Chapter 4: It Was Because She Reminded Him of Something
“If I’d known it was this cold outside, I would’ve come down with you. Sorry for making you wait.”
“Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Kyung-min glanced at Do-heon through the rearview mirror.
Do-heon had only called his name, yet said nothing more. It was something he often did whenever he was deep in thought.
Without urging him to speak, Kyung-min quietly waited.
His gaze in the mirror shifted from Do-heon to Yoon-kyung, who was still standing outside.
“So she’s finally getting off work.”
Yoon-kyung seemed to shrink into herself, yet she remained rooted to the spot.
“…She worked overtime like it was nothing back when she was at Kwonseong too.”
“Kwonseong?”
Realizing his mistake, Kyung-min immediately met Do-heon’s eyes and hurriedly looked back at the road.
“Ah… well…”
Only then did he realize he’d let something slip—but it was already too late.
“I heard she worked there as an intern.”
“That woman?”
“Yes.”
“As far as I know, Kwonseong doesn’t make interns or contract employees work overtime.”
“…”
“Maybe they’ve changed the policy since I left for the States.”
Do-heon stared silently at Kyung-min.
“She wasn’t just an intern.”
“…She was a full-time employee.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
So that was why she’d felt strangely familiar.
“I only heard about it myself. We were both incredibly busy, so we never even managed to have a proper meal together. We’d only occasionally pass each other in the halls. Then I got assigned overseas, so even those chances were rare.”
Kwonseong…
Ignoring Kyung-min’s explanation, Do-heon folded his arms.
“Was there some reason she had to leave?”
A person who had worked for a major corporation like Kwonseong…
…was now working at a small company like this?
Not even as a manager, but as an ordinary employee?
“…That hurts my pride.”
“Pardon?”
Again, Do-heon offered no explanation.
“Yoon-kyung is incredibly hardworking. She’s genuinely one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. I had no idea she was working here, so I was really happy to see her.”
“Secretary Kim.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you know when Kang Yoon-kyung left Kwonseong?”
Just as Kyung-min was about to answer, he tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
He had nearly answered without thinking.
“…Why do you ask?”
“Because among the employees, only two people have no résumé on file—Kwak Ji-hyun and Kang Yoon-kyung.”
One was the CEO’s younger sister, so that made sense.
But Yoon-kyung not having one was strange.
“Tomorrow morning, go to HR and bring me Kang Yoon-kyung’s résumé.”
The fact that she’d once worked at Kwonseong was unexpected.
Still, if he wanted information, this actually made things easier.
“Have you finished choosing the members for the TF team?”
“Almost.”
Maybe he’d seen her around the office back then.
Was that why his eyes had kept drifting toward her, despite her being a complete stranger?
Was she… another person I’d erased from my lost memories?
Do-heon recalled how shaken Yoon-kyung had been when she saw him.
Those wide eyes that didn’t know what to do.
The way she’d trembled while staring straight up at him.
For some reason, that image refused to leave his mind.
“…No.”
Do-heon rubbed the hand resting on his thigh, his expression stiff.
When the wind had swept her hair aside, revealing her face…
…and he saw the tears running down her cheeks…
…he had almost reached out.
He wasn’t the kind of man who would wipe away the tears of a woman he’d only just met.
He wasn’t that kind.
He wasn’t even particularly kind or selfless.
The impulse made no sense.
His fingertips twitched.
What’s more, he’d even said something ridiculous to a complete stranger.
It irritated him that, after being so flustered by him, she’d withdrawn her gaze just as quickly.
He could hardly believe he’d done something so childish simply because…
…he wanted her attention.
“…Ah. Thank you.”
Thanking me?
The situation was so absurd he almost laughed.
His body kept reacting before his reason could catch up, and it unsettled him.
“Executive Director?”
The light spilling out from the lobby illuminated the tears that still lingered in Yoon-kyung’s eyes.
The moisture in her clear eyes caught the orange glow, tinting her irises a soft amber.
Perhaps because she’d spoken about a tree that never bore fruit…
…it looked as though tiny apricots had bloomed inside her eyes.
Was that why he couldn’t look away?
Was that why, even now…
…his thoughts were filled with her?
“Are you alright? Is something hurting—”
“I’m fine.”
A sharp pain spread from his chest toward his head.
Frowning, Do-heon rubbed his temple.
He dismissed it as nothing.
He simply wasn’t used to paying this much attention to another person.
“Ah.”
Now he knew why she’d seemed familiar.
“She reminded me of something.”
“…Pardon?”
The rabbit his middle school had kept.
She looked just like it.
The way she bowed every single time she thanked someone…
Those pitch-black eyes…
They reminded him of the little white rabbit he’d once known.
“Executive Director, then about tomorrow’s meeting…”
Do-heon shook his head.
Kyung-min had been bothered by Do-heon’s phone, which had been ringing nonstop for quite a while now.
But seeing Do-heon deliberately ignoring it, he wisely kept quiet and focused on driving.
Do-heon switched the phone to silent and leaned back.
Turning the screen face down so he couldn’t even see it, he mentally organized the priorities of everything he needed to do.
Tomorrow would come soon enough.
And with it…
…the endless voices he didn’t want to hear.
So tonight, at least…
…he wanted one peaceful evening.
Yoon-kyung got out of the taxi and entered the W Hotel.
A man who changes both the meeting place and the time just thirty minutes beforehand…
As she mentally rated the difficulty level of today’s blind date, she headed up to the restaurant lounge.
“…He changed both the place and the time whenever he felt like it, and now he’s late too.”
Should she at least be grateful he’d bothered to text that he’d be late?
Sighing, Yoon-kyung walked to the table she’d been shown.
Rather than a beautiful night view, it was tucked away in a corner almost completely blocked by a wall.
Honestly…
She preferred it that way.
Considering how popular the restaurant was, she was lucky enough just to have gotten a table without a reservation.
Feeling the need to wash her hands, she checked the time and stood.
As she washed them in the restroom, she looked up.
Her own expressionless face stared back from the mirror.
She forced the corners of her mouth upward.
The awkward smile looked terrible.
“…My blank face is better.”
After drying her hands with a paper towel, she left the restroom.
The hotel restaurant was wonderful…
…except the restroom was absurdly far away.
“Having too much space can be a problem too…”
As she walked toward the distant restaurant lounge—
Her body lurched violently.
Without warning, a rough hand seized her left arm and yanked her sideways.
Startled, Yoon-kyung looked at who it was.
Her surprise vanished almost instantly.
Frowning, she jerked her arm free.
“What are you doing?”
“Why are you here?”
Ignoring the question, Yoon-kyung rubbed the arm that had just been grabbed.
“I asked why you’re here! Do you know how shocked I was when I spotted you from across the room?”
“The other person changed the location.”
“Even so, why did it have to be here?”
“What was I supposed to do? He changed it.”
Despite Yoon-kyung’s answer, Sung-hee kept anxiously looking around, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
She looked terrified that they might have seen Yoon-kyung.
“Did you forget I told you I had plans today? I said we were having dinner with Do-heon’s family.”
Judging by her reaction, Yoon-kyung had already guessed this had something to do with him.
She let out a mocking laugh.
To begin with, she’d never heard anything about such plans.
And they certainly weren’t close enough to share each other’s schedules.
“Of all places… why here…”
“Then call the man yourself and tell him to change the venue.”
Yoon-kyung was no happier to see Sung-hee than Sung-hee was to see her.
“Oh, my heart… I’m going to die from this someday! Just leave. Go somewhere else.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Just tell him you don’t like this place and go somewhere else!”
“If canceling is an option, then sure.”
“No! Absolutely not! Do you know how hard it was for me to arrange this?”
As Yoon-kyung tried to walk past her, Sung-hee hurriedly blocked her path.
“I heard Do-heon came to the company yesterday.”
“So you report every little thing that happens at work. Mother and daughter really are close.”
“…You didn’t… meet him, did you?”
Silently, Yoon-kyung looked at the woman who feared exactly that possibility.
Her own mother.
“Why won’t you answer? Don’t tell me you…”
“What are you so afraid of?”
She smiled sarcastically.
“Are you scared he might have seen me?”
As Yoon-kyung mocked her, Sung-hee grabbed her arm and dragged her into a secluded corner.
“Let go before you talk.”
Yoon-kyung forcefully shook her off.
“Do you really want to drive your mother insane?”
“Why would something this trivial make you lose your mind?”
She stared directly at Sung-hee.
“Are you afraid his lost memories might come back if he sees me?”
“You…!”
“That’s what you’re all afraid of.”
Kwon Do-heon regaining his memories.
Looking her straight in the eye, Yoon-kyung spoke each word slowly.
“If you want to keep something hidden…”
“…then do a better job hiding it yourselves.”
“Yoon-kyung, please. Listen to your mother.”
“I don’t have a mother.”
Her voice was icy.
“She died three years ago.”
“How can you say that to your own mother—!”
“You chose to be Kwak Ji-hyun’s mother instead of Kang Yoon-kyung’s.”
“So stop bothering me and go take care of your real daughter.”
When Sung-hee stepped in front of her once more, Yoon-kyung issued a cold warning.
“The one who has something to lose is you—not me.”
“So I have nothing to fear.”
“Nothing to hide.”
“And no reason to hide.”
Unable to respond, Sung-hee simply stood there.
Yoon-kyung shoved past her, striking her shoulder hard.
“Don’t fool yourself into thinking I’m enduring all this because of you.”
Back then… and even now…
Every reason behind my actions…
…has always been for him alone.
