There seemed to be no malice in Kwak Do-hoon's expression or tone.
Taek-gyu nodded inwardly. 'He was always this kind of guy.'
The world is full of people who bother others without any real malice.
"But why are you two together? Are you dating?"
Min Ha-young blushed and waved her hands dismissively. "N-no! Dating? Of course not."
Taek-gyu also clarified to avoid misunderstanding. "We just met because I'm helping her with her webtoon."
Kwak Do-hoon burst out laughing. "Puhaha! Are you still into stuff like comics? Haven't you gotten a real job?"
Taek-gyu blinked. "I am working."
"What kind of work? Full-time?"
"No, well, not exactly full-time. I go out if there's work, and stay home if there isn't."
An owner is an employer, not an employee. Therefore, he wasn't a regular employee and didn't have the standard four major insurances.
However, Kwak Do-hoon, unaware of this fact, openly scoffed. "What's that? Just sounds like a part-time gig. A person needs to find a proper job."
Min Ha-young asked sharply, "And what do you do?"
"Me?" Kwak Do-hoon pulled a business card from his wallet as if he'd been waiting for the question. "I work here."
It listed his position: Employee, Research and Development Team, CL Chemical.
He boasted, puffing out his chest, "I joined CL Chemical recently. Got lucky. Lots of places are hiring non-regular workers these days, but I got in as a full-time regular employee."
Youth unemployment was at an all-time high, and getting a job at a large corporation was like threading a needle. It was certainly something to brag about.
Taek-gyu blinked and asked, "What do you do on the R&D team?"
Kwak Do-hoon launched into an explanation, clearly eager to share. "The big topic in this industry right now is the OTK Battery. Originally, TS Company exclusively produced large batteries for cars, and Seosung SB handled small batteries for electronic devices. But CL Chemical recently partnered with TS Company and is setting up an OTK Battery mass production system. Once that happens, they'll be installed in smartphones, laptops, and various other devices instead of the old batteries. You might not grasp how huge this is, but with recent advancements in communication and IoT, electronic devices are trending towards wireless. Unlike semiconductors, batteries don't follow Moore's Law, so progress has been slow. But Professor Kim Ho-min solved that problem and even won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Anyway, this OTK Battery, what it is..."
Taek-gyu nodded absentmindedly. 'This wasn't exactly Bill Gates listening to someone explain how to use Windows, or Warren Buffett attending a lecture on stock investing.'
After rambling on for a while about how important his work was, Kwak Do-hoon clapped Taek-gyu on the back. "You should stop with the otaku stuff and start thinking about getting a real job. Ah! Weren't you just a high school graduate?"
It was clearly a dismissive gesture. Min Ha-young also looked visibly uncomfortable.
Taek-gyu asked, "What brings you here?"
"I'm supposed to grab a drink with my team leader later."
"When is he coming?"
"Just got a call, said he'll be a bit late. My team leader thinks I'm kind of special..."
Kwak Do-hoon showed no signs of leaving, continuing to brag and hit on Min Ha-young. "By the way, you've gotten really pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?"
Taek-gyu watched him and thought.
In the past, he might have just let it slide, but there was no reason to now. For some reason, he felt like he should deliver some retribution on behalf of otakus worldwide.
He debated whether to call the bodyguard waiting nearby when another message arrived from Yang Ha-na.
[On my way to dinner now. We should grab a meal together sometime too.]
An amusing idea struck him. 'Times like these call for a refreshing dose of satisfaction.'
Taek-gyu casually stood up. "I need to make a quick call."
***
Sending the message from inside the moving car, Yang Ha-na let out a long sigh. "Haaa."
She had made a mistake with the OTK Company Vice President at the Ceylon Hotel opening party long ago. She had been continuously trying to meet him to apologize for that incident.
It wasn't necessarily romantic interest. She just wanted to clear up the past misunderstanding and perhaps become friendly.
So, she had persistently contacted him, suggesting coffee, meals, museum visits, performances, and more, but his responses had been consistently lukewarm.
At this point, her pride began to sting.
She was always the center of attention. Everyone, men and women alike, fawned over her. It was the result of the beauty inherited from her mother combined with her status as the CL Group Chairman's granddaughter.
Men dressed impeccably, trying desperately to catch her eye. More than a few had begged her just to meet them once.
'Seriously, why won't he meet me? This makes it seem like I'm the one desperately chasing after him.'
She pictured Oh Taek-gyu.
Slightly chubby build, short hair, black-rimmed glasses. An ordinary man you could find anywhere. Normally, she would have dismissed him as just another passerby.
But that was only his appearance.
His true identity was the Vice President and second-largest shareholder of OTK Company. OTK Company's value was currently estimated at over $1 trillion. His assets were roughly 200 trillion won. That was larger than the combined market capitalization of all CL Group affiliates.
Some people belittled his success, saying he rode on the coattails of his friend and sister, but conversely, Oh Taek-gyu was the one who brought that friend and sister into the fold.
As a middle schooler, he invested in Bant Coin when it was considered worthless, earning over 10 billion won. He used that capital to establish OTK Company. Later, he split his shares to partner with Kang Jin-hoo, who had just finished his military service, and his sister, who worked at Golden Gate.
If not for Oh Taek-gyu, the current OTK Company wouldn't even exist.
There were rumors that the Vice President was the one who bought the flood of Toyota shares dumped due to Nishida Securities' order error. If true, he had earned over 20 trillion won with a single click. Whether true or not, the existence of such rumors showed his significant presence within OTK Company.
Kang Jin-hoo had been dating a stunningly beautiful Golden Gate lawyer for a long time and recently started living with her. Oh Hyun-joo, the third-largest shareholder and head of Golden Gate Korea, had married a foreigner.
The only one left was Oh Taek-gyu.
Other chaebol families were well aware of this fact and were trying to establish connections. However, Oh Taek-gyu rarely participated in external activities and didn't attend business gatherings.
Fortunately, she already had some sort of connection. Even a bad encounter was still an encounter.
'But we need to actually meet to get closer.'
Just as she was thinking this, her phone suddenly rang. Surprisingly, Oh Taek-gyu's name flashed on the screen.
They had exchanged messages several times, but this was the first time he had called.
Yang Ha-na quickly cleared her throat and pressed the answer button. "Hello, Vice President."
[Hello. What are you up to?]
"I'm on my way to the company now to have dinner with my father."
[Oh really? I was going to suggest grabbing a drink if you had time, but I guess not. Well, I'll contact you again next time then.]
As he was about to hang up, Yang Ha-na quickly interjected. "Ah, no! It's fine. I see my father every day. We can eat together next time.]
[Then I'll buy the drinks, would you like to come?]
"What are you saying? I should be buying as an apology for last time."
[Ah! But I'm with some friends, would that be okay?]
If not now, she didn't know when she'd get another chance. "Of course. It's fine."
[They're high school friends and don't really know what I do, so please just call me by my name comfortably.]
"Okay, got it."
[I'll send you the address. Take your time coming over.]
After the call ended, Yang Ha-na immediately told her driver, "Please go to this address quickly."
She then called her father and took out her compact mirror to check her makeup.
***
The team leader showed no sign of arriving, and Kwak Do-hoon had settled in, even setting up his own glass at the table. Min Ha-young shot him several 'please leave' glances, but he seemed oblivious.
"Working at a big company is really no joke. All my seniors lament how good university days were. You wouldn't know since you didn't go to university."
"Well, yeah."
"Still, a person really should graduate from university. Didn't you guys do some kind of 'Subculture Research Club' or something for your CA activities back then? You drew comics and made toy-like things there."
"Not toys, plastic models."
"Anyway, you cried back then when it broke. Haha! Like a kid, crying because a toy broke? It's funny even thinking about it now."
"..."
'It's not funny at all.'
For reference, that plastic model cost 200,000 won. He had saved up months of allowance to buy it, and it took months to assemble and complete. But Kwak Do-hoon had grabbed it, claiming to play with it, handled it roughly, dropped it, and broken it.
It might be a toy to some, but to others, it's a precious creation.
'Right. That did happen.'
Thanks to him, forgotten memories resurfaced.
Min Ha-young said angrily, "You think that's something to laugh about? Don't you even feel sorry?"
Kwak Do-hoon smirked greasily. "Hey, it's all in the past. You're not going to get serious over something like that, are you?"
Min Ha-young looked at Taek-gyu. "Aren't you angry?"
Taek-gyu smiled. "It's okay. It's not like this is the first or second time he's been rude."
At those words, Kwak Do-hoon's expression hardened. "What did you just say?"
"Hmm? I said you're rude."
As far as he knew, Oh Taek-gyu hadn't dared say a word to him back in high school. Was he acting tough just because Min Ha-young was here?
"Oh Taek-gyu, you've gotten bold."
Seeing Kwak Do-hoon's expression, Taek-gyu burst out laughing. "What? Are you seriously getting worked up over that? Like a kid, getting upset over hearing one comment?"
Kwak Do-hoon stood up from his seat. "Hey! Are you kidding me?"
Just as he was about to lose his temper, Oh Taek-gyu suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Over here!"
Kwak Do-hoon turned his gaze. Then he froze, stunned by the woman who had just entered.
A knee-length skirt and a white lace blouse. Black stockings and high heels, with a brown cashmere long coat draped over her shoulders.
What was most astonishing was her beauty. Her face was small and slender, with large eyes and distinct features. She boasted a beauty striking enough to be a celebrity or model. Her hair flowed down in soft waves, and her earrings and necklace further enhanced her face.
Instantly, every single person in the pub, men and women alike, had their eyes fixed on her.
"Over here."
Kwak Do-hoon looked at Taek-gyu, dumbfounded. "What are you doing?"
'There's no way they know each other...'
But surprisingly, the woman smiled and walked towards their table. "It's been a while, Vice Pres— I mean, Taek-gyu."
Taek-gyu stood up and offered his hand. "It really has been a long time."
'There's no way she'll actually shake his hand...'
Contrary to Kwak Do-hoon's expectation, she greeted him warmly and took Taek-gyu's hand.
"This is Ms. Yang Ha-na. And this is my friend, Min Ha-young."
"Hello." Yang Ha-na greeted Min Ha-young, observing her.
A round face with glasses. A cute, neat impression. Like a puppy or a rabbit, perhaps? Not strikingly beautiful, but certainly appealing enough to gain men's favor.
"Yes, hello." Min Ha-young looked back at Yang Ha-na, equally surprised. The beautiful woman from the photos was standing right in front of her.
'What? So all those messages were real?'
Even to her, a woman, it was hard to look away from her pretty face and slender figure. Her eyes were sharp, giving her a somewhat strong impression, but even that felt like part of her charm.
Kwak Do-hoon couldn't quite grasp the situation. 'How does Oh Taek-gyu know a woman like this?'
She wasn't just beautiful; she exuded an undefinable elegance and refinement. Her mere presence seemed to change the atmosphere of the pub.
Taek-gyu tapped Kwak Do-hoon's shoulder. "Weren't you just getting up to leave? Hurry up and go."
"N-no."
He had dated many women, but seeing someone this beautiful... especially this close up, was a first. Whatever was going on, this was a good opportunity.
Regaining his composure, Kwak Do-hoon quickly extended his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Taek-gyu's friend, Kwak Do-hoon."
Just as Yang Ha-na was about to take his hand, Taek-gyu smoothly placed a glass of alcohol into Kwak Do-hoon's hand instead. "Let's all have a drink first."