Chapter 10
“President. Are you leaving work early again today?” Secretary Yoon had been feeling quite confused lately.
The workaholic boss who used to treat overtime like eating meals had, ever since his discharge, been busy preparing to leave work every single day as soon as 2:00 or 3:00 PM rolled around. Even when asked why, he gave no answers, and on top of that, he had gone and cleared out his entirely packed afternoon schedule for the next few months, giving Secretary Yoon a massive headache. It was a textbook case of ‘Our boss has gone crazy! Properly out of his mind!’
“I told you in advance. I’m leaving early for the next few months.” “I know that, but today’s meeting is something you absolutely have to attend…”
Unable to simply brush past Secretary Yoon, who wore a troubled expression, Horang stopped in his tracks and asked, “What meeting is it?” “You have a dinner appointment with Managing Director Han Seolhee from HB Cosmetics. It was scheduled months ago, so it’s going to be difficult to cancel.”
Horang was well aware of that meeting. HB Cosmetics was a company with a massive customer base worldwide amid the sweeping Hallyu wave, and months prior, they had made an appointment to meet regarding the prime first-floor spot at the shopping center Horang was about to open. “What time is the meeting?” “At 4:00 PM.”
Horang rolled back his sleeve and checked his smartwatch. The current time was 3:00 PM. The battery level was at 20%. If he waited until 4:00 PM and sat through a conference, his battery would end up completely discharged. And if that happened, he wouldn’t exist in this world anymore. “Postpone it.” “Pardon? But President. The meeting with HB Cosmetics is a critically important appointment that will make or break the shopping center’s sales, so—” “Secretary Yoon.” “Yes, President.”
At Horang’s chilling call, the mumbling Secretary Yoon’s voice gradually faded away. “Have you ever seen me say something twice?” “Ah, n-no.”
No one knew the importance of the appointment with HB Cosmetics better than Horang did. But he had to survive first. Only then could he apologize for breaking the promise and reschedule the meeting. “Don’t schedule any important meetings in the afternoon from now on.” “Yes, understood.”
Leaving Secretary Yoon behind, Horang moved quickly. He had no time. Working away in a frenzy, he hadn’t even realized his battery was draining. He needed to get there quickly and recharge. If he was any later, Na Bobae wouldn’t spare him the time.
Climbing into his car, Horang turned the ignition and pressed down hard on the accelerator.
Three days had passed since his discharge, and Horang had returned to his routine. He woke up every morning to exercise, went to work after a simple meal, received reports from each department head, and accelerated preparations for the shopping center’s grand opening.
He was busier than ever, yet it was the same routine as before. An impeccably well-ordered daily life. Except for one single thing.
“The chaebol is diligently stamping his loyalty coupons, I see.” “You have to save to live well.” “Are you going to become rich by saving like that?” “I’m already rich.” “Right, right. Of course you are.”
Stopping by the cafe where Bobae worked after leaving work early. That had become Horang’s new routine—and his most important time of day.
Because of his early departure declaration, Secretary Yoon was pulling his hair out trying to cram all the critical meetings and appointments into the morning, but that was a sacrifice he simply had to endure. If he didn’t meet Bobae, he would die.
“I’m using a coupon. I’ve filled all 10 stamps.” “How thrifty of you. You filled them up already. The usual, right? Decaf Americano.” “Add plenty of ice. Yesterday’s was way too lukewarm.”
Having thriftily settled the bill with his coupon, Horang sat down at the table closest to the counter and fixed his gaze squarely on Bobae.
To think that sitting in the same spot for three full days waiting for Bobae to finish her shift had become his most crucial daily routine—the more he thought about it, the more absurd it felt. On top of that, this woman treated him like a transparent human being and wouldn’t even look his way. Wondering how many people in South Korea could treat the almighty Baek Horang with such neglect—Na Bobae was truly not an easy opponent.
“Oh, my, oh, my, oh, my! Unni, that customer is here again today?” Normally, making a big fuss like that would be the standard reaction. “And he’s still just as handsome today.”
As Nayeon, who had finished clearing a table, spoke with hearts floating in her eyes, Bobae replied with an unbothered expression. “Raise your standards for men a little. Handsome, my foot.” “If that customer isn’t handsome, what kind of man in this world is? Tell me.”
Bobae couldn’t answer Nayeon’s question. With refreshing looks that made the unseasonal early-summer heat wave feel cool, a tall, well-proportioned height, and even a deep, soulful gaze. Now that she thought about it, whenever Horang appeared, everyone in the cafe—young and old alike—would turn their eyes toward him.
“Can’t answer, can you?” “Fine. I admit he’s good-looking.” Because his looks were simply undeniable. “Seriously, though, why are there so many customers lately?”
Usually, the place was packed after lunchtime and quiet at this hour. But lately, people flocked here even at this time. “Don’t you know why?” “You know?”
When Bobae looked at Nayeon with a clueless expression, Nayeon jutted her chin toward Horang. “They’re coming to see that customer.” “What? No way.” “No way, you say? Since you leave work early, you probably don’t know, but whenever you and that customer walk out together? The cafe empties out completely. It gets dead quiet the moment that customer leaves.”
Now that she thought about it, the customers were entirely women. And a few of them were even glaring daggers at her. To think that Baek Horang, that guy, would exert such a profound influence on store sales. “Unni, though. What kind of relationship do you have with that customer?” “What relationship?” “He comes here to see you every single day. And you leave together when your shift ends.” “Well, you see… Ah! We study together. You know I’m studying drama writing.”
Unable to give a long-winded explanation, Bobae brushed it off vaguely, but Nayeon didn’t let it slide. “Nope, that’s not it.” “What do you mean, it’s not? How would you know?” “Just look at those eyes. Honey is literally dripping from his eyes whenever he looks at you.” “Honey?”
At the mention of honey dripping, Bobae turned her head. And right then, she made eye contact with him as he stared at her intently. Just like Nayeon said, he wasn’t taking his eyes off her. Wherever she went, his gaze was directed solely at her. Still, honey dripping… Nayeon might have thought honey was dripping from Horang’s eyes, but to Bobae, it didn’t look like that at all. He just looked completely out of his mind and desperate to charge his battery.
“He’s looking at you like that every single day for three days straight without missing a single one, and you’re telling me you’re nothing?”
She wanted to give Nayeon—who was looking at her with eyes full of high expectations—some pink-tinted dreams and hope, but Bobae had nothing to give her. The reality wasn’t pink; it was gray. “Right? You guys are ssum [mutually interested/flirting]ing, aren’t you?” “I told you we’re not. Oh, look at the time! My shift is over. I’m heading out?” “Go on, Unni. Have a great date.” “Date, my foot. See you tomorrow.”
As Bobae finished tidying up and stepped outside, Horang approached her side as if he had been waiting for it. Simultaneously, the gazes of Nayeon and the female customers inside the cafe locked onto them. “You’re done?” “Why did you take so long?” “The meeting ran late, so I couldn’t help it. You’re going home, right? I’ll walk you.” “Save it.” “I’m walking you.” “Let me have some of my own time, too. Because of Mr. Baek Horang, I haven’t even been able to write properly lately.” “Then what am I supposed to do? I survive only when I see you!”
Perhaps because of his fairly loud voice, or perhaps because of the unexpected romantic statement, the eyes of the people watching them grew wide. On top of that, unfriendly stares swept up and down over Bobae. It was a look that roughly translated to: ‘Who do you think you are turning down a guy like that?’, ‘What a waste of a good man.’, ‘Does the girl have money? She doesn’t look like much.’
Flustered by the public attention, Bobae pulled Horang along and walked outside. “What do you think you’re doing saying stuff like that out there? People are going to misunderstand.” “Why? Was I wrong? It’s true that I die without you, isn’t it?” Oh, gah! This guy, seriously!
Anyone watching would have thought the two of them were dating or at least flirting, but the reality was nothing of the sort. “Whatever. How much is charged?” “50%.” “Jeez. Is that all? Then why did you take so long?” “Don’t make a dying face. It’s not like I’m having fun, either.” “Could you be having less fun than me?”
For the three days since his discharge, the two of them met every day and stayed together until the battery was charged. It didn’t matter how many hours it took. Horang only went home after his battery was fully charged, and Bobae didn’t stop him. Since she couldn’t let him die, but she couldn’t kill him either.
Having seen their negotiations for a “contract relationship” fall through, the two of them decided to endure these three months in an ambiguous, undefined relationship. It was uncomfortable for both of them, but it was an unavoidable choice. ‘Let’s just tough it out for exactly three months like this.’ ‘Just three months.’ Horang, of course, and Bobae as well, were thinking precisely that.
“Surely we don’t have to climb that set of stairs again, do we?” Horang furrowed his brow as he looked at the flight of stairs stretching out before him.
He had boldly stepped up saying he would walk her home, but what kind of house touched the heavens? It made him seriously wonder if there was heaven waiting at the very end of this path. “Then who asked you to follow me?”
Answering back gruffly, Bobae started walking ahead, leaving Horang to let out a short sigh and follow behind her. They hadn’t even walked a few steps when sweat was pouring down his entire body. Just sitting still was sweltering, and he had already been walking uphill for over thirty minutes. And now he had to climb that staircase on top of it? “Why on earth do you live in a place like this?” “And what’s wrong with a place like this?”
Bobae’s tone in tossing the question back was far from friendly, but Horang remained oblivious and continued speaking. “It’s rundown, dark, shady—a place where you wonder how human beings can possibly live.”
At his words, Bobae’s footsteps came to a halt. She hadn’t wanted to bring this man all the way up here in the first place. It wasn’t a nice enough house to show off to anyone. That was why she had hoped to finish charging while she was working at the cafe.
However, it hadn’t charged enough, she was tired, and she figured it would get a decent charge on the way home, so she came along—and what? Rundown and shady? How can a human live here? “Listen here, Mr. Baek Horang. You probably don’t know because you live in a fancy mansion, but for someone like me, as long as there’s a place to lay my body… h-huh?”
As Bobae glared and argued fiercely, she was suddenly yanked by the strength of his grip on her wrist and pulled straight into Horang’s embrace. “Why are you suddenly doing this?” Shouting in irritation as she raised her head, Horang used his large hand to cover her eyes and muttered, “Even the security is trash.” “H-Huh? Security?”
Wondering what on earth he was talking about, she pulled his hand down, only to see the retreating back of a man running away while exposing his bare legs. It was a so-called flasher—a man showing off his pathetic private parts in front of women.
Once the flasher had completely vanished, Horang finally removed the hand covering Bobae’s eyes and released her. “Seriously, why do you live in a place like this?”
Unlike a moment ago, his gaze was overflowing with worry. It wasn’t a reprimand about living in a rundown place; his tone was dripping with profound concern over living somewhere unsafe. “Can’t you live somewhere a little safer? They say officetels have great CCTV and good security. This place is way too isolated. And the people walking by are all stumbling drunks.”
While grumbling, Horang stretched his neck out and glared fiercely down the empty alleyway, as if hoping the flasher would come back so he could murder him on the spot.
Watching Horang act like that, Bobae inexplicably felt a surge of reassurance. Lately, she had been chilled to the bone hearing stories about perverts targeting single women’s homes with hidden cameras, but with him standing right beside her, her worries seemed to melt away entirely. “Are you worrying about me?”
When she asked, looking up at him, Horang’s glare at the end of the alley shifted toward Bobae. He would probably deny it. He’d probably ask why on earth he would ever worry about her. Even though she expected that obvious answer, Bobae wanted to hear it anyway. She was curious as to why he was looking at her with such worry-filled eyes—wondering if, just maybe, he had said it out of genuine, even slight, concern for her. “I asked if you’re worrying about me.” When Bobae pressed the question again, Horang answered nonchalantly, “Obviously.”
At his unexpected reply, Bobae’s eyes shook violently.
