Following Seong-ho out of the head's office, Gu-taek Song hurried over to him.

"I don't understand what they imagine they can do, trying to set their spoon in this business."

Having come out after Seong-ho, Gu-taek Song spoke in a voice laced with complaint.

Seong-ho knew perfectly well that this was not sincere feeling but a remark made for his ears.

Still, he betrayed nothing of it and chimed in with Gu-taek Song's words.

"They want their past merit acknowledged, I suppose. But that's a matter of the past, and no more. With the World Cup right upon us, this habit of clutching at their own rice bowls isn't one I much care for."

"Your words are a hundred times over correct, Deputy Head."

Gu-taek Song conveyed his strong agreement with Seong-ho.

And Seong-ho, watching Gu-taek Song behave this way, thought to himself:

It seems the DN Group chairman has put him up to something.

And the correctness of Seong-ho's thinking was proved by Gu-taek Song's very next words.

"But Deputy Head — do you happen to have any engagements this evening?"

"An engagement? Not that I'm aware of any particular schedule. What's the matter?"

"It's… well…"

"Ah — has that kodari-jjim place we went to last time come back to mind? It was quite good, wasn't it?"

Seong-ho, though he knew, put on a bit of a show with the offhand remark.

Gu-taek Song gave an awkward smile at Seong-ho's words and took hold of his arm.

Seong-ho looked down at the arm Gu-taek Song had grasped and asked, as though he found it odd,

"What is it? Weren't you asking me to dinner?"

"I was. It's because I'd like to have dinner with you, Deputy Head."

"Is it that the kodari-jjim wasn't to your liking, perhaps? Then shall we have something else?"

"Any food is fine, whatever we have. Only…"

"Is there some other problem?"

Gu-taek Song glanced around for a moment.

And, having confirmed there was no one nearby, he spoke in a low voice.

"The menu can be anything you'd like to eat, Deputy Head. But…