By Zephyria 
#Side Story 2-5
Just before entering Choi Won-joon’s family home, Lee-eum took several deep breaths. Passing through the main gate and stepping up the stairs, the sounds of violin and cello reached him first. When he reached the garden, Lee-eum felt like turning around and leaving. It was his first time at Choi Won-joon’s family home, and he felt overwhelmed by its scale, which was even more imposing than he had anticipated.
Subtle lighting, a wide expanse of smoothly manicured lawn. A fountain spraying cool streams of water. Tables adorned with elaborate floral arrangements. On a large screen to one side, the image of Chairman Choi Seung-gil played on a loop, and among the people in suits and dresses, staff wearing white gloves bustled past carrying champagne.
He had thought his own father’s 70th birthday celebration at a hotel was excessively lavish, but this went beyond that, evoking the scale of a royal party. Swallowing hard, he tried his best to avoid catching Chairman Choi’s eye, when a tall man strode over from the distance.
“You’re here?”
Choi Won-joon, dressed in a suit and smiling handsomely, stood out more than anyone. Consequently, people’s gazes also focused on them. He had suggested coming separately to avoid attention, but it didn’t seem to have been very effective.
“There are a lot of guests…”
He felt like he shouldn’t have come, but he didn’t say that out loud. As he nervously adjusted his clothes, Choi Won-joon looked him up and down.
“You should have worn your uniform.”
His regretful expression was plain to see. He had flatly refused when Choi Won-joon said the same thing yesterday. It wasn’t like he was advertising he was a police officer, and he simply couldn’t understand why he had to wear his uniform to a party like this. The reason he wore it at his father’s birthday was because everyone there was police, but here…
“Well, well, who do we have here? Is that Won-joon?”
An elderly gentleman with a kindly impression approached and acted familiar. Behind the old man, two men in black suits followed like bodyguards. He thought the face looked familiar, and it belatedly came to him. Lee-eum knew the old man. He was a big shot in the Myeongdong and Jongno areas and had often appeared in newspapers in the past. In his younger days, Lee-eum had even seen articles saying the man’s doorstep was worn down by chaebols and members of the National Assembly.
“Hello, Chairman.”
“Chairman, my foot. When you were little, you used to call me Uncle often enough. I’m hurt, you rascal.”
The old man, who had been chuckling, shifted his gaze to Lee-eum. When Lee-eum greeted him with a tense face, the old man asked who he was. Lee-eum prayed inwardly that Choi Won-joon would give a normal answer. An acquaintance, or a friend, something like that. But Choi Won-joon didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.
“He’s the person I’m going to marry.”
“Ah—the police officer?”
The old man looked at him with an interested expression, scrutinizing him carefully.
“Your father was Kim Chun-sam, the Commissioner General, right? I owed him a lot back in my day. Hoho.”
Lee-eum couldn’t tell at all whether that ‘owing’ was meant in a good or bad way. Usually, when people from the underworld talked about ‘owing someone,’ it wasn’t a good thing. Forcing a smile, Chairman Choi appeared in the distance. The old man said he’d see them later, bid farewell, and headed that way. Lee-eum let out a sigh of relief and then held out the gift he had brought to Choi Won-joon.
“Take this. I, I think I’ll go now.”
“You said you were meeting Lee Joo-hwan.”
“Next time. If I stay here any longer, my liver will shrivel up.”
“Not like you, Inspector Kim. Why are you like this?”
Choi Won-joon reached out and straightened Lee-eum’s tie. When Lee-eum asked if it was crooked, Choi Won-joon just smiled. At the affectionate touch, whispers could be heard from various directions, and Lee-eum realized Choi Won-joon had planned this. Carefully brushing the hand away and glaring, Choi Won-joon immediately moved closer, wrapping an arm around his waist.
“At least see Mom before you go. She was so happy when I said you were coming.”
“……”
“Look, she’s right over there.”
Choi Won-joon pointed to Madam Lee Mi-ran, who was surrounded by people. Her upright posture, elegant dress, and dignified demeanor stood out at a glance, belying her age. The people around her seemed to be of a similar age, and they all somewhat resembled Madam Lee.
“Those are my aunts next to her.”
Pushed along, as they got closer, Madam Lee stopped speaking mid-sentence, her face brightening as she waved. Goodness, who is this? People gathered around her as she beamed. When asked who it was, Madam Lee excitedly introduced him.
“This is our future son-in-law. He’s a police officer. Isn’t he handsome?”
She looked so proud saying ‘police officer’ that it was almost embarrassing. As soon as he greeted them, Choi Won-joon’s aunts surrounded Lee-eum in a circle.
“Oh my, I’d only heard about you, but to see you in person. I’m Won-joon’s second aunt. Nice to meet you.”
“I’m the third. I heard you met our daughter before. How are you so tall and handsome?”
“Right. I thought he was an idol. You’re so lucky, Unni. To get such a handsome son-in-law.”
Madam Lee covered her mouth, laughing happily. Lee-eum was at a loss under the barrage of attention from all sides. He had just planned to quietly hand over the gift, meet Lee Joo-hwan briefly, and leave, but things had gotten much bigger than expected. In the midst of it, someone who said she was the fourth aunt even asked if they could take a commemorative photo. Feeling it would be rude to refuse, he smiled, and Choi Won-joon grabbed his shoulder and subtly pulled him back.
“Stop bothering him. He’s uncomfortable.”
“My goodness. Look at our Joonie taking his side. At times like this, he really takes after his brother-in-law.”
“He’s really handsome. Is it rude to talk about his looks?”
Lee-eum thought. It seems my face is a hit with Choi Won-joon’s family. He felt like he was hearing all the ‘handsome’ compliments he’d get in his lifetime right here. Madam Lee gestured for them to stop, and the aunts swarmed off in the opposite direction.
Was the outgoing personality a family trait? Still, he was grateful they welcomed him so warmly. Honestly, he had been nervous the whole way here, worrying about what if things went poorly. Collecting himself, he held out the shopping bag he had brought to Madam Lee.
“Madam… This is a gift for the Chairman. I didn’t know what he liked, so I chose something I thought was nice. It’s a tie.”
“Oh my, it’s thanks enough that you came, why bring a gift too?”
Then she spread her arms wide. When he looked bewildered, Madam Lee gave him a light hug and patted his back. Thank you so much. I’m really happy today. Seeing her genuinely delighted appearance, the discomfort in his heart began to melt away.
Maybe coming was the right decision after all.
The moment he smiled and raised his head, he made direct eye contact with Choi Won-joon’s father, who was standing quite far away. Startled, Madam Lee noticed and released Lee-eum, then took him over there. The closer they got, the more he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
“Hello, Chairman… Congratulations on your 70th birthday.”
Looking closely, a man who looked similar to Chairman Choi was standing beside him. To his knowledge, this was Chairman Choi’s younger brother, who was formerly the second-in-command of Mirae Group. Before Chairman Choi could speak, the man chuckled.
“So you’re Kim Chun-sam’s son. Well, well, you don’t look a bit like your father.”
Hello, Lee-eum greeted him, and the man made a mischievous joke.
“You know about the relationship between your father and our Hyung-nim, right?”
“……”
“Back then, Hyung-nim suffered a lot because of your father. To put the great Choi Seung-gil in jail—”
Thwack! In the blink of an eye, Madam Lee struck the side of her hand against her brother-in-law’s Adam’s apple. The man made a choking sound, then started coughing, his face turning bright red.
“Cough, cough, Hyung, Hyung-su-nim, if you hit my throat, cough!”
Madam Lee, without losing her characteristic elegant smile, moved only her lips.
“If you’re going to talk nonsense, go away over there.”
Lee-eum genuinely wondered if she had studied ventriloquism separately. The man, checking the mood, retreated, and Madam Lee handed the gift she was holding to Chairman Choi.
“Our Detective Kim prepared a gift for you. Open it quickly.”
What gift? Saying that, she still took out the box and opened it. Chairman Choi raised an eyebrow as he checked the tie. Not bad. You have taste. The moment he finished speaking, Madam Lee untied his existing tie and replaced it with the new one. Chairman Choi was compliant, and a happy smile spread across Madam Lee’s face.
“My goodness. It suits you so well. You look at least ten years younger.”
After much thought, Lee-eum chimed in from the side.
“You look at least twenty years younger.”
Hmph. Flattery. Even so, perhaps feeling secretly pleased, he touched the tie with his hand and then said, “Since you’re here, eat a lot before you go,” before moving elsewhere. Seeing this, Madam Lee stuck out her lips in a pout.
“Don’t be offended. He acts like that even when he’s happy.”
Madam Lee winked and told Choi Won-joon to take good care of Lee-eum before following Chairman Choi. His tension eased, and he sat in a chair for a moment. Choi Won-joon said he’d had a hard time and rubbed his shoulders firmly, then clung to his side, acting cute.
After that, because Choi Won-joon introduced him to his older brothers, cousins, and even company executives, he couldn’t possibly leave the place. It was surprising and unexpected that most of them already knew Kim Yi-eum and firmly believed they would be getting married soon.
Then, hearing people murmuring, he turned around. A large statue was being brought in on a cart. For his own father’s 70th celebration, it had been a bust, but this one was a full-body replica. One arm was even stretched forward, enough to remind one of a dictator from some country. Losing his words, Choi Won-joon whispered beside him.
“Seems he saw it at your father’s place and was quite envious. I gifted it to him.”
The sly smile sent a wave of unease over him. Lee-eum pretended to pick up some food and moved closer to the statue. He hoped not, but achievements were engraved at the base of the statue. Thankfully, there was no phrase about his father putting him in jail, but what shocked Lee-eum was on the very last line.
-Welcoming Kim Yi-eum as son-in-law
Looking closely, no date was written.