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Chapter 61

"Shinheung Mulsan, huh..."

The clicking mouse suddenly stopped. He leaned closer to the monitor, reading through the densely printed text.

[A company established in the 1970s, not publicly listed but firmly rooted in its region, with a reputation as a solid, profitable enterprise. Founder and first Chairman Choi Yun-su built the company rapidly through natural business acumen from a young age...]

Though incomparable to the chaebol Hanil Group, it was clearly a well-established company, according to the online description. Hae-joon, who normally wouldn't have spared such a company a second glance, was now studying its history with great focus. How else could he respond? Hanil Group far surpassed it in reputation and scale, yet Jeong-woo's confident face had stirred an inexplicable unease in him.

'I'm planning to offer Si-hyun a job if she quits.'

Coming after Si-hyun's announcement, Jeong-woo's words were like pouring oil on a fire. Something inside him was blazing. The thought that he might lose her to someone else gripped him with a sense of crisis.

He read through the company information with more focus than he'd ever given a major contract. Like someone applying for a job, he scrutinized every detail. His germaphobia-driven meticulousness was being put to use in the most unexpected place.

"President."

"Hm?"

Still staring intently at the monitor, he turned at the sound of a voice. Si-hyun was standing beside him, holding an approval board.

"I knocked several times, but you didn't answer, so I came in."

He'd been so absorbed that he hadn't heard her knocking. Her presence made him blink in surprise.

"What are you looking at so intently?"

As she leaned toward the monitor, he hurriedly tried to close the window, but the computer froze. The mouse wouldn't move.

"Shinheung Mulsan? What is this place?"

His hand moved quickly, forcibly turning off the monitor. It went black.

"Who said you could look at the president's monitor?"

"I was just curious what you were looking at..."

"You also walk into the president's office without permission."

The words that left his mouth were prickly, different from what was in his head. His mood had been low since Si-hyun had arrived this morning.

'Good morning, President.'

She had seemed so lively—hard to believe she'd been so sick yesterday. She'd come in early, tidied his office, and greeted him with a smile, and for some reason, it irritated him. She was acting like nothing had happened, before he'd confessed to her.

'I'm really sorry about missing work yesterday without notice. And thank you for the medicine.'

She'd bowed her head. Up to that point, he hadn't felt particularly bad. Just slightly annoyed. But what followed was the knockout blow.

'I'm not being careless because I plan to quit. Before I leave, I'll make sure this doesn't happen again.'

Heat surged inside him, but he couldn't find the right words. After she left, his anger kept bubbling up. Her resolute expression, as if to say, I'm leaving no matter what you say, kept tormenting him.

The fear that she might actually end up working with Jeong-woo kept him pacing his office like an anxious puppy. And then he'd sat down and started searching for Shinheung Mulsan, the company Jeong-woo's father ran.

"If you're done with business, you can leave."

"...Yes."

As she left, Hae-joon unconsciously sniffed the air. Her faint scent, lingering from when she'd been near him, had captured all his senses. He no longer called himself a pervert. He'd missed this scent.

As it faded, he inhaled deeper, savoring the last traces of her presence.

"...Um, President."

She poked her head back in. Startled, he stretched and stood up.

"What now!"

His voice rose, embarrassed. She spoke quickly.

"The documents on top—I've sent the supplementary explanation by email. I forgot to mention it."

She closed the door, and silence returned. Staring at the door, he sighed deeply. It had been hours since she'd arrived, and he'd been swinging between hot and cold the whole time.

---

Dragging her weary body out of the building, Si-hyun saw that the sun had long set. She'd been so busy catching up on yesterday's work that she'd barely had time to breathe. She'd inhaled her lunch and just kept working.

It was past 11 PM. Others leaving at this hour looked half-dead—normal expressions would have been stranger.

Like a zombie, she shuffled toward the bus stop. The streets weren't crowded, but the bus stop had a fair number of people waiting. Her bus was due in three minutes. She just wanted to go home and sleep.

"Cha Si-hyun."

Startled by someone calling her name, she turned—and there was Hae-joon, the man she'd said goodbye to in the office moments ago.

"What are you doing here? You were just in the office..."

He hadn't left either, working late as well. She'd told him she was leaving first, and now he was standing right there.

"I have something to say."

His expression was resolute, as if he had a lot on his mind. Whatever it was, she had a bad feeling it would be awkward.

"Oh! My bus is here—I'll get going!"

Spotting the bus, she ran toward it as if it were a lifeline. She quickly merged into the crowd and disappeared from his sight.

She tapped her card and looked around for a seat. It was late, so there were plenty. She chose the innermost one, feeling safe. Good timing on the bus—I almost got caught.

"What are you doing? Tap your card. Hurry."

She was peeking out the window to see where Hae-joon was when the driver's raised voice made her look forward.

"What card do I tap?"

"Don't you have a transit card?"

Her jaw dropped. Hae-joon was at the front, arguing with the driver. Everyone on the bus was staring.

"Take a card out of your wallet and tap it here."

The driver pointed at the terminal, annoyed. Hae-joon opened his wallet, pulled out a card, tapped it, and started walking toward Si-hyun.

"Stop! Wait! It didn't scan. That's not a transit card. Got anything else?"

The terminal beeped with an error. The driver's face was full of frustration. Hae-joon tried another card—same result. Other passengers started murmuring.

"Don't you have cash?"

Hae-joon rummaged in his wallet and pulled out a check.

"Is a hundred thousand won okay?"

"Are you messing with me right now?"

The driver rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to fight. Si-hyun couldn't watch anymore. She stood up.

"I'll pay for him."

Beep.

The terminal finally processed it. Grabbing Hae-joon's sleeve, she dragged him to the very back, ignoring his glare at the driver.

"Don't you have a transit card function on your card?"

"What's that?"

"Haa..."

She supposed chaebols didn't need such common conveniences. It was absurd that the expensive cards he carried lacked such a basic feature.

"Who pays a hundred thousand won to ride the bus?"

"I wanted to talk to you, and I had to get on. A hundred thousand won was all I had. If it means talking to you, I'm willing to pay it."

He waved the check with a shrug. He'd been frowning all day at work, and now he'd turned into this. She couldn't keep up with him lately.

"This bus goes toward my house. Your place is the opposite direction. You should get off at the next stop."

He tucked his wallet away and stared at her. Up close, she swallowed hard.

"We haven't finished talking yet."

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