Conglomerate Clan • Seulmin

Prologue - Jimin

A private jet just landed at Gimpo International Airport and there are already tons of reporter and paparazzi outside, waiting since the dawn. It's worth a front page article in business section news that the heir of Korea largest casino, resort and hotel tycoon just returned from his study in Stanford University. Rumor spread fast, citizens of Korea never stopped talking about this since last month. All business experts said if Park Junjin, the CEO of JJ corporations, gave the fresh graduate a proper position in TripleSeven Hotel & Casino, most possibly, later next year he will hand down this main business to his Stanford-graduate son, Park Jimin.

"This way, Mr. Park"

Park Jimin nods to his father's person as he follows him behind. He hears that reporters and paparazzi gather outside since dawn though they know he always uses VIP exit. Honestly, that sounds stupid and he doesn't feel sorry at all to them. He never likes them and actually he quite hates them. Frankly speaking, he lives exclusively private life and their existences just disturb him. For this, a lot of people called him arrogant but some just called him mysterious.

Jimin finally sits inside the car and leaves the airport to his father's mansion. Along the way, he looks outside and stares blankly. Truthfully, he feels empty. He misses his life in states where no one knows who he is, but here, the entire country recognizes him. He needs to adapt and deal with all of it because start from now he is Park Jimin, the heir of JJ corporations, not Park Jimin, the top student in Stanford University anymore.

***

After an hour, Jimin arrives at his father's mansion. Maids, servants and assistants stand on their position and when he steps in, every of them bow deeply. He casually walks to his father, stepmother and half younger brother who wait at the end, near the staircase. He doesn't plan to give them even a single smile but to cut off the drama, he bows to his father and stepmother.

"You've worked hard, son" His father speaks as he smiles.

Jimin just nods and looks into his father eyes. He can tell how much his father proud of him through his eyes. It warms him, just a little bit, but still, he doesn't want to admit it. As a sign of politeness he slightly smiles but it disappears right away when he hears his stepmother start speaking and acting close to him.

"Welcome home, son" His stepmother smiles but it just makes him sick.

Jimin secretly glares. He really wants to shut his stepmother's mouth when she calls him 'son'. He holds back and takes a deep breath. He doesn't want to ruin his father's mood and make scene infront of all these eyes so he just says nothing and starts looking around. It's unfamiliar, it doesn't feel like home. Maybe because he stopped living here since he was three.

Since Jimin was young, he moved to Busan and lived with his grandmother because his mother died in a car accident. His grandma raised him well and he always became her number one priority. She gave him the nicest clothes, the healthiest food and the best teacher. She spoiled him with love and she played her role as his mother right. Every weekend his father came and visited him but stopped when his father remarried his stepmother.

"I'm going to Busan tomorrow" Jimin tells his father.

"Right, you need to greet your grandma---" His father pauses "---she has something to tell you" His father continues. Jimin just raises his brow at his father, waiting for his explanation.

"You'll know it tomorrow" His father pats his shoulder and leaves first. It sends questions to his head but cuts off immediately when Park Junhoe, his half brother starts talking.

"Hyung, how are you?" Junhoe asks but Jimin pretends like he doesn't hear and turns around to leave. He only takes one step but someone already grabs his wrist, stopping him. It's of course his stepmother.

"Park Jimin, he is your brother, why you always treat him like this?" His stepmother raises her tone, half scolding him.

Jimin scoffs at his stepmother. It's irritating how she tries to lecture him. He never likes her, but she is just the worst, she keeps making him hate on her with every word she said. He looks down at her hand as an order to let him go already but she has no shame at all.

"He is not my brother, the same for you, you are not my mother"

It's harsh and cold, Jimin admits but he just needs to tell them the truth. They need to know their place and stop acting like they own all of this. He is not stupid, he knows his stepmother planned and did anything to stop his father to make him as a successor. His stepmother wants Junhoe to inherit the corporations but unfortunately her son is not doing great in school.

"I'm your father's wife and that makes me your mother" His stepmother tries to intimidate.

"Stop dreaming, for me, you're still my father's mistress and---" Jimin pauses and takes a step closer to whisper "---my mother's killer" He continues and immediately his stepmother lets his hand go. She glances at Junhoe, making sure he hears nothing. She needs to be careful because she doesn't want Junhoe to find out.

"Jimin---"

"Stop acting up before I tell your son" He lowly warns her.

After that, Jimin leaves to his bedroom. Inside, he walks to the accent table and picks up a frame. He looks at his picture with his mother. His mother smiled prettily to the camera as she embraced the one year old version of him. He hugs the frame and he suddenly misses his mother. Life is unfair. A very kind person like his mother needs to suffer because of a greedy person like his stepmother.

Before, Jimin knew nothing, but he accidentally heard his grandma's conversation with her personal assistant about his mother's accident. It wasn't an accident, it was a murder and his stepmother was behind all of this. He was mad and angry. He threw tantrum to his father but he just got silence as answer. He was disappointed and tried to dig more information but he just ended up in pain. He later found out, his father never loved his mother. They got married purely for business. His father had a girlfriend even before he met his mother and that was his stepmother. His mother tolerated his father's affair but his stepmother wanted more, wanted them to divorce. It was impossible because both came from an honorable family and divorce should never happen. Therefore, the only way to separate them was through death.

Jimin still remembers, he once wanted to bring this case to the court but his father tried his best to burry it. His father even sent him to America because he caused some trouble to the family. It causes a deep cut and he believes, one year, ten years or hundred years will never enough to heal hiss scars. He has no respect left for his father but he keeps trying to impress his father because he needs to inherit his business. There is no way his father's business is given to his stepmother and half brother. He will protect what is his and once he has control, he will take away everything from them. He knows, if his mother still alive, she will never agree with this, but he makes sure he will drag them back to where they suppose to be.

***