* * *
The car came to a stop in front of a large building in Sinsa-dong. After thanking Driver Jung, I stood alone, clicking my tongue as I stared at the towering building.
How many people out there are desperate enough to borrow money that businesses like this Capital firm are booming, I wondered.
I stood at the entrance, just staring at the building, before heading to a nearby convenience store. I bought an orange juice, and just in case, also grabbed an apple juice.
With a bottle in each hand, I passed through the gleaming lobby, only to be stopped by the security guards.
They asked about my purpose there, but after hearing something through their earpieces, they quickly bowed and guided me inside.
The elevator stopped at the 12th floor, and when the doors opened, Jeong Gayun’s secretary greeted me.
“It’s been a while.”
“Hello. The first time since that party, isn’t it? Have you been well?”
“I’m always the same. Anyway, she’s waiting for you. This way.”
At a glance, I noticed the secretary’s cheek was swollen and red. It looked like something had gone wrong—she’d probably been hit. I felt a pang of sympathy.
As I followed the secretary, I looked up at the still-bright sky.
I hated the heat of summer, but I liked how the days were long.
After guiding me to Jeong Gayun, the secretary bowed again and began to head back the way we’d come.
Hesitating for a moment, I put down the juice and took out a handkerchief from my jacket pocket.
“Wipe your face. You’ve got something on your cheek.”
I told him to wash it off in the restroom, then picked up the juice bottles again, giving a small nod.
I squeezed through the slightly open door and found Jeong Gayun sitting behind a large desk, a small smile playing on my lips.
A mountain of paperwork surrounded her.
Despite him busy schedule, it seemed she’d managed to make time for me.
“It’s been a while, our virtuous scholar. You didn’t get caught last time, did you?”
“I did. You could’ve just told me you were there.”
“The person you were with looked too suspicious.”
“That was a coworker from the secretarial office.”
“Just sit there for now. I need to finish this.”
Reading the mood, I quietly took a seat at a nearby table and placed the orange juice and apple juice on top.
Maybe I’d been too hasty.
I should’ve spent a bit more and bought fresh juice from the department store instead.
A small regret began to creep in.
Sitting idly for a while, I rummaged through my bag. Inside were the watch and contact phone Han had given me earlier.
On a whim, I turned on the phone, but there were no messages or missed calls.
Switching it to vibrate, I tucked it back into my bag and looked over at Jeong Gayun across from me.
“You’ve been giving me a headache lately, you know?”
“…Me?”
Blinking in confusion, I watched as Jeong Gayun massaged him temples, looking genuinely stressed.
“I’ve never had to launder money like this before. Sure, no money in this line of work is clean, but turning dirty money white… It’s a pain in the ass. From Hong Kong to Luxembourg, then back to a Singapore bank, Belgium, the Virgin Islands, and the Cayman Islands… I think the money’s traveled faster than I have.”
Though I didn’t fully understand, I nodded. At the very least, everyone knew that the amounts Jeong Gayun handled were astronomical.
There were rumors that he was connected to the Italian mafia or the Hong Kong Triads, though nothing had been confirmed.
“You should be thanking me, got it?”
I wasn’t sure why I should be grateful, but I nodded obediently.
“Thank you, Ms. Gayun.”
“…You can’t even speak properly. By the way, are you dating someone at work?”
“Just to clarify, that was my coworker’s ex-boyfriend’s wedding. It was more of a messy love affair. I was barely a supporting character, and even then, it ended quietly. And if I were to date someone at work… I’d probably get worked to death by my boss.”
“That’d be quite a sight—seeing you all bruised and battered.”
When he laughed, I averted my eyes, feeling a little uneasy. Easy to laugh at others’ misfortunes, isn’t it? Would he still be laughing if it were her? A fleeting thought passed through my mind, like I could see the bruises hidden beneath my shirt.
I was already bruised from being pushed around by him.
Though the bruises were healing, they’d return every weekend, so it was a never-ending cycle.
A sigh escaped me.
“I’ve had enough already. If it gets any worse, I might actually die from overwork.”
“As I keep telling you, you should switch jobs. If you come to work for me, I’ll treat you well.”
“I don’t want to quit after just two months.”
“There’s no way. You’re too talented for me to let go after two months. You’ll stay for at least two years, won’t you?”
There was no way I’d leave my relatively stable job as Han’s secretary for just two years.
I pushed the box of juice toward him in response.
“Well, I’m going to stay with Han for a lifetime. Drink up, I bought juice.”
“Whyy—Work for me for two years, then…”
Trailing off, Jeong Gayun blinked slowly before tilting him head, brushing him ear as if listening to something.
Then, with a faint smile, he stood up and walked toward me.
She leaned over the sofa behind me, placing him knee between my legs and lowering him head toward my ear.
I watched her, curious, as he whispered playfully.
“The rest of your life, you can spend with me.”
“…You’re too close. Please back off a little.”
“Yeah. Way too close.”
Her voice, almost too quiet to hear, startled me.
As I moved to turn my face away, him lips brushed against my cheek.
The faint sound of a kiss echoed, and my body froze.
At the same time, I felt my collar being pulled, and I was hoisted over the sofa.
“Ugh… Wait…!”
“I told you not to stray.”
“No, wait, this is a misunderstanding…!”
“Shut up. You think you’ve got the right to talk?”
My face turned pale.
What the hell was he doing here?
The next thing I knew, I was slung over Han’s shoulder.
Repeating the same words over and over, I struggled helplessly.
As I was dragged down the hallway upside down, I couldn’t have felt more humiliated.
Fortunately, the corridor where Jeong Gayun was located was quiet, but that didn’t help with the embarrassment.
“Please, put me down! CEO! I’m a person, too! Yes! As a civilized person living in modern society, let me stand on my own two feet! CEO Han! CEO Han Doha!”
I shouted in desperation, and finally, CEO Han placed me gently on the ground—or rather, shoved me somewhere.
As I staggered, trying to regain my balance, he sighed deeply, brushing back his slightly disheveled hair as he looked down at me.
His overbearing gaze made me feel as though I was about to be devoured.
“Go home quietly. Straight away. I’ve already caught Secretary Seonyul in the act of cheating, so if you don’t listen this time, I’m really going to get angry.”
“Cheating?”
I frantically waved my hands and reached out, thinking he must be referring to some absurd rumor about me changing jobs.
I stopped the elevator door from closing and pulled him by his tie.
The door closed, leaving just the two of us inside, and I stammered with a pale face.
As I struggled to find the right words for a while, I saw his face growing more and more rigid, and I kept quiet for a moment. It dawned on me that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t get through to him.
Instinctively, an apology slipped out.
“So, um… I’m sorry.”
My flat apology made CEO Han let out a hollow laugh. I thought I heard a short, derisive chuckle, and then he spoke.
“I’ve clawed my way up here, like a dog. And look at her. She’s doing whatever he pleases, all for handing over a single juice. Damn it, this is such crap.”
Not knowing how to react to his crude language, I bowed my head again and apologized.
“That… I’m sorry… really.”
“Seonyul.”
“Yes.”
“What’s the problem, exactly? Not enough pay? Should I give you more bonuses?”
It was a decent job, working as CEO Han’s secretary.
It wasn’t easy, but if someone asked if there were any hardships… well, I could fill up 50 sheets of A4 paper, front and back, with no margins and written in 10-point font using the Gungseo typeface.
I wondered if I should take this chance to say everything I wanted to, but one look at him told me he was pissed off—like, seriously pissed off, enough to completely wreck me.
Hesitating, I fidgeted with my fingers and gingerly tugged at the hem of his jacket.
I watched as his chest, puffed up in frustration, slowly deflated. I had braced myself for him to completely lose it, but thankfully, he still had a shred of sanity left.
He looked down at the jacket I was holding, then at me, tilting his head slightly, as if urging me to speak.
I swallowed hard, looking at his neck, which was tense with anger. I had to choose my words carefully—one wrong move, and I might actually get hit.
I trusted CEO Han’s money, but I didn’t trust his patience.
“I won’t quit. I’m going to stay by your side, CEO. You said you’d stay by my side, didn’t you? So, there’s no reason for me to quit or anything like that.”
“…….”
“I came here today just to… express my gratitude.”
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