Chapter 29
29. You Will Cry 2021.08.07.
- Mom, something came up at work, so I'll be a few hours late. Please take good care of Yena. Sorry.
After sending a text message to Guk-soon, Jeong-o went to the conference room with her newly issued laptop in her arms. Ji-heon was sitting with his chin resting on his hand, his laptop turned on in front of him. When Jeong-o entered, he gestured to the seat next to him. While Jeong-o placed her laptop next to Ji-heon and connected the power cord, Ji-heon said leisurely.
“We have a deadline, and that deadline is tomorrow. For an advertising company, clearing your personal schedule the day before the deadline is the most basic of basics.”
“Yes.”
Since she had already given up on leaving work on time, she didn't want to hear any more of his nagging. She coldly brushed off his nagging, but his voice continued.
“If Assistant Manager Lee doesn't finish the work, I can't leave either. When Assistant Manager Lee writes the script, I have to carefully review it and instruct you to refine it.”
“……”
“Let's aim to finish by nine o'clock and hurry up. I'll take you home when we're done.”
His intention to give her medicine after giving her poison was not likely to look good. Jeong-o didn't say anything and put her hands on the keyboard. She knew that his argument that she should take responsibility for the work she was assigned was valid, but she felt like tears would keep falling in the face of the cruel reality. There was a time when he would listen to everything she said. Now, this man had become someone who wouldn't even bat an eye at her desperate request. Admit it, Lee Jung-o. Stop clinging to the past. He's no longer the Jeong Ji-heon from seven years ago. He's a completely different person. Jeong-o gritted her teeth and held back her tears. As she held back her tears, a tickling sensation bothered her nose. Jeong-o sniffed. He turned his head and stared at Jeong-o intently. Jeong-o, not wanting to show her face, also turned her head. Ji-heon's gaze became even more persistent.
“Are you crying right now?”
“No.”
“A professional copywriter shouldn't cry just because they have to work overtime.”
“I'm not crying.”
Jeong-o's typing became more combative in response to Ji-heon's teasing. Ji-heon leisurely watched Jeong-o, who was focused on her work without even glancing at him. He had received a call from Team Leader Seong Mi-ran a little while ago. She asked him to be considerate of Jeong-o's situation, so he replied that he would finish as early as possible and let her go home. Thanks to the unexpected problem, he was able to keep her by his side. Even if it wasn't a laptop virus, he was planning to keep her. He had heard her talking to Song Gi-hun in the morning. Gi-hun was giving her a small gift and trying to please her.
“Leave all the difficult tasks to me. I'll make sure you can leave work on time today.”
The fact that the two of them were relying on each other was very annoying to Ji-heon. And as time passed, at exactly 6 p.m., Ji-heon went to the conference room to receive a report and happened to overhear Jeong-o's phone call.
“I have a lot of work. But I'll finish soon and go. I'll call you when I leave work. Then you know. I'll be there soon.”
A tone of voice that sounded like she was looking forward to something exciting. A voice full of laughter, very affectionate. The fact that someone who had caused a serious problem was talking on the phone in such a bright voice and counting down the time to leave work was a bit irritating. And then, smiling like that, whispering as if they were having a secret rendezvous. When he told her to redo the proposal, she made excuses about family matters. Did she think he would naively fall for such excuses? Ji-heon covered his mouth and chuckled at the thought of her making excuses. In the meantime, she said she would be away for two or three hours. If so, Ji-heon couldn't let her go for two or three hours. She still didn't show her emotions and was only focused on her work. The way she was trying not to look at him was quite adorable. Ji-heon's fingertips tingled. Right next to him, the warmth she possessed was tormenting him. He wanted to sweep her hair aside to get a better look at her profile. He wanted to smell her fragrance and lick her flushed cheeks. Ji-heon was consumed by base desires to the point that he couldn't believe how he had lived until now.
\ Eun-bi eventually got up from her seat. Jeong Ji-heon and Lee Jeong-o, alone in the conference room... If she had known this would happen, she would have granted Lee Jeong-o's request. She would have offered to finish the proposal herself. She felt a pang in her heart at the fact that she had refused Lee Jeong-o's request, causing the two of them to be together. She walked carefully towards the conference room. She had a feeling that she needed to see the two of them together with her own eyes. The conference room door wouldn't be open, but all the conference room doors had small glass windows, so she would be able to look inside. Five conference rooms in a row. The two of them would be in one of them... Two of the conference rooms were empty, and two were in the middle of Competitive Presentation meetings. Before she knew it, Eun-bi had reached the last conference room. The smallest room. With trembling legs, she slowly approached. The inside of the conference room was quiet, so she had to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible. Why was she so nervous about looking into the conference room through the fully exposed glass window? Eun-bi thought it was ridiculous and slowly brought her eyes to the glass window. And, she ended up confirming with her own eyes what she didn't want to know... The two of them sitting side by side. And Jeong Ji-heon's gaze towards Lee Jeong-o. Eun-bi unknowingly raised a hand and covered her mouth. ...How can someone's eyes change like that? It was a blatant gaze, as if nothing else needed to exist in his world except for her. A faint smile was on his lips, but the long-standing hunger and appetite made her feel chills. Even though she was watching from afar with only a glass window between them, even though she was only peeking, she felt like she couldn't breathe. Her heart was racing like crazy, as if she had stolen a glimpse of someone's bare skin, as if she had stolen a glimpse of a secret act. A sense of bewildered defeat made her face flush and tears well up in her eyes. Jeong Ji-heon had never looked at her like that. Not even once. \ 8:50 p.m. Since she often worked overtime until after midnight, three hours of overtime didn't really register, but today was different.
‘If I take a taxi and hurry... would it take about 20 minutes?’
Jeong-o checked the time and sighed. Her goal was to arrive home by 9:30 p.m. It was a late hour for a child who goes to bed early, but still, her birthday wasn't over yet. Yena, wait for me. Mommy will be there soon.
“I guarantee you, there's no better copy than this. This is the best I can come up with.”
Jeong-o took Ji-heon's opinions into account as much as possible and handed the revised proposal to Ji-heon. Ji-heon read it carefully and nodded.
“Okay. Good work.”
“Yes.”
As soon as the confirmation came, Jeong-o quickly packed up her things. Ji-heon got up from his seat and said as he left the conference room.
“Pack your bag and come downstairs. I'll take you home.”
Jeong-o secretly snorted at the back of Ji-heon's head. Ji-heon returned to his office and grabbed his jacket. He put the newly received proposal from Jeong-o on his desk, then picked it up again and put it in his bag. He said he would take her home, but he had a feeling she would be hesitant. Thinking that he should move with her, he hurried outside and stood guard in front of the elevator. But Jeong-o didn't show up for 10 minutes. He went to Jeong-o's desk, and when he didn't see her, he ended up calling her. She answered the phone after a long time.
[Hello.]
“Where are you?”
[Outside.]
His brow furrowed at her cold reply. It seemed like she was lying.
“I'm in front of the elevator, and you're outside?”
[I went down the stairs.]
Ji-heon gritted his teeth and said.
“I said I would take you.”
[I don't want to.]
“……”
[Do I have to be next to you until I get home? When it's not even work-related?]
“……”
[I'll see you tomorrow.]
The phone hung up abruptly. * Goal in! 9:30 p.m.! Yena ran over at the sound of the front door opening.
“Mom!”
“Princess!”
Jeong-o lifted Yena into her arms. The child, who had greeted her mother happily, soon contorted her face.
“Mom, why did you come so late!”
Waaaaah! A huge explosion of sadness.
“Yena, I'm sorry. Mommy is so sorry.”
Jeong-o hugged and comforted Yena.
“I kept waiting for you at the restaurant!”
“Ah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Let's have a party soon. Party!”
“We already had a party at the restaurant!”
Guk-soon approached and said.
“Do-bin, Do-yoon, and Do-bin's mom came, and we sang songs and ate cake at the restaurant.”
Yena cried even more sadly at Guk-soon's explanation.
“I wanted to do it with Mom!”
“Then let's do it again with Mom! Okay? Is that okay?”
Jeong-o quickly ran out and bought a cake. There was a bakery right in front of her house, so it wasn't difficult to buy a cake. Yena ended up having two birthday parties in one day.
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Yena.”
Yena smiled with tears in her eyes at Jeong-o's song. Jeong-o couldn't come early, but Yena had achieved what she wanted. After unwrapping the gift Gi-hoon gave her and even unwrapping the gift she had bought a long time ago but hadn't been able to open, she returned to being the cheerful and bright Lee Yena.
“Mom, I got a gift from Do-bin too. Isn't it pretty!”
After feeling better, she showed off the gift she received from Do-bin, sparkling her hand. A ring with a red heart-shaped cubic zirconia was on the index finger of her left hand.
“Do-bin gave you a ring?”
“Yeah. And he showed me magic and the crab dance too.”
“Hee. Yena must have had fun.”
“Yeah. He said he prepared a three-line poem and a letter, but he'll give it to me next year.”
They say Do-bin performed three magic tricks and a crab dance for Yena, who burst into tears because her mom wasn't coming. And after finally appeasing Yena, Do-bin became tearful. They say he even left behind a strange remark about having nothing to do for the next four years. Yena, who excitedly recounted the day's events, soon blinked her eyes. Before they knew it, it was well past 10 o'clock.
“Mom, I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
“Okay. Let’s go to sleep. Mommy will hold you.”
Soon, a blanket was spread out, and Yena and Jeong-o lay down side by side. Yena fell asleep right away, probably very tired. Jeong-o gently patted Yena, and even after Yena fell asleep, she gazed at her for a long time, planting kisses all over her baby's skin.
The end of a meaningful day. Guk-soon opened the door to check on her daughter, who must have been especially exhausted today, only to laugh at what her daughter was doing. Showering a sleeping child with kisses. How could she love her so much?
“Can’t even let her go when she’s sleeping?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you think she’s that pretty even when you see her every day?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
Guk-soon looked at her daughter with affection. I think you're so pretty. The most beautiful thing I ever made. I gave birth to you, but you're more precious than me. Just as you love your daughter, I love you. To me, whether you're thirty or forty, you're like a little child, so I have to protect you and love you even more, my child, my princess. I want to protect you even at the cost of my life, but lately, it seems like you're struggling in places where my hands can't reach, so I keep worrying. I can tell just by reading the one urgent text message you sent. You must have pushed yourself too hard today, even though you were very busy, to keep your promise to your daughter. The fleeting dark expression on my daughter's face, which I caught between celebrating Yena's birthday, made my heart ache.
“Lee Jung-oh.”
“Yeah?”
“If it’s too hard, quit. Do you think your mom can’t support you?”
“It’s not just me. We have Yena too.”
Jeong-o replied lightly, as if joking. My thirty-year-old child, who is still like a child even after having a baby. I hope your world is warm and safe. I hope you won't be hurt by the rough storms. All I can do is pray earnestly in my heart. * Ji-heon, who came out after taking a shower, grabbed a can of beer and sat on the sofa. In front of him was a proposal he had brought from the company. He was a little upset that Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh had stood him up. Ji-heon glared at the proposal for no reason, then sighed and picked it up. A phrase that Jeong-o had written as a copy candidate under the main script draft caught Ji-heon's eye. - A rainbow-like boss. There was a rainbow picture attached next to it, but Ji-heon understood the hidden meaning properly. Ji-heon chuckled at the audacious resistance. If she keeps doing this, I'll want to keep her by my side. He took a sip of beer and turned a few more pages. Then, he stopped when he reached another sentence she had added. Without knowing why, he stared at it, then moved his hand to trace the letters. Before he knew it, his smile had completely disappeared. The neatly printed letters felt somehow dizzying. Ji-heon left the beer and the proposal as they were and got up from his seat. It felt like no matter what he poured into his empty heart, it wouldn't be filled. A night breeze came in through the half-open window, and the top page of the unfolded proposal fluttered like a dragonfly's wing. - You who have forgotten me. You will grieve, longing for what you have forgotten. There is more meaning in the things that are not expressed in words.
