Chapter 631: Thank You to Everyone

The merger between the Moderate Party and the Conservative Party was the last card to make Yoon Chang-ho the president.

Although Yoon Chang-ho's victory in the election seemed certain, if the crumbling Conservative Party were to ally with the Progressive Party, it could throw the election into chaos.

Though they had fought for decades, forming an alliance was no easy task. But in politics, you never know what could happen when cornered. Such collusions were all too common in these times.

The Moderate Party made many concessions to embrace the already crumbling Conservative Party.

However, the party colors of the Moderate Party and the Conservative Party were strikingly different.

The Moderate Party aimed for rational conservatism but sometimes adopted even more progressive policies than the Progressive Party.

In contrast, the Conservative Party was heavily influenced by anti-communist ideology.

Various methods were attempted to ensure smooth cooperation between the two parties, but they still faced conflicts without properly merging.

The outcome of this struggle erupted in the recent general election.

"What should we do? I've kept a low profile in politics to align with your views up until now. I'll follow your opinion this time too."

If someone were to get in the way of what I wanted to do, that would be different, but I trusted Myeong-su. I wanted him to pursue his political aspirations.

Though it was due to me pushing him into politics, I knew he had his own intentions.

I didn't want to use my friend as a puppet.

"I still don't know. I spoke boldly in front of that old man, but if he truly wants to stir up trouble, it could create variables in what you want to achieve, Mr. President…"

Myeong-su, lost in thought, gave my shoulder a light tap.

"Sorry. Talking about this on a day like today… it's your grandma's seventieth birthday… I should just celebrate her without any worries."

"You sound ridiculous."

I chuckled softly in response.

Myeong-su's apology was probably sincere. Yet, his insistence on discussing it with me showed he had a lot on his mind.

When I told him not to worry about it, Myeong-su's expression lightened a bit.

"For now, I need to think it over some more. Let's head inside. There are likely a lot of people already. It won't look good if you keep leaving your spot empty."

"You sure? You don't look so good."

"You're the only one saying that. Others wouldn't know. I'm a politician too, I have to learn to hide my feelings."

"In that case, I'm relieved."

As I stepped outside, guests were already trickling in, filling the space.

I made my rounds, greeting everyone at their tables.

"Thank you for coming."

"It wouldn't do if we missed grandma's birthday, right? Ah, look at that troublemaker Mu-hyeok throwing a birthday party for grandma in such a grand place. Grandma is truly living the good life. I envy her. At least we have a son, but we haven't even heard from him."

The speaker was an ajumma who sold vegetables in the market where grandma had worked for many years. I just smiled.

"It's good to see. It's because you're growing up well that grandma gets to enjoy herself. You remember how much of a troublemaker you were as a kid, right?"

"I was a total mess back then. Thank you for always taking care of grandma during those times. Everyone from the market is like an angel to me."

I hadn't realized this in my past life, but these people were truly good-hearted. They may not have a lot of money, but they were filled with warmth.

I used to dismiss and overlook them completely, consumed by money.

Yet now I understand. Money can be earned at any time, but once lost, a person's love and trust are hard to regain.

"Please eat well and celebrate grandma a lot."

"Of course. We will."

Even while greeting, more guests continued to arrive. I welcomed them cheerfully.

When I glanced toward grandma, a bright smile illuminated her face. She was lively and glowing, chatting with guests eager to celebrate her.

"Hey, Mu-hyeok!"

At the familiar voice, I turned. It was Hyeon-seong's family.

"You made it!"

"It's thanks to you I've experienced so many things. Or rather, thanks to grandma, right?"

Hyeon-seong's father had recently concluded his police career and was now resting at home.

"You should have a celebration for your sixtieth and seventy birthday too. Hyeon-seong does it for me, right?"

"No thanks. I don't need something like that."

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Hyeon-seong's father looked the same as he always did.

"I'm going in first. I need to greet grandma."

"Yes, sir. Thank you for coming."

"It's good to see you, and I'll catch you later."

In the embrace of Kang Mi-jin, standing next to Hyeon-seong, was Hyeon-seong's newborn daughter.

I couldn't help but smile at her tiny movements.

"Good thing she doesn't look like you."

"I think so too."

"Sister-in-law, you must be having a tough time, right?"

"It's all fine. She's a gentle baby."

Though she said as much, Kang Mi-jin's complexion was far from good.

Not having raised a child myself, I only knew parenting was tough through hearsay, but the dark circles under her eyes suggested she hadn't slept much.

"You seem fine. Aren't you just leaving her all to your sister-in-law? You should pull your weight as well."

"… I'm dying here. I had no idea raising a child would be this hard. Just as I close my eyes, she wakes up crying, so neither Mi-jin nor I are getting any sleep."

"Sister-in-law, just make him do all the work. He's got nothing but energy anyway."

"What are you talking about? You've never been married!"

Kang Mi-jin smiled subtly as she listened to Hyeon-seong and me banter.

"You two better take care of grandma. She raised you alone while struggling, didn't she?"

"I'm sure she will."

As I stared blankly at the baby, Kang Mi-jin smiled and said,

"Why don't you hold her?"

I carefully took the baby into my arms. She was so small that the wonders of her existence and her tiny movements enchanted me.

"So cute."

"You should find a good partner and show this beautiful daughter to grandma."

I gently squeezed the baby's cheek with my finger.

Her skin was so soft it felt surreal. Even though she hadn't awoken from sleep, she rubbed her cheek against my finger.

"A good partner…"

"If you want, I bet you can meet as many good women as you like."

As I handed the baby back to Kang Mi-jin, I replied,

"If she's someone I would love for a lifetime, then I believe I'll naturally run into her somewhere."

"How romantic!"

The thought of marriage before my regression was something I was now hesitant about due to the collapse of that union.

While I did want to introduce my grandchildren to grandma before she passed, I wasn't in the mood for marriage or dating just yet.

"Someday, a good person will come along."

"It will happen for sure. Both Myeong-su and you. I'm curious how you both will change once you settle down."

In response to Kang Mi-jin's words, I simply smiled.

"Are you doing well at work?"

"Not really. Let's talk later. I have something to say."

Nodding, I led Hyeon-seong and Kang Mi-jin inside.

"Sure, we'll talk later. You should go in and greet grandma first."

The market folks and locals turned up in sizable numbers.

"My grandma truly lived a full life."

Most attendees held deeper connections to grandma than to me.

I thought reserving the entire hotel banquet hall would leave extra tables, but they filled up astonishingly fast.

"Oppa!"

Cheon Ji-young arrived, waving her hand as she walked briskly alongside her manager.

"You made it? How was the drive?"

"Smooth. Why? Did I drive or something?"

"Good afternoon, Boss."

Kim Seok-hoon, Cheon Ji-young's manager, quickly greeted me.

"Thank you for coming; you shouldn't have gone through so much trouble."

"Not at all, I just got here."

"Please take good care of Ji-young. She's always working hard."

"I'm doing my best for her."

His gaze was firm yet respectful.

"Are the bodyguards giving you any trouble?"

Black-suited bodyguards always trailed Cheon Ji-young.

"Not at all. Thanks to them, I feel safe. Just the other day, they caught a few paparazzi and sent them our way."

"Paparazzi?"

Hearing that was a surprise as I looked towards Cheon Ji-young.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why should I care about the paparazzi? I've dealt with reporters before, so I'm used to it. Honestly, I have nothing to hide. I'm proud of my life. Whether I'm secretly dating or misbehaving like some other celebs, it doesn't matter to me."

While I was relieved that she wasn't worried, I also couldn't shake the concern.

"Don't underestimate the reporters. Just because you're confident doesn't mean it's a straightforward matter. Even innocuous photos can be distorted and misconstrued by the media, leading to misunderstandings among the public."

"Ugh, stop lecturing me! I know better than you, okay? So don't worry about it!"

Cheon Ji-young murmured complaints as soon as we met.

"There sure are a lot of guests. Grandma's really going to enjoy this."

"Our grandma? If someone heard you, they'd think you were her granddaughter!"

"Well, isn't she our grandma? If she's your grandma, she's mine too!"

It was pointless contesting with her.

"Keep it up. Just know I'm all grown up now. I won't always be the child. For all you know, I might just knock you down one day!"

With a glance full of sass, Cheon Ji-young sauntered further inside the banquet hall.

Kim Seok-hoon quickly apologized to me.

"I'm sorry, Boss…"

Seok-hoon, who seemed about to make an excuse, fell silent when he saw me laughing loudly and hurried after Cheon Ji-young.

I hadn't laughed like this in a long time.

These days, aside from Myeong-su and Hyeon-seong, no one treated me easily. Even my friends from university seemed apprehensive around me.

So, I couldn't help feeling glad to see Cheon Ji-young, who always tiptoed around me, finally letting down her guard.

I watched her retreating figure making her way to grandma.

Everyone recognized Cheon Ji-young and whispered among themselves, yet no one dared to approach her. Looking at her, it was evident she was an entertainer.

"Grandma! I'm here!"

Cheon Ji-young approached grandma and greeted her while linking arms.

"Oh, Ji-young. Have you come? Thanks for making the effort."

"It's grandma's birthday; I should definitely be here! Did you miss me?"

Playfully, Cheon Ji-young clung to grandma, who naturally patted Ji-young's back.

"I brought you a gift. I'll give it to you later."

"Just being here is enough, no need for gifts. Come sit here."

Cheon Ji-young sat right next to grandma, chatting away.

If someone didn't know better, they might think Ji-young was her real granddaughter.

"Thank you to all who attended my grandmother's seventieth birthday celebration."

Finally, the birthday party commenced.

I had put together a video using some of the old photos and recent pictures, although there weren't many left.

As grandma watched the video showing our parents' faces, she wiped her tears.

There was a photo from my childhood featuring my parents and grandma.

The compression of seventy years of life into ten minutes felt unreal and nostalgic.

Following that, the atmosphere burst with excitement.

Cheon Ji-young took the mic for grandma's birthday and sang a trot song she had never sung before, making the guests clap joyfully.

But on these festive days, uninvited guests often arrive unexpectedly.

Suddenly, the entrance of the banquet hall became lively.