IRLPLBIO Chapter 25 Part 1

Na-eun’s father was the President of Lee Young Construction, a company that consistently ranked within the top 20 in domestic construction. He built his business by quietly taking down rivals, using the dust from construction sites as a shield. Now that he was somewhat established, he was known for trying to create construction sites with less dust.

To the younger men who had been with Lee Young Construction from the start, he was a good elder brother, and to his only daughter, Na-eun, he was a devoted father. Even rival construction companies, when they lost projects to him, would curse the loss, not the man himself.

Jae-gu became the biggest piece of dust he had stirred up. The memory, stuck like an indelible stain, was vivid.

But not anymore. Jae-gu, quickly coming to his senses, finally rebutted Na-eun’s words.

“…Wait, no, just a moment. Hey, why would I try to get on your father’s good side? I never had any intention of going there, not even way back when.”

“Ha! It’s no use playing innocent. You were planning to use ‘saving me’ to appeal to my dad, weren’t you?” Na-eun challenged him clearly. Na-eun, who knew well all the hoodlums, thugs, and third-rate gangsters who tried to curry favor with her father, was not easily fooled by a few excuses.

“Don’t get it twisted. Construction companies don’t just take in any thug. The days when gangsters started construction companies are long over, you know? They don’t hire people just because they’re good with their fists!”

“…Riiight, thanks a bunch for the detailed explanation. But I’m going to Dae-yeong.”

“See? I knew you had an ulterior motive…! Wait, Dae-yeong?” The tension in Na-eun’s arms, which had been defiantly crossed, eased.

Dae-yeong? Dae-yeong also had a construction subsidiary. Even Dae-yeong Construction, one of the Dae-yeong Group’s dozens of subsidiaries, consistently ranked in the top 3 in domestic construction. Considering the parent company, the Dae-yeong Group itself, the difference between Lee Young Construction and Dae-yeong was like an ant and an elephant.

It was difficult to keep pressing him, calling it a lie. Na-eun had seen and heard all sorts of people around her father since she was young. Distinguishing between those who lied and those who told the truth was almost instinctive for her.

Na-eun uncrossed her arms. In such situations, one shouldn’t hesitate. Making a quick decision was the best way to minimize losses. Actively applying what she learned from her father, she quickly apologized.

“…My apologies, senior. I seem to have been mistaken.” It was a very insincere apology. Her acting was even worse than before.

Jae-gu, dumbfounded, let out a hollow puff of air. Na-eun, without showing her annoyance, grumbled once more.

“My bad.”

It wasn’t something to drag on. It was just a small misunderstanding, and Jae-gu had no intention of holding a grudge over a few words from a child.

“…Add the laundry fee on top of the price for saving your life.”

“Saving my life? You’re really overdoing it…!”

“Wha~t was ~that~?”

“…Oh, fine… I get it.”

“Good, you should have done that from the start.”

Na-eun’s throat tingled with words she wanted to retort. She couldn’t understand why Jae-gu’s triumphant face was so annoying.

Jae-gu, grinning and savoring his victory, reached for the bathroom doorknob, then turned back.

“Oh, right, don’t tease innocent kids.”

“Tease? I’m going to date Kim Min-jae, you know!”

“Did he agree to that?”

“Ag-agree… I’ll get his agreement later!”

Na-eun’s face flushed crimson, starting from her cheeks. She seemed incapable of lying. It was amusing how her audacity, which made her unafraid of thugs and allowed her to argue fiercely with Jae-gu, vanished the moment Kim Min-jae was mentioned.

“She’s really bold, isn’t she? Are all kids like this these days?” Jae-gu shook his head, muttering a phrase like an old man.

Just then, a knock came from outside the bathroom door.

“Hyung, are you still talking?”

“Ah, no, I’m coming out now!”

Na-eun narrowed her eyes at Jae-gu’s flustered back.

“What? You meddle so much in other people’s business, but you can’t see your own? Isn’t he an idiot?” Na-eun inadvertently hit upon the truth.

After confirming that Na-eun was not a runaway, Han Ga-yeon delayed the cafe’s closing time slightly later than usual. This was to wait for Na-eun’s father, who was coming to pick her up.

“…Don’t bring the uncles. Absolutely not. Just try it. Oh, and you didn’t, by any chance, come in a dark car, did you? If you did, I really won’t see you, Dad.” Han Ga-yeon accidentally overheard Na-eun whispering on the phone in a corner. It made her think, ‘That child has her own circumstances too.’

A little while ago, Na-eun had told Kim Min-jae, ‘My dad? Uh, he… works in… construction!’ As a result, Kim Min-jae, completely misunderstanding her father’s profession, worriedly said, ‘Then he must be very tired, can I really ask him to pick me up…?’ His frustratingly naive attitude appealed even more to Na-eun.

Even now, Kim Min-jae, seemingly worried about Na-eun on the phone, kept trying to approach her.

“Na-eun, is your father coming?”

“Huh? Oh! He said he’s almost here.”

“Ah, that’s good. What a relief.” Kim Min-jae, sighing in relief, quickly put on an apologetic expression. His gentle eyes behind his round glasses took on an even more pitiable look.

“If I had money, I would’ve bought you a new ticket, I’m sorry.”

“…No, why are you sorry for that, oppa? I’m the one who lost it.”

“Still… you came all this way… and now your father has to be tired…”

“It’s fine, I said. My dad doesn’t get tired this easily. Don’t worry about it.” Na-eun patted Kim Min-jae’s dejected back. Over there, Jae-gu could be seen grinning and observing the young couple. Even with his pleased expression, he was utterly annoying.

I could just hit him! Na-eun ground her teeth. She wanted to punch him with all her might if she got the chance.

Soon after, a sleek black large sedan became visible through the cafe window. Behind the sedan, which glided smoothly to a stop on the road in front of the door, another identical car appeared. One more, and then yet another.