The Chairman's Decree

Dohyun answered without a moment's hesitation.

"This is Kang Dohyun."

"Yes, it's me."

Chairman Kang's voice came through the receiver as unhurried as ever.

"I heard there was quite a mess at the company. Is everything back to normal?"

"Yes. All departments resumed operations as of today."

"Good. And I suppose the project will be getting underway soon?"

"The teams assigned to the project have already been decided."

"What about Planning Team 2?"

Dohyun's gaze dropped to the project roster on his desk.

The Chairman surely knew exactly what he was asking. He knew Dohyun had decided to cut Planning Team 2 from the project.

"I've decided to exclude that team. Staffing the project with experienced personnel only will be more efficient."

"Hmm……"

"I believe it was a decision that eliminates unnecessary variables."

"So Planning Team 2 is an unnecessary variable now, is it……"

A low chuckle drifted through the phone.

Dohyun's brow creased faintly, a flicker of unease crossing his face.

"Executive Director Kang."

"Yes."

"Include Planning Team 2 in the project."

Dohyun said nothing. The Chairman's voice pressed on, iron-hard.

"I didn't sit back and let that girl into the company for nothing."

"……"

"Or are you planning to ignore my decision?"

The wound on his right shoulder throbbed, heavy and dull.

Dohyun offered no argument of any kind, only a docile reply.

"Understood. I'll include Planning Team 2."

"Good. And go on a date with your fiancée once in a while. You're marrying soon — how do you expect that to work, living like strangers? You two are never together."

Dohyun's expression stiffened.

He'd known the man kept tabs on him, but he hadn't expected it to be brought up this brazenly.

"…If I find the time……"

"Send me a photograph within the month. With your future wife."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's your good fortune that your fiancée is so fond of you."

The corner of Dohyun's mouth twisted as he answered.

"……Yes, sir."

"And come home often. All right, I'll hang up."

Dohyun stared down at the phone for a moment before slowly setting it down.

Then, for no particular reason, he glared at it.

The Chairman's little suggestion had almost certainly sprung from her scheming. That was exactly the kind of thing that woman would pull.

Because that was simply who Sojin was.

I was briefly mistaken about her.

I nearly fell for it — her little act of virtue.

Dohyun let out a hollow laugh.

"Ha."

How had he forgotten? Every single one of her actions was nothing but a scheme to sink her hooks into him.

My judgment really has been slipping lately.

Dohyun tapped his pen against the desk.

Before she could sow any more confusion.

I need to remove her. Immediately.

All he had to do was make her quit. Whether he buried her under an impossible workload or drove her out in disgrace — either would do.

Dohyun was about to stuff the scarf and shirt into the trash when a familiar woman's voice drifted in from beyond the door of his office.

"……may I…… come in……"

Dohyun rose from his seat and approached the door, and the owner of that voice became unmistakably clear.

"I heard that Planning Team 2 has been excluded from the project."

It was Sojin — his fiancée, the woman who kept barging into his orbit at every turn.

"I'm sorry — you're saying ours is the only team excluded from the Replay Project?"

The moment Sojin returned to her desk from the Executive Director's office, Yuna, team leader of Planning Team 1, came looking for her, saying there was something urgent to discuss.

It was the news that Planning Team 2 had been cut from the Replay Project. Because the team leaders had been briefed first, Yuna had come straight to her — on the assumption that Sojin must have heard something already.

But Sojin knew nothing at all. Her authority as team leader of Planning Team 2 had been restricted from the start, after all.

Yuna offered to raise the unfairness of it together with her, to speak up on her behalf.

Was it because she was the kind heroine? They weren't even close — and Sojin had pulled that bizarre stunt(?) on top of it — yet here she was, ready to take her side.

To the other team leaders, this was probably just one mildly interesting piece of gossip.

For now, Sojin thanked Yuna for the heads-up and sent her on her way, saying she would look into it herself.

Back at her desk, Sojin sat tapping her foot, weighing her options. Should she let it slide for the sake of Dohyun's temper, pretending she didn't know? Or should she go and actively ask to be included in the project?

That project is exactly the stage I need to show off what I can do.

Sojin sprang to her feet and headed for the Executive Director's office.

As always, Secretary Ahn was seated outside the door.

"Hello, Secretary Ahn. Could I possibly have a quick word with the Executive Director?"

"Yes, he's available now. What is this regarding?"

"I heard that Planning Team 2 has been excluded from the project."

Just then, the door to the Executive Director's office swung open.

Sojin's head whipped around, startled.

Did he hear all of that?

Dohyun spoke in a perfectly level tone.

"Come in. We have things to discuss."

Sojin drifted into the office in a daze. Dohyun steered her toward the sofa, and the two of them sat facing each other.

Dohyun crossed his legs and began.

"The matter of Planning Team 2's exclusion — did one of the other team leaders tell you?"

"Ah, yes…… well……"

Sojin mumbled evasively. She was worried Yuna might get in trouble. The heroine had told her out of simple goodwill, but to Dohyun it might look like something more sinister.

Contrary to her fears, however, Dohyun showed no interest in who had supplied the information. He stroked his jaw and continued.

"After weighing your work attitude, your track record, and so on in their totality, I concluded that excluding your team was the better call."

"That's fair. It's only natural."

Because that was exactly what she'd set out to achieve, after all.

Dohyun fell silent for a moment. Sojin studied his face, then smiled brightly.

"I know…… I've been negligent up until now. But if you'd give me one more chance, I'll work hard. I promise."

Dohyun sighed at her words.

"And how exactly am I supposed to know that?"

"My… future performance?"

He washed his face with a dry hand. Then he spoke.

"Frankly, I still think exclusion is the right decision."

Sojin's shoulders sagged.

Dohyun looked at her and went on.

"However, it seems my judgment may have been unfair after all. You are, whatever else may be said, the current team leader of Planning Team 2 — and a chance is something you're owed."

Sojin's face lit up at once. But what Dohyun said next made her expression gradually harden.

"And it will be an opportunity for your team members as well. Every employee who delivers results on this project will be promoted."

Sojin's eyes went glassy.

Oh. Right. The team members.

The members of Planning Team 2 surfaced in her mind — the ones who still believed that hard work would earn them a promotion.

Just then, someone's voice flashed through her head.

Their voices, sorrowful and desperate. Voices that blamed Sojin, and yet carried a thread of guilt buried within them.

Back then — back when Yeji had stolen her achievements and Sojin had blown the whistle — the truth had never come to light. Instead, her team members had been cut one and all, for no reason whatsoever.

It was the first time Sojin had ever felt the helpless, suffocating weight of a fight she could not win. That incident had left a deep scar on her.

Sojin's eyes darkened.

I thought I'd forgotten all of it.

Once more, her team members' voices pressed down on her shoulders.

Whether Planning Team 2 joined this project or not, Sojin herself had nothing to lose. This was a world inside a drama, and sooner or later she intended to escape it.

And yet……

I wasn't thinking far enough.

Because it was a drama, she hadn't thought of them as real people. But right now, they were people — right there in front of her.

It felt like a blow to the back of the head.

I almost made the same mistake as back then. Being selfish again…… without even realizing it.

They were people too. Living, breathing people in front of her eyes — each with a family, each struggling desperately to get by.

Sojin spoke in a suppressed voice.

"…Thank you for reconsidering. If we're included, I'll throw myself into this project."

"Very well."

"And I apologize for my negligent work ethic until now. It won't happen again."

"I'll be watching to see whether that holds true. I can exclude Planning Team 2 at any time, after all."

Sojin nodded.

The only reason Dohyun wasn't cutting Planning Team 2 on the spot was almost certainly the team members themselves. He was a hardened pragmatist — he must have calculated the scandal that removing them would ignite.

Sojin rose from her seat.

"Then I'll……"

"Tell me — have you forgotten anything?"

"I'm sorry?"