UR | Chapter 18

“So, where are you now?”

As soon as Ki Seonghyeop answered the phone, his urgent voice made everyone else fall silent.

I didn’t know the details, but it seemed like something bad had happened.

Ki Seonghyeop, who had just finished the call, conveyed the bad news with a flushed face.

“Ha, President Han, I’m sorry, but I think I need to go now.”

“What happened?”

“I got a call saying my mother suddenly collapsed.”

Seeing Ki Seonghyeop unable to continue speaking, Jihoon stepped in.

“I’ll take you there.”

“No, I can go in my car. It’s just old age, so don’t worry.”

Without giving anyone a chance to stop him, Ki Seonghyeop retraced his steps and left.

With Professor Ki Seonghyeop gone, the second round of drinks was meaningless. It was a gathering that no one wanted except for Professor Ki Seonghyeop.

“Uh, so what should we do?”

Park Jonghwan, the assistant manager, asked while gauging Han Jihoon’s reaction. Jihoon replied to him, who clearly wanted to go home.

“Let’s just call it a night here. You can go now.”

As soon as those words were out, Assistant Manager Park Jonghwan politely said goodbye and disappeared.

He had been grumbling earlier about having plans with his girlfriend today, so even from behind, his steps seemed very light.

With that, Yujin’s heart felt lighter too. She couldn’t count how many times her mood had swung up and down today.

Though it was unfortunate about Professor Ki Seonghyeop’s mother, she was relieved she could now see Yoosung.

“I’ll be going too.”

Thinking she needed to call Yoosung quickly made her anxious. She didn’t know where Yoosung originally planned to go, but if they couldn’t have dinner there, they could at least grab a simple beer in the neighborhood.

However, Jihoon, who had let Assistant Manager Park Jonghwan go easily, didn’t readily respond and looked at Yujin.

In that brief moment, Yujin felt uneasy, wondering if he might take her home, so she quickly spoke first.

“My younger sibling is waiting, so I need to go home.”

She knew. Han Jihoon was the kind of man who did whatever he wanted without considering such circumstances.

But today, no matter what he said, she planned to escape.

Yet, Jihoon continued to silently gaze at Yujin.

Though she didn’t know his exact height, Jihoon was quite tall. Not only that, but his long limbs and broad shoulders made him look good in any outfit. Even when he wore lab pants stained with chemicals and a faded T-shirt at work, the female employees would marvel at how even that looked fashionable on him.

With such a man dressed in a coat and scarf standing before her, Yujin found herself avoiding his gaze.

“Do you have something more to say…?”

Feeling she couldn’t stand there any longer, Yujin barely moved her lips, and Jihoon spoke.

“I’ll give you a ride home.”

But she couldn’t be fooled by his kindness again.

Last time, she got into Jihoon’s car and ended up not going to her house.

“No, it’s fine.”

It wasn’t just any day; it was her birthday.

Though life was tough, Yujin never forgot to thank her mom every morning she woke up on her birthday.

It might be a forced ritual to momentarily ignore the harsh reality, but having been born, she wanted to acknowledge her life at least on her birthday.

That’s why today, she didn’t want to be led by Han Jihoon’s wishes.

However, Jihoon showed his stubborn side.

“It’s cold. Let’s not repeat the same thing and just go in my car.”

Thinking there could only be one reason for his insistence, Yujin didn’t back down.

“As I said earlier, my younger sibling is waiting. I’ll just go today.”

Then Jihoon tilted his head slightly and looked intently at Yujin.

Feeling burdened by the man who kept looking at her differently than usual today, Yujin adjusted her bag.

“Who’s going to eat you up?”

Jihoon asked.

For a moment, Yujin doubted her ears.

If she heard correctly, there was a playful tone in Jihoon’s voice.

She had a good memory, but since knowing Jihoon, he had never used such a tone.

And it didn’t end there.

“I’ll let you go without any trouble, so just come along.”

Jihoon smiled, lifting one corner of his mouth.

What kind of day was today?

Unknowingly, Yujin found herself following Jihoon to his car.

“Take the things in the trunk when you get out.”

Jihoon, who had been driving while looking straight ahead, said.

Before Yujin could ask what he meant by taking things, he answered.

“You left the things I gave you at home, but you’ll need them soon.”

“Oh, okay.”

Knowing she couldn’t refuse the clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories he gave, she decided not to waste unnecessary emotions.

It was Jihoon’s kindness that started even before the contract they shouldn’t have made. Reminding herself that he was just spending money for the company, Yujin kept her mouth shut.

“Also, take the booster box with you now.”

“Sorry?”

Blinking at the fact that there was something else, Jihoon didn’t delay and spoke again.

“Open it.”

Wondering what it could be, curiosity got the better of her, and Yujin opened the box like someone entranced. Then a small shopping bag revealed itself.

It was a shopping bag from the same luxury brand as the necklace Jihoon had bought her once. On the day she went to the boutique to buy clothes for an event, the seller in charge of Yujin handed her a necklace, saying Jihoon had picked it out.

Seeing the small box wrapped with a ribbon peeking through the shopping bag, Yujin felt conflicted.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“It’s your birthday today, isn’t it?”

As soon as she heard those words, Yujin’s heart dropped to the floor.

She was quite surprised to find out Jihoon knew her birthday.

How did he know? As she tried to recall, she remembered Seo Eunhye bringing up that it was Yujin’s birthday during dinner.

‘Is it okay to have dinner here on your birthday? Am I keeping you here because I came today?’

When Professor Ki Seonghyeop apologized, Yujin naturally said it was fine, and Jihoon heard that too.

Even so, could he have prepared such a gift in that short time?

No, more than that, why is this person celebrating my birthday?

But Jihoon quickly cut off the budding misconception.

“The boutique seller sent it as a birthday gift. Since Assistant Manager Kim Yujin’s address was listed as the company, they probably just sent it to me.”

Of course, an inexplicable sense of disappointment washed over her, but Yujin quickly adjusted her mindset.

Since Jihoon was a VIP customer, the guests he brought along were also treated as VIPs. The seller, who had noted her body size, had once asked for her birthday, but she never expected them to prepare a gift like this.

“……”

Honestly, since her family fell on hard times, she hadn’t received a proper birthday gift.

Her dad would sometimes give her a little pocket money, and Yoosung would hand her a card he wrote himself to celebrate her birthday, but it had been a long time since she received a neatly wrapped box.

She didn’t know what was inside, but just the fact that she received a gift made her excited.

Everything Jihoon gave her felt burdensome, but this time, strangely, it didn’t feel burdensome at all.

“Thank you.”

Since she couldn’t deny that Jihoon was the one who made it possible for her to receive such a gift, Yujin thanked him and cautiously asked.

“Can I open it?”

“Do as you like. It’s Assistant Manager Kim Yujin’s.”

Even though she received such an extravagant gift because of the enormous amount Jihoon spent at the boutique, she decided to be shameless. Yujin carefully untied the ribbon and opened the box.

“Oh…”

When the bracelet reflecting the streetlight outside the car window was revealed, Yujin instinctively covered her mouth with one hand.

Perhaps because she vaguely expected simple earrings, she was so shocked to see a bracelet studded with what seemed to be diamonds that she couldn’t speak.

Even though it was a courtesy to a VIP, the cheapest earrings from this brand would cost over a million won, so she couldn’t even guess the price of such a bracelet. No, she felt she couldn’t dare to search for the price because she might be even more shocked.

“President, could this have been delivered by mistake?”

When Yujin expressed her doubt, Jihoon didn’t answer but asked something else.

“Is it okay to turn left over there instead of this road?”

Even at night, Jihoon seemed quite annoyed by the ongoing road construction, and he changed lanes to take a different route than the one the navigation suggested.

And he muttered to himself.

“Why do they keep digging up perfectly good roads?”

Unable to speak further to someone who seemed upset about the road being blocked, Yujin quietly looked at the bracelet.

She didn’t want to quickly forget the joy of receiving a gift because of Jihoon’s mood.

Meanwhile, Jihoon’s car safely arrived near the villa where Yujin lived.

“Thank you.”

Yujin’s face was exceptionally bright as she prepared to get out of the car.

At the end of a tangled and twisted day, it felt like she had received some sweet reward.

Though it wasn’t Jihoon’s intention, thanks to him, she could comfortably come home and even received a gift, making this year’s birthday very special.

But there was still more special to come.