Seongheon was finishing his last meeting of the day. After taking a call from headquarters and lowering his phone, he gazed at the screen blankly.
It was inconvenient that Yeonwoo didn’t have a mobile phone. He felt as though hearing her voice for a moment would be enough to recharge him.
*Should I buy her one? No, would that be too much?*
Caught in a dilemma, Seongheon let out a deflating laugh and set the phone down. He found his own hesitation ridiculous; he had spent his life making firm decisions, yet now he was paralyzed by the burden of another person’s potential reaction.
That morning, he had received word that a search and seizure warrant had been executed at Namsong Industrial Development. He had taken a call from his uncle, CEO Nam Tae-jin, and had answered with the weary composure of someone who had known this day was inevitable.
“I’ve received the report. Speak.”
He got straight to the point.
─ Managing Director Nam. What is the meaning of this? Namsong Industrial Development.
The CEO’s voice, clearly having received the report late, was rigid. Judging by his formal use of “Managing Director Nam,” he was incensed.
Seongheon flipped through his documents, his expression unreadable. “The company was an internal mess. I cleaned it up.”
─ That is not what I’m asking. Whether another firm is a mess or not, why should we care?
Before Seongheon could respond, his uncle plowed ahead.
─ Just finish the construction the subcontractor was responsible for and be done with it. Why on earth are we taking the lead in reporting to the prosecution and dragging that company’s business into the spotlight? You didn’t even consult me once.
“…….”
─ What do you expect to do now? It’s a pipeline project; if we stall construction, do you have any idea how much we’ll lose?
“How much is it?”
─ What?
“Have you calculated it? The exact amount of damages.”
Seongheon slowly raised his eyelids. CEO Nam fell silent. *Of course.* He hadn’t bothered to check.
“There will be no delay. I’ve already reached out to Byeokun Industrial. We’ve worked with them several times before, and they’ve confirmed they can take over. The verbal coordination is finished, and I plan to finalize the contract by tomorrow.”
─ Is that so? You brat, you should have said that sooner.
“I was going to call.”
─ When! After the explosion was already over?
“Right now. I told you I was going to call right now.”
─ ……Is that so?
The CEO’s voice softened instantly. Seongheon tapped the edge of his desk and lifted his head.
─ Your aunt called me. She’s asking all sorts of questions, but what would I know? I just got an earful of complaints for nothing.
“That’s the price you pay for offloading work onto your nephew. Accept it.”
─ Anyway, how bad is Namsong Industrial Development that you’re doing this? You could find dust in any business if you shook it hard enough. You’re supposed to turn a blind eye if it’s passable. Who’s going to be scared enough to work as our subcontractor now?
“I made it an issue because it was worth making an issue of. I shook them because they were worth shaking. The construction isn’t being delayed. Isn’t that enough?”
─ Ji Yeonwoo? Who is Ji Yeonwoo?
Seongheon’s fingertips, which had been tapping the desk, froze. His brow furrowed at the thought that Lawyer Shin might have mentioned even her.
─ They say she’s a Domyeongjae employee.
“Did you meet Lawyer Shin?”
─ It wasn’t me who met him, it was your aunt. Your aunt was asking about her.
A deep breath escaped Seongheon before he could stop it.
─ Who is she? Is she the problem?
“Should I tell you a few more times that Namsong Industrial Development is the problem, CEO?”
As Seongheon cut him off in a low voice, CEO Nam made some bustling noises before relenting.
─ Fine. Let’s get the rest reported through the proper channels. It’s fine since you said there’s no problem.
Was that the end of it? Seongheon closed his eyes slowly.
─ That aside, you need to come to Seoul. Your aunt wants us to have a meal, so make time.
“In the near future.”
─ When is the “near future”? After the monsoon? When the leaves fall? The first snow?
“Don’t pester me. If you pester me, I’ll only feel more inclined to avoid it.”
─ Ugh. That temperament of yours. Anyway, come up during the week. You know your aunt’s personality—don’t go making trouble for nothing.
The call cut off abruptly. As the conversation faded, only one question remained sharp in his mind: *Ji Yeonwoo? Who is Ji Yeonwoo?*
His aunt, Nam Yoon-young, had taken Seongheon in after he lost his parents. While their wealthy household had lacked nothing, one couldn’t deny she had done her best to ensure that Seongheon, deprived of parental affection, did not go astray.
She had never scolded him with a raised voice. She had never been harsh. She was a kind, affectionate aunt to him, and it was only much later that Seongheon realized how cold and ruthless she was to the rest of the world.
Perhaps that was why he felt a barrier. He was grateful, yet he could never truly attach his heart to her. He blamed his own prickly, broken nature—the inability to nurture or offer small, warm sentiments to others.
*Ji Yeonwoo? Who is Ji Yeonwoo?*
He imagined Yeonwoo standing in front of his aunt. Ironically, he let out a dry, mirthless laugh. They didn’t fit. They belonged to entirely different worlds.
And yet, if he continued this bizarre, absurd devotion, a day would come when they would face one another. Someday. Without fail.
“……Crazy bastard.”
A self-deprecating whisper slipped out. The fact that he was already mapping out a future with Yeonwoo was pathetic, a miserable admission of his own insanity.
*Look at the grand dreams of someone who has already been turned down.* It was beyond absurd.
“Managing Director.”
The door opened and his secretary entered. Seongheon quickly put on his glasses, as if to shield his wandering thoughts.
“What is it?”
“I’ve received word from Lawyer Shin Jong-Mun.”
At the mention of the lawyer, Seongheon’s gaze sharpened.
“He says the interrogation of Namsong Industrial Development’s President Cha Gil-wook and Vice President Cha Yoonseok is finished. Arrest warrants have been issued.”
Seongheon nodded. “Understood. I will handle the rest via direct call.”
“Yes, Managing Director.”
It was a historic moment. The life of Cha Yoonseok was collapsing.
*
Night had fallen, and Yeonwoo was on night duty.
The staff had long since gone home, leaving Yeonwoo to stay in the small room attached to the main building.
A few hours ago, she had been to the market with Manager Moon and had spent the time fiddling with her new mobile phone. The latest model felt strange and heavy in her hand, like someone else’s property.
It was an empty device, holding only the numbers of her mother, Manager Moon, Eun-ja, and a few others. She had never wanted one, making this feel like an impulsive, unnecessary purchase.
She tapped on the empty gallery and checked the messenger app; she hadn’t linked it to her old account, so it remained blank. She had taken one selfie out of necessity, only to delete it immediately, disliking the way the incandescent light cast shadows across her face.
It was already one in the morning. In Domyeongjae, the ink-colored darkness was absolute, save for the faint, lonely chirping of insects.
She was meant to stay until five, when Manager Moon would arrive, but exhaustion overtook her. She curled up on her side, still clutching the phone.
Then, the old wired telephone in the room rang. Yeonwoo jumped, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had been on night duty for several days, but the phone had never rung before.
*Ring. Ring.*
The analog sound echoed sharply. She approached and picked up the receiver, steadying her voice as she had been taught.
“Yes. This is the main building.”
One-fifteen in the morning.
─ I’m a bit thirsty.
The voice on the other end was unmistakable.
─ A cup of tea, please.
“Yes. I understand, Managing Director.”
Yeonwoo replied as if bewitched and hung up.
In the dead of night. It was the first time she had received a call from Unseondang.
*
After hanging up, Yeonwoo checked the duty log. She reviewed Manager Moon’s handwritten instructions, then hurried out of the room.
She filled the kettle. She retrieved the Indian chai bag Seongheon occasionally requested—a rooibos base blended with cinnamon and cloves, a scent that remained unfamiliar and exotic to her.
The water boiled. She poured it into the teapot, her hands slightly unsteady, and placed the set on a tray. She scanned the tray twice, terrified of making a mistake, before leaving the main building.
Her breath came in heavy, uneven bursts, as if she had just finished a sprint. She felt she had to reach Unseondang before the tea cooled, but her pacing was erratic.
She arrived at the gates of Unseondang and stopped. Seongheon’s shoes were neatly placed on the stepping stone, a sight that made her pulse quicken.
She set the tray down to open the door, then picked it up again, slipping off her shoes to step onto the wooden floor. She moved quietly, scanning the interior. Where was he?
She turned toward the study, the place where they always met. Fearing the tray might tip, she couldn’t knock, so she announced her arrival with her voice.
“Excuse me, Managing Director. I’ve brought the tea.”
She hated how her voice trembled like a bleating lamb. *Stay calm,* she told herself. *It’s just an errand.*
There was no answer.
“Managing Director. I’ve brought the tea.”
Silence. Then, a faint sound of movement came from a side room. Yeonwoo turned toward the noise.
Seongheon emerged from an area adjacent to the small drawing room. Yeonwoo adjusted her path, instinctively stretching the tray forward like a shield.
Seongheon stood still, watching her approach, his head tilted slightly.
“I’ve brought the tea, Managing Director.”
She repeated the words, feeling foolish.
He wasn’t dressed as he usually was. He wore a soft robe that looked as if it would slip from his shoulders at the slightest touch, and his bangs, usually combed back with precision, fell loosely over his forehead, giving him a raw, natural look.
Startled, Yeonwoo pushed the tray further forward. Seongheon stepped closer, reaching out an arm that seemed to overlap the space between them. Yeonwoo closed her eyes tightly, bracing herself as he leaned in—
“I’d like to drink it inside.”
Seongheon reached past her to grab the door handle of the chamber behind her. As the door creaked open, Yeonwoo slowly opened her eyes.
“Let’s go in.”
She already knew, with a sudden, sinking dread, that it was his bedroom.