Mature, sprawling pines and plums lined the cobblestone driveway—the exact same strain of trees that shaded the courtyard back at Kirin. The grounds were vast and unmistakably luxurious, yet managed to project a quiet, restrained elegance that practically screamed ancestral wealth.
We crossed the threshold into the main house, greeted by the low, warm glow of wooden paneling and high ceilings.
Kang Min-ah was practically vibrating with visible annoyance. She leaned toward my shoulder as we unlaced our shoes, whispering frantically under her breath.
"What on earth are you doing, San-ah?! I understand Jin-hyun—he's a mischievous, unhinged brat—but you?! Why did you agree to this?!"
Jin-hyun casually unbuttoned his leather jacket, turning around with a sharp, expectant smirk.
"So... what's the deal?"
Min-ah shot me a quick, desperate shake of her head, silently begging me to keep my mouth shut.
Two uniformed housekeepers instantly appeared at the end of the foyer, bowing deeply.
"Welcome home, Master Jin. Welcome home, Miss Kang."
Jin-hyun offered a relaxed nod. "Evening."
The senior housekeeper noticed my broad frame standing in the entry.
Jin-hyun nonchalantly gestured toward me.
"He's my personal guest for dinner."
The maids bowed politely to me before turning to Min-ah.
"Miss Kang, the Chairman asked for you to come to his study immediately upon your arrival."
Min-ah let out a quiet, frustrated sigh.
"Just a second," she replied.
She turned, gave me one final, stern shake of her head, and scurried up the grand staircase.
Jin-hyun smirked, gesturing for me to follow him toward the second-floor wing.
"So now you can finally tell me what you two were whispering about. I'm deeply curious to know what kind of web she spun around you this time."
As we strolled up the carpeted stairs, I briefly outlined the baseline of our agreement—how I had secured a VIP JBC tour for her from Mrs. Lee in exchange for the truth behind W-Naut.
Jin-hyun burst into a loud, echoing laugh as we rounded the landing.
"A JBC tour? That's what she traded for—"
THUD.
My broad left shoulder collided sharply with a figure turning the corner of the hallway.
The impact knocked the man back a step. A pair of rimless reading glasses slipped from his face, clattering onto the plush runner rug.
Jin-hyun's laughter cut off in an absolute instant. The relaxed, lazy posture he usually carried completely vanished, his spine snapping straight.
"I am so sorry—" I began automatically, bending down to pick up the thin metal frames. I stood up to my full height, extending the glasses forward.
Only then did I look into his face.
My vocal cords locked.
Standing before me was a sharp, bald man with cold, calculating features that looked like they had been chiseled out of marble.
Chairman Park Jin-ho.
Jin-hyun offered a quick, formal bow, his voice dropping into a subdued register. "Good evening, Uncle."
I bowed a little lower than Jin-hyun, keeping my posture respectful.
Jin-hyun's uncle took his glasses from my hand, slipping them back onto his nose with deliberate, precise movements. His sharp eyes scanned my broad shoulders, a cold, slow smile spreading across his lips.
"Well, well..." Park Jin-ho chuckled softly, his voice echoing through the quiet hallway. "Nephew... who do we have here? Isn't this... Mr. Motuzenko? Or should I call you San?"
I met his gaze steadily.
"Good evening, Mr. Park. It's been a long time since we last met. I hope you are doing well."
Jin-hyun's sharp eyes darted between the two of us, quietly observing the sudden, tense aura that filled the corridor.
Park Jin-ho suddenly let out a loud, booming laugh. It was a rich, polished sound that practically resonated with the weight of a thousand—no, a million dollars.
"Yes, it has been a while," Mr. Park answered, adjusting his cuffs. "How are things progressing over at Kirin?"
"Everything is fine, sir," I replied smoothly. "Term finals are approaching, so the students are a bit on edge right now."
"Ah, yes," Mr. Park nodded, a flickering glint of amusement in his eyes. "I heard a rumor... that if the representative of the foreign exchange students fails to enter the Top 100 ranking, your little band project... what was the name again? W-Naut? Ha-ha! Forgive me, I'm getting old."
I looked straight into Park Jin-ho's cold eyes, my deep voice remaining completely unbothered.
"It's H-Wnot, sir," I corrected cleanly. "It stands for How to Be Fine (When Everything's Not)."
Mr. Park held my serious gaze for three long seconds. The silence in the hallway was razor-thin.
Then, he burst into another sudden laugh, reaching out to pat my shoulder with heavy, practiced familiarity. "H-Wnot. I will remember it."
He turned his gaze toward his nephew, his tone instantly shifting into a sharp, disapproving lecture. "Jin-hyun-ah. How many times have I told you to start dressing properly for family gatherings? Didn't your father teach you basic etiquette? I am certain he must have."
Before Jin-hyun could respond, the deep, mechanical rumble of a luxury limousine pulling onto the gravel driveway echoed through the open window at the end of the hall.
Park Jin-ho glanced toward the glass, a subtle smirk touching his face.
"Ah. Speak of the devil... here he comes." He patted Jin-hyun's shoulder once more before looking back at me. "We will continue this at dinner. I hope Mr. Motuzenko will accompany us."
With a nod, the Chairman brushed past us and descended the stairs.
The moment Park Jin-ho disappeared around the landing, Jin-hyun reached up and aggressively dusted off his shoulder where his uncle had touched him, letting out a sharp, quiet scoff.
He turned to me, his dark eyes wide with genuine surprise.
"I had no idea you'd already met my uncle!"
"Yeah," I sighed, running a hand through my messy comma hair. "It was about a month ago, at Yoo Chae-rin's house during a formal gathering."
"I see," Jin-hyun muttered, turning back toward the hallway. "That explains why you looked like you saw a ghost."
We resumed walking down the long corridor toward the west wing. After a brief pause, Jin-hyun let out a quiet chuckle.
"You know, San-ah..." he said, his tone turning teasingly ominous. "You are going to be thoroughly shocked when Min-ah finally hands over that file on what happened to W-Naut and their final fate."
He shot me a wicked grin over his shoulder.
"Just a friendly word of advice: try not to be drinking anything when you read it. You might literally spit your stomach out."
I stopped mid-stride, glaring at him. "So... you already know the whole story?"
Jin-hyun laughed out loud, throwing his head back.
"Do I know?! Ha-ha! San-ah, who do you think gave Min-ah the core data in the first place? I was the primary source."
He reached the end of the hall and pushed open a heavy mahogany door.
"Welcome to my room."
I stepped inside. The room was massive, lined with high-end electronic mixing gear, drum pads, vintage vinyl records, and guitar cases stacked against the walls.
"By the way," Jin-hyun asked, unbuttoning his shirt without an ounce of self-consciousness, "why do you even want to know the W-Naut history so desperately anyway? Don't you have enough of your own academic problems to deal with?"
He casually stripped right down to his boxers to change into formal attire. Having grown up in locker rooms back home, I wasn't bothered in the slightest. I simply leaned against his desk, watching as he pulled a fresh shirt and sweater from his closet.
"Um..." I scratched my head, offering a quiet, unvarnished response. "I guess... I just really want H-Wnot to become a genuine, real team."
Jin-hyun paused mid-motion, his head stuck inside the tight collar of a heavy dark sweater.
"Well..." his muffled voice echoed from under the fabric as he struggled with the sleeves. "That might be a massive problem."
"Why?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Ugh!" Jin-hyun grunted, aggressively yanking the sweater down over his silver hair until his head finally popped out. He smoothed down his collar, looking me dead in the eye with a terrifyingly serious expression.
"Because Park Jin-woo has just shown signs of waking up."