MIS 14

“Haa…”

Seo-hee caught her breath and looked up at Tae-jun. Her heart was beating wildly, her breath came in ragged gasps, but Tae-jun seemed completely unaffected by the passionate kiss they’d just shared. 

He stared into the distance, completely calm. He hadn’t even looked at her after kissing her so hard. Seo-hee also turned around and followed Tae-jun’s gaze. He watched as Yoon-woo walked back to the party.

Seo-hee’s face went pale when she saw Yoon-woo. She looked at Tae-jun and begged him with her eyes to explain.

He said indifferently, “You were supposed to meet Yoon-woo. Go now.”

“How… how can I?”

Tae-jun felt a flicker of confusion after his harsh words. More precisely, it was her clear eyes that unsettled him.

At first it had been a strong impulse. He was fascinated by this woman who, despite barely knowing him, acted so kindly and encouraged him to confide in her.

Perhaps he was more curious because this type of person was outside his usual boundaries.

“What do you mean?”

“You heard what Yoon-woo and I were talking about.”

“So what?”

Seo-hee looked hurt and left as if running away. Tae-jun’s eyes stayed on her until she disappeared from his sight.

* * *

Seo-hee returned to the office after lunch and waited for the elevator. Yoon-jung, standing next to her, handed her a business card.

“Have you been to the new restaurant in front of our company?”

“The one that was under construction?”

Seo-hee asked, turning the card over.

“Is that where you went last time?”

She had heard that the executive secretaries had a dinner gathering last week.

Seo-hee hadn’t been able to attend because she had been busy preparing for Tae-jun’s overseas business trip.

“Yes. It’s hot on SNS these days and it’s crazy. It was a great deal because we used the company card, but I was shocked by the prices.”

“What kind of restaurant is it?”

“It’s a French restaurant and the food is good, but the interior is amazing. It’s the perfect place to take Instagram photos.”

Seo-hee thought of the restaurant in front of the company that was under construction. Taking up the entire first floor of a large building in the middle of the city, the restaurant looked luxurious at first glance.

“You should definitely go there, Secretary Han. Even the owner is incredibly handsome. Like a celebrity.”

“Really?”

“He’s a gentle, handsome man.”

“Gentle handsome man.”

Seo-hee repeated the unfamiliar phrase.

“Don’t you know what that means, Secretary Han? It means he’s handsome in a warm and friendly way. For example, the Managing Director is a cold, handsome man.”

Using Tae-jun as an example, Seo-hee understood immediately. She smiled slightly, remembering Tae-jun’s usual indifferent expression.

“I said I’d buy you lunch. Let’s go there next week.”

“Sounds great! But are you sure? It’s pretty expensive.”

Yoon-jung linked arms with Seo-hee and nudged her playfully. Seo-hee giggled at her cute act. Just then, someone stood next to her and grabbed the business card.

“Let’s go to the restaurant together.”

She turned towards the low voice and saw Tae-jun standing there.

“Managing Director, you too!?”

Yoon-jung exclaimed in surprise. But when she met Tae-jun’s cold gaze, she quickly cowered and spoke in a soft voice.

“Oh, a company dinner sounds good too.”

Seo-hee’s eyes flickered. Her gaze fell on the business card he had taken.

“Secretary Han, don’t you owe me a meal?”

Tae-jun crumpled the business card in his big hand.

“Let’s settle it over a meal.”

She couldn’t understand why he had suddenly shown up and acted so petulant. He couldn’t seriously want her to buy him a meal.

“If you want to repay me, do it with a meal.”

Tae-jun said indifferently and stepped into the elevator. Yoon-jung whispered in Seo-hee’s ear, “Repay him for what?”

“Secretary Han, do you owe the Managing Director something?”

Seo-hee just opened and closed her mouth, speechless. She tried to brush it off, but a dry voice cut through the air.

“Aren’t you getting on?”

The elevator doors closed quickly as Seo-hee and Yoon-jung hurried inside.

She stared at his broad back, trying to decipher his intentions, but her mind was blank.

She had loved Tae-jun for a long time and knew him well.

He never acted impulsively.

He always calculated his actions, be it at work or in his personal relationships.

That’s why he was easy to predict. He would always move towards what would benefit him.

He never made such frivolous jokes.

He wouldn’t take the money and she couldn’t resign. So she had to buy him 200 million won worth of meals?

As the elevator ascended, Seo-hee’s mind raced.

* * *

Office workers walked past the restaurant in the heart of the city. Many stopped to peer through the large windows.

The white interior was decorated with modern furniture and accessories. The center was decorated with extravagant flower arrangements, reminiscent of a wedding.

Amidst the bustle of the city, the restaurant was quiet and serene, filled with the melody of jazz.

“CEO!”

“Welcome back! I heard you were busy over the weekend.”

The staff greeted Yoon-woo as he entered the restaurant.

“Hye-joo-ssi and Sun-mi-ssi are working today.”

“You remember our names?”

The female staff blushed as he greeted them by name.

“Of course. You’re my colleagues.”

The female employees found Yoon-woo’s smile irresistible.

The young, handsome and wealthy CEO was also kind and affectionate. His gentle, boyish charm captivated not only the staff but also the customers.

There was a reason why sales soared on the days Yoon-woo came to work.

Hye-joo, one of the staff, asked excitedly, “We hit a record high in sales last Saturday! We were even trending on SNS. Did you see it?”

“Yes, I heard.”

Yoon-woo smiled brightly at the staff and walked towards the middle of the restaurant. He was carrying a painting wrapped in brown paper.

“I want to hang this painting in the center.”

“Yes, I’ll take care of it.”

The manager carefully unwrapped the painting after placing it on a large table.

Yoon-woo said politely, “It’s not expensive, so you don’t need to be so careful.”

“Ahaha.“

The manager misunderstood his considerate words and laughed awkwardly.

He secured a ladder to the wall and climbed up with the painting.

Hanging the painting in the most visible place in the restaurant added a modern touch to the room.

The piece, a woman’s face drawn with a few simple lines, was something Yoon-woo had brought back from the United States.

“The painting is beautiful. You have great taste, CEO.”

“It goes well with our restaurant, doesn’t it?”

Yoon-woo smiled and looked around the restaurant. Everything he saw was something he had achieved for the first time on his own.

Even if it wasn’t his original dream.

“I like loving men.  Men who can cook well.”

“Cook?”

“Have you seen the chefs on TV? They seem cool. If you marry a chef, you’ll eat delicious food all the time.”

Yoon-woo smiled faintly, remembering the youthful voice. His gaze, unlike the warmth he showed his staff, was cold as it fell on the Jeya Construction building across the street.

You must be in there somewhere.

How do you look after six years?

‘I was young back then.’

If it were me now, I could protect you instead of my older brother.

Yoon-woo stared at the building, then turned away with a cynical smile.

* * *

She was about to leave work when her phone screen lit up. Seo-hee looked at her phone. It was a notification from the app she used to track her menstrual cycle.

“It’s quite late this time.”

Sometimes it was a week or two late when she was stressed or busy. She just stared at her phone for a moment before putting it down.

“Have I been pushing myself too hard lately?”

She had been busy preparing for Tae-jun’s business trip to the United States next month. While she was calculating her cycle, the phone screen changed and a call came in.

It was Ji-soo, the organizer of her college alumni group.

[Are you off work?]

“I just left the office. Why?”

[Are you free today?]

Seo-hee didn’t usually attend alumni gatherings. She hesitated and Ji-soo quickly pressed her.

[Don’t pretend to be busy. You’re free, right? It’s been a while since we all got together, so come meet us.]

There seemed to be a drinking party going on among her classmates. She could hear loud chatter in the background.

[Yoon-mi and Min-jae are getting married! You’ll come even if you’re busy, won’t you?]

“Oh my gosh, I completely forgot.”

[They’re finally getting married. You have to come and get your invitation]

Yoon-mi and Min-jae were a famous couple in their department. They met when they were twenty and have been in love ever since. They are finally getting married.

[They’ll be really disappointed if you don’t come. You’re coming today, right?]

She couldn’t ignore her friends’ wedding.

“Okay, I’ll go.”

[And we have a surprise for you.]

“What surprise?”

[Come and see for yourself.]

Seo-hee giggled at Ji-soo’s playful tone.

“Okay, send me the address. I’m leaving now.”

[Ah! Seo-hee, dress nice today. Okay?]

“What’s going on?”

[It’s a secret! See you later!]

Ji-soo quickly hung up.

Seo-hee received a text message from Ji-soo with the address of the bar and got on the bus.