“……Amnesia?”
Miran nodded.
“Yes. Apparently, he lost his memories from around that time. About three years’ worth. He’d been in the military just before that, and he says he doesn’t remember that, either.”
“…….”
“Don’t you think that’s why his personality might have become so sensitive?”
Jeong-o first met Ji-Heon seven years ago, back when she was in Australia on a working holiday. Ji-Heon had only recently been discharged from the military, his hair still cropped short like a chestnut burr.
A chill crawled up her spine and rattled her brain. It felt as if something heavy had struck her in the head.
“The cookie gift is the same. Even if it was a gift from children, isn’t it hard to trust food made by someone you don’t know well? I think he might have thrown it away out of fear of what kind of danger it could pose.”
“…….”
“Though, throwing away the card, too, was a bit much.”
Because Jeong-o remained silent, Miran offered her opinion cautiously.
Jeong-o was simply too shocked to speak.
Her brain, usually so agile, felt as if it had momentarily ground to a halt.
Jeong-o managed to find her voice.
“Team Leader, by any chance, do you know exactly when that was…….”
“Team Leader Seong! I’ve been looking all over for you. We have a meeting.”
Just as she was about to ask for more details regarding the hit-and-run accident, a team member from the other department came to find Miran.
“Oh, right! I did have one.”
Miran waved at Jeong-o as she was pulled away by her team member.
The conversation had been interrupted at a crucial moment. Jeong-o placed a hand on her chest and pressed down firmly. Her heart was in a state of chaos.
If this were true…….
*‘Are you saying that he might not remember me?’*
The hand she had placed on her chest moved up to cover her mouth.
It’s impossible.
*‘He forgot me? Really?’*
Even though she trusted Miran, she couldn’t bring herself to believe it.
She watched for an opportunity to talk to Miran more, but the chance never came.
The lunch hour ended just like that.
Jeong-o had to set aside her heavy thoughts and focus on her afternoon work. Patiently locking away her emotions was one of the things she did best.
The first project at the new company had begun. It was a product launch planning meeting for an existing client.
She had thought only the second production team would attend, but just as the team members were settling in, the door opened again. People from the first team entered the conference room.
Of course, Eun-Bi Chae was among them. Meeting Jeong-o’s eyes, Eun-Bi looked past her to greet Miran, who was sitting beside Jeong-o, with warmth.
“Team Leader, the all-black look suits you so well today. It’s chic and sexy.”
“Really? I dressed like this because I was craving jajangmyeon.”
“Ah, you went to Hyangmigak. Now that I think of it, everyone on Team 2 is in black.”
Eun-Bi scanned the members of Team 2.
*Does she not consider me part of the same team?* Jeong-o grumbled to herself.
Miran looked over at Jeong-o.
“Everyone knows our team’s new face, right? This is Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee, she’s a copywriter.”
As Miran reintroduced Jeong-o to the AE in charge and the members of the first production team, Eun-Bi smiled sweetly—as if they were meeting for the first time today.
“Nice to meet you. I’m a copywriter, too.”
“Yes. Nice to meet you.”
Jeong-o played along, sensing that Eun-Bi didn’t want to reveal they already knew each other.
Soon, the planning team AE briefed them on the details received from the client.
“The target is 20-30s office workers, and the concept is ‘beer to keep stocked at home and drink alone after work.’ Since it’s an alcohol advertisement, TV commercials can only air after 10 PM and outdoor ads are also restricted, so we’ll be targeting in different ways. If the ideas are good, we plan to actively use them on the product packaging as well. The client is meticulous and the scale is large, so the first production team is joining us as well. The goal is to present the drafts by the last week of May.”
Jeong-o was pleased with the enticing brief. Since this was her first time working on an alcohol ad, she felt a newfound sense of excitement.
“First, I’d like to do some brainstorming. Please, feel free to share your thoughts.”
Following the AE’s suggestion, Miran spoke first.
“Since it’s alcohol to drink alone at home, how about storytelling targeting solo individuals? Showing the daily life of a solo person watching happy couples with clouded eyes.”
Jeong-o, nodding at Miran’s opinion, scribbled down copy ideas in her notebook.
“Then Team 2 has the advantage. Since you’re all single.”
In the middle of that, the Team 2 leader made a joke.
Gihun responded slickly.
“You’re jumping to conclusions that I’m single.”
“Gihun Song, you had a lover?”
“I don’t, though.”
People burst into laughter. Jeong-o, who had been slightly tense, was swept up in the bright atmosphere and laughed along with them.
Amidst the cheer, Gihun turned his head and asked Jeong-o.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Assistant Manager?”
“I don’t.”
Was it her imagination? She thought she heard a faint, mocking snort from the direction of Eun-Bi’s seat.
“Oh, Assistant Manager Lee wrote something in her notebook. Can I read it?”
Gihun leaned in quickly toward the notebook. The conference room grew quiet as everyone focused on Jeong-o.
“When it snows, you should look at the snow; why would you look at *him* when it snows?”
The copy she had scribbled down after hearing Miran’s idea flowed out through Gihun’s low voice.
Laughter and exclamations erupted here and there.
“Wow. As expected of a copywriter.”
MR. Yeong-gwang Park, who was usually reserved, gave a thumb-up in admiration.
“It’s good as a monologue for a solo person.”
A male team member from the next team also clapped lightly.
Between those exclamations, Eun-Bi smiled and said to Jeong-o.
“It’s heart-wrenching and realistic. You must have been solo for a long time?”
Jeong-o clenched and unclenched her fist under the table.
*Is she teasing me?*
It was frustrating. Frustrating, but since it was true, she couldn’t get angry.
“I suppose so.”
Jeong-o shrugged her shoulders.
“I might not be able to do this well. It’s been so long since I was single that the feeling is quite distant. Assistant Manager Lee, why don’t you write the main copy?”
*I don’t really care to know about your personal life, you know?*
Jeong-o snorted internally at Eun-Bi’s unnecessary addition. Of course, on the outside, she offered a professional, client-service smile.
The AE wrapped up the meeting.
“Let’s keep what we’ve discussed so far as one idea tip and develop it in various directions. Let’s schedule the next meeting for next Tuesday.”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
The meeting ended, and people rose from their seats.
Eun-Bi tidied her things slowly and greeted Jeong-o.
“Assistant Manager Lee, I look forward to working with you.”
“Yes. You too.”
Eun-Bi moved her hands sluggishly, as if doing so on purpose. A ring sparkled on her left ring finger.
Miran, watching Eun-Bi, asked with a gentle smile.
“When are you getting married, Section Chief Chae?”
As if she had been waiting for this question, Eun-Bi’s expression brightened even more.
“My mother wants it done before this year is over, but as you know, he’s very busy. I’m not sure yet.”
Eun-Bi tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke. The ring on her left hand boasted a flamboyant design.
Jeong-o couldn’t help but hear the conversation. But she wasn’t particularly curious. All she cared about was the amnesia of Ji-Heon Jeong.
After the conference room cleared, Miran, noticing that Jeong-o had been following her with her eyes, asked, “Assistant Manager Lee, why? Do you have something to say?”
They were the only two left in the conference room. It was a good time.
“About that accident regarding Director Jeong you mentioned earlier.”
“Yes. What about it?”
“By any chance, do you know when that accident happened?”
Miran rolled her eyes, thinking it over, then picked up her phone.
“Hold on.”
After searching for quite a while, Miran showed her phone screen to Jeong-o.
“This is an article about Director Jeong.”
“…….”
“His family blocked all the articles. This is the only one left.”
「Around 1:00 PM on November 3rd, an incident occurred in the parking lot of an apartment building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, where a male in his 20s living in the building was struck by a hit-and-run vehicle. The suspect who fled after the accident was apprehended by the police around 7:00 PM, and it was confirmed that the victim was in critical condition.」
Her hands began to tremble violently.
November 3rd, seven years ago.
She remembered that day.
The day she was supposed to meet Ji-Heon Jeong.
*That day, when you promised to pick me up at three but never showed up.*
*That day, when I tried calling dozens of times only to be told your phone was turned off.*
“Assistant Manager Lee, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”
“……Yes. I’m fine. ……Thank you for letting me know.”
Jeong-o barely managed to offer a greeting before returning the phone to Miran.
Stumbling, the path back to her seat felt dizzying. It felt as if the floor and the ceiling had swapped places.
In the midst of the chaos, the words Seung-Gyu Park had spoken a few hours ago suddenly surfaced.
“Actually, I’ve been friends with Director Ji-Heon Jeong for 16 years. Our illustrious director doesn’t even really remember it, though.”
He had explicitly said that he didn’t even remember it properly.
Was that what he meant by amnesia?
She couldn’t just sit still. She had to confirm it herself.
Jeong-o changed direction and walked with long, swift strides toward Ji-Heon’s office. Her pace accelerated as if gaining momentum, turning into a near-run by the time she reached the door.
“Is there something you need?”
When Jeong-o reached out for the door handle, the secretary guarding it asked.
“Is the director at his desk?”
“He should be in the lounge.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Jeong-o turned away again and ran toward the lounge.
The lounge on the 9th floor was quite spacious. It was a space equipped with tables and chairs for various uses, a large collection of books, massage chairs, arcade games, and light refreshments.
Ji-Heon, who had just finished meeting with a client, turned around at the sound of the intrusive footsteps.
When he recognized the woman entering the lounge, he held his breath.
His body went rigid with tension.
*Jeong-o Lee, again…….*
Ji-Heon stared at her blankly, trying not to let his discomfort show.
She, too, stopped in her tracks a few paces away upon spotting him.
Her mouth was pressed shut, but her ribcage rose sharply. Her small shoulders heaved with every ragged breath.
Seeing her expression—looking at him like someone who had just lost a precious treasure—Ji-Heon glanced behind him. It hadn’t occurred to him that he was the object of her gaze. He assumed she was looking at someone else over his shoulder.
But there was no one behind Ji-Heon. In fact, there was no one else in the lounge.
Just the two of them.
Jeong-o bit her lip, feeling as though her sobs would break through before she could speak.
Where to even begin?
After running around so desperately to find him, her mind turned to fog the moment she stood before him.
*‘Do you really not remember? Really? Nothing at all?’*
*Have you really forgotten me?*
*Not pretending to have forgotten, but truly forgotten?*
*‘Then, you don’t even know we have a child?’*
*You don’t even know you’ve become a father?*
Her chest throbbed painfully.
Suppressing her emotions, she forced herself to speak.
“……Do you know who I am?”
“Of course,” Ji-Heon answered easily.
“Copywriter, Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee.”
It was a heavy voice, but a hopelessly indifferent response.
That coldness crushed her heart, which had been a ruin for so long, all over again.
“……Is that all?”
“Is there something else I should know?”
Nothing remained for him.
“I’d rather discuss what happened this morning.”
To him, the conflict from a few hours ago was more pressing than the history of several years past.
She crashed into the miserable reality.
*How? How could you forget me?*
Her chest felt like it was tearing apart, her heart like it was about to burst; Jeong-o had to clasp her hands over her chest once more.
*How could you forget me!*
*You were everything to me.*
*How could you forget what I was to you? How!*
The man before her showed no reaction even as he watched her distorted face.
She wanted to grab him by the collar and demand answers; she wanted to beat his chest with her fists.
But he was a man for whom she felt a boundless, endless pity.
*‘……How much must you have suffered? How badly were you hurt to lose even your memory…….’*
She wanted to throw her arms around this cold man who looked at her like a stranger, like a speck of dust on his sleeve, and wail.
*Have you been well? Hmm?*
*Have you been well after forgetting me entirely?*
*I was terrified.*
*All that happened was that you disappeared from my life, but to me, the whole world went dark.*
*It was as if my eyes had been gouged out; I couldn’t see anything.*
*While wandering through that darkness, I gave birth to our child.*
*‘Your child was born. A child you don’t even know exists…….’*
*That child is seven years old now.*
*She is very beautiful, very sensible, and even mature in ways that resemble you.*
*The time you lost is growing.*
*Our child is growing. Beautiful enough to tear my heart apart…….*
The tens of thousands of words trapped in her heart threatened to pour out all at once. Because of that, Jeong-o couldn’t say a single word, just opening and closing her mouth.
Finally, tears, swifter than words, fell in a straight line to the floor.
Ji-Heon’s eyes, which had maintained their ruthless chill, flickered.
At that moment.
“Oppa. Were you here?”
A woman’s voice was heard.
It was a voice Jeong-o recognized.
“You said you went to see Mother and Father this morning. They told me to come with you next time.”
It was Eun-Bi Chae.
Eun-Bi continued to speak as she walked over from a distance, without checking to see if Ji-Heon was alone.
Even though it was a lounge, her tone implied she didn’t care who else might be there besides Ji-Heon.
“It’s so hard to even see your face, even though we’re in the same company.”
That playful, affectionate voice felt like an awl piercing Jeong-o’s heart.
Jeong-o quickly wiped away her tears.
“……Oppa?”
Eun-Bi, having approached, tilted her head. Only then did she notice that Ji-Heon wasn’t alone, and her brow furrowed for a brief second.
But soon, she smoothed her expression, walked up beside him, and linked her arm with his.
“Oppa. I didn’t tell you, did I?”
Her manner suggested she was introducing Jeong-o to Ji-Heon, but Jeong-o knew better.
She was boasting about Ji-Heon to her.
“Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee is my friend. High school classmate.”
Having finished her kind introduction, Eun-Bi asked Jeong-o.
“Jeong-o, is something the matter?”
*What do you want with my man?*
That was the implication of Eun-Bi’s question.
The ring on the hand gripping Ji-Heon’s arm sparkled, blindingly bright.
……The father of my child had a fiancée.