1. Things That Can Happen in Three Seconds
Three months ago.
[The guest has arrived, Director.]
It was just as Seung-jo was walking toward the outdoor pool, passing beneath the grand tiled archway that was one of the highlights of Jeju Seoryang Hotel. The combination of traditional Korean beauty and the exotic atmosphere unique to a resort was striking.
He briefly frowned against the pure early-summer sunlight before checking the caller with an annoyed expression at the unwelcome voice.
“A guest?”
Perhaps he hadn’t expected such a cold response, because tension crept into Team Leader Jang’s voice.
[The guest dispatched by Lis Chevong is expected to visit Seoryang Hotel in Seoul around the twentieth. Lis Chevong is…]
“I know. They’re supposed to be the Michelin Guide of the hotel industry, aren’t they? So what? What’s the problem? Are you worried we’ll be downgraded?”
Seung-jo narrowed his eyes.
His dark eyes, beneath his cold and stern features, were as icy as winter, but the corners of his lips curved gently upward, creating a complete contrast.
Team Leader Jang hurriedly continued.
[Director, we can’t ignore Lis Chevong’s influence. You know that. You remember what happened to PK Hotel last time.]
“Yes, I know. They deserved to fail after judging customers by their appearance and blocking people from entering the lounge based solely on their clothes. Wasn’t their downfall practically inevitable? Are you scared?”
His tone sounded almost gentle, yet was filled with irritation.
But then he softly curved his lips into a smile and stepped toward the outdoor pool connected to the sea.
“Team Leader Jang. Don’t be afraid. Just do things as usual and it’ll be fi—”
[The chairman has summoned you to Seogeumjae. I’m sorry.]
Damn it.
“…Team Leader Jang. I’m on vacation right now.”
Seung-jo’s words became shorter and his voice slightly lower. But Team Leader Jang seemed unable to do anything about it and could only repeatedly apologize.
Even without seeing him, Seung-jo could picture it clearly. Team Leader Jang was probably bowing so deeply that his head was almost touching the ground, not knowing what to do.
Then again, was there anyone in South Korea who could talk back to a summons from his grandfather?
[If you insist that you can’t come, the chairman said he might come down there himself…]
Ha… damn it.
As he’d said, it was a short vacation.
Four years ago, immediately after obtaining his MBA from a university in New York and returning to Korea, he had been summoned to Seogeumjae in Gahoe-dong.
Seogeumjae, the heart of Seoryang and the secluded residence of Chairman Emeritus Kwon Ju-cheol.
Against Kwon Seung-jo, a young newcomer who had only just stepped into the business world, Chairman Kwon Ju-cheol had wielded a merciless blade.
His first assignment had been to revive the hotel-chain business that Seoryang International had failed to secure.
And so, Kwon Seung-jo had spent four years starting from the bottom.
He worked alongside ordinary employees, gaining firsthand experience in the field, and willingly played the role of an obedient dog in order to satisfy Chairman Kwon Ju-cheol.
After relentlessly completing every assignment given to him, Kwon Ju-cheol rewarded him handsomely.
The position of CEO of Hotel Seoryang, owned by Seoryang International, and one week of vacation.
But now, his grandfather had ordered him to give up that precious vacation.
Eastern Jeju Island, known as paradise in South Korea. A sea painted in turquoise and emerald, along with sunlight so pure that it almost felt unreal.
The sound of his perfect vacation shattering into pieces seemed to ring in his ears.
“All right. I understand. Send me the list of guests who have reservations around the twentieth. I’ll speak with Grandpa myself.”
[Yes!]
Why was that answer so damn fast?
An insult nearly slipped from his lips, but he clenched his teeth and held it back.
Seung-jo removed his robe, casually draped it over a nearby lounger, and jumped into the pool.
Unlike an ordinary hotel, Jeju Seoryang Hotel had a separate outdoor pool reserved exclusively for members.
White bubbles of water rose around the man’s entire body, tickling his skin.
He dove deep into the water in a graceful arc like a professional swimmer, then surfaced, shaking the water from his hair. The scattered gazes around the pool immediately turned toward him.
Seung-jo swept his wet hair back with both hands before leaning against the edge of the pool overlooking the sea and giving a cold smile.
‘Don’t take the hotel business lightly, or you’ll regret it. Experience for yourself how absurd that world can be. Hotels don’t go under simply because they have no customers. They go under when the roles of guest and host are reversed.’
The voice of Kwon Ju-ri, the former CEO whose position had been taken by him, came back to him along with those sharp words.
The roles of guest and host…
Wasn’t that an ironic concept?
A position where you were supposed to serve your customers, yet you were talking about who held the upper hand.
After staring at the distant waves for a long while, Seung-jo shook the water from his wet hair and stepped out of the pool.
Water flowed down his broad shoulders and firm chest, continuing over his clearly defined abdominal muscles.
Nearly 190 centimeters tall, he had long, well-built legs beneath powerful thighs, drawing occasional glances from people nearby.
“Is the scotch ready?”
Seung-jo picked up a towel and asked the server standing nearby.
“I’ll have it prepared, Director.”
“Thank you.”
At his gentle greeting, the tips of the server’s ears turned red. The server was a man, but that wasn’t particularly surprising.
Kwon Seung-jo.
It was an ordinary name, but when attached to a man whose appearance had been sculpted to the point of perfection—almost obsessively so—it created an entirely different image.
Some people called him Seoryang’s masterpiece, while others called him Seoryang’s mistake.
Before his outstanding work abilities could even shine, his striking appearance ruined people’s judgment of him. Despite possessing the ability to earn recognition, he was often dismissed as someone who had benefited from his looks.
Seung-jo accepted the scotch brought by the server and entered the pergola. He dropped heavily onto the soft sofa and opened the laptop that had already been set up.
The guest-list file Team Leader Jang had sent at lightning speed was blinking at the bottom of the screen.
Since the season was beginning, the number of guests was already three times the number of rooms.
Families, couples, married couples, or groups of friends.
‘Did they deliberately choose the busiest time?’
A throbbing headache began to spread.
After taking a sip of scotch, Seung-jo slightly pulled back the curtain and looked toward the distant beach lounge.
A circular lounge had been built in the middle of the pool.
At its center stood two women in front of a white Steinway piano.
One was the lounge manager wearing the hotel’s uniform, while the other was a woman he didn’t know.
Or rather, she was someone who seemed vaguely familiar.
As if trying to bring her into focus, he narrowed his eyes. A strange sense of déjà vu came over him. He set down his glass and tilted his head slightly.
‘What’s that?’
Long hair tied up in a single ponytail, a short ivory-colored dress, and a slender figure…
The woman, who had been listening to the lounge manager’s explanation while pointing toward the piano, wore an expressionless look before slowly lifting the corners of her lips.
The moment he saw the small dimple that appeared only on one cheek, he remembered someone who had flashed through his mind.
He abruptly closed the laptop.
It felt as though his heart had dropped.
‘It can’t be.’
He put on his robe and hurried out of the pergola.
Perhaps she disliked the strong sunlight. He saw the woman shielding her face with her hand to block the light before nodding.
Under the brilliantly clear sunlight that made her skin almost sting, the turquoise horizon stretched out like a painting in the distance.
But all Kwon Seung-jo could see was the back of the woman in the dress.
‘You…’
The closer he got, the more certain he became of her identity.
Seung-jo slowly released the anger he had suppressed for so long. His expression remained relaxed, but his heart was pounding so fast that it made him dizzy.
‘How many years has it been?’
As Seung-jo approached, he suddenly met her eyes as she calmly raised her head.
Her brown eyes reflected the color of the water. Her slender figure had little fullness, and a few loose strands of hair made her look younger than her actual age.
She parted her full lips.
“Hello.”
Seung-jo clenched his molars as he stared at the woman greeting him so calmly.
“Ah, Director. I heard you were at the outdoor pool.”
The manager had noticed him as well and politely greeted him.
Seung-jo nodded, then let out a disbelieving laugh at the woman’s attitude as she stared directly at him.
“Yes. But who is this?”
He deliberately pretended not to know her.
If she had decided to pretend she didn’t know him, he didn’t want to be easily swept along either.
Even if she looked that composed, she must have been startled. Out of pride alone, she wouldn’t be the first to acknowledge him.
That was the kind of woman she was.
“Ah, this is the pianist who’ll be performing at the beach lounge for a week. Ms. Sonamu, this is our hotel director.”
At the manager’s introduction, the woman tilted her head slightly, as though puzzled for a moment, then smiled sweetly and calmly bowed.
“I look forward to working with you.”
Working with me?
Working with me!
Even though their eyes had met, the woman didn’t so much as blink.
And she was going to perform at the lounge for an entire week…?
How dare you?
You’ve lost your mind.
‘Damn it…’
Kwon Seung-jo’s eyes became colder than ever.
It was as though someone had driven a blade down his throat, making even breathing difficult.
‘Are you playing games with me?’
Blue veins slowly rose across his clenched fist.
“Is there perhaps something you need…?”
He had specifically instructed everyone not to disturb him during his long-awaited vacation. He had even told them never to approach him unless he called for them.
Perhaps because of that, the manager’s eyes moved rapidly as he tried to read the situation and figure out what Seung-jo might need.
Seung-jo watched Sonamu calmly examining the piano and let out a faint laugh.
“No. I was just passing by and got curious. Carry on.”
“Yes, Director. If you need anything, please call me anytime.”
Unlike the kind and attentive manager, Sonamu showed not the slightest interest in him. She remained completely absorbed in examining the piano.
The woman’s name was Sonamu.
With her characteristically indifferent and bored expression, she remained focused on the piano.
She was the woman who, three years ago, had dared to call off their engagement and disappear.
His former fiancée.
