I'll Show You A Villain

Kang Hye-Kyo's pretty face contorted with repulsion. She glared at Joon-ki like he was dogshit on the back of her shoe, "I was so happy when I heard you fled abroad, I thought I wouldn't have to see your rotten face ever again, but here you are, ruining my day." Her words dripped with callousness.

"Nice to see you too Noona[1]" Joon-ki greeted her warmly, his wide grin and smiling closed eyes hiding his true feelings.

She continued to scowl at him.

I wasn't surprised by her anger considering their relationship.

Kang Seung had five children in total; the son he had disowned, three daughters, and Joon-ki who was the youngest of the lot.

Kang Hye-Kyo was the younger of the three daughters, only two years older than my father. Since the pair of siblings were close in age, Joon-ki and Hye-Kyo had always had a rough rivalry and their relationship only soured further when Joon-ki replaced his older brother as heir. That was because Hye-Kyo had wanted that position.

While her sisters had gotten married and quietly distanced themselves from the family, Kang Hye Kyo had ambition. She wanted power and influence and to be acknowledged in the Kang group. She set up Kyo Entertainment in her late teens, a company that was now one of the top 5 biggest entertainment agencies in South Korea; many popular artists, groups and actors were under her management. Hye-Kyo was known for her quick wit, beauty and business acumen. There were many people that rightfully thought she was much better than Joon-ki and deserved to be the heir. But she was a woman, an inferior being in Kang Seung's older eyes, and to the misogynistic and old-fashioned crones that governed both the Kang and Mung family, she would never be an option.

She wasn't mentioned in the novel but I knew a lot about her through rumours and stories floating around the Kang Household. I also knew that she hated me. When Joon-ki ran off she finally thought she could claim the position of heir, but then a child, not even a decade old was put ahead of her. Rumour has it, she went into a violent rage when she learnt this, smashing many expensive vases and breaking mirrors in a Hotel Penthouse Suite.

Joon-ki ignored Hye-Kyo's scowl and instead turned to the handsome man next to her, "if it isn't Park Do Hum, I saw your last movie, it was brilliant. I can't believe you're still dating my sister, it's been 15 years already don't you ever get tired? Since you love her so much do me a favour, marry her and make her stop all her nonsense. She should be making you some babies not grabbing for things that don't belong to her, don't you think so?"

Park Do-Hum had a pretty and bright smile, which remained on his face while his eyes became colder and icier the longer Joon-ki spoke, "Hello, it's been a while, and yes I still am with Hye-Kyo, unlike you I know how to treat a woman well and be loyal to her, I don't run off like a dog when they're on hospital beds."

That comment cracked Joon-Ki's playful act and his expression quickly grew dark. He looked like he wanted to punch Park Do-Hum, but he held himself back as he turned towards me. He crouched down to my height and gave me an awkward hug "hello little one, your Dad is here."

"I'll make sure you don't forget me from now on", he whispered.

He then jumped back to his feet and turned towards Kang Seung with another calculative look, "Hi Father, sorry for being late, I brought a plus one, a friend of mine. Someone I'm sure you would love to talk to." He gestured behind him and a small old woman approached us.

The woman seemed to appear from nowhere.

I normally prided myself on my keen senses but I didn't notice her until Joon-Ki pointed her out. Perhaps it was due to her small build but she had very little presence.

She gazed at us all with warm almond-shaped eyes and when her sights fell on me her small lips curled upwards and a wry Cheshire grin brightly shone out.

She was pretty in an unassuming and plain way. There was nothing really striking or unique about her, yet for some reason, I found her strangely familiar... even though I was sure we hadn't met before.

"This is the wife of Oil Tycoon Saket Day, Ms Ha-Rin. I met the couple while I was in Dubai, and a little birdie told me that you've been looking into oil more and more these days. I'm sure you'd love to have a chat with her Dad."

Kang Seung's expression didn't outwardly change but I had a feeling he was pleased with Joon-ki's actions, especially when he smiled warmly at Ha-Rin and extended his arm towards her, "pleasure to meet you, let's have a chat while we head inside."

She smiled brightly and accepted his arm and they began to walk and discuss business.

Once they were gone, Joon-ki smiled tentatively and extended his hand, "Let's walk in together" he said.

Min Ho, who was never too far from my side, silently appeared behind me. His hanbok fluttered slightly in the night breeze and the gat[2] on his head made him appear rather handsome and imposing. He was about to pick me up but he paused when he saw Joon-ki extended hand.

I hesitated.

I found Joon-ki unpleasant, and I almost knocked his hand aside, but I was curious about how he planned to play this game. How would he repair his reputation after being gone for so long?

Curiosity outweighed my annoyance, and I accepted his offer. Min Ho stepped back as I took Joon-ki's hand and we walked into the Diamond Hall together.

[1] Noona is a term in Korean you use to address an older woman.

[2] A gat is the name of a Korean traditional hat worn by men along with hanbok (Korean traditional clothing) during the Joseon period.. It is made from horsehair with a bamboo frame and is partly transparent.