DH ✦ Ch 34

✦ Chapter 34 ✦

“Please wait a moment.”

“I think I really need to say something right now.”

Ga-young firmly expressed her opinion to Kwon Seon-jin, who had responded distractedly. Chairman Kwon stopped his conversation with the chief secretary and straightened his previously turned posture.

“Why are you looking at that?”

His gaze landed on the documents in Ga-young’s hands as he spoke.

His expression could be interpreted as favor rather than reprimand. After briefly wondering whether it was appropriate for her to interfere, Ga-young gathered her courage and spoke.

“I noticed something strange, so I was looking into it.”

“What is strange about it?”

“It doesn’t comply with the ESG disclosure standards proposed by the ISSB—the International Sustainability Standards Board—as global standards. Climate disclosures, including greenhouse-gas emissions by scope, became mandatory this March not only for large publicly traded companies in the United States but also for small and medium-sized businesses. But this report is using the format from before that requirement came into effect…”

Ga-young did her best to point out the problems within the limits of what she knew. Chairman Kwon listened silently to her explanation, his expression somewhat uncomfortable.

“If this is the final version that will be disclosed to the U.S. stock exchange, I believe the entire report needs to be revised.”

Ga-young carefully concluded her argument.

Chairman Kwon’s deep gaze pressed steadily against her face. Even as he picked up the documents and handed them to his chief secretary, he did not take his eyes off her.

“Chief Choi, you heard her, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Check it immediately.”

“Yes.”

The chief secretary, visibly flustered and red-faced, hurried out of the office.

The seasoned chairman’s eyes lingered over Ga-young’s face. Feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, she gave an awkward smile, and the deep lines around his mouth grew even more pronounced.

“How did you know that?”

“I’ve studied it before. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“No, you didn’t. You must be hungry. Let’s eat.”

During brunch, Chairman Kwon did not say much. He mostly talked casually about food and various bits of knowledge, simply allowing Ga-young to listen comfortably.

The food served in the main house always carried the subtle flavor of traditional medicinal herbs. It was prepared specifically to help support the elderly chairman’s vitality, and the chef’s skill was remarkable. Even Ga-young, who disliked herbal medicine, found the food delicious.

Just as their pleasant meal was coming to an end, the chief secretary returned with his head bowed like a guilty man. He reported that Ga-young’s observation had been correct and that immediate corrective measures had been ordered.

“Thanks to you, I avoided making a major mistake.”

After sending the chief secretary away, Chairman Kwon spoke with a gentle smile. Ga-young shook her head and said it was nothing.

“For something like this to happen in GB Group, of all places. If you hadn’t noticed it, we could have been embarrassed on a global scale.”

“Someone else would have found it even if I hadn’t.”

“I was about to approve it. Once I signed off, it would have become the final version. It’s thanks to you.”

“I’m just glad I was able to help, even a little.”

Ga-young smiled shyly. Chairman Kwon gazed warmly at her, impressed that she maintained her humility to the very end.

“I ought to give my girl a reward. Is there anything you want?”

“It’s really not something that deserves a reward.”

“It’s more than enough to deserve one. How about I put an apartment in Cheongdam-dong in your name?”

The idea of receiving an apartment simply for contributing a small piece of knowledge was astonishing. The scale of a chaebol chairman’s rewards was enough to leave her speechless.

Ga-young shook her head.

“Oh, no. Absolutely not.”

“Then should it be a building instead of an apartment?”

“No. I don’t want it. I won’t accept it. I don’t need it.”

Flustered, Ga-young frantically waved her hands, and Chairman Kwon burst into hearty laughter.

“Then ask for anything else you want. I’d feel disappointed if I couldn’t give you a reward.”

At this point, it was clear that he was genuinely insistent.

Ga-young brought together the hands she had been waving in the air. Refusing him until the end seemed discourteous. She thought about what she could accept without feeling burdened, and one thing came to mind.

“Then, Chairman…”

“Yes?”

“I’d like some flowers.”

“Flowers?”

“I’ve been watching a lot of videos online lately. I came across some flower-arranging videos, and I found them really interesting. It made me want to try arranging flowers myself.”

While passing the boring afternoons by watching videos online, Ga-young had come across a flower-arranging class that particularly captivated her. Her interest had been sparked by the flowers blooming profusely throughout the garden.

She had even considered cutting a few roses from the garden, but decided that she probably shouldn’t. Instead, she had made plans to visit a flower market sometime soon.

Chairman Kwon found her request for flowers as a reward amusingly unexpected.

“Did I hear you correctly? You want flowers for arranging as your reward?”

Ga-young lowered her head slightly, putting genuine sincerity into her answer.

“Yes. I’d be grateful if you gave me some.”

Chairman Kwon moved over to his desk chair and mulled over what had just happened.

“She wants flowers when I offered her an apartment?”

The deep wrinkles between his nose and upper lip smoothed into a pleased smile.

What was Se-jung like at that age?

Whenever her older brother scolded her, she would whine and demand that he buy her an apartment in Cheongdam-dong because she was going to live independently. She had never shown even the slightest potential to inherit half of her brother’s intelligence and character.

But Yoon Ga-young was completely different.

Her appearance had been impressive from the very beginning, and her sharp mind was even more satisfying than he had expected. On top of that, the way she carried herself was so mature and impeccable that there was hardly anything to criticize.

Apart from her miserable background, there was nothing lacking in the girl.

The more he saw her, the more he interacted with her, the more he liked her.

Bringing that girl into the family as his daughter-in-law was filling a hollow place in his heart.

Chairman Kwon was about to resume working when he stopped and leaned his head against the headrest.

“Should I just have them register their marriage right away?”

Around evening, a station wagon arrived at the annex. Its spacious cargo area was filled with all kinds of flowers and vases.

It was a gift Chairman Kwon had sent so that Ga-young could freely choose whatever she needed for flower arranging.

Ga-young chose four vases and transferred enough flowers to fill them into a basket.

She began arranging the flowers immediately after dinner. With an online video playing, she carefully followed the instructions and gradually shaped the arrangements, while Mrs. Eom showered her with compliments.

“You have such skillful hands. It doesn’t look like this is your first time.”

It was excessive praise. All she was doing was following the florist in the video. Surely anyone could do that.

Even so, Ga-young was just as pleased with the results.

After finishing the vase that would decorate the living-room table on the first floor, she completed another arrangement for the kitchen dining table. She also made a flower wreath to place in the bathroom.

“Let’s do the last one tomorrow.”

They had been so absorbed in the work that it was well past the time Mrs. Eom usually left for the day. Wanting to let her go home without worry, Ga-young covered the remaining materials with newspaper.

“I will. Mrs. Eom, please go get some rest.”

With a relieved expression, Mrs. Eom waved goodbye and left the annex.

At nine that night, Ga-young checked the time and removed the newspaper covering the flowers. The prettiest vase in her eyes remained, along with white roses and scabiosa.

She carried the vase and basket of flowers upstairs.

After placing the materials on the living-room table, she resumed working. She carefully stripped the stems with a thorn remover, adjusted their lengths with pruning shears, and devoted herself to each individual flower.

The final arrangement was for Hyun-jae.

She wanted to fill his space with beautiful flowers and a pleasant fragrance. If he arrived around midnight as usual, she had more than enough time to finish the arrangement before he came home.

Ever since returning from the main house, her heart had been strangely buoyant. It was as if she had gone from being an unsightly weed that had somehow intruded into the Seongbuk-dong mansion’s garden to a plant that had earned a small place in its landscaping.

Should I tell Hyun-jae that Chairman Kwon praised me when he comes home? Would that make him proud too?

She was excited by these pointless thoughts. Her heart seemed to grow with every rose she added to the vase.

Then, suddenly, Ga-young’s hands stopped.

“What’s wrong with you?”

It seemed she wanted to see Shin Hyun-jae.

Her heart was waiting for that man of its own accord.

She wanted to see his handsome face, hear his gentle, low voice, feel the warmth of his body when she became entwined with his large hands, and sink into the embrace that could completely envelop Yoon Ga-young…

“I’ve lost my mind.”

Ga-young shook her head.

Just because they had gone on one date, just because they had had the kind of sex that was common between adults in a relationship, she could not allow something so insignificant to corrupt her feelings.

Shin Hyun-jae was merely an obligation that Yoon Ga-young had to fulfill, a suffocating tension, and a foolish dream she would eventually have to cast away.

Get a grip.

Beating herself with those words, Ga-young tightened her grip around the pruning shears.

Only a few minutes later, Hyun-jae’s voice came from nearby.

“You were here.”

Ga-young turned toward the sound and found Hyun-jae, who had returned from his business trip. He had come back earlier than expected. She hadn’t even filled half the vase with flowers yet.

Ga-young hurriedly put down the flower and pruning shears in her hands and stood.

“You’re back. I didn’t know you had arrived because you didn’t ring the doorbell.”

“Now you know, so that’s enough.”

Hyun-jae smiled and strode toward her with his long legs.

He was the same strong, composed man as always. There was not the slightest trace of travel fatigue on his neat face or perfectly arranged suit.

Hyun-jae stopped directly in front of her, blocking the light pouring down from the ceiling. Trapped in his shadow, Ga-young awkwardly lowered her gaze. Her nervousness was entirely because of the absurd fantasies she had just been having.

“You must be tired after traveling so far.”

Her businesslike greeting seemed ridiculous to him, and Hyun-jae laughed softly, letting out a faint breath. His heavy, distinctive scent suddenly pierced through her senses, which had been dulled by the fragrance of the flowers.

His characteristic ease, his unmistakable presence—she was overwhelmed by them every time, and this moment was no exception. Ga-young drew her shoulders in even further, unsure of what to do.

Hyun-jae suddenly stopped smiling.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

“……”

“Was I the only one who missed you?”