BRF Chapter 8

“I apologize for not properly thanking you yesterday. It was a chaotic situation.”

Officer Park said the business card the man gave him belonged to a partner lawyer at Geongon (乾坤), the largest law firm in Asia. He had clarified it wasn’t the man’s own card, but his legal advisor’s.

Eunseong had been curious about how influential someone had to be to have a lawyer from Geongon, known for having the highest legal fees in Asia, as their advisor. But she hadn’t intended to investigate the man, who had expressed his desire not to be mentioned in the news.

Now, the man himself had contacted her.

– I watched the broadcast. And I was a little surprised. It couldn’t have been easy to defend someone who clearly intended to harm you.

His voice was like a gentle rain. Again, she noticed his precise pronunciation and pleasant intonation, as if he had undergone extensive speech training. She almost wanted to recommend him for the broadcasting station’s open recruitment if he was looking for a job.

“I was merely upholding journalistic ethics.”

Eunseong kept her response brief, prompting him to reveal more. As expected, his question followed.

– I’m curious about what journalistic ethics Reporter Kang Eunseong upholds.

Though it wasn’t a particularly stressful situation, her heart pounded as if she were in a job interview. Eunseong tried to calm her racing heart, even though there was no reason for it to be racing.

“Reporting the truth responsibly and fairly.”

Eunseong’s answer was once again concise and clear. This time, there was no response from the other end of the line.

Was he mocking her? A reporter who gets threatened by her sources, talking about truth and fairness?

“And the purpose of reporting isn’t to incite social conflict. It’s to provide opportunities for opposing sides to trust each other more and engage in dialogue, in an effort to create a better world. That is the purpose of reporting.”

This time, she heard a low chuckle from the man. It didn’t sound like a positive sign.

Having explained her definition of ethical reporting, she wondered why she was even explaining herself to this man.

She was getting irritated. The man’s silence and laughter bothered her. She couldn’t tell if it was her journalistic instincts or a sense of personal humiliation that was offended.

– So, Reporter Kang Eunseong, do you think the world is a better place today than it was yesterday?

Eunseong sighed involuntarily. It seemed like a good time to ask why he had called, to inquire about his intentions.

“Excuse me, but what are you so curious about that you called me personally?”

It was a pointed question, alluding to the man’s evasiveness in giving his lawyer’s contact information to the police instead of his own.

– I apologize if I offended you.

His apology was impeccable, which made it even more irritating.

“What do you want?”

Eunseong’s voice was noticeably colder than when she had first heard from him.

Situational awareness was a crucial skill for a reporter. She could feel her judgment clouding due to her annoyance at the man’s ambiguous attitude.

Eunseong pulled the phone away from her ear and took a deep breath. It was rare for her to get so angry that her heart raced, but this brief conversation had her blood boiling.

But thinking about it, had the man really done anything wrong?

Yes, he had. He had offended her journalistic sensibilities, a grave offense.

– I want to meet Reporter Kang Eunseong.

“Excuse me?”

Eunseong was so taken aback by the sudden proposal that she could only repeat his words. She had covered countless unpredictable incidents and accidents, but this was a first.

“That’s why you need to date. If you’re crazy in love, you won’t have time for other thoughts. Being single at your age isn’t normal.”

Giseong’s pale face, poking out of his window as he spouted nonsense, flashed through her mind.

Eunseong pressed her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. Involuntary memory recall might be a curse on humanity. Of all things, why did the word “dating” pop into her head while listening to this man’s voice?

“May I ask what your intentions are in wanting to meet me?”

Get a grip, Eunseong.

It was as if she had been cursed by Giseong’s late-night rambling. She might have been stung by his comment about being single at thirty-two not being normal, but her life wasn’t abnormal.

She had simply been living diligently.

– I’m curious about Reporter Kang Eunseong.

A sudden tightness in her chest and a flush in her neck, as if someone had stoked the furnace in her heart.

Calm down, Eunseong. He said Reporter Kang Eunseong.

Focusing on that point brought back a forgotten question.

Could this man be connected to Seocheon Group?

Perhaps this was a tactic to intimidate her, with Director Cheon Sarang’s flowers as a conciliatory gesture, followed by this man’s unsettling call.

Since yesterday’s incident, Seocheon Electronics’ stock price had been fluctuating wildly since the market opened. It was unlikely that Seocheon Group viewed Reporter Kang Eunseong favorably.

Yes, her racing heart wasn’t due to Giseong’s midnight spell, but her journalistic instincts.

“You can find my professional profile on portal sites. Please search for Kang Eunseong.”

As soon as she finished her advertisement-like spiel, Eunseong closed her eyes in embarrassment. She wished she could rewind time to before she answered his call. It was a miracle she was still holding the phone, her toes curling in mortification.

But she couldn’t just hang up. She reminded herself again that every call was an opportunity for a reporter.

– I’ve thoroughly reviewed your profile. I apologize for my ambiguity earlier.

The man paused, then added in an even lower voice,

– I’m curious about Ms. Kang Eunseong.

Eunseong leaned against the wall and blinked, staring at the ceiling. She was also curious about his intentions and who he was.

– Ms. Kang Eunseong, are you there?

He had dropped the “Reporter” and was addressing her directly.

“Yes, I am. I apologize for the delayed response; I’m currently working.”

A lie slipped easily from the mouth of the reporter who had just moments ago declared her dedication to truth.

– I seem to have taken up too much of your time with this sudden call. Would you be available sometime next week, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday?

A lot of people seemed to want to have dinner with her today. And a question arose. If this man was connected to Seocheon Group, he should know she already had a dinner appointment with Director Cheon Sarang.

“I apologize, but I have prior engagements every evening next week.”

Eunseong politely declined, unsure if she was trying to keep her distance or playing hard to get.

– Schedules can be changed.

The man’s tone was firm.

– Are the people you’re meeting next week more interesting than me?

His question was blunt, almost as if he could see right through her. She was more intrigued by this man’s invitation than her dinner with Director Cheon. In fact, the meeting with Cheon Sarang, a member of Seocheon Group’s owner family, was rather daunting.

“I can’t give you a definite answer about dinner. I’ll call you back on this number later this afternoon.”

The man chuckled softly, similar to before, but this time, it didn’t feel mocking.

– You will meet me, Ms. Kang Eunseong. I’ll make reservations for dinner in advance.

She couldn’t understand the basis of his certainty.

“Then, please get back to work.”

“Yes.”

As soon as she gave her flustered reply, the call ended.

She wasn’t sure if the fluttering in her chest was anticipation or anxiety.

* * * 

Sarang, entering her office after an executive meeting, stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the flower basket on the table.

Her secretary, observing Sarang’s expressionless face, quickly spoke.

“The flower basket you sent to Reporter Kang Eunseong was returned. I accepted it because I thought you would want to see it.”

At the secretary’s formal report, Sarang quickly put on a bright smile. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to snap at her subordinate just because a flower basket sent to a mere reporter was returned.

“Thank you. Secretary Han, you put a lot of thought into it; the flowers are beautiful. I was so excited to see my friend that I completely forgot about the Anti-Graft Law. Let’s brighten up this dreary office; have them arranged in vases.”

The secretary nodded and struggled to carry the enormous flower basket out of the office.

Sarang maintained her elegant smile as she sat down at her desk. It wasn’t the end of the world just because a flower basket was returned. She would simply meet Eunseong next week, catch up, and laugh it off.

Before starting work, Sarang searched for the news report by Kang Eunseong again. She had watched it so many times that she could practically recite it verbatim, but she felt an urge to watch it again.

“This is Kang Eunseong from ABS News.”

Even without makeup, Eunseong was strikingly beautiful. The comments section of the news replay was filled with praise for not only the reporter’s courageous and righteous reporting, but also her beauty.

Sarang turned slightly and looked at the round mirror on her desk. Her reflection was flawless.

Just as she replayed Kang Eunseong’s report, her phone buzzed with a new message.

Sarang’s face hardened as she read the message.

Identifying the man who helped Reporter Kang Eunseong at the cafe will be difficult.