“What is it, Boss?”
His grandmother’s expression was utterly bewildered.
Then, she squinted her eyes, slowly scrutinizing the massive man from head to toe.
Hakyung, paradoxically, felt embarrassed by his grandmother’s blatant, undisguised observation.
It was his fault for not explaining that his boss wasn’t a “Seoul lady” but a “Seoul mister,” but still, she was staring a little too intently…
“Uhm… Grandma. This is the CEO of the company I work for.”
“I am Lee Muheon,” Muheon introduced himself, bowing his head respectfully.
His deep, resonant voice once again filled the small space.
“Oh, I see, I see. My goodness, come sit here! You must have gone through a lot of trouble bringing Hakyung!” His grandmother, snapping out of her daze at his polite greeting, quickly pointed to the spot next to her.
Muheon didn’t refuse her offer and settled himself on the floor.
At his movement, Hajo, who had been standing behind, quickly scrambled to stand next to his brother.
The man, who was tall enough for his head to nearly touch the ceiling when standing, didn’t shrink significantly even when seated.
His sheer size, filling the small room, caused not only his grandmother’s eyes but also Hakyung’s younger brother, Hajo’s, to tremble slightly.
“So, you’re the boss? At Hakyung’s company? Are there two bosses?” A series of questions followed, not precisely directed at anyone in particular.
Hakyung, who had been loudly badgering his grandmother to go to the hospital just moments ago, could only clamp his mouth shut like a clam.
In his frantic rush after hearing about his grandmother’s illness, he had completely forgotten that he had been hiding his boss’s true identity.
He hadn’t even considered the shock his grandmother would feel upon realizing that this boss was that boss.
Hakyung’s head increasingly shrank downwards, as if trying to disappear.
This was due to his own fault: while he had enthusiastically chatted about how well things were going with his boss, he had never once mentioned his boss’s true identity.
“I am the only CEO.”
“Huh…?”
“First, let’s go to the hospital. Hakyung was very worried.”
His grandmother, who usually wouldn’t listen to her grandchildren’s words, not even with half an ear, quickly agreed this time.
“Then, will you help me up, Boss? These little piggies of mine look like they’d stumble and fall if they tried to carry me.”
His grandmother clicked her tongue in disapproval, looking at her small-framed grandchildren.
The Gang-dolphin tribe was famously known for being smaller and shorter than other whale tribes, but compared to this “Seoul boss,” it was impossible not to let out a sigh.
At his grandmother’s clicking tongue, the Gang-dolphin brothers puffed out their cheeks, looking indignant.
After all, his grandmother herself was the owner of a very cute physique, barely exceeding 150cm.
“Get on my back,” Muheon said, turning his back to his grandmother.
A startled Hakyung tried to stop him, insisting that he would carry his grandmother, but Muheon paid him no mind.
On the back of the man who was the CEO of a company—or perhaps even a gangster boss—his grandmother smiled brightly.
She even patted his firm shoulders, remarking how comfortable his back was, like riding in a limousine.
Hakyung knew how firm and comfortable the man’s back was too…
No, this isn’t the point!
Why was it that his grandmother, who usually loathed receiving help from others, was so readily accepting his boss’s favor?
Cold sweat trickled down Hakyung’s back as he followed his boss and grandmother.
Next to Hakyung, Hajo, who had been trotting along, let out a gasp of “Whoaa!”
He continued to exclaim in awe in front of the car Hakyung had arrived in.
“This is really expensive…! Hyung-ah’s boss must be super rich!”
“Hey, Kang Hajo. What are you doing! Get over here right now!”
“Mmm. Okay. But seriously, that car costs well over 300 million won. It’s just so amazing.”
Hajo couldn’t take his eyes off the car, even as Hakyung dragged him away.
Hakyung gave his brother a light tap on the forehead and subtly glanced at his boss, wondering about his reaction.
Muheon hadn’t ever been particularly fussy about his car, but Hakyung worried his brother’s over-excitement might have annoyed him.
However, contrary to Hakyung’s worries, Muheon showed no particular reaction, focusing solely on safely seating his grandmother.
“Get in,” Muheon said to Hakyung, after even checking the seatbelt. Hakyung quickly took the passenger seat.
And in the back seat, next to his grandmother, Hajo was already seated.
Though he didn’t make a sound like before, Hajo was clearly fidgeting, as if he wanted to shout in excitement.
The car’s exterior was already stunning enough to elicit awe, but the interior was absolutely incredible.
The seat’s texture, incomparably luxurious compared to the village chief’s minivan, almost made his mouth water.
Hakyung let out a small sigh at his brother’s somewhat silly enthusiasm.
“Why the sigh?” Muheon asked, noticing.
“My brother is just so embarrassing…” Hakyung mumbled, his voice barely audible.
Muheon chuckled softly at the barely audible voice. “Why, he’s just like you.”
“What? Like me? What are you talking about, what?!” Hakyung bristled at the comparison to his brother.
His lips formed an adorable pout as he meticulously argued, asking where he was similar to his brother, insisting that he was taller and better looking.
Muheon gently stroked Hakyung’s head-vent, which was covered by his hat, giving a silent agreement.
He knew that if he didn’t, Hakyung would surely puff out his cheeks like a pufferfish for the entire ride to the hospital.
But truly, Hakyung and his brother were very much alike.
Just a moment ago, when he followed Hakyung, who had rushed into the house in a panic, Muheon had been quite surprised, though he didn’t show it outwardly.
Inside the house, there was a high school student, Kang Hakyung, with wavy pink hair and a hat.
Seeing both the high school Kang Hakyung and the original Kang Hakyung staring at him intently was quite a fresh shock.
Of course, among them, the original Kang Hakyung was the cutest and most lovable, but he also felt a warmth of affection for the family he was meeting for the first time.
Imugis, who are born from eggs and live solitary lives, typically don’t have relationships that could be called “family,” except in a few special cases.
“If you think of this as a chance to indirectly experience a play-house-like situation, and the participant is Kang Hakyung’s family, it wasn’t bad. In fact, it was good. It was even okay to put Hakyung in a small debt while they were at it.”
Unlike his complicated thoughts, Mooheon continued driving with a composed expression.
They arrived at the orthopedic clinic he usually went to, and as expected, the same nagging that Hakyung had given poured out of the doctor’s mouth.
‘Oh my, Grandma! Look at this! It’s fractured right through! If you had just left it, it would have split wide open right here and shattered!’
‘Shattered what?!’
‘Then how else would it stick together? You’re a person who’s always out in the fields!’
With a relationship spanning nearly 30 years, the doctor and the grandmother continued their unreserved bickering.
The staff and patients alike carried on with their work, unfazed by the two raising their voices loudly. It happened every day, so it was no big deal.
Only the Kang Dolphin siblings stood beside them, their faces drained of color, on the verge of tears.
‘S-so what should we do? Surgery? Do we need to be hospitalized?’
‘No, that’s not necessary, but when did Hakyung arrive? I heard he got a job in Seoul.’
The doctor grinned at Hakyung.
It felt like just yesterday when he’d come in with a torn forehead after jumping off a tidal rock, and now it was admirable and amazing that he was confidently pulling his weight as an adult.
‘Yes, yes. Grandma was sick, so I came down for a bit.’
‘Oh, good that you came. If you’d been a little later, you would’ve had to wear a cast for another month.’
At the doctor’s assertion, the Kang Dolphin siblings gasped ‘Heek!’ and patted the startled fontanelle on their heads.
The grandmother flared up at the doctor again, asking why he was scaring the kids.
The doctor didn’t bat an eye and went to prepare the casting materials. Once the doctor disappeared, Hakyung, who had been patting his fontanelle, huffed and approached his grandmother.
‘See, Grandma. Your leg is fractured. He said you need a cast!’
‘Just a little fracture, what… what!’
Embarrassed, the grandmother retorted loudly and glared at Hakyung.
Startled by the sudden change in gaze, Hakyung took a step back.
‘And you, you little piggy.’
‘Me? Me, what!’
‘President-nim? What, an older woman? You wicked little piggy, did that big-as-a-door young man look like a woman to your eyes?!’
‘The President is so handsome, of course not!’
As the conversation shifted to the President, Hakyung’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
The grandmother shook her head as if to say she couldn’t stop her grandson, who was clearly in love.
‘Is he that good?’
‘Oh, he’s incredibly good.’
‘Good heavens, I swear!’
The grandmother let out a hollow laugh with an exasperated expression.
It was absurd to see him squirming with delight after bringing home some dark-skinned guy.
No matter how she looked at it, it was obvious to her that her grandson was simply too happy for him.
Yet, as her own flesh and blood, the grandmother thought Hakyung was far too good for him.
The exasperated grandmother smacked Hakyung’s small back.
It hurt quite a bit, and a tear even welled up since it had been a while since she’d been hit.
Unfortunately, he was hit in a spot he couldn’t reach to rub.
While Hakyung whimpered at the stinging sensation, Mooheon, who had just entered the treatment room, gently stroked his small back with a large hand.
‘Where is there to hit such a small child?’
At the President’s quiet protest, the grandmother’s eyebrows crinkled sharply.
They were both a complete mess.
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