Chapter 102: < Protect – Episode 101 – Hosoo Entertainment Channel [3] >
“There’s more than I thought.”
After ending the press conference at Incheon International Airport, Ahn Soo Ho sent Lila to Daesan Hotel and went home with Jang Seol Hyun to Cheongdamdong. Mrs. Park prepared lots of food as if something grand had happened. Did the Ahn’s always have this many relatives? There were numerous cousins that he had never seen before.
Ahn Da Man, who naturally visited Seoul from time to time, sat his bottom down. His mother didn’t say anything about it, but it didn’t seem like she hated it. When they were younger, she hated that her husband spent all his time outside the house, but she now understood that he just didn’t know how to express his feelings properly. Rather than Lee Hyo Geun who had two faces, she preferred Ahn Dae Man who always stayed the same.
“I’m here.”
“Is my eldest grandson here?”
Since when was he a grandson? It wasn’t wrong, but it wasn’t something he was used to hearing in his household. Ahn Soo Ho wasn’t impressed, but he tried his best to play along for Park Ok Nam and Ahn Dae Man.
“How have you been? If you run into any hardships, come to me or go to my secretary’s office.”
Despite him telling Oh Joo Kyung to abandon her secretarial mindset, but there was no secretary better than her. Oh Joo Kyung continued to keep her position as secretary. Ahn Soo Ho preferred not to train an underling. So as the group’s scale got larger, it was more comfortable for him to appoint a president or vice-president under him.
One of the negative side effects of being more recognized in Korean society was false a.s.sumptions. When a con artist claimed that they knew CEO Ahn Soo Ho, some actually believed them. And on top of that, if they mentioned any kind of blood relation, it was even more effective.
Ahn Soo Ho never had too much interest in his relatives. But his parents were old-fashioned. For them, big families probably didn’t feel very unfamiliar. It could be seen as comical nowadays, but both Park Ok Nam and Ahn Dae Man longed for such a big family gathering.
‘Or maybe they just want to brag…’
Who wouldn’t want to brag about their son’s success? All parents felt the same way. But due to their guilt for not having done very much for him, they felt both happy and heavy in their hearts.
‘Time will solve it.’
Saying it was okay wasn’t going to work one bit. As soon as Ahn Soo Ho stared at all the people, Jang Seol Hyun approached him and linked arms.
“What’s wrong, Soo Ho?”
“It’s fascinating.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had no idea the Ahn household had these many people.”
“Don’t think of it as a bad thing. They’re all just proud of you.”
Come to think of it, Jang Seol Hyun probably had more experience with this. When she became the star of Asia, she probably had a million Jang’s at her doorstep. Adults thought Ahn Soo Ho was difficult to approach, but the kids just crept up to him and asked for selfies.
The garden party continued even after the sun went down. Jang Seol Hyun still went around smiling as if she wasn’t tired one bit. It was best that they have a party for the Jang’s soon as well. He sat on a random rock in a corner to rest with a confused look on his face.
“You?”
“Why? I’m an Ahn, too.”
Ahn Da Sol, who’s actually k.u.miko, casually answered back.
“Aren’t you supposed to be training hard for your debut? Did they actually let you go?”
“They said okay when I said it was a family gathering.”
Hosoo Entertainment Academy, as well as their trainees, had a big role in establishing Hosoo Entertainment Channel. Since the trainees were still better than average people, the trainee channel didn’t do so badly either. Dancing and singing took up most of the content, followed by cla.s.sical performances, comedy, and one-act plays.
Hosoo Entertainment’s system didn’t only train people to become celebrities. This wasn’t intentional, but there was antic.i.p.ation that the entertainment agency, broadcasting company, and the training academy would get great synergy together. As soon as a production company and a cinema were added on top, they would become a true entertainment company.
“Okay! Cheese!”
Ahn Da Sol took a selfie with Ahn Soo Ho and uploaded it on social media.
“Smile more.”
“No thanks.”
He was certain that this woman was older than the queen grandmother. How long had she lived for? He couldn’t believe she was j.a.panese either. If cell regeneration was possible like that, she could have changed her looks as well.
“Isn’t it time that you tell me the truth?”
“Not yet.”
She just made it sound like she didn’t feel like telling anyone, but there could have been very painful circ.u.mstances that were difficult to communicate with another person.
“I heard there’s prize money for your neck.”
“How do you hear all of this when you’re a trainee?”
“I’m still a former spy, you know.”
“When was that? During the Cold War? Or during World War II?”
“I told you not to bring up my age!”
Ahn Da Sol put him in a headlock, but Ahn Soo Ho easily flung her onto the gra.s.s. Those who were subtly watching were surprised. This was an uncle throwing his niece onto the ground.
“Haha, we’re just playing around.”
“Haha, yeah.”
Ahn Soo Ho laughed and brushed the dust on Ahn Da Sol’s shoulder. She also laughed and got up. But she quietly clenched her teeth.
“You shouldn’t treat your beloved niece like that.”
“Shut up. Were there any problems while I was gone?”
“Like what?”
“If you really don’t know, go back to j.a.pan. Should I call the j.a.panese prime minister for you?”
“Hey, I’m just kidding.”
The reason why Ahn Soo Ho accepted k.u.miko was not only because she was an alpha organism, but also because he needed a dog to guard his house. Logan and his underlings were capable friends. Alexa and Kosino were talented, too. But they were simply human, which came with limits.
“There was no particular problem. Since you go around causing chaos, they try to spare themselves.”
“What about the National Korea a.s.sociation or the Comradery a.s.sociation?”
“They’re quiet.”
There was no need to add the word “yet”. The vested rights cla.s.s were tangled up in all sorts of complicated ways. They always talk about up-and-coming rich people, but in reality, there hadn’t been a newly rich person to come up for a long time.
‘Lee Joong Hyun is more capable than I thought.’
It wasn’t all greed after all.
President Lee Joong Hyun just accepted the humiliation he experienced at the BRICS summit as a personal problem. In return, he used Ahn Soo Ho’s relationship with the Chinese head of state to get rid of the Korean cultural ban in China. And when the third ally of North Korea was brought up, it was the States who got targeted. j.a.pan was a sworn enemy of China, so it didn’t matter for them, but Korea was in a more vague situation.
‘But it’s not good to irritate the States too much.’
They got a pretty big blow recently, but the States were still the most powerful country in the world, and it would take China over 100 years to be able to catch up to them. China would probably insist otherwise, but in Ahn Soo Ho’s opinion, the States were above all even compared to the n.a.z.is. There was no question about it.
National events were always cruel and unfair.
“What about my family?”
“Mrs. Park is busy with the relatives, and Ahn Dae Man is busy with friends.”
Ahn Soo Ho called his mother Mrs. Park so many times that Ahn Da Sol started doing the same.
“What about Jung Hoon?”
“He seems to be getting more of the spotlight now… but I think he has a new girlfriend.”
“A new girlfriend? Like a scandal?”
“I don’t think his manager knows though.”
“Sigh, that foolish punk.”
He was already dating someone who would make his name more known. But then again, it must have been hard trying to resist all the pretty girls around him. He understood, but seeing how he lacked self-control, he wasn’t cut out to be a top star after all.
“There’s a small problem with So Hye, too.”
“What is it? You should have told me that first.”
Korea National a.s.sociation, the Comradery a.s.sociation, the Blue House, China, and the States weren’t as important as this. The peace within his refound family was much more important. And above all, his little sister who was almost 20 years old worried him most.
“What’s the problem?”
“There must have been many requests from agencies. But when she turned them all down the kids started calling her proud. Unlike her big brother, she cares a lot about what others think.”
She didn’t grow up poor, but So Hye was used to being frugal. She had such a small dream that when Ahn Soo Ho asked her what her dream was, she said it was to be the boss of a snack shop. In good terms, she was smart, and in bad terms, she was cheap. And those habits weren’t just going to go away because she suddenly got a rich brother. She even tried not to go to Ahn Soo Ho’s company too often because it might inconvenience him.
“Wasn’t the company going to give out tickets and goods to her cla.s.smates?”
“That was the plan, but So Hye must have turned it down. She can’t give it to some and not to others.”
So Hye preferred to treat everyone equally. It was human nature for a person to want to be special. And that feeling was more fascinating to those of younger ages. Lee So Hye was closer to being just an average bee than the queen bee, but those around her wanted her to act like the queen bee.
If she had always refused everything and acted cold, people would have accepted it more. Why? Because she was always like that. But if she acted like a best friend and then turned something down, people were bound to think of her as fake.
“This is a hard one.”
He couldn’t just tell his sister to become a b.i.t.c.h.
“Is she getting bullied?”
“No. There are just some rumors going around. But who knows where the rumors will lead?”
Ahn Soo Ho looked for Lee So Hye with his eyes.
It wasn’t just the Ahn family that was at the party. It was also Ahn Dae Man’s side of the family as well as that of Park Ok Nam. She was probably more comfortable with the Parks’ side since she was more familiar with them. They said that So Hye’s way of smiling and talking didn’t give off a hint of sadness. But that pained Ahn Soo Ho even more.
“Any solutions?”
“It’s not good for adults to get involved in children’s problems.”
“But So Hye can’t be a queen bee even if she tried.”
“Someone definitely has to help.”
“Who…”
Ahn Soo Ho stopped when he saw the sparkle in Ahn Da Sol’s eyes. She crossed her legs and showed off a sensual pose.
“I have my ways.”
“You crazy wench. You can’t be a student. You’re old enough to be the princ.i.p.al.”
“Hey!”
Ahn Da Sol frowned as if she was offended. But then again, if it meant his sister could have a better time at school, he was ready to make a deal with a transs.e.xual if that was necessary.
“Fine. I’ll ask Director Oh to make the transfer.”
Ahn Da Sol went to an international school. In response to Ahn Soo Ho’s proposal, she shook her head.
“A queen bee needs multiple bodyguards. I can’t do it alone.”
“Then what do you propose?”
“Send Emily and Rachel, too.”
“They’re in different grades though. They’re graduating soon.”
“Tell them to repeat a year. The curriculum here is different than that of Australia, so they should do that anyway.”
She was really crazy. But she sounded pretty convincing.
‘That’s not a bad idea.’
Ahn Da Sol on the left and Emily and Rachel on the right didn’t seem so bad in his mind.
“I see.”
He then considered buying a school while he was at it.
< Protect – Episode 101 – Hosoo Entertainment Channel [3] > The end.