Chapter 134 – Episode 134

As the momentary silence continued, my embarrassment grew. Because when Ohana said the name Ilha Group, I wasn’t this surprised or felt like the person looked different.

So, I thought that he was an easy-going person who didn’t care about his background or anything like that. It was my own illusion.

“…”

The more the greatness of the Hanban group, which I have heard and seen since I was young, comes to mind, the more amazing and great the person called Han Ae-bom begins to seem. At the same time, her head nodded at the actions she had shown so far.

‘Chairman Han Se-ryong of Hanban Group…’

She said that if you live in Korea and don’t know the name, you really have nothing to say even if you are reported as a spy. No matter how uninterested I am in other people or how nervous I am, I still can’t remember their names right away. I also understood Han Ae-bom’s absurdity.

‘I think I heard it for no reason.’

I had that thought inadvertently. Because I listened to it for no reason, my fear of what would come out of Han Ae-bom’s mouth only grew.

“The conversation was interrupted for a moment, but I thought you would understand this much, so I will continue the conversation again.”

“Yes…”

“If you had heard about my usual appearance or even where my family was, you would understand, but for me, pride is like my life.”

“Okay… “Yes.”

Her lips become dry. Her throat burned. This is the first time I want to drink water like this, which I don’t normally drink. As she continued to chew her dry lips, Aebom asked.

“I hope you will definitely compensate me for this. Hyunwoo, did you have anything else in mind?”

“Well, that’s…”

I kept nodding my head like an idiot, and when it was my turn to answer, my hair turned completely white. As she still couldn’t answer properly like an idiot and only kept shaking her lips, Aebom, who felt frustrated, shot at me.

“You didn’t even think about that, so you just asked me to help Ohana? “Without considering my circumstances at all.”

“…”

It felt like the ground beneath her feet was collapsing. This is because there was nothing wrong with what Han Ae-bom said. She reflected on herself and felt sorry for having been such a shameless person.
At the same time, I also realized that this is how real negotiations and conversations among members of society take place.

Now I know what my friends mean when they say that when they had their first ‘real meeting’ to collaborate with another company, they had a mental breakdown and just kept tapping away at their laptops.

Negotiation is not a child’s game. The discussions and meetings she learned briefly in high school are literally children’s play.

“I’m sorry.”

“An apology will be accepted, but the important thing in a situation like this is to show sincerity in responding to that apology. If you don’t have anything in mind, I’ll just tell you what I’m asking for, and you can decide whether to accept it or not.”

When Aebom Han said that she would take care of it, I felt happy and nodded at her. She said as an Abom placed her clasped hands on her table.

“First, let’s buy a monitor. Since my desk is small, I won’t be able to use a large monitor, but I think a vertical monitor will be possible. Double monitor is a community activity… No, I heard that it is a great help in writing activities.”

Monitor? It’s not as big a deal as you think, right?

“I understand.”

I nodded willingly. However, it did not end here.

“Again.”

Again?

“From now on, I hope you will always hand your clothes or underwear to me first instead of putting them in the laundry basket. I have no intention of reselling those clothes or keeping them in my personal collection. You don’t have to worry about your clothes disappearing or being damaged. In case of loss or damage, I will compensate for all damages.”

“Yes?”

I looked a bit shocked at the request, but I couldn’t help but flinch and nod as I looked at Abom, who was looking at me indifferently.

“Oh, I understand.”

“And.”

Is there anything else?

When I looked at Abom with wide eyes, I lifted her clasped hands to her chin and said,

“Personally, I think it is something worth asking for compared to what I would give up or lose money on. If you don’t like it, Hyunwoo can just refuse.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

It seemed like that was what they said from the beginning.

But…

“Next, I ask for 100 tickets to go on dates whenever I want.”

“Well, that too… “Yes, I understand.”

I couldn’t even get the word ‘rejection’ to come out of my mouth. It was that kind of atmosphere. Furthermore, there was nothing wrong with what Han Ae-bom said. Since she’s giving up so much to help, I guess she can’t help it. However, every time she nodded, my insides burned. I can’t breathe.

“Hmm, then I’ll ask for one last thing.”

I sighed in relief, thinking that it was finally over, but Han Ae-bom exploded with a more serious voice than ever.

“Please make me pregnant within a month.”

“… !”

“No, sister!”

When everyone, including me, was embarrassed, I barely opened my mouth.

“Well, that’s not possible. Honestly, I can’t listen to that…”

Han Ae Bom’s eyes have suddenly become sharper.

“Really? Is this really not possible? “Then, is it possible for me not to listen to Hyunwoo’s request?”

“Well, that’s…”

Isn’t that too much?

… The words jumped out of my throat, but I couldn’t get them out easily. I just felt dizzy and, if I did well, I felt like I might even cry.

“Well, it would be better to listen a little more to what I said earlier…”

It’s that moment.

The pressure that had been weighing me down disappeared in an instant.

“Huh, it looks like Hyunwoo definitely has no social experience.”

“… Yes?”

I blinked. It was clearly Han Ae-bom who was talking to me a while ago, but I couldn’t feel like they were the same person.

“First of all, you can forget about the demands I mentioned earlier, as they were all roughly made up for testing purposes.”

“W-what is…” …”

Looking at me, who was literally dumbfounded, Han Ae-bom sighed and smiled softly.

“What was it like? It felt like I was negotiating from B’s perspective.”

“… !”

“It’s not easy, is it? It means rejecting A’s request. If you start to panic while negotiating, your head will start to heat up. Then, humans’ brain power naturally slows down and they make impulsive decisions. It’s not like it’s news because people who were otherwise normal suddenly run wild on their own.”

Han Ae-bom carefully approached me and hugged me tightly.

“Even if it was actually just practice, it might have been a bit harsh for me to be the first negotiation target. As you can see, I have a lot of experience in that area.”

I cried out loud and felt like tears would come out. I can’t bear to cry because I’m embarrassed. If I had been alone, I might have really cried.

“Use, ah… I really have a lot to tell you. Hmm, let’s see.”

Han Ae-bom pointed out my problems one by one during the negotiation that took place a while ago.

“I know what it feels like. I’m worried that if I show a negative attitude here, I’ll feel uncomfortable and end the contract. That’s why I always have no choice but to completely bow my head to my superior.”

“…”

“Funny enough, even in that situation, A can afford to say no again and again. There are even people here and there who come to see me and say they will bow their heads.”

Han Ae-bom, who even gave me a kiss on the cheek, whispered in a kind voice.

“The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Some people think about the return on investment. It doesn’t necessarily have that meaning. Those who have it can receive far more opportunities, superior backgrounds, and support than those who don’t. So, unless there is a setback or a major downfall or incident, large corporations that have established themselves do not come down from their previous position.”

Han Ae-bom told me many things. Still, she says, every 10 or 20 years, a monster talent pops up and some rise from the bottom to the top. And that many large companies are trying to recruit such talented people.

“The Hanban Group is the opposite.”

“… ?”

“Rather, I like people like that and help them. So, in a way, I may have become a bigger group by pretending to be nice when others were behaving poorly. In reality, her grandfather just wants to enjoy his own value by raising competitors. If you look at this too, you could just say that my grandfather was lucky, but you know what?”

Han Ae-bom said.

“Luck is also a skill. To be precise, luck will eventually follow those who have the skills and those who will succeed.”

As I was still making a bewildered face, Han Ae-bom showed a rare, apologetic expression. Do you feel something like maternal love? He hugs me tightly once more and puts my face into his chest.

“I think I may have pushed it too far, but personally, I need a shock like this to last in my memory for a long time. Also, it develops quickly. At least that’s what I learned.”

“That… I see.”

At what age did this person learn this? I was inexplicably certain that he couldn’t have been more than 10 years old. Furthermore, I thought that if I learned this before the age of 10, I could become this kind of person.

“Even so, Hyunwoo is serious. Even though it’s my first time and the person I’m dealing with is me, I can’t stop him like this. “I didn’t know that I would have to wait until I got pregnant to reject it.”

“… “I’m sorry.”

“The basis of negotiation is the weapons you have and the weapons the other party has. Or, the basic idea is to know exactly what the other person wants and lead the conversation to your advantage. That’s right, for example, why did I mention the Hanban Group? In fact, I was placing a high value on pride that I don’t really care about.”

“Yes?”

It was a series of shocks. So, you’re saying that everything you’ve shown me so far was just a device to steer the negotiation to your advantage?

“The way you look at the other person, the intonation of your speech, you’re breathing during conversation, your posture when speaking, and the timing of when to interrupt. The same goes for all these things. Depending on how you use it, the negotiation landscape will change. Of course. We are not robots. Even if the quality of the product is slightly lower. Just getting the other person to agree or gain trust is already half the battle.

It was then.

“Lie! There’s no way Aebom wouldn’t care about her pride… Yo!”

I also agreed with what Ohana said. Then, Han Ae-bom speaks.

“It’s different for each person.”

“… Huh?”

“At least for the sake of the people here, my pride is not that important to me.”

“Three, oh my. Moved… No, you, who are you! Who is it that is wearing the shell of our baby girl?! That’s it, like a transformation genius spy sent by Oh Hanam!”

“It’s noisy, so shut your mouth.”

“Huh!”

Han Ae-bom, who had an apple in Oh Hana’s mouth, looked at me. When she negotiated, her eyes were so warm that I wondered if she was really lying. Still, she was secretly watching me.

“In any case, I really showed that kind of attitude in hopes of helping Hyunwoo as he moves forward in life. Please don’t misunderstand. It’s okay for other people to misunderstand, but I think it’s quite possible for Hyunwoo to misunderstand.”

I opened my mouth, enchanted by the unexpectedly cute appearance.

“For that to be the case, the image I saw earlier was too intense. It may remain as a trauma.”

For a moment, Han Ae-bom begins to cry.

She seriously looked more shocked than me. She burst into laughter inadvertently.