Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 332

Time passed, and the day after the highly debated presidential election results were announced had arrived.

After finishing dinner, Do-Jun sat alone in the bedroom, working on his laptop and trying to catch up on the backlog of work. Byeol waddled in, struggling to carry a plate of grapes, and carefully placed it on his desk.

“Daddy, eat some gwapes.”

Do-Jun smiled and gently patted her head. “Thank you. You should eat some too, Byeol.”

“Mm. I’ll eat them while watching TV. Pororong’s on soon!”

With that, Byeol scurried off to the living room.

⌜In our next story, the results of the twentieth presidential election have been announced. Former assemblyman Choi Sung-Hwan of the ruling Daehan Party has been elected. Yesterday morning, the Chairman of the National Election Commission officially confirmed his victory, marking the start of President Choi Sung-Hwan’s term. President Choi paid his respects at the National Cemetery, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly and leaders of the four opposition parties, took his oath of office, and officially moved into the Blue House.⌟

Yoon-Hee placed a grape into Byeol’s mouth while she watched the news about the newly elected president. She didn’t know much about politics, but she had expected this outcome. An influential figure from the dominant Daehan Party winning the presidency was hardly surprising. Choi Sung-Hwan had secured the win with a staggering seventy percent of the vote.

Just six months ago, the public had widely expected Assemblyman Ha Dae-Chul to become the next president. However, his seat in the national assembly was revoked due to violations of conduct and ethical breaches. With him out of the picture, the party shifted its full support to Sung-Hwan.

***

The president was the head of state, bearing the immense responsibility of leading the country.

There was a saying that the will of the people granted the presidency, and that was, of course, true. The voters exercised their right to choose their leader. But if one considered what made a candidate viable for the presidency in the first place, another truth emerged.

Two figures wielded immense influence over South Korea: the Chief of the Hunter’s Bureau and the Chairman of SG Group. The reality was that these two most publicly trusted individuals supported the Daehan Party, making Sung-Hwan’s victory inevitable. This much was common knowledge among the public. But if one looked more closely, a deeper, less obvious truth lay beneath.

Late at night, instead of returning to the presidential residence, Sung-Hwan remained in his office at Yeomin Hall, meticulously drafting a personal letter.

The autumn equinox marks the day when daylight and nighttime are of equal length. Lightning ceases, and insects burrow underground...

He carefully penned each word with a fountain pen, but after a long sigh, he crumpled the paper and tossed it aside, toward the dozens of other pages he had already discarded.

“Hah...”

The party chose its presidential candidate, but actually, the decision hadn't been made by the party itself. It was the Chief of the Hunter’s Bureau and the Chairman of SG Group who offered their recommendation. Even they had only acted after getting approval from someone else. This meant that, ultimately, the presidency was granted by the will of that “someone.”

Lee Do-Jun, Sung-Hwan thought of the name of the civil servant at Seoul City Hall’s Fissure Management Division.

On paper, a low-ranking civil servant and the president were as different as heaven and earth. The problem was that Do-Jun was no ordinary civil servant. His power—both physically and in terms of influence—had already surpassed that of the president.

The day after entering the Blue House, Sung-Hwan had invited Chief Jung and Chairman Moon to dinner. He vividly recalled the Taegeuk pins on their suit lapels[1]. Made from a rare metal called Everfrost steel, the pins gave off a subtle, radiant glow.

When asked, they had said, “Oh, this? It was bestowed upon us by Supervisor Lee. It’s proof that Supervisor Lee trusts us, don’t you think? Hahaha.”

It was clear that the two men cherished their pins. However, because of that, Sung-Hwan could think of nothing else. His presidential term had officially begun, and yet, something about his position felt... incomplete.

I want one too. That pin.

He glanced down at his suit jacket. It was a luxury designer brand worth millions of won, yet it felt oddly empty. His gaze drifted back to the personal letter on his desk, meant to be sent only to Do-Jun’s residence.

Logging into On-Nara, the government’s internal approval system, he navigated to the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division and pulled up the list of employees registered under the division.

***

“You want to send these to the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division?” the Chief Presidential Secretary asked, looking at the personal letters in his hand.

A flicker of confusion passed through his mind. Why all of a sudden?

His job was to follow the president’s orders without question, but this request still seemed quite unusual.

“Do you realize how many lives in Seoul have been saved thanks to the Fissure Management Division?” Sung-Hwan asked.

“Y-yes, Mr. President, I do. I see it in the newspapers all the time.”

In fact, the division’s reputation was at an all-time high. With one S-rank Hunter and numerous A-rank and B-rank Hunters, it was practically a major guild in itself. Their public opinion was at a point where people half-jokingly referred to it as the “Fifth Great Guild.”

“As president, I believe it is only right to formally acknowledge their contributions.”

Of course, that was just an excuse. The Chief Presidential Secretary had no way of knowing the true reason. Still, it was a reasonable explanation. After all, previous administrations often sent letters of appreciation to civil servants for their dedication.

Still... all of them are addressed separately? The Chief Presidential Secretary still couldn’t shake off the doubt in his mind.

Each letter was personally addressed to every employee in the Fissure Management Division, which was quite unusual.

Sung-Hwan remained silent.

Sensing that he had overstepped, the Chief Presidential Secretary quickly cleared his throat. “Ahem. I’ll have them sent immediately.”

“One more thing,” Sung-Hwan added. “And this is important—do not open any of the letters.”

“Understood, Mr. President. I’ll make sure of it.”

***

There had never been an instance where the President of the country sent a personal letter to Seoul City Hall. Naturally, the Fissure Management Division office was in an uproar. Not only did a letter from the President himself arrive at Seoul City Hall, but it was also addressed specifically to the Fissure Management Division, prompting employees from other departments to flock over and see it for themselves.

“Wow, this is huge! What’s going on?”

“He just got inaugurated... wait, does the President owe our department a favor or something?”

“Hey, let me see. What does it say?”

People crowded around, peering at the official letter in their colleagues' hands.

To all employees of the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division,

Your tireless efforts to ensure the safety of our citizens are truly commendable.

In the past, we suffered terrible disasters due to the sudden emergence of monsters, but we all know that the current state of stability was not achieved on its own...

“Haha! Well, what do you know! The President really didn’t have to send something like this, haha! He even wrote my name, look! It’s right here!” Cheol-Soo beamed, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

There were no additional perks attached to the letter, but it still felt as rewarding as receiving a commendation.

Watching the cheerful chaos, Do-Jun chuckled to himself before opening his own letter. Standing nearby, Hyuk-Soo glanced over Do-Jun’s shoulder as he read.

“Huh... the contents really are all the sa...” Hyuk-Soo took an extended pause as he read the salutation in Do-Jun’s letter, which alone set this letter apart.

“To the Honorable Supervisor Lee Do-Jun,”

“Same...?” He finished the sentence uncertainly. He quickly pretended not to notice and quietly returned to his seat.

The autumn equinox marks the day when daylight and nighttime are of equal length. Lightning ceases, and insects burrow underground, and waters begin to recede.

It is an honor to know that the arrival of autumn was made possible through the sweat and dedication of your efforts.

It is only due to your guidance that someone as unworthy as myself was able to ascend to the presidency. I will devote myself to governing this nation wholeheartedly, ensuring that I never disappoint you. Ultimately, I vow to elevate Korea into the greatest nation in the world.

Do-Jun smirked as he turned to the next page.

Last night, I had the pleasure of dining with Chief Jung Young-Chul of the Hunter’s Bureau and Chairman Moon Gwang-Ho of SG Group. Both of them spoke endlessly of your greatness, praising you without end.

It was a truly meaningful time for me, as without their words, I might never have had the chance to form a connection with you.

They also talked about the pins attached to their lapels. They told me that, as the pinnacle of their respective fields, the pins symbolized your unspoken directive to lead the nation with wisdom.

I must admit—I found myself deeply envious of such an honor.

Do-Jun paused for a moment as he thought about the pins. He had indeed given Taegeuk pins to Young-Chul and Gwang-Ho, but that wasn’t his original intention at all.

Byeol had needed to bring some pins for a crafting activity at her daycare, so he had stopped by a stationery store, picked up some supplies, and crafted them out of scrap Everfrost Steel. The pins had simply been extras, so he had handed them out as small gifts.

Honorable Supervisor Lee! There is nothing in this world that would make me prouder than receiving a pin that you granted. I would be forever grateful. As the President of Korea, I can only dream of wearing a Taegeuk pin with pride, dedicating my very being to the service of this nation.

If—just if!—such an honor were to come my way.... 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“Ah...” Without realizing it, Do-Jun pressed his fingers to his forehead.

***

“Mr. President, it’s time,” said the Chief Presidential Secretary.

The day’s schedule was packed. Soon, a meeting with foreign dignitaries was set to take place in the Blue House.

Sung-Hwan nodded and stood up. That’s when the Chief Presidential Secretary caught sight of the Taegeuk pin on the President’s lapel.

“Mr. President, that pin...”

“What do you think? Looks good, doesn’t it?”

Had he put in extra effort because he was meeting foreign officials today?

“It looks great, sir.”

“Now, I finally feel like a real President.”

“P-pardon...?”

“Haha, it’s nothing. Let’s go.”

The red and blue of the Taegeuk emblem shimmered subtly as Sung-Hwan stepped forward, feeling the weight of the pin on his chest.

***

⌜This Wednesday, President Choi Sung-Hwan held a meeting with foreign ambassadors at the Blue House. During the discussions, President Choi emphasized the importance of cooperation and mutual prosperity between nations...⌟

Byeol stared blankly at the TV screen. The camera zoomed in on the President, bringing his chest into sharp focus. She blinked and squinted at the pin on his lapel. Then, she ran over to fetch her kindergarten bag. Taking out the Taegeuk pin attached to the front pocket, she held it up and compared it to the one on the screen.

“Daddy! Wook at this!” she cried.

“Hm?”

“Mine wooks exactly wike that! So cool!”

Do-Jun smiled. “It’s the same one, sweetie. He wanted one, so I gave him a present.”

“Ooh, okie.”

Byeol stuffed her mouth full of grapes and chewed happily before toddling off to her room to put her bag away.

1. Taegeuk is the symbol of Korea (the circle you see in the center of the Korean flag, the Taegeuk-gi. ☜