Guksun hurried over to Do-Bin’s house after receiving the call.
When she pressed the doorbell, a strange man opened the door and bowed politely.
“Hello.”
“You’re not the child’s father, are you?”
“No. The two of them went to the hospital together.”
“Ah, I see, I see.”
Guksun clapped her hands and nodded.
Inside the house, Ye-Na came running and hugged Guksun.
“Grandma!”
Ye-Na introduced Guksun to Ji-Heon as well.
“Mister, this is my grandma.”
“Hello. I’m Ji-Heon Jeong, a friend of Do-Bin’s father. I came over for a bit and ended up looking after the children. My apologies.”
“Oh, heavens, no need for that. How is Do-Bin’s mother? I heard she collapsed. Is she alright?”
“Yes. She seems to be doing better now.”
“Oh, what a relief. But you must really like children, being friends and all, to come over and help out like this.”
*That’s not exactly it…*
Ji-Heon shifted his gaze to Ye-Na and kept his mouth shut.
The child’s grandmother didn’t seem to know that Ye-Na and he had an appointment to meet today. There was no need to bring it up if the child hadn’t, though he did think the girl had a rather shrewd side to her.
*Well, kids are all like that, aren’t they? I was the same way.*
Guksun looked at Ji-Heon with a motherly smile.
*My, he is just so handsome.*
*I’ve always wanted a son-in-law like him.*
*I’m living a happy life without one now, so I have nothing to regret, but I can’t help but keep my eyes on a handsome man.*
“Thank you so much for today. Please tell Do-Bin’s mother that I’m grateful, and tell her to recover quickly.”
“Yes. I will do that.”
“Mister, goodbye.”
“Yes, good—”
“Ye-Na, goodbye! Come visit again!”
Just as Ji-Heon was about to say goodbye to Ye-Na, Do-Bin came running and shouted, cutting Ji-Heon off.
“Then, goodbye.”
Ji-Heon said goodbye to Guksun separately.
On the way home, Ye-Na told Guksun everything that had happened. The gist was that while she was playing Baduk, Do-Bin’s mother collapsed; she had been frightened, but felt better because the man had hugged her.
“The mister is super tall, so he reaches super high up!”
“So, playing with the mister was fun, my little puppy.”
“Yes. And I won at Baduk too! But I know—the mister let me win.”
Guksun smiled contentedly, finding Ye-Na adorable as she cycled through emotions, from excitement to dejection, while telling the story.
There was something a bit poignant about it. She couldn’t help but think that it would have been nice if her granddaughter had a father, too.
“Oh? Mister!”
Just as they were arriving home, Ye-Na caught a glimpse of the building next door and shouted. Guksun turned to look.
A tall, refined-looking man in a police uniform was standing near the entrance of the adjacent building. Under the streetlight, his fair skin looked even whiter.
It was another mister.
The man recognized Ye-Na and approached them.
“Ye-Na, who is…”
“It’s the police mister. The one who took me to the Baduk academy when I got lost.”
While Guksun was bewildered, Ye-Na introduced Bae-il in a smart tone.
“Hello. I’m Bae-il Gwon, working at the Hwayang Police Station.”
Bae-il bowed respectfully. Only then did Guksun smile back in welcome.
“Oh my. Yes, yes. Officer!”
“You must be Ye-Na’s grandmother. I heard about you from Ye-Na’s mother.”
“You know my daughter, too?”
“Yes. I’ve seen her a few times nearby. This is where I live.”
“Oh my. I see. It’s very reassuring to have an officer living nearby! It’s truly a pleasure.”
*My, he is just so handsome.*
Guksun’s face beamed, having met two tall, handsome men in one day.
Bae-il secretly smiled, thinking that Guksun’s reaction was similar to Jin-Seo’s.
*
The fact that she had to go to work tomorrow felt like a noose tightening around Eun-Bi. She had taken a sick day, but she couldn’t extend it any further.
Eun-Bi hated Jeong-o Lee so much.
*‘If I could just drive Jeong-o Lee away from the boss, that should do it.’*
She couldn’t just sit still. Eun-Bi decided to dig into Jeong-o’s weaknesses.
*‘If I pry into things with Jeong-o’s former coworkers, wouldn’t something turn up?’*
There isn’t a person alive without some dirt if you dig deep enough. Since it’s an advertising firm, maybe she messed up a project, had money problems, or had some trouble with men.
However, Eun-Bi didn’t know anyone from Jeong-o’s previous company. While racking her brains, she remembered receiving a business card from a headhunter.
[Hello. This is Dong-eun Lee.]
“Is this the headhunter? Hello! This is Eunbi Chae, a copywriter at Max Planning. Do you remember me?”
[Ah, yes! Hello!]
As expected, the headhunter greeted her warmly.
Eun-Bi, unable to waste a second, got straight to the point.
“It’s nothing major, but I’ve become interested in 2h Communications. Would it be possible to meet an employee from that company?”
After dropping a few more hints about being interested in changing jobs, the headhunter spilled the information.
[I have an AE I’ve been close with for a long time who works there. Shall we all meet up sometime?]
“Yes! As soon as possible!”
*
Jeong-o organized the results of the day’s meeting.
Additional overtime was required due to the change in the competitive bidding direction. Revisions were being made step-by-step; Jeong-o and Mi-Ran decided to handle the final touches, and the others scattered.
“Team Leader, you haven’t had a break either, have you? I’ll finish everything and email it to you, so you can go home first.”
“No. I should still check it over before I leave.”
“You have to pull another all-nighter tomorrow, don’t you? Please, go on home.”
Seeing that Mi-Ran looked exhausted, Jeong-o sent her off first and took on the final tasks alone. Working overtime after a weekend shift was draining, but manageable. It seemed that with Eunbi Chae gone, it was relatively easier to voice her opinions.
“Ughhh. Done!”
Around midnight, Jeong-o let out a languid yawn and stretched.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Eek!”
She almost fell backward at the sound of the voice so close to her.
Ji-Heon grabbed the wobbling chair.
This time, he really was just catching her, but her heart, already spooked by his sudden appearance, wouldn’t calm down. As his hand reached out, Jeong-o, fearing he would pounce on her just like seven years ago, flailed her arms in a panic.
“N-no, why are you here, Director?”
Jeong-o asked, having finally regained her balance. Her heart was still trembling.
“I came by to see if you were still working.”
“At this hour? No, I thought you had plans today.”
“I finished and came back. Because of someone.”
“Because of someone?”
His smile felt meaningful.
The events in his office earlier that day came to mind. He had apologized in a way that felt seductive. His gentle strength was similar to seven years ago. It made her feel foolish for constantly developing strange expectations from such actions.
After Seung-Gyu and Jin-Seo returned from the hospital, Ji-Heon had gone straight back to the office.
He had wanted to see Jeong-o Lee.
Because the child he met today resembled this woman, and he had a feeling that she probably looked just like that when she was young.
That was why he had been so generous to the child.
The girl, who didn’t have a father, oddly overlapped with Jeong-o Lee. The feeling he’d briefly experienced when he heard about Jeong-o Lee’s high school days from Eun-Bi came back, warming his heart.
Affection.
“Seeing a pretty child…”
He was reminded of a pretty child again.
“Pardon?”
Jeong-o tilted her head, as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. There was no chance for him to repeat himself. The Planning Team Leader, focused on the revisions, spotted Ji-Heon and came rushing over.
“Director, I thought you said you had plans today—did you stay?”
“I finished and came back. Is there something you wanted to discuss?”
“There’s an issue I’d like you to look at right now.”
Ji-Heon looked at Jeong-o and the Planning Team Leader in turn, then left. Jeong-o felt a sense of lingering attachment clinging to his departing footsteps.
Today, his gaze felt as if a spoonful of sugar had been added to it. It seemed like it would weigh on Jeong-o Lee’s mind for a long time.
*
Having returned home at midnight, Jeong-o only heard in the morning that Jin-Seo had collapsed.
“It was a good thing the baby’s father’s friend happened to be visiting; otherwise, it would have been a disaster. It’s hard enough taking the kids to the hospital as it is.”
As Guk-Sun told Jeong-o about yesterday’s events, she clicked her tongue in sympathy for Jin-Seo.
“I’ll have to contact Do-Bin later to see how he’s feeling.”
Jeong-o was also worried about Jin-Seo.
“By the way, Ye-Na really liked the friend who came over to Do-Bin’s place. She wouldn’t stop talking about ‘the mister.'”
“Ye-Na liked him?”
“Well, who wouldn’t? He was extremely handsome. Seeing that, I’m sure my granddaughter takes after me.”
“Ugh. Honestly, Mom, you’re such a snob.”
“Are you saying that like you don’t care about a man’s looks?”
“I don’t look at appearances. Not at all.”
“Don’t lie to me, girl. Your daughter is that pretty, after all.”
“Mom. My daughter’s beauty is something I created.”
At the sound of the morning banter, Ye-Na stirred and woke up. As soon as she sat up, she began to fuss, looking for Jeong-o.
“Mommy, why did you come home so late yesterday…?”
“Oh, oh, oh. Is my baby awake?”
Jeong-o cut off the conversation and rushed over to Ye-Na.
*
After a busy morning, Jeong-o arrived at the office early to prepare for the meeting.
Jeong-o went over the updated information in the conference room with Go Eun-Ju, a deputy in the same team, and an AE from the Planning Team. They had to make adjustments if the material prepared by the Planning Team conflicted with the production draft.
Eun-Bi had finally shown up to work. Since she hadn’t shown her face from Saturday to Monday, Jeong-o had assumed she was nursing a heavy heart from being hurt by Ji-Heon, and sure enough, she did seem to have lost a little weight.
When Eun-Bi entered, the Planning Team AE asked with concern, “Manager Chae, are you okay? I heard you were ill.”
“I’m fine. I was just too worried about the PT. Ugh, this sense of responsibility of mine.”
Go Eun-Ju, who found that display unsightly, flared her nostrils. Jeong-o chuckled quietly, finding Eun-Ju amusing.
Eun-Bi noticed this, shot a sidelong glare at Jeong-o, and addressed the AE again.
“But, may I offer an opinion as well?”
“Of course, by all means.”
Jeong-o sighed internally, wondering how much of a mess she was going to make of a plan that was already finished.
“First of all, I think the main copy, ‘I Miss You,’ is a bit too cliché. What does the Planning Team think?”
As expected, Eun-Bi’s opinion was a pushback.
To raise complaints about production material to a Planning Team AE—when she wasn’t even the leader of the production team—on the day the direction was being finalized.
*Is she trying to interfere by using the Planning Team’s influence? That’s not how things are done, Eun-Bi Chae.*
*And I didn’t even write that copy. It was a suggestion from Deputy Go Eun-Ju. You’ve got the wrong target.*
Jeong-o felt bitter, but since Deputy Go Eun-Ju didn’t say anything, she kept quiet as well. Eun-Bi’s opinion wouldn’t be accepted anyway.
“I thought a copy lacking depth like this was a bit much. If I’d been in better condition, I would have come up with a better idea, and I apologize for that. Also, choosing a mother and daughter as the protagonists felt a bit disappointing. Since the primary target is the 2030 demographic, wouldn’t a couple in a long-distance relationship be better?”
This time, Jeong-o immediately stepped in to refute her.
“We obviously considered long-distance couples, too. But I felt that 15 seconds of advertising is too short to explain the background of a long-distance couple. With a mother and daughter, it can resonate with the consumer immediately. My judgment is that a mother’s love is far more effective to convey in a short time than a long-distance relationship.”
Eun-Bi retorted sourly.
“I don’t know. Even if I imagine this ad, it doesn’t really resonate with me.”
“Do you have no imagination…?”
Eun-Ju, unable to take it anymore, muttered under her breath. Eun-Ju was annoyed that Eun-Bi, who hadn’t attended previous meetings, was trying to overturn all their hard work.
Although it was a mutter, the room was quiet, so Eun-Bi heard it. Eun-Bi Chae was not the type to let that slide.
“Deputy Go Eun-Ju. Since you are participating as a substitute for Deputy Jo Si-Nae, shouldn’t you be handling the work that she was doing? Have you finished compiling this week’s trend issues?”
Instead of answering, Eun-Ju crossed her arms.
“Manager, are you going to attend the meeting today?”
“Yes. Of course. Why do you ask?”
“No reason. I was just worried that you might feel uncomfortable.”
Saying that with a face that didn’t show a shred of concern, Eun-Bi tilted her head.
“I heard you broke up with Director Ji-Heon Jeong. I heard that news while I was getting the handover from Deputy Jo Si-Nae.”
The heartless Eun-Ju pulled out the information she possessed without hesitation.
Eun-Bi Chae didn’t yet know that if Her Highness’s dignity were wounded, she would turn into fire.
“It must be heartbreaking. To be unable to have the marriage you so eagerly awaited.”
The Planning Team AE’s mouth fell wide open.
Eun-Bi Chae’s face turned from red to dark purple.
Jeong-o wondered who Deputy Jo Si-Nae had heard that fact from.
*Could it be Ji-Heon?*
Was it last Friday? She had seen Deputy Jo Si-Nae walking toward Ji-Heon’s office. It was the day after Jeong-o had confronted Ji-Heon about the marriage talk.
*Huh.*
She felt a slight chill.
Although Ji-Heon had given Eun-Bi a week’s grace, he hadn’t intended to wait quietly.
*He’s a somewhat scary person.*
Jeong-o felt sorry for Eun-Bi’s plight, but it wasn’t a matter she could interfere in.
*That’s right, Eun-Bi Chae. Why couldn’t you just pick on me, instead of picking on Deputy Go Eun-Ju?*