chapter 28
28. Invitation
Immediately after Suho Lee’s remarks.
A simple polling station was set up for the floor leader primary.
“From now on, the voting for the election of the floor leader begins. Members of Congress, please vote for the candidate you support.”
A competition with only 155 participants.
Looking at the number of heads, it was at the level of an elementary school student council election, but the importance was significant. This is because the person elected in this election will hold the party power in one hand.
‘Don’t be careless.’
I, Hyeri, wrote her name on her paper, put it in her ballot box, and returned to her seat. Originally, it was a national rule for her to write down her name in her contest.
It was the same in the primary where victory was scheduled like today. The higher the vote rate is, the stronger the authority after the election.
The competitor who formally faced off against Na Hye-ri this time was Cho Dong-chan from the 4th line.
She was a full-time activist for a male organization, and was also the most elected male member of the Peace Party.
Originally, the reality was that even re-election was difficult for men. The procedure for most men to apply for nomination for constituencies after entering as proportional representatives and serving a four-year term is to be eliminated.
In the meantime, the 4th line is indeed a success. He even served as the deputy prime minister for education last year.
‘Looking at his career, he’s more glamorous than me.’
Even now, all male members of the party gathered under the banner of Jo Dong-chan. Even Seong Ki-nam, who had been listening to former CEO Park Ha-sun’s love affair, joined the other side subtly. It seemed that the person he was serving had become a kite that had fallen off and switched to Jo Dong-chan.
Originally, there were many cases in which male lawmakers were gathered together. Since men are a minority, there is a tendency to push the same men.
However, only one of the 20 or so male lawmakers, Lee Su-ho, was supporting Na Hye-ri.
‘No, it’s not enough to support me.’
The person who put her in her position was Suho Lee. If it wasn’t for him, there would never have been a competition like this in the first place.
Even now, Lee Soo-ho was sitting next to Jo Dong-chan, paying no attention to her.
“Suho. You’ll be out of the way among the male lawmakers because of me, will it be okay?”
“It doesn’t matter. Rep. Cho Dong-chan is not the right leader for the current situation…. When I heard the remarks made while running for primary, they mentioned that New Zealand and Sweden had recently produced male prime ministers, and insisted that we establish male leadership as well.”
“He probably wanted to say that men are relatively free from bribes. In fact, most of the lawmakers implicated this time were also women.”
“Men are not cleaner. I probably won’t go to the room salon.”
“… ….”
“I may not be able to go to the meeting of male members of the National Assembly in the future, but… it’s okay. After all, they and I are different.”
Actually, Suho was very heterogeneous for a man. It’s to the point where you look like you’re from a different race when you’re standing in the middle of all the male legislators. The physique is from an athlete background, so even so, the innate tendency itself was a bit different.
‘Of course, that’s not why they support me.’
The bond between her and Suho Lee was so strong that it is difficult to express it in terms of loyalty or loyalty.
We’ve been close friends since before. He was brought up as an intern and promoted to 9th grade, 7th grade, 5th grade, and raised himself. I couldn’t ignore the intimacy that I built while playing three-digit rounds together.
Moreover, since the spread of Mana Coin, strange things have not continued.
She was threatened to fabricate and spread s*xual scandals about her, and was even misunderstood as her lover by her mother. Of course, from her mother’s point of view, it’s more strange that she doesn’t misunderstand, but anyway.
I don’t know if that misunderstanding was the trigger, but now Na Hye-ri couldn’t look at Lee Su-ho as a subordinate employee and golf teacher who just adore Su-ho.
“Even these days, I continue to exercise.”
The words he threw after looking at Suho’s forearms exposed under the rolled-up sleeves. Suho tilted his head for a moment and then nodded.
“Yes. I guess it has become a habit.”
He said that it was Suho’s daily routine to practice his swing at the indoor practice range in front of his house, work hard with weights, and return home. It’s not because I want to get rid of politics and return to golf, it’s just a habit.
Until recently, I had only thought of him as an unusual friend, but now I can feel the bulging tendons on my forearms. Her tastes are different for each person, so she should have some women who like men with built up muscles, but Hyeri and I don’t.
It’s not like her tastes have suddenly changed, so why is this? She once touched Suho’s hand to correct her swing form, but even then, she didn’t feel like this.
‘No, now is not the time to think like this.’
I, Hye-ri, forced her gaze to look at the lawmakers.
Members of the Peace Party are still buzzing hard.
As soon as she saw that figure, she was Hyeri, who let out a small exclamation. It was only then that she realized why her feelings for Lee Soo-ho had been amplified in such a strange way, and why she had paid attention to her healthy body, which she had neglected to look at.
‘There is no one to trust.’
153 People excluding her and Lee Soo-ho. Among the many gold badges, there was no one to trust.
It didn’t mean that she was all contaminated by Kwon Yesol. She must be more unreceived humans than received ones.
But just because she wasn’t accused didn’t mean she wasn’t believable. It was because the majority of members of the National Assembly were self-employed politicians who moved according to the trend of the general trend. In the first place, politics was not a matter of trusting people.
A political scene where there is nothing strange about being stabbed in the back by anyone at any time. The Mana Coin Gate was an event that confirmed that reality.
In the midst of that, she got the only reliable presence, so she can’t help but feel special. She wasn’t suddenly excited.
“Mr. After the primary, I have something else to tell you.”
Even this insignificant request made me happy. I, Hye-ri, tried to put her hand on Lee Soo-ho’s forearm involuntarily, but she exercised her patience and stopped. No matter how much it is, you should refrain from being in a place crowded with members of the National Assembly.
“Yes. See you after.”
Hyeri Na answered briefly and then looked straight ahead.
Around that time, the ballot counting process was over and the primary election results were announced.
“Members? Please be quiet and clear your seat.”
“… Then, from now on, we will announce the results of the floor leader contest. Sign No. 1 Rep. Cho Dong-chan, 40 votes. And the symbol No. 2, Rep. Na Hye-ri, 112 votes. And abstention and 3 invalid votes.”
“Based on Article 22 of Chapter 7 of the Party Constitution! It is revealed that Na Hye-ri has been selected as the next floor leader of the Peace Party! It is also announced that she will also serve as the chairperson of the Brigade Committee!”
The result was an unexpected victory.
Following the moderator’s instructions, Na Hye-ri lightly stood up. And she showed minimal courtesy to the members of Congress staring this way while clapping awkwardly.
As if her landslide victory today was a guaranteed right for her.
The moment I held the Peace Party in one hand, I was elated, but I didn’t know if it was because of the power I had just gained.
*
The competition is over.
Now that I have given Hyeri her party power, it is my turn to carry out the other duties given to me.
Of course, I didn’t mean to throw away Na Hye-ri at all. Rather, it was something she was trying to do to help her. However, it was difficult for her to stick by her side and help her with her party duties. At least until Kwon Ye-sol was caught.
In order to shorten the period even a little, I had to ask Na Hye-ri for something else.
“Suho. Would you like to go home and talk?”
But you don’t have to go all the way home to talk? It was a bit strange.
Just the office of the National Assembly member or the party representative’s office or the floor representative’s office in the main building of the National Assembly (both of which are now dedicated to Na Hye-ri) would be enough. Still, she had no reason to refuse, so she decided to accept.
Seriously, the only time Na Hye-ri could rest was today.
Starting tomorrow morning, she will have many things to do. It wasn’t overexertion that she was trying to get an early break, even if it was only for this evening.
“Good. Senator.”
Soon after, we headed to Na Hye-ri’s house.
Na Hye-ri’s Seoul house, to be exact.
It was difficult to commute to the local district (Icheon City) every day, so it was a separate residence in Seoul. Since he was a wealthy nobleman, his house in Seoul was well decorated. In the living room, home screen golf equipment worth 20 million won was installed, and there was even a game room.
I have been to this place dozens of times already, there was nothing special about it.
“Thank you for helping me today. If you hadn’t taken medicine before voting, even 100 votes would have been difficult…. Oh, would you like a drink?”
“Good.”
It’s not strange to have a drink. Last year, there were several times when I went out on the field after drinking a glass of wine slush.
What’s different now…
‘It doesn’t exist.’
One thing has changed. My relationship with Na Hye-ri.
In the past, Na Hye-ri was the boss who treated me excessively comfortably. She even suggested that we stay together at a pool villa at a golf resort famous for adultery.
What if another female member of Congress had made such a proposal to a young male secretary? She probably only got her doubts about how she was going to do it. Because men and women are different. At that time, I, Hyeri, was not that kind of person, so she and I also responded without hesitation. Actually nothing happened.
But now, after going through various things in a short period of time. I couldn’t be calm with Hyeri, who was sitting in front of me with her legs crossed.
‘Na Hye-ri will do more, maybe.’
Tension appeared on Hyeri’s face as she touched her glass without saying anything. It just meant that she didn’t invite me to discuss the plan to organize the emergency committee and the agenda for negotiations with the opposition.
I could sense that she wanted to create something.
However, taking so much time… It’s probably because she’s worried that her own behavior will be seen as indecent. It didn’t change the fact that I was her secretary. However, Na Hye-ri’s face, staring at me with her ear lobe flushed, did not look sinister at all.
It’s a cheeky idea, but I also thought it was a little cute.
“Sir.”
“Huh?”
It wouldn’t be bad for me to break the awkward atmosphere first in order to repay the debt. I went over to her with her drinking glass.
There was no reason to hold back.
Because I was no longer her subordinate.