AER 8

Chapter 8

Do Seong-woo’s words and actions, declaring he would use her as a spy, were something even Hye-ryeon had never dared to anticipate.

Having weathered every kind of hardship, she normally didn’t bat an eye at most things, but this was not a “most things” situation.

It was a place where she stood together with the biological family that Ji-wan had once openly despised.

Judging by conjecture, it did not seem that his relationship with his family had improved during the years she did not know.

In the end, the only thing Ji-wan could do right now was hide his feelings.

Her fingertips tingled with tension. She loosely clenched her hands, which had already become soaked with sweat. At the same time she thought about how to overcome this difficulty.

“Is it not allowed for the two of us to be alone?”

Ji-wan asked back in a casual voice. Seong-woo smiled softly.

“Why, Ji-wan. Between a man and a woman such feelings can arise. No. Even without feelings it’s perfectly possible. Isn’t that right, Father?”

Chairman Do let out a pained groan.

“I’m curious. What exactly is possible.”

Ji-wan tilted his head and asked.

“Enough. If the talk goes on any longer everyone here will only become embarrassed. Just restrain yourselves at the company. No needless gossip……”

“So.”

Ji-wan cut off Seong-woo’s words that sounded as if he were doing them a favor.

“Are you asking whether we screwed around at the company?”

At the vulgar remark Chairman Do frowned severely.

“Do Ji-wan.”

At his father’s reaction Seong-woo smiled inwardly.

“Aren’t you watching your mouth in front of Father?”

“Ah. Because hyung started talking without formality first. I thought it was okay. After all, a younger brother is supposed to learn by watching his older brother.”

Ji-wan stretched the corner of his mouth languidly and smiled. Blue sparks ignited between the brothers.

“I only placed significance on ascertaining the facts. But when you flare up it really seems like there’s something. By any chance…… are the two of you serious?”

“The fact that hyung is curious about is this.”

Ji-wan continued with emphasis.

“That day I, who had barely slept a little over three hours, simply asked for a few cups of coffee in order to get through the afternoon schedule. And—”

His sharp gaze pierced through Seong-woo.

“The one who made this employee here uncomfortable with baseless talk is hyung. How embarrassed must this person feel?”

It was a designation that created distance, yet he was clearly taking Hye-ryeon’s side.

In that instant Seong-woo was seized by the urge to expose everything. Don’t protect your first love so ridiculously.

But if he did that, it would only end up revealing to the whole world his own ulterior motives in scouting Hye-ryeon. Not only would the woman be dismissed without any gain, but his own prestige would also clearly be damaged.

“If I misunderstood, I’m sorry.”

Judging that retreating for now was the right move, Seong-woo took a step back.

Just then Chairman Do, who had been quietly watching the situation, looked up at Hye-ryeon.

A quiet demeanor yet an undeniable sensuality. Looking at her even features, he thought she was the type who could easily become entangled in all sorts of scandals.

“Speak with your own mouth.”

At the unexpected order Hye-ryeon was momentarily flustered. But the hesitation lasted only a moment. Instinctively she opened her mouth quickly.

“There is no relationship of any kind between us, Chairman.”

If she did not speak, it seemed Ji-wan would step forward. To avoid giving birth to hasty misunderstandings, it was right that she answer when given the chance to speak.

“That day, as you said earlier, he only ordered coffee. Bitterness came up in the coffee so I was scolded by the division head. It was also my first time handling lounge duties, and because of the self-reproach that I had made a mistake I was upset, so I remember it clearly.”

She explained in as much detail as possible so that the sprouts of suspicion would not grow. Then Chairman Do also nodded faintly with a face that seemed to accept it.

“I understand, so you may leave now.”

Hye-ryeon bowed her head neatly and turned her body. Even until then there had not been a single eye contact with Ji-wan.

In the instant the heavy door closed, she heard Chairman Do’s voice proposing a political marriage to Ji-wan.

“There’s no reason not to consider it, is there? The daughter of a conglomerate ranked third in the business world has first expressed her wish to marry you. This is……”

*Tak.* The door closed and Hye-ryeon exhaled at length the breath she had been holding. Then she moved away from the office.

Hoping she would never again have to enter that room.

She was waiting after pressing the elevator button. Footsteps approached from behind. Because it was the unhesitating sound of dress shoes, Hye-ryeon’s head turned reflexively.

“Let me talk to you for a moment.”

The one who snatched Hye-ryeon’s wrist was Seong-woo. Startled, Hye-ryeon roughly twisted her hand free. Then, gripping her own wrist, she looked up at Seong-woo with frightened eyes.

Seong-woo was equally taken aback. Of course he was also displeased in front of eyes that looked at him as if he were an insect.

“I’ll follow you, so please don’t touch me.”

Hye-ryeon said while breathing roughly.

At the overreaction Seong-woo’s brows furrowed. But he quickly calmed his face and nodded.

“Then follow me.”

Seong-woo took the lead. Hye-ryeon consciously straightened her back and followed him.

The place he guided her to was an empty conference room.

“You, don’t you have something to say to me?”

Seong-woo asked in a chilly voice.

Hye-ryeon only stared at Seong-woo with slightly bloodshot eyes instead of answering. 123456789……. She counted numbers inwardly and forcibly calmed her heart.

“If you wipe your mouth clean after taking the money, it’s disappointing.”

He pushed up his glasses and spoke in a voice without high or low.

Having barely composed herself, Hye-ryeon looked up at Seong-woo.

“If you had told me the plan in advance, I would have at least tried some poor acting.”

“What?”

“Surely…… it wasn’t that there was no plan to speak of?”

It was no different from protesting whether he had started the matter on impulse.

Seong-woo’s head tilted slowly. Then he took one step forward toward Hye-ryeon.

Hye-ryeon swallowed dryly. Extreme tension flowed between the two.

“…So you sided with Do Ji-wan?”

Hye-ryeon maintained a composed expression as she looked up at Seong-woo.

“You went on and on like a chaste wife. Why. Did you hate the thought of that bastard getting into trouble so much you’d rather die?”

“The chairman asked, so I answered with all sincerity.”

“As if.”

Seong-woo sneered coldly.

“Then should I have spoken in a way advantageous to the vice president in that place?”

“You even knew the correct answer.”

“No.”

Hye-ryeon continued with a stubborn face.

“They’re facts that can be known immediately just by checking the lounge CCTV. Even if it’s a trivial scandal with a mere employee, what would happen if the chairman confirmed it?”

Seong-woo looked at Hye-ryeon with eyes that told her to continue.

“Wouldn’t the statements I made actually hold the vice president’s ankle? And Do Ji-wan? Is he the type to stay still after receiving such a flimsy accusation?”

She’s a smart bitch.

He quietly looked down at the lips that were arguing. Then he opened his mouth with a face that had softened a level.

“If you know so well, why don’t you handle it well on your own.”

“I’ve only been coming to work here for two weeks. And I didn’t particularly have any points of contact with the division head.”

“So…… that day, in the lounge, really nothing happened?”

“I was just scolded.”

*Tsk,* Seong-woo clicked his tongue and swept his hair back.

“If it doesn’t work, try a physical approach. For 300 million I paid a generous price for your body.”

“With no context at all?”

“You two must have already finished whatever business you had between you anyway.”

Hye-ryeon thought it was not worth answering.

“Looks like you slept together.”

Seong-woo snorted a laugh as he muttered. Hye-ryeon continued to remain expressionless throughout.

“Why. Can’t you do Ji-wan? At a glance it looked like the thing would be big.”

“Please stop.”

At her hard gaze Seong-woo furrowed his brow. It was irritating. The stiffly arrogant woman. In another’s eyes this woman would look like the employer.

“I have a bit of a short temper. Next time there will need to be results.”

“I’ll try my best.”

“If it doesn’t work, try dating him again or something.”

The unspoken words *Do Ji-wan also seemed to have feelings* remained for a long time in Hye-ryeon’s mind.

***

Hye-ryeon’s hands were those of a skilled person, but her heart wandered elsewhere all day long. Even as the night deepened and the employees left one by one, she could not leave the café.

“I’ll finish up, so you all go first.”

After sending off the last employee, Hye-ryeon fell into thought.

She had somehow gotten through the crisis today, but if she showed a half-hearted attitude next time as well, it seemed Do Seong-woo would not let it pass easily.

It was not that she feared that man.

What she truly feared was some nameless person who would replace her.

The hundreds of millions of won that Seong-woo treated lightly was, to someone, an amount large enough that they could even kill a person for it.

Wouldn’t it be better if Ji-wan had a solid background no less than Seong-woo’s?

The partner of the political marriage she had overheard earlier.

If he married the heiress of Group M, then Ji-wan also……

For an instant a cracking sound rang from her heart that did not know its place.

“……”

Hye-ryeon shook her head firmly. She just wanted to throw away the large-capacity garbage bag and go home for now.

Dragging the bag that was as large as her own body, she crossed the lobby. Normally the security guard would have helped, but he was nowhere to be seen, perhaps having stepped away for a moment.

After straining and finally coming outside the company, the world had already sunk into darkness. Yet the forest of buildings in Yeoksam-dong still asserted their presence here and there, shining intermittently.

While she was staring blankly at them, a drunken group approached from the opposite side, swaying their bodies.

Startled, Hye-ryeon came to her senses and angled her body. It was the moment she passed between them as if parting the waves.

“Third round is at the karaoke……! Ugh, what’s this!”

A man who suddenly turned his body stepped on the end of the garbage bag and dragged it. The lower plastic, which already had a small hole from plastic forks, tore lengthwise, and the trash poured out like a flood.

“Disgusting……!”

It was in front of the company. Hye-ryeon moved her body to pick up the rolling trash.

“Nooo……! If you made a mistake you should apologize first! Hey—, young lady!”

A man’s voice filled with force called Hye-ryeon. It was not only her fault. So she felt a little wronged, but dealing with a drunk person was completely useless.

“I’m sorry.”

Holding the messy paper cups and plastic in her hands, she offered a dry apology. Then the other side grew angry, saying she lacked sincerity. The companions beside him looked bored, as if facing a familiar situation.

“Pay for the laundry!”

The man said fiercely with his hand on his waist. Someone behind him grinned without sense, saying to just treat them to karaoke with that money.

“Huh—? Why are you looking at me like that!”

“…Excuse me.”

“Look at this.”

The man made a V with his fingers and mimed poking Hye-ryeon’s eyes. Startled, she instinctively hunched her shoulders. In that instant her pulse soared and her body stiffened rigidly.

Hye-ryeon recalled the electric shock device carefully placed in her handbag. But what she held in her hands right now was only trash.

“I’ll…… scream.”

Unlike the mind that wanted to confront him firmly, a voice that seemed about to fade came out.

“Even so.”

Having caught the weakness, the man raised his hand into the air again. It was the moment Hye-ryeon squeezed her eyes shut tightly.

*Tak.*

Along with a dull sound, the man’s sharp groan rang out. She slowly opened the eyes she had closed. A large back appeared before her eyes.

Ji-wan.

In that instant tears welled up in a rush.

“If you’ve gotten drunk you should go home quietly. Why are you wandering the streets? Hmm?”