A Day Too Awkward
It was a day that words like “weird” couldn’t even begin to describe.
“This far? Just deliver it here?”
Chaemi asked, her round eyes wide with surprise. The silk skirt she wore shimmered like the door lock she’d seen a moment ago.
“This neighborhood gets a lot of calls. Easy to deliver. You live here, huh?”
It was an everyday occurrence for him. No shame, just the usual friendly greeting. But because of the scene he’d witnessed earlier, Yeong-a’s lips refused to lift at the corners.
“Yeah. Dad bought it as an employment gift because it was hard for him to come and go from his family home.”
“Have I mentioned this?”
Every time Chaemi had told her about the new job at the Sahan Hotel, Suho had stared at her with envious eyes.
“I don’t think I told you the exact address. The house is nice. If you sign for it, that’s fine.”
As he handed over the pad, Suho suddenly dashed in from the entrance.
“Chaemi, I’ll handle the payment.”
His voice, once so full of warmth that it used to stir Yeong-a’s chest every time it reached her ears, now carried a trace of fatigue.
Yeong-a subtly twisted her body away.
“I already paid when I ordered. But Suho, Yeong-a came for the delivery, right?”
Chaemi said it in a high tone.
“Huh? Yeong-a?”
Suho, still tucking his wallet away, looked startled and turned toward the entrance corridor. Yeong-a had no choice but to face forward again.
The entrance was dazzlingly bright compared to the dim corridor.
“You were here too, Suho.”
Yeong-a greeted him with a smile. Even a surprise meeting felt welcome.
“Yeah. I was at the wedding house and there was a company event. After it ended, it was another drinking party.
“Heh, Yeong-a, if you join our company, you should come to the club too. Today we all went to a midday nap contest. We really had fun, right, Suho?”
The awkward smile on Suho’s face carried the scent of strong alcohol. Now that she looked closer, his neck and face were flushed.
“If you get a job at our company, you should join the club too. Today we all went to a midday nap contest. We really had fun, right, Suho?”
Aaa… It turns out there was a reason. It wasn’t just the two of them.
Yet somehow her mouth felt bitter. As if she’d witnessed something she shouldn’t have.
Her chest felt a little cool, but she wanted to believe it was just her imagination. For the sake of her long-held belief, she had to.
“By the way, did you go to that place today for a part-time job?”
“Huh? Ah, where?”
It seemed he’d figured it out. Yeong-a’s eyes, hidden in the shadows, shook helplessly. Suho spoke in a firm voice.
“No, there’s no way Yeong-a would do that with another guy.”
In the moment she swept her chest clean inside, Chaemi grabbed her arm.
“Hey, stop delivering and come inside. It’s better to introduce yourself to the company people now.”
“No, I…”
Before Yeong-a could finish, Suho jumped in.
“Chaemi. Yeong-a hasn’t even started working yet, so it’s not a problem.”
“That’s right! Yeong-a, sorry! I almost turned into a troublemaker again. Right, Suho?”
Chaemi winked with one eye and playfully booped herself on the head.
At our age, being a troublemaker and a disaster is just bad manners, isn’t it?
Yeong-a didn’t want to hold a grudge against anyone, but right now she couldn’t stand Chaemi’s little display.
Yet Suho, as if finding Chaemi adorable, lightly grabbed her cheeks too.
“Then I’ll be going.”
Right after clearing up the misunderstanding, she didn’t want to grow worse feelings. Yeong-a quickly turned her body.
“I’ll walk you down to the bottom.”
Suho hurriedly slipped his feet into the shoes by the entrance. Yeong-a’s gaze naturally drifted toward them. She saw the identical pair of gray sneakers and felt an inexplicable sting in her eyes.
Shouldn’t she feel it if she saw bright red or pure blue? Deliberately thinking nonsense, Chaemi also slipped her bare feet into the high-slipper sandals.
“I’ll go too!”
Suho pushed Chaemi’s back as she tried to follow.
“No, Chaemi. People are waiting for the food. It’s night and the wind is already cold outside.”
Chaemi grumbled and carried the food bags inside.
“You too, don’t come out. There are more calls now, so I have to run anyway.”
This time Yeong-a pushed Suho.
“R-really? I’m at Chaemi’s house, so shouldn’t I be thinking weird things? There are all the club people inside.”
Suho scratched the back of his head and spoke in an awkward voice.
“Even with the noise like this, you already know. I see you around the neighborhood.”
“Yeah, like Chaemi said, you should definitely join our company’s club too.”
“Yeah!”
Yeong-a answered brightly, but she couldn’t stop her head from bowing as she turned away.
Staring at the worn-out sneakers’ toe, why did her own nose feel itchy?
While waiting for the elevator and rubbing her nose in vain, Suho came running out from the corridor.
“I was worried, so I’ll walk you all the way down.”
The bright smile that had been on Yeong-a’s face returned.
For a person who wanted nothing, this was enough.
“Yeah!”
In the vice chairman’s office of the Sahan Group headquarters, overlooking Gwanghwamun Plaza. Fitting for a company ranked first and second in the country’s business world, the spacious space overflowed with dignity and authority.
And standing in front of the massive mahogany table, which dominated everything, was a man who radiated overwhelming presence.
It wasn’t the vice chairman Sa Intaek, but his youngest son, Sa Hwigyeom.
A tall frame that didn’t bend under the high ceiling, a sturdy body that perfectly suited the finest suit, and a handsome face that even carried a mysterious aura. From his straight posture flowed his signature arrogance.
Holding a tablet in one hand, Hwigyeom looked far more impressive than a third-generation chaebol heir destined to lead the business world.
He cleared his throat and began reading the article on the tablet in his attractive low voice.
“‘On a warm spring day, the honey-nap contest unfolded at the Han River Park! As an unusual event, various scenes unfolded: one participant came with a stuffed animal and pajamas, while couples were seen engaged in intense displays of affection during the event.’”
Hwigyeom paused briefly, then slightly turned the tablet toward Sa Intaek. The screen showed a woman covered in gold wrapping paper lying on top of a man.
Her features were cleverly hidden, but the photo left no doubt about what was happening. The journalist must have been skilled.
Hwigyeom continued reading in the same indifferent tone.
“‘The main character in this photo is rumored to be a third-generation S Group member, sparking widespread speculation.’”
At that exact moment, Sa Intaek’s roar shattered the office.
“Stop it!”
The long-serving secretary was startled and shrank his shoulders, but Sa Hwigyeom, who would soon turn thirty, sighed calmly.
“You told me to read it because I have eyes. It’s awkward, though.”
Sa Intaek’s face flushed even redder at the untroubled expression of his youngest son.
“When did I tell you to read it out loud? If your eyes can’t see because you’re old—”
Hwigyeom narrowed his eyes slightly and shrugged his shoulders.
“You attended the event, right? Who got left behind there?”
Of course. He hadn’t even thought she would fall asleep. Recalling that moment, his smooth forehead furrowed deeply.
Sa Intaek continued raising his voice.
“Sleep! You should have slept properly, right? What kind of intense affection is that? Is the guy getting married supposed to be out of his mind? What am I supposed to tell Chairman Sa!”
Exhausted by the constant scolding, Hwigyeom’s eyes suddenly flashed with a mad light.
He straightened his head and showed a deeply apologetic expression to his father.
“Upon reflection, I made a hundred mistakes. I promise there will be no more of these incidents, and I will handle this matter cleanly.”
“Hah! What’s with the sudden—”
Sa Intaek was dumbfounded as Hwigyeom bowed with perfect posture. The corners of his mouth seemed to lift in a smile.
“Then I’ll be going, Father.”
Hwigyeom left the vice chairman’s office and headed straight to the Pyo family residence, daughter of Pyo Rije’s father, Pyo Jin Group.
***
Chairman Pyo smiled faintly upon receiving Hwigyeom’s phone call that he would visit soon. Pyo Jin Group was a well-known company with substantial finances, but it was no match for Sahan Group. A marriage arrangement this important would have been difficult without the M&A initiative.
Moreover, the youngest son of the vice chairman, Sa Hwigyeom, was praised for his complete package and towering arrogance among peer chaebol heirs. That was why Chairman Pyo secretly felt the scandal Hwigyeom had created wasn’t entirely bad.
The worry had been that marrying for practicality would make conditions uneven, but the opportunity to break Hwigyeom’s pride early had arrived. It was only natural that capable men strayed, and his daughter, though raised in a chaebol environment, wasn’t narrow-minded enough to not understand.
As expected, when Hwigyeom stepped into the living room of the family home, he bowed deeply.
“I don’t know what apology I should make.”
Whether he was being proper or not, Chairman Pyo found the words a little strange, but since he had lived abroad since middle school, he could understand to some extent.
“My daughter has been cherished by you no less than I have.”
“Eh? W-well, that’s true.”
It was a little suspicious that he accepted the absurd content so willingly while taking a low stance, but it seemed to be going as Chairman Pyo had anticipated.
Until Hwigyeom spoke next.
“I will handle the breakup responsibly.”