Chapter 6
- Jeong Ji-heon is Crazy 2021.05.19.
Jeong-o was overwhelmed just trying to adjust to the company on her first day. But she couldn't help but feel troubled for another reason. Fortunately, she became quite close to her team members by evening, which eased some of the tension about her work.
“When you transfer your work, just put it in the company's shared folder. It's easy because you can just drag and drop without any complicated procedures.”
Song Gi-hun, the youngest member of the team, explained the company's system in detail.
“I used cloud storage at my previous company, but here they also use a dedicated folder. I'm a little worried about security.”
“They say a record is kept when you upload to or download from the folder. There haven't been any security incidents, but of course, it's best to set a password if the review time is going to be long.”
“Thank you. I learned a lot from Gi-hoon today.”
“I'm only in my third month here, so what I told you today is all I know.”
Gi-hoon, who had kindly shared everything he knew, smiled sheepishly. It was nice to see the comfortable smile that only those who have lived bright and upright lives can have. The end of the workday was approaching. The team leader had assured her that she wouldn't be made to work overtime on her first day, so she would be able to leave on time today. I should go home and think about it some more. Whether to keep working at this company or give up. But Seong Mi-ran, the team leader who had been away for a moment, appeared with news like a bolt from the blue.
“Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh, Director Jeong Ji-heon wants to see you for a moment.”
“……Yes?”
Jeong-o froze again at Mi-ran's announcement.
“Go to his office.”
“…….”
“No. Let's go together.”
Mi-ran, seeing the blood drain from Jeong-o's face in an instant, started to sit down but then stood up again and gestured. She thought Jeong-o was overly nervous. Jeong-o had no choice but to follow Mi-ran. Her heart was racing like crazy again.
‘What's this about?’
You pretended not to know me earlier. Now that I think about it, you have to acknowledge me? Why? To tell me to quit the company? To ask me not to be an obstacle in your life? Question marks followed endlessly with every step. It seemed like he was secretly trying to get her to resign quietly. But what a pity. It looks like the team leader will accompany me.
“Team Leader, I can go alone.”
The thought of holding Mi-ran's hand tightly and making Ji-heon flustered, the thought of preventing him from kicking her out of this company, remained on one side, but Jeong-o spoke bravely. She was curious about what he would say when she was alone with Ji-heon. It was terrifying, but it was something she would have to face someday if she continued to endure at this company.
“No.”
But Mi-ran shook her head with a firm expression.
“Be careful. He seemed to be in a very bad mood.”
“Yes?”
“Director Jeong Ji-heon, I mean. He was totally down in the dumps.”
Mi-ran, letting out a rough sigh, clenched her teeth and muttered to herself.
“I just said he was handsome. Is that an insult?”
“Yes?”
“It was just a compliment.”
“…….”
“It's not like I was flirting with him. Is it so wrong to flatter my superior to get on his good side?”
Someone much younger than me..., Mi-ran muttered quietly. Jeong-o couldn't ask about what Mi-ran had experienced in the director's office. Mi-ran's words that Jeong Ji-heon seemed to be in a bad mood made it impossible to think about anything else. I just want to run away. Should I turn around, pack my bags, and just go home? Should I go back to my previous company and beg them to take me back? With her steps weighed down by the myriad thoughts piled up in her head, Jeong-o arrived in front of the director's office. Knock, knock.
“Yes.”
Ji-heon's voice came from inside the door in response to Mi-ran's knock. Now Jeong-o felt nauseous. The door opened indifferently. Jeong-o faced him again. Even after calling her in on purpose, his eyes were cold and indifferent. Jeong Ji-heon's expression was not much different from a few hours ago.
“Director, I've brought Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh.”
At Mi-ran's introduction, Ji-heon repeated her name as if echoing it.
“Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh.”
The way he pronounced her name sounded unfamiliar and cold. It felt like standing naked in the dead of winter in the polar regions, in a silence where the sun never rises even during the day. I used to love my name because of the warm feeling it had when you called it. But that was seven years ago, a distant memory.
“Yes.”
Jeong-o barely managed to answer with a choked voice. But the question that followed was unexpected.
“Are you feeling alright?”
“Yes?”
“You looked uncomfortable when I passed you earlier.”
Jeong-o stared at him with wide eyes, unable to understand his intention. Maybe it was a mistake to come with Mi-ran. If she had come alone, she would have been able to hear his true feelings, but because Mi-ran was there, he was asking such absurd questions. Jeong-o, who quickly grasped the hidden meaning of the question, was about to answer, but Ji-heon spoke first.
“You transferred to Ivory Planning, but you came to Max Planning.”
“…….”
“You're not disappointed that you didn't get into the company you applied for, are you? Max Planning must be better in every way.”
His voice was impeccably polite, but the content felt somehow arrogant. It felt like he was being sarcastic. You're lucky to have joined this company. It felt like words he didn't even say were ringing in her ears.
“Can you do your job well?”
“……Yes.”
“I thought a copywriter would have a better answer.”
It was a sneer that implied she only knew how to say "yes." It seemed that her short answer, given to suppress her emotions, had offended him. Jeong-o was dumbfounded and stared at him. It felt like he was pressing down on her with his words. It was as if he wanted her to realize how insignificant she was. What am I supposed to say here, huh?
‘Do you want me to say that everything is okay?’
Do you want to hear a vow that I won't care about the past at all and will only work hard? Is that what you want? Mi-ran, who had been standing there anxiously amidst the subtle tension between the two, gently grabbed Jeong-o's arm. It was a signal to just say hello and leave. Jeong-o, gritting her teeth and calming her mind, opened her mouth again.
“……I'll be different when I'm working. I will work hard.”
“Do that. I'll be watching.”
The words "I'll be watching" sent a chill down her spine. Is he going to watch if I do my job well, or is he going to watch if I behave myself?
“As the director has confirmed, Assistant Manager Lee will also participate in this Competitive Presentation. I will encourage her to achieve good results.”
Mi-ran interjected to wrap up the awkward situation.
“Yes. I have expectations.”
Ji-heon also did not continue the pointless conversation. Jeong-o, who came out of the director's office with the hurrying Mi-ran, sighed deeply inside. He was no longer the Jeong Ji-heon she knew.
‘No, the Jeong Ji-heon from back then must have been fake.’
It was miserable. She thought the wound had healed a long time ago, but it felt like the despair from that time was vividly coming back to life.
* After Jeong-o and Mi-ran left, Ji-heon was lost in thought. He felt a tingling sensation in his scalp. He still didn't feel any better. Lee Jung-oh, the copywriter. The eyes that stared up at him even while obediently answering "yes." They were challenging, but the trembling like butterfly wings was still there. It seemed like she didn't want to answer or even face him. Did she think of him as a zombie or a vampire? Maybe she regarded him as a contagious disease. Well, how many people would find it difficult to be around me? There was no reason not to understand, but for some reason, he kept thinking about it. Knock, knock. Just as he was sitting down silently, he heard a knock again. He answered briefly, and the door clicked open.
“Director?”
The person who peeked his head in was Deputy Department Head Park Seung-gyu from the HR department. Park Seung-gyu, a high school and college classmate and a senior in the military. Ji-heon's expression, which had been stiff from being lost in thought for a moment, relaxed slightly. Seung-gyu and he had never been in the same class since their first year of high school. He had only heard that they went to the same university, but they were not close. The two became close when Ji-heon was assigned to the platoon where Seung-gyu was serving. Seung-gyu took good care of the taciturn Ji-heon, and Ji-heon also felt more comfortable around Seung-gyu than others. Of course, the current Ji-heon does not remember his military days. There is a three-year gap in Ji-heon's memory, but despite that, Seung-gyu and Ji-heon are still close. Seung-gyu, who is not abrasive and has a flexible way of thinking, was an essential person for Ji-heon. Ji-heon said to Seung-gyu, who had entered the office.
“It's just the two of us. Call me comfortably.”
It had been exactly one week since Ji-heon was appointed to Max Planning. They were in the same group, but they belonged to different companies, so they had never encountered each other at the company since joining, but now they would be able to see each other every day. Seung-gyu grumbled, subtly revealing his mixed feelings of joy and burden.
“I'm still not used to it. You feel distant. Director.”
“Should I move your desk to the executive office so you can get used to it faster?”
“Are you serious?”
Ji-heon chuckled as Seung-gyu was taken aback. Seung-gyu raised his voice.
“Oh, man! I just got goosebumps. Don't say such nonsense. Everything you say sounds serious.”
“Am I scary when I talk?”
“Yes! Even asking that is scary.”
“Scary, you say…….”
The expression on his face as he repeated the words he had said as a lament and pondered them was unusual. Seung-gyu, who had been carefully observing Ji-heon, asked.
Ji-heon hesitated before opening his mouth.
Seung-gyu, who had snapped back, paused after a while. So, he noticed her face... That was rare. For Jeong Ji-heon.
Seung-gyu narrowed his eyes and asked slyly. Ji-heon didn’t want to deal with such mischievous reactions, so he turned away and started tidying up his things. Seung-gyu changed the subject.
Ji-heon cut him off as if he didn’t want to hear it. Seung-gyu couldn’t say anything more and closed his mouth. A life where you only have to pretend. A life where you find a compromise at a reasonable point, a life where you don’t have to do your best. A life where you just have to quietly keep your place. That was Jeong Ji-heon's past, present, and future. A life that wasn't particularly regrettable even though he lost three years of memories. Such a boring life.
Ji-heon, who left work early, skipped dinner and took his medicine. He lay down on the sofa and stared blankly at the white medicine bottle on the table. Again, the woman's pale face came to mind.
It was a strange thing.
Since some time ago, Ji-heon had started following women with long hair with his eyes. When he saw a woman with long, straight hair, his head would naturally turn. That's how Ji-heon came to know his taste. But why? Why was he so bothered by a woman who didn't have long, straight hair?
Ji-heon tried to change his thinking. Maybe that was it. He had a strange obsession with 12 o'clock. Whenever he checked the time and saw the exact number '12:00', his chest would strangely tighten. Noon. Jeong-o. It was her name.
The voice repeating her name became languid. The warm name, as if the midday sun was shining through, seemed to suit her and not suit her at the same time. Had he ever thought about a woman he had only briefly met so much? Just as he was about to let go of the name he had been stubbornly repeating, as if it were tied to him. Beep beep beep beep. The sound of the door lock being pressed came from the entrance. Who was it? Who knew the password to the front door? Before he could even think, the door opened. And the person who appeared was none other than that woman. Lee Jung-oh. Ji-heon was startled and got up.
He was so flustered that his voice wasn't clear. Her round eyes and pale face, as if she was terrified. Just as she had been when she left the office, in that neat outfit, she was trembling as she approached.
How did she know the password? Why did she come here? Why was this woman doing this? This was trespassing. He should report her to the police. But before Ji-heon could get up from the sofa, she grabbed his arm first. Her body was so delicate that he could easily subdue her with one hand, but for some reason, Ji-heon couldn't move. No, he was getting anxious because she was holding onto him. He didn't know why his body was like this. Her hand, which was holding his arm, slowly moved up. An innocent face with a not-so-innocent hand. It was also a soft touch that was inappropriate for the situation. The touch of her hand caressing his neck was as warm as the midday sun. Her breath, which was getting closer, was even warmer, making him imagine the temperature inside her. He didn't know why this woman was doing this, but he wanted to let it happen. No, maybe he had anticipated what would happen next. She tilted her head. As if by appointment, Ji-heon's lips parted. Her short breath went down into him. He swallowed her breath, but he felt like he had given away his soul. All his senses reacted clearly towards her.
But that time was not long. She quickly pulled her body back. Ji-heon frowned. He felt resentful of her lips that had briefly touched him and left only warmth behind. Even though she had done such a bold thing, her expression was still the same. He felt angry at her innocent face. Her eyes were fluttering like butterfly wings. Eyes that looked like they were about to cry. It felt like she would flutter and fly away. Desire is scarier and heavier than reason. He had to catch this woman. He had to have her. He couldn't let her go. This time, he grabbed her arm as she was about to leave and pressed her down onto the sofa he had been lying on. Thud! Ji-heon fell off the sofa and opened his eyes. His back arched upwards and then slumped down. Huff, huff, huff. His head ached more than the pain in his shoulder, making him gasp for breath. His breathing and heart wouldn't calm down easily. Huff, huff… Where did she go? It was as if the air had swallowed her up, who had been right in front of him just a moment ago. It felt like her shallow breathing was still inside him. …I'm crazy, Jeong Ji-heon. It was a dream that was so vivid it gave him goosebumps.
