Minjae slowly walked around the room, looking around the familiar room which she had only been to once, she walked to the long table with chairs surrounding it, stoping in front of the head chair, a chair that was covered in white cloth, as she place her hand on it, she couldn't feel the authentic material beneath it.
[flash back] 15 years ago,
Eleven-year-old Minjae slipped quietly into the boardroom.
Her grandfather had just finished a meeting. He stood near the head of the table with Mr. Geum, both men deep in an intense conversation, so absorbed they hadn't noticed her presence.
Little Minjae waited patiently by the door, staring at her grandfather.
As if sensing her thoughts, he suddenly turned, the moment he saw her, his stern expression melted into a wide smile.
He opened his arms.
Mr Geum Who just saw her, smiled as well, looking the grand father and child, "i will take my leave now" he excuse himself as Mr Choi just nodded and he walked away.
"has it been long Since you arrived?" he asked as he pulled away from the hug
"yes, why does the meeting take so long, i have been waiting forever" she whined in her small voice as her grandpa just chuckled at her cuteness, then she looks around
"So this is what a board room looked like" she said
"you've never seen one before?" he asked as she nodded
"my dad won't let me visit his company, he says am too wild" she rolled her eyes "it must be nice being the one to have the final say, the head"
"and you think its easy?" he asked mockingly
"yes i do" she said confidently and turned to him with a smile, then he sat on one of the chair, reaching her height,
"tell me" he began "what would you do, if your father one day, decides to stop you from hanging out with your friends, because he suddenly Feels like...you all together are a bad influence in his house, like no one listen to him or respect him as the head of the family anymore because of you and your friends___ what would you do?" he asked
Minjae furrowed her brown thinking hard
" well... Um... First thing i don't have friends, but if i do, i would try to figure out with my friends, something that would make my father have no choice but to let us still hang out" she said
"something like what? " he asked again leaning forward, More interested in what she has to say next
"like... Showing the president that country is very much better with the organization intact" she simply said, as her grand father raised an eyebrow, then she said
"I over heard your conversations, and__" she emphasized the 'and' sneakly "i saw the copy you left on the libery table"
"again?"
"again" she nodded confidently her smile mischievous as he just chuckle at her audacity
"So what would you have me do, little chair lady" he teasingly asked.
she smile at the nick name which she loved been called.
"like i said, you will have to figure something that will leave the president no choice but to let the organization be, maybe you could create something useful, something like....a product, something really cool, that would be useful and important to the Country, and that no one else has" she said
"but how do i do that, we are only an organization for peace, not a company that produce nice stuff" his eyes gleamed with curiosity
"then make a company that can do that, a company for the organization __ i mean" she walked around confidently like a boss lady, she continued "don't you all get tired of giving out all the time, wouldnt it be nice to have something for yourself too, shouldnt you and your friends gain as well from this organization?" she said as her grand father just stared at her intrigued by the words coming out from her mouth. She continues
"As for the president, if he Feels like people dont give him so much respect, then he should work for it, thats his job not yours," she turns to him, her voice firm "you see, when i become the chair lady, i will make sure everyone knows their boundries."
"the chair lady huh, " he repeated with a scoff "what makes you think you will become the chair lady?" he asked
"cuz i know, i will do a better job than my sister or my dad," she replied confidently, with a smirk at the end of the statment as her grand father laughed,
Just then she asked as she glanced at status panel on the walls "there seem to be a name missing here," she squinted as she saw a blank space among the names of the board members in the device with their signature, except there was one obvious blank space__ the status panel is a device where names of the supporters of the CHNs head are written down, and signed.
"that should be Mr Geum"
"why haven't he signed" she asked her eyes glued to the device on the walls.
"he hasnt seen my potential, i suppose" he simply replied
"but you have done a good job over the year" she protested, frustration already building up.
"then i suppose he wants to see more" he said as Minjae just stayed quiet, she was already foaming, then he smiled
"do you know" he began "ever Since the status panel was introduced, the Geum name has never been on it"
"why?" she asked
" that," he said with a twinkle in his eye, "you would have to find out for yourself when you become the chair lady" he said.
[Back to reality]
A faint smile appeared on Minjae's lips as the memory resurfaced. She turned to the status panel on the wall. It was blank. She carefully took it off the wall and flipped through the pages. The first entry read "Choi Min Sol" at the top, followed by the signatures of just four supporters—Mr. Baek, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Lim, and Mr. Gu.
Minjae frowned. Only four people out of the eleven board members had signed it.
IN THE BOARD ROOM
The seat at the head of the long oval table that draped in white cloth, was empty while the other chairs surrounding it sat a dozen other men and women Whose influence altogether shaped the Country as well as, if not more than the president himself. All were decendant of the first elite family.
Beside the head seat, sat Geum myung suk, an elderly man, the oldest in the room, and at the left hand, sat Baek ji hwan, a much younger man than Mr Geum.
Unlike any other meeting, this time, the room was quite chaotic, different voice and murmurs filled the air
"Today is suppose to be the installation day of the new heir" one of the member began, kim seo hwa__a middle aged woman "an installation day has never been passed by unaccomplished, why isnt she here yet?" she asked, her voice with thick frustration.
"A Choi fare well celebration day has never been dismissed too, but what happened yesterday?" Park Sung gwan an elderly member replied, his tone sharp "A new history was made by the Choi tigress" he stated
"i wont be suprised if we leave this place by the end of the day without the installation taking place." he added.
Seo eun jung, a female elder, known for her sharp tongue.
"That can not happen, the farewell celebration event can be over looked, but this would not be taken lightly," . She. hesistated before saying "Unless she has no intentions of taking the seat..."
Sung ji soo interrupts___ a middle age female member
"what are you trying to imply" she asked, her voice rising in offence by the statment, as it was a very sensitive statment and trecheous word to say, but Mrs Seo had no intent in covering up what she had just spilled, she said "Are we all going to pretend like we dont have the taught stoping her from ascending the seat, because, we all know shes not capable, not just us, its all over the news..."
Mr Baek cuts her off "Speak for your self, Mrs seo" he said "the young Choi has not even asceneded yet and you are already having these taught" he added,irritation creeping into his voice.
The room became dead silent, as everyone just glanced at each other. Most of them had the same taught as Mrs Seo, while the few Who was fully dedicated to the Choi family were only having little doubt hoping, Choi Minjae would not be as they have heard.