Awakening Of Grace: Kyung Jin-ju II (7)
On Tuesday, after work, a message came from Sujin.
[I showed the photos to my parents and explained why you sent the divorce papers. Both of them understand you now. Dad says he'll remove sister from the family registry.]
[Sorry, brother-in-law. For meeting my trashy sister.]
Do-kyung briefly replied to the message from Sujin, saying it was not her fault. Shortly after, he received a message from his father-in-law.
[Mr. Seo, it's me. I've heard everything Yujin did. I'm very sorry. We were criticizing you without knowing anything. Saying you only cared about yourself while our daughter was struggling there. I'm truly sorry, and even a hundred apologies wouldn't be enough. We won't oppose you divorcing Yujin. We've decided to remove her from our family registry as well. It seems like an extreme choice, but I have no memory of raising a beast that crawls on its own legs.]
He was resolute.
The father-in-law who had once greeted him with a warm smile made an unexpectedly firm decision. Of course, there was no guarantee that things would turn out exactly as he said, but for now, Do-kyung chose to trust him. Not because he was naive, but because he simply didn't want to be bothered.
After that, another message came, but the content was not much different. It expressed something like, "You've been through a lot," and an admission of not having the courage to visit and apologize due to shamelessness, and a wish for future happiness. Do-kyung did not reply to this message.
However, he felt displeased.
The crime was committed by Lee Yujin.
Yet the responsibility and apology were being shouldered by his father-in-law and Sujin.
For the first time, Do-kyung felt the direction of the judgment against Lee Yujin wavering.
Wednesday.
He used his lunch break to check the verification photo sent by Jeong So-young from the bathroom, then put his phone back in his pocket. Jeong So-young's Subjugation Imprint was nearly 100% complete. She had unbuttoned her blouse, lowered her bra, and pressed her breasts together to show off the piercings, her face visible up to her nose. Although she was clearly embarrassed and biting her lip, he could unmistakably detect excitement in her expression as well.
It was a sign that her will and subconscious were beginning to accept the thrill of her actions as pleasure.
'Since her piercing wounds need to heal a bit, I'll torment her later, and we can slowly move on to the next step.'
At this point, she would never disobey his words. The videos stored on the USB plugged into his home PC would end her life if they were released, though he had no real intention of blackmailing her with them. The Subjugation Imprint was so powerful that it was unnecessary.
Buzz, buzz.
Two messages came in again in succession, and upon checking them, they were from Ashley this time. She was completely broken by him that day. As a result, she couldn't resist the command to use self-pleasuring devices in both her front and back, and she diligently sent certification photos morning, noon, evening, and right before bed. She was cold enough to be called a chic city woman, but that day she was completely stripped and broken by him, to the point where now she trembled just at seeing his messages.
'I need to train her faster.'
He planned to accelerate her training and send her as a gift to John Renat soon. What he didn't know was that Ashley had already hired a lawyer to begin divorce proceedings. While she couldn't bring herself to resent or hate him, John Renat was another story. Her anger was fully directed at him.
After saving the photos, he slipped his phone back into his pocket just as Lee Joon-seok approached.
"Manager? The meeting preparation is complete."
"Alright, let's go."
He stood up and switched the remote in his pocket back to ON.
Buzz! Whirr!
The vibratorinside Jeong So-young started to turn, but no sound was made. Instead, she just curled up tightly. Maybe she was used to it now, as she no longer moaned with a gasp like she did at first.
'They say humans are creatures of adaptation.'
Looking at Jeong So-young, it certainly seemed like a true statement. Upon entering the meeting room, Park Joon-woo was waiting with the PPT, and Do-kyung sat down with the thought of just seeing it. Park Joon-woo's PPT was neither particularly bad nor good. It was a proposal suggesting direction, but from Do-kyung's perspective, there were quite a few areas that needed improvement. Of course, Lee Joon-seok and Shin Na-kyung must have noticed those areas too, but there was an unspoken rule that sometimes things have to break once to be fixed, which kept them quiet. And in fact, the reason Park Joon-woo was standing there was because Lee Joon-seok and Shin Na-kyung had given him the opportunity. Knowing this, Do-kyung deliberately did not touch on that part.
After telling him he did well and having him sit down, Do-kyung checked the documents. As he reviewed them one by one, he looked up and asked Park Joon-woo.
"Mr. Joon-woo, so you're suggesting acquiring the entertainment company and signing contracts with B-list actors?"
"Pardon? Yes, that's correct. Although it would incur a lot of initial costs, I believe the company could establish itself more quickly that way!"
"That's true, but did you bring the list of actors?"
"Uh? Not yet…"
Given the tight schedule, it was understandable that he hadn't thought of it yet.
Do-kyung gestured with a smile for him to sit down.
"Good work. Bring me the list of actors later."
"Yes!"
As Park Joon-woo sat down, Do-kyung turned to look at Shin Na-kyung.
"I heard Taehwa Entertainment has a bit of a bad reputation around it?"
"That's true. However, their affiliated entertainers are doing well. They have a versatile lineup of actors, singers, and musical artists, so I included them on the list."
Do-kyung nodded at Shin Na-kyung's words.
Shin Na-kyung was the most knowledgeable about this industry among the four present. She liked idols, handsome actors, and talented actors, and was well-versed in many things. One of her hobbies was being a fan, and she often said she had accumulated enough expertise to gauge the potential of actors and singers quite well.
In her opinion, Taehwa Entertainment was brimming with promising rookie actors, and Do-kyung thought that wasn't a bad thing. Especially in places with many rookies, it was easier to include Jin-ju.
'Come to think of it, I haven't asked for her opinion yet. I'll have to ask her right after this ends.'
No matter how much effort he put in, if Jin-ju didn't want it, everything would be for nothing. However, he had a strong conviction that she would not oppose it. Of course, this conviction was based on his belief in the power of the Subordination Imprint.
"And as for Taehwa Entertainment, it seems it will be okay soon. There are rumors that the gang backing them up is withdrawing since it's not profitable anymore."
"Hmm, is that so?"
"Yes."
They would probably try to get involved again if things turned around, but this wasn't a small neighborhood shop they were dealing with. Daejin was a large corporation, albeit a relatively new one, and though still smaller than Jo-sung, it was far beyond the reach of any gangsters.
"Keep Taehwa on the list, but drop Taesung. Acquiring it would be pointless."
"Yes!"
Taesung had a bad reputation.
There were rumors of a takeover, but both the CEO and the affiliated celebrities there were of poor quality. Realistically, Daejin could start its own company instead. They could hire trustworthy industry professionals to proceed with the work. However, the entertainment industry system couldn't be built overnight. And since the brand name of an entertainment company carried weight, it was much easier to negotiate with an existing company than to start from scratch.
After over an hour of discussion, five entertainment companies, including Taehwa, were left. As soon as Do-kyung submitted the proposal to Lee Myung-sun, indicating they would contact these five companies, an OK sign was immediately given. Since getting the sign didn't mean they would meet right away, Do-kyung told Lee Joon-seok to just set up the appointments and then finished work and left for the day.
Once in the car, he immediately contacted Jin-ju.
-Oh, Mister? Wow! Mister! It's really you, right? You called me, right?
"Yes, it's me. Where are you?"
-Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Hiiing… I'm at the library. I was so surprised by your call that I shouted, and now I feel like I'm being torn apart by all the sharp stares… I'll go outside to take the call, just a moment.
"Okay."
Was she really that excited?
It occurred to him that this was probably the first time he'd initiated contact. Feeling a bit guilty, he also thought he should make a habit of reaching out more often.
-Mister? I'm in the restroom now!
"Yeah, until when are you studying?"
-Until you called me!
"Hmm?"
-Ah! I mean, I'll finish and come right away! To meet you! Hehe!
"Are you sure that's okay?"
-Of course! Hehe, so are we meeting today, Mister? Do you want to see me?
"Yes, I have something to say, and if possible, I was thinking if we could meet?"
-Oh yeah! Hmm! Then that's it for studying! So where…? Ah, right, but I had plans with Min-jung today… We're still studying together now… Hehe.
"Really? Hmm…"
Min-jung was probably Yeo Min-jung.
After a brief consideration, he decided that bringing it up in front of Yeo Min-jung wouldn't be much of a problem.
"Bring her along, then."
-Got it! Where should we meet?
"I'll send you the address. It shouldn't be too far from your place."
-Got it, got it! Yay! We're on our way!
Click.
After hanging up, he sent the address of a restaurant he frequently visited with friends and headed there immediately. It took about an hour due to traffic. The two were already there, lingering at the entrance. As he got out of the car, Yeo Min-jung spotted him first and pointed. Then Jin-ju also noticed him immediately and ran over with a bright smile.
"Mister!"
!
Do-kyung was a bit startled by the enthusiastic embrace but patted her back in return. To anyone watching, it would look like they were a couple, though, thanks to his youthful appearance, he didn't come across as a middle-aged man with a girl in her twenties.
"Hello."
"Oh, Min-jung, it's nice to see you too."
"We've met twice now, so feel free to speak comfortably."
Do-kyung nodded at Yeo Min-jung, who was covering her mouth and laughing.
"Is that okay?"
"Of course. Since Jin-ju likes you, I'll call you 'Mister' too."
"No way!"
As Do-kyung was about to nod, unexpectedly, Jin-ju objected.
"Min-jung, just call him 'Oppa'! He's my mister only!"
"Oh my, look at you?"
"Hehe, come on, Min-jung, please?"
"Hehe, okay, okay, I get it. Jin-ju is really smitten with Mister—I mean, Oppa, isn't she?"
"Seems like it, haha, shall we go in?"
"Yes."
"Yep! Hehe!"
With their responses, he led them inside. The restaurant he had chosen specialized in traditional Korean food and had a mix of open tables and private rooms, making it convenient for conversations. Though it was floor seating, the tables allowed space underneath for legs, making it comfortable to sit and eat.
He ordered three set meals, traditional liquor, and a bottle of soju, and began the meal. They began with the meal, and Jin-ju enthusiastically enjoyed her food. Min-jung, meanwhile, didn't hold back in front of the food, either—she ate heartily, even more so than Jin-ju.
He watched Min-jung eat, mesmerized.
She ate slowly and in large quantities. She had three bowls of rice, and ordered more of the main dishes like braised cutlassfish, stir-fried pork, and grilled short ribs three more times. At this rate, she was practically a food fighter.
"Wow…"
"Hehe, Min-jung really eats well, doesn't she? She never pretends in front of her favorite food, our Min-jung eats well! Hehe!"
"Yeah, she eats well."
Min-jung shot them a playful glare while expertly picking the meat off her fish, returning to her food. Her eating wasn't messy or anything like that. Rather, it looked pretty. Watching her, he understood why people say there's something attractive about a woman who eats well. Only after finishing four bowls of rice did she end her meal. Watching her delicately wipe her mouth with a wet towel, he could only chuckle.
When tea was served as a dessert, Jin-ju smiled brightly and asked him.
"Mister, now tell us. What is it you wanted to say?"
With her eyes sparkling in anticipation, he snapped back to reality, finally breaking free from the lighthearted dining atmosphere Min-jung had created.
Ahem.
"Jin-ju."
"Huh?"
"Do you want to try being a celebrity?"
"..."
Blink, blink. Kyung Jin-ju's eyes were filled with question marks, and her head tilted to the side.