I Think I've Poked a Sleeping Bear
Chapter 16
Project Lee Dan-a ‘Date and Break Up’ — Mission #1. Date
A dim room.
Only the desk lamp cast a bright circle of light over the desk.
And there sat Dan-mi, now a high school senior, studying hard.
Or rather, she wanted to study hard, but couldn’t.
Hahaha. Uwaaaah…
Because behind her, her unnie was alternating between laughing and crying.
Even though she lived on her own, whenever something bad happened, she’d come running straight back to the family house and end up wrapped like a cocoon in the blanket, in Dan-mi’s room of all places.
“Unnie? Would you mind getting out of my room?”
“Can’t you see your unnie isn’t in a good mood?”
“Can’t you see I’m studying?”
“Hey, Lee Dan-mi. You weren’t always like this. I know high school seniors have zero bandwidth for manners, but shouldn’t you at least ask if your sister is hurting, or why she’s in a bad mood first?”
Like I care.
She desperately wanted to kick her out right this second, but listening quickly and shooing her out felt like the faster option. Gathering every ounce of benevolence from the farthest reaches of the universe, Dan-mi barely managed to ask.
“What happened?”
“My little sister, my pretty little sister. Will you listen to your unnie?”
Dan-a scooted right up next to Dan-mi.
“Back off a little and talk—”
“So, you know, there’s the President at my company…”
And like a tape playing on fast-forward, Dan-a spilled everything that had happened without catching her breath.
Dan-a gasped for air once she finished. Dan-mi froze, forgetting to blink as she processed what she had just heard, before violently blinking her eyes.
She had assumed her sister had lost her mind after getting dumped, but what kind of twist was this?
“So… you gave your friends a fake confession that you liked your President, the President just happened to overhear it, broke off his engagement, and not only that, proposed to you? And while trying to smooth things over, you ended up dating the President?”
“Yeah, exactly! That’s it. You won’t have to worry about your Korean reading comprehension on the CSAT, dongsaeng. But the important part is, while trying to get him to cancel the proposal, I was the one who begged him to date.”
“……”
“Now he’s going to think I really like him. Well, he already thinks I’m genuinely in love with him, and I doubt I’ll ever clear up that misunderstanding, but still—what about my pride?! It’s not like I actually like him, nor did I want to date him, yet your unnie begged him into going out. And three times, no less! What do I do? No turning back, today’s day one. What is your unnie supposed to do?”
“……Fuck.”
“What?”
“What a bullshit world. Some people stay up all night studying and still barely scrape into a university in Seoul! While someone else makes a fake confession to her company’s President and ends up riding a Fer*ari straight into marriage? You expect me to study in this unfair, piece-of-shit world? What’s the point of studying hard! What’s the point of anything in this unequal world! Forget it! I quit everything!”
“W-W-Wait, Dan-mi? N-No, that’s not it, your unnie just came for advice…”
Her corrupted sister’s eyes were spinning with madness at a completely unexpected point.
Dan-a grabbed Dan-mi’s shoulders.
“L-Look. Your unnie is a special case. Everyone studies hard. Y-Your unnie studied hard to get into that company too. I-If you work hard, good days will come for you too—”
“Get out right now! Get out! Get the hell out!”
Dan-a beat a hasty retreat.
“Hah, terrifying high school seniors. Just you wait until after the CSAT.”
Lesson of the day: never seek life advice from a high school senior.
Anyway, what was she supposed to do now?
For now, whether her feelings were real or fake, it was a hard fact that she was dating the President.
And then there were his words.
‘I was raised for Saja Group ever since I was young. As if I was born solely for this purpose. ……Thanks to you, Lee Dan-a-ssi, I finally understand. What human emotion is. That something about me can make someone else happy, and that someone else’s happiness can bring joy to me too.’
How could she say anything in front of a man like that…
She had already deceived him, but she didn’t want to deceive him any further.
Since things had come to this, she would just date the President diligently for now.
After all, isn’t it completely normal for men and women to meet and break up?
If they kept dating, they’d break up eventually, and as long as they didn’t end up married, that was all that mattered.
Right. Since we have to break up, let’s start by dating.
“……”
Never having really dated before, she had no idea where to even begin.
On top of that, her partner was the President.
How on earth do you date a President?
‘President, we have arrived at the theater. For this film, I have selected a survival romance about a woman who goes on a blind date as a favor to a friend, only to encounter her company’s President and struggle through the aftermath.’
‘Next is the aquarium. This aquarium, the largest in the country, features n sharks and n dolphins.’
‘Next up……’
No matter how hard she tried to imagine it, the only picture that came to mind was herself bowing and giving work briefings at his side.
“Haaah……”
“Sweetheart. Heartbroken again?”
Dongsu popped up out of nowhere behind Dan-a.
“Dad. What do you mean ‘again’? There’s no ‘again.’”
“Good at your job, good at your studies, pretty face. Everything’s great, so why is your love life always a total dud?”
“What do you mean dud! It’s not a dud, not at all.”
If only it were a dud!
After drawing blank after blank, why did she have to hit the jackpot this time?
When she hadn’t even bought a lottery ticket!
As Dan-a threw an internal fit, Dongsu slung an arm around her shoulders.
“Don’t be so sad, sweetie. Ever heard of ‘sweet comes after bitter’? The ground always hardens after the rain. Along that very path, he’ll come striding toward my daughter.”
“Who?”
“A lone wolf?”
Even as he said it, Dongsu clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“No, no. I can’t give my daughter away to a wolf. A… bear? Ah, that feels too clumsy. How about a tiger? Ah, what about a lion?”
Shiver.
If that’s the case, I think he’s already arrived.
“Sweetheart, you seem down. Want to go here with me?”
Dongsu suddenly shoved his phone in her face. What he showed her was an Instagram feed.
In the photos were a gorgeously decorated, colorful strawberry cream frappe and mouthwatering pastries.
The retired Dongsu had various hobbies, one of which was hunting down aesthetic cafes and bakeries.
“Pretty, right? Pretty, isn’t it? Pretty? They say this is a famous date spot. You love places like this too.”
However, reality being what it was, even the dazzling and radiant Instagram hot spot looked entirely black and white to her eyes.
Dan-a answered soullessly.
“Yeah, super pretty.”
“Right? Want to go with your dad?”
“You said it’s a date spot. Go with Mom.”
“I could, but it’s not like you have a man to go to places like this with anyway. Dad will go with you to cheer you up.”
“Are you really my dad? Why do you have to hit me right where it……”
Wait a second? A date spot?
Don’t I… have a man to go to places like this with?
That’s right, I have a boyfriend, don’t I?
A boyfriend she had to date diligently and then break up with before marriage.
Breaking up was urgent, but to do that, they had to date first!
“Where is that place, Dad?”
Starting today, the dating begins.
“You’ve arrived.”
Do-hyun bowed politely. Yi-on, who had entered the cafe without hiding his annoyance, took a seat across from Do-hyun.
“What’s this about? You asking to see me of all people?”
“There is a matter regarding President Ra that I need to discuss with you.”
Yi-on’s brow twitched in curiosity.
“Did the reporting hierarchy change? Did Mom tell you to report to me?”
“No. It’s something I wanted to consult you on.”
“I don’t betray my brother.”
Yi-on stared intently at Do-hyun, then smirked.
“If you’re planning to provoke me using my brother, don’t even dream of it.”
“That is precisely why I came to you, Executive Director, and not the Director.”
At Do-hyun’s serious gaze, Yi-on straightened his posture.
“What is it?”
Do-hyun glanced around before lowering his voice.
“President Ra met with Dongyeon Group’s Baek Seorin-ssi and called off the marriage.”
“……What?”
“He said he will not be getting married.”
“…….”
Yi-on rolled his eyes, utterly unable to comprehend.
“My brother would never do that.”
“I thought so as well. He is not someone to suddenly call off a marriage with trillions of won on the line without any forewarning. But I heard it directly from the President himself.”
Lost in thought for a moment, Yi-on looked at Do-hyun.
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Why is he calling off the marriage? Like you said, there must be a reason to abruptly cancel a corporate marriage with trillions of won at stake. Did he meet a woman or something?”
“Well…”
Seeing Do-hyun hesitate, Yi-on’s eyes widened.
“Did he really meet a woman?”
A woman…
After hearing Lee Dan-a’s confession, Lee Heon’s attitude had changed noticeably.
Do-hyun spoke resolutely.
“That… does not seem to be the case.”
Of course not. With trillions of won on the line, there was no way it was because of a woman who had confessed to him… or rather, who hadn’t even intended to. No way in hell.
