Big Life

Chapter 243. Dignity Is Important Too (5)

“Oh, Do-Joon, you just arrived? There are reporters at the main entrance, so take the elevator up. Yeah, Tae-Bong hyung will know; I told him yesterday.” Ha Jae-Gun spoke into the phone.

An unexpectedly huge number of reporters had gathered in the lobby.

However, it seemed that Ha Jae-Gun had simply underestimated their numbers. After all, today's wedding was between the heir of a chaebol family and the principal of a suburban academy from an ordinary family, which was bound to attract the attention of the media and public.

“Yeah, I'll see you in a bit. Come and stay with us. We have too few people as compared to the groom’s side.”

— Really? Okay. The global top star will be there; just wait a while longer.

Ha Jae-Gun laughed as he hung up the call.

Ha Jae-Gun stood in front of the sink and washed his hands. Then, adjusted his necktie while staring in the mirror. He loved the outfit that Lee Soo-Hee had picked out for him.

The wedding progressed smoothly. The scene on site was vastly different from that reported in the news. Perhaps they were all conscious of the public’s attention, but the wedding was quite modes compared to the fancy weddings of popular celebrities. There were all sorts of stories about their wedding from the day it was announced until today.

The majority of the responses said that it was a beautiful love story that broke stereotypes, but there were also negative opinions shared on the internet.

Some speculated that the bride’s family had gotten a hold of the groom’s weakness or that Nam Gyu-Ho wasn’t Nam Gyu-Baek’s biological son.

Amidst all the speculations was Ha Jae-Gun’s appearance. The relationship between Ha Jae-Gun, the most famous writer in Korea, and Nam Gyu-Ho, the planning director of Nextion, was clearly the best topic for reporters to write about.

Many different media outlets pointed the spotlight at their relationship.

Articles kept pouring out even when the wedding was still ongoing. Thanks to that, Ha Jae-Gun’s name was consistently at the top of the real-time keyword search ranking.

‘It must be tough...’

Ha Jae-Gun’s gaze was fixed on the red carpet laid out on the floor as he passed by the hallway after exiting the washroom. Nam Gyu-Baek wearing a hanbok stood with his back facing a folding screen. The old man was shaking hands with the long line of guests, one after another.

‘I don’t think he can finish shaking hands with all of them even after the wedding ends.’

The number of guests on the groom’s side was overwhelming. Ha Jae-Gun had never seen a wedding with so many guests. The number of security personnel alone was much more than the total number of normal wedding guests.

On top of that, most of the guests in the long line were prominent figures of society; some were politicians, businessmen, and there were even celebrities. There were even celebrities working as game ambassadors of Nextion's games.

‘They're clearly on a different level.’

Ha Jae-Gun made sure to observe the wedding, as it was a unique experience that didn’t come so easily. In addition, he would have his own wedding as well, so Ha Jae-Gun opened his eyes wide, carving the scene into his brain. He even regretted not having his pen and notepad with him.

“What are you doing here, Jae-Gun?” Park Jung-Jin tapped on Ha Jae-Gun’s shoulder from behind.

Ha Jae-Gun turned around to look at Park Jung-Jin briefly, and then he turned back to see the long line of guests. “I was just watching.”

“Wow, but seriously, am I really allowed to be here?” Park Jung-Jin licked his lips excitedly. He had been invited, as he was close with both Ha Jae-Gun and Ha Jae-In. “I saw two of our former presidents earlier, too. Wow, being the chairman of a large corporation is really different. His personal connections are just astounding.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of amazing people. The long line there alone proves that fact.”

“You’re great, too. Look at all their gazes; can’t you feel them stealing glances at you?”

Ha Jae-Gun looked around after listening to Park Jung-Jin. Thinking back, it did seem that he was constantly making eye contact with people whom he hadn’t met before. Immediately afterward, a petite middle-aged lady and a young lady in her mid-twenties passing by stopped in front of Ha Jae-Gun.

“Excuse me, but are you Mr. Ha Jae-Gun?”

“That’s right. I am Ha Jae-Gun...” Ha Jae-Gun replied, finding the middle-aged lady to be strangely familiar. However, he couldn't pinpoint where he had seen her before.

The middle-aged lady smiled brightly and pulled out a name card from her bag. “Hello, I'm Hyun Jung-Sook.”

“Ah, yes. Hello.” Not wanting to seem rude, Ha Jae-Gun quickly accepted the name card and read it.

He couldn't remember her name, but the words—Dragonfly Art Center—were familiar to him. He had once visited this art gallery with Park Jung-Jin, and it was located somewhere in Jongno-gu.

“I'm really happy to see you here. Your books are always a pleasure to read; thank you for creating such great works.”

“It's my honor, director. I once visited Dragonfly Art Center. It's a beautiful place.”

“Oh my, you have?”

“Yes, this is my friend. We've been close since university and have been there a few times before...” Ha Jae-Gun suddenly trailed off when he looked to his side, turning blank. He found Park Jung-Jin in shock for some odd reason and sweating buckets of cold sweat.

Meanwhile, Hyun Jung-Sook pointed at the young lady beside her and said, “She's my second daughter. It was because of her that I got to know your books. So-Myung, you should say hi.”

“Hello, Mr. Ha. My name is Yoo So-Myung. I have just finished overseas studies and returned to learn some work from my mother.” Yoo So-Myung smiled shyly with a flushed face. “We've just refurbished the art gallery this spring, so please visit us when you have time.”

“I see. I will definitely go once I have time.”

Yoo So-Myung couldn't conceal her joy upon hearing Ha Jae-Gun’s reply. She laughed, covering her mouth.

Hyun Jung-Sook held her daughter’s arm, took a step back, and said, “You must be busy today, so we'll leave you to it. Contact me before visiting us, and I'll make sure to buy you a meal.”

“Thanks for the offer. Have a good day, director, and I'll see you again.”

After the polite exchange, Hyun Jung-Sook and her daughter left. Ha Jae-Gun put away the name card into his wallet.

Park Jung-Jin still wide agape asked, “Hey, hey, how are you so calm?”

“Why? What is it this time?”

“Do you not have any idea who that lady was?”

“She’s Director Hyun Jung-Sook. Why? Were you shocked that she's the director of a famous art gallery?” Ha Jae-Gun teased.

Park Jung-Jin almost wanted to punch Ha Jae-Gun in the chest like a gorilla. “That's not what I'm trying to say. Her father was the former president, and her husband is the CEO of Saerom Construction. That's who she really is.”

“Ah, so that's why she looked so familiar...” Ha Jae-Gun finally nodded in understanding.

“What? She looked familiar? Wow, how can a rascal like you be so calm? It's obvious that she was trying to introduce her daughter to you... Wahh, Jae-Gun, you've flown so high that I can't even see you anymore!”

"Calm down. There’s no way she was here to introduce her daughter to me in that kind of way, so don't go around spreading rumors. I'll be in huge trouble if Soo-Hee hears about it.”

Park Do-Joon would soon arrive, so Ha Jae-Gun pulled Park Jung-Jin away. Just then, a man approached them from a distance. As if they had agreed to do so beforehand, both Ha Jae-Gun and Park Jung-Jin’s eyes narrowed in unison.

“...”

“...”

Silence ensued amidst the crowded hallway.

Ha Jae-Gun and Oh Myung-Hoon stood looking at each other with indifference.

“It's been a while.” Oh Myung-Hoon was the first to break the silence between them.

“How have you been?”

“I'm doing well. What about you?”

“I'm fine.”

Park Jung-Jin wanted to quickly pull Ha Jae-Gun out of there, but who could imagine that they would see Oh Myung-Hoon on a celebratory day like this?

There was no way he had been invited by the bride’s side, so the groom’s side had to have invited him.

“I’ve been hearing about you through the news.” Oh Myung-Hoon began. “Your name was even listed on the National Tax Service as a high-paying taxpayer. You must have made a lot of money. How much did you make? About 30 billion won?”

“I’m not sure. I have never really calculated it.”

“You’re extremely blessed, Jae-Gun. Congratulations to both you and your sister on her marriage.”

Oh Myung-Hoon's attitude seemed to have improved, but his voice still sounded sarcastic. Park Jung-Jin couldn’t stand it any longer and pulled on Ha Jae-Gun’s arm.

“Jung-Jin, I didn’t know I’d see you here.” Oh Myung-Hoon said, looking at Park Jung-Jin in surprise.

Park Jung-Jin did not reply, aware of the hidden meaning behind Oh Myung-Hoon’s question. Ha Jae-Gun answered, “Thank you for coming.”

“Of course.”

“Enjoy yourself. My friend is here, so I have to get going.”

“...?” Oh Myung-Hoon frowned briefly, as Ha Jae-Gun’s words sounded to him like the latter didn't think of him as a friend. Of course, he didn’t want to really be friends with Ha Jae-Gun, and the unpleasant feeling within him came from something else as well.

“Yeah, I should get going as well.” Oh Myung-Hoon was supposed to leave first, so he turned around, pretending to be calm as he left.

When he passed by Ha Jae-Gun, he stopped momentarily and said, “I'm not done yet, Jae-Gun.”

What was he talking about? Was he talking about his works, or was it something else entirely? Ha Jae-Gun couldn't understand. However, he wasn't really curious, so he didn’t ask for clarification.

“I’ll be going, then,” Oh Myung-Hoon said, walking away.

“Bye.”

Park Jung-Jin watched as Oh Myung-Hoon walked into the crowd.

“Why come he has never changed at all?" Park Jung-Jin asked, sounding annoyed. "Isn’t it tiring to live like that? Constantly on edge?”

“Forget it. Don’t mind him.”

“How is he even here? Come to think of it, he hasn’t shared much about his family, has he? Although he did look like he came from a well-to-do family since university days...”

Ha Jae-Gun smiled and turned away to greet the tall and dazzling Park Do-Joon, who had just appeared. As the three approached each other, smiles lit up the faces of the people around them.

***

The wedding ended successfully under a harmonious atmosphere. It was no different than the usual wedding, except that it was attended by famous celebrities and other prominent figures, which brought about a strange tension.

“Thanks for coming. Do you have to leave right away?”

“I should at least have a meal before leaving.”

“What about Tae-Bong hyung?”

“He went to the washroom.” Ha Jae-Gun and Park Do-Joon waited for a while in the hallway. Ha Jae-Gun was sweating buckets as he had to exchange greetings with a few guests.

“Are you Writer Ha Jae-Gun?” The voice of an unfamiliar man rang from behind Ha Jae-Gun.

Turning around, Ha Jae-Gun spotted a man in his sixties smiling back at him. It was Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk, but Ha Jae-Gun couldn’t recognize the man.

“He’s Assemblyman Kwon Sung-Deuk.” the man’s aide said, stepping up.

Just as Ha Jae-Gun was about to reply, Kwon Sung-Deuk laughed heartily and reached out for a handshake first. “It’s nice to meet you, Writer Ha. I’m Kwon Sung-Deuk.”

‘...?’ Ha Jae-Gun’s temples throbbed instantly. Regardless of how old and how high one’s status was, it was their first time meeting. Ha Jae-Gun found it rude how Kwon Sung-Deuk had just addressed him without honorifics.

“I knew we would meet someday since I’m a member of the C.B.C., but to think we'd meet here. Anyway, it’s great to meet you here. I would have brought my book along if I had known you'd be here. Hahaha!” Kwon Sung-Deuk burst into laughter.

Of course, he had lied about bringing Ha Jae-Gun's book along, as he didn't know that Ha Jae-Gun was the younger brother of the bride until he was on his way here.

“Oh, what was that? Yeah, the short-novel that was made into a drama. I’ve enjoyed reading The Supermarket People.”

Ha Jae-Gun scowled lightly, and it was a scowl only Park Do-Joon could recognize.

Ha Jae-Gun had never written a novel titled The Supermarket People.

Kwon Sung-Deuk turned to his aide, seemingly asking for confirmation before saying, “Oh, and I loved reading A Kid’s Nineties and Foolish Human, right? And the movie Going to the Sea—no, Let’s Go to the Sea! Yes, those novels were truly tearjerkers. Isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yes, assemblyman.” Kwon Sung-Deuk’s aide forced a laugh as his cheekbones trembled. He hoped desperately that the assemblyman would stop talking about the writer’s works. In the first place, how did Kwon Sung-Deuk even get all the titles wrong when they weren't even that long?