Chapter 26: According to Plan (2)

Kang Ra-Hyuk ended up getting a suit fitted for him like Kang Ra-Eun had suggested. He stared at himself in the full-length mirror.

“No matter how you look at it, this is a waste of money,” he said.

“Why? You needed a suit anyway,” Ra-Eun mentioned.

“Can’t I just wear the one that I have?”

“How heavy were you when you wore that suit?”

“Around... 81 kg?” Ra-Hyuk answered

“What about now?”

“72 kg.”

She knew it. It had not fitted him at all since there was almost a ten-kilogram difference from when he had worn it. Hence, Ra-Eun had used this opportunity to get a new suit fitted for him.

Suits had to match one’s current body for the fit to come alive. Although Ra-Eun did not know much about other clothes, she was practically an expert in men’s suits because of the time that Park Geon-Woo had spent as a bodyguard. A suit for a bodyguard was no different from a school uniform for a student. That was how often Geon-Woo had worn suits.

“Stand up straight,” Ra-Eun instructed.

She fixed her older brother’s necktie.

“What? When did you learn how to tie a necktie?” Ra-Hyuk asked.

“A very long time ago.”

Ra-Eun’s concept of a ‘long time’ had surpassed the space-time continuum. She smiled satisfyingly as she lightly hit Ra-Hyuk’s chest twice.

“Okay, perfect,” she expressed.

“What about you? You’re not gonna go wearing that, are you?”

“Are you crazy? Of course not.”

Going to meet Chairman Ji Seong-Geum in a T-shirt and dolphin shorts was just asking to be reproached.

“Wait here, I’ll go get changed,” said Ra-Eun.

~

Ra-Eun was not coming out no matter how long Ra-Hyuk waited, so he went out to the living room in his suit and watched TV.

After around thirty minutes, Ra-Eun unlocked her door and came out, which then shocked Ra-Hyuk so much that he could not close his mouth.

“What the... What are you wearing?” he asked astoundedly.

“What do you mean? I’m wearing clothes. Can’t you tell?”

They were indeed clothes, but they were on a completely different level from what she had usually worn. She was wearing a white blouse and a blue skirt. This was the first time that Ra-Eun had voluntarily worn a skirt aside from her uniform skirt.

“You absolutely despise wearing a skirt, don’t you? Not just that... Are you wearing make-up?” Ra-Hyuk questioned.

“I can’t stand it, but it can’t be helped. I can’t go bare-faced when I’m going to meet Chairman Ji.”

She needed to pay attention to her clothes, make-up and hairstyle. Ra-Eun had absolutely no idea how to put on make-up at first, but after getting it done at her drama shoots, Rita’s music video shoot, and even at the recent talk show program, she had leveled up to a point that she could at least put on the most basic amount.

It was obviously far lacking compared to what the expert make-up artists could do, but Ra-Eun was already so pretty without make-up that even the basic amount was enough to make her shine.

“Go get the car ready,” Ra-Eun ordered.

“O-Okay, sure,” Ra-Hyuk stuttered.

She could not afford to be late to take her first step to her revenge.

***

The Kang siblings arrived at Do-Dam Group headquarters. Ra-Eun thought as she looked up at the tall building.

‘I guess their corporate building was already this large at this point in time.’

Do-Dam Group already held the largest portion of the food industry shares, and the company would grow even bigger from now on.

‘Until they meet the troll named Kim Han-Gyo, that is.’

At that time, Chairman Ji might be the one who would need Ra-Eun’s help. Ra-Eun and Chairman Ji had the same enemy, but Chairman Ji did not know the future like Ra-Eun. He and Congressman Kim Han-Gyo were no closer than just former classmates, but Ra-Eun had no intention of pulling them apart just yet.

‘Acquainting myself with him comes first.’

As for her next plan of action, she just needed to switch to it when the time was right.

Ra-Eun took the lead.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and follow me,” she said.

“O-Okay. That aside, we really were invited here as guests, right?” Ra-Hyuk asked.

“Yes, how many times do I have to tell you?”

A man in his early forties, who had been waiting for them in the lobby, approached them.

“Are you Miss Kang Ra-Eun?” he asked.

“I am.”

“I am Yoo Seong-Tae, the chairman’s secretary. He is waiting for you, so please follow me.”

Ra-Eun glanced at Ra-Hyuk.

“See, I told you,” she said.

Ra-Hyuk had no more room for doubt.

***

The siblings followed Secretary Yoo to Chairman Ji’s office. He and Ji Han-Seok had been waiting for them inside.

Ra-Eun greeted Chairman Ji first.

“Greetings, sir. My name is Kang Ra-Eun. Thank you for giving us your valuable time today.”

“I agreed to meet you because my grandson was going on about how amazing of an actress you were. Is the one next to you your older brother that I’ve heard about?”

Ra-Hyuk greeted Chairman Ji with a ninety-degree bow at Ra-Eun’s signal.

“Greetings, sir! I am Ra-Eun’s older brother, Kang Ra-Hyuk! I will be in your care!”

“Same here. You must be tired after traveling all this way. Have a seat,” said Chairman Ji.

The siblings were also provided drinks, possibly because the employees had been notified of their visit in advance.

“I heard you have a lot of interest in business, Ra-Hyuk.”

“Business... Yes, that’s right. I have a lot of interest in it. Ha, hahaha...” Ra-Hyuk laughed awkwardly.

Ra-Eun clicked her tongue in her head.

‘He’s a terrible actor.’

Having no choice, Ra-Eun provided cover.

“As I had told Han-Seok sunbae, you are my oppa’s role model, Chairman Ji. You are a legend in the world of business who built Do-Dam Group from the ground up, after all. My oppa always says that he can’t help but respect you.”

Of course, Ra-Hyuk had never said such a thing. He never shut up about Rita or games, but he had never brought up anything related to business. However, there was no way for Chairman Ji to know that.

The eyes of Chairman Ji and Han-Seok focused on Ra-Hyuk.

“You still look quite young, but you seem to have much interest in business,” Chairman Ji expressed.

“Oh... Yes, that’s right,” Ra-Hyuk professed.

“Truly, business is not an easy thing to get into. Let’s see... was it around my elementary school days? Back in those days, I...”

At this moment, Ra-Eun recalled something that she had forgotten. Chairman Ji loved to talk. In other words, he was an excessive chatterbox.

***

Starting from “Back when I was in Gunsan, Jeollabuk...”, he talked by himself for two hours straight about his middle school days, high school days, and then how he dropped out of school to jump into the world of business and raised Do-Dam Group to its current glory.

Ra-Eun kept pinching Ra-Hyuk’s thigh every time he showed signs of dozing off. The chairman cheerfully spoke to Ra-Eun because she had been attentively listening to his story.

“I’m sorry for going on for too long by myself. Feel free to come see me again when you have the time. I’ll have to listen to your story as well, Ra-Eun.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll make sure to do that,” Ra-Eun replied.

“Good. I have work to do, so I’ll be excusing myself... Han-Seok, see them off in my stead.”

“I understand, Grandpa.”

Ra-Hyuk finally let out a sigh of relief after Chairman Ji had left the office.

Han-Seok apologized to Ra-Eun, “I’m sorry, Ra-Eun. My grandfather is a bit of a chatterbox.”

“It’s okay. Rather, I was happy to hear many things about the chairman that I didn’t know about,” Ra-Eun expressed.

“He seems to like you and your brother quite a lot. Like he said, come see him when you have the time. He told me that he would free up more of his schedule next time so that he can have a meal with you guys.”

Ra-Hyuk was about to refuse, but Ra-Eun beat him to the punch.

“Okay, sunbae. Please let us know when.”

“Alright. Oh, and...”

Han-Seok’s face suddenly reddened, as if he was embarrassed about something.

“Have you... been contacted by the writers?” he asked.

“Writers?”

“The writers of The Devil’s Touch, about season 2.”

“No, not yet.”

“R-Really? I see. Ahem!”

Ra-Eun had no idea why Han-Seok was acting like that.

***

After school, Ra-Eun had to go straight to GNF instead of home because Chief Jung said he had something to tell her.

“Hey, Ra-Eun!” Chief Jung greeted Ra-Eun, who was in her school uniform. “I heard from Han-Seok that you met with Chairman Ji?”

“Yes.”

“Was that your objective all along?”

“Basically,” Ra-Eun confirmed.

Chief Jung could not understand why Ra-Eun was trying to form a connection with Chairman Ji, but he did not pay much mind to it since it was Ra-Eun‘s private matter. He decided not to pry into it any further. In exchange, he had something that he needed to ask Ra-Eun.

“I got a call from the team of The Devil’s Touch yesterday,” Chief Jung mentioned.

“Actually, Han-Seok sunbae mentioned something about that as well. He asked me if I’d been contacted by them.”

“Oh, I guess he would.”

“...?”

Chief Jung seemed to know what the issue was. He then suddenly brought something up to Ra-Eun with a serious face.

“Ra-Eun, don’t freak out and listen.”

“What is it? You’re creeping me out.”

“The writers have been working on the scenario, and they called to ask for both you and Han-Seok’s opinions. You see...”

Chief Jung gulped while slurring the end of his sentence.

“They asked if... you’d be okay with a kiss scene.”

Ra-Eun’s eyebrow twitched.