Busan Mayor An Youngsoo suddenly received a call from Han Jiho.
— Mayor An. It’s Han Jiho.
“Yes, Chairman. This is An Youngsoo.”
— No major issues with city administration, right?
“Of course not. This isn’t my first term—this is already my third. Everything’s running smoothly.”
— That’s good to hear······.
After checking in, Han Jiho trailed off. Hearing the hesitation in his voice, An Youngsoo read the room and spoke first.
“Is there sothing you wanted to say to , Chairman?”
— Do you have plans this evening?
“I do have a dinner scheduled with so local leaders. But if there’s sothing you need, Chairman, I can cancel.”
It was an important engagent, but if Chairman Han Jiho asked, it was more than worth canceling.
— Then······. You know Kim Muhyuk, right?
“You an Secretary-General Lee Myungsoo’s friend? Yes, I received a report. I heard there’s a seventieth birthday banquet for his grandmother. I intended ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) to attend, but I was inford—politely—that politicians and business leaders would not be attending.”
— I know that as well. But I have sothing important I need to discuss with that young man. And who can I trust for sothing like this? You’re the only one, aren’t you?
It wasn’t so grave matter, yet Han Jiho was trying to use him as nothing more than a ssenger. Anger flared up inside An Youngsoo.
Swallowing a bitter laugh, An Youngsoo asked back,
“······Are you telling to go in person and deliver your ssage, Chairman?”
— Could you do that for ? It’s truly important to .
Han Jiho answered shalessly. Rage surged again, but An Youngsoo forced it down and replied,
“Understood. I’ll do it. It’s been a while—I suppose I’ll take the opportunity to see Secretary-General Lee Myungsoo as well.”
— Thank you. What you need to tell him is······.
His insides were boiling, but if this was a personal request from Chairman Han Jiho, there would surely be so scraps left over for him.
An Youngsoo bit his lip slowly, engraving every word into his mind.
— I’ll be counting on you. I won’t forget what you did for today.
After the call ended, An Youngsoo stared at the phone and muttered,
“That bastard sends out for this kind of bullshit.”
Roughly raking his fingers through his disheveled hair, An Youngsoo pressed the intercom and called his chief secretary.
“You called for , Mayor?”
“Push tonight’s dinner back.”
At the irritation dripping from An Youngsoo’s voice, the secretary flinched and asked,
“Pardon? Weren’t you the one who said these were very difficult people to arrange and that we should prepare thoroughly?”
“Hey, you bastard! Who the hell told you to talk back? If I say postpone it, you postpone it! We’re heading to a hotel in Seomyeon instead, so prepare accordingly.”
Tonight’s dinner had been with construction company presidents from Busan and Gyeongnam.
Canceling sothing he’d been preparing for months just to play carrier pigeon made his stomach burn.
“What should I tell them?”
“Make up a good excuse yourself. Apologize for postponing and tell them there’ll be compensation to match.”
“Understood. I’ll contact them imdiately.”
“We leave in thirty minutes. Have the car ready.”
After the secretary bowed and left, An Youngsoo picked up the cigarette pack on his desk.
Pulling a cigarette out with his lips, he flicked it lightly and humd,
“Since I’m going anyway, what should I squeeze out of this, hmm······.”
The cigarette flared briefly, and thick smoke soon filled the office.
Muttering to himself, An Youngsoo sank into deep thought.
* * *
The seventieth birthday banquet was proceeding without a hitch.
When Cheon Jiyoung grabbed the microphone and sang a trot song to liven things up, guests ca forward and began dancing.
It felt just like a neighborhood celebration—everyone was enjoying themselves.
Grandma’s face was in full bloom with smiles, and seeing that made smile without realizing it.
But only for a mont. Uninvited guests suddenly barged in and shattered the mood.
“You can’t do that!”
“Do you even know who this person is?”
“Even so, you can’t co in.”
A commotion broke out near the entrance of the banquet hall.
Manager Ma and the security guards were blocking the entrance, facing off against soone.
On a day like this, which bastard was ruining everything?
As I frowned and stood up, Grandma grabbed my hand.
“Muhyuk.”
I quickly relaxed my expression, smiled, and patted the back of her hand a couple of tis.
“Grandma, I’ll just go check what’s going on.”
Looking down at her with an intentionally gentle smile, I waited until she nodded and let go.
When Lee Myungsoo and Park Hyunseong saw heading toward the entrance, they followed behind .
I asked Manager Ma, who was controlling the guards with his usual stiff expression,
“What’s going on?”
“Boss. The Mayor of Busan says he’s here to attend.”
“Mayor An Youngsoo?”
“Yes.”
At those words, the one who spoke was Lee Myungsoo behind .
As soon as I heard it, I had a pretty good idea of how things had unfolded, and my brow furrowed.
This was an extension of what Myungsoo ntioned earlier.
He said Han Jiho would be contacting soon, but I had no intention of taking that call.
Han Jiho surely knew that. That was why he’d sent soone else to deliver his ssage.
‘But he picked the wrong day.’
Today was Grandma’s seventieth birthday.
For today, at least, I wanted to put everything down and just be her grandson.
That was why I had strictly excluded politicians and business leaders and invited mostly Grandma’s acquaintances.
The only people here with any public recognition were a few of my university friends.
Today, I wasn’t Kim Muhyuk of Myeongdong—I was Kim Muhyuk of Busan.
I was irritated, but with neighborhood folks and city officials watching, I couldn’t just explode.
“Step aside. I’ll et him myself.”
At my order, the guards moved aside.
Only then did the people in front co into view.
“Hello. I’m the chief secretary to Mayor An Youngsoo. The Mayor will be coming up shortly.”
The man announced himself as if he were delivering so sort of notice.
We’d already declined his attendance, and yet he was acting like he mattered?
Before I could say anything, Lee Myungsoo snapped first.
“What do you think you’re doing? We clearly inford everyone that politicians would not be attending today.”
The stiff-faced secretary sucked in a breath when he saw Myungsoo’s face.
But he quickly composed himself and replied shalessly,
“I don’t know anything about that. I was just told suddenly that the Mayor would be attending and to prepare.”
“We clearly told you we were declining. On what authority are you insisting on attending here?”
“Even if you say that to ······.”
At that mont, a group of people stepped off the elevator.
“Ha ha! I’m a bit late, aren’t I? Have you all been waiting long?”
Mayor An Youngsoo hadn’t co alone—he arrived leading a whole group of senior Busan City officials.
He greeted everyone with a hearty laugh, but the atmosphere only grew colder.
Sensing the unusual mood, An Youngsoo quickly looked around. When he spotted Lee Myungsoo, he smiled and spoke.
“Well, well—look who it is. Secretary-General, isn’t it? Long ti no see. First ti since the local elections ended, right?”
“Mayor An Youngsoo. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Lee Myungsoo didn’t even return the greeting, asking stiffly with a hardened face.
“I didn’t co to a place I’m not allowed, so what’s with that attitude? There’s nowhere in Busan I can’t go. Everywhere has citizens I need to embrace. I attend gatherings like this all the ti. I’m not that authoritarian. What do you think I am? And you—are you not a politician yourself?”
“To those people, I’m not politician Lee Myungsoo. I’m just Lee Myungsoo from the neighborhood. These are people I’ve known since I was a snot-nosed kid.”
“Heh heh. Why so sharp?”
He kept smiling as if relaxed, but with Lee Myungsoo’s continued resistance, veins bulged on An Youngsoo’s forehead.
“Please leave. If you have sothing to say, I’ll contact you tomorrow.”
At Myungsoo’s repeated dismissal, An Youngsoo’s mask finally shattered.
“Assemblyman Lee. What do you think you’re doing? I’ve been in politics for decades longer than you! I’m your senior in politics and far older as well. How dare a youngster tell where to go and where not to go! You need to learn manners before politics.”
“Mayor. I believe you’re the one who needs to learn manners. You dragged people to a place you weren’t invited to and are making a scene. As you said, you’re well along in years—this is rude.”
Was this really the Myungsoo I knew? This was nothing like the carefree guy he always was around us.
Even facing the Mayor of Busan, he didn’t back down at all.
Park Hyunseong and the others stared at Myungsoo in shock.
“Is that any way to speak to the Mayor?”
At that mont, soone behind An Youngsoo stepped forward and pointed at Myungsoo.
There’s always soone like that—overzealous loyalty, making things worse.
But Myungsoo didn’t even glance at him, keeping his eyes locked on An Youngsoo.
“Hah······. Assemblyman Lee. Fine. If I was rude, I’ll apologize. But I didn’t co here for you—I ca to see President Kim Muhyuk.”
“So that ans······.”
Myungsoo tried to continue, but I raised my hand to stop him.
He frowned at , but I slowly shook my head.
Raising voices in a place with this many eyes would only damage his image.
Realizing my intent, Myungsoo swallowed his anger and stepped back.
“You were looking for ? This is the first ti I’ve ever t you, Mayor.”
“Ha ha. Nice to et you. I’ve heard a lot about the na Kim Muhyuk. I’m An Youngsoo, responsible for Busan tropolitan City.”
An Youngsoo smiled like a friendly man and extended his hand, but I didn’t take it.
Instead, I spoke coldly.
“State your business quickly and leave.”
The veins on An Youngsoo’s forehead darkened further.
“You’re even more ill-mannered than I’d heard.”
He must be used to National Assembly mbers groveling at his feet.
Regardless of what he said, I stayed silent, intent only on hearing the point.
After a short sigh, An Youngsoo stepped back.
“I’d like to speak privately. Could you spare so ti?”
Whatever Han Jiho wanted to say, I supposed it was worth hearing.
I glanced briefly at the people behind and nodded.
“Fine. Let’s go. I have a hotel room reserved separately.”
Then I turned to Myungsoo and Hyunseong and spoke earnestly.
“I’ll talk for a bit and co back. Please look after Grandma for . Tell her not to worry—I’ll be back soon.”
“Muhyuk······.”
“I’ll handle it. It’s a good day—there’s no need to raise voices.”
After hesitating, Myungsoo nodded.
He knew as well as I did that refusing further would only make things noisier.
I didn’t want to stain Grandma’s birthday with bad mories.
“Everyone else, please leave. Only the Mayor should follow .”
I dismissed the others who had co with An Youngsoo.
A murmur ran through them.
“What······.”
“If you make this any more disruptive, you’ll all be forcibly removed. Will you leave quietly, or be dragged out?”
As I spoke firmly, the security guards stepped forward.
Their imposing presence made the officials visibly flinch.
“That’s enough. All of you, go down and wait.”
At An Youngsoo’s order, they bowed and disappeared back into the elevator.
“Let’s go. Follow .”
Without looking back, I turned and boarded the elevator with An Youngsoo, pressing the floor where the reserved room was.
“Did Chairman Han Jiho send you?”
As the numbers climbed, I asked without even looking his way.
“What?”
“I asked whether you’re Chairman Han Jiho’s ssenger.”
“I’m not so re ssenger—”
“Don’t play word gas, Mayor An Youngsoo. Do I look like I’m joking right now? If today hadn’t been my grandmother’s seventieth birthday, you wouldn’t even be eting .”
Humiliation flashed across his face, and An Youngsoo ground his teeth.
The elevator chid and opened, and I stepped out.
But An Youngsoo didn’t move, just stared at .
“What are you doing? Co along. Or would you rather go back down to the first floor?”
I looked at An Youngsoo, who stood frozen, with eyes utterly devoid of emotion.
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