Chapter 85
85. Whatever You've Done
2023.07.24.
Hee-wook accessed his email account and checked the 'Sent Items' folder. The email he sent to So-eun had 'Read Receipt' stamped on it. So-eun had checked the email.
What would happen now? If it were the naive and honest Han So-eun, she might go straight to Kim Tae-joon to confirm the facts. And what would Kim Tae-joon say? Would he confess everything honestly, or would he try to gloss over it?
Either way, there was bound to be a crack in their relationship. There would definitely be something that the kind-hearted Han So-eun couldn't tolerate. At the very least, Han So-eun would have developed a distrust of Kim Tae-joon.
They were bound to break up someday, but Hee-wook couldn't be satisfied with just that.
Kim Tae-joon had revealed his wicked nature and threatened to kill him. He hadn't directly harmed Kim Tae-joon in any way, but the reason he was so hostile was because Han So-eun was Kim Tae-joon's weakness.
If this incident caused a misunderstanding and the two of them really broke up, Kim Tae-joon would go even more insane. At that time, he would completely bury the irrational Kim Tae-joon socially.
Hee-wook pondered how to separate Kim Tae-joon and Han So-eun even faster. And he thought of Kim Tae-joon's family, which was in stark contrast to Han So-eun.
\
Before he knew it, the final report for the Future Services Team Project was complete. It was a project that didn't quite fit the team name 'Future Services,' but their results would be a work that brought K Electronics one step closer to the future.
The experimental results showed Nukum's victory. Nukum's chipset was superior to Iaks's chipset in every aspect, including versatility, robustness, heat resistance, durability, and stability. Moreover, traces were found in Iaks's chipset that clearly indicated they were copying Nukum. Defects were also found in Nukum's chipset, and even those defects were copied by Iaks. Even though it would be more difficult to manufacture products with those defects.
The conclusion reached by the TF Team was that Iaks was highly likely to have copied Nukum's products to make their own.
"You've all worked really hard."
Tae-joon had also expected this result.
"Now, I'm going to visit Iaks and Nukum. After checking the local sentiment in the Philippines and confirming if there's any secret information they're hiding, I plan to report to Chairman Kim Jae-pil or present directly at the executive meeting."
At Tae-joon's announcement, So-eun blankly nodded. She had heard before that she might have to go on a business trip when the final report came out. It was nothing special as it was going according to plan. More than that, So-eun somehow kept recalling the email she had received in the morning.
"If you're visiting Iaks and Nukum directly, does that mean you'll be going to the Philippines?"
"Yes. I'll be leaving soon, and it won't take long. I have someone waiting for me in Korea."
Without knowing So-eun's feelings at all, Tae-joon answered Eun-pyo's question while staring openly at So-eun. It was something he said thinking back to when he went on a business trip to the United States.
So-eun let go of her blank expression, hid her dry lips inward, and lowered her head.
"Let's have the after-party when I get back. Everyone has worked really hard."
Tae-joon bowed politely. The team members, who had finished the project wonderfully, applauded each other.
\
So-eun had dinner with Bobae and Eun-pyo and parted ways. Tae-joon had a lot of things to wrap up, so he couldn't join them, and it became a simple after-party for the TF Team members only.
After dinner, on her way home after parting with her team members, So-eun was lost in thought again.
Some time ago, that is, on the day Madam Kim Mal-hee came to her house, So-eun had felt that strange feeling. The feeling that someone was following her.
She had forgotten about this because Madam Kim Mal-hee had suddenly appeared that day, but when she thought about it, the feeling of being followed had continued from when she got off the bus to in front of her house. She had encountered Madam Kim Mal-hee in front of her house. It was unlikely that Mal-hee, who was weaker and not as fast as her, had been following her and had gotten ahead of her to guard her house.
And while she was arguing with Mal-hee, Tae-joon appeared. When she asked him how he had come, he replied that he had just stopped by. Thinking about it now, it was strange. Was it really a coincidence?
Could someone have been quietly following her? And that person had alerted Tae-joon that she was in danger?
As she trudged along, So-eun reached her studio villa and turned around to look around. There was nothing suspicious to be seen. So-eun sighed deeply and took two more steps. Her hand, which had been about to grab the doorknob of the studio villa's entrance, stopped abruptly.
"Kyaaaa!"
With a scream, So-eun hurriedly opened the door and entered the building. She rushed up to the third floor without stopping, feeling a very dangerous sensation.
Then, she opened the front door, covered herself with a blanket, and lay down on the bed. She turned off her phone.
About 30 minutes later, she heard someone ringing the doorbell urgently.
"Han So-eun, Han So-eun."
And Tae-joon's voice too.
Her steps towards the front door, getting up groggily from the bed, were heavy. Still, she opened the front door without showing any sign.
As expected, it was Tae-joon. He was breathing heavily in front of her, as if he had run up the stairs in one go. His eyes were wide with terror, as if he had encountered a snake as big as a person.
So-eun deliberately asked calmly.
"How did you come?"
"Ah……."
Only at her question did he seem to come to his senses, blinking his eyes widely before answering.
"I was wondering if we could have dinner together before I go on my business trip."
"I already had dinner, Director Kim."
"……Actually, I suddenly missed you and came. Was everything alright?"
Only after confirming that So-eun was fine did he seem to relax.
"Nothing much, but I saw a cockroach when I came into the studio. A cockroach this big."
So-eun gave Tae-joon an answer that would reassure him even more. But soon, her lips twisted.
She didn't want to suspect him. She didn't want to hate the man who had rushed over here in such a hurry because he was worried that she was in danger for any other reason. No, she didn't want to hate him for even a moment.
Are you following Yang Hee-wook in the same way?
Was what you did on that business trip to the United States to push for the merger of Yang Hee-wook's company? To revoke Yang Hee-wook's lawyer qualification?
Did you threaten to kill Yang Hee-wook?
Did you kill Yang Hee-wook's father? That's not true, is it?
Believing that even if he had bad intentions, he wouldn't have gone that far, So-eun gave up suffering alone and asked directly.
"Did you put a bodyguard on me?"
It was the easiest question to get an answer to.
His eyes, which had been relieved for a moment, wavered again. His gaze, which seemed to be examining her expression while also being flustered, was anxious.
She decided to just tell him as if she knew everything.
"Don't put people on me. No, you can put them on me, but please tell me."
I know you did it to protect me. So, I'm grateful on the one hand.
"I'll be safe and sound when Director Kim goes on his business trip, so don't worry too much. And since it's come to this, I'll get to know the bodyguard and become friends with them. I think that'll make me less scared."
"No, I."
"I know. It's because I immediately refused when Director Kim mentioned a private bodyguard, right?"
So-eun interrupted him and conveyed her prediction.
Whatever you've done, I can't help but love you now. So.
"I'm not upset about that, but if Director Kim deceives me, I think I'll be very disappointed."
She had no choice but to choose coexistence.
"Thank you for caring, have a good business trip."
So-eun pulled up the corners of her lips and smiled forcefully. As if everything had been resolved. As if there were no more grudges left.
Tae-joon took a step closer and pulled her into his arms. So-eun hid in his broad embrace, as if hiding what she had seen and heard.
*
The Chairman's life is tiring.
After attending a government-sponsored event in Cheonan, Jae-pil signaled to his secretary, who was sitting a few steps away, as he got up. He had to stop by the restroom before heading to Seoul.
On the recommendation of those around him, he was accompanied by a secretary and even bodyguards, but in reality, he was someone who sometimes wanted to have time alone. Especially when he had to take a string of people with him even to the restroom, he felt even more uncomfortable. Even as he approached eighty, Jae-pil was still like that.
Moreover, there were so many scary young people these days that he worried about what they would think of a chairman who even took people to the restroom. Since false information spread so quickly, Jae-pil became careful about his behavior even in the restroom.
There was no one in the restroom, but there was someone when he came out after taking care of his business. Jae-pil went to the sink next to the man who was slowly washing his hands and washed his hands. Then the man spoke to him.
"Chairman Kim Jae-pil. It's an honor to meet you like this."
"Who are you? Do you know me?"
"How could I not? You're the head of K Group, the best company in Korea."
"Haha. Yes, nice to meet you."
"But by any chance, do you know that your grandson is dating?"
The story that had started as light restroom talk soon became heavy. The bodyguard, sensing something suspicious, approached. Jae-pil raised one hand to stop the bodyguard. He wanted to hear the story a little more. Whether it was the crazy ramblings of a madman or the truth, the story of his precious grandson was an enticing topic.
Besides, it was about dating. Since his grandson had never introduced him to a girlfriend, Jae-pil's eyes shone. The man, seeing that Jae-pil had become interested, continued to speak excitedly.
"Her name is Han So-eun, an engineer who works in the same division as Director Kim Tae-joon. Don't you know her yet?"
The chairman's expression, which had seemed somewhat cheerful, hardened in an instant.
"I am Yang Hee-wook, a lawyer who had his girlfriend Han So-eun stolen by Director Kim Tae-joon."
