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Chapter 65

"That would be best for both of you."

The doctor, seemingly pleased with the session, smiled and resumed typing. Even the sound of the keyboard seemed spirited, his fingers moving without hesitation. He was writing something at length, but Hae-joon's expression remained sour. He couldn't grasp what the doctor meant by "best for both of you."

"If you don't understand, you don't need to force it right now. In time, you will."

The doctor continued his cryptic talk, peering into Hae-joon.

"The first thing you need to do is express your feelings actively. Show them. That way, the other person can feel that you're sincere."

"......"

"Since you haven't lived that way, it'll be quite difficult for you. You've never had to say anything wistful in your life, have you?"

Naturally, he'd barely ever had to. He couldn't even recall a time. If anything, it was others who made wistful pleas, not him.

"Why would I do that?"

"From now on, you will—a lot. That's what a crush does. The one in pursuit tends to feel more lack. It would be good to prepare yourself."

"Is that really something I need to prepare for?"

"Someone like Kim Hae-joon definitely does."

The doctor, never one to let a word go, kept typing as if he had endless notes.

"I'm curious how this case will end. A crush from Kim Hae-joon... if this were a drama, I'd binge-watch it."

His attitude, like a spectator while Hae-joon was serious, was extremely irritating.

"I almost feel guilty charging you for this. Sometimes I wonder if I should be paying you."

Was he mocking him? Hae-joon decided to just listen and see how far the doctor would go.

"But Kim Hae-joon, you're like a child left out in the rain... it makes me uneasy. I wonder if you'll be able to handle this."

"......"

"I was quite the romantic in my youth, you know. I could share some of my know-how... but winning someone's heart isn't about special tricks. People just overthink it."

"What... is that?"

For the first time today, something the doctor said caught Hae-joon's attention. His posture, which had been leaning back in his chair as if observing, instinctively shifted forward.

"Shall I elaborate?"

---

'Job Change Know-How A to Z'

'How I Changed Jobs'

'I Quit and I'm Happy'

Si-hyun recalled the titles of books she'd briefly browsed at the bookstore earlier. She hadn't realized there were so many career-change books until she'd started paying attention. Moreover, online communities were full of people interested in changing jobs.

They say the concept of a lifetime job has faded; everyone seemed to be actively making moves. Most people's concerns were about salary, treatment, and company culture. A rare post about a successful job change would be met with envious comments. Most posts were about barely getting a small salary increase or regretting the move.

Changing jobs didn't seem easy. To even get an interview, you had to take time off, and some worried they'd been noticed for taking too many days. Others felt depressed all week after taking time off for an interview and failing. The reactions were all different.

They say nothing in this world is easy, and changing jobs was no exception. Feeling lost about where to go, and seeing so many negative posts, she felt even more hesitant. She briefly considered just taking the position Chairman Kim had offered, but in the end, that didn't feel right.

The best option would be to continue what she was doing, but given the circumstances, it wasn't possible. It felt easier to just leave and start fresh. Lately, her relationship with Hae-joon had become awkward too.

'Think again. There must be something you like.'

Had he really meant that? She kept replaying his words from that night. They'd been stuck in her head all week. It was just strange to hear someone with Hae-joon's pride say such a thing.

Until now, it had always been Si-hyun making wistful pleas and Hae-joon deciding whether to accept them—but now the roles were completely reversed. Si-hyun had somehow gained the upper hand. Where their relationship went from here was up to her.

Thinking about changing jobs was already complicated enough, adding Hae-joon to the mix was overwhelming. She couldn't figure out how things had gotten to this point, or where it had gone wrong. Everything—the job change, Hae-joon—left her feeling lost.

"You're early, Si-hyun. I thought I'd be the one to arrive first."

Jeong-woo set his backpack on the chair beside him.

"I didn't have a tight morning schedule today, so I finished early and came out. I also stopped by a bookstore on the way."

"A bookstore?"

"I've been looking for job-related books, since I have to prepare for the change..."

"Ah... you must be busy with that these days."

Jeong-woo smiled and sat down. His outfit looked different from usual. On weekends, he usually wore a neat suit-style ensemble, but today he was in a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

Dressed like that, he reminded her of a senior from her college days—young and fresh.

"How do I look today? Younger, right? I tried a more natural style."

"It suits you. I actually like this style better."

Jeong-woo smiled even brighter.

"Coming from you, that makes me nervous."

"Ah, I just meant the clothes suit you..."

"I'm joking. I'm still not over being rejected, am I? Around you, my mouth just runs away with me."

Si-hyun still felt uncomfortable meeting Jeong-woo. She'd ended up rejecting both men—friends, too. If her mother found out, she'd probably hit her for kicking away her luck, but what could she do when her heart wasn't in it?

'I know it's not comfortable for you to see me, but I have something important to tell you. Can you spare a few minutes at lunch?'

She could have just turned him down, but since he'd reached out first and mentioned something important, it didn't feel right to give a flat refusal. Having a meal felt too burdensome, so they'd agreed to meet at a café. She didn't have much of an appetite anyway.

Her order arrived with a vibration. Jeong-woo brought over two iced coffees and set them on the table. Si-hyun took a sip through the straw. She'd been parched from walking around the bookstore—the bitter, slightly acidic cold brew was a relief.

"How's Hae-joon? Is he letting you resign easily?"

"The President seems to want me to stay... but I think it's mostly because we've worked together so long, he's used to me. It takes time to get in sync with a new person. If I do a good handover, that time can be minimized."

"So you've definitely decided to leave? That's why you've been researching other jobs?"

"Yes, pretty much. But it doesn't seem easy. They say if the company is a battlefield, the outside is hell."

She spoke with genuine worry, but Jeong-woo wore a meaningful smile. It seemed unlike his usually considerate nature, and Si-hyun looked at him quizzically.

"Surprised I called out of the blue? Saying it was important and making it sound serious."

"Yes, a little. But what is it you wanted to talk about...?"

She was curious. She'd already made it clear she didn't want a serious relationship, so he wouldn't bring that up again. Maybe it was about Hae-joon? That guess prompted her to agree to meet.

"Just a moment."

Jeong-woo told her to wait and began pulling something out of his backpack. He took out a neat rectangular laptop and mouse, pushed the coffee aside, and opened the lid.

"Could you take a look at this for a moment?"

He turned the screen toward her, adjusting the angle so she could see it clearly. A cleanly designed website appeared.

"What is this?"

"It's a page I've been working on. Here, sellers can post their items, and on this side, there's a page for buyers."

His eyes sparkled as he explained the website. Si-hyun didn't fully understand why he was suddenly showing her this, but she listened quietly.

"It's an online-only marketplace. People with good product ideas often have nowhere to sell them. Open markets exist, but products get buried and don't sell well. We want to highlight individual creators with great ideas, rather than big companies. It'll be tough at first, but if good products gather, I think there's enough market potential."

He talked for about twenty minutes straight—a side of him she hadn't seen before. Unlike his usual attentive self, he seemed almost rushed, eager to explain.

"I hope I'm not going too fast."

"But why are you telling me all this?"

The details and the ideas on the site seemed solid enough. But she couldn't understand how it related to her.

"Because I want to do this with you, Si-hyun."

"Huh?"

"I'm making you a job offer right now."

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