung to her cheek.

Ha-jin propped his chin on one hand and openly watched the scene.

Compared to when she had been wearing her military uniform, Su-a looked a little more bashful now, and her cheeks flushed red.

Just like the cherry ade sitting in front of her.

“Lieutenant Chae.”

Ha-jin called her softly.

Unable to withstand his gaze, Su-a looked away first.

“Next time, let’s meet somewhere more private.”

“……”

Su-a assumed that Ha-jin was mocking her as much as he could for having eventually surrendered to money after acting so proud and dignified.

She couldn’t even imagine that his words might have meant anything else.

“I’ll look forward to it.”

His voice was subtle enough to linger in her mind no matter how many times she replayed it.

And a few months later, Su-a married that man.