AER 4

Chapter 4

apter 4“No, I meant it as a compliment…!”

Managing Director Park’s face flushed red as he spoke in a flustered voice.

“Of course I know that.”

Ji-wan’s voice followed, once again mixed with a faint smile. Even so, it was chillingly cold.

Hye-ryeon barely managed to move her rooted feet and stepped into the kitchen. She pretended to calmly organize the equipment, but her antennae were fully raised toward the table.

“I’m only saying this out of an excess of caution.”

Ji-wan smiled faintly. But it was a smile without the slightest warmth.

“You’re someone who does important work. I was worried you might get caught up in some unnecessary scandal.”

In an instant he expertly hid the fangs he had briefly bared behind a concerned expression.

Managing Director Park, who had been breathing heavily for a moment, quickly realized who the real superior was. He hastily smoothed away the displeasure that had been plain on his face.

“Haha, now that I hear it, you’re right, Division Head.”

The young man who was still so green was, from today onward, the owner who held his livelihood in his hands.

“The company atmosphere isn’t what it used to be, so being careful can’t hurt.”

He even nodded vigorously in agreement.

“I’m simply grateful that you understand my intentions. And that someone of your age can accept even uncomfortable opinions so generously. I learn something new again today.”

Having received the answer he wanted, Ji-wan once more lowered his posture and elevated Managing Director Park.

The managing director confirmed once again that Ji-wan was not someone to be taken lightly, then stood up.

“Then I’ll be counting on you going forward, Division Head.”

His attitude had become a little more respectful.

Ji-wan also rose and gently gripped Managing Director Park’s shoulder.

“A thousand times, ten thousand times—those are the words I want to say to you.”

Contrary to his words, the gesture was clearly one of condescension.

Managing Director Park quickly lowered his tail and put on a good-natured smile.

Soon the guest left, and Secretary Ahn pointed toward the door.

“Shall we leave as well?”

“What’s the next schedule?”

Ji-wan asked as he sank heavily into his seat.

“There’s an economic luncheon event scheduled at Company J, followed by a video conference with the person in charge of the NK Europe branch. And—”

“How much time is left until the luncheon?”

Ji-wan asked while pressing hard on his eyelids.

“About fifty minutes.”

“Go down first and have the car ready.”

“Ah, I’ll instruct the driver right away…”

“Secretary Ahn.”

A weary gaze landed on Secretary Ahn.

“Let me rest a bit.”

Aside from running on the treadmill at dawn, almost no free time was permitted to Ji-wan. He lived a daily life of chronic insomnia while enduring a murderous schedule.

Whenever he did manage to find some spare time, he would throw wild parties with the other eccentric heir members.

They would drink and play all night until their minds went completely blank.

It had been two weeks since he last did that, and now that Ha Hye-ryeon had appeared and provoked him, Ji-wan’s stress had reached its peak.

“I’m sorry.”

Secretary Ahn apologized with a startled face, then called out to Hye-ryeon.

“Um, shall we go down together?”

“You go alone.”

Ji-wan spat the words out as if chewing them.

“What? I thought you were going to rest your eyes for a moment… Yes. Understood.”

Noticing that his superior’s smooth brow was now completely furrowed, Secretary Ahn quickly bowed and disappeared.

“Haa…”

Ji-wan let out a sigh and turned his gaze to the floor-to-ceiling window. The lounge had especially good natural light, and the sunlight streaming in seemed to make a sharp sound. His tired eyes stung, making him frown, when he heard someone approach.

“May I leave first?”

It was the time when the café would get crowded, like a line forming in front of an amusement ride. Right at lunchtime—the busiest period of the day without question.

“Where do you think you’re going now?”

Ji-wan exhaled a low sigh.

Judging by his irritable expression, he didn’t seem inclined to let her go easily. Hye-ryeon was just about to give up and turn away.

“About that uniform.”

Hye-ryeon looked back at Ji-wan.

“Isn’t it too short?”

Ji-wan scolded her without even looking at her. Naturally, Hye-ryeon’s gaze dropped to her own pencil skirt.

There was also a pants uniform, but she had forgotten to pick it up from the cleaners, so today was the first time she was wearing the skirt. And the skirt wasn’t particularly short. It fell neatly to the knees. The only issue was that it was narrow, making movement a bit inconvenient.

“I’m grateful that you took my side, but I don’t think the outfit is improper enough to be criticized.”

Hye-ryeon met Ji-wan’s eyes and retorted.

“Took your side?”

Ji-wan let out a derisive snort, as if finding it absurd. Soon his provocative gaze flew to Hye-ryeon’s face.

“You seem to think the whole world revolves around you.”

To Hye-ryeon’s eyes, Ji-wan looked like someone desperate to hurt her. She understood. More than enough.

Even so, she couldn’t shed fake tears to soothe his heart. There were no tears left to shed, and she knew this anger wouldn’t settle easily.

If every time they faced each other he was going to spit out barbed words again and again, then Hye-ryeon had decided to endure it all.

Do Ji-wan had saved Ha Hye-ryeon.

A little venom like this was nothing.

“That’s right. You were never exactly the justice-crusader type to begin with.”

She retorted as if it were nothing, but she couldn’t help the ache in her chest.

Everything Ji-wan did was fine. Really, it was.

But the thought of how hard it must be for him to be this sharp-edged only made Hye-ryeon’s heart ache more.

“Yeah. That’s right. I’m the type who only cares about what’s mine.”

He knew that well himself. After all, he had protected her within his boundary for a full ten years. Back then he had even gone so far as to coax his reluctant mother and borrow adult power. The life Hye-ryeon had now was what he had protected.

“The coffee’s gone cold. Give me another cup.”

Hye-ryeon answered that she understood and extracted an espresso. She placed the finished coffee on a tray and approached Ji-wan.

Ji-wan brought the cup to his lips. Then he faintly furrowed his brow.

“Again.”

Hye-ryeon was briefly taken aback, then soon brought another coffee.

“Again.”

He set the cup down with a sound.

The reorders continued after that, and Hye-ryeon silently extracted coffee, determined to endure his harsh spite.

When she brought the last coffee, he looked at Hye-ryeon irritably.

“Tsk. Trying to be a barista when you don’t even know the taste.”

It was an insulting remark. Except for when she had been a complete beginner, this was the first time she had heard such criticism to her face.

She didn’t think she was so incompetent as to deserve those words.

From green bean imports to roasting and extraction—she had poured blood-sweating effort into doing well across every area.

The feeling that the years he knew nothing about had been denied all at once was hard for Hye-ryeon to bear.

“…What’s wrong with it?”

The weak protest that slipped through her lips was met with Ji-wan rising from his seat as if he hadn’t heard a thing.

“Getting a single cup of coffee is ridiculously hard work.”

Muttering that, he left the lounge. The heavy sound of the door closing was heard, and Hye-ryeon clenched her fist tightly.

She carried the tray toward the kitchen. Tears welled up in a rush.

She was about to pour the miserably remaining liquid into the sink when she brought it to her mouth instead.

“…!”

An intermittent bitterness rose. When she had cupped the beans early this morning, there had been absolutely no problem with the beans themselves.

Hye-ryeon swept her hair back from her forehead. A troubled sigh escaped.

“Haa…”

He had been right. Ji-wan hadn’t been being deliberately spiteful.

The first time Hye-ryeon had ever tasted espresso was during their first kiss.

Ji-wan was a man who had traveled around Italy early on and awakened to the taste of coffee. He sincerely loved coffee, and he had also been born with a picky palate.

There was no way a tongue like his would have missed that faint, medicine-like bitterness.

*‘You seem to think the whole world revolves around you.’*

Ji-wan’s pointed words occupied Hye-ryeon’s chest for a long time.

***

Ji-wan got into the sedan waiting in the parking lot and slammed the door shut roughly.

The shoulders of the driver and Secretary Ahn sitting in front flinched reflexively.

As if his anger still hadn’t subsided, he slammed the car window with a *bang*.

Even so, the afterimage of Hye-ryeon floating in his mind like debris refused to disappear.

Her originally jet-black hair was now dyed brown. It still looked soft enough that he wanted to touch it.

Clear skin, round cheeks, small face packed with features—not even a speck of flaw could be found.

If he lowered his gaze beneath her straight eyebrows, eaves-like eyelashes spread out. The shadows they created cradled quiet pupils that resembled a dark-brown lake.

He didn’t want to admit it, but she was beautiful enough to make him lose his mind.

Hye-ryeon would lower her eyes as if knowing her place, but when that look displeased him and he picked a fight, her pupils would sharpen and flick up provocatively. Those eyes were so captivating that even if they were just eyes, they made him want to lick them.

And that wasn’t all.

The unique, mournful atmosphere that had once enveloped her had disappeared, and now she fully radiated mature charm.

A curvaceous body that a shabby apron couldn’t hide, and a skirt that deliberately emphasized her perfect leg line…

“Haa…”

Ji-wan looked down at his own palm. The soft texture of her skin that he had briefly held was still vivid.

Irritation surged for a moment. Just replaying it like this made his heart pound as if it would burst and his lower body react hotly.

Really, like a crazy bastard.

Was this even possible over a woman he was meeting after eight years?

And—though it had been only an instant—when Managing Director Park had looked at Hye-ryeon in that disgusting way… If it had been up to him, he would have wanted to gouge the man’s eyes out.

“Are you… all right?”

Secretary Ahn asked Ji-wan, who was repeating abnormal breathing. Ji-wan raised a hand half-heartedly to indicate he was fine.

“Secretary Ahn. Until what time is the evening schedule?”

“Uh… well…”

“Cancel it if possible.”

Hearing the owner’s voice issuing orders without even listening to everything, Secretary Ahn swallowed dryly.

“Hmm?”

At the continued urging, Secretary Ahn rapidly ran calculations in his head. It didn’t seem like it would be a major problem, so he obediently followed the order.

Ji-wan immediately took out his phone.

It felt like it wouldn’t work otherwise.

If he didn’t cool this heat in some way—

The signal tone rang, and soon the other person’s voice was heard.

—Hey, Ji-wan.

“Are you free today?”