Chapter 31: private meeting

In a Private Room at Luxury Hotel, Seoul

The private dining room was dimly lit, modern but traditional. A long table was adorned with carefully plated delicacies and two untouched wine glasses. The clinking of chopsticks and quiet hum of a string quartet floated from beyond the room's soundproof doors.

Lee Minseok arrived first, punctual as always. Clad in a deep navy suit, he sat with the perfect posture both calm and calculated with every gesture deliberate.

Minutes later, the door opened, and Kang Daeho entered with the confidence of a man used to being the most important person in any room. His tailored suit, the subtle glint of a luxury watch, and the quiet nod he offered spoke volumes of his status. But to his credit, there was no arrogance only presence.

"Minseok-ssi," Daeho greeted, voice calm and warm as he extended a hand.

"Chairman Kang," Minseok returned, standing to shake his hand with a faint smile. "It's been a while."

The two men sat, and for a moment, silence hung comfortable for some, weighty for others.

"I heard," Minseok began, eyes sharp, "you were looking into my son."

Daeho didn't flinch. "I was."

There was no need for small talk between men like them.

"My daughter," Daeho said, placing his napkin down gently, "has taken a… strong interest in Minjoon."

Minseok's brow raised slightly at the name not Minji, but Minjoon. Personal. Serious.

"I see," he replied, swirling the wine he hadn't sipped. "And you wanted to know what kind of family your daughter might be stepping into?"

"Partly," Daeho admitted. "But mostly… I was surprised."

"How so?"

Daeho leaned back, folding his hands. "That someone like your son a member of the Lee family chose a stage over a boardroom. That he'd risk reputation for music."

Minseok's gaze didn't shift. "Minjoon always did walk a different path. We fought over it for years. But I've learned that trying to shape him into something he's not only distances him further."

"And now he's in a relationship and even made that it public."

Minseok exhaled lightly. "Yes. I suppose that part of him never changed. He's always worn his heart on his sleeve."

Daeho gave a half smile. "That kind of recklessness is rare in our world. Dangerous. But… admirable."

Another pause. Then, Daeho added, "My daughter thinks she's in love with him."

"And do you believe her?" Minseok asked, finally sipping his wine.

Daeho smirked faintly. "I believe she's obsessed. But love? I'm not sure she understands the difference."

Minseok chuckled softly. "That's an honest answer."

Daeho leaned forward now, voice low but firm. "Still, a union between our families whether by choice or fate would be… mutually beneficial."

Minseok didn't deny it. "It would."

"But your son," Daeho added, narrowing his eyes slightly, "has already claimed someone else."

"That girl," Minseok said simply. "Yes."

Daeho raised a brow. "And do you approve?"

Minseok placed his glass down slowly. "I don't disapprove."

"Then we may have a problem," Daeho said calmly, "because my daughter doesn't lose."

Minseok's smile was tight. "Neither does my son."

Lee Minseok reached for a piece of grilled abalone, the silver chopsticks steady in his hand. "Tell me, Chairman Kang," he said smoothly, "if your daughter succeeds in separating them, what then? You believe Minjoon will simply… transfer his affections?"

Daeho didn't miss a beat. "I believe people of our status rarely marry for love. Affection is cultivated. Foundations matter more. The girl your son is with... Hana, is it? what can she offer?"

Minseok's chopsticks paused in the air.

"A steady presence. A normal life. Perhaps that is what my son needs, not another layer of pressure and pretense," he said, lowering the utensil. "He's seen enough of it growing up."

Daeho's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Or perhaps he's running from his responsibilities. From the weight of the Lee name."

Minseok laughed lightly, but there was no humor in it. "And your daughter isn't chasing the idea of power by claiming my son as hers?"

Now Daeho's composure thinned, just for a second.

"My daughter knows what she wants. She's bold. She was raised that way. I've given her everything. I intend to continue doing so."

Minseok leaned back. "Even if it means destroying another girl's life? Ruining your own daughter's image, should things spiral?"

Daeho's voice grew quieter, lower. "I won't ruin her image. I'll reshape the narrative."

Minseok's eyes gleamed. "So it's war."

There was a moment of silence. Then, Daeho smiled again, this time genuinely.

"No, Minseok-ssi. Not war. Just… a choice. Between a girl who has no place in our world, and a daughter of Korea's top three families."

Minseok stood, fixing his suit. "Then let me make my position clear. I won't interfere in my son's love life. But if your daughter thinks she can manipulate him or the public, she may find herself fighting more than just a quiet girl."

The room fell into a heavy silence again respectful, but charged. Somewhere between rivalry and alliance.

Daeho rose too, nodding with the air of diplomacy.

"I respect your stance. But don't be surprised when the world chooses status over sentiment."

The two men exchanged a final look more than a conversation, less than a declaration.

The dinner ended with no raised voices, no slammed fists.

But something had shifted.

The quiet before the storm.