MHL 16

chapter 16

“This is it.”

Seoha’s eyes sparkled in front of what looked like an ancient laptop excavated from a Joseon-era site.

[KangYoon Company – Recruiting New Designers]

“Let’s head back to the office first. I’ll watch from inside and figure out how to get my real body and my mom back.”

From that day, Seoha’s days began and ended with design. She absorbed trends, recreated them, and layered Kang Yoon and Yoon Seoha’s colors on top.

It sounded simple when explained in words, but for ten complete designs, Seoha had to draw until her hands were blistered.

And on the evening before the resume submission deadline, she ran into a massive wall.

“What is this?”

Her highest level of education—high school graduation.

It turned out that Jo Seoha’s final academic record was just a high school diploma.

“Jo Seoha, what have you been doing that you didn’t even go to college!”

At this rate, her resume was destined for the shredder without ever reaching the interview stage. Seoha stared blankly at the designs she had painstakingly completed.

Living as Yoon Seoha hadn’t been all happy and smooth.

To avoid being called a “gold spoon,” she had to work several times harder than others, and there were countless sleepless nights where she filled hundreds of pages in design books like a madwoman.

But this kind of basic obstacle was new. Not having enough education to even submit a resume?

“Woof! Woof!”

After pondering for a while, she heard Minji barking outside. It was already six-thirty—the time for dinner.

“Let’s go now!”

Seoha covered her unfinished designs and went downstairs. In the empty house, only the dinner Seoha’s brother Jaeuk had prepared lay on a newspaper.

Jaeuk was a remarkable person. From morning to night, he ran his fruit truck business, but at this time, he always came back to make sure Seoha had dinner. If he couldn’t come in, he at least set the table.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Seoha greeted alone and emptied her bowl. Afterwards, she cleared the table and washed the dishes. Tasks that Yoon Seoha never even thought about were normal duties for Jo Seoha.

“Woof!”

No sooner had she finished drying her hands than Minji brought her leash and sat at her feet, signaling a walk. It was rather cute.

“A walk? It’s a bit late.”

“Woof! Woof!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Seoha slipped into her worn-out sneakers and trailed out of the house. She walked winding alleys, stopped at a water spring for a sip, and returned along the opposite street, completing a loop.

As Seoha neared home, someone spoke from behind.

“Excuse me.”

Startled, Seoha froze and gripped Minji’s leash tighter.

“You’re so pretty… can I have your contact?”

It was a stranger wearing a tracksuit and a cap. On a bright street, it might have been fine, but here in the dim alley, a stranger approaching was more than unpleasant—it was frightening.

Seoha politely refused and tried to walk on.

“No, just your number. You’re too pretty.”

The man quickly blocked her path. Cold sweat ran down Seoha’s spine.

Then—

“Jo Seoha!”

A familiar voice boomed through the alley. It was Jaeuk.

“Where have you been? Who’s this guy?”

The man, so bold when Seoha was alone, shrank in front of Jaeuk and stammered.

“No, I just… you were pretty. Didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”

“Then go.”

“Yes.”

Jaeuk glared at him until he disappeared, then muttered a curse.

“Scared you much? Where did he start following you from?”

“From just up ahead.”

“Don’t worry about a neighborhood punk. Any injuries?”

“No.”

“Damn it. Rotten bastard.”

Muttering, Jaeuk scanned Seoha from head to toe.

“You went out like that?”

“…?”

Looking down at her clothes, Seoha realized they were a mess: a T-shirt stained with kimchi soup from dinner, stretched-out leggings, and sneakers on the verge of breaking.

“Going out like that at this hour? That kind of guy will definitely latch on. Not that it’s your fault—he’s just a punk.”

“What does my outfit have to do with that guy?”

Jaeuk frowned.

“Guys like that are cunning. If a girl looks better than them, they freeze and can’t talk. Even if you’re actually amazing, if you walk around this neighborhood like this, they’ll think you’re low-level and try to mess with you.”

“….”

Suddenly, Seoha recalled Lee Seung-oh and Lee Ji-soo’s first meeting: Lee Ji-soo in worn-out tracksuit, Lee Seung-oh overly kind to her.

“If a girl’s too good-looking?”

“He can’t even speak. Ridiculous, that guy. Who is he trying to hit on?”

“No, what if you meet a girl who’s just… too perfect? A rich, beautiful career woman?”

“A decent guy would be grateful. A brainless guy will shake with envy and try to belittle her.”

Yes. The Seung-oh currently mismanaging the company as temporary CEO of Kang Yoon was that brainless guy.

Once, she had believed he was a serious, grounded man, not realizing he could be so light that he’d be blown away by a breeze.

‘Of course I feel sorry for you. But I’m not going to apologize.’

That light man had firmly held the hand of his affair partner and told his wife outright.

‘Seoha, you have to understand. If I apologize to you here, it would make my love for Ji-soo wrong.’

Why did he fall in love with Ji-soo? Not Yoon Seoha, who had been by his side forever, but Ji-soo, whom he had met only months ago.

Seoha found the answer in their first meeting—when he protected the fragile Ji-soo from Yoon Seoha. That moment marked the beginning of his love.

‘Seoha, you have so much. Ji-soo has only me. Whether I divorce or not, I will love and protect Ji-soo until the end.’

Seung-oh didn’t love Ji-soo—he loved the Seung-oh who saved Ji-soo.

Seoha returned to the rooftop with Minji in her arms. The plastic mirror on her desk reflected her face brutally: thin, dry skin, somehow hollow eyes, thin lips.

She was not the glamorous Yoon Seoha that Seung-oh could barely handle—but a Jo Seoha even more pitiful than Ji-soo back then.

Seung-oh had a habit of walking around near the company after lunch, usually alone or in pairs.

“The weather’s nice today. I love walking with you after lunch.”

“Me too.”

Seung-oh smiled warmly but subtly withdrew his arm from Ji-soo. Though their relationship was known at the office, he didn’t want to draw attention by holding hands publicly.

“How’s the resume situation? Many submissions?”

“I haven’t seen them yet. HR screens them before bringing them down.”

“I see. Didn’t Kang Hyerim recommend someone?”

“Hmm… not really.”

Ji-soo seemed uninterested in discussing resumes or new designers. Seung-oh changed the topic to something she’d like.

“Where should we go for summer vacation? How about overseas this time? Even Hawaii nearby.”

“Hawaii sounds good! Bali was nice last time too.”

“Bali was great.”

A woman quickly brushed past them. Jeans, carrying a document envelope, looking around as if searching for something, phone in hand. She didn’t notice her wallet slip from her pocket.

“Huh?”

Seung-oh picked up the wallet. It was a worn-out, cheap wallet, like one Ji-soo had carried when they first met.

“Excuse me!”

The woman didn’t notice him calling. Seung-oh tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

“Here. You dropped your wallet.”

“Oh…!”

Her eyes widened, and she bowed deeply.

“Thank you so much! I didn’t even realize I dropped it.”

“You seemed a bit lost from behind. Are you looking for somewhere?”

“Ah, well…”

She fiddled with the yellow envelope.

“I’m looking for KangYoon Company… the entrance is only from the front. I wondered if there’s a back entrance…”

“Kang Yoon? Why?”

Ji-soo asked, joining the conversation. The woman looked slightly scared and quickly lowered her eyes.

“I-I’m here to submit a resume. They’re looking for new designers. Do you know how I can get to HR?”

Seung-oh naturally became curious.

“Submitting a resume in person? Why?”

“Well… I mean… I love design… but I couldn’t go to college because my family is poor. The submission requires at least an associate degree… I thought maybe, even with a low salary, could I at least have an interview… I wanted to ask…”

The girl’s face turned as red as a tomato. Seung-oh suppressed a laugh and held out his hand.

“Let’s see it.”

“Huh?”

“Let me see your resume.”

“No way!”

The girl clutched the envelope and shook her head.

“I can’t show it to a stranger! My designs are inside too.”

“Hahaha!”

Ji-soo glared briefly at Seung-oh, then looked away.

“Don’t worry, show me. You couldn’t bring it to HR anyway, and if you did, I could see everything if I gave instructions.”

“Huh? What do you mean…”

Seung-oh took a business card from his pocket and handed it to her.

“I’m this kind of person.”

[KangYoon Company / CEO Lee Seung-oh]

“Whaaaaat?!”

The woman was shocked, then covered her mouth in surprise. She looked as if she’d just met the president. Seung-oh found the reaction rather satisfying.