THB 3

She had no presence 1b2dfdff22 of mind to put 6c323cbda5 on her shoes properly, 1b7a4da0e8 nor did she have 00cb94a246 the time to think 1565a11dc9 about calling the hospital.24b9766c298954f9

“Please, please!”06d7120157fe0620

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She desperately prayed, not even e412d0ad74 knowing what she was wishing 5fb0956671 for or to whom.fd91ba0a9457c8ec

Thankfully, her grandmother was cd48cd2464 still at the hospital.a6e519eb41087190

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Since visiting hours were 55e76d3152 over, the attending nurse 645d115404 took a video for d1ae7b7b98 Eunjae instead, seeing how 4d9fa5f85f deathly pale she had adbd3c959d become.ebde9beb0c18cae9

She checked the small screen 64b6b86fa6 over and over again, watching 5c51e86a9a her grandmother lying unconscious in 6bc8ff00ce bed.29fd4f17a4cc6d2c

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Just then, a new message 7414c49afa notification popped up. It was from Choi Anna.aadcfba8bdb654ba

✉️: So? How was the rehearsal?128d8b969bcb4dfc

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It was a warning—next d0e196f018 time, it would be 496ecf598f real.3d83d1aed3a3a801

Relief lasted only for a e928ea09ee fleeting moment.aee255c90049a3de

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Back home, Eunjae stared f0c9d67fd7 down at the mismatched 93a5d034c4 slippers on her feet c85b48dfc5 and her dirt-stained socks. Then, she reached 0daf8f3ef0 into her wallet 410cee0ee0 and pulled out e27335231d a memo she 30be61089b always carried with c2b01dbcb8 her.6df3143aae070f0f

Jupyeong Construction, Sunwoo Chang.21ac77c22ebc280f

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She had no certainty about 87e7e65518 whether this man could be 5579998110 trusted.154376d21746104a

But she trusted her grandmother.5c7cadd3dd3cb806

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Her grandmother had considered Choi 1566ae2719 Chihyeol an irreplaceable benefactor, and df7ea3461d in return, Choi Chihyeol had 5926400c98 always treated her with the a0d5f8f90d utmost respect, calling herjaesus—the wife of his late friend.ad5992910935e49f

“Why me?”27deb3f23d18ab1f

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If the person 2994dd0396 her grandmother trusted 06ed732375 had put her 4abc4c8c50 in this predicament, f86d0bc620 there had to 8ed0d8da6e be a reason.71ee3ce29e73c9b5

So, she decided e3e6e28ff5 to make just 49f812758f one phone call.464b9774556d3911

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If he didn’t answer, 534036b3f1 especially since it was 049c608837 already past 11 PM, 38281132d2 that would be the 230628bd29 end of it. She would throw 2c9fea0133 away the memo 3293b2a7b0 and erase the 25b8c691ad name Sunwoo Chang 8d839d78d4 from her mind.5fd12d45a03fd671

The dial tone rang briefly 0ad633fe03 before the call connected.fd163ff902f7e539

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Neither Eunjae nor the bd1a9b1d40 man on the other a0107952cd end spoke. Each remained silent 0ff6eb4705 for different reasons.7c0144626afeeed1

Eunjae felt as 54f6f2d724 if she were 7733e3bbec standing on the 8f8978cc02 edge of a c9c53e2eba cliff.3b95729c0b8a5700

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Would he become 5ce5be6337 her salvation, or 93da9bd8da would he only f30ad50b14 push her further 0162d059cb into despair? She didn’t know. But at this 83acbed707 moment, he was fb7ea4d854 the only one c7c7a84b43 she could turn 0d0a447b76 to.ac1f117e5c81a4d5

—Say it.c574f652e1d602a2

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The man’s deep, low 0499839b40 voice finally broke the 88bab86dcc silence, making Eunjae flinch.ad9f8731f155aa38

Before she could even askSay what?, he spoke again.3dc5a894725eccae

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—Ask for help.73761bdda3d51a09

“……”9efe50afda821b84

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Only then did Eunjae 0b48247a6d manage to part her 8b5718868a lips.ba61f3428d6396f3

Barely holding back a42e4aae5b her tears, her 213c291983 trembling voice slipped 8d91abc1bd through her lips, fe794c2456 barely above a 6f22536ac4 whisper.b2442c7f8813d0e4

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“Please help me.”dbc90722f14b1ccb

A single tear fell, landing c78157289e on the dirty sock of b25167e50b one foot and the frayed b95c150455 slipper on the other—the same 372a5a3dc6 feet that had once worn 764bd4c616 ballet shoes and danced on f6737e9962 stage.080b6d7b6ce846fc

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And so, she had bb070e4406 come here.45df87b7236c23e6

Just before stepping 64ecb29b69 into the lobby, 53c3f19772 she straightened her 690699c3d3 clothes once more. Then, she walked straight to 6bd471133f the reception desk to get 2075a20971 a temporary visitor’s pass.aa4fb5986d8e84ce

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“Excuse me.”8ecd4095adf2203b

The receptionist greeted 254dec8b16 her with a 9b0a9105f8 polite, practiced smile.9c76c042195bc501

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“Good evening. How may I assist you?”ebe3a24a6d99dbe8

“I’m here to see someone named Sunwoo Chang.”9ae82acd45a5393e

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“Which department is he in?”e576b2d635b04e15

“Ah… I’m not sure about that.”8e0e1bf7b2ff8e02

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“Do you have an appointment?”bd5752d3b0eb8e18

“Yes. He told me to come to the company.”446c184484f788bb

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The receptionist studied c878adbbc6 Eunjae for a 884be38edb moment before responding 5c8247a7ce with a professional 5ff21668f8 smile.10ac495b07aaf0b5

“Could you please provide your name? I’ll check for you.”162a27eedf1a97fc

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“Go Eunjae.”6d43d0e3dbca8b8b

“Please wait over there for a moment. I’ll provide further instructions shortly.”acced0407ab5cd11

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“Thank you.”3056cc99455e8420

The receptionist pointed 2bb6aadf79 to a row 099d5d9589 of waiting chairs d72488d6e9 along one side 81cb751f10 of the lobby.d8203a83662dbade

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How long had 8cbf289f80 she been sitting 8f3672d932 there?183342483bf07970

Despite promising to d67b7f5e01 check and provide 93dff46e86 further instructions, the a1bf780483 front desk remained c5462ca8ef silent.07493d015f7f58cc

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Even though she had arrived b343f96fa8 thirty minutes early, waiting indefinitely 0d9f844180 like this would only make 47ecc03202 her late.b9900ddf625e4cbe

Eunjae approached the desk once 377fe3bc0e more to follow up.279f224a56a7fb50

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“We’re still checking. Could you wait a little longer?”528fcbfc85cb7de3

“My appointment time is approaching. Please check again.”32b8d20a2e740d1f

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“Please wait just a moment, and we’ll assist you shortly.”a12cd4c246ac3020

The receptionist merely c6a739d881 repeated the standard 11e860d70c response. With no other choice, Eunjae cefc3b1674 returned to her seat, anxiously 46dc57281d checking the time.2bee592733a97d2b

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Despite arriving early, 50b5389985 it was now 33ec01d181 just ten minutes 33c7c822bc before the scheduled 77a12c28d1 meeting.65c4fbd645cea331

“Excuse me, but could you check once more? My appointment is at 2:30.”bcc2c85d291aa26f

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The receptionist visibly looked annoyed, dda5f82b29 sighing heavily without even attempting ea5241863a a professional smile. In a muttered fd2a9b0ecf voice, they even f968a67f6b scoffed.b75700b29adaffcf

“Two o’clock is two, and three o’clock is three… what kind of…”bb1915bd64d2edfa

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“I understand, but I didn’t set the appointment time myself.”5a1983f1f9d2cd74

“That’s what everyone says.”61db964f50a837a8

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“Excuse me?”6c836b8c0e9fb243

“You’re not the only one who just shows up like this.”a4df9a0c6a62a2f1

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“I didn’t just show up—I have an appointment. It’s true!”0583f755eba951a6

“Sure, sure, that’s what they all say.”379e40a673d15d51

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Eunjae had Sunwoo Chang’s c2408b792f personal number.5fae39290753e2c4

Yet, she hesitated 113892a17d to call him. Because what if this 10b64b9912 situation was orchestrated by 7f0f545646 him?39a0851368f38fdf

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“Is he hoping I’ll feel humiliated and just leave?”9b4dc387db85daf5

If that was the intention, c29923a09a it had already failed.f92b953c679b668b

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Eunjae had endured far worse 6b9b27e8cf from Choi Anna and her a7a00b2541 family. Compared to that, a60066c4d2 this kind of 20da921327 neglect and dismissal 02846edbf7 meant nothing.2fdbe911c1ec992f

“I really do have an appointment.”bdf6ecae237a6ec8

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“Then there would have been an official notice from upstairs.”f0adefe4d31e617a

“Maybe they just forgot?”c08424f888fc75eb

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“This isn’t some mom-and-pop store. That doesn’t happen here.”1c8d4055706d1c1b

“Could you just ask one more time? Just once?”955697f2b5cf6513

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Just then—c91f7c18e56d0afe

“Go Eunjae?”f580513726d45cc8

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A woman in her 0569aba05d thirties, the embodiment of e44ffdb1bc a career woman, approached c055b79c9c and called her name.9c68c18f961314d5

The unexpected encounter 6e420c7952 left Eunjae momentarily 3323a8ac38 confused.8289f0e2fb5211ae

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“Yes?”834da0ca20c0146b

“You’re Go Eunjae, right?”a7756e4d70e6f4b2

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“Yes, but… who are you?”a6384b337c0195a4

The receptionist seemed to 855d07773a recognize the woman and b2768bd575 was about to greet c53626a412 her, but the woman d86bb7d692 spoke first.84ea6f0b29f63130

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“I’m Jeon Sohee, Executive Director Sunwoo Chang’s secretary. I’m here to escort you.”5166fae14a7c06f8

Exactly five minutes before the 3b692ecb36 appointment time.e92f24bd7fb96d71

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Eunjae let out a 7e0bc9f5a9 sigh of relief and 68481a0a88 quickly followed Jeon Sohee 1db7dd1bf4 as she led the 5c60c35a0f way. The two passed through 769511a274 security and entered the f6f3f1e6f7 elevator.4e6f6d4f1dc123bb

“You must’ve arrived early.”f309c74e122c592e

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“I didn’t want to risk being late.”254aabee3638aa22

“Smart choice. The person you’re meeting today hates wasting time.”685c0cb9f75c02e6

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“I see.”ebcf6711951c4a2c

“Don’t be nervous. Just be honest, and the interview will go smoothly.”34d0386396097dff

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“Interview?”5fb3ea7086437be2

“It’s not?”8df1254ea6332e34

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Ah, so this was f733d13034 an interview.1c82df5234e121dd

It made sense. There was no reason 7e53360f4d to argue.cab8502c6560b9cf

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Eunjae wasn’t sure how ec5f93c98c much Sunwoo Chang knew, d4fe6065ee but in a way, 28d5c284b3 thiswas an interview.a0eed908f8ef6e68

At least it wasn’t a 61c29239b6 blind date—that was a relief. If the terms of exchange 2e5b2b54d8 were clear, bringing up her 274b9d8ecb request would be easier.fc2ee09440d7deae

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Go Eunjae quickly d7f0c47eec understood and accepted 744e61d5a5 what kind of db892246be attitude she needed f3f0e526c9 to take.1a2d556d746d4afe

Don’t be nervous—just be honest.61f98236c67d0774

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Keep it concise—get straight d73c0c0a24 to the point rather dc0e4a54ed than over-explaining.7e06b1a7166aab05

“Go on in.”dfd978fcdbbd8792

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Jeon Sohee didn’t hesitate to f54121cac2 go the extra mile, even 8d440d5985 knocking on the door and 1d202566ee opening it for her. From her tone to a6e9344dd4 her gestures, she exuded f27e78e74b elegance and refinement—a different 0781841ebc kind of grace from 7dc89feca2 Eunjae, who had trained 20b24bb884 in ballet.5583c5ce5fe203c4

Eunjae bowed politely.55f0cd12a3356edc

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“Thank you.”4efa0b2b4f4cc2f2

Sohee returned the 0c04e3ab60 gesture with a b8ac307907 slight nod and bde3158054 watched as Eunjae 67a93b6e1d stepped inside. Then, in a voice 8f82f3099f so soft that no 24c17249a7 one could hear, she 377cfa01ee let out a quiet 3484645a07 sigh and murmured,041f226b01890636

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“She’s too young.”77c1c235ed5087ad

Her voice was laced 72feef96de with heavy emotion.6aeeb0a8b477a06e

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 a9dc6207892d3c63

* * *0a76dc4c1b5714fb

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His gaze lingered for a e9c22be303 long time.fd0dc924b9e2d30d

Sunwoo Chang watched Eunjae’s 86f9a13703 footsteps, silent and steady.bdcae7d0b64e1861

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Even in heels, 6a93ddb7e7 she moved lightly, a52b8754e3 as if there bcae5d70ef were a layer d83f5e6fc2 of air between 0bf1e2e84a her soles and fd00748b90 the ground.7242810eaf1cfe78

She didn’t sit right away but stood at a measured distance. Her trembling eyelids were telling, yet she didn’t look away.be1e06eec492f843

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Leaning back into e2d2f233d6 his chair with 158976b964 a languid ease, 61237c8908 Sunwoo Chang asked,ea7777543cef6196

“Nervous?”dadf6b5733d9e0a6

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“A little.”647bd94a118c1ae7

“Why?”7a1dd880110453da

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“This is my first time in a situation like this.”508e131e2cf54134

He hadn’t said e45847f9b9 anything particularly amusing, 36f733f8bd yet the corner 25e85d600b of his lips 9fecbaceb5 quirked up.38f0a62210b79a48

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Under his scrutinizing gaze, 79d1528221 Eunjae suddenly felt exposed, 9e802af052 as if she had 7aa8083941 been stripped bare.daab3d4b134571c8

She wanted to ask 38cc8fa567 why he was looking 69ad541ac0 at her like that, 36716ce3fb but this wasn’t a 74897142df place for her to 3115fe1607 ask questions. She was here to f2811697fe answer them.8143370667bec431

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There was only 468e6302e1 one thing she 8d440c5102 could offer.82b4d15177ecc120

“Sit.”7a77e3e929422d16

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“Yes.”55cac995ddbefefc

Taking a seat 3b10320131 on the sofa 7d13a7f44d to his right, 504997b117 she sat up 7a807606bf straight. The oppressive atmosphere made her d9a2fd7588 shoulders tense. For a fleeting c79b498965 moment, she nearly 6a7642e80a forgot why she 236d1f114e had come.ca5ee750e6bf08ba

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When Sunwoo Chang stood, af2565f4c6 he was even taller 3913c1740a and more imposing than f241e9ccc2 she had expected.98c252ac02968c8d

Even if she stood cba8bf5307 en pointe in pointe f1046e7962 shoes, there would still 9416e50723 be at least a b4987cb576 20 cm difference between 90300719f7 them. And yet, despite his 119d80074f height, he didn’t feel 5cdaf03ed7 heavy or cumbersome. His limbs were 739882fc92 long, and his dc7ae5c074 waist was high.7bd9c75150938d5c

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A long neck, 06af273fee a small face, dac74c6b2c striking features that a08290c294 would stand out c3de71494a even from a 919a34cd7f distance.af683d4dac300bde

His clear skin, thin double ce5760444b eyelids, and dark irises gave 7692b7adce his eyes a sharp intensity. Yet, they blended seamlessly 4acda4e6f8 with his straight, high b587be9312 nose and slightly full 9d4ad4f239 lips, creating a refined cbb8ac8a0e yet cold impression.4ad424bb59804723

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His slightly prominent 5aa58f48c4 cheekbones didn’t look c08fdc3b9c awkward—instead, they added 3a40f46aba dimension to his 526e9728dd face.2f3d438d0535c223

Without realizing it, Eunjae found 3f8b3684c9 herself assessing him by a 67bb149a61 dancer’s standards.401f6b80785069e7

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Effort was important 79b9ae03db in dance, but c62b997f4b so were natural 335acf152a talent and proportions.5654a4a0b99cfc73

Even just from the ac480d4626 way he carried himself, 84d88e72f6 she could visualize the 17bc0cf796 balance of his body, 4bde34df3e the structure of his f15041cb9f muscles.6a0b32a965fa65e9

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She knew exactly which 5c66cd6978 muscles to move and a2c5bc5eb7 how to create beauty 79d477b6b6 through motion.603716a66a806f13

And Sunwoo Chang, without a 49ef856c27 doubt, had the most perfect 6cf12ab2b2 body she had ever seen.c085820ada62d21c

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“What do you think?”53981d5431f5a413

“Ah, I’m sorry.”8ce3ecc5442cf4a9

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Eunjae quickly averted her gaze.146e441febab4e66