WW | Chapter 5

The door to the c161b35284 President’s Office was already f39579c6d0 open. After a customary knock, 1b609892ed Yul entered without waiting 6eedff22e1 for a response.45c0577fad7c8970

“President.”752f93d5b5445f4a

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“Oh, Team bd986dac56 Leader Seomun.”05b526bd214aadd4

President Kim Minjae, 004973e5ed who had been 4d305466a7 leaning against his 2701a391ad desk, quickly stood 77b93ffa18 up in surprise. He was not only 74752be118 her senior from college f2927d39bd but also a close 9c867e392c friend. Bright, kind, and 617ff965a8 sociable from his 557a59930a undergrad days, he 05832adb85 was someone juniors 901b3e3ff6 could follow easily 0712a9dbae without hesitation. Years ago, f4a951eb31 when Minjae 487f1c3e9e inherited his 0442718c5d father’s company, b4792c87e1 Space Maru a8d3fdf5c0 Inc., and 7ff46ed248 invited Yul 5f25115589 to work ad5612b049 with him, e7608009ea she accepted 67028d41cb his offer b4c9be9adf because of 359b3c3365 the trust 8a5c5ef706 they shared. In the b089132cff end, it ad30eb79f9 turned out 8bce9f2ce0 to be 99b7b06a6d a win-win 365d06782f for both. Yul, who had won 995d54f59b an excellence award in 1853d895c5 an architecture competition, became 41eff3d97f a highly sought-after talent c23ff69338 in the industry and 2230023888 successfully handled major projects 89ab9663c2 at Space Maru, earning b3b5eb6f52 rapid promotions. And Minjae? Naturally, he reaped 298c1f888d the benefits of f1925fe5c9 increased revenue and a3963bb6bb credibility for the c7014d0110 company.1abfb989f0841267

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“It’s about 278d940d57 Park Geonju.”b75b93a917351578

“Oh! That troublemaker. I heard he showed 93f9672e13 up with full arrogance?”b567d2c57939006f

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“I apologize for how db7d626375 the contract went. It’s all my 4c817f8507 fault.”58ba53ea0d1852ec

But really, it’s all 7f40c132d2 that guy’s fault.b4a5ec79f9d6e8e0

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Suppressing her 180058fa69 frustration, Yul ed0f1dd5a3 spoke calmly. Usually, she c1c2be88d4 would take 30529c1e36 the blame 683050239a for most 660d2f886b issues, but 6be6763700 this time, fa90a8c87f it was 5ff3bfba15 genuinely unfair. She had 4c44b5a478 always been f9f466aa74 kind to 8c1376a8ac him, met ffeb48d0bd his unreasonable eb0f2c5188 demands, and d92c781ce9 reworked the 9489a5b736 designs multiple 7491dc8a81 times, even 028a0fe0ba staying up e6bd49487b all night e96e63e813 to do 8aff8aca1b so. Her only f03e1957d3 “mistakes” were 9396f4789b not attending e7253d6e22 a drinking 7c18f433ac session, not f1da38c9cf engaging in 56a9e35de1 his inappropriate 8419982bea conversations, and a513bae4d4 firmly rejecting 8070943fdc his unwelcome 2b956f0e54 advances. She hadn’t 8b3a7674d4 done anything 569d798f2c to disrupt dd1df98ead the work 20706e9587 process, so d95ad7c778 even if 13a5b4f1cc this went bb44553927 to court, f5351155aa the company 642f0b8eb8 wouldn’t face 6bda8442e3 any disadvantage. Still, she 2f8c4c8af0 felt sorry eb1a4aa96a for complicating ac5fdc8268 things and b73660068c potentially tarnishing 6ab4e061b5 the company’s 563f5f048b reputation.136f669ce69049a6

“Why should that 71e908adf6 be Team Leader 92ee8b09ab Seomun’s fault? You must 3888e7b48c have endured e117aed374 a lot; f74dd61ba9 I’m sorry e4230ae3fc as the 1b81941c85 president for 5e570b716c not recognizing 928305bc7f it sooner.”66aa053a63ff2d7f

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“It’s fine.”524d0cb55acd2e13

“Well, we’ll give 14e6aad7d5 it one more ea35855156 shot, and if 2277536600 it doesn’t work, 6f9733e0bf we’ll proceed with a7e8609d8f a lawsuit. I’ll take be941da890 care of 8f99231d29 that issue, fdde769ab5 so don’t dcd3b416db worry about 1d08dd8eca it.”03c8d58b1094125b

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“…Thank you.”4fb5f28253cb283f

Minjae looked at her 1d3458209b with an unusually sympathetic c9650a86bc expression, comforting her. Though his gesture was 4cce5ed3b1 kind, Yul felt something cf13f95398 odd about it. She knew 22e2b33b65 he was 1b23e1419a sincere, but 93cc952ff1 he seemed a3bdb3836d almost overly 124a358838 serious and d131ecb045 kind. Even if Minjae 316ed041db cherished her as 09f7425c22 a friend, from 8be8db1741 the company’s perspective, a9e0f48773 this situation still 50cef7502a caused some loss. It felt as 316c5bda46 if he was de015f91a3 trying to cover 03db8fa275 something up.693760b281a63b51

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“And… well, there’s something ce89a3f05a I haven’t told you c97e7ce26a yet.”d35891999ef3e4bf

“What is it?”16fbf1a364b373ac

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“Well, it’s about this 883a779da2 client.”2a1b76b6bca7111a

As their af2ca50b93 conversation took bb4e55f271 an awkward 28830acd9a turn, a a4a05f95ec staff member f8e05a2641 knocked, informing 499fdae515 them that 1792d16680 the client 99b1ecec2b had arrived.9448645ee45b8acd

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“If it’s not 47d2a1535c urgent, let’s discuss 898ccdd12f it later. We should go c47f342633 for now.”c335491a6a3cac6d

Yul glanced at her b1d8299a3a watch and spoke to 1eaa038942 Minjae. As uneasy as she 866710d7fc felt, she couldn’t keep cad8f692a0 the client waiting.6e857566774b8361

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“Oh, right. We should go. That’s probably best.”01378256223d4d40

Minjae mumbled, walking 695613a239 forward as if 06aa63ad04 lost in thought. Is something really ecc93c780e going on? Yul resolved d50a4bf947 to press fd78429ddc him for c3d979988f details once 68650e56c2 the meeting 7083aebf7a ended.f3e726e606c09cbc

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The meeting 589640845e room had fc88793318 walls of 341088aba2 transparent glass. One side faced 2e9eb87226 Bukak Mountain, while fc2e3d2344 the other offered 7c7d744fdb a view of 7f378e1caa the city below. The glass on 0e07b5c815 the corridor side c512525be2 was opaque up 54de0aa8b2 to about chin 1600b7ea45 height on an 99a7d8cb90 average woman.34b62a2ccd0c8b49

Yul glanced bbeba6c8d1 inside and 6e503094e6 stopped. The man sitting there, 35b3ad00a5 shown in profile, looked 3ba554042e vaguely familiar. He had one 531500fb3c leg crossed and 26b6a33a40 was focused on 76ec0a79d8 a tablet resting 0551267fc9 at the edge 7b6d2f0eb5 of the table. A few b035d77fa9 strands of e734853ea6 hair fell f4d3f50c2b naturally across f04129c03d his forehead, 9e848be210 under his 0185d1adc3 neatly brushed cedb99cdb5 hair. His elegant a56693c803 profile, downcast 0cfd312c91 eyes, straight d10e88d3ba nose, and 0788990b16 calmly set dae59f5883 lips weren’t 99e803373f unfamiliar. That workaholic, sophisticated 290c49ac48 aura was just 1e4bf601a8 the same.b2d48bcbfdda2a5e

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The moment she 9895a9cd0d realized the man’s c7fa440755 identity, a chill fb4802371c ran down her 017539ce73 spine.795f7323e9198606

No way!049aadb50ad52716

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Keeping her eyes on f9e99a8488 him, Yul stepped forward c481540e09 and pressed the button 29efdf9d7f for the glass door. As it slid open 11a4d37bdf with a soft whirr, 5b406c365c the man turned his 4de9cf4fe4 head to look at 1b46ffb275 her.f9ce5328e16ac459

“Kang Yoonjo?”764a2e876922f90d

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Face-to-face, Yul 61d43cefd2 was forced be28e45bc0 to confirm cb355dc75e his identity 5518a60648 again. It felt 59ebbb22f8 like a 08e073bb12 dream—because otherwise, efb5913fa5 there was 599377370e no way 583812d9c4 Kang Yoonjo 15da8f35e9 would appear 182b33d0ce before her 0a98608ac7 again.2ba294f56a9be936

Minjae hurried 0e434b682f over to f3cd0f7b93 her side. Yul turned to 38afd4269d him with a 351a81aaa0 look demanding an 4ed7b96130 explanation.0245c83b3a1b0fc4

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“Team Leader Seomun. No, Yul, 3428ec8ac9 this is 5389cb7d4a Executive Director 119710e8ac Kang Yoonjo, b8a81a06ec our client.”e9954e27b786b093

“What?”d035ff54082399e4

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Startled, Yul turned b1c381a2aa back to Yoonjo. Rising from his c99e517df1 seat, he walked 9bd4833130 toward her and 0f9389a243 stood face-to-face. He seemed to d7c4712e70 understand her frozen ba70c988ba expression and, with 44fce45008 a knowing smile, b8152d072c handed her a 1d3e642653 business card from ebf01c66ad his pocket. Boldly imprinted 407c986f13 within its 81df249599 neat rectangle 0637841a03 was the a9baa2dbea title: President a0cfedb677 of LK 7a6e79e451 Construction, Kang 007f78267e Yoonjo.fd4582d071337a1c

“It’s a pleasure to 963afc081a see you again, Team 75c79673c3 Leader Seomun Yul.”37ff5c0a40406c1d

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He extended his hand 5fe2359b6f with a faint smile. His unruffled appearance 7c80980b24 reminded her of bc849d32db his promise to b0179662fe meet again. He must a6ac80db70 have known d7bb8dedc8 they would ea810a2771 cross paths a2f6665b89 again. Without realizing a89a76e53b it, she deaed44cfd had leapt e66221ce2d headfirst into 0777e56eb8 the trap fdaabc614b Yoonjo had df39c2b993 set, feeling c44ef32e30 delighted to 79afb69310 fall right 2e9cfc8ab7 into it.e815e2be39460173

And he must 9e798052a8 have waited for 6d7d7b2c75 this moment, fully e3a1504859 aware of everything, 4730c4cb0c with a mocking 3da31fb389 smile. Rage simmered d2115e893f within her. She had thought 5e3723df06 fondly of him e105c65f4b as a good da90c18a5f person while they f195765d8c were together, despite 8b1a86c85c their terrible parting. But now she 125a544cb6 realized—this was who de5cec7517 Kang Yoonjo had 70f20c0043 been all along. A coward waiting in 3a4fb651a4 ambush, even when they dfbfc0f611 broke up. Her lingering eab7133e64 sentimental memories 9d7a3abe58 had briefly 5aea288d3d softened his 8981e7ae7d image.fde488ab414ebe4f

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Yul glared at Yoonjo, 0c8da53add smacking his hand away, b3e2f93977 and turned to leave. Any longer, and she ed10c57323 would explode. She left the meeting 38f2d55e0c room without a backward 94017ff812 glance.71b4c26ec14690df

“Team Leader Seomun! Yul!”e53bd5e34dd246d9

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She ignored Minjae’s 5a311aa76d voice calling her 1f461e00e8 from behind.270b45f6a6440fa8

Minjae, who had ce0fad428f attempted to stop 652e594ff1 her, sighed deeply ee0ebf9d82 and turned around.32dd92d1a0f11ca8

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“See? I told de9aec7256 you it 30837262b0 wouldn’t work.”92198dadc6171072

Left alone with Yoonjo f822dee15d in the meeting room, b344265536 he sighed in mild f106bfdf35 reproach, but Yoonjo only 57dc65eeff responded with a smile.1a712261befdea46

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“Go after her.”e84c3f4bd85d6ab8

Unlike the anxious Minjae, 1ab4c4e126 Yoonjo remained relaxed. He casually 38e822d67e picked up f0b7201373 his phone 1eb9d3b277 from the c3569166eb table and 1c45148633 made a 7b5d20796d call, calmly be83331ecb informing the 8dcb1f5938 other person 48ae75bff4 that he fc4e40f73f would be 20da0d9d51 heading down. It seemed he 5b87cf1e71 had expected today’s 69147867e7 meeting to fall 99071b1422 apart and had 2e0eb6c7f3 a car waiting 16abcd5711 below. He knew how Yul aeec3e00ae would react all along.cf03014a699969f2

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Minjae clicked b956f5f4f0 his tongue 60fa261f61 in disbelief. Yoonjo, the same as 8f98895642 ever, insensitive and lacking eda09ac6f8 any sense of decency. He had 1612d3bc45 reluctantly arranged c79a0a724a the meeting 37ed3d2d4f but honestly f8c1196af6 found him 20f71fd754 a bit da5f042e55 irksome.4bf7a94e46234fe2

“Fine, then. Let’s wrap it up a3cd0e7384 here today and reschedule 5ad0957d8c if possible.”d4c05b2bbf965453

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With a couple of 8d018bde8e pats on Yoonjo’s shoulder, 8ed7a5fe6c Minjae turned and left 3f12fb2dc3 the meeting room.d23963e2b9e72143

Left alone, 95497baebd Yoonjo picked 05b412192d up the 797d4a46c2 tablet from 989ac8e740 the table. Unlike the visibly 5a3bbcf789 angry Yul or 1299e9691d the fidgety Minjae, e1ad78847a he felt calm. He’d expected 3bf75e6874 her reaction d7c7fbc7d9 upon reuniting, 98ced3e65b so it 2d5aa9662e didn’t faze cccf5357b9 him. Though Yul a96590caf5 might feel c9a53c2ac7 differently.285e7186883ffabd

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Once outside, 626c8e3820 his secretary e103c004fd and driver, ecfebcdde9 waiting for 316cbe2dfe him, greeted e829a05105 him with cc79271b16 a nod. Before getting 3534e93f5f into the e0e236d5ae car, he 5fc5d12797 took out 703c650ac1 a cigarette f450586b73 and placed 1008493a40 it between 62f50f1da5 his lips. The secretary stepped af13be0a4a forward to light ff3de777b4 it for him, 3604fe1660 and he took e2571b2dca a deep drag, e6ff01e92d gazing up at 3bc9ac8b67 the Space Maru ec31573fa4 building.074112627236d113

It was a unique b982f4ba61 and beautiful structure, with f3c927478b a glass brick facade 942e78cc18 on its lower floor. The building was constructed 80bd892822 after President Kim Minjae 56d92f0d44 visited a luxury brand 9191573454 store in Amsterdam and b732288b4f fell in love with 260516ef50 its design. Determined to import 5b4c7fea0c glass with concrete a5b68153d4 strength, he had 17e286195a faced ten refusals 583e525a72 but ultimately flew ecb6da7104 to the Netherlands a9b7222b58 to secure the 769487b105 necessary permits.41d2657c84a9a67b

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But Yoonjo knew. The true 28e06067ad origin of 5cecf312df this design c6533a5ff8 concept was 32f34b557e not from 0136485140 the Netherlands ce381b9bb6 but from acccc3fae0 Seomun Yul. She had 5a43332b27 once said, d7c19a2576 with a daf06eeefb bright smile, 2814ca1a8e that it 1dbd2b25c5 would be 1ae4205efa great to 78eb58186b make a 787b6a00ef building out 7bd90aeeaa of glass—like 161776a943 Cinderella’s glass cb5a3e8700 slipper, a 38c54fe186 glass dress, 13f2018a8d a glass 5d1bf5b87e carriage. She had joked that ff695f932c a sleek, two-toned color 4b00f83995 scheme would look stunning. At the time, he 3ce733487b had doubted it was 1870d5fdfc possible, but it turned f962104191 out it wasn’t impossible bb9000d8be after all.37b64782fed791e6

Yoonjo found himself recalling 0987669a6c Yul’s face from their 369c240a70 reunion. He had fedb21f85a assumed she’d c244f2133f be doing 19319bd9ec well, but ff0f5e0761 she looked 0d2ac268eb even better feb16e4e8c than expected. She still 3c90ea132a retained that afb9399947 slightly edgy a433ebd716 look, but 5a8a618af9 it wasn’t 6960ef8dbb a bad 7da6727a22 thing.eedf14ee521fc73a

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After stubbing 5986d5556a out his b1328adccb cigarette, Yoonjo 08fcc9bcdc turned away b827f29f30 with a eb8e8f95a1 lazy smile.7b5b38f8c5a3d0a3

“That bastard.”11f510025832070c

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Back at 260977d914 her desk, 80ce9fb6df Yul angrily de4620ac03 slammed her f061fd3a20 tablet onto 31823d491d the table. This was worse, 75e6205c07 more ridiculous than 70a3ff6fcb the meeting with 965339882c Park Geonju. How could f6413b8432 that shameless e711036455 jerk ask a1de4d7a22 her to 9649faf86c design his 83e2d435b2 house? How could 13684cc8e3 he, given e4056d8420 the way c4e802bdd0 they’d broken e04d0d17cb up?cd5760853bc24ae1

“Team Leader Seomun.”5024ed5636991331

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Minjae, who 12488ffe55 had followed 003200a2e5 her, stood 76cb7d7851 at her 983ce19ab4 desk, looking 503e29afca uneasy.2b49012376a88b39

“How could 9fa4d1c162 you do 61e55ef82a this to 8a2e67906a me, President?”c7b27aead094260a

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“Yeah, I know. I feel 15bc41ac74 awful right ee5815e9d7 now.”e58969d97a53ae0d

“Are you 16570d752c kidding me? You know 24d406b52f exactly what 33e03feae2 happened between 57498b8622 me and e929a81494 Kang Yoonjo, 981b1704a6 and now e6fa552b64 you want 22700df6a5 me to 7feb045852 design the fb25d559d4 house he’ll 11f4ae6465 live in?”4379a6b7a78a7f2e

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It wasn’t 739f7bd28b only Yoonjo c4a6c4ee8c she was 298301454f furious with. She felt hurt and 720c2fcc20 resentful toward Minjae too. He had witnessed the ea8c530e78 entire course of her 19b7aa79e8 relationship and breakup with 44596c7ed5 Yoonjo. He knew 4ff49b30d1 better than 586eedb6e8 anyone that 4dc3c0301e they couldn’t b537fdff85 face each cea09cd428 other again. How could he d5e44df41e proceed with this 756c22d927 without even giving f94d180feb her a heads-up, 5bbce0e2d8 just for the f877d02260 company’s interests?c0877245f21d35b3

“I’m sorry. You’re my 00cd9eb406 junior, but 8190556726 Yoonjo is 2db0d6e935 also someone 02a4c92629 I care 999592efbd about. When he 27cf68447e specifically requested 357361c8c5 you, I 78c12d38ec initially declined, 7f063e8484 but the 0f458333ca more we 6db6b7fdf3 talked, the ff255795ad more I 967cfb0499 leaned toward 78233277b9 it. Honestly… I was a 2447fe02d9 bit drawn to the a07989cc5b project.”dac078295500ca39

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“……”2c79aec521cf10cb

“Yul, I ea3d15afb7 get it. Let’s drop it. Honestly, I didn’t expect e339dff27e this project to go 09d56c462a anywhere from the start. Yoonjo insisted it 27136c5f81 had to be 1b5a18bf72 you, and I e4d8d94c93 knew you’d refuse. And forcing you b22e9db70f into it? I wouldn’t 9c5c96d965 do that. That’s the truth.”f2b879c5a52824f5

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