ASM Ch 8

“Omo, you acted like you weren’t going to attend, so what are you doing here?”

Koh Hee-yeon, surprised by his sudden appearance, gave him a small scolding but immediately gave up her seat.

“I just happened to have some free time.”

Eunwoo reflexively glanced at the clock. The clock hands indicated it was already late evening. It was around the time he got off work, but she still didn’t expect to see him here.

“Yes, good thinking. There isn’t much time left, but it’s important that you take a look yourself.”

Koh Hee-yeon smiled brightly and nodded to the servant. The next interviewee entered the reception room. It was Heo Mina, the one Eunwoo had recommended.

“Hello.”

As soon as she entered the door, Heo Mina bowed and greeted them. She sat down on a chair as instructed by the servant. She had a straight back, a good posture, a natural smile, and a clear voice. Koh Hee-yeon scribbled some notes into her notebook.

“Welcome, Heo Mina-ssi. I hope you didn’t have much trouble getting here.”

“Yes, I was able to come without any major issues thanks to the detailed instructions given in advance.”

Eunwoo couldn’t help but have a strange feeling when she saw Heo Mina tilt her head and express her gratitude with a faint smile. The subtle charm that caught people’s attention with every word and gesture. Something that Eunwoo didn’t have.

There were times when she would go crazy trying to obtain this skill because she wanted it. One week, she would observe her cousin, and another week, she would observe a university classmate, analyze their characteristics, write them down, and practice in front of a mirror alone. And whenever she made eye contact with herself in the mirror, she would shiver with an indescribable sense of inferiority. But she would practice again, and when she reached her limit, she would break down in despair.

After burning with such passion, all that was left was ashes. But she was finally able to accept the differences between her and them.

Perhaps that was why, after having encountered the irresistible charm once again, all she felt was a faint bitterness.

“Then, why don’t you start by introducing yourself?”

The content of the self-introductions were all similar and formulaic, so it didn’t really mean much. However, the way the woman spoke, the gestures she made in between, and even the way she responded to sudden, unexpected questions… Nothing escaped Koh Hee-yeon’s eyes.

Every time Koh Hee-yeon asked a difficult question, Eunwoo felt anxious inside. But fortunately, Heo Mina got through the interview without any major problems thanks to her uniquely lively charm.

Just when it seemed like the interview was going to end smoothly, Cha Taehyuk, who had been leaning back against his chair with his legs crossed, opened his mouth.

“You seem to have lived a life that is worthy of envy, from an ordinary but loving family, an affluent childhood, a prestigious university degree, a high-paying job, and even an interest outside of your career in child welfare.”

Meanwhile, Cha Taehyuk, who had been summarizing Heo Mina’s interview, straightened his posture.

“Why did you apply?”

Heo Mina’s beautiful face instantly flushed at the candid and straightforward question.

Eunwoo grew nervous, and Koh Heeyeon also seemed to feel a bit embarrassed as she put down her notebook.

The answer was obvious. Whether it was money or a plan to push Eunwoo out and take over as the main wife, the primary goal was the same.

Entering Haesung Group.

It was a question that Koh Hee-yeon had never asked any interviewees before, perhaps because it was so obvious that she felt it would be too vulgar to ask or answer.

“Please take your time—.”

“I fell in love.”

Eunwoo tried to buy her some time. Even though she was obviously flustered, Heo Mina answered without hesitation. And then declared it again.

“I fell in love with Executive Director Cha Taehyuk-nim.”

“……”

“I applied because I wanted to stay by Executive Director Cha’s side in any way possible.”

Unlike her proper posture, her rosy cheeks, her bright eyes, and her tightly clenched fists seemed to express something between shyness and boldness.

Ah, as expected. It was quite attractive.

“It seems like there’s been a lot of people who have fallen in love with me lately.”

Everyone knew who Cha Taehyuk was talking about without even having to ask.

“I guess it’s because I got burned so badly by someone who said they fell for me. That’s not a very satisfactory answer.”

While furtively badmouthing Eunwoo, who had pushed for the marriage by nagging the honorary Chairman Cha Moonjo under the pretense of having fallen for him, Taehyuk didn’t even glance at her.

Eunwoo also stared straight ahead, trying not to look back in his direction. Instead, she rather preferred meeting the eyes of Heo Mina, who was glancing at her as if to examine her.

She could hear the sound of expensive fabric rustling as Cha Taehyuk crossed his legs again.

“Well, that’s fine. People’s hearts aren’t something I can control.”

Then came the thud of a thick stack of papers falling onto the table.

“I think these specs are good enough, and it doesn’t seem like you’re the type of person who can’t communicate…”

Koh Hee-yeon raised her eyebrows and looked in the direction where Cha Taehyuk was sitting, perhaps wondering if he would react positively.

At that moment, Eunwoo followed Koh Hee-yeon’s lead and ended up looking at Cha Taehyuk.

His faint smile deepened, and he tilted his head slightly towards Heo Mina.

“Even the pheromone scent is to my liking.”

Eunwoo stared dazedly at the affectionate face she was seeing for the first time. She finally returned to her senses when she heard Koh Hee-yeon lightly clap her hands. For some reason, her cheeks felt tingly.

“That’s true. I felt it too. How can the scent of pheromones be so warm and cozy? It’s like the smell of earth on a midsummer’s day.”

Mina let out a small laugh as if embarrassed. Before she covered her mouth with one hand, the dimple on one of her cheeks flashed for a split second.

“Thank you for the compliment. If I had known this would happen, I would have come without spraying perfume.”

Even the way she cracked light jokes and smiled brightly was eye-catching. Eunwoo’s eyes naturally went to the corner of her left eye, which was longer than the corner of her right eye.

“If the scent of your pheromone is good, there is no need to use perfume.”

Eunwoo laughed along. Cha Taehyuk’s words rang in her ears for no particular reason. For a brief moment, she had to suppress the urge to raise her arm and sniff the perfume she had sprayed on.

Clearly, things were going well. A candidate with an unremarkable family background and a seemingly ordinary personality. It seemed likely that Heo Mina would be selected, just like Eunwoo wanted. Clearly, things were going perfectly.

When Heo Mina lowered her hand, Eunwoo couldn’t bear to look at the dimple that came back into view, so she turned her head away. As she awkwardly turned her eyes, she saw Cha Taehyuk.

He was staring at her. She couldn’t tell if he had been doing that the whole time or if their eyes had just met, but she could clearly see the condescension in his gaze.

It seemed that she had let it show. This deep-rooted sense of inferiority.

Perhaps that was why she felt a surge of defiance rather than shame at Cha Taehyuk’s gaze.

You haven’t been of any help to me. So who are you to judge?

Instead of turning away, Eunwoo smiled.

“Heo Mina-ssi, you’re really cute. You have the kind of personality I like.”

I like you so much that it makes me sick.

“I think we’d get along wonderfully.”

She felt a twisted sense of satisfaction when Cha Taehyuk gave her one more look of contempt before turning his eyes away first.

While gathering and organizing the scattered documents, he quietly nodded to the servant.

“Thank you for your hard work, Heo Mina-ssi. We will conclude the interview here.”

Not long after Heo Mina left, a report came back from the servant that she had passed the exit test. Koh Hee-yeon immediately ordered the servants to prepare the annex for her.

* * *

Eunwoo ran out of the reception room. However, no matter how fast she walked, the steady sound of footsteps behind her only drew closer.

“Is the interview over, Young Madame?”

When Secretary Nam, who had been waiting by the front door, asked politely, Eunwoo nodded.

“I would like to hurry back home.”

At Eunwoo’s urging, Secretary Nam quickly opened the door, but before she could even walk out, the heavy footsteps came right behind her and stopped abruptly.

Even Secretary Nam was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Cha Taehyuk and awkwardly closed the door, blocking her escape.

“We’ll go back in my car.”

The soft voice from behind ran down her spine and left a cold chill on her lower back. Eunwoo hated that feeling, so instead of looking back, she stared straight ahead.

She just stared at Secretary Nam’s face, who was unable to do anything else but watch.

“Secretary Nam, you should go now.”

“Then, I’ll head out first.”

Even though he was someone who worked for her, Secretary Nam merely gave her an awkward goodbye and immediately turned around at Cha Taehyuk’s one command.

Cha Taehyuk passed Eunwoo, who was standing in the foyer, and opened the front door. Eunwoo turned her face away at this unusual show of kindness. It made her seem ridiculous.

“Thank you.”

Eunwoo eventually let him escort her through the door.

And she barely managed to get in the car.

“Do you like her?”

“Pardon?”

The responding question was buried in the sound of the revving engine, but Cha Taehyuk answered her nonetheless.

“Heo Mina.”

She didn’t want to worry too much about why he was asking such a question.

“Yes.”

If she said she liked her, would he choose another woman who was not Heo Mina? Just to torment her?

At some point, she had begun to see Cha Taehyuk as a petty man.

“Everyone I met today seemed like nice people.”

The car smoothly exited the garage. Cha Taehyuk muttered while keeping his eyes fixed ahead.

“It seemed like you really liked Heo Mina because you were so busy staring at her. But sounds like you stared at everyone like that today.”

As expected, it was clear that he had noticed her deep-rooted sense of inferiority.

She tensed her voice to keep it from shaking.

“No, it wasn’t really like that.”

The car, which had entered their own garage before she knew it, slowly decelerated. She was grateful for the dim darkness that descended as the garage door closed. She felt that even though she could control her trembling voice, she wouldn’t be able to pay close attention to her facial expressions.

As she was catching her breath, Cha Taehyuk got out of the car, strode over to the passenger seat, and opened the door for her.

Eunwoo didn’t know how to react to this unexpected act.

“Get out.”

As she sat there dazedly, Cha Taehyuk made a gesture with his chin. Only then did Eunwoo hurriedly unbuckle her belt and get out of the car.

“Thank you.”

Still, she was grateful, so she bowed her head briefly and tried to pass him, but Cha Taehyuk tilted his head towards her. For a moment, it seemed as if he was going to bury his face in the crook of her shoulder, close enough to make her shrink away.

“I have a word of advice for you. My pheromones aren’t something that can be covered up by spraying a lot of perfume.”

“……”

“It only makes it smell more disgusting.”