Dreams fuel desires.
However, Ji-Heon couldn’t move an inch.
She had been quite energetic yesterday, but today, she seemed completely drained.
Once she found her footing, Jeong-o pulled away from Ji-Heon.
Even her reaction to avoid him was sluggish, so Ji-Heon asked, “Are you sick?”
“I’m fine.”
“Do you have a hangover?”
“I have a cold.”
Irritated by his questioning, Jeong-o snapped her reply and walked into the office first.
*Hmph.*
Are you going to give me a disease and then the cure?
You lectured me so rudely yesterday, so why are you checking on me today?
For some reason, it felt as though he had been waiting for her since the lobby, which made her feel strange. Though it was an unavoidable situation, being held by him was also awkward.
The sound of his heartbeat, transmitted during that brief moment they were pressed against each other, was unsettling.
*Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.*
Your chest is like an iron plate, so what’s with that sound…? I thought a locomotive was passing by.
“Assistant Manager, you’re here.”
Before she had the leisure to dwell on what had happened, she greeted Gihun.
“Yeah. Hi, Gihun.”
Gihun stood up from his seat and handed Jeong-o her bag and umbrella, which he had retrieved from the pub at her request the night before.
“You really had a hard time yesterday. You must have been struggling a lot to even abandon your bag.”
“Whew. Thank you so much.”
The events of last night resurfaced, and she let out a sigh before even offering a proper thank you.
The daily routine began.
Jeong-o’s body showed no signs of recovery. Even the cool air from the air conditioner was difficult to bear. She cursed herself for having left home without a coat on such a day.
Seeing that she looked unwell, Gihun placed a hangover relief drink he had on hand onto Jeong-o’s desk, assuming she was struggling from the effects of the night before.
“Thank you, Gihun.”
Jeong-o managed a weak smile. However, she couldn’t bring herself to drink it. Even the lukewarm temperature of the drink felt cold. Jeong-o hunched her body and continued her work.
*Buzz, buzz.*
In the midst of that, her phone vibrated. Jeong-o moved her hand with effort to pick it up.
*- Come to my office for a moment.*
Director Ji-Heon Jeong.
The name she had saved yesterday stung her eyes.
*Couldn’t you have just called? Why send a text message? It makes me feel uneasy.*
Jeong-o glared at her phone silently. *Why on earth is he calling me to his office again?* She was already feeling heavy enough as it was.
Come to think of it, he had been a bit strange since this morning. Before that, he had been quite wrong last night, too.
*Maybe he’s trying to apologize?*
A small spark of hope flickered.
*Well, if he apologizes for last night, I’ll accept it.*
Jeong-o slowly got up and went to his office.
*Knock, knock.*
“Come in.”
Ji-Heon’s voice came from inside. Before she could grab the doorknob, the door opened from the inside. Ji-Heon opened it wide and ushered her in.
Although her body ached, she didn’t want to show any signs of weakness. Jeong-o reacted as coldly as possible.
“You called, so I’m here.”
“Did you get home safely yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Take this medicine.”
“Pardon?”
“You said you have a cold.”
Her gaze, which had been fixed on Ji-Heon with a bewildered expression, shifted downward. On the table he was pointing to lay a whole bundle of medicine.
*Is he a medicine peddler? Why is there so much medicine?*
But Jeong-o refused. This wasn’t what she had wanted.
“I’m fine.”
“Take it. I bought it specifically for you, Assistant Manager Jeong-o.”
“Why?”
“…”
“Why go to such lengths?”
Exhausted, she forced her heavy eyelids open and glared at him. Ji-Heon walked over, picked up the bundle of medicine from the table, and approached her.
“Take the medicine so you don’t stay sick.”
She had come expecting an apology, but instead received a “carrot.”
“So you can recover and work properly.”
It was a carrot like a whip, fed by a manager to his subordinate.
*Are you really going to give me a disease and then the cure?*
She hated the volatility of this man, who teased her so much yesterday and then forced medicine on her today. Yet, she felt resentful of her own lack of strength for not being able to argue back.
*If I only had the energy, I’d kick his shin! Or punch his chin!*
While she was grinding her teeth in her mind, he seemed dissatisfied with something as well; he narrowed his eyes, went back to his desk, and returned with something dark in his hand.
“A sick person should bundle up properly.”
His cardigan was draped over her shoulders. She was startled and tried to push it off, but he quickly fastened one of the buttons at the front. Wearing the oversized cardigan felt like being wrapped in a blanket.
“…I’m fine.”
“Indeed. You look fine.”
His quiet voice was as gentle as reading a fairy tale. He seemed to be constantly teasing her. She felt embarrassed and, at the same time, felt a lump in her throat.
She remembered seven years ago. Our last day.
The day I went to see you after checking the pregnancy test. The day you took off your coat and put it on me. You probably can’t even imagine the day I’ve replayed in my head countless times.
“…I have my own style, too.”
“It suits you well.”
Satisfied with the way she looked in his clothes, he curled his lips into a smile. Just like that day seven years ago.
At Jeong-o’s clearly displeased expression, Ji-Heon added one more thing.
“It’s a piece of clothing I’ve never worn, so don’t tell anyone I gave it to you; just wear it.”
“You might as well just let me leave early.”
“Then do that, if you want.”
“…”
“Shall I take you home?”
She had just been acting stubborn, but when he readily agreed and even offered to drive her home, Jeong-o felt even more flustered.
*You don’t say a word about yesterday, you don’t apologize, and yet you’re so good at taking care of the wrong things.*
“…No, thank you. I’ll keep working.”
“…”
“I’ll only take one pack of medicine.”
Jeong-o set aside the bundle Ji-Heon had forced on her and took only one familiar box.
*Nod.*
Ji-Heon watched with dissatisfaction as Jeong-o gave a curt nod and fled as if running away.
He had even felt self-conscious in front of the pharmacist because he had bought every medicine that didn’t require a prescription. She could have taken more.
Still, at least she kept the cardigan on; should he be grateful for that? It was the first time he had ever been this concerned about someone else’s cold.
***
It was lunchtime.
After taking the medicine Ji-Heon gave her, Jeong-o’s energy began to return. She wasn’t ready to run around, but the fever seemed to have gone down quite a bit.
*I should rest during lunch. I won’t go out; I’ll just put my head down and sleep for a bit.*
Jeong-o sighed while massaging her tired fingers on the keyboard. Just then, Team Leader Miran Seong approached her.
“Assistant Manager Jeong-o, can you eat?”
“Team Leader, I think I’ll just stay in the office today.”
“Is it because your stomach hurts? Can you eat some porridge?”
“I think I could eat it, but…”
“I ordered porridge for myself, too. Let’s eat together.”
“I’m really fine, though.”
“I ordered two, including yours. Come to the conference room.”
Her body still didn’t move very well, but she couldn’t turn down Miran when she had gone to such lengths to care for her.
*Right. Eating porridge will probably give me more energy.*
Jeong-o followed Miran. The menu Miran had chosen was ‘Extra Special Abalone Porridge.’ It contained three times the amount of abalone as a regular serving. It was precious food that shouldn’t be left behind.
Jeong-o picked up her spoon with a grateful heart. It was easy to swallow and savory, so she found herself eating diligently. It was a relief that even though her body was heavy, her appetite hadn’t dwindled. Perhaps it was because she had gained a little energy after taking the medicine. She felt a tiny bit grateful to Ji-Heon.
“How is it commuting from home?”
“It’s much more convenient than my previous company since it’s closer.”
“I’m so sorry about yesterday. I was so frantic that I heard about you drinking so heavily quite late.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad I could be of help.”
“You worked hard. Are you sure you don’t need to leave early?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Alright. Let’s leave work early today.”
She didn’t like the division or the division head, but the team members were truly a blessing. Team Leader Miran Seong, in particular, was a great source of support. She always supported Jeong-o’s opinions.
However, Miran’s expression was a little heavy today. It felt as if she had something she needed to say to Jeong-o.
Sure enough, just as Jeong-o was finishing his meal, Miran cautiously called his name.
“By the way, Assistant Manager Jeong-o.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
“I’m not sure if I should be asking this, but… I’m just worried…”
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
“Well, you see, Assistant Manager… what is your relationship with Director Ji-Heon Jeong?”
Jeong-o, who had promised himself he would answer any question Miran asked with sincerity, felt his lips freeze. A chilling sensation crept down his spine.
“Did you two know each other from before?”
“…….”
“Or perhaps… seven years ago? Was it back when the Director lost his memories?”
It seemed Miran knew far more than he had thought.
***
Since the entire Production Team 1 had been drinking yesterday, the lunch menu for today was hangover soup.
Having had a hearty meal to recover, Production Team 1 ran into Ji-Heon in the first-floor lobby on their way back. Team Leader Chanseon An was the first to greet him.
“Director, have you had lunch?”
“Yes.”
Si-Nae poked Eun-Bi, gesturing for her to acknowledge him. Since the spot next to Ji-Heon Jeong was naturally for Eun-Bi Chae, she signaled that Eun-Bi should stand there.
Eun-Bi shrunk her shoulders slightly as she approached him. But for some reason, Ji-Heon’s expression was cold. A little colder than usual.
Ji-Heon addressed Chanseon An.
“About what happened yesterday.”
“Yes? What do you mean…”
“Did Team 1 offload the client entertainment to a staff member from Team 2?”
At Ji-Heon’s question, the members of Team 1 blinked at each other, confused. Only Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae’s face turned bright red. Eun-Bi found herself unable to step any closer to Ji-Heon.
“It seems our Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae was so busy that she left it to Assistant Manager Jeong-o from Team 2. Of course, only for a moment until the other team members finished their work…”
“You left entertaining a regular client to a staff member who has been with the company for barely a week?”
“…….”
“Did you instruct this, Team Leader?”
It was a polite question, but somehow, it was chilling. It felt as though he already knew everything and was merely testing them. Feeling as if Ji-Heon were glaring straight at her, Si-Nae’s entire body trembled.
The silence that fell over the lobby was as cold as a bucket of ice water.
“No, I…”
As Chanseon An stuttered, Si-Nae hurriedly stepped in.
“Director, I requested it. Team Leader only found out later. But we were so busy, there was really no other choice. And Assistant Manager Jeong-o was just sitting there doing nothing.”
“I see. I understand. You were busy. Let’s just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Yes. We will be careful.”
It was a relief that Ji-Heon seemed to accept it so quickly. Si-Nae let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
However.
“Then, shall we look at the results from yesterday?”
Si-Nae slowly lifted her pale face to look at Ji-Heon. The work from yesterday had been rejected this morning…
“……Pardon?”
“The results that justified you being so busy. Let’s review the work Assistant Manager Jo Si-Nae did yesterday together.”
That handsome face, which was usually the object of everyone’s admiration, now looked terrifyingly chilling.