The Woman Who Stole My Flower
Chapter 25
# Chapter 25
#25.
“Prizes for the sports day.”
“Ah…!”
Come to think of it, the company sports day was the day after tomorrow. Another department had already contacted her earlier, asking whether Joo-heon would be attending.
“Why are we taking all of this upstairs? Can’t we just leave them down here and transport them straight to the venue?”
“We have to wrap them…”
Assistant Manager Hong answered, looking on the verge of tears. Ah, gift-wrapping is going to be a nightmare too.
How long would it take to move all of this? A sigh escaped her, but standing idly and sighing wouldn’t sprout legs on the boxes to make them move themselves. Yeon-seo rolled up her sleeves.
“Let’s move them quickly.”
“You’re helping me? Thank you so much!”
Assistant Manager Hong looked practically ready to weep with gratitude. In truth, most people in the Management Support Office acted entitled and high-and-mighty toward the CSR Team, but Assistant Manager Hong was different. Whenever Yeon-seo asked for a favor, Hong would walk on eggshells around the higher-ups just to process it quickly, and she would genuinely sympathize with Yeon-seo, lamenting how unfair things were. She was a truly kind person.
“Hold the elevator, please. I’ll load them in.”
From simple participation souvenirs to first-place prizes, there were hundreds of boxes.
“Oh my!”
Carrying several small boxes all at once, Assistant Manager Hong nearly dropped one before quickly catching her balance, her face flooding with relief.
“Phew, that was close. Do you know how much this costs?”
“Why, what is it?”
Curious about the fuss, Yeon-seo took a look, only to find the latest Apple Phone—and a Pro model at that. A device hovering near two million won, more than enough to justify the panic.
“Wow, what prize is this for, Assistant Manager?”
“It’s the prize for the soccer champions.”
Because Bellator was a sportswear brand, the company was home to numerous sports clubs and took its annual sports day deadly seriously. Putting up expensive prizes was standard practice, but even so, this year felt a bit excessive.
“Why is the prize so expensive this time?”
“The main event for this sports day is soccer. They even had a trophy custom-made—the 1st Kang Joo-heon Cup Bellator Company-Wide Soccer Tournament.”
They certainly knew how to row when the tide came in; with Kang Joo-heon here, they were wringing every last drop of publicity out of him.
“Though I doubt player Kang Joo-heon will actually participate, right?”
“Who knows. I did get a call earlier asking whether the Director would attend.”
“Did you ask him?”
“Not yet. He usually finishes training, eats lunch, and comes in around two o’clock. I’ll ask him later.”
Mid-conversation, Yeon-seo stared at the picture of the phone printed on the box, marveling anew.
“It really is gorgeous, though.”
Her current phone was going on five years old, so just looking at the picture made her mouth water. The thought of splurging on a twenty-four-month installment plan crossed her mind, but Yeon-seo quickly shook her head. That money could fund several months of her savings account for a soccer trip to the UK.
“There’s a women’s soccer match in the afternoon too. Do you want to play, Manager Jung Yeon-seo? The prize is the same.”
Unfortunately, Yeon-seo had zero athletic talent across every sport imaginable. With a chest on the larger side compared to her frame, just running was often uncomfortable.
“Who’d ever let me on their team? I barely break twenty seconds in the hundred-meter dash.”
Assistant Manager Hong burst out laughing, then whispered conspiratorially.
“It’s even prettier in person, you know? I’m going to pick the gold one.”
“Huh? Are you playing too, Assistant Manager Hong?”
“Nope. But my boyfriend plays for FC Bella.”
“Ah!”
FC Bella was the most famous soccer club in the company and last year’s sports day champion.
“He promised he’d win first place again this year and give the prize to me.”
“Must be nice…”
Just as Yeon-seo voiced her envy, Assistant Manager Hong’s phone rang.
“Yes, Manager Sung. I’m moving them with Manager Jung Yeon-seo right now. Pardon? Right now?”
Hanging up a moment later, Assistant Manager Hong turned to her.
“Manager Jung Yeon-seo, could you take a quick break? Manager Sung said an urgent matter came up and told me to come up right this second.”
“I’ll just keep moving them slowly on my own. Go on ahead.”
“I’m so sorry, especially when you’re helping me out. I’ll be back as fast as I can!”
Assistant Manager Hong headed upstairs with an apologetic expression, but nearly thirty minutes passed without any sign of her return.
I had a bad feeling about this.
Yeon-seo wasn’t entirely oblivious. The person who had randomly ordered her to help another team was Sung Hye-eun, and the person who called Assistant Manager Hong away was also Sung Hye-eun. In other words, this was a deliberate attempt to screw with her.
What she couldn’t understand was the motive.
Why on earth?
She had shaken hands with her just the other day, promising they would get along, so this sudden hostility made no sense. Was it because she wanted to be Kang Joo-heon’s secretary and got rejected?
That seemed to be the only plausible reason. Back then she hadn’t been entirely sure, but now everything was crystal clear. Kang Joo-heon had entered this company solely to collect a debt from Yeon-seo in the first place. Naturally, whether it was Sung Hye-eun or anyone else, he never would have tolerated another person becoming his secretary.
While she could understand the princess’s pride being wounded by the rejection, it wasn’t as if it were Yeon-seo’s fault.
No, wait. Technically, it is my fault.
If Yeon-seo hadn’t stolen Kang Joo-heon’s purity in the first place, he wouldn’t have harbored a grudge and joined this company. Then Manager Sung Hye-eun’s towering pride wouldn’t have been crushed either.
Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. Cultivating zen-like patience, Yeon-seo began hauling the boxes alone. Yet no matter how many she carried, the pile seemed endless.
“Wow, there really are a ton…”
Catching her breath where she stood, Yeon-seo picked up the Apple Phone box and stared at it for a long while once more. No matter how she looked at it, it was undeniably gorgeous.
Could I maybe stretch it over a thirty-six-month installment?
While she was locked in fierce combat with her material desires, a voice suddenly drifted down from above her head.
“What are you doing here?”
“Eek!”
Startled out of her skin, Yeon-seo ended up fumbling the box.
“Ah!”
Just as the two-million-won Apple Phone box was about to make an unforgiving landing on the parking garage concrete, the world-class athlete’s reflexes ignited.
Joo-heon softly cushioned the falling box right on the bridge of his foot. And not in athletic sneakers, but in dress shoes!
“Whoa!”
Witnessing Kang Joo-heon’s specialty—dubbed the “soft tofu touch” among fans—right before her very eyes, Yeon-seo’s jaw dropped. She loved soccer herself, but never in her life had she seen such an elegant first touch.
Scooping up the box resting obediently atop his shoe, he spoke with a swagger.
“What’s the big deal over something like this? I can trap a raw egg on my foot without breaking it.”
“Really? A raw egg, not a boiled one?”
“Want me to show you?”
It was certainly fascinating, but hardly necessary.
“No, that’s quite all right.”
Giving Yeon-seo a displeased look as if she had spoiled his fun, Joo-heon peered down at the box in his hands.
“What is this that you’re staring at so absentmindedly?”
“It’s a prize for the upcoming sports day. It’s just so pretty.”
His gaze lingered briefly on the phone box. Then, taking in the mountain of boxes stacked behind Yeon-seo, his expression soured in disgust.
“And what are all those boxes?”
“They’re all sports day prizes. And souvenirs.”
“Why are you the one moving sports day prizes?”
“Well… because I was told to?”
When she answered plainly, Joo-heon looked thoroughly dumbfounded.
“Just because someone told you to, you do it all alone? At the very least, you should have called other people to do it together.”
There was such a wonderful solution?
“Ah, you’re right.”
The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Staring at her in exasperation, Joo-heon set the phone box back onto the stack and issued an order to Ho-jin, who stood behind him.
“Hyung, go tell the Head of the PR Office to get this sorted out. And tell them my secretary is busy, so don’t order her around with stuff like this in the future.”
He then turned to Yeon-seo.
“Let’s go up.”
Yeon-seo hesitated.
“But this was assigned to me…”
“By whom?”
“Manager Sung Hye-eun.”
“Sung Hye-eun?”
His expression suggested the name sounded vaguely familiar. Yeon-seo gave him a hint.
“You know. The one I got drunk and headbutted during the team dinner.”
“Ah, her.”
For some reason, Joo-heon’s face darkened with intense displeasure. Then he spoke in an even firmer tone.
“Forget it. Let’s go up.”
Even so, Yeon-seo pondered for a brief second. Regardless, Joo-heon was her direct superior right now, and his word took precedence. Well, the manager said he’d talk to the department head, so things would work out somehow.
She had no peculiar hobby of stubbornly doing work she didn’t have to do. Without another word, Yeon-seo dusted off her hands and followed behind Joo-heon.
“What event was that prize for earlier?”
While waiting for the elevator, Joo-heon asked without even looking at Yeon-seo.
“They said it’s the prize for the soccer champions. If you’re coveting it, Director, perhaps you should enter.”
She had intended it as a joke, but he didn’t even crack a smile, leaving Yeon-seo feeling thoroughly awkward. Come to think of it, she had never seen him smile once. Then again, since he harbored ill feelings toward her, it wasn’t like he’d smile for her anyway.
“When is the sports day?”
“The day after tomorrow. They asked me to let them know whether you’d be attending.”
She had expected him to cut it short with a flat refusal due to training, but surprisingly, the answer came back without a moment's hesitation.
“Tell them I’ll attend.”