#29

I couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle at Sung Yoojun’s words. The most ethical person in the world? That was a complete misunderstanding.

“You’re giving me too much credit, Secretary Sung. I’m not that ethical. I just live by the principle of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ and try not to do anything that would make me ashamed of myself.”

With that, a quiet silence settled inside the car. Stopping at a red light, Sung Yoojun tapped his index finger slowly against the steering wheel, seemingly lost in thought.

After a brief moment, as the light turned green and the car began moving again, he finally spoke in a calm voice.

“‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’, and never doing anything shameful…… I think that’s a pretty decent mindset to have.”

“Right? Living like that makes for a somewhat satisfying life.”

“Yes. Though, you do have certain weak spots when it comes to particular people…… But your mindset itself is solid.”

“……Can you please stop bringing that up? I already told you that if it happens again, I won’t let it slide.”

My voice came out a little sulky without me realizing it, making Sung Yoojun chuckle quietly. Watching him look so amused, I furrowed my brows in mild irritation before eventually letting out a small sigh and shaking my head in exasperation.

***

The first thing I did after arriving at the company at my usual time was to thoroughly understand the details of Tartarus’ lodging exposure and the unauthorized hotel intrusion.

“It seems that the exposure of their residence started when a road manager from the management team mentioned it to his younger sibling. That sibling then posted the information on the Bluebird app, and afterward, some members of the Tartarus fan club, Titan, tracked down the address and shared it on Bluebird.”

“What about the hotel?”

“It appears that a hotel staff member was bribed. They accepted money in exchange for selling information. Additionally, we confirmed that they even assisted with the intrusion.”

Hearing such disgraceful news, I clicked my tongue in frustration and furrowed my brows.

“I’m curious when Haje Hotel’s staff training became so inadequate.”

“My apologies. We will correct it immediately.”

“The hotel staff will be fired. As for the road manager…… it doesn’t seem like it was intentional, so let’s go with a three-month salary deduction and retraining on confidentiality.”

After deciding on the measures for the hotel staff and the road manager—both of whom were under my jurisdiction—I fell silent for a moment. The hotel intrusion was a clear crime and had already been handed over to the police. However, dealing with the road manager’s sibling and the fan club members who spread the address was a more delicate issue.

“Fortunately, public opinion has started to shift since yesterday. Many now believe that spreading the address was crossing a line, and there’s increasing talk about refraining from crowding around Tartarus’ residence. At this rate, they should be able to return to the dorm in a few days.”

“That’s a relief. The kids would be uncomfortable staying at my place for too long.”

I felt reassured by the situation unfolding more favorably than expected. Then, a sudden curiosity made me speak up.

“By the way, Secretary Sung, I have a question. May I ask?”

“Of course. Ask me anything.”

“Why hasn’t Tartarus’ lodging been an issue until now? A simple relocation has caused such an uproar, yet the fact that they lived in what was basically an underground storage room was completely overlooked. I can’t understand how that was quietly swept under the rug. Could it be that President Lee Yongjun’s company had tighter security than ours?”

Contrary to my expectations, Sung Yoojun did not immediately respond. Instead, he pressed his lips together in silence. His reaction made me uneasy, and I looked at him with growing concern.

“Don’t tell me their security was actually better than ours?”

That would be shocking. Do I need to reinforce our security? As I seriously pondered the issue, Sung Yoojun finally spoke, looking bewildered.

“No. That’s impossible. In every aspect, our security is superior.”

“Then why do you look so unsettled?”

“Well…… My apologies. It’s just that I’ve never thought about this before.”

Never thought about it? What exactly had he never thought about for him to react so seriously?

“I never questioned why it wasn’t exposed. Why no one ever raised concerns. Considering Tartarus’ status and popularity, it’s completely unreasonable that nothing ever came up.”

“Ah……”

“This is…… strange. Yes, really strange. I can’t understand why I never thought about this before.”

Secretary Sung Yoojun spoke with a serious expression, covering his lips with his large palm. Seeing him like that, I felt troubled. Because I knew the answer to his question.

It was because this place was inside a game.

Not thinking about it was simply part of the game’s settings. Sung Yoojun, as a character within this world, wasn’t supposed to find it odd. It was a pre-set value. The unexpected reminder of this fact made me press my tongue against the roof of my mouth in frustration.

“……That can happen. What’s important is that you’ve realized it now.”

“Do you know something about this situation, sir?”

I couldn’t answer Sung Yoojun’s question. It was out of consideration for him, but also because I was avoiding the burden of revealing such a heavy truth. As I kept my mouth firmly shut, Sung Yoojun, who had been watching me with an assessing gaze, spoke with a complicated expression.

“Is this something you cannot tell me?”

“……Yes. I’m sorry, Secretary Sung.”

“I understand. If that’s the case, I won’t ask any further.”

The way he so easily let the matter go made me clench my fists. I felt guilty for not being able to tell Sung Yoojun the truth. And I felt even guiltier for knowing I could never bring myself to tell him, no matter how sorry I was.

“I really am sorry.”

“It’s alright. I’m sure you have your reasons. Let’s return to discussing work.”

I recognized that Sung Yoojun’s words were meant as consideration for me, as he noticed my discomfort. Feeling grateful for his kindness, I slowly nodded.

“The next topic is regarding Haje Department Store…… Ah, my apologies. Please excuse me for a moment.”

While we were deep in discussion, Secretary Sung Yoojun excused himself and pulled out his smartphone from his pocket. Seeing that he had received a call, I nodded to indicate he should go ahead and answer it.

“Yes, this is Sung Yoojun.”

The call didn’t last long. After listening for a few moments, Sung Yoojun looked at me with a surprised expression.

“Is something wrong?”

“Jung Hosu-ssi’s parents are currently in the first-floor lobby.”

Jung Hosu’s parents? Just like Sung Yoojun, I couldn’t help but show a surprised expression.

“There was no prior appointment…… was there?”

If there had been, Sung Yoojun would have informed me in advance. After all, managing my schedule was his job.

“Just bring them up here. I don’t know why they came, but since they made the effort to visit, of course, I should meet them.”

“Understood. I will bring them in.”

After saying that, Sung Yoojun left the office with a polite bow. It seemed he intended to personally go down to the first floor to escort Jung Hosu’s parents.

While he was gone, I took the time to check my outfit and the cleanliness of the office. Fortunately, nothing seemed out of place.

After a short while, there was a polite knock on the door. When I responded, the door opened, and Secretary Sung Yoojun entered along with a middle-aged couple. The woman was holding a young child in her arms.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Goo Won, the President of Goo Won Entertainment.”

“Hello, sir. My name is Kim Yeonhee. I’m Hosu’s mother.”

Jung Hosu’s mother spoke in a calm voice, smiling softly as she slightly narrowed her eyes. She was so youthful and beautiful that it was hard to believe she had a fully grown son like Jung Hosu.

I knew Jung Hosu was 24 years old this year, but looking at her, I couldn’t understand how she could have a son that age. As I admired her youthful appearance in silence, I shifted my gaze to the man standing beside her, holding the child. And then, my body stiffened in shock.

This is what people mean when they say a ‘mold was reused’.

Jung Hosu’s father and the child in his arms had facial features so identical to Jung Hosu’s that anyone would immediately recognize them as family. Seeing his father, I could easily imagine how Jung Hosu would look in a few decades. And looking at his younger sibling, I thought, ‘So this is what Jung Hosu must have looked like as a child’.

“I’m Hosu’s father.”

“I see…… You and your son look remarkably alike.”

“Right? Sometimes, I get a little jealous, wondering how they can look so identical.”