Upon arriving at the office, Jeong-o kept checking her surroundings, ready to bolt the moment she spotted Ji-Heon.
Fortunately, there was no sign of him.
*‘He’s a busy man; he wouldn’t be guarding this place on a weekend. By Monday, he’ll probably have forgotten all about today.’*
Jeong-o locked her anxiety away and headed toward the meeting room. Several cups of coffee from a premium café were scattered across the table.
MR. Yeong-gwang Park, who had arrived earlier, said, “Deputy Lee, take your pick.”
“Are you treating us, sir?”
“No. The Director is.”
Jeong-o nearly dropped the iced americano she had just grabbed. Yeong-gwang took a long sip of his coffee and added, “I was a bit intimidated by him at first, but it seems the Director really takes good care of his employees.”
“Really? I wasn’t aware of that.”
“Oh, definitely. During the tasting event, he contacted me personally and asked me to make sure you weren’t harassed by any high-handed clients. That’s why I’ve been sticking by your side since then.”
Ah.
Discovering this made her head spin, as if she had bitten into a piece of ice. Between running into him in front of her old house, making that request to MR. Yeong-gwang Park, handling her phone call and sorting out the issue today, and now the coffee—it felt as though Ji-Heon had been watching her from somewhere all along.
The sensation that she was trapped in the palm of his hand, no matter how hard she tried to escape, took hold of her. Jeong-o set down her americano.
The team members arrived one by one, and the production meeting for the competitive PT began.
The pitch was now only ten days away. Go Eun-Ju had joined the team, replacing Deputy Jo Si-Nae, who had been dismissed. Feeling that she had gained an ally made Jeong-o feel more secure.
For some reason, Eun-Bi Chae didn’t show up, which made the meeting run smoothly. Usually, whenever Jeong-o voiced an opinion in her presence, it drew subtle resentment. She knew that by tomorrow, Eun-Bi would be picking apart every suggestion she had made, but for today, it was a relief.
“We’ve discussed plenty for today, so let’s call it a day. Everyone should enjoy their Saturday evening properly, and we’ll reconvene tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
At Mi-Ran’s words, the team cheered. Jeong-o, who had been pouring her heart into the brainstorming session, rose from her seat feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Right on cue, the studio sent over the revised work. She figured if she could just check the files, she could head home and spend a cozy evening with her family.
As Jeong-o sat back down, Gihun approached her. “Deputy, aren’t you leaving? I brought my car today. I can give you a ride.”
“No, thanks. I have some work files to check. You go ahead.”
“Yes. I’ll be going, then.”
The others said their goodbyes, and soon, Jeong-o was left alone. Since her team was the only one in the division prepping for the PT, the office felt chilly and desolate.
*‘I should finish this quickly and leave.’*
All she had to do was cross-reference the script with the production files; it was just time-consuming, not difficult. Having finished, Jeong-o stood up.
And then, she made eye contact with Ji-Heon, who was standing quietly in the distance.
*‘Oh no, I’m done for.’*
He had been in the office the whole time.
Jeong-o felt incredibly tense under his gaze; it felt as if his eyes were lashing out at her.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” he asked in a low voice as he approached. The moment she had been dreading had finally arrived.
Jeong-o was startled, but she didn’t show it. He continued in a mocking tone. “Your password was quite unique. Especially the ‘Gi’ and ‘Si’ [K-S].”
So much for her plan to let it go in one ear and out the other…
She felt like her breakfast and lunch were churning in her stomach. Her face flushed red, but he remained unfazed, continuing his rebuke.
“And you were even going to share that with Gihun Song.”
Jeong-o feigned ignorance and retorted smoothly. “The ‘Gi-Si’ stands for ‘Gam-sa’ [Gratitude], sir. Did you know? It was an unconscious expression of gratitude toward you…”
“What exactly are you thanking me for?”
“There are so many things. I’m always thankful. And I’m very grateful for your help with today’s matter, too.”
At the nonsensical excuse, Ji-Heon let out a light, amused laugh.
*She really is something else.*
Ji-Heon had been waiting while working in his office. After Jeong-o pointed out that his presence hindered productivity, he had been careful about attending meetings, deciding to skip them and just review the reports later.
He had emerged immediately after the meeting ended. While everyone else had left, Jeong-o had stayed behind, ostensibly to work.
He had watched her for ten minutes. Just looking at her, completely absorbed in her task, put him in a good mood. To Ji-Heon, who found work tedious and lived by doing the bare minimum, the scene offered a strange, subtle stimulation.
He couldn’t understand why he felt this way toward a woman who did nothing for him.
With a smirk, Ji-Heon asked, “If you’re that grateful, shouldn’t you buy me a meal?”
“Yes. Please eat whatever you’d like and let me know. I’ll come pay the bill.”
“Who asked you to pay?”
She was unpredictable, didn’t move the way he wanted, and, if anything, seemed to have him in the palm of her hand, yet she was entertaining to watch.
“Stop joking.”
“…”
“Let’s go. I’ll buy you something delicious.”
He wanted to see her eat something good again. With that, he turned and started walking.
Jeong-o stood there in a daze, watching him.
She expected a reprimand, yet he was offering dinner? Was this revenge via food? Was there some dark scheme to make her eat something inedible?
She couldn’t grasp his logic. Jeong-o hurriedly followed him and said, “I promised to eat with my mother, so I was planning to head home. I apologize.”
“Then I’ll drop you off.”
At home? He was going to take her home?
To the house where her mother and Ye-Na were? It would be a disaster if he ran into Ye-Na.
*‘Well, if he’s offering to drive, I might as well take it. I can just get out a little distance from my house.’*
Though she was in a difficult spot, Jeong-o pulled herself together. Maintaining a proper distance while learning about him was no easy task, but she couldn’t stay discouraged.
*I know you.*
She only knew the version of him from before he changed—and a fragmented version from when they first met—but that version from seven years ago might provide a hint.
She had to calculate how he would react to her actions and move accordingly.
It felt as though she were stepping onto an icy road without knowing if the ground was solid, but Jeong-o decided to accept her fate.
***
“Do you live alone with your mother?” Ji-Heon asked as they sped along the road.
Jeong-o fidgeted with her hands before answering slowly. “Yes.”
Her heart raced as she lied.
“Isn’t it uncomfortable living with your mother?”
“No. My mom and I are soulmates.”
His eyes, in which she couldn’t discern any thoughts, flickered toward her for a moment before he turned back to the road.
“How about you, sir?”
“About what?”
“Are you not close with your mother?”
Jeong-o’s lips went dry as she waited for his reply.
“It’s been a while since we lived apart.”
“So, do you find your mother uncomfortable?”
“I just find being alone more comfortable.”
“It’s not that you don’t like her, is it?”
She asked with sincerity, but he let out a short, airy chuckle. Did he think her question was ridiculous?
Jeong-o quickly changed the subject.
“But you do like her a lot, don’t you?”
“I respect her. In many ways.”
Jeong-o nodded slowly.
She began to wonder if questioning his familial bonds was pointless. Trying to wedge herself into the gap between him and his mother felt wrong.
But if that wasn’t it, how could she reach the truth?
Could she ever get close to this man again? A man who had changed so much that, if not for the fact that she knew it was him, she might have thought he was a stranger.
Could she make her way back into his heart?
While she was lost in thought, the car arrived in her neighborhood.
“Which way from here?” Ji-Heon asked as he turned into the alley.
“Oh, please pull over here!” Jin-Seo called out in a rush.
As soon as he stopped the car, Jin-Seo scrambled out.
“Just a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Hurrying into the convenience store, Jin-Seo grabbed a few items.
Barley tea and gum, which she had once left in his car seven years ago. And a candy, which she had once slipped into his pocket.
Jin-Seo finished the payment and stepped back outside.
Ji-Heon had exited the car and was standing there, looking in the direction she had gone. When he spotted her, he approached. Jin-Seo handed over what she had bought.
“Water, in case you get thirsty, and gum and candy for when you get drowsy. Thank you for the ride.”
*Please remember me.*
*And for today, please just go.*
Ji-Heon’s brow furrowed slightly at the gift. For a moment, his expression looked like he was genuinely trying to recall a memory, making Jin-Seo’s heart race.
*I have to get close to him. I need to be more than just a boss and subordinate. But I can’t be too obvious.*
*Can I probe into his life without revealing my own? Without letting anyone find out? Not even the existence of Ye-Na?*
*‘Can we be friends?’*
*I need to build trust slowly and, one day, tell him the truth. I need to gain the strength to stand against his mother.*
*I have to reveal everything—that I met his mother, that seven years ago I spoke on the phone with someone pretending to be you—and I have to make him believe me.*
*Can I do it? Do I have that kind of strength?*
The future was frightening. But she still had to take that first step.
“Director, to be honest, I’m actually quite good at listening to people’s problems.” She took a careful step toward him.
“If you ever have a difficult problem, I can listen. For instance, if you’re having friction with someone, if work is tough, or just if you feel like talking.”
“……”
“I can be your friend.”
*Don’t make it look too obvious…*
She had approached him with an earnest wish, like a spell, but his eyes were sharp, as if they could pierce right through her. Worried he might find it unpleasant, Jin-Seo added hastily.
“I know it might be awkward for you to call me a friend, since I’m your subordinate, but being friends with a young person isn’t bad. You’ll definitely feel younger too, Director.”
“……”
“I don’t mean a romantic partner, but someone you can vent to, someone who can give you harsh feedback or advice. I can be that kind of friend.”
The silence between them felt precarious.
After a long while, he finally opened his mouth.
“Harsh feedback.”
“……”
“Sounds good.” He said, the corner of his lips curling into a crooked smile.
“Friends.”
“……”
“Let’s do it. Sure. Friends.”
There was nothing inherently indecent about the words, but for some reason, the way he pronounced them sounded suggestive.
Jin-Seo pushed away the unease and nodded boldly.
“Yes. Friends.”
*Perhaps I am walking into the tiger’s den. But if I’m going into the tiger’s den, I might as well be fully armed and ready to hunt the tiger.*
“For now, let’s keep our friendship a secret. Eun-Bi keeps misunderstanding things, and it’s bothering me.”
*Will this man actually keep his word? I will test him starting from this.*
Jin-Seo reached out to shake his hand.
Ji-Heon found her determined expression amusing. He was amused by her cheekiness—trying to draw a line as ‘friends’ when she was clearly trying to get close to him—but thanks to that, he was able to smile.
It was fascinating that a woman who always stood frozen in front of him as if angry, a woman who had been so tense she even shed tears, had managed to reach out like this.
It felt as though she had him, twice her size, right in the palm of her hand.
Ji-Heon firmly grasped her hand. With the expression of a man willing to walk into a trap, even if he knew it was one.
The heat of his palm transferred to hers.
*I only meant to shake his hand.*
*I’m the one who’s supposed to be hunting the tiger, so why do I feel like I’ve already been caught?*
Just as she expected them to shake hands, he suddenly lifted her hand upward, and Jin-Seo’s eyes widened.
Like a brand marking a new relationship, his lips pressed onto the back of her hand.
*Smooch.*
*Gasp!*
Her face flushed crimson. Jin-Seo quickly pulled her hand away and scolded him.
“You don’t do that with friends! Don’t you know? Do you not have any friends?”
“Ah. I didn’t know because I don’t have any,” Ji-Heon replied nonchalantly, hiding his cunning intentions.
*I don’t care, whatever it takes.*
She was satisfied. The title didn’t matter. Friend or whatever—as long as she could occupy a space by his side.
Ji-Heon was a man who had always lived that way.