BYB 31

Chapter 31

Eunho slightly opened his eyes and looked at Jiwoo.

As soon as she opened the shop door, Jiwoo ran to the kitchen, took out two cups, and was making instant coffee. From the way she kept letting out heavy sighs, it seemed she was preparing to lecture him.

What’s the big deal about separating recyclables.

If he’d done it wrong until now, he could just do it properly from now on—what a fuss.

Eunho had never once separated recyclables in his entire life. Was it really that serious?

Besides, why did the government shift responsibility onto individuals?

Thinking of the taxes he’d paid when he was recently gifted an apartment in Gangnam, a wry laugh escaped him. And that wasn’t all—the taxes Songhwa paid were astronomical. For the first time in his life, Eunho found himself wondering where all that money actually went.

Ah, anyway, why does my back hurt so much.

Despite the elder’s small stature, his hands were fierce—his back was still stinging. Eunho sat askew and frowned. Meanwhile, Jiwoo approached the table with two cups of coffee.

“Here, drink.”

Eunho gave a curt nod and greeted her arrogantly.

Then immediately, *oops*. That was the kind of greeting he’d give to his secretary who made his coffee every morning. Thinking he should have been more polite, he quickly straightened his posture and greeted her again.

“Thank you.”

“You haven’t been separating recyclables? All this time?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Didn’t know what?”

“The procedure?”

In the end, it was Jiwoo who was left speechless.

“Ah…… how can you not know that.”

Though she spoke softly, there was a hint of anger in Jiwoo’s tone. She let out a deep sigh.

“Chunsam-ssi, you are Korean, right?”

“Of course.”

“They teach it in school too—recycling.”

Eunho let out a snicker. It probably was in the textbooks. But when would he have had time to read such textbooks? From a very young age, he’d taken management classes alongside his schooling, skipping most of the regular curriculum. Everything important in the curriculum he’d learned through private tutoring.

In Song Eunho’s life, recycling was entirely useless information.

Who would dare teach someone who might become the successor of Songhwa Group about something like recycling?

Songhwa Group’s founder and Eunho’s grandfather, Chairman Song Jongui, had declared he would pass the succession to the most capable one, and because of that, all the cousins were competitors to each other. So everyone grew up receiving successor training with some degree of possibility in mind.

Even as an illegitimate child, Eunho was no exception. In fact, Eunho received successor training more intensely than anyone else. Why had his father done that? Even now, it was somewhat puzzling.

Anyway, someone who’d lived that kind of life…… there’s no way he’d have learned about recycling.

“I probably did learn it. In theory.”

Eunho answered with what he considered sincerity. But Jiwoo frowned as if she wasn’t satisfied with his answer.

“I don’t care if you live in a studio, Chunsam-ssi. Money comes and goes. But I don’t like it when people break social rules. Recycling is a necessary system for the environment. The amount of trash we throw away in a year—”

A woman who loves the Earth, the environment, and polar bears.

As Jiwoo continued speaking, Eunho recalled the headlines of articles she’d written and fell into brief reflection. *Ah, in front of a woman with such convictions, getting smacked on the back over recycling must have been quite disappointing.*

He let out a soft laugh and brushed his brow.

Suddenly, realization dawned on him about what he’d done.

*Yes, forget all other reasons. Even if I could ignore the environment and climate altogether—Cha Jiwoo can’t, can she? Just disappointing this woman is a great offense.* Realizing that made the back of his neck prickle.

“Yesterday, did you get home safely?”

“Pardon?”

“With your senior. I’m asking if you parted ways well.”

Thinking of Jiwoo made everything clear. He suddenly found himself interested in the task of separating cans, bottles, and plastic, removing labels, and collecting them separately.

“Ah, yes. I got home fine. But right now, let’s talk about recycling first—”

“I will.”

“……”

“I made a mistake because I’d never done it before, and now that I know, I’ll do it properly. I’ll apologize to the elder too.”

For a moment, Jiwoo seemed at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing. She must have had countless things prepared to say, but it was obvious she was hesitating, worried that saying more would make her look foolish.

Would that so-called senior recycle well? Eunho at least wanted to be a man who did it better than him.

“I mean it. I’ll do well. Trust me.”

“……”

“So let’s talk. About us. Not recycling.”

Slowly blinking, Jiwoo stared at the man.

She too knew she couldn’t put it off any longer. It didn’t make sense to keep this ambiguous state—neither dating nor lovers—going on.

She’d intended to admit that her heart raced for him and suggest they give it a try. At least until yesterday. That had definitely been her feeling—before meeting Ahn Inseok.

The emotions that her senior had recklessly stirred up sparked and crackled. She’d thought it had all burned away leaving only ashes, but apparently an ember she hadn’t known about had been hidden away.

Jiwoo wanted to do reporting.

The moment she thought she could become a reporter again, her heart raced. Several environmental issues that had been on her mind flashed through her head. But to be reinstated…… she’d have to go back to Seoul.

She hesitated about whether it was okay to start a relationship with a man who had to stay in Hanju City. Would it be alright to embark on a relationship with an obvious end? Long-distance was possible, but that would only be a temporary fix—they’d break up eventually.

After reinstatement, she’d be insanely busy, no question. Just like before, she’d throw herself into work without weekends. Living that kind of life, how often could she come down to Hanju City? Once a month? Even that she couldn’t guarantee. During her busiest times, she’d gone half a year without visiting her hometown. Jiwoo didn’t want a relationship that would exhaust them both. Her expression clouded as she hesitated to answer.

“Then how about we date for just one month?”

Just then, the man spoke. Jiwoo lifted her head and met his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re hesitating about, but if you’re not sure—”

“……”

“—let’s decide after dating for a month first.”

Eunho smiled faintly. Then he reached out his straight, firm fingers and playfully tapped Jiwoo’s hand on the table.

“Let’s date for a month. With me. Properly.”

What was this. His spine tingled with nervousness for no reason.

“……”

What should she do.

Jiwoo was planning to start her investigation into Songhwa’s third-generation chaebol, as Ahn Inseok had proposed. Which meant it was only right to gradually wrap up her daily life in Hanju City. Her head knew that, but in front of the man’s face smiling with that charming smile, her heart kept crumbling.

“Cha Jiwoo.”

She shouldn’t do this. It was too irresponsible. Why couldn’t she think of a single word of cool rejection?

A heavy silence—more pressing than any urging—enveloped them both. In the end, Jiwoo opened her mouth as if resigned.

“……Alright. Let’s do that.”

What on earth had she just decided? The words coming out of her mouth seemed to mock her, and the back of her neck flushed with heat.

Just as she let out a hollow laugh, the man’s fingers tightly grasped her hand. At the same time, she felt the heat that had been tickling her all along suddenly spread through her entire body. Jiwoo squeezed her eyes shut.

From early morning, Song Dongyoung was listening to an unbearably tedious report with a rather indifferent expression.

“His daily routine remains the same. After light jogging, he stops by a convenience store to purchase a hot bar or cup noodles, then returns to work around two in the afternoon—”

An absurd report that Song Eunho was living perfectly as a commoner.

“Ha.”

Song Dongyoung laughed in disbelief.

Worried about Eunho whom he’d practically driven out, he’d assigned someone to keep an eye on him. It wasn’t surveillance, but minimal observation to confirm he was alive. That boy was like a rugby ball—you never knew where he’d bounce. He’d also been worried he might get caught up in a fight with a drunk customer.

“I didn’t realize just how little I knew about that kid.”

He’d thrown him into hell so he’d learn some hardship, but he never expected him to adapt. Apparently he’d inherited his mother’s survival instincts. He was almost secretly hoping the kid might actually secure that trademark rights.

“Did that kid really serve customers? Bowing to them?”

“The report says there was no sense of awkwardness.”

“Huh.”

Song Dongyoung let out a short laugh mixed with bewilderment and scratched his brow. He felt both sorry for Eunho and proud of him.

Though he’d maintained indifference all along, it seemed the boy had still grown up well—it made him feel pleased. A faint smile bloomed on Song Dongyoung’s face. Until he heard Secretary Yoo’s next words.

“He also maintains close friendships with the manager and part-timers.”

“Manager? That tiny beer shop has a manager?”

The smile vanished instantly from his questioning face.

“How does it have a manager? Wasn’t it run by Owner Cha alone? Occasionally hiring part-timers.”

“No. It’s run by Owner Cha Woncheol’s daughter.”

Song Dongyoung’s face hardened completely as he slowly looked at Secretary Yoo. Then, as if muttering to himself, he murmured lowly.

“……Jiwoo should have a job.”