CHAPTER 2
I had no idea how time had passed.
Even as Seo-eun mechanically went through the tasks assigned to her, her mind was in complete chaos.
The lewd voices from the break room were tangled together, endlessly echoing in her ears.
“Ah, haa, Do-yoon oppa… I love it so much, I love you so much I could go crazy……!”
The woman Do-yoon was cheating with was none other than her younger sister, Ji-yu.
“You’re beautiful, Ji-yu.”
Everything fell into place.
The reason he had been showing her less affection lately, and the reason he had insisted on including Ji-yu whenever they went on dates.
“Of course, I’m going to marry you, Ji-yu, I promised you, didn’t I?”
The two of them were already deeply involved.
They were even planning to break up with Seo-eun using her weakness as leverage and get married.
“Ah, y-yeah, I will, I will! And ah… anyway, even my mother doesn’t like Seo-eun.”
“I was lucky enough to meet your parents, but when you think about it, you’re an orphan, aren’t you?”
Seo-eun raised her head and looked at Do-yoon, who was sitting in the team leader’s seat.
He looked perfectly neat, as if he had never been fooling around with her younger sister in the break room.
Then their eyes met.
Do-yoon gave her a fleeting smile.
As though there were absolutely nothing wrong between them.
Seo-eun could not even force herself to smile, so she looked away.
—
The call from the executive director’s office came just after lunch ended.
Unlike the dull and stuffy office, the executive director’s office was elegant and bright, filled with the fragrance of a diffuser.
Do-yoon was talking with Executive Director Seo Gi-jeong, and the couple ring was still on his finger.
“…As expected, Executive Director, you’re quick to make judgments.”
“How did you come up with that idea?”
“You really are different, Executive Director.”
Do-yoon kept smiling amiably at Seo Gi-jeong, but every look in his eyes and every word he spoke seemed fake to Seo-eun.
Seo-eun habitually removed the couple ring she had been wearing and slipped it into her pocket.
She probably wouldn’t have any reason to wear it anymore.
What a situation, having to end a one-year relationship all by herself.
“Hmm, it’s not bad… but I’d like Hangeol to have a clearer identity.”
“What do you think?”
As Seo Gi-jeong seriously examined the proposal, Do-yoon immediately responded.
“Ah, I see what you mean.”
“What incredible insight, just as expected from you, Executive Director.”
“Hmm, regarding that part… Assistant Manager Han Seo-eun will explain it in detail.”
“Assistant Manager Han?”
Seo-eun, who had been absentmindedly waiting for this meeting to end, belatedly came to her senses.
“Yes, yes?”
“Why are you so lost in thought?”
“Executive Director says he needs an explanation.”
Seo-eun shifted her gaze to Seo Gi-jeong.
Looking at his expression, which seemed to be expecting some grand answer, Seo-eun remembered exactly what he wanted.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Seo Gi-jeong had been one of the biggest contributors to creating the Cha-sung Fashion of today in his younger days, and he was now obsessed with completely overhauling Hangeol, the men’s suit brand.
As the son of Cha Jung-hye, the head of Cha-sung Fashion, he had yet to accomplish anything particularly noteworthy since taking the executive director position, so he was bound to have high hopes for this project.
And those expectations would be directed toward Kang Do-yoon, the head of the Public Relations Planning Team.
But Kang Do-yoon would probably dump the troublesome task of performing CPR on Hangeol, which was practically gasping its last breath, onto Seo-eun.
As she searched for an appropriate answer, Do-yoon jabbed her in the side.
He was telling her to answer quickly.
Seeing his shameless expression, Seo-eun suddenly felt her stomach churn with anger.
“I only assisted with it, so how could I possibly explain it to you, Executive Director?”
“Huh?”
“Ah, no, Assistant Manager Han… what do you mean……”
Seo-eun answered coldly before calmly turning her gaze toward Gi-jeong, as if nothing was wrong.
“It seems Team Leader Kang is deliberately doing this to give me an opportunity, but I’m fine.”
“I think it would be more appropriate for Team Leader Kang, who wrote the rebranding proposal, to explain it himself.”
At the end of her sentence, Seo-eun shifted her gaze to Do-yoon.
Go ahead and run your mouth now.
Do-yoon’s expression instantly hardened.
Seo Gi-jeong, who wanted to hear his opinion quickly, turned his gaze toward Do-yoon.
Under that pressing stare, Do-yoon stammered.
“Uh, well… I-I mean, the identity, Executive Director……”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you explain that part in a little more detail?”
“Ah… well…”
“I also think the identity needs to be clear.”
“So, our team will gather our opinions again and quickly report them back to you, Executive Director.”
“Ah, all right, then.”
“Do it as quickly as possible.”
“Remember, deciding which direction to take Hangeol in is our most urgent priority.”
“Yes, of course, Executive Director.”
Gi-jeong handed a document envelope to Do-yoon, who was visibly tense.
“Oh, right, I’ve been thinking about it carefully.”
“I’d like Hangeol’s new model to be a fresh face.”
“Someone new enough to surprise everyone.”
“I hear there’s a model who’s becoming popular in the United States these days, and apparently he’s Korean.”
“Please review him.”
“Yes, understood, Executive Director!”
Do-yoon accepted the documents from Gi-jeong with both hands.
However, the corners of his lips were trembling slightly.
He was embarrassed because he had been unable to answer the executive director’s questions properly.
Why had she ever thought he was impressive?
There had been a time when Do-yoon’s ability to distinguish between his personal and professional life had seemed admirable, but looking at him now, she must have been blinded by love.
The moment they left the executive director’s office, Do-yoon would undoubtedly glare fiercely and say something like this.
“That bastard is seriously fucking annoying.”
Her prediction was exactly right.
“That bastard is seriously fucking annoying.”
“He’s sitting in that position because of his mother, and I have no idea what the hell he thinks he knows.”
“Don’t you agree?”
The moment they left the executive director’s office, Do-yoon began badmouthing Seo Gi-jeong, grumbling repeatedly that if his own mother were the company president, he would have already turned Hangeol into a global brand.
Seo-eun said nothing.
She had no intention of siding with a traitor.
“You take a look at this.”
The document envelope that Seo Gi-jeong had told Do-yoon to review was suddenly shoved into Seo-eun’s arms as she stood there pretending to listen.
“Where are you supposed to find a fresh face these days?”
“We can barely afford not to use a big-name, top model.”
“……”
He was trying to dump another task on her.
When Seo-eun showed no reaction today, Do-yoon sensed something was strange and gave her a searching look.
“Seo-eun, didn’t you hear me?”
Seo-eun turned her body and looked him straight in the eye.
“I heard you.”
How could he be so shameless?
Did this man even have a conscience?
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Is something wrong?”
“You’ve seemed distracted the whole time.”
“By the way, why did you do that earlier?”
“I didn’t write the report, so what was I supposed to do if you told me to explain it?”
Seo-eun let out a short sigh before opening her mouth.
“Then why is Team Leader Kang’s name listed as the author?”
“Huh……?”
“What do you mean……”
He looked at Seo-eun in bewilderment, as if it were only natural for his name to be there because he was the team leader.
“Is something wrong with you?”
Seo-eun made no attempt to hide how uncomfortable she felt.
“Yes, there is.”
“Ah, I knew it.”
“I got it!”
“You’re in a bad mood today, aren’t you?”
“Then let’s go have dinner with your sister-in-law after work.”
“She said she wanted Thai food.”
“Oh, right, Seo-eun, you’re paying today.”
“What did you say?”
When Seo-eun asked again, Do-yoon gave her a sly wink and lightly poked her in the side.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“Are you tired?”
“I thought you wanted to cheer yourself up.”
“Fine, then take the day off today.”
“Your sister-in-law and I will go by ourselves.”
So now he was openly planning to go on a date with Ji-yu.
Seo-eun had at least expected him to have some conscience.
But apparently, he didn’t.
The expression on Seo-eun’s face as she looked at him suddenly turned cold.
“Do I have to do whatever Ji-yu wants?”
“Uh……?”
At her blunt question, the smile hanging around Do-yoon’s lips slowly disappeared.
He looked as though he had no idea why she was suddenly acting like this.
Of course he was surprised.
She had never once contradicted him before.
“If Ji-yu says she wants to go somewhere, do I have to take her to an expensive buffet?”
“Or eat Thai food even though I don’t even like it?”
Do-yoon glanced around before lowering his voice, his expression turning serious.
“Seo-eun, what’s wrong with you?”
“Is something really going on?”
“Make some time for me today.”
“I have something to talk about with you, Do-yoon.”
“And Ji-yu obviously cannot be there.”
“You……”
After hesitating briefly, Do-yoon scratched the back of his head.
It was the gesture he used whenever he tried to casually brush something aside.
Seo-eun knew that, yet she had always let him get away with it.
“You’re sulking because we haven’t been able to spend time together lately, aren’t you?”
“Right?”
“Why are you being so narrow-minded?”
“I’m only doing all this for your sister-in-law, who went through such a difficult time in the past……”
That again.
How long was he going to keep bringing that up?
Ji-yu’s excuse had always been her “disappearance.”
Her mother, her father, and now even Kang Do-yoon.
It was as though they were all demanding that Seo-eun give up the love she had received in Ji-yu’s place all those years.
“Seo-eun.”
“Let go.”
Seo-eun coldly shook off the hand that was subtly wrapping around her back.
His expression immediately became extremely serious.
“Han Seo-eun, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“The atmosphere at the company is already unsettled because of the rumors that the executive director’s faction is going to change.”
Then let that unsettled heart be healed by Ji-yu now.
“Anyway, I have something to talk to you about today.”
“Meet me at the café right in front of the office after work.”
“I’ll go ahead and wait for you.”
“Se, Seo-eun… Assistant Manager Han!”
Seo-eun turned away without waiting for an answer.
This time, she had no intention of accepting any excuses or allowing him to evade the issue.
