NOVEL WEB Chapter 97
Ryu Tae-jin.
Currently serving as the chairman of Changseong Group, he is a figure known outside the company for being so tough that not a drop of blood would spill even if poked.
However, that’s merely the public perception; the inside view was quite different.
To sum it up succinctly, he was just your common, ordinary clueless father.
“Don’t say anything unnecessary when your future son-in-law arrives later. Just keep quiet, okay?”
Cough cough…
His wife, Mrs. Yoo Jin-ok, who knew that better than anyone, had been keeping a tight rein on Chairman Ryu before the future son-in-law actually showed up.
Feeling somewhat pricked by her words, Chairman Ryu turned his gaze away after a little cough, but couldn’t withstand the pressure of her demanding answer and eventually nodded, muttering, “Fine, I got it.”
However, that was easier said than done; changing the mind already made up in his heart was impossible.
“No matter how much my daughter likes this guy, I need to see if he’s a proper man.”
Chairman Ryu steeled himself, intending to kick out anyone who looked like a stray dog sniffing around when his daughter was concerned, while waiting for the future son-in-law to arrive.
“I’m Kang Woo-joo. Thank you so much for inviting me today.”
Finally, the moment came, and his first impression of the future son-in-law walking into the house with his daughter he hadn’t seen in a long time was “gentle.”
He may not know much, but he was confident in his ability to judge character. Just as they say, the eyes are the windows to the soul, Ryu Tae-jin had the knack to gauge the substance of a person simply by meeting their gaze.
In that context, Kang Woo-joo appeared to have a straightforward personality—no jagged edges. Perhaps a bit timid for a man, but that didn’t deduct from the score in Ryu Tae-jin’s view.
“Hm, but you never know…”
While he gave a passing mark for the first impression, he still thought it was too soon to make a judgment and stepped toward the dining area.
“Wow… this is a feast! You really didn’t have to prepare all this because of me…”
Seeing the lavish dinner laid out almost enough to break the table, the future son-in-law couldn’t help but let out a quiet amazement, prompting Ryu Tae-jin to nod with satisfaction.
Though he had some help from a housekeeper, most of the dishes here were crafted by Mrs. Yoo Jin-ok’s skilled hands.
And for Ryu Tae-jin, who was practically a henpecked husband, that reaction was enough to fill him with joy.
“Alright, everyone take your seats.”
Internally scoring points, he sat down at the head of the table, gesturing to his family and future son-in-law with a serious expression.
Then came the moment.
“Hey, I hear you’re into games?”
Do-hoon, his son and elder brother to Seo-ha, casually addressed Woo-joo, who sat opposite him, despite being a seemingly opposite personality.
“Ah, yes. I guess working as a streamer makes that inevitable…”
“Oh wow, we have similar tastes. Honestly, I’ve been a huge gaming fan since college.”
“You too, Deputy Chairman?”
It was somewhat surprising to Woo-joo that Do-hoon, the Deputy Chairman of Changseong Electronics and the next in line for the chairman position, loved games.
With a warm smile, Do-hoon nodded.
“Yeah. But don’t call me Deputy Chairman—it feels weird. Just call me Hyung.”
“Ah, sure… Hyung.”
“Great! So what games do you like? I’ve recently been trying ‘World Ring.’”
Due to Do-hoon being quite busy, he had only managed to game in his car or after work and hadn’t even finished the first round.
“I like those kinds too. I’ve already completed ‘World Ring’ up to the seventh round.”
“Oh, really? What other games have you played?”
“Besides that, I’ve tried ‘Escape Life’ and so on…”
“Wow, that one’s fun! Looks like we have similar tastes.”
While Ryu Tae-jin couldn’t follow their conversation at all, the two were happily chatting away, smiling warmly.
Cough cough…
Sensing his son’s fondness for the future son-in-law shooting through the roof in real time, Ryu Tae-jin felt a strange unease and cleared his throat.
As the conversation bloomed, the meal officially began.
“Mmm…!”
“Hey, what’s wrong, Woo-joo? Is the food not to your taste?”
In the midst of the silent clinking of silverware, Woo-joo let out a soft gasp, prompting Seo-ha to tilt her head in question.
As all eyes focused on him, Woo-joo smiled and shook his head.
“No, it’s just so delicious. Especially this short rib stew… It’s even better than the one we had at that Korean restaurant with my sister.”
“Ah, Mom, Woo-joo said this short rib stew is even better than ‘Moranjeong.’”
“Oh really? Even so, it can’t be better than Moranjeong’s… Ha ha, thank you!”
Taken aback by Woo-joo’s unexpected praise, Mrs. Yoo Jin-ok blushed shyly like a schoolgirl. Nothing makes the person serving the meal happier than compliments about the food.
Cough cough…
Meanwhile, Ryu Tae-jin, overhearing the three’s conversation, subtly revealed his discomfort.
Was it merely skillful social maneuvering? He wasn’t particularly pleased that his future son-in-law managed to charm his wife so effortlessly. Seeing his wife swooning didn’t sit well either.
Since he claimed to be a streamer, perhaps he really was good at talking to people. It seems like he’d need to watch and wait a little longer.
“By the way, I heard from my granddaughter that you also play an instrument?”
After a short period of resumed dining, the next question came from Seo-ha’s grandmother, Ms. Oh Jeong-ja.
Having recently heard about her granddaughter’s new boyfriend, she tried to chat with him based on some tidbits she learned during a recent overseas call.
“Yes, I dabble in a few, even if I’m not very skilled,” Woo-joo replied.
“Probably guitar or piano, right?”
Given that those are the most popular instruments among young boys, Ms. Oh’s answer made sense.
However, Woo-joo’s case was slightly different.
“I do play those, but… I personally like the harmonica a bit more.”
“A young man who plays the harmonica?”
“Ah, really?”
With a brief gasp, Ms. Oh’s surprise echoed through the room, and rightly so.
“Actually, my grandmother’s favorite instrument is the harmonica.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yep. My late grandfather used to play it well. Sometimes he’d play it for me.”
That’s right; Ms. Oh’s number one favorite instrument had always been the harmonica.
Although he no longer graced the world, her husband had played the harmonica often while they shared over fifty blissful years together.
Though she never admitted it, Ms. Oh had fallen for her husband at first sight while watching him play the harmonica.
“What song do you like to sing?”
“Oh, I really like ‘Around Forty.’ I started playing because I thought the singer played the harmonica beautifully.”
“Ah, that’s a great song! My husband often listened to that one too.”
As Ms. Oh reminisced about her late husband, a sweet smile graced her face, filled with affection.
What a charming future son-in-law had arrived. She felt like she could watch them tie the knot immediately.
As Woo-joo continued to win over each family member of Seo-ha one by one, a man at the head of the table silently observed this scene.
That man was none other than Ryu Tae-jin.
As the conversations with the future son-in-law and all the family members came to an end, he sensed that it was finally his turn to speak, opening his mouth after keeping it shut for so long.
“Ahem… By the way, I’d like to ask you something, if that’s alright?”
“Yes, Chairman. Please, ask me anything.”
While he liked the way Woo-joo’s earnest gaze met his, he knew that it was too soon to judge him just yet and decided to continue.
“I hear you’re a streamer now, doing internet broadcasts. What did you do before that?”
“Oh, I was just an ordinary college student. Actually, I’ve been on a break due to some personal issues since I find it a bit challenging to interact with people.”
Hearing that Woo-joo found social interaction challenging aligned with what Seo-ha had told him, so Ryu Tae-jin didn’t see it as a score deduction. If he carried some trauma, it was only natural.
Enduring all those hardships and sitting here like this was commendable in its own right.
But just as Ryu Tae-jin had decided to evaluate him rigorously, his daughter suddenly piped up.
“Dad, actually Woo-joo is an alumnus of yours!”
“…Huh? An alumnus?”
Caught off guard by his daughter’s unexpected statement, Ryu Tae-jin blinked in disbelief.
An alumnus? That implies they studied at the same school or under the same teacher, right? How could this guy be an alumnus of his? Confusion washed over him.
Of course, Ryu Tae-jin was among the top graduates of Seo-han University in South Korea.
“…So, you went to Seo-han University?”
“Yes, that’s correct, Chairman.”
Admittedly, he hadn’t graduated yet, but Woo-joo nodded, intending to return soon. Then came Chairman Ryu Tae-jin’s next question.
“May I ask what your major is?”
“I was in the Business Administration Department.”
“The Business Administration Department?”
So they even shared the same major. Woo-joo was literally his junior.
Ryu Tae-jin felt an unexpected sense of camaraderie upon realizing this and smiled broadly without meaning to, resting his chin on his crossed hands while gleaming.
What a pleasant surprise that his first impression was spot on; to learn they shared the same school!
Ryu Tae-jin nodded in satisfaction, humbled that his judgment had not been in vain.
“Chairman…?”
“Hmm?”
Meanwhile, Woo-joo sensed an odd silence as Ryu Tae-jin fell quiet and cautiously called out to him.
Snapping back to reality, Ryu Tae-jin smiled, shaking his head as if to indicate he wasn’t thinking anything of the sort.
And then, he casually remarked:
“Just call me father-in-law, it’s fine.”
This was an unmistakable splash of celebration, signaling that Woo-joo’s conquest of the Ryu family had been successfully completed in just two short hours.