Childhood Friend of the Youngest Daughter of a Conglomerate Family

23 – I’ll be by your side

I went out to the school gate and saw a black sedan waiting.

The trainee who recognized us opened the back door and said.

“… Let’s ride, lady.”

A cold-faced beauty with short bobbed hair.

Are you a little over 30?

She was the one you could see every day she had to meet King Yoo-chul, but she had never seen that expressionless face collapse.

Ara gave her a salute as she rode in the back seat of hers.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Cherry. You came to your mother’s funeral, right? I wasn’t in a good mood at the time, so I couldn’t even say hello.”

“… You don’t have to worry about it, lady.”

“hehehe, I wish Cherry was my exclusive. It’s a bit hard to say this, but… My current exclusive, Mr. Sangcheol, is a bit, isn’t it? It’s comfortable for me to have a woman like me as an exclusive… Ah! Can’t I tell Sang-cheol about this?”

“… Don’t worry. I’m not talking to him like that.”

Was this woman’s name Cherry? Or something like a codename?

… No, a code name or something. She couldn’t possibly have anything like that. She must be her real name.

That’s an inappropriately cute name.

For reference, the name Sangcheol is the real name of Kkakdugi, who was an attendant of Han Seungah.

Since Han Seung-ah died, he has been using Ara to go far.

“Ah ~ I’m so nervous because it’s the first time I’ve met her grandfather since the funeral. How is her grandfather these days, Mr. Cherry? As the youngest granddaughter, she is so worried~? Because of her age, she is concerned about her grandfather’s health… “

“… Wouldn’t it be better to go and check it yourself? I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding the lady will have if I carelessly teased her.”

“… Is it so? Still, her grandfather is a person who doesn’t talk about himself honestly, so I wanted to hear about Mr. Cherry… Are you sorry?”

Contrary to what he said, there was no regret on Ara’s face.

She just put on a look that she knew she would and turned her head out of her window.

Mr. Cherry also doesn’t have any change in expression on her face.

From the expression he really greeted us for the first time, only his mouth moves.

Does this person look in the mirror every day and practice that expression for an hour?

In an awkward atmosphere where there was no more conversation between the two and the silence flowed, I spoke up.

“Uh… Cherry, can I call you Mr. Me too? Is the president waiting for you first?”

“Yes. You are waiting. Also, don’t call me Cherry, call me Chief Han.”

What is it? Are you short on me?

Well, is it natural?

From this woman’s point of view, I’m not the person to be served or anything.

She probably looks like a person in a similar position to him.

To the subject who is younger than me if I add up my previous life… Inwardly, let’s call her Miss Cherry.

“… Is there something wrong, Lee Han-sol?”

“No, Che… Chief Han. I’m just sorry that the president is waiting… “

“… Okay. President, it is your habit to always wait first for the appointments you set first.”

“Oh, that is worthy of an example.”

“… Yes.”

As I praised King Yoo Chul, I could see that the corners of Miss Cherry’s mouth went up and down very slightly.

It is the first expression of her emotions.

Could this woman really respect King Yoochul?

Why would such a person… No Because there is no law that says that others hate you just because you hate me.

There is no absolute good or evil in the world.

There are people who are good to me and there are people who are bad to me.

King Yoochul is not a good person for Nana or Ara, but he can be a good person for Miss Cherry.

Ara is texting someone on her cell phone as if she is not interested in our conversation.

“… Im here. Miss.”

I arrived in front of the restaurant.

I lightly bowed my head to Miss Cherry and entered the restaurant with Ara.

When I glanced at Ara, there was a faint smile on her face.

It looked like he was expecting something.

It was after I finished eating that I learned the meaning of that strange expression.

———-

“Support, female middle school… Isn’t that school definitely a bit far from the base?”

“Yes, that’s right, Grandpa.”

“…… “

King Yoo-chul frowned at Ara’s calm reply.

This is because a completely unexpected answer came back to the lightly asked question, saying that he would go to the same school as Hansol anyway.

‘What the hell happened to these kids… ?’

King Yoo Chul glanced at Han Sol’s face.

As he returned to Ara, his face showed a feeling of embarrassment that he could not hide.

At least, the boy in front of me didn’t seem to know at all.

‘… From what I’ve seen, I’ve heard that the two of them are in a slightly awkward atmosphere at school and at home, but… To this extent?’

King Yoo Cheol put Arra and Hansol under surveillance even among the servants who came and went to Ara’s house, and among the people involved in the base camp.

Of course, it is not possible to know every move of these two people, but it is possible to roughly grasp it.

And I’ve heard reports from watchers that the time these two have already been together has decreased.

But I thought it was simply a small change after Seung-ah’s death, or a natural distance between them as their hair grew.

But you’re going to school separately?

It was King Yoocheol staring at Ara again, but I couldn’t read her smiling face.

Instead of that, King Yoo Cheol decided to ask a boy with a confused face like himself.

“… What are you thinking?”

“…… “

“Isn’t Hansol asking you? What are you thinking about in the future!”

“Ah! I’m sorry, Mr. President. I, that… Still good… “

“… You haven’t decided yet?”

“Sorry… “

“… Done. But that’s nothing to be sorry for.”

Hansol’s eyes, who answered in a bewildered voice, didn’t know how to let go of Ara.

This boy must have thought, of course, that she would go to the same school as Ara.

But she didn’t say anything to him, and then suddenly said something while having a meal with herself…

‘Am I wrong? About these two… No, ah, was my judgment about this wrong?’

Frustrated, King Yoo Cheol decided to openly ask.

“… Hansol.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Go to the parking lot and tell Chief Han. Let the tea warm up a little. Now that this old man has grown old, the slightest chill gives his body a chill.”

“… Yes, Chairman.”

“And you wait in the car with Chief Han. I’ll wait for the tea to heat up before going down with Ara.”

Forcing Hansol to do something that could have been conveyed over the phone.

It’s a way of telling someone to vacate a seat.

Hansol, who understood that, immediately answered and left.

I couldn’t refuse King Yoocheol’s order, and it was hard work to sit here with a confused mind.

As soon as Hansol left, King Yoo Cheol asked Ara.

“What do you think of him?”

“Sol?”

“Yes, that guy you call Sol. You picked him up, and it’s already been 8 years since we lived together, right? It’s like family. Even when young, they look great, and they have an adult side. Isn’t he a nice guy?”

“… Yes, Sol-yi is not only good, but very good.”

“Even as a man?”

King Yoochul pulled his face closer to Ara.

A distance that seems to be looking at every single movement of your facial muscles.

Ara knew that from now on is the most important thing.

“Sol Yi has a handsome face, is considerate, and has a good sense of humor… How many girls at school do Sol like? He said he was different from other boys his age.”

“… Heh, is that so?”

After all, isn’t her opinion wrong?

Ara added an unexpected word to King Yoocheol who had such thoughts.

“But that’s all. If you ask me how… I have a different opinion.”

“Different? What?”

“Solyi has no parents. Even if there is, I don’t know who her father’s side is, and her mother’s side is also… It’s kind of like saying this. Even though we live together… Sol is a little born… “

“… So what do you want to say? Do you think that guy is not good as a man? It’s just a word that doesn’t suit your age… I don’t think I love you, is this?”

“Pu-sup… love? Grandpa, are you serious about that?”

As if the word love was funny, Ara covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.

“Whoops, what is love? It doesn’t do me any good… Does that matter to people like us? Not emotionally, but rationally. It’s important that the relationship is beneficial to me.”

“You… “

Are you really my granddaughter Yuara that I used to know?

It was King Yoo Cheol who wanted to ask such a question.

He said what he wanted to hear from her son Yoo Jae-jun, that daughter is doing.

The daughter is denying that her father’s love is important.

Is that really Ara’s sincerity?

It was King Yu-cheol who observed Ara with her eyes wide open, but it was difficult for her to read her true intentions.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom for a minute.”

“… Yes, please wait.”

Leaving behind King Yoo-chul, who was glaring at her suspiciously, A-ra stood up.

She couldn’t bear it any longer.

“… I’m sorry, Sol.”

Ara muttered to herself as she rinsed her mouth in front of the sink.

She said it was to deceive King Yoo-cheol, but she insulted him by mentioning Han-sol’s birth.

Her guilt and self-loathing made her cry, but she couldn’t shed a tear.

You must keep your composure in front of King Yoo Cheol.

‘Did I just do well? Did Grandpa understand this?’

As Han Seung-ah’s daughter, her performance was great, but I wasn’t sure if it could fool King Yoo.

But again, I couldn’t even cry because I had barely taken my first step.

Because Ara will continue to play the ‘ideal granddaughter’ to her grandfather.

Until the time of his death.

Until the uncertain day comes, she has to give up many things.

Even if she loves it.

———-

“What do you mean? Going from middle school to girls’ middle school? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“… I also recently decided It was because Sol didn’t have time to talk to you.”

As soon as I got home, I went into Ara’s room and asked her about middle school.

Ara lowered her eyes and told a staring lie.

“Does that make sense? Didn’t you have time to think about it? Should she have told me first if she was thinking about going to school? Did she even know Park Min-ah?”

“It’s because Mina and I decided to go to Girls’ Middle School together… Mina’s parents told Mina to go there. Mina is very lonely when she goes to school alone. Oh, but that doesn’t mean she decided to look only at Minah. I chose it because it was a good school.”

“That’s real… ?”

Is that really true?

Even if it’s not true, there’s probably no way for me to know.

Ara would have already agreed with Mina.

I am also close with Minah, but I think Mina will take Ara’s side more.

“Sol, don’t you believe me? Do you think I did it on purpose to trick you?”

“… It’s too sudden.”

“Our Sol has become lonely? You want to be with me every day, but you can’t?”

As she held my hand gently, Ara came into my arms.

Since we were already quite different in height, her face was just buried in my chest.

The scent of Ara’s shampoo, which is different from the one I use, permeated my nose as if it were covering my nose.

It is a delicate, calming scent.

“… I’m worried. Ara, you’ve been so anxious since that day.”

“Why am I anxious? Does Sol look depressed because I don’t have a mother in your eyes? Does Mina say that?”

“That’s not true… It’s so bright that it makes me a bit anxious.”

“Then, will our Sol walk around crying uneasy? Like this?”

Ara looks up at me with a face that seems to make her cry.

Even when she was crying, a smile leaked out of her cute face involuntarily.

“… That can’t be You are so ugly right now.”

“What? No matter what expression I make, I have a pretty face.”

“Kik, are you saying that with your own mouth… “

Feeling Ara’s body temperature held in my arms, her anger and disappointment subsided.

I wrapped my arms around her and whispered to her.

“… Yooara, do you remember what we promised? When I was a kid.”

“Which one? So many things we promised?”

“I will never forget that I will make you comfortable for the rest of my life. Therefore… No matter what you think or do, I am on your side.”

“…… “

“Even if you have different thoughts right now, even if there are things that are difficult to tell me, it’s okay. I will still be by your side.”

Ara hugged me tightly without answering.

Her body was trembling slightly.

In response, I hugged her tighter.

… I don’t know what Ara is thinking.

But I made a promise with Ara, and I also made a promise with Han Seung-ah.

I will protect her.

That is the most important thing to me right now.

After a while, during middle school counseling session, I asked the homeroom teacher.

“Where is the closest school to your middle school?”