With one problem resolved, Ji-Heon felt a bit lighter.
Tuesday afternoon. While heading to his office after completing a task, Ji-Heon glanced over at the production team.
The seats of the 2nd production team were all empty.
With a brief moment to spare, Ji-Heon found the conference room where the liquor advertisement production meeting was being held.
The voices of two people could be heard from outside the room.
“Whenever I see you, Assistant Manager, you never let go of your notebook. Do you record everything in your daily life?”
“No, there’s not much worth writing down. I’m just constantly thinking.”
“You’re the best copywriter I’ve ever met, Assistant Manager. Seriously, I mean it.”
“Gihun, you always insist on acknowledging everything I do.”
“Well, there’s just so much to acknowledge.”
It was Gihun Song and Jeong-o Lee.
When he opened the door and walked in, he saw the two of them sitting side-by-side at the end of the conference table.
Stopping mid-conversation, Gihun greeted him briskly.
“Good afternoon, Director.”
Jeong-o merely gave a slight nod.
“When does the meeting start?”
“In ten minutes.”
“Gihun Song, please print out the meeting minutes from last week.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gihun stood up and walked out of the conference room.
Ji-Heon and Jeong-o were left alone. A chilly silence descended.
Ji-Heon felt complicated; the woman who had been so animated while talking to Gihun now kept her lips pressed tightly shut in front of him.
Ye-Na, was it?
The way she lowered her gaze reminded him of that smart child from yesterday.
That child had said they didn’t have a father, either.
For the first time, Ji-Heon pondered at length about a situation he couldn’t personally relate to.
He wanted to do something for her, but he didn’t know what that should be.
Still, if there was even a sliver of an opening, he would use it.
He didn’t necessarily want to become Jeong-o Lee’s father, but if that was the only connection between them, he figured it didn’t really matter.
Ji-Heon spoke quietly.
“Come by if you want to see your father.”
“Pardon?”
“You said I resembled your father. If I’m an acceptable substitute, come see me.”
“You, Director?”
Jeong-o narrowed her brows intensely and asked again.
“Your face, Director?”
Are you crazy?
I’m already feeling uncomfortable enough as it is, why would I go to see you?
“Do you dislike it? I was saying it out of consideration for you, Assistant Manager.”
But this man was serious. He seemed to have fixated on the word ‘father.’
Regardless, she needed to identify his inner circle, so his offer might actually be helpful.
“Thank you just for the offer.”
At her lukewarm gratitude, his lips stretched into a faint, barely visible smile.
With that, he left the conference room.
A moment later, Gihun returned, and seeing Jeong-o alone, asked, “Where’s the Director?”
“He left.”
“Did he ask you to print the minutes?”
“He did.”
Gihun sat back down with a frustrated expression.
Soon after, all the team members gathered. By chance, Jeong-o ended up sitting across from Eun-Bi. Eun-Bi, catching Jeong-o’s eye, offered a formal smile.
The meeting began with the AE’s general overview.
“Since the client set the target and concept, we sent out the production request last week. You’ve all checked the additional product specs and competitor analysis, right? I’d like to share ideas today, and once we reach a consensus, the planning team will revise the proposal.”
Everything is difficult at the start. The team members glanced at each other, not wanting to be the first to be criticized.
Just then, the door opened, and Ji-Heon entered again.
The room was large, and there were plenty of empty seats, yet Ji-Heon didn’t head to the front. He chose a seat in the back. Specifically, the seat next to Jeong-o. It happened to be across from Eun-Bi as well.
Jeong-o tensed up, hunching her shoulders, but Eun-Bi smiled softly upon seeing Ji-Heon’s face.
“Should I go first?”
Empowered, Eun-Bi raised her hand.
“People in their 20s and 30s are at their peak physically, but mentally, they are often exhausted.”
For some reason, Ji-Heon was restless. While listening to Eun-Bi’s presentation, he shifted his legs and bumped into Jeong-o’s knee. When Jeong-o moved her chair slightly to the side, he began fiddling with the pen in his hand.
His restlessness felt like a strange magic. No one else on the team paid him any mind. Only Jeong-o felt constantly on edge.
“They want to do so many things, but they have to do what others tell them first. They get beat up at work, and they get shoved around on the subway during their commute. They see couples in the park and feel envious because they look so passionate…”
Thud.
Finally, Ji-Heon dropped the pen he was holding onto the floor.
Eun-Bi’s gaze lingered on Ji-Heon for a moment.
The pen fell under the table, close to Jeong-o’s seat.
The man who had been so restless became completely still after dropping the pen. Jeong-o was dumbfounded.
This jerk. He dropped it on purpose. He wants me to pick it up.
“…Those youths return home with weary steps and reach for a beer in the fridge before even looking for dinner. After one sip, they think, ‘Ah, this is why I work.’ I want to create that kind of feeling.”
Resigned, Jeong-o leaned down to reach for the pen.
But at that moment, a large shadow approached and covered her hand.
Gasp!
It looked as though they had both reached for the same spot, but the heat of the hand covering hers made Jeong-o flinch and pull away.
Ji-Heon stared at her expressionlessly and picked up the fallen pen.
Jeong-o returned to her seat.
He didn’t do that on purpose too, did he?
Eun-Bi Chae was sitting right there, plain as day.
Thump, thump, thump, thump…
Her heart was pounding uncontrollably. She was nervous that someone might hear it.
It couldn’t be excitement.
She hadn’t wanted this, and it felt like she had done something wrong.
Yet the man who had caused it sat there shamelessly, without a change in expression.
Jeong-o tried her best to focus back on the meeting.
“I’ve thought of two main copies: ‘Singles Need Beer’ and ‘This Taste is Youth.’ The keyword is ‘healing.’ That is all.”
Some of the 1st production team members applauded Eun-Bi’s suggestion. Eun-Bi smiled with satisfaction.
Miran was the first to critique it.
“It’s good. But I think it’s a bit plain. The idea that youth is hard has been shown in every kind of content. And the keyword for Assistant Manager Chae’s direction is ‘healing,’ but ‘healing’ feels a bit too quiet.”
Eun-Bi’s smile faded slightly at Miran’s comment. Yeong-gwang added his own.
“Actually, there’s an audiovisual issue, too. Existing beer commercials show rowdy pubs packed with young people, and the model takes a refreshing sip and goes, ‘Kya!’ Would it really be good to break this mold? Isn’t it a risk?”
Next, Jeong-o raised her hand. It was her turn.
“I think the point of that commercial is the moment the model takes a gulp of beer. We see the noisy, packed pub through the TV. We think, ‘Is it a noisy pub?’ but then the volume slowly fades, and the ad is filled only with the sound of someone gulping down beer. They are drinking beer comfortably while watching a movie alone in their living room. With the feeling of, ‘I am enjoying this time alone to the fullest.’ And we finish it with a shot that highlights the product’s best features.”
“That’s good. There are a lot of fake-out ads lately. You think it’s a food ad, but it’s a phone ad, or you think it’s a housing ad, but it’s an air conditioner ad.”
The AE responded to Jeong-o’s opinion.
As support for Jeong-o’s idea grew, Eun-Bi’s lips twisted.
“But will the client like a fake-out ad? 15 seconds is a short time for a commercial, and if you waste the first 5 seconds making it look like another ad, I think there will be significant backlash.”
“Would it be possible if we prepared a more powerful 10 seconds? People are crazy about plot twists. Also, I didn’t want to limit the model to being single. I feel like that narrows the target too much.”
Jeong-o retorted immediately.
Miran nodded.
“True, there are lonely people even among couples, and people who are content even when they are alone.”
“Yes. Exactly. I don’t want this time spent drinking alone to feel sad or pathetic. I want it to shine.”
The AE, nodding vigorously at Jeong-o Lee’s opinion, scribbled down exactly what she said in their notebook.
A moment later, Gihun offered his own input.
“We’ve talked about the solo concept, but what about a couple concept? Since the theme is ‘stocking up and drinking alone,’ the person could be drinking while thinking of their lover. You always want to share the good things with the person you love, right?”
“Are you really single, Gihun? That’s a total couple mindset!”
The team leader of Team 1 teased Gihun, and everyone burst into light laughter.
It was a rather harmonious meeting. Since so many useful ideas were generated, they were able to wrap things up quickly.
“All the ideas presented today are excellent. Let’s work on developing them further so that the sales points align with the product.”
The staff looked satisfied with Jiheon Jeong’s summary.
In truth, the staff would have been happy with anything. Just seeing Director Jiheon Jeong, who had appeared as cold as the Siberian plains all this time, smile like this made them feel like they were finally being treated with respect.
It felt as though someone who had seemed so distant had suddenly moved much closer.
Of course, Jeong-o Lee was not swayed.
With an indifferent expression, she tidied up her seat. She wanted to leave the meeting room as soon as possible.
Why was Jiheon Jeong moving so slowly today?
Meanwhile, encouraged by the thought that she had grown closer to Jiheon after today’s meeting, Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae cautiously approached him.
“Director, do you also want to share good liquor with someone you love? Does the person stay on your mind even when you’re alone?”
It was an obvious question directed with Eun-Bi Chae in mind.
Jeong-o secretly snorted.
Would Jiheon Jeong actually answer? We’ll see.
“I wouldn’t be alone.”
However, the response was unexpected. Jiheon Jeong had actually answered.
“I’d keep them by my side. I’d never let them go.”
Kyaa!
The female staff members of Production Team 1 let out a tiny shriek.
Jeong-o left the meeting room immediately. She hadn’t been able to confirm who Jiheon’s gaze had been fixed on the entire time.
*
After the meeting ended, Eun-Bi continued to feel uneasy.
Jiheon Jeong was acting strange.
Jiheon Jeong was not the type of person to smile at her like that. He was a man so stiff that she had often doubted if he was a robot.
She could be certain that for the past few years, she had been the woman closest to him, yet Eun-Bi had never once heard him make a joke. Let alone one that required affection.
Yet that Jiheon Jeong had, out of the blue, attended the meeting today, smiled, and joked.
Was it just her imagination? Ever since Jeong-o Lee appeared, Jiheon Jeong had become strange.
The atmosphere when they bumped into each other in the breakroom had been suspicious, and it was also strange that he had left a note looking for Jeong-o Lee.
And in today’s meeting, instead of choosing the seat next to her, he had sat next to Jeong-o Lee.
Above all, it was far too strange that the two of them had suddenly disappeared under the table while she was giving her presentation. It did seem like he had dropped his pen, but…
She began to wonder if that wasn’t the case.
Jiheon Jeong was not a man who should be doing such things. He was a man who kept women so far away that his own preferences were often doubted.
Eun-Bi suddenly grew anxious.
Jiheon might be different, but she was sincere. The feelings she had once thought she would eventually abandon due to his cold demeanor had now become something she couldn’t give up.
She had started growing her hair long because she thought he liked long hair, and she read management theory books to have even one more conversation with him. And how good she had been to his parents! She had poured more devotion into them than she did her own parents.
The time and effort she had invested only made her more obsessed.
Now, there was no other path left for her.
“Manager, is something troubling you?”
Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae, who had discovered Eun-Bi leaning against the bathroom vanity, lost in thought, asked.
“No, it’s nothing…”
Eun-Bi let her words trail off and let out a long sigh.
Hoo.
“What is it? You can tell me.”
Haa…
“It’s okay. Please, tell me.”
Eun-Bi pretended to give in and began to speak.
“…Then you have to keep this to yourself. This is a secret. You understand?”
“Yes! Of course!”
Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae willingly let herself get dragged in.
Eun-Bi lowered her voice.
“It’s about Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee from Team 2.”
“The new copywriter? Why?”
“Actually, she’s my high school classmate.”
“Oh, really? You two use honorifics with each other, though.”
“She told me not to acknowledge her at the company. I guess it would be uncomfortable for her. But I don’t feel so great about it either.”
“Ah. So that was the vibe. I noticed that Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee is surprisingly abrasive. Especially toward you, Manager, I felt it too.”
“Exactly. It’s impossible for others not to notice.”
“…”
“Actually, I know Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee’s mother.”
“Oh! Are your families close?”
“No, it’s not like that. Her mother worked in the cafeteria at my high school. She quit because of some unpleasant incident back then.”
“What kind of incident?”
“It seems she was stealing school food or something.”
“Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my!”
Si-Nae raised her voice in a fuss. Eun-Bi smiled inwardly.
“Her family was always a bit difficult. That’s why I tried to be good to her. But after we got close…”
“Why? What was she like?”
“You know that type, right? Kids who think everyone else’s things look better than theirs and just copy them.”
“I know! I know exactly! When I was at a prep academy, there was this girl who kept copying my drawings, and I can’t tell you how annoying it was. I heard recently that she got fired from her company for an affair.”
Of course, this was a story Eun-Bi already knew. Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae had told her several times before. Si-Nae herself seemed to have forgotten, as she talked too much to keep track of individual details.
“Old habits die hard; you can tell a person’s true nature by their early days. She already had those signs back then.”
“Hearing that makes me feel even more uneasy. Actually, Jeong-o visits our Director Jiheon often.”
“Why does she visit him?”
“Who knows? I suppose she just has a lot to consult him about. But it’s a bit grating.”
Eun-Bi sighed deeply again, and Si-Nae placed a hand on her shoulder as if to soothe her.
“Hey. But the Director is different. You know what kind of person the Director is.”
Of course, Si-Nae didn’t truly know what kind of person he was; everything she knew had come from Eun-Bi.
“He treats every woman like a stone, except for you, Manager. Isn’t that right? Look at today. ‘I’d keep them by my side. I’d never let them go.’ I almost screamed. I’d never seen him like that before.”
Eun-Bi felt a prick of guilt as Si-Nae brought up what happened in the meeting room.
At that moment, Jiheon Jeong hadn’t been looking at her. He had been looking at Jeong-o Lee.
But she couldn’t say that.
“…That’s true. He is, but…”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her for you, Manager. If I see even a hint of anything, Assistant Manager Lee will have to be prepared to be blacklisted from this industry.”
Si-Nae clenched her fists, her spirit ignited.
“Director Jiheon Jeong is Manager Eun-Bi Chae’s man.”
Thanks to Si-Nae, Eun-Bi was able to regain her spirits and smile.
Now, there was one more pair of eyes watching Jeong-o Lee.
The two finished their conversation, left the restroom, and took their seats.
A moment later, Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae ran over to Eun-Bi and whispered in her ear.
“Manager, it seems Team Leader Miran Seong was in the bathroom. What do we do?”
Miran could be seen walking out of the restroom and returning to her seat.
“Assistant Manager Jeong-o Lee is going to be hated. Team Leader Miran Seong got divorced because her husband cheated with a colleague.”
“That’s true. What should we do…”
Eun-Bi let her words trail off, sounding worried. It was a reaction entirely different from her true inner feelings.
Miran Seong’s past. Eun-Bi had heard the rumors well enough.
She felt like she had killed two birds with one stone.
Of course, that stone would likely end up crushing a frog along the way.