Chapter 08
In truth, he still had not decided what answer he should give to the woman who had suddenly proposed to him.
However, he did not know how deep the wound was from being openly sexually harassed in a public place, so at least today, he wanted to see for himself whether she was all right.
Perhaps it was because the person who had caused the incident was someone who worked at his company, making him feel even more responsible and guilty.
As soon as Kanghyun arrived underground, he hurriedly got out of the elevator.
Secretary Hwang ran ahead of Kanghyun, helped him get into the car, then sat in the driver’s seat and told him something important.
“I was going to tell you while we were moving after you had your coffee, but the timing turned out to be a little awkward.”
“What is it? Why are you taking so long with the introduction? Just tell me.”
“……I looked into it, and Ms. Seobin was on the team that former Executive Director Kangseok was in charge of.”
Kanghyun, who had been fixing his suit, stopped and looked at Secretary Hwang.
“I sent you some additional materials by email about former Division Head Cha Kangseok’s TF project that I mentioned before. I included the entire list of team members as well.”
Kanghyun silently opened his tablet and checked his inbox.
It was the project left behind by his older brother Kangseok, the former executive director who had also served as the head of the Business Division, formed the TF team, and led the ‘AI Newlywed Home Appliance Assistant’ project.
People around him had told him to stop the project, which was not even halfway finished yet, and focus on a new business.
Given the company’s conservative nature, there would surely be plenty of talk and trouble since the person who had first led the project had committed suicide.
And even aside from that, a newly appointed executive would not bother continuing a project built by the previous person if its chances of success were low and it did not seem likely to give him credit.
However, Kanghyun knew very well how much his brother had cared about this project.
It had been that way since Kanghyun was in high school.
His brother had often said,
“What if there were an AI assistant exclusively for newlyweds that could recognize the size and layout of their new home, arrange the furniture and appliances automatically, and even calculate the estimated cost?”
Kanghyun had thought the idea was rather general in nature, while its target was limited to newlywed couples.
However, their relatively old-fashioned grandfather had praised his brother’s idea for the first time, saying that it was fresh.
Perhaps because Kangseok thought that their grandfather, who had never been particularly pleased with him, had finally recognized him, he worked tirelessly to make the project a success.
Thinking of his brother, whom he had always considered inferior to himself, Kanghyun felt that he would be more at ease if he, at least, properly completed the project his brother had wanted to accomplish.
But of all things.
Kanghyun’s eyes scanned the members of the TF team.
Then he found the name ‘Assistant Manager Lee Seobin’ among them.
“To be honest, even if Ms. Seobin works at headquarters, there are so many employees that I thought the two of you wouldn’t really have a chance to run into each other. But if you continue Executive Director Kangseok’s project, I think you’ll inevitably come into contact with each other.”
Kanghyun calmly replied,
“That works out well.”
No matter how much the company had systems, procedures, and departments suited to them, if she was a team member working under his command on the project for the time being, she would be easy to control.
Even if she became frightened and decided to quit, he could simply use his personnel authority to freeze her out.
“What do you mean, it works out well?! You’re going to be running into the woman who proposed to you every day!”
Secretary Hwang’s cry continued.
“I don’t know exactly how Ms. Seobin feels, but once she finds out your true identity, she’ll probably try to get even closer to you. Then people at the company will start talking.”
“…….”
“Starting with headlines like ‘Even a Third-Generation Chaebol Can’t Escape Office Romance’…. Just thinking about being summoned and scolded by the Chairman before anyone else gets to him… Ha.”
It seemed that, in Secretary Hwang’s mind, Seobin and Kanghyun had already started dating.
Kanghyun’s lips twitched as he thought carefully about what Secretary Hwang had said.
Even if things went exactly as Secretary Hwang expected, it might not be so bad.
It was not enough that he had told Chairman Kang that he was impotent and unable to produce an heir. If he soon announced that he was dating an ordinary office worker who had nothing to do with the group, how annoyed would Chairman Kang be?
How much would he suffer because things were not going according to his wishes?
Kanghyun was about to put the tablet down beside him when he noticed another familiar name.
“Assistant Manager Kim Gyeonggu is here too.”
“Pardon?”
“Are a lot of people from Development Teams 1 and 2 included?”
“Ah, yes. Probably. They included the entire teams.”
“So I’ll be seeing the sexual harasser who groped my chest as well.”
Secretary Hwang glanced at Kanghyun through the rearview mirror.
The corners of Kanghyun’s mouth were strangely raised, and for some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
He could already clearly picture what lay ahead for those who had made the mistake of getting on the wrong side of a predator.
As soon as Seobin ended her call with Kanghyun, Sujin lightly poked her.
“Assistant Manager, are you done with your call?”
“Yeah. Let’s go.”
As they headed toward the elevator, Sujin cautiously spoke.
“Assistant Manager…. Are you okay?”
Seobin stretched her lips into a long smile to show that she was fine.
But inside, she was not fine at all.
She was furious that she had been sexually harassed in front of the interns, but she was also bewildered and troubled by the fact that Kanghyun had suddenly appeared and ended up becoming the victim of Manager Choi instead of her.
Whenever Kanghyun was around her, he seemed to keep becoming a victim.
I have to protect him properly……
Fortunately, there was no one else in the elevator except her team members.
Gyeongsik asked,
“Assistant Manager. You know that man who accidentally spilled coffee on Manager Choi earlier? The one who said he was sexually harassed.”
Seobin turned slightly to look at Gyeongsik.
Sujin chimed in from beside him.
“Wow, I was so surprised that he knew you, Assistant Manager! He was insanely handsome! In my twenty-six years of life, I’ve never seen anyone that handsome before!”
“Um…. He’s just a friend of my older brother. I guess he happened to be nearby for something.”
Seobin answered casually.
Even after they got off the elevator, Gyeongsik and Sujin’s chatter showed no sign of stopping.
“But he must be insanely rich! Did you see his watch and shoes?”
“Huh? I don’t know much about luxury brands…! Why? Why?! Are they expensive?!”
“It’s more than just expensive. One watch costs as much as a foreign luxury car worth hundreds of millions of won!”
Seobin stopped for a moment and tilted her head.
Kanghyun had a watch worth as much as a luxury car worth hundreds of millions of won?
No way.
Either Gyeongsik had seen it wrong, or Kanghyun… was wearing a fake.
Ha, my oppa is walking around wearing a fake. Did he buy it for his interview?
Then… I guess we can use a watch as the wedding gift.
After reaching that conclusion, Seobin spoke to the interns.
“Gyeongsik, Sujin. Hurry back to your desks and let’s work. Work.”
Seobin quickly sent them away because she did not want them to keep talking about Kanghyun.
Once she returned to her seat, her expression quickly turned cold.
How should I deal with that bastard Manager Choi?
He’s old enough and has worked at the company long enough.
How could he say such filthy things in a public place like that?
And how dare he sexually harass my oppa?
Even if Kanghyun suddenly intervening was one thing, Manager Choi would probably continue behaving crudely toward me in the future.
What would be the best way to deal with him?
Should I report him anonymously on the company bulletin board?
Seobin shook her head.
There was no clear evidence yet.
Gyeongsik and Sujin had heard what happened, but they were not even regular employees yet. They might feel pressured if she asked them to testify.
Above all, Manager Choi was a favored employee of the executive in charge of the HR department because he was one year behind him at university.
If she attacked him carelessly, the backlash could hit her instead.
“Ugh.”
Seobin sighed with her head resting on her desk.
Is there no one among the employees I’m close to who got in through connections?
Even that nasty Manager Choi has strong backing. Why don’t I have anyone powerful backing me?
In the end, the only option was to collect undeniable evidence and report him directly to the Ethics Management Office.
She could not let herself become so stressed over something like this that she quit the company.
Because she had someone she needed to support.
With a determined expression, Seobin straightened her back and focused on her work.
Kanghyun headed to the place where he had agreed to meet Seobin.
He had no idea how much trouble he had gone through to shake off Secretary Hwang, who had insisted on following him.
After arriving in front of the subway station Seobin had told him about, Kanghyun sent her a text.
[I’m in front of the station. Where should I go from here?]
