Chapter 25
25. I Will Live Right
2023.05.25.
It was a warm embrace. The kind of hug colleagues who had worked hard together on a big project for a long time might share—a hug of camaraderie.
What made this embrace comfortable was none other than her sense of smell.
So-eun realized for the first time that a man could smell this good.
When they were standing face to face, she couldn't smell anything, but with her nose buried in his chest, she detected a subtle fragrance. It was faint but pleasant. What kind of cologne was it? Or was it the smell of clean clothes, skin lotion, or shampoo?
'No, no. Why am I thinking about this now?'
So-eun, who had unknowingly inhaled while in Tae-joon's arms, froze.
She couldn't even remember the last time Yang Hee-wook had hugged her. In any case, his shoulders were much higher and his chest felt firmer than Yang Hee-wook's. It felt like she was being held too tightly.
Just a moment ago, she had felt relieved to be breaking up with Hee-wook, but now, aware of the current situation, she suddenly felt hot. Was it because it was summer? His body, which had initially felt warm, now felt hot. And his heartbeat was so loud.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
So-eun's body tensed at the sound of his heart, like a giant striding closer.
So-eun stiffly extended her arms like wooden sticks and pushed Tae-joon away. She had to twist her body slightly because he was holding her so tightly.
"Director, thank you for today. Please go in now."
"I'll give you a ride."
"No, thank you. I'm meeting a friend."
So-eun, feeling it wasn't right, told a lie about meeting a friend. Now that the morning drama was over, she had to say goodbye to her avid viewer self.
"I'll take you there."
"No, I can take the bus."
"It's hot, let me give you a ride. I was waiting to take you."
A hotel employee was watching. It was clear how much Tae-joon had been trying not to attract attention while waiting for So-eun. So-eun felt she shouldn't embarrass Tae-joon, so she decided to go with him in his car.
It was a lie that she was meeting a friend, but she did have a close friend nearby. It was a friend she had exchanged greetings with on the phone yesterday.
So-eun got back into Tae-joon's car and quickly sent a text message to her friend. After hearing the news that she had broken up with her boyfriend, her friend, thinking she needed to be comforted, told her to come over right away.
Tae-joon glanced at So-eun, who was smiling slightly as she exchanged text messages with her friend. He was relieved that she didn't look too upset.
While waiting for So-eun in front of the hotel, Tae-joon had unknowingly become impatient. He had thought about going inside several times, but he held back, remembering So-eun's serious expression. As time passed, a hotel employee approached him and told him he couldn't park there, giving him a disapproving look. Tae-joon even handed over his business card to ask for understanding.
He had revealed his identity, so he shouldn't have done anything more conspicuous, but as soon as she came out, he hugged her. He felt he had to hug her, so he reached out and pulled her close.
The woman who came into his arms without resisting was lovely. It was meant to be a comforting gesture without any ulterior motives, but when she fidgeted in his arms, he felt a ticklish sensation. Just as Tae-joon's grip was about to tighten, she pushed him away first, which was fortunate.
Tae-joon asked So-eun for her destination and drove slowly.
After texting her friend for a while, So-eun asked, "Director, is it okay if I leave work early tomorrow too?"
Her small voice, as if she was trying to read his expression, was amusing. He wanted to hear more of it. Tae-joon replied generously.
"Do as you please."
"Thank you."
"Do you have plans?"
"A blind date."
Screech, as the car stopped at a traffic light, Tae-joon glared at So-eun and asked, "Isn't it too soon?"
"I told my friend I broke up with my boyfriend, and she immediately said she would set me up on a blind date."
"..."
"I'll go on the blind date tomorrow and work hard from the day after."
So-eun replied cheerfully and brightly.
Something deep inside Tae-joon began to simmer.
"What's the rush?"
"He said tomorrow was the only time he was available."
"How long has it been since you broke up, and you're already going on a blind date?"
"I believe love is forgotten with another love."
"Is love a patch?"
"Then, Director, do you want me to be stuck in the past and be depressed for a long time?"
They had become much closer in the meantime, and she was talking back as if they were equals. Tae-joon was dumbfounded by So-eun's spirited retort. He was amazed that she was talking about love again after being burned by it so badly.
"Still, going on a blind date now is not respectful to the other person. Reconsider it."
"He said he was okay with it."
"He's just saying he's okay with it. They all do."
"I think life is about timing. You have to seize opportunities when they arise."
"Work is also about timing. How long has it been since I assigned you work, and you keep putting it off? Do your job properly from tomorrow."
Tae-joon couldn't help but be stern.
"...Then I'll have to meet him during lunch."
Tae-joon glared again at So-eun's muttered reply, her lips pouting.
"What kind of blind date is that during work hours?"
"It's not during work hours, it's during lunch."
"Don't you know that lunchtime is also considered work? It's clearly work hours."
Tae-joon's voice echoed heavily in the car.
"Han So-eun, Assistant Manager."
"..."
"I understand that you feel empty and want to fill that void quickly, but there's no need to rush into meeting someone. The joy of labor will be more helpful. Work doesn't betray you."
"It does betray you."
So-eun muttered again. Tae-joon narrowed his eyes and glanced at So-eun before starting the car again.
"Move the blind date. Tomorrow is not possible."
"He said tomorrow was the only time he was available."
"Then you can't go on the blind date."
That's what he expected her to say. You fool.
Tae-joon could hear So-eun quietly sending a text message.
After a moment, Tae-joon asked, "Did you send a text?"
"Yes."
"Good job."
He didn't care whether she was dejected or not.
Soon, they were approaching So-eun's destination.
Just as he was relieved that he could drop her off, So-eun suddenly stretched her lips out long. He wanted to smile along because she looked pretty, but for some reason, he also felt an ominous feeling.
"Why are you smiling?"
"He said he's also available this Saturday."
Tae-joon's eyes regained their intensity.
"Ditch him. He's a weirdo."
"What's weird about him?"
"Didn't he clearly say earlier that tomorrow was the only time he was available?"
"..."
"Don't you think it's strange that he immediately changed his mind because Assistant Manager Han said she couldn't make it?"
"No, I don't."
"It's definitely strange."
"He said he had circumstances."
Looking at you reminds me of the green frog that lived in the pond in my backyard.
"Are you going to be taken advantage of again?"
"I don't think I'm being taken advantage of."
It turned out that Han So-eun was exceptionally skilled at talking back.
"People who are being taken advantage of never think they are."
"..."
"That's how you end up giving everything away, even your liver and gallbladder."
Tae-joon sternly warned her, wanting to persuade her earnestly.
He was just using a common expression.
Pfft!
Suddenly, a burst of air escaped from So-eun's lips, who had been glaring at Tae-joon with a serious expression.
Hahahaha.
...What, is she laughing...?
Hahahahahaha.
...Why?
So-eun couldn't stop laughing easily.
What was so funny about his advice? Tae-joon could only stare blankly.
The woman who had been so careful to read his expression when answering his trivial questions was now arguing back as if in a battle of wills, and now she was laughing as if she had forgotten he was even there. He couldn't understand it.
It was the first time he had heard such a hearty laugh.
"Hey, get a grip. Han So-eun, Assistant Manager."
Hahahaha.
"Han So-eun."
"Aaaah. My stomach hurts..."
The laughter finally stopped after Tae-joon called her full name.
"Thank you. I laughed thanks to you, Director."
Why are you laughing, why? I was just giving you advice.
"I feel like I've been hit. I'm wide awake now."
"..."
"I'm going to live right from now on."
Han So-eun, who continued speaking clearly as she caught her breath, was quite different from the Han So-eun he had known.
Her face, having cleared away the big laughter and left only a small smile, was like a witch and an angel at the same time. She was provocative, clear, and pretty, and Tae-joon couldn't easily say anything.
"Thank you for everything so far. It's amazing that I shared my secret with someone like you, Director."
"..."
"Thank you for the ride!"
While Tae-joon was in a daze, Han So-eun rattled off a cute greeting, opened the door, and suddenly left.
The emptiness she left behind was so palpable that Tae-joon felt like he had been dumped. No, it felt like he had been hit instead.
Her refreshing laughter and the bright smile she had shown at the end kept Tae-joon from moving for a long time.
*
Hee-wook had spotted Tae-joon hugging So-eun in front of the hotel but couldn't say a word. He couldn't even acknowledge them. The contract with Tae-joon had been terminated, but the confidentiality agreement Hee-wook had signed was still valid. If Hee-wook said the wrong thing, legal problems could arise. Moreover, Hee-wook hadn't told Tae-joon that he had a girlfriend at K Electronics Service, so although it was uncomfortable, it was better not to show up now.
'Kim Tae-joon must have business at the hotel.'
Kim Tae-joon had come to the hotel for business and happened to find his company employee, Han So-eun, and struck up a conversation, and Han So-eun, reeling from the shock of the breakup, had hugged Kim Tae-joon. Kim Tae-joon had simply supported So-eun without knowing anything.
There was no way someone like Kim Tae-joon would think of a mere AS technician, Han So-eun, as special.
Han So-eun would probably not forget him for a long time and live alone. Because she was such an innocent woman.
He could fully predict the future, but he couldn't understand why he felt so uneasy.
'Whatever. It's over, so it's fine.'
I have Hyun-ji.
Hee-wook returned to the company with a light heart, having resolved a long-standing concern.
It was dinner time, so the office had many empty seats. Hyun-ji was working in her office.
"Hyun-ji. I finally broke up with her!"
Hyun-ji, who was preparing a written statement for the case she was defending, smiled without taking her hands off the keyboard.
Hee-wook sat on the edge of Hyun-ji's desk and grabbed her hand.
"To celebrate, I've booked a hotel room. You've been waiting too, right?"
"What are you talking about, oppa? That's not right."
"...Huh?"
"I'm so disappointed. It's only been a few hours since you broke up with Han So-eun, and you're already suggesting we go to a hotel. Even on a weekday. Can't you see I'm working?"
However, Hyun-ji's reaction was different from what he had expected.
"Did you act like this when you were seeing So-eun? Is your only goal to sleep with me?"
Hee-wook was also dumbfounded.
You're the one who pushed me to break up with Han So-eun earlier.
"I didn't say it first. You said it. You said that if I broke up with Han So-eun and came to you..."
"Still, oppa, you shouldn't do that. There's an order to things."
"..."
"I hate ambiguity. Let's get married first."
Hyun-ji poured cold water on Hee-wook's heated body.
"I want a proposal too. I hope you prepare it properly, oppa."
