Chapter 37
- Too Fast, Too Fast
2023.06.06.
Han So-eun went up to the 7th floor with a pounding heart.
The 7th floor was quiet. Chief Song Mun-gyeong's desk was also neatly organized. Chief Song must have gone home.
As if he heard So-eun's presence, Tae-joon opened the office door.
Seeing the man's languid movement of revealing his face through the crack in the door and quietly stretching his lips, So-eun felt as if a taut string was attached. As if pulled by that string, So-eun entered the office.
Just as she thought he was kindly opening the door for her, Tae-joon leaned his body down behind So-eun's back with a faint sigh before the door could even close. So-eun took a deep breath.
Tae-joon's long arms wrapped tightly around So-eun as if to ensnare her. So-eun couldn't move her arms.
Tae-joon, who had lowered his head next to So-eun's shoulder, muttered near So-eun's ear.
"Han So-eun-ssi liked dehumidifiers."
"Ah, did you hear that? It's just useless talk."
"How can it be useless when it's about what Han So-eun likes?"
Even though it was a slow voice, So-eun's ears heated up urgently.
"You're cute when you drink. Shall we go for a drink?"
"No."
So-eun instinctively answered quickly and moved towards the door.
Someone might come in.
Like a turtle carrying its shell, So-eun moved her feet awkwardly and reached for the door, but Tae-joon's hand touched the doorknob first.
Click, Tae-joon skillfully locked the door.
"I can lock the door, but isn't this more suspicious?"
Aaaah.
"It's okay, no one's coming."
Making her tense, then reassuring her. Tae-joon was a master at toying with people. So-eun felt like clay in his palm, changing shape as he kneaded it.
Tae-joon spoke sweetly and plainly, as if molding candy out of clay.
"Run the TF Team well."
"Yes."
"But don't get too close to the team members."
"Pardon?"
"Starting the TF Team means we won't have time."
So-eun blinked, not understanding what he meant by not getting too close to the team members, but Tae-joon quickly changed the subject. So-eun was easily swept away by Tae-joon's words again.
If the TF Team became active, they wouldn't be able to meet like this anymore. While she felt a bit sad about that, So-eun was also relieved in a way. Even as Tae-joon was stuck to her back like a turtle shell, So-eun had a brake. She told herself that you never know what might happen, so she shouldn't fall too deeply.
"We have to work at the company."
With that answer, So-eun twisted her body and escaped from Tae-joon. She thought it was dangerous to be doing this at the company after all.
Tae-joon asked So-eun's opinion.
"Work hard during the week, and weekends are okay, right?"
"Aren't you busy on the weekends, Director?"
"You make time to play. Do you have time on the weekends?"
"Which weekend?"
"From Friday evening to Sunday."
"I don't have any special plans..."
"Then pack all the things you need for 2 nights and 3 days. Is there anywhere you want to go?"
"Pardon? Uh..."
"Think about that too."
Somewhere she wants to go? 2 nights and 3 days?
It seemed like Tae-joon was thinking of a honeymoon. So-eun's heart pounded like a mortar.
Too fast. Too fast. Too fast.
Everything was happening at a speed she couldn't have imagined when she was dating Hee-wook. It was so fast that she even had the absurd thought that this man might ask her to give him her liver in a few days.
Too fast. Too fast, too fast!
But I can't say I don't like it!
So-eun briefly regretted the moment she was freed from his embrace and faced him.
He had the power to make her agree to everything. When she looked at his face, she would say 'yes' as if hypnotized. He was someone who knew how to properly utilize his flexible drive and dazzling beauty.
Wednesday.
Hee-wook left work early and decorated the house. He set up candles all over the house, hung lights, and blew up balloons to hang on the wall. It was a difficult task to do alone, so Hee-wook's mother, Kim Mal-hee, and father, Yang Gyu-chil, helped him.
Gyu-chil grumbled as he stuck balloons on the wall to make a heart.
"Do you have to propose here? Your mother is having a hard time. Do you think your mother is all better just because she was discharged from the hospital?"
I also want to do something like a proposal at a hotel.
But Choi Hyun-ji said she wouldn't go to a hotel. I can't do it at the company either.
Hee-wook, who had no choice but to choose the house as the proposal location, silently blew up balloons without saying a word.
Instead of Hee-wook, Mal-hee pointed out Gyu-chil's complaints.
"Oh, that's enough. I know you're just feeling guilty because you couldn't do that for me, and now your son is doing it for his girlfriend."
"It's not that, it's just that you're having a hard time."
"Is only I having a hard time? Our Hee-wook is also having a hard time."
Mal-hee felt like she could prepare this kind of proposal ten times over if she could just have Hyun-ji as her daughter-in-law.
Mal-hee, who had cleared the table and put down the cake, found the ring case next to it. She had only been happy when preparing for the proposal, but seeing the ring case made her feel a little bitter. Her son, who had never given his mother, who had raised him, a ring or necklace, had spent a lot of money on a proposal.
She secretly opened the case and saw a beautiful ring that was so sparkly it was almost blinding.
"Son, you bought a pretty ring."
"Oh, Mom, put it down. You can't touch that!"
Hee-wook rushed over and snatched the ring away.
"I just took a look. You're so fussy. It's not like it'll wear out if Mom touches it."
"It's very expensive. Something bad will happen if you touch it wrong."
"How much is it? Does it cost about three million won?"
"..."
"More? Then five million won?"
"Anyway, it's expensive. You can't just touch it like that."
"More than five million? Oh my, she's an expensive daughter-in-law."
Mal-hee couldn't close her mouth.
Hee-wook, noticing Mal-hee's expression, took out another case from his pocket.
"Mom, I bought this for you. I bought it from the same place."
It was a crystal-cut brooch. Mal-hee's eyes narrowed as she opened the case.
"They didn't give it to you as a service for buying the ring, did they?"
"No, really. It's a real luxury brand from a department store. It's worth 500,000 won!"
In fact, the ring was fake and the brooch was real.
After purchasing a 55 million won ring, Hee-wook met with an imitation product seller, commissioned the ring to be forged, and returned to the company to copy the real ring's appraisal and warranty. The quality of the paper was unique, making it difficult to forge, but nothing was impossible with effort. He also had a natural talent for document forgery.
The biggest problem was the ring case. The ring could be forged perfectly, even down to the brand logo on the inside of the ring, but the imitation seller wasn't responsible for the ring case. Hee-wook went to the department store, received a refund for the ring, and bought a 500,000 won brooch. Then he asked for a case to put the brooch in. After that, he switched the cases of the brand brooch and the forged ring.
Since he would get a good wedding ring anyway, there was no need to put effort into a proposal ring. The ring looked exactly the same as the real thing, so everything was perfect.
"Yeah. But you have to do this much to get a precious daughter from a good family."
Mal-hee, who had received the brooch as a gift by chance, muttered, comforted by the fact that Hee-wook had at least thought of her.
As time passed, it was time for Hyun-ji to visit the house.
Hee-wook, who had gone out to meet her, brought Hyun-ji into the house, and Mal-hee and Gyu-chil turned off all the lights in the house. In the dark space, the heart-shaped candles glowed softly.
Hee-wook walked confidently in front of them, knelt on one knee, and proposed to Hyun-ji, presenting the ring.
"Marry me, Hyun-ji. I'll make you really happy."
"Kyaa!"
Hyun-ji screamed with joy.
Soon, the lights were turned on, and Mal-hee and Gyu-chil came out of another room.
"Congratulations. Congratulations on your marriage!"
Mal-hee set off a firecracker and welcomed Hyun-ji. Tears of emotion welled up in Hyun-ji's eyes.
"Did you all prepare this? Mother, I'm so touched! Thank you!"
Hee-wook put the prepared ring on Hyun-ji's finger. Hyun-ji was as happy as a child to receive the ring.
The more he invested, the greater the satisfaction. Hee-wook also felt like he had the whole world.
"Oppa, thank you. It's so pretty! But the ring is looser than I thought. I should go get it resized when I have time."
But the smile of having the whole world quickly faded at Hyun-ji's comment.
"What?"
"Why are you so surprised? I must have lost weight, so the size of my finger is different from before. I can get it resized, so don't worry about it."
Hee-wook exclaimed in disbelief.
"...How can I not worry about it when it's a ring I bought? I'll go exchange it!"
"No, I have to try it on myself to get the right fit. It's worth 55 million won, so I have to do it right the first time. I'll take care of it."
Mal-hee was shocked by Hyun-ji's answer, who even knew the inflated price of the ring.
"55 million won? The ring is worth 55 million won?"
Gyu-chil, who was next to her, also gaped. Hee-wook also froze.
Mal-hee turned her head and glared at Hee-wook, muttering.
"I thought 5 million won was too much, but 55 million won? Oh my... our house will be uprooted."
"...There's no wine opener? I'll go buy one at the convenience store."
Hee-wook made an excuse and ran away, avoiding Mal-hee, who was openly giving him the eye.
After Hee-wook left, Hyun-ji smiled softly and confronted Mal-hee.
"Mother, all my acquaintances receive this much. It's a once-in-a-lifetime proposal for me. And how much money do I earn? I'll be very upset if you say that."
"No... I just said it. I've never even seen a 55 million won ring."
Mal-hee mumbled in a subdued voice. Hyun-ji, noticing that Mal-hee's attitude had become sullen due to the ring price, changed the subject.
"Mother, you know my parents are returning to Korea soon, right? There's something I need to tell you before my parents come."
"Yeah. Okay. Tell me."
"You know I'm an only child, right? My parents don't want me to suffer after I get married."
"..."
"So, they'll probably ask about the house first. Whether our son-in-law's family can afford to provide a house or not."
She ate a 55 million won ring and now she's talking about a house? It's good to have a lawyer daughter-in-law, but I don't want to give her my liver and gallbladder to get her as a daughter-in-law. Just as she was about to say something about where she was talking about a house, Hyun-ji continued without giving Mal-hee a chance to interrupt.
"So, if you tell them how much you're thinking of, Dad will probably add that much more at the meeting and tell you to buy a house that's twice as good. Of course, he'll tell you to put it in Hee-wook's name."
"..."
"That's all you need to worry about. How much of a house you want to provide for Hee-wook."
Mal-hee's eyes, which had been shadowed, shone brilliantly like diamonds.
So, if I make 500 million, I'll get another 500 million. If I make 1 billion, I'll get another 1 billion!
