I Think I've Poked a Sleeping Bear
Chapter 34
Birds Listen to Words by Day, and Words of Dan-mi by…
Jihoon looked at Yoonseo in a rush.
“Wasn't it Kim Yoonseo-ssi who brought up calling off the wedding first?”
“Han Jihoon-ssi? You're the one who started it, Jihoon-ssi. Asking how we're supposed to get married like this.”
Dan-a narrowed her eyes, looking between the two of them.
“Guys? Do you really have to do this in front of the President?”
“Come on. Would we really fight in front of the President? We're just kidding around.”
“Yeah, how could people who broke up eat together like this?”
Whether they were minding the President or just looking for an excuse to make up, the two were now smiling at each other regardless.
“Anyway, I thought you two broke up for at least ten minutes.”
“How could we ever break up for even one minute?”
Unlike the three of them chatting and laughing in an instant, Iheon had completely frozen.
Dan-a leaned in slightly and whispered in his ear.
“They said they fought because they couldn't decide on a honeymoon destination. They made a whole fuss about canceling the wedding, but the mood softened thanks to you, President.”
Only then did Iheon finally let out a breath.
“…Where were they torn between?”
“The Maldives and Europe. Yoonseo wants to relax in the Maldives, while Jihoon wants to tour Europe and go sightseeing.”
As the two of them whispered, Jihoon and Yoonseo's gazes gradually turned curious.
Catching their vaguely suspicious looks, Dan-a deliberately changed the subject.
“Hmm, but President. Didn't our company have a ban on workplace romances?”
“Ah, that's right. In case of a violation, transfer to an isolated island and an eighteen-month pay cut.”
Jihoon's eyes went wide.
“What? R-Really?”
“I'm joking.”
Watching Jihoon's flustered expression, Iheon let out a cold smirk.
I'd love to ship you off to a place like that. So you never cross Lee Dan-a's sight again.
But it would be a problem if Lee Dan-a cared about you.
“Ahaha. You were joking. For a second, your eyes looked deadly serious…”
A sudden chill made Jihoon shiver.
“Huh? Jihoon-ssi. Why are there laser dots on your body…?”
“Where?”
“Nice greeting, huh?”
“Ah, seriously, Kim Yoonseo-ssi.”
Yoonseo and Jihoon started being sickeningly sweet and laughing again.
Yet why was it?
For a fleeting second, Dan-a felt as though she had seen targeted red laser sights on Jihoon's body—hundreds of them, at that.
Crept out by the strange vibe, Dan-a turned to Iheon. But he was merely eating his food with complete composure.
Tilting her head, she resumed eating.
A peaceful meal.
Meanwhile, Jihoon felt his entire body prickle, as if the floor cushion—no, the very air around him—had turned to thorns.
***
“Dan-a! Dan-a!”
Yoonseo came rushing over to Dan-a's desk.
The look on Yoonseo's face was an exact mirror of the time she had dashed over to break the news about being transferred to the Marketing Team.
A strange sense of déjà vu washed over her.
“What's the matter?”
“Dan-a, this is insane! We won our company's honeymoon event! An all-inclusive trip covering both the Maldives and Europe, completely free!”
“Really? That's crazy! How did that happen?”
“Look at this!”
Yoonseo showed her the winning voucher.
[Congratulations on Winning! In-House Couple Wedding Event!]
[Full company sponsorship from the wedding ceremony to the honeymoon!]
“Whoa, isn't this like winning the lottery? That's amazing! Seriously amazing!”
Thrilled, the two held hands and spun around in circles.
Wait a second.
“Did our company ever have an event like this?”
“…”
“Are you sure this is an event you applied for?”
A brief silence fell between them. That eerie feeling gripped Dan-a once more.
“Ah, whatever. What matters is that we won!”
Yoonseo said, intoxicated with happiness.
That was true enough. Yoonseo's couple might just be the very first winners of this event.
“Right, right. Winning is what counts. But when is the date?”
“In two weeks.”
“What?”
“To make that date, we have to get married next week! What do I do, what should I prepare first? This is crazy, seriously. Jihoon and I are finally getting married! The heavens must be rooting for us!”
While Yoonseo was practically leaping for joy, Dan-a froze solid.
Married in two weeks?
The heavens are rooting for them?
“Something's weird…”
“Would it be too much to ask the President to officiate our wedding? Still, if the company is providing it, it's basically the President giving it to us, so maybe I should ask? We've even shared a meal together, right?”
Giggling happily, Yoonseo skipped away.
‘Still, if the company is providing it, it's basically the President giving it to us, so maybe I should ask?’
The President is… giving it…?
‘In all my years, I've never seen an entire team get transferred out of nowhere like this.’
‘I heard it was a direct order from the President…’
‘A sudden reassignment overnight. Only God and the President could pull off something like this.’
‘Work is piling up like a tsunami, but looking through it, it's all my tasks. The Marketing Team is totally free. I'm the only one swamped.’
‘They said they fought because they couldn't decide on a honeymoon destination. They made a whole fuss about canceling the wedding.’
‘We won our company's honeymoon event! An all-inclusive trip covering both the Maldives and Europe, completely free!’
‘To make that date, we have to get married next week.’
The ominous chill that had been lingering in the air suddenly clicked into place, puzzle piece by puzzle piece.
‘Shall we stop talking about other men and talk about us?’
‘Han Jihoon-ssi. When on earth is this wedding happening?’
‘Your affection for your friend seems remarkably deep, Lee Dan-a-ssi. Seeing how concerned you are about being split into different departments.’
‘By the way, why is Han Jihoon-ssi, who works on a different floor, over here again?’
“Ra Iheon…”
‘Ah. Is this the guy? The one where unnie liked Jihoon oppa and was about to confess, but found out he was marrying Yoonseo unnie, lied that she liked the President instead, and the President overheard and asked unnie to marry him?’
You… it was you.
You heard everything that day, didn't you?
***
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong.
The doorbell rang impatiently.
The front door opened, revealing Iheon's face.
“Hyung!”
Yi-on pulled Iheon into a hug.
“What brings you here? To think you'd come all the way to my place.”
“Can't a dongsaeng visit his hyung's house? Here, a present.”
Stepping inside Iheon's apartment, Yi-on handed him a bottle of liquor.
“You're all grown up. Bringing your hyung gifts like this. Thanks, I'll enjoy it.”
“Even when you only cared about work, it wasn't like this, but you're harder to see than ever lately. Things going well with sister-in-law?”
“Well, you know.”
A soft chuckle escaped Iheon as a faint blush colored his cheeks.
Just looking at that smile told the whole story. Yi-on clicked his tongue.
“Shouldn't have asked. Now I'm just jealous.”
“What about you? Seeing any women?”
“Whoa. To think I'd hear a question like that from you. You used to just nag me about whether I was doing my job properly.”
“I was just about to get to that. How's work going?”
“I knew it. Don't know. It's no fun at all.”
“Do you work for fun?”
“Hyung, you do it for fun.”
“You should be moving to the main headquarters soon, too.”
In the past, Yi-on would have boasted about following his brother to become vice president, but he could no longer make such remarks lightly.
Lest his entry into Saja Group push his brother out of his position.
Judging by how their mother acted, she was more than capable of doing just that.
He knew his brother wasn't someone who could be pushed aside easily, but he hated the thought of his hyung discovering the secret of his birth and getting hurt even a little.
Because hyung is practically my only family.
Whenever he was lonely as a child in place of their busy parents, hyung was the only one beside him.
When he was scared, hyung slept by his side, read him books, and played with him.
When their father forbade him from doing sports, his brother was the only one who stood on his side.
And when he eventually had to give up sports, it was his brother who cared for his feelings more than anyone else.
So there was no way he could ever betray him.
“You take care of that, hyung. The Executive Director position at the fashion division is already overwhelming for me. You know, right? I'm terribly bad at work.”
“You always underestimate your abilities.”
“It's not an underestimate; it's an objective assessment. Ooh, nice place! I haven't visited once since you moved.”
“Want a tour?”
Iheon showed him around the house. After wandering around excitedly, Yi-on stepped into the dressing room and paused.
‘Your hyung might be one thing, but you're not my style.’
Baek Seorin's words instantly resurfaced in his mind.
What is hyung's style, anyway?
What's so different between him and me?
Yi-on began examining Iheon's clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing. Uh, hyung. How did you dress back then? You know, around the time you were engaged to Baek Seorin-ssi.”
“Why? Need some clothes? Want me to give you some?”
“No, not that… Well, if there's anything you don't wear lately, could you lend me a few?”
“Why lend? Just take them. Did Mother confiscate your card or something?”
“Come on, hyung. It's been ages since I stopped using Mom's card. I can live perfectly well on my own salary, you know.”
“You really are all grown up.”
“You're just realizing that now? I'm ready to get married.”
“Do you even have someone?”
“Uh, well… yeah. You'll find out soon enough.”
Though he couldn't be entirely confident whether that day would actually come.
Just then, a call came through on Yi-on's phone.
[Baek Seorin]
Nice!
A broad grin spread across Yi-on's face.
“Hyung, I think I gotta go.”
“Did something urgent come up?”
“Yeah. Who knows, I might end up getting married before you, hyung!”
“What?”
“I'm off, hyung. Introduce me to sister-in-law sometime!”
High on excitement, Yi-on dashed out.
“…Marriage?”
Marriage, huh.
Iheon stood still for a moment.
Right, marriage.
There was that option.
I suppose I should proceed with the marriage I had put on hold back then.
With a sharp smile playing on his lips, Iheon dialed Dan-a's number.
—P-President?
“It's me.”
—What's going on at this hour? Did you have something to say…?
“Are we definitely meeting this weekend? There are no more family gatherings, right?”
—Yes. That's true, but…
Iheon smiled.
“Good. Clear your schedule for the entire day.”
Dan-a, I'll make sure you can't think of anyone else but me.
Once again, the date to completely erase the existence of Han Jihoon was about to begin.