45.
Fall in Love
“Hey, my busy nephew. You here?”
The door to the Managing Director’s office swung wide, and President Nam Tae-jin stepped in.
The secretary who had been reporting the schedule quickly stepped aside and bowed. President Nam Tae-jin raised a hand in acknowledgement and settled onto the sofa.
“You’re a hard man to find. You should have come to see me the moment you arrived.”
“I was swamped the second I stepped through the door. The final decision-maker kept delaying the approvals.”
“Is that so? Then don’t dawdle; get them done on time. It’s your procrastination that causes these backups.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I wish it were my own business.”
As Seongheon replied with dry detachment, the secretary standing to the side let out a faint laugh.
The nephew’s sharp-tongued nagging was nothing new. President Nam Tae-jin chuckled along with him.
“He ignores the affection I showed by raising him on my back, and instead of filial piety, he only bites my head off the moment he sees me.”
“Raising me on your back? You weren’t even in Korea when I was a child.”
“In my heart! I raised you in my heart! My heart was always carrying you, I swear!”
The secretary, having burst into a slightly louder laugh, struggled to regain his composure before backing out of the office. Only after the door clicked shut did Seongheon raise an eyebrow and stand up.
It wasn’t today or yesterday that his uncle treated the company like a playground while offloading all the actual work onto him, but Seongheon preferred it that way. His uncle had never once rejected his professional opinions or put a brake on the projects he pushed forward.
Though he spoke of living a life of leisure, the President was no fool. He had completed all the necessary training for management, and even if he hadn’t, he was naturally studious.
It was simply that he craved peace and loathed the predatory, competitive nature of the corporate world.
Seongheon returned to the sofa and sighed.
“Please pay more attention to company matters, President. I’m juggling everything, but the risks of a leadership vacancy are significant.”
“Don’t look to me; just split your body in two. That would be more practical.”
“Give me a break. What do you think the employees are saying?”
“What do they think? They think, ‘He’s just a figurehead.’ Kids these days are sharp; they know exactly how the wind blows.”
“…….”
“Besides, what would I even know if I looked into it now? It’s better for you to handle it than for me to meddle and lead us off a cliff.”
“You know everything when you choose to look. Why do you insist on the charade?”
As Seongheon spoke with exasperated clarity, President Nam Tae-jin offered a small, crooked smile before scratching his neck.
“Well. Your aunt told me to sit here, so I sit here, but this seat isn’t really mine. It’s yours.”
“…….”
“Seongheon. I don’t think it’s that far off. I can finally step down in peace once you take the Representative seat. Your aunt keeps asking about you; I think she’s beginning to plan for a change in leadership.”
Seongheon tilted his head. Just then, the secretary returned with tea, providing a brief reprieve.
President Nam Tae-jin sipped his drink and pivoted.
“Oh, right. How is our Hyun-wook? The kid hasn’t even made a single phone call to his father.”
“More importantly, have you resolved your marital rift?”
“……Ha…….”
A sigh longer than a hundred words escaped him. When Seongheon smirked, President Nam Tae-jin squeezed his eyes shut, opened them, and grumbled.
“A marital fight isn’t like cutting water with a knife. It’s cutting time and money with a blade. Keep that in mind.”
“It’s hard to even catch Hyun-wook at Domyeongjae these days. He’s always out with his camera, traveling too much.”
“Wow, I’m envious. Truly. He’s my own son, but I envy him. Living like that is my dream.”
At the lament of a man who genuinely envied his own child’s freedom, Seongheon let out a rare, hearty laugh. Once he finished, President Nam Tae-jin set his cup down, his expression turning grave.
“Seongheon.”
“Go ahead.”
“Your aunt called earlier to ask if there was a woman you were seeing.”
Seongheon looked up. The way his uncle conveyed the message, he seemed just as displeased, his teeth grinding audibly.
“I didn’t know what to say, so I just told her you were too busy to be seeing anyone and hung up.”
“…….”
“It doesn’t feel right, does it? It seems your aunt is looking into marriage prospects for you.”
Reading the inner thoughts of his uncle—who had lost his usual playfulness—Seongheon remained silent. Chairman Nam Yoon-young was the architect of their lives, managing everything from the trivial affairs of the household to the total control of the company.
Those raised in the shadow of Domyeongjae knew the law: once the Great Elder of Domyeongjae made a decision, irresistible obedience was the only option.
The Great Elder of Domyeongjae sacrificed everything for the family and the company. The members were expected to comply with her choices. It was an unwritten rule, a vicious custom.
President Nam Tae-jin watched the silent Seongheon for a long time before patting his thigh.
“You know your aunt’s temperament. You know it better than anyone. She isn’t the type to make the ‘wrong’ choice.”
“…….”
“I know people these days wouldn’t want that kind of marriage, but we’ve been guaranteed a life far beyond the ordinary. We have to pay the price. Your aunt will think it over carefully, so just… be aware of what’s coming.”
To ensure Seongheon wouldn’t be caught off guard, his uncle raised his voice, feigning indifference.
“What’s with that expression? You don’t have time for dating anyway, and you have no interest. Your aunt will find the perfect match for you based on horoscopes and physiognomy, so don’t worry….”
“Let’s drop it. I have nothing else to say on this.”
As Seongheon cut him off, the President nodded quickly and glanced at his watch.
“Hey, it’s almost time to leave. Time flies. It’s already May next month.”
His speech accelerated.
“May. Your parents’ memorial day is soon. You’ll be at Domyeongjae for that, right?”
“I suppose so.”
“Good. Let’s see each other there. I don’t think you’ll be back before then.”
As President Nam Tae-jin stood, Seongheon stood with him.
Ruminating on the mention of his parents’ memorial, Seongheon slowly lowered his eyelids.
May. The most gorgeous, colorful time of the year.
Seongheon loathed the tail end of spring. It was a season he preferred never to encounter.
*
Yeonwoo sipped her coffee slowly. She hadn’t been counting the days, but this moment felt far too precious to trade for anything.
When she was at Domyeongjae, the past had blurred, but returning to the city’s forest of buildings made those memories feel strangely distant. Was this what it meant to be fickle? Yeonwoo closed her eyes, trying to conjure the image of Domyeongjae.
A place where she had hidden with everything she had. A place where she had believed she could never open her heart to another until the day she left.
Manager Moon, who had once seemed stern and frightening, had become a steady reliance. Senior Eun-ja, with whom she had shared nothing, had become someone with whom conversation and laughter were as natural as breathing.
And somewhere in between was Hyun-wook, whose kindness she remained deeply grateful for.
Yeonwoo smiled faintly at the thought of them. It was a natural, reflex smile. She hadn’t been gone for a full day, yet she felt an urge to rush back. The people she wanted to see were there.
……And, the Managing Director.
At the edge of her thoughts, Seongheon emerged. That, too, was the natural order of things.
Wanting to hold onto the tether connecting them, she lowered her eyelids. She remembered the hot, overwhelming breath, the rough and certain pressure of his lips.
The warmth of the hand she had held all morning. The ticklish sensation of his skin brushing against hers.
His aggressive intensity—pulling her into reality, pushing her into the seams of a dream, dragging her from the past and tossing her into the future—left her dizzy.
She tried to rest, but her eyelids kept twitching. It was impossible to think of him with ease. Realizing her state, Yeonwoo opened her eyes cautiously. Just then, her phone rang.
His number, still unsaved, burned on the screen. The vibration against her palm made her lightheaded, and she cleared her trembling throat to answer.
“Yes, Managing Director.”
— Did you finish your coffee?
At his question, Yeonwoo turned. Thinking he might have stepped inside the café, she scanned the room, then looked out the glass window.
……Ah.
“Oh, did you—did you leave work?”
Seeing him standing just on the other side of the glass, she stammered. Seongheon, who had easily spotted her by the window, spoke from the sidewalk.
— I escaped while my secretary was occupied. I felt like I wouldn’t be allowed to go home if I stayed any longer.
“Because of me, for no reason.”
— Not a chance.
Rubbing her lips together, Yeonwoo stared down at her cup. Even though she knew he was watching her, she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Her heart felt like a taut, elastic ball, ready to bounce out of her chest.
“I’ve finished my coffee. Should I come out?”
— No. Just a moment.
Yeonwoo gulped down the dregs of her drink and widened her eyes. Just a moment?
— Your voice is nice to hear. Shall we talk a little longer?
Her throat suddenly felt parched. It felt as if the air were being squeezed from her lungs.
— You go quiet suddenly just because I said I wanted to hear your voice.
“Ah, no. That’s not it. I was just a little surprised.”
Knowing he was watching made it impossible to act naturally. She wanted to fix her lipstick, smooth her hair, but she was frozen.
Knowing her voice was being heard made every cell in her body stand on edge.
— You’d be surprised. I’m surprised every single day, too.
“…….”
— I’m doing things I’ve never done before. Because of someone.
Yeonwoo slowly turned to look at him. Seongheon shrugged slightly.
The faces of the people passing by seemed to fade. The buildings lost their color, and the seasons became incomprehensible.
— Let’s go. Stop sitting there and come out.
As if bewitched, Yeonwoo nodded. Seongheon spoke, his tone setting a condition.
— But you have to know this before you come.
“Yes? What is it?”
— If Ji Yeonwoo comes to me now, you have to stay with me for the rest of the day.
“…….”
— Because I’m not letting you go.
Yeonwoo’s lips parted. Meeting his gaze, she felt the temperature of her emotions rising into a passionate, uncontrollable heat.
— Choose. If you need time, I can wait. If you say you don’t want to, I’ll go on my way.
What should she say? How? For a moment, her heart pounded so violently she felt faint.
— Make me stand here, send me away, or come to me.
Yeonwoo closed her eyes tightly.
……She still didn’t know much about the world.
She lacked the talent to predict the future—
But she knew, with terrifying accuracy, that a relationship with this man had no path to a safe, conventional continuity.
“Managing Director.”
However, even if the future were a catastrophe, even if misfortune were waiting, this wasn’t something she could turn away from.
Because right now, she wanted it desperately.
“Managing Director. I’m coming.”
……I don’t want to go to him. No, I want to.
I want to avoid this moment.
No, I want to rush headlong into it.
“Please wait. I’m coming right now.”
Clutching her heart, which had finally overridden her head, Yeonwoo stood up.
She wanted to go to him. She wanted to crash into her fate.
The thoughts she had locked away, the warnings she hadn’t chosen—she would leave those for later.