DTL Ch 10 part 1

PR by neji

Not being able to hear was uncomfortable in various ways. For example, if someone behind her cursed at her in a loud voice, she wouldn’t know since she couldn’t read their lips. On the other hand, even if she were far away at a distance where one couldn’t hear what the other was saying, she’d still be able to understand what was being said by reading their lips. But that also came with its own disadvantages.

‘If we’re going to start taking students again, YeonJung-ssi will have to clear up her space. But with the way her situation is right now, how can we ask her to do that?’

Sitting at the cafe in the morning, YeonJung unintentionally witnessed the serious conversation between the Hyejin couple. Right now, she was working as a freelancer while she also helped Hyejin with large projects. After the first six months, she had been good about paying rent for the workspace, but it was obvious that Hyejin would benefit more from teaching students as she did before. After this discovery, YeonJung didn’t feel well.

YeonJung would have offered to teach classes in Hyejin’s stead, but there weren’t many students who wanted to learn from an instructor who couldn’t hear nor speak very well.

YeonJung opened the laptop that was installed within the workspace.

Chapel Chancellor. She carefully read the new emails from the wedding consulting company. She made her decision once she read the clause that promised her they’d adjust her salary to whatever she demanded. How much longer would she impose on the Hyejin couple? She couldn’t stay here any longer. If this job went well and she received a steady stream of clients, she’d be able to save up enough money for her own small workspace a lot faster.

[Hello, this is Lee YeonJung. I’d like to set up an appointment for a meeting if that’s alright with you. What would be a good time?]

She clicked ‘Send’ and got up from her seat to brew herself a cup of green tea. When she returned to her desk, she saw that she had already gotten a response. She blew on her hot tea with the teabag still inside as she opened the new email.

[Thank you. How does today afternoon sound? My boss says he’s willing to go directly to your workspace, Lee YeonJung-ssi.]

As fitting of an ambitious new company, they seemed eager to move forward. She didn’t think it was anything to be concerned about. She glanced at the clock on the lower corner of the monitor. She had to receive the supplies, finish today’s project, and ship it out to the client. The earliest she’d be free was five o’clock.

[I have a lot of backlogged work today, so I think I’ll only be free after five-thirty.]

Another email came after about five minutes had passed.

[We’ll see you at your workplace at six.]

YeonJung sent them the address to her workspace just in case. If she had known she’d have a meeting today, she would have worn better clothes. The thought crossed her mind for a moment, but she brushed it off. Wearing comfortable clothing was a must when she was in the middle of a project. She had received a large order for Christmas boxes, so it was already five o’clock before she knew it.

After dropping Hyejin off at the hospital for her regular checkup, DongHoon stopped by the workspace and lightly tapped her shoulder.

“YeonJung-ssi, aren’t you going home? I can drop you off at your apartment on my way out. There’s a marketplace I need to stop by in your neighborhood, so it’ll be on the way. The wife-nim, I mean, the baby-nim, would really like some pork sausages, so I have to go get it.”

DongHoon had told her before that he planned on moving to a bigger house once the baby was born. Therefore, he’d been running around trying to gather more clients. He was smiling, but he looked very tired. Seeing his expression, YeonJung recalled the conversation from today and felt even worse.

‘Just how long was I planning on staying here like this without a care in the world?’

Of course, their whole world would be turned upside-down once the baby was born. They were nice people, so they definitely couldn’t bring it up to her. YeonJung felt that she should have realized earlier on and gotten out of their way on her own. She berated herself for being so tactless.

‘No, that’s okay. I have a meeting with a client soon. They said they’d come to the workspace. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. Is it okay if I lock up before I go today?’

“Of course. But it looks like it might be an important client seeing as how they’re meeting you personally.”

Unless the project was particularly large or complicated to complete, she usually corresponded with clients via email. While it was more comfortable to communicate through written words, she moreso wanted to avoid any clients that might have taken more of an interest in her rather than her work. 

‘It looks like it’s a new wedding consultation business. I just wanted to meet with them first before I made any decisions. I’ve already declined them twice, but they seem very desperate. They said it has to be me. Looks like they recognize a master when they see one.’

She moved her hands as she answered back sarcastically. With a hand on the back of a chair, DongHoon looked absolutely ecstatic.

“Haha, I like hearing you advertising your own skills, YeonJung-ssi. Yeah, if you have the skills to back it up, you can absolutely act like your time is expensive. Ah, should I wait here a bit and help you? I should be here to let them know that you’re a hotshot florist from New York, and they need to treat you as such. If you feel like it’ll be awkward to bring up the topic of money, I’ll do it for you. Ah, if I knew this was going to happen, I would have brought Hyejin with me. My wife is the master when it comes to haggling. There’s no way we’ll go easy on them just because they’re new, hmm.”

YeonJung chuckled as she watched him grow animated. He already knew that she was no longer considered a hotshot florist by any means. After the scandal with the SeonJin Group broke, she lost all of her rich clients.

Especially wedding clients. There was talk that she might seduce their grooms by acting pitiful and garnering their sympathy. Therefore, she was the one who avoided clients who wanted help with weddings. DongHoon knew this situation very well. YeonJung knew he was only acting like this in order to keep her spirits up. Seeing this act of kindness, YeonJung felt a sting in her nose.

‘It’s okay. Hyejin-ssi is waiting. For the pork sausages. You should hurry.’

“Ah, that’s right. Pork sausages. Sorry, YeonJung-ssi. If I don’t want to be chased out by my wife-nim, there’s nothing else I can do. After you recommended that halmuni’s street cart, my wife won’t eat it anywhere else. Since I’ll be buying some anyway, do you want me to buy a little more and bring it to you here? You like it, too, don’t you?”

‘No, I have a meeting, remember?’

As YeonJung waved her hands, DongHoon raked his hand through his hair.

“That’s right. If you’re meeting with them, I’m sure ddukbokki or pork sausages won’t cut it, right? I’ll be leaving then… Huh?”

DongHoon’s voice faltered as soon as he opened the door. Someone was standing outside. YeonJung, who was sitting down, leaned over to see who it was. The tall figure of a man stepped inside.

“I’m a bit early, aren’t I? I apologize.”

The man walked inside and grinned as he held out his hand to YeonJung. She looked up at him with a bewildered expression, her eyes wide open.

Wearing a camel-colored coat over his expensive suit, his outfit was as immaculate as it had been in the past. He gave her a polite smile.

“I’m the representative from Chapel Chancellor. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Lee YeonJung-ssi.”

* * *

The presentation he had prepared was perfect. It was incredibly thorough, almost as if he had prepared it for a potential investor or to request a loan from the bank.

It had hundreds of images and profit models. He even went through the different concepts and explained the various national and international wedding venues they had at hand. As YeonJung watched him give his presentation, only one question was inside her head.

<Min SeonJae-ssi, what happened to the hotel?>

Sitting across from him at the table, she pulled out a piece of paper and began to write. He had just started explaining the wedding exhibition they were going to enter when he suddenly stopped. He looked down at the paper she had slid over the table for a long while. Finally, he took out his own pen from his breast pocket.

<It was handed over to someone else.>

His handwriting was impeccable as he wrote his answer next to her question.

<When?>

<Two years ago. But it has been 20 months since my name has been completely removed from the hotel.> 

“Wh…Why?”

YeonJung’s lips moved on their own as she blurted out her question.

<Because there wasn’t any time.>

He slowly lifted his pen and began to write again. YeonJung let out a frustrated sigh and quickly moved her hand. Her pen slid across the paper.

<You’re not telling me that you gave up on your hotel because of this business, are you?>

When he glanced up at her and smiled, she had her answer. She couldn’t believe it. Even if his wings had been clipped after the scandal of a broken engagement with Samil, he was still the youngest son of the SeonJin Group. The CEO of Hotel Rael. No one would dare to look down on someone of his position. This very man, Min SeonJae, was now telling her that he had given up on the hotel, the very last of his pride.

<You’re crazy!>

He burst into laughter. He put his pen down on the table and looked at her. He looked like a mischievous child. He picked up his pen and began writing in his elegant handwriting.

<Really?>

She snatched the paper away from him. She couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.

He gave up his hotel to start a wedding consulting business? What kind of ridiculous career decline was this?

YeonJung’s head grew muddled. All kinds of thoughts flew through her mind. He might not have left of his own will. He may have been kicked out. After the loud news of his broken engagement with Samil, he would have had to take responsibility for a lot more things than she had expected.

‘But still, how could he have given up on the hotel?’

She stared at him with a complicated gaze. His large hand began to fiddle with the pen.

“If this business goes under, I might be left out in the streets.”

He grinned. YeonJung’s lips parted in shock. The reason why he kept showing up in front of her was exactly this. YeonJung finally realized why he was acting this way.

She wasn’t sure if he backed off of the fight for the inheritance or whether this new business was what he was given. But still, to think that the reason why he showed up in front of her after two years was because of his business… She felt her face grow warm and brought her hands up to her cheeks.

“I need your help. Truly, I do.”

His lips moved precisely.

Oh my goodness. So this is how twisted one’s world can become if they meet the wrong man.

The reason why this confident, arrogant man was currently sitting before her with his tail between his legs was for this reason. In order to obtain her help to further his business.

She never dreamed that this would be the reason. She found her discomfort for the past few weeks to be so idiotic. She let out a sigh.

“I put everything on the line here.”

He gazed at her as she let out a breath. His expression looked sincere. The man’s objective was clear. Two years ago, when he first came to her workshop, he had wanted her to give up on the outdoor wedding for the YoungJin Group. When he found her struggling with her punctured tire, he drove her back to her workspace because he wanted to spend a night with her. Two weeks later, he showed up to her workspace to return her car keys and proposed that they should be sex partners.

“……”

She noticed this a while ago, but this man was very intuitive. Min SeonJae definitely knew that she couldn’t refuse his offer. That’s why he showed up now. Just as she had lost all her clients, he had lost his everything, his hotel. She couldn’t reject someone who was struggling to survive just like her.

‘I can’t do that.’

YeonJung clenched her fist and tapped the table.

“Wh-aht were you thinking of doo-ing… for the exhibition?”

* * *

The two hours wore on, and by the time their meeting was finished, it was already eight o’clock. After listening to his various explanations, she felt like a new recruit at his company. 

“Thanks for agreeing to this. I’ll be in your care from now on.”

He laughed as he held out his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment before taking it. She only thought to give him a light handshake, but when she felt the strength in his grasp, she quickly slipped her hand out of his. He had only held her hand, but her heart was strangely racing inside her chest.

After she tidied the workspace and turned off the lights, she made sure to properly lock the door behind her and went outside. She thought he’d left by now, but she found him waiting at the bottom of the slope. He was standing in front of his parked car. She clenched her hand around the strap of her purse, anxious that he’d try and speak to her. She began to walk at a fast pace.

“Haa!”

Yesterday’s melted snow had turned into solid ice. Her flat slip-on shoes slipped on the ground, causing her to lose her balance. A surprised cry burst out of her lips when a sturdy arm wrapped around her.

“Haa… haa…”

Her cheeks had grown red from the cold wind. His face was now looking down at her. She could see his narrow eyes underneath his furrowed brow. She felt his arms wrapped around her back and waist.

“Are you okay?”

The moment she took a whiff of his familiar cologne, she grew dizzy. She slowly blinked her eyes.

“Let… go.”

Her voice sounded like the mewl of a cat. Only then did he realize that he was basically embracing her within his arms.

The bridge of his nose slightly crinkled. He seemed angry or tired. It was a strange expression. He slowly straightened up and let go. White mist formed around his mouth as he spoke.

“…Let’s eat dinner together.”

He spoke with great effort. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he tried to wet his dry mouth. She shook her head.

“It’s proper etiquette to end a meeting with a meal.”

“Since when… did you use… proh-per edi-quette… with me?”

YeonJung looked at him with her clear eyes as she barely got those words out. SeonJae’s brows slightly twisted. He bit his dry lips.

“I’m sorry.”

“…Foh what?”

“For being harsh with you back then. I apologize for any moment I may have mistreated you…”

“SeonJae-shi.”

YeonJung cut him off. White mist continued to flow out of his open lips. YeonJung gave him a strained smile. She hoped she looked confident enough. She didn’t want to seem weak.

“You’re a bad person.”

“I know.”

His gaze grew hotter. YeonJung met his eyes and opened her mouth.

“But I’m still… going too do the woh-rk. Use my skills. I ah-lso need moh-ney right now, soh I’m going too use you, too. Then we’re equal, right?”

SeonJae let out a faint laugh as he answered, ‘Fine.’ YeonJung’s gaze turned cold as she looked at him.

I don’t want to waver.

I don’t want to be hurt by the desire to hear your voice ever again.

I don’t want to recall your pained face during the sleepless nights anymore.