Knock knock.

Seong-ho knocked and opened the door.

"Are you busy?"

"No. What brings you here?"

Do-beom Hwang, who had been checking documents at his desk, looked at Seong-ho with a puzzled expression.

Seong-ho glanced around the Chief Secretary's office and said,

"I don't think I've ever been here before."

"Because whenever I met with you, Head Kim, the Chairman was always present."

Do-beom folded the documents he'd been looking at, pushed them to one side of the desk, and asked Seong-ho why he'd come to the office.

Seong-ho showed a moment's hesitation.

Finding this side of Seong-ho unlike his usual self, Do-beom put on an even more puzzled expression and asked,

"What is it? What's the matter that you find it so hard to bring up?"

"It's just... Secretary Hwang. Would it be all right if I called you Brother, too?"

"Brother?"

Do-beom looked briefly bewildered at the unexpected words.

Then he burst into laughter and said,

"Ha-ha-ha. Sure. Mun-jong and the other children all call me Brother, so you call me that too, Head Kim."

Do-beom laughed heartily, then looked Seong-ho straight in the eye and said,

"But you didn't come here just to say you wanted to call me Brother... Now tell me. What is it you've come about?"

"Have you heard as well, Brother?"

"Heard? Heard what?"

"The talk going around that I'm the group's number two."

"Hmm..."

Do-beom's expression hardened.

And, straightening from where he'd been leaning toward Seong-ho and easing back, he nodded.

"Yes. I have heard it."

Do-beom, who had lowered his eyes and sunk into thought for a moment, relaxed his hardened expression and said to Seong-ho,

"Don't worry. I'll put in a good word with the Chairman for you."

Do-beom assumed Seong-ho had come because he was worried about the rumor going around the company recently.

And, guessing that Seong-ho meant to ask him to speak to the Chairman on his behalf, he said,

"And you don't need to fret too much. A rumor like this, both I and the Chairman are well aware of it. The Chairman won't be making…