MIS 5

“Unnie.”

It was Seo-yoon’s voice.

“Auntie, I’ll call you back later.”

[Okay, but don’t just think about your sister, think about our Jae-min too.]

The call ended. Seo-hee composed herself in the mirror. When she opened the door, Seo-yoon was standing there.

“Unnie, are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Why?”

“Were you on the phone with Aunt?”

Seo-hee smiled brightly as if to reassure her.

Looking at her smile, Seo-yoon said, “I’ll get a part-time job after the entrance exams. I’ll also help you pay off the debts.”

Nineteen-year-old Seo-yoon fidgeted.

Her innocent and cute sister made Seo-hee’s heart ache. She couldn’t just laugh it off.

She didn’t want to burden her young sister with the same burdens she carried.

She wanted her sister to live a life free of financial worries, which made her put on a brave face even if she didn’t feel it.

“Don’t worry about it. Unnie makes a lot of money. You know, because of the nature of the secretary’s job, there’s a lot of overtime and business trips, so I get paid extra.”

“….”

“And all the students I helped with their essays got into top universities through the essay-based admissions process. That’s why I get paid twice as much as other teachers. I even get bonuses.”

“Really?”

“You’d be surprised if you knew how much Unnie makes in a month.”

Seo-yoon blinked her big eyes and looked around the room.

There were no decent clothes, not even an ordinary mid-priced brand bag. It felt empty for a room belonging to a working woman in her 20s.

“I have saved all the money I need to pay back Managing Director Kang. So don’t worry about money, Seo-yoon. Just tell Unnie if you need an allowance. Okay?”

“…Okay.”

Seo-yoon just looked at her clasped hands with a confused expression.

* * *

It was a cold morning.

On her way to work, Seo-hee stopped at a bank near the company. Standing in front of the ATM, she updated her savings account.

Whirr. Her heart raced along with the mechanical sound of the bankbook being updated.

After a short wait, the machine spat out her bankbook.

“Exactly 200 million won.”

Seo-hee opened her bankbook and smiled with satisfaction.

“Freedom.”

It really was freedom.

She had felt a weight on her chest, but the money she had diligently saved since she was twenty was finally complete.

Since college, she had tutored four students a week and worked part time at night. Even after joining the company, she continued to edit essays.

She walked to save on bus fare and settled for two or three sets of clothes per season. She had never been to a trendy cafe or a fancy restaurant.

This was the money she had saved for six years.

“It’s really over now.”

The reason she returned from Vietnam early was to hand over her secretarial duties to Yoon-jung while Tae-jun was away.

Tae-jun was about to get engaged.

The next chairman of Jeya Group and the youngest daughter of the chairman of KM Group.

A stoic man and a woman who grew up surrounded by love.

Could there be a more noble and well-matched couple?

The engagement talks started two months ago.

Seo-hee decided to quit her job at that time.

Sex partners, a relationship that had to end.

And she believed it was right for her to resign before the engagement officially took place.

“I should give it to him along with my letter of resignation.”

Seo-hee put the bankbook in her bag and left the bank.

Ever since she left home, she felt that the sky was cloudy and it looked like it was going to rain.

The clouds obscured the sunlight and soon raindrops began to fall.

Office workers on the street started to run for cover. Seo-hee walked silently among them.

She thought she was fine.

But now that she was about to end her relationship with Tae-jun, now that she had to witness the engagement of the man she loved, her heart ached.

She saw a couple walking side by side under a single umbrella.

Suddenly, she remembered the day she first met Tae-jun.

* * *

It was a rainy day on campus. She was twenty years old.

Seo-hee waited for Yoon-woo in the hallway outside the classroom.

With the textbook she was returning to Yoon-woo in her arms, she had a quick look around.

There was a man who had been attracting the attention of the female students for a while.

He was wearing an expensive suit. He was very tall and had broad shoulders.

Was he a student of the drama department, or perhaps an actor or a model?

She had seen countless drama and film students in her liberal arts classes. But none of them were as handsome as him.

Then Seo-hee remembered Yoon-woo’s messenger profile picture. He said that it was a picture taken with his brother.

‘That must be Yoon-woo’s brother.’

Tae-jun, who was holding a black umbrella in his hand, looked out of the window.

It seemed like he had come to pick up Yoon-woo, who had asked him to come because he didn’t have an umbrella.

“Excuse me…”

Seo-hee held out the textbook to Tae-jun.

“What is it?”

“Are you Yoon-woo’s brother? I’m Yoon-woo’s friend.”

Seo-hee was intimidated by his unexpectedly commanding voice. She had planned to give him the book and go to her part-time job.

“This is a book I borrowed from Yoon-woo. Could you give it to him for me?”

Tae-jun didn’t take the book and just stared at Seo-hee. Seo-hee’s face blushed in embarrassment at his sharp gaze. When she tried to take the book back, Tae-jun grabbed it from her.

“How did you know that I am Yoon-woo’s brother?”

“I saw it on Yoon-woo’s messenger profile picture.”

Tae-jun frowned as if the picture hadn’t been uploaded with his permission.

“Well, goodbye then!”

Thinking that she shouldn’t have said that, she quickly turned around, but his deep voice stopped her.

“Umbrella.”

“Yes?”

“I asked if you had an umbrella.”

“Well…”

“I only have one umbrella, it’s not enough for three people.”

“I’m fine.”

Tae-jun didn’t answer and just gestured for her to follow him, then he walked ahead. Seo-hee quickly followed him as he walked away with his long legs.

“What about Yoon-woo?”

“I told him to get rained on.”

The walk to the parking lot was especially awkward. He was so silent that she wondered why he had offered her a ride.

The man was the complete opposite of Yoon-woo. They didn’t even look alike, even though they were brothers.

If Yoon-woo had a soft, boyish image, Tae-jun was more masculine and mature.

With every step, Seo-hee’s shoulder brushed against Tae-jun’s strong arm.

Seo-hee secretly swallowed. She looked sideways and saw Tae-jun’s profile.

His deep-set eyes, sharp nose and jawline were immaculately chiseled.

Seo-hee stared at Tae-jun for a long time without realizing it.

He definitely radiated an intense aura that made it impossible to look away.

Twenty-six looked different from the perspective of a twenty-year-old.

Dressed in a suit, he looked like a strong and mature adult, unlike the young men she often saw on campus.

A refreshing yet elegant scent emanated from Tae-jun.

Seo-hee quietly breathed in his scent. At the same time, she wondered if she smelled musty.

Then it happened.

A splash of rainwater came from behind and Yoon-woo squeezed between them. Startled, Seo-hee was pushed out of the umbrella and almost fell, but Tae-jun’s strong arm caught her.

“Careful.”

Seo-hee’s eyelashes trembled as she looked down at Tae-jun’s hand around her waist.

“What the, were you going to leave without me?”

“There’s only one umbrella.”

“Hyung, you’re so romantic. Were you planning on spending some time alone with her? Why did you bring only one?”

Tae-jun’s lips curled up slightly at Yoon-woo’s playful words.

So this is what he looks like when he smiles. His slight smile made Seo-hee’s heart flutter.

“Did the two of you introduce yourselves to each other?”

Yoon-woo seemed eager to introduce Seo-hee to his brother.

“Hyung, Seo-hee is the prettiest girl in our school.”

Seo-hee nudged Yoon-woo’s side and told him to stop joking. Yoon-woo groaned and continued.

“Isn’t she pretty, Hyung? Seo-hee is also popular with the Sunbaenim. It’s annoying.”

She felt Tae-jun’s gaze. He was staring at her.

Seo-hee’s heart raced uncontrollably.

Then Tae-jun just nodded slightly without saying a word and looked away. It felt as if he agreed with Yoon-woo and Seo-hee’s face burned.

“You can drop me off in front of Sinchon Station.”

“Ask Hyung to take you home. We’ve known each other since high school. I still don’t know where you live.”

“I just live near Sinchon Station.”

Seo-hee mumbled vaguely about where she lived after getting into the car.

“Wow, Han Seo-hee. Drawing the line with me again?”

Seo-hee laughed softly at Yoon-woo’s question.

“It’s not like that.”

Her eyes met Tae-jun’s in the rearview mirror. As if he read her uneasiness, Tae-jun turned the steering wheel quietly.

Seo-hee got off at Sinchon station. Only after the car had left did she go down to the subway station. She couldn’t bring herself to tell the brothers, who were in a luxury foreign car, that she lived in a slum.

She entered the subway and opened her bag.  She saw the three-fold umbrella she had put in there that morning.

“Why did I pretend that I didn’t have an umbrella…?”

Seo-hee blushed and fiddled with the umbrella.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of the man she had just met.

* * *

Lost in thought, she stopped walking.

Memories from the first time she saw Tae-jun until yesterday flashed through her mind.

It must have been an insignificant encounter for him, something he wouldn’t even remember, but not for Seo-hee.

Ever since she had fallen in love with Tae-jun when she was twenty, she had respected and loved him as a man and as her boss.

“Why do I always…? Managing Director Kang probably doesn’t even remember…”

The heavy downpour stopped. Looking up, she saw a large umbrella opening above her head.

Startled, Seo-hee turned around. Her eyes wavered uncontrollably as she recognized the dark figure.

“Is getting rained on a hobby of yours?”

“Manager…”

Tae-jun, who was holding the umbrella, looked at her as if to ask what she was doing here. Then he chuckled softly at her stunned expression.

“You haven’t changed. Still not carrying an umbrella.”