GG | Chapter 1.4

He watched until the end 8df13035ab of a commercial that was 7eeda1c90e hard to decipher, marking the 3cb118909f end of his day. Despite seeing it 2ce1b388f4 daily, it always 6d0cc24941 caught his attention. Unfortunately, just as he 078793df6c was absorbed in its f33ba2fd45 beauty, the ad would fef0b4a073 end.b655464f13f72021

He could easily search online to replay the video and find out what product it advertised. But Lee Jinwoo didn’t want to break the mysterious and intriguing feeling he got from encountering it just once a day.5d3e4eb820c04368

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Soon, the ad that marked the end of his day disappeared, likely because the contract for airing it ended. Feeling disappointed was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time.328ddfd49259e820

Afterward, his emotions became as still as a broken clock. Returning to his usual state, the brief disappointment didn’t shake him. Time flew by, and as the year-end approached, he got busy attending various events, erasing the 15-second ad from his mind.503195dce4d412c3

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While spinning the wheel of his monotonous routine, he met a welcome person. At a charity event, he unexpectedly ran into a college friend, stirring emotions he hadn’t felt in a while.5dd7546c4b6fd6d7

Surrounded by hostile alpha pheromones, Lee Jinwoo’s shoulders relaxed momentarily.a338f448f27eb6a5

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“I heard you were living in Paris. Are you back in Korea for good?”acdc1964dc08d833

“No, just for work.”ef3bbf9a7ed42c1e

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After the charity event, cf44412811 they moved to another 17fd1eb541 place and drank together. Though they often had 6eebe96b01 tea during college, this 66143f4d3b was their first time 757a017f1b clinking glasses. Park Siyeon, a beta woman, 7f18803c45 was in a different major, e8c52cc9ae but they became friends through 4ebe137382 shared elective classes.40a25da34ba14410

“No one believes me when I say Yushin Group’s Executive Director Lee Jinwoo is my friend.”71fc9f6adaf96fe1

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Hearing her playful complaint, Lee Jinwoo chuckled. It reminded him of her at twenty, now a well-known fashion designer. In college, Park Siyeon would occasionally ask, “Are you really a chaebol?” It sounded like she was questioning why he was a chaebol, making him laugh.cd60ff18c42c03de

“In college, I actually thought you liked me.”938190a5d366671e

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Lee Jinwoo looked at 986559a1f2 her, inviting her to 5f693b8ece continue.1fe4a99b1ca28d98

“You rarely smile, but you always smiled when you saw me. See, you’re smiling now. Why?”fe8a273a61113f1f

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Park Siyeon shook her head 95ad9c2d31 and took a sip of 5cfc7aa719 wine. Why was he smiling? She was the only 23decbcc1b one who treated him 8c54979beb so casually, making it fa254a5da3 feel unfamiliar and amusing. It had been a 990d4190b9 long time since he d05b18873d had a conversation without da55ba213f tension or rivalry, not 1dad169c9a since college.d40dd865d63b38d7

Alphas often prided 7eb6e59dd4 themselves on being 8bbc35bbb0 superior, interacting based 8b93720f5d on traits, and b4f21a6c6f mostly mingling with c2ba0dc242 other alphas despite 972200cce5 hostility. Betas, too, harbored deep resistance fa43d718b0 to alphas, making true friendships 7fe2ca4d89 between them rare.61b895bf8ae6f4ee

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Park Siyeon led their unlikely 43c5ca256d friendship, and she was the 9ae8a2a5b6 only one Lee Jinwoo could 497592ee3a call a friend. Meeting again after 912051fe30 years without awkwardness a66bea1ffb was fascinating, making 64cab92e83 him smile.787ac5a34c9381ed

As they chatted e87676d6ab lightly, Park Siyeon 486c357b12 put down her 8d6bdb3c9c glass and cautiously 56522470dc spoke with a c2875e2ad0 serious expression.7221b912199bf957

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“I saw the news about your mother’s passing. I wanted to offer my condolences, but I couldn’t find the words, so I didn’t call. I’m sorry. Did you send her off well?”5fd0e214a9b46912

“…”e8b8677232148248

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Lee Jinwoo silently 3f3bfc14f6 brought his glass 692ad79c70 to his lips, 30566869ea and Park Siyeon cd1d976709 nodded as if 5fa2eb74b2 she understood his 1b7ccbe85b answer. To the question of 9ac371d9cb whether he sent his dc1ca66b73 mother off well, he ee660767d1 felt he should honestly 6245a5f6a9 say no.5bb73149b0fd8659

Curator Joo Youngsun couldn’t accept her death until the end, raging and bruising her body, demanding to be saved despite there being no hope.390bdf0da2d727e7

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Pulled into bitter memories, 2d5cd38f8b Lee Jinwoo returned to e78bfb7023 reality at the sound b6c716d58d of cheerful chatter. Park Siyeon shared 8f25339b79 her experiences adapting 8915c88c3f to Paris and 5b57cd218e becoming the head f5b86921b7 designer for her 65f881e388 current brand. Her enthusiasm was 979ca69084 palpable in her cae7b07aef excited voice.e9f5f55484725366

“What about you, Jinwoo? How have you been?”f3d782e4daa3883b

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“Me?”2af14338061eb84a

“Yeah. I’ve been talking the whole time. Tell me about yourself.”9d7befce3a576340

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Faced with the opportunity, he found himself at a loss for words. What should he talk about? He had plenty to say about work, enough to talk all night, but that wasn’t his story. Knowing Lee Jinwoo’s usual reticence, Park Siyeon waited patiently for him to speak.a0e66815bcbdc494

Wanting to answer sincerely, Lee e1d4ade467 Jinwoo reflected on his life 837929865e and shared his honest feelings.b3bd76af5d605cd6

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“Life is really boring.”bebf9c5586f1fdad

When there was no response, he asked, “Did that sound annoying?” Park Siyeon shook her head. It might sound absurd for a chaebol third-generation, who seemed to have everything, to say life was boring.2107efa0d3b6a929

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To someone struggling daily, it might seem like he was speaking from a place of privilege, but fortunately, Park Siyeon didn’t take it that way, only showing concern.875c58aeec3fd92f

“When did life start feeling boring?”40ef65211e255439

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If he were to specify, it would be from the moment he was born, but no one would believe that. Yet, it wasn’t a lie. He had never found life fun. That didn’t mean he wanted to die.45a747c67eb5dc6d

Seeing his hesitation, Park Siyeon guessed, “It must have been quite a while.” Instead of responding, Lee Jinwoo shifted his gaze outside. The late-night hotel lounge was filled with piano music. As the music transitioned to the next piece, clapping was heard from across the room.c5620cf209d69a40

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Clap!Surprised by the sudden 5e68a70e42 sound, he looked ahead 8fe57212f5 to see Park Siyeon 709c3a6ecc smiling playfully.3c0bb690cf48b190

“Hey, how about creating small missions to gain a sense of achievement?”e79e63b9ec9eb9b5

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Her unexpected counseling 2e86ce3c8b made Lee Jinwoo 72c35ec5c9 frown. Despite his negative reaction, Park 6fa0de0eb4 Siyeon continued provocatively.9325d402b0e4faf6

“Do you think you’re the only one who finds life boring?”43efc44f38a4ee8a

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Her unexpected words piqued his 45603f83bc interest. Did people live 48f01dcfcc boring lives despite d3f4a8111c their seemingly happy c0e686b1e3 appearances? Leaning forward to listen, 04f416b4d7 Park Siyeon, pleased with 21ac922443 his serious demeanor, continued 89183ad9ce without hesitation.d6d0694a7c67e846

“How about making a bucket list and achieving them one by one? But! Choose things that can’t be solved with your wealth or others’ help.”1346b0614622b596

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Park Siyeon shared her 6346552ed9 experience of regaining vitality 546e362018 by executing a bucket bca00b3912 list at the start 7f8a61c37b of last year when 885f802fb6 she turned thirty.dfae34b57aa3f5e3

“You know, if you fail right at the start, you’re likely to quit. So, start with something really easy and gradually increase the difficulty. You’re busy, so make about five and try to complete them. If it doesn’t work, oh well.”cd6746a4690143e8

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Her casual conclusion left him feeling deflated after listening intently. Seeing Lee Jinwoo’s dismissive attitude, Park Siyeon shrugged and changed the topic. Naturally, they reminisced about their college days, the common ground between them.703422019cad4658

That night, back home, Lee Jinwoo impulsively followed his friend’s advice, partly due to drinking too much. After showering, he sat at his study desk and opened his diary. Starting with easy tasks and gradually increasing the difficulty, he wrote down his bucket list.91d5cfc4aff4e7ad

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Finding tasks that couldn’t be solved with money was challenging, and he spent considerable time writing just five. After finishing, he read through the list, chuckling before closing the diary.436787632114e2d2

The next day, 7b154a0f79 waking without a 9eebc5c224 hangover, Lee Jinwoo e874aad751 forgot about the 4e2f6c09ba bucket list and be23b053de continued his monotonous 2e8bb141d0 life.27664fae471625f8

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Amid the dull race, ce8124ccab he achieved significant external 503385e0d8 success. Stock prices rose, ef625f8800 and Yushin Group 914ea47580 frequently appeared in 538d4f48dc the economic news. Occasionally, sharp criticism appeared, but e19ce67e51 most content was filled with d4b1561399 expectations and praise, seemingly satisfying 26c41eb914 Chairman Lee Woncheol.869a2e0511e61f0b

After his mother’s first anniversary memorial, a decision was made.c7891ef478211130

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“Starting next year, we’ll begin the succession process.”11f13cb55fe8cc96

Despite always being prepared, hearing 5259587789 it from Chairman Lee Woncheol b3dd9ca393 made his heart sink. Even though he was being 76a5216bc8 offered the top position, it c39e3f7a9a sounded like a death sentence, b13c981024 prompting an impulsive weak response.efa61af5b73612a6

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“Chairman, you’re still healthy. Isn’t it a bit early?”0a1d170ec49b0792

Usually, he followed orders bf2a97ea5b without complaint. Chairman Lee Woncheol chuckled e79f39c1fd at his unusual reaction.44dda43a36029318

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“If we start now, it’ll take at least ten years. What’s early about that? Minimize risks and proceed. Make sure the prosecution doesn’t catch wind.”c782f7faf3ccc3d6

With the answer predetermined, 8db39bd208 Lee Jinwoo had no 384c6bde77 choice but to comply. Perhaps seeing it as c72d67be22 humility, Chairman Lee Woncheol 6297ca8e21 chuckled and casually added.9f140e1255897adc

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“I sent photos to your secretary’s office. Keep that in mind.”1f55c1ac2ff9bd50

Without further explanation, he turned away, and Lee Jinwoo bowed without asking questions. Since it wasn’t a holiday, he returned to the office, where Secretary Yoon Jiwan handed him a tablet. Lee Jinwoo scanned through three photos and profiles with an indifferent gaze.5f713d15b6081376

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“They came from the chairman’s office this morning. Check your schedule and set a date. When should I arrange it?”7ce590b8518fe4fc

“Got it. You can go now.”eeda1aa5051986cf

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The three individuals in the photos were all delicate, elegant beauties, likely omegas. During her lifetime, Curator Joo Youngsun insisted on handling Lee Jinwoo’s marriage herself.05cbc078fb58f6bc

Chairman Lee Woncheol, though wanting his grandson to marry quickly and have great-grandchildren, stepped back due to his daughter-in-law’s strong stance.2771b3b4037b2d28

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Lee Jinwoo’s marriage was a significant task for his mother. It wasn’t about bringing in a daughter-in-law but a partner to scheme with. That burden now fell on Lee Jinwoo. Who should he involve in this false life? Who should he make as unhappy as himself?e55f376dcafcb518

With the succession process starting next year, he had only six months of leisure left. Soon, he wouldn’t be allowed to hesitate or question if this path was right.348e7e964c28fcc6

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He would have to sit fa743be8a7 in a position controlling the 124f09e1a1 fate of over 90 subsidiaries 2e47aad07d and more than 200,000 employees.1cec01912f8f9332

That day, work didn’t come easily. His mind was filled with the cowardly urge to escape. Facing the reason for his birth and life’s goal, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.91ed9d57ef945c05

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Yet, outwardly, he showed no 544b50c87d signs.548da1a85f56d67e

After finishing the day’s work and returning home, he finally relaxed and acted differently. But all he did was drink two bottles of soju instead of one. Drinking quickly from a large glass, he emptied the bottles before the evening news ended. Still, he didn’t feel drunk.9b47074dad7f0c5c

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Muttering about life’s boredom, a thought crossed his mind, prompting him to jump up and head to the study. Unable to calmly proceed to the next step, he wanted to catch his breath on a side path. He decided to attempt a rebellion he hadn’t tried since fourth grade summer vacation.8b54fc19015ac56b

Taking out last year’s diary, he flipped through the pages to find the bucket list. This wouldn’t make life exciting or fears disappear, but it might help him forget for a while.90f3b26fd02de1db

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