BSMF | 12

~Chapter 12~

 Couldn’t Even Think of That

“Monday, 2 p.m.”

Woo-geon looked straight at So-hye and continued.

“Go to the small back door at the end of the east wall. If you come then, you can get to the lab without anyone noticing.”

So-hye stayed dazed for a moment. Seeing her like that, Woo-geon relaxed a little and concluded.

“Just come to the lab. Don’t hang around the main entrance and get caught up in weird rumors.”

So-hye’s lips parted slightly.

At first, she was confused, but as her brain caught up, her lips curved into a smile.

Her heart raced again—not for herself, but because he was worried she might get caught up in rumors.

She wanted to shout with joy but held it in and nodded eagerly.

“Yes! I won’t get caught up in any weird rumors!”

“Why are you so anxious?”

“I won’t do anything that could trouble you, sir!”

“Why are you suddenly so energetic?”

“I’ll just quietly look at your face and go! You don’t need to do anything!”

“…What are you saying?”

Huh?

So-hye, who had been talking nonstop, suddenly stopped like a broken radio.

Woo-geon’s expression looked like he was staring at a strange person.

“I’m not just calling you to see your face.”

“R…really?”

“Yes. There’s something useful in your drawings. I want you to help with some work that day.”

Ah, work…

In an instant, So-hye realized he was thinking about work, not romance.

Her shoulders, which had soared with excitement, sank like air escaping a balloon.

The pink, romantic images in her mind vanished like bubbles.

Woo-geon checked his pocket watch and stood up first.

“Don’t be late. There’s a lot to do that day.”

With his expression unreadable, he gave a greeting—or was it advice?—and turned to leave.

So-hye noticed his lips curl slightly for the first time, but he was already too far for her to see.

“Geez, not a hint of romance,” she muttered, pouting.

She watched him walk away, clutching her lower lip.

Well… maybe she should just be happy she’d see him again.

Her heart was already thumping like crazy anyway.

She sighed and stood up, then noticed a familiar jacket lying on the table.

Looking up, Woo-geon was standing in front of her again.

“It’s raining. Don’t get wet—wear this.”

“And you?”

“Don’t worry about me. School is right in front.”

“Still…”

“See you next time.”

Woo-geon left after saying just what was needed.

“Sir, wait!”

So-hye ran after him, but he was already disappearing into the rain.

She held the jacket tight, feeling the warmth and familiar scent lingering around her.

Her previously downcast lips curved into a smile in time with her racing heart.

“Yes. See you next time, sir.”

Her disappointment melted away in the pouring rain.

So-hye put on Woo-geon’s jacket and ran into the rain.

The jacket kept her mostly dry, but if she lingered, it might get soaked too.

‘I should go home and wash up quickly. If I catch a cold, I won’t be able to go to work tomorrow.’

After running for a while, she passed Jin-goe Street and noticed a young girl standing in front of a closed shop.

She looked about eight years old.

The small girl was soaking wet from head to toe.

Her expression was blank, but her face was pale and her lips thin and colorless.

‘Did she lose her mother? What should I do?’

So-hye ran over to the girl, who didn’t even glance at the stranger approaching.

Maybe she was cautious—or just uninterested in people.

Her clothes looked fine and her face clean and pale—she seemed like a child from a well-off family.

‘She couldn’t have left home alone. Most likely, she’s lost her way.’

So-hye crouched and asked carefully.

“Hey, did you lose your mother?”

For the first time, the girl looked at her.

“Do you want me to take you home?”

But the girl didn’t answer, just stared.

Maybe she didn’t understand Korean. So-hye tried asking in Japanese, but still no response.

Her eyes, though, were bright and alert, not vacant.

Unsure what to do, So-hye smiled awkwardly.

“Hmm…?”

The girl raised both hands and started making strange gestures repeatedly.

It seemed like she was trying to communicate, but So-hye couldn’t understand.

‘Maybe she can’t speak.’

When So-hye shook her head, the girl grabbed her hand and wrote something on it.

Two Chinese characters appeared on her palm.

“Lost… nanny?”

The girl looked up at her again, as if waiting for confirmation.

So-hye copied the same characters on her own hand.

Finally understanding, the girl nodded repeatedly.

So-hye wrote one more simple question on her hand.

-Do you know your home address?

The girl nodded again.

When she held out her hand, the girl wrote her home address.

Luckily, So-hye recognized the area.

“I’ll take you home. Let’s go.”

Before moving, So-hye realized the girl might get sick if she stayed in the rain.

Thinking for a moment, she put Woo-geon’s jacket carefully over the girl’s head and picked her up.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take you home safely.”

So-hye pointed to herself and then forward. The girl nodded, understanding.

“Hold on tight to me. Good.”

So-hye adjusted the jacket to keep the girl as dry as possible and walked quickly.

After Sosuke left, Hak-je started catching up on work.

Even though he had taken on extra-paid tasks, he couldn’t neglect his main job.

“Sales in Dalian City have dropped significantly.”

“Yes. Several grain suppliers closed, so delivery decreased.”

“Any solution?”

“We’re looking for new malt distributors in Qingdao. There’s some positive progress, so results should be good.”

Even in Joseon, Hak-je kept track of the Chinese headquarters.

After reviewing, he handed the documents to an employee.

“Find more suppliers in Dalian by next month. We can’t abandon this region.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the employee left, suddenly the door burst open. Zheng, Lin-jin’s nanny, rushed in, crying.

“Sir, what should I do…! Sob sob.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’s… sob… actually… I should have been more careful…!”

Hak-je held the trembling, soaked woman gently.

“Calm down. It’s okay.”

“I was at the market with Lin-jin… and then a crowd pressed in and I… sob… lost her…”

Even without hearing the rest, Hak-je knew what had happened.

Hak-je’s face grew cold.

His grip on Zheng’s shoulder tightened, making her tremble.

Thinking of Lin-jin alone in that storm, a helpless, lost child, his blood boiled with fear.

He glared at Zheng and spoke sharply.

“Shut up. Why are you making noise?”

Startled, Zheng went quiet.

The atmosphere froze everyone around.

Hak-je leaned closer, staring at her.

“Go home immediately. Lin-jin might return at any moment.”

Her trembling chin made a small noise.

“But… the girl doesn’t know the way…”

“Don’t talk nonsense—just go!”

Zheng hiccupped.

Hak-je added with contempt:

“I’m just hoping Lin-jin comes back safely.”

“….”

“If the same thing happened to you, you’d understand.”

He pushed her out of the office and left.

“This should be the area. Where is it?”

So-hye wiped rain from her eyes and looked around.

She had been sent here on errands before but the memory was faint.

“It’s raining harder.”

Her clothes were soaked despite trying to stay dry, but her focus was on the girl.

After walking a bit, they reached the address.

“This is it?”

The girl nodded quickly when asked.

So-hye looked at the modern house and knocked loudly.

“Excuse me! This child got lost—I brought her home!”

After a few knocks, a well-dressed middle-aged woman came out, surprised and crying.

“Lin-jin!”

She hugged the jacket-wrapped girl tightly, crying.

Her words mixed Korean and Chinese, suggesting Lin-jin was Chinese.

So-hye thought of Hak-je briefly but dismissed it.

“Thank you for bringing her safely. I thought I’d lost her. I’m so sorry.”

Even adults usually cry when they see someone else cry, but Lin-jin stayed calm, patting the woman’s back.

So-hye sneezed loudly, breaking the quiet.

The woman, realizing So-hye was soaked, invited her in.

“Come inside. We’ll properly thank you later.”

So-hye followed with Lin-jin.

Zheng brought towels.

“Please wait here. I must inform our boss that the girl has been found.”

“Okay. I’ll help Lin-jin dry off.”

Zheng made a call, apologizing repeatedly.

So-hye dried Lin-jin carefully.

The girl remained calm and obedient, which made So-hye’s chest ache with concern.

Lin-jin held So-hye’s hand and wrote on it:

-Thank you, savior.

So-hye smiled lightly and shook her head.

Still, Lin-jin wanted to express her gratitude more, stretching her arms to hug So-hye.

So-hye hugged her back, patting her gently.

The small body in her arms felt warm, taking away the chill from the wet clothes.

Zheng came back after the call.

“Our boss wants to thank you properly. If it’s okay, we’d like to invite you to dinner.”

So-hye smiled awkwardly and declined.

“It’s enough that Lin-jin got home safely.”

“You must accept at least a small gesture. Lin-jin is truly a precious child to us.”

“If we had lost her… I couldn’t have lived with myself.”

Zheng wiped tears from her eyes and led them inside.

“Let’s warm up with a bath first. We’ve prepared clothes for you to change into.”

So-hye hesitated but changed into the clothes provided.

Lin-jin helped her fasten buttons and tie a belt with small gestures.

“Thank you. You’re a good child, Lin-jin.”

At that moment, they heard someone arriving.

So-hye held Lin-jin and stepped outside.

At the same time, Hak-je arrived.

“Oh…?”

“So-hye, what are you doing here?”

The two were surprised to see each other.