Ji-Heon, who had been staring blankly at Jeong-o, reacted with a delay—much like an old smartphone struggling with buffering.
“……The product launch.”
“…….”
“Isn’t that why you came, Deputy Lee?”
It had happened in a blur, like someone dreaming while wide awake.
I couldn’t tell him I’d ended up here by accident, without even realizing it. I didn’t want to look like such a ditz in front of this man.
Ignoring the sense of déjà vu he felt in this unfamiliar neighborhood, Ji-Heon looked at her with an indifferent expression.
“That’s true, but why are you here?”
Ji-Heon had no way of knowing that Jeong-o was harboring a “what if” kind of expectation.
“It was close, so I got off in the middle.”
“……Why? Why here?”
“I told the driver to let me off because I felt stifled in the car and wanted to walk.”
At his nonchalant reply, her heart sank. This wasn’t the answer she had been hoping for.
“What brings you here, Deputy Lee? The launch venue should be quite far from here.”
“I attended university near here. I got to thinking about old times, so I walked a bit.”
Her eyes looked sad the whole time. Ji-Heon concluded she was still holding onto the sorrow from yesterday.
I wanted to tell her that I didn’t care about her lies—that I hadn’t from the beginning, and I still didn’t now.
“What about dinner?”
“Pardon?”
“Have you eaten?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Shall we eat together? I haven’t eaten either.”
“I thought you were going to the launch.”
Ji-Heon shut his mouth with a blank expression.
Since his purpose from the start was Jeong-o, as soon as he reunited with her, the launch had been instantly erased from his mind.
Jeong-o looked at him with a slightly bitter expression, then took out her phone. She didn’t know the exact location of the launch venue either, so she figured it was best to check a map.
After checking, Jeong-o pointed to the right.
“You can head this way, Director.”
Jeong-o led the way, but Ji-Heon didn’t follow. Standing still, he pulled out his phone.
Jeong-o took a few steps before stopping.
“Are you not coming?”
“Just a moment. I have a lot of work, so I keep getting messages.”
Ji-Heon seemed to be texting someone.
Jeong-o had never seen anyone move their thumbs so fast. The rapid movements were noticeable even from a distance.
She thought that if one were to measure the age of his thumbs separately, one might guess this man was a teenager.
But the wait was long. He seemed to be a very busy man.
“If you’re busy, should I go ahead?”
“No.”
When she sighed and turned her head, Jeong-o’s phone vibrated. It was right after his flashy thumbs had completed their mission.
Team Leader Miran Seong’s name appeared on her screen.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
[Deputy Lee, have you arrived at the launch?]
“I’m on my way now.”
[Oh, good. It looks like we’re going to be a little late, so don’t go in there alone.]
“Pardon? Why?”
[You had a hard time dealing with the Dawon Liquor advertisers by yourself last time, and we can’t let that happen again. Go get some food, grab a tea, or go home—do something. It’ll take us about an hour and a half. Got it?]
Miran spoke urgently, as if something pressing had come up, and hung up quickly.
Jeong-o blinked, staring at the screen.
Ji-Heon approached.
“Is that Team Leader Miran Seong?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“Something came up, so the team members will be late.”
“And?”
“She told me not to go into the launch yet.”
Was it just my imagination, or did Jeong Ji-Heon’s lips twitch into a subtle, faint line for a split second?
“Then we should go eat. Let’s go.”
He turned around—in the opposite direction of the launch venue.
Jeong-o hesitated. *Is it okay to follow him?*
The events of yesterday came to mind, and her chest stung. The face of Eun-Bi Chae, who had pressed her for the truth, flickered in her thoughts.
*Eun-Bi Chae seems to think I’m chasing after this man—is it really okay to eat with him?*
Even though it wasn’t her intention, she felt like she was committing a crime.
But she had a special mission. She had to find out about Jeong Ji-Heon and those around him.
To thoroughly understand him, uncover the culprit behind the Ye-Na attempted kidnapping case and the secret of the phone call from seven years ago, ensure safety, and then bring Ye-Na and Ji-Heon together. That was Jeong-o’s mission.
There were many moments when she wanted to quit, but the primary reason she endured was because of that.
Even though she was conflicted about whether to show him Ye-Na because she hated him so much, she still had to properly look into his surroundings.
Right. This could be a good opportunity. Perhaps even a rare one.
Jeong-o clenched her fist and followed Ji-Heon.
*By the way, Jeong Ji-Heon, you’ve changed.*
In the past, he wasn’t this obsessed with food. He was a person who used to give his share of the meal to me.
Jeong-o quickly caught up to his side and asked.
“By the way, what are you planning to eat?”
“I’m searching right now, but is there anything you’d specifically like?”
“Do you like tonkatsu? There’s a delicious place nearby.”
*Might as well kill two birds with one stone.*
She recommended the tonkatsu place they had visited together a long time ago. She remembered that even though he said he didn’t particularly like it, he had eaten it with such enjoyment.
“Anything is fine.”
At his response, Jeong-o briskly took the lead.
***
They entered the tonkatsu place with high spirits, but the moment she opened the door, Jeong-o felt disheartened.
The interior had been completely changed. Not a single trace of what it was seven years ago remained.
“Welcome.”
The part-timer greeted the two. She couldn’t just turn around and leave in front of the cheerful staff.
Jeong-o walked inside with a heavy heart.
“Please sit, Director.”
Ji-Heon sat down. Jeong-o picked up the menu immediately.
She thought at least the menu wouldn’t have changed, but—oh my god.
*The menu has changed, too!*
Except for the name of the shop, they had renovated everything.
*He’s just like Jeong Ji-Heon. This man, too—everything has changed while only the name remains the same.*
Feeling hollow, she let out a sigh without realizing it.
Ji-Heon, who had been watching her, asked.
“Is there a problem? Should we go somewhere else?”
Jeong-o hesitated. However, as her eyes darted around, she locked eyes with the bright-faced part-timer. She couldn’t leave the staff, who was beaming with anticipation, waiting for the two to order.
“No… let’s just try it…”
She felt like she was being punished for being unnecessarily greedy.
***
Perhaps because she hadn’t expected much, the tonkatsu tasted better than Ji-Heon had anticipated.
But what was even more satisfying was the sight of the woman across from him diligently clearing her plate.
He didn’t know why watching her eat was so pleasant. Every time she chewed, he felt satisfied, as if the food were entering his own mouth. He felt full without having eaten a thing.
“Director, aren’t you eating? Is it not to your taste?”
She noticed his movements slowing down because he was watching her, and finding it strange, she spoke up.
“No, it’s delicious.”
Seeing that she had almost finished, Ji-Heon brought up the purpose he had been preparing for.
“You don’t need to worry about what Manager Eun-Bi Chae said yesterday. I don’t worry about it either.”
Her hand, which had been holding a fork, dropped.
“You don’t worry about my lies?”
“I understand that there were circumstances.”
“…….”
“I just don’t want you to be hurt by that, Deputy Lee.”
Ji-Heon had never comforted anyone before. This was the best he could do.
Jeong-o felt despondent for a different reason.
*This man is apologizing for what Eun-Bi said…*
His kind comfort felt as if he were speaking on behalf of Eun-Bi, and her chest ached once again.
“I’m fine.”
Jeong-o replied with a forced smile.
“If you grow calluses on your heart, you don’t get hurt easily anymore. Even if you prick it with a needle now, the needle would probably break.”
“…”
“Talking to me about my dad doesn’t hurt at all. He hasn’t been around since I was born.”
*I wanted to be etched into his memory as a strong person.*
“Then what about your ex-boyfriend?”
I had answered with deliberate cheer, but he suddenly threw an off-the-wall question at me.
Her smile vanished in an instant. A man who asks about one’s personal life so nonchalantly.
*Just ignore it.*
Not knowing how to respond, Jin-Seo lowered her head and put some food into her mouth.
But he didn’t give up.
“Your ex.”
“…”
“Is that guy doing well?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean, is he alive and breathing well?”
*Pfft.*
This time, a laugh escaped her at his absurd question.
“Why would you ask something like that?”
“Just curious. Since they said he looks like me.”
*He doesn’t look like you—it is you.*
*The guy you’re asking about is you, Ji-Heon Jeong!*
My lips itched with the urge to spill everything. Thinking of Ye-Na’s face, Jin-Seo swallowed the impulse.
“Of course. He’s probably doing great. He’s likely eating something delicious right this second.”
Jin-Seo said it lightly, but Ji-Heon was serious.
“I was hoping he wouldn’t be doing well, so that’s a shame.”
*Pffft.*
Jin-Seo covered her mouth with her hand at his choice of words. It was funny how this man was talking so freely, completely unaware that he was badmouthing himself.
It made him feel all the more pathetic.
Jin-Seo gave him a Buddha-like smile and spoke her true heart.
“No. I hope he lives well. I truly do.”
“…”
“I hope he lives well, but.”
“…”
“I hope that when he’s starving at night and boils himself a cup of Neoguri ramen, there isn’t a piece of kelp inside. I hope he stands in line for an hour at a popular restaurant, only for the line to be cut off right in front of him. And I hope he thinks he won first prize in the lottery, only to realize he wrote the numbers down wrong.”
This was her genuine heart.
*I hope that you, who have forgotten me, live reasonably well, but feel a little bit empty. Even if you don’t think of me—even if you can’t.*
“I hope he works hard for three hours on a presentation, only for it to disappear because he didn’t press save.”
“…”
“…No, two hours.”
She had been serious, but from a worker’s perspective, three hours felt like too much, so she slightly lowered the intensity of the curse.
Suddenly, the corners of his eyes curved downward.
Jin-Seo’s expression stiffened as she discovered him smiling in the exact same shape as he had seven years ago.
Ji-Heon pressed his lips together, struggling to hold back his laughter. He hadn’t expected there to be a woman who could say such things so delightfully and cutely.
In that moment, an arm stretched out.
His large hand, moving toward her without hesitation, brushed against her soft cheek. As his hand moved slowly, as if confirming the texture of her skin, he didn’t even realize what he was doing.
It was as if something from his unconscious was manipulating his hand and his heart.
He had been so desperate to touch her that he had finally snapped the tether of his reason. He hadn’t known it was possible to have his heart stolen so easily, nor that his own body could be so helpless, as if it didn’t belong to him.
But regardless, he had nothing to say.
It was his greed that kept him from pulling his hand away immediately, even while knowing he was in the wrong.