IHMSFL-04

CHAPTER 4

Wondering if he had noticed something, Jung Hye carefully studied Hee-mok’s face, but she couldn’t read anything from his expression.

“What on earth is it that you can’t even tell Noona?

“If it’s something you want, Noona can do anything for you.

“Hm?

“Come on, tell me.”

“Noona, I’ll take care of it myself.

“And I have to go meet Gi-jeong soon.

“Apparently, he’s waiting for me at the company even now.”

Using Jung Hye’s son, Seo Gi-jeong, as an excuse, Hee-mok brushed aside her attempts to persuade him.

Feeling hurt, Jung Hye reluctantly curled up the hand she had been about to reach out with.

“Fine.

“I won’t ask anymore.

“But… if you ever need help, you have to tell me, okay?”

“Okay, Noona.”

Only after hearing his answer did Jung Hye give him a faint smile.

“But I’m a little offended, you know?

“How old do you think I am that you still treat me like a child?”

Hee-mok belatedly burst out in frustration, wondering how long she intended to keep treating him like a child.

But to Jung Hye, it still sounded like nothing more than childish complaining.

“I know, Noona does know.

“But what can I do when you still look like a little boy to me?

“Ever since you were little, I…”

Again?

Here she went again.

“Yes, I know.

“You always tell me how you carried me around on your back and even changed my dirty diapers.

“Phew, I wonder when this story is ever going to end.”

Jung Hye simply smiled as she watched Hee-mok click his tongue.

Apparently, when their mother had been ill, Jung Hye, the eldest child, had raised her youngest brother.

And she had raised him with tremendous care.

Hee-mok knew that better than anyone, so he gave her a warm farewell before turning away.

Jung Hye’s affectionate gaze lingered on his steadfast back.

—

A coffee shop near the company.

Seo-eun had been staring at the still-empty sofa for a long while when she checked her wristwatch.

It had already been an hour since she started waiting for Do-yoon.

She had walked away from him even at the cost of humiliating him in front of the employees, yet Do-yoon still showed no sign of appearing.

How did we end up like this?

Seo-eun thought back to how she had first met Do-yoon.

They had joined Cha Sung Fashion at the same time.

Unlike Do-yoon, who easily befriended his colleagues with his cheerful personality, Seo-eun had been extremely nervous back then.

Ji-yu had disappeared and then returned, and her wandering had left the atmosphere at home utterly miserable, while Seo-eun had been burdened by the feeling that she had to do well, at least for everyone’s sake.

Do-yoon had approached Seo-eun with his natural friendliness, and the two gradually grew closer.

Seo-eun was happy that she finally had someone she could confide in about the special secret that she was adopted.

Rather than viewing her with prejudice, Do-yoon confessed his love to Seo-eun.

That was how her first romance at her first workplace began.

Do-yoon began asking favors of her after Seo-eun successfully completed her first project.

That project became a turning point, and Seo-eun gradually began pulling ahead of her fellow recruits in terms of performance.

She was eventually promoted to Assistant Manager faster than anyone else.

Do-yoon’s strategy of using his social skills as a weapon, attending every team dinner and befriending everyone, had failed.

As he continued to struggle, Do-yoon said,

“Can you hand this project over to me?

“I want to get promoted and marry you.”

Marriage.

Those words had been enough to shake Seo-eun.

Because she thought that if she married him, she would finally have someone who would always be on her side.

She felt that she would no longer have to feel guilty about having safely finished her studies and gotten a job at a major corporation with the love she had received in place of Ji-yu.

So Seo-eun decided to trust Do-yoon and actively supported him.

After Seo-eun began helping him, Do-yoon was never passed over for a promotion again.

Two years ago, all the brands he had directly imported from overseas succeeded in localized branding, and he achieved the remarkable feat of being promoted to team leader in record time.

Seo-eun had been lost in the sweet dream that she would soon marry him.

But now she finally understood.

He had approached her deliberately.

To take what he wanted.

“Ha…”

Seo-eun picked up the phone she had left untouched.

If Do-yoon wasn’t going to come, Ji-yu was the only person left.

She was also directly involved in this mess, after all.

The phone rang for a moment before the call connected.

“Ji-yu?”

But instead of Ji-yu’s voice, only loud background noise came through.

After waiting a little while, familiar voices mixed together and reached her through the noise.

—Mom, honestly, how can you say something like that?

—You’re always like that, Mom.

—Dad, Dad, you should try this too.

—…How is it?

—It’s really delicious, right?

—…Not bad.

—Where did you buy it?

Her beloved mother, father, and Ji-yu’s voice.

So this was what the family I was left out of was like.

Their cheerful laughter felt distant, as though she were listening to a television program.

Not long ago, Seo-eun had moved out of her parents’ home for the sake of her parents and Ji-yu.

She had used the excuse that it was simply time for her to live independently, but in truth, she wanted to give her parents and Ji-yu the time together that they had lost.

After moving out, whenever she occasionally visited her family home, her parents would speak in worried voices.

“How is our Ji-yu doing at work?

“I heard she’s been getting sick often lately.

“Should we take her to the hospital?”

“Speaking of which, I’m worried about Ji-yu.

“She smiles, but is she really smiling because she’s happy?

“She might be thinking something completely different inside.

“Seo-eun, you’re her older sister, so keep an eye on her more often.”

The parents who had done nothing but worry about Ji-yu in front of Seo-eun were now laughing so happily.

—Apparently, the moment Oppa tried it, it reminded him of Dad.

—Oppa!

—Why are you so late?

—Come sit down.

—I’m sorry you had to wait so long, Mother-in-law, Father-in-law.

—It’s all right.

—It’s nothing.

—Kang Seo-bang, you should have some too.

The sound of Do-yoon’s voice that followed scraped against her raw heart.

A hollow laugh escaped through her parted lips.

—Oppa!

—When we get married, should we live with my mom and dad?

—I don’t want to live apart from my parents.

—Should we?

—I’d love that.

—I could eat Mother-in-law’s cooking every day.

So… did their parents approve of the two of them getting married?

How could they do this to me…?

The phone slowly drifted away from Seo-eun’s ear.

Her wandering eyes failed to focus and drifted aimlessly.

What do I do?

What am I supposed to do?

Unable to think rationally, Seo-eun suddenly shot to her feet.

For now, she felt that she needed to go to her parents.

Still dazed, she hurried toward the entrance.

“Ah!”

She accidentally collided with someone walking toward her.

“Ouch, hot…”

The man who had spilled his coffee after bumping into Seo-eun shook his hand and raised his gaze.

Seo-eun’s eyes met his, but rather than worrying about the man, she remembered what she needed to do right now.

This isn’t the time.

I have to hurry…

“I’m sorry, I’m sor…”

Seo-eun didn’t even finish apologizing before she hurried out of the café.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get a taxi.

One after another, they passed her by as though they had all conspired against her.

Even so, only one thought dominated her mind.

She had to tell her parents the truth.

That she had dated Kang Do-yoon for a year, and that he was the only person she had ever relied on.

But with no taxi stopping for her, it felt as though the world itself was pushing her back, telling her not to go and to pretend she knew nothing.

As if telling her she had no place to stand.

Tears streamed down her face.

What had I done so wrong?

Being abandoned by her biological parents, meeting new parents, Ji-yu’s disappearance, Do-yoon’s betrayal…

None of it had been Seo-eun’s fault.

Giving up on trying to catch a taxi, Seo-eun stopped where she was.

Her vision blurred as though she had been submerged in water.

Because of that, she failed to notice a black sedan approaching beside her.

The sedan’s window rolled down with a faint whir.

A man’s voice called out.

“Excuse me.”

So now some crazy guy was trying something with me too.

Seo-eun hurriedly wiped away her tears and ignored him as she started walking again.

But the man didn’t give up and followed alongside her.

Honk—

“Excuse me…”

When the horn sounded, Seo-eun couldn’t take it anymore and stopped.

Then she shouted at the man.

“I’m trying to catch a taxi right now, okay?

“If you’re looking for some woman you can make a move on, I’m not that kind of woman!”

That should do it.

If he called out to her one more time, she was going to report him.

Strangely enough, shouting had made her feel at least a little better.

Seo-eun resumed walking with angry steps.

She had walked some distance when—

“Excuse me.”

Someone grabbed Seo-eun by the arm and spun her around.

Her body was suddenly turned, sending her hair flying and covering her eyes.

“What the…”

When the wind finally settled, Seo-eun saw a man standing before her.

Someone she had seen many times somewhere—

“You’re Han Seo-eun, right?”

Had she finally lost her mind?

Was she so angry with Kang Do-yoon that she had summoned a first love from years ago?

The man’s eyes were deep.

Straight, high nose, framed by two eyes holding brown irises.

His lips formed such elegant lines that she found herself wondering what kind of voice would emerge from them.

How does this man know me?

Seo-eun’s brows furrowed slightly.

There was only one possibility.

If it wasn’t him, then there was no explanation.

Unless it was that very man from long ago…

“Unni, I like that Oppa… Can’t you introduce me to him?”

One notebook.

One pencil.

A doll she had received as a birthday present from her parents.

A necklace she had received as a high school graduation gift.

The end of all those favors had been giving away even her first love.

“Hee-mok, Oppa…?”

I found him.

My first love.