Chapter 10

Just then,

Yeon-su’s phone buzzed loudly.

“Excuse me, I need to take this call.”

She glanced at the caller ID and asked Jin-hyuk for permission.

“You can just answer it here.”

At his words, she hesitated.

The restaurant was cramped, with narrow aisles and tables crammed close together. Their table was pushed all the way inside, so she would have to push past people to get out.

Grateful, she gave him a quick nod and picked up.

Because she felt awkward taking a personal call in front of him, she lowered the volume all the way down and pressed answer.

— When can you vacate the house?

Her landlord’s booming voice blasted through the receiver.

She fumbled, realizing she had accidentally turned the volume to maximum.

“I haven’t found a place yet. I’ll move out by the end of the lease.”

— I told you ages ago! And you’re only moving at the last minute?

“I’m sorry, but the contract is binding. Please understand.”

— My son needs to move in. We’ve got to renovate before that, so hurry and find a place. I’ll pay you back the deposit right away.

The call ended brusquely.

A faint sigh slipped through her lips.

Jin-hyuk, who had clearly overheard, asked,

“When’s the lease up?”

“Next month. I’ve been looking, but nothing decent has come up.”

He watched her silently before saying,

“A place close to work, clean, spacious, and secure. How does that sound?”

“Of course that would be great.”

She smiled awkwardly. It wasn’t that she didn’t know where good homes were. It was that she couldn’t afford them.

“Then move into my place. Plenty of spare rooms.”

Her eyes widened.

She stared at him, speechless.

“Not for free. Think of it as rent. You handle some household duties, take care of family events, things like that. How about it?”

“Forgive me for asking, but… are you suggesting I work for you as a housekeeper?”

“Not exactly. Something along those lines, maybe.”

She shook her head quickly.

“No, thank you. I’ll find my own place.”

The very thought of living under the same roof as her boss was absurd.

She still had the twenty million won Su-ryeon had given her. Add the ten million won deposit she already had, and she could afford something similar to her current place.

She had no idea why he was making such an offer, but she didn’t dare ask. She was afraid of what kind of overwhelming answer might come back.

At that moment—

“Oh, Ha Yeon-su?”

As soon as the table next to them emptied, new diners sat down.

To her horror, it was Assistant Manager Kim and Kang Yeon-su.

One of the men recognized her first, then spotted Jin-hyuk and bolted upright, bowing a perfect ninety degrees.

“Executive Director, good afternoon!”

Kang Yeon-su’s eyes also flew wide.

“Oh my, hello, Director!”

Her voice, which always grew sweeter and more nasal around men, was especially cloying now. She beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.

Jin-hyuk merely gave a curt nod.

“How are you two here together?”

Now Kang’s gaze darted to Ha Yeon-su, sharp with jealousy.

“Your foot seems fine now.”

Ha Yeon-su’s eyes dropped pointedly to her colleague’s feet.

Following her gaze, Jin-hyuk looked too.

“Oh, my foot? It’s all better now.”

Ha! She had needed to be carried to the infirmary, but now she was strutting around in heels? Clearly she had never been hurt at all.

“That’s good to hear. Glad it wasn’t serious.”

Ha Yeon-su’s smile carried a trace of irony.

“And with the Director, how did you…?”

“He happened to be inspecting the warehouse and helped me out.”

“She was working alone down there, so I said I’d buy her lunch.”

Jin-hyuk interjected smoothly.

“Does the marketing team not have any men?”

The indifferent remark turned Assistant Manager Kim’s face crimson.

“There’s no such thing as men’s work and women’s work in an office. I was perfectly capable of handling it.”

Ha Yeon-su smiled brightly.

“I like that attitude.”

The approval in his voice made Kang Yeon-su’s face twist.

That was exactly what she herself had told Kim earlier.

“And how exactly did you hurt your foot, Miss Kang?”

“I was helping out in the warehouse too. I climbed a ladder and fell. That’s why Assistant Manager Kim took me to the infirmary.”

She babbled, blinking rapidly.

Jin-hyuk let out a sharp, amused snort.

No bandages. No splint. Not even swelling above her high heels.

“If you can wear stilettos just hours later, then you were never injured in the first place, were you?”

“I-I didn’t mean…”

Her voice faltered.

“This isn’t school or home, Miss Kang. If you want to last until the end of your contract, do your job properly.”

The iciness in his tone left no room for argument.

Kang’s eyes trembled with suppressed rage.

* * *

After lunch, Jin-hyuk returned to his office.

Chief Jeon was pacing anxiously, waiting for him.

“What is it?”

“The Chairman is here, sir. He’s been waiting.”

Leaving his phone behind to visit the warehouse and then going straight to lunch with Yeon-su was clearly a mistake.

Inside, Do Ju-myung was seated on the sofa, his empty teacup on the table showing he had been waiting quite a while.

“What took you so long? Jeon says you were in the warehouse.”

His voice bristled with irritation.

Jin-hyuk stayed silent as he sat across from him.

Instead of pressing, Do Ju-myung tossed a file at him.

“What is this?”

“Stop asking and pick one.”

He opened the file.

A list of potential blind dates.

He skimmed through until he stopped, lips curling.

“Wasn’t this woman’s name Esther?”

The youngest daughter of Daeyang Trading, the one he had already turned down, now appeared under the name Jung Hana.

“Esther’s her baptismal name. Her real name is Jung Hana. She’s full of water energy, which makes her perfect for you.”

Jin-hyuk’s brows twitched in irritation.

“Her birthday doesn’t match.”

“Her parents delayed the birth registration. She’s officially listed as February, but she was actually born January 31. That makes her lunar December.”

Jin-hyuk let out a disbelieving laugh.

Changing names, changing birthdays too?

“This one is the eldest daughter of Geumhyeong Holdings, Han Se-bin, born in December. She’s willing to change her name after marriage. And here’s Lee Soo-bin, second daughter of Hanse Daily…”

Do Ju-myung pointed at names one after another.

Despite the strict conditions, he had managed to compile quite a list.

None were truly suitable, of course.

Once, Do Ju-myung’s judgment had been razor-sharp. He had solved crises decisively and made bold investments for the future.

But after illness nearly took his life, he had begun to lean more and more on Myung-un.

Jin-hyuk had dismissed it as natural. No one wanted to die, and the older one got, the more desperate one became to cling to life.

He could understand.

But letting Myung-un dictate his marriage? That, he could not accept.

“That’s enough.”

“What? You insolent brat!”

Do Ju-myung’s face flushed with rage.

“I’ll find the woman myself. A December-born with strong water energy. Leave it to me.”

“Bring her by next month. Or you can kiss your position goodbye!”

The old man’s voice thundered, but Jin-hyuk remained calm.

“I have an external meeting now.”

He rose smoothly.

“Take care on your way out.”

Without another glance, he walked out, Chief Jeon hurrying after him.
 

To be continued

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