“Good afternoon, Executive Director Yoon Hee-dae.”

For the first time, Hee-dae realized just how vast the storehouse of memories within him truly was.

The moment Shim Yeon-seo opened that door and appeared. The moment she walked toward him with measured steps and stopped before him.

“I’m attorney Shim Yeon-seo.”

The season instantly became summer.

He was eighteen again, a high school student—

“Shim Yeon-seo. I like you. Go out with me.”

The moment from the past when he had confessed beneath the lush summer trees intertwined with the present.

“I’ll let my results speak for me. I look forward to working with you, Executive Director Yoon.”

“…….”

Hee-dae stared at Yeon-seo’s utterly impassive expression, which was in stark contrast to her courteous greeting. Then she released a sharp breath.

When Hee-dae stood there, unable to say anything proper, the department head smiled.

“Attorney Shim is a highly talented individual whom we went to great lengths to recruit. I believe you can expect great things from her, Executive Director.”

“I see. Recruited. Talented.”

Only after the department head had finished explaining did Hee-dae finally speak, muttering each word as though to herself. Receiving no further response, the department head tactfully offered his parting greeting.

“Now that the introductions are complete, I’ll be going. I’ll see you at the meeting, Executive Director.”

“Ah, wait, Department Head.”

As he turned to leave, Hee-dae called him back.

“You should go ahead. Leave our newly appointed attorney here.”

“Pardon? You want me to leave Attorney Shim here?”

At being told to leave alone, Department Head Kim looked puzzled. Hee-dae tilted his head and gazed at Yeon-seo.

“You said she was a talented individual you went to great lengths to recruit. I thought I might conduct a private interview.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

Department Head Kim nodded and looked at Yeon-seo. After giving her a meaningful look that told her to handle the situation appropriately, he left first.

Thud.

Only after the door closed did Hee-dae glance toward the sofa.

“Have a seat.”

“No, thank you. I’ll listen while standing.”

When Yeon-seo declined to sit, Hee-dae picked up the receiver and dialed an extension.

“Two cups of tea, please. Make mine decaffeinated.”

—”Yes, Executive Director.”

After giving the brief instruction, Hee-dae walked over to the sofa and sank into it. He then turned his head and lifted his eyes to look up at Yeon-seo.

Their gazes met.

The moment their eyes met, Yeon-seo was suddenly overwhelmed by memories.

“You there, our newly appointed attorney.”

The gaze of a man who had never once been trampled by anyone. An arrogant tone.

“As you can see, I’m not accustomed to looking up at people.”

“…….”

“Come over here and meet me at eye level.”

People did not change easily, and he was exactly the same as before.

Even his wretched temperament, which ultimately bent everything to his will, remained unchanged. All of it.

***

Once Sim Yeon-seo had taken her seat, Hee-dae took a sip of his tea.

Although she had been his first love, he had no tender or bittersweet memories of her. The moment he confessed his feelings, she rejected him without hesitation. As if that were not enough, she soon took the drastic step of dropping out of school and disappearing without a trace.

When Hee-dae found out belatedly that she had withdrawn from school, his self-esteem took a hit for the first time in his life.

She could not have dropped out just because he confessed his feelings for her. Sim Yeon-seo must have had other reasons. Yet no matter how hard he tried to reassure himself, the shock had cut deep. For some time afterwards, he wandered through life, utterly lost.

They had practically lived under the same roof, yet after that, it became almost impossible to catch even a glimpse of her. They used separate entrances, and she never came out, as though she intended to stay in that basement room forever.

In the meantime, Hee-dae graduated, studied abroad, and completed his military service. By the time he moved into his own place, Yeon-seo’s mother had left her position as a live-in employee.

The disappearance of the mother and daughter from the single room where he had thought they would remain forever brought his shallow, trivial first love to a definitive end. At least, that was how it had been from Hee-dae’s perspective.

He thought they would never meet again, unless they happened to cross paths in the street by chance.

“It seems you and I have met before, Attorney”

Hee-dae was the first to speak. Yeon-seo remained silent, as though confirming it.

“I never expected us to meet again at the company.”

“…….”

“I never expected you to become a lawyer. Didn’t you drop out of school? How did you manage that? Did you go back to school? Did you take the high school equivalency exam?”

“If you’re curious about how or why I became a lawyer, I’ve included all the relevant details in the CV I submitted.”

Keeping her gaze fixed on the wall, Yeon-seo replied in a strictly professional, mechanical tone. Hee-dae raised an eyebrow.

“I see. Your résumé. If I ever find myself particularly bored, perhaps I’ll take a look.”

Yeon-seo sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, staring straight ahead. Even her profile seemed cold and detached. She hadn’t touched the tea he had offered her, let alone taken a sip.

Just look at her sitting there, as though staging a silent protest.

As if he were actually pleased to see her.

“Has your mother been well?”

He sensed Yeon-seo’s hands curl a little tighter.

“What has she been doing these days? Nothing has happened, has it? Is she in good health?”

“I was under the impression that I had been seated here for a professional meeting with a member of the executive management. Personal questions are…….”

“Ah. Sorry about that. I’m not very considerate of others. I’ve never had to be.”

Cutting Yeon-seo off, Hee-dae raised one hand slightly.

“Right. A formal meeting with an executive. We should get to that. So, Attorney Sim, how does it feel to have joined the company?”

“I’m not sure yet. It’s only my first day.”

“Why did you choose Baekmun specifically? Out of all the companies you could have joined. And Baekmun Motors.”

Although he asked the question indirectly, he was really asking her to explain why she had suddenly appeared before him.

After a moment, Yeon-seo glanced at Hee-dae. The moment she looked at him, his shoulders twitched, just as he had begun to relax.

Her naturally brown hair, seemingly untouched by dye, fell neatly and long down her back, just as it had in high school.

Just look at her. Her face had not changed at all. Apparently, he was the only one who had aged.

Hee-dae clicked his tongue inwardly. Yeon-seo’s simple, make-up-free face looked exactly as it had in the past.

“If I had to name a reason, this company offered the best conditions. It’s also close to my home.”

“That’s all?”

“Yes. That’s all.”

Hee-dae rubbed the space between his brows.

“You must have known I was here.”

“Yes.”

“And you still came because the conditions were good?”

“Was I not supposed to?”

“No, well, it’s not that.”

He immediately regretted asking such a pointless question. Hee-dae waved a hand as though dismissing the entire conversation, letting out a quiet groan as he did so.

“Oh, I see. So whether I’m here or not makes absolutely no difference to you? Is that it?”

Right. Of course. The person who delivers a blow easily forgets it, while the person who receives it remembers it for the rest of their life. She had mercilessly trampled all over his sincere feelings, only to forget about them completely.

That’s what she meant, isn’t it?

“Fine. I hear our company went to great lengths to recruit you, Attorney, so I trust you’ll do more than just get your salary. Work hard and deliver results that speak for themselves.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

Even though they were talking, he could not shake off the feeling that he was speaking to an artificial intelligence. Feeling as though all his energy had been sapped in a matter of minutes, Hee-dae waved one hand dismissively.

“You may go. Keep up the good work.”

“Yes. Then I’ll take my leave.”

As though she had been waiting for this moment, Yeon-seo stood up. Hee-dae slowly closed and reopened his eyes. They hadn’t argued about who had won or lost, yet he couldn’t fathom why he felt so utterly defeated.

“Attorney. Wait.”

When Yeon-seo turned back, Hee-dae rubbed his temple and spoke. Whatever else had happened, he wanted to end things on a good note.

“Meeting again like this must be fate. If you encounter any difficulties or feel uncomfortable with anyone, come straight to me. I can at least handle that much for you.”

“…….”

“I’m telling you, Sim Yeon-seo, I’ll have your back. Don’t you understand? Speak up if anything makes you feel uneasy.”

That was a good line. He had certainly preserved his standing and dignity with that.

As Hee-dae slowly swung his foot towards her and offered to watch her back, Yeon-seo seemed to ponder his words for a moment before responding thoughtfully.

“Since you were the first to offer, Executive Director, I’ll speak frankly. Actually, someone has already made me feel a little uncomfortable.”

“Already? When?”

“Just now.”

“Just now? Who?”

“…….”

“Ah. It’s me. Wow, that was fast.”

Yeon-seo lowered her head in a polite bow before continuing.

“I have no wish to exploit a personal connection from the past for my own benefit. Nor do I wish to invite unnecessary rumors. I would appreciate your thoughtful consideration, so that I can focus solely on fulfilling my responsibilities within my own sphere.”

Hee-dae slowly closed and reopened his eyes.

Ha.

A moment later, a hollow laugh escaped him.

“Wow, you’re d*mn good with words. Is it because you’re a lawyer? You leave me speechless every time. You’ll have no trouble making a living with that silver tongue. You really are talented.”

Hee-dae rose from his seat.

“Fine. In any case, keep up the good work.”

“I’ll be going, then.”

After bowing once more, Yeon-seo left. With his hands in his pockets, Hee-dae waited for the door to close behind her. The moment it slammed shut, he kicked out at the empty space where she had been standing.

Ah, d*mn it!

“Why did she have to come here?! Who the hell recruited her? Why did it have to be Sim Yeon-seo?! Is she the only lawyer in South Korea? Why her, of all people?”

He ran his hands through his neatly styled hair, ruffling it, and shuddered in disbelief. The moment Sim Yeon-seo walked through the door, his mind went completely blank. By the time he came to his senses, he had already invited her to sit on the sofa.

He could barely remember what nonsense he had said afterwards. Had he been shocked? Flustered? Even now, his heart was still pounding from the sheer absurdity of it all.

“Since you were the first to offer, Executive Director, I’ll speak frankly. Actually, someone has already made me feel a little uncomfortable.”

“Already? When?”

“Just now.”

“Just now? Who?”

“…….”

“Ah. It’s me. Wow, that was fast.”

Ugh. Just recalling it made his head spin.

“D*mn it…… That was so f*cking embarrassing. Seriously.”

In an attempt to end the conversation on an impressive note, he babbled nonsense, creating yet another humiliating memory. She had calmly and politely said everything she wanted to say, but what good had it done? Her words were like sharp cactus spines.

What irritated him even more was that she was right about everything she had said.

“I should’ve just sent her away when I had nothing else to say. Why did I have to meddle and offer to watch her back?”

Looking utterly drained, Hee-dae stared up at the ceiling.

“I would appreciate your thoughtful consideration, Executive Director, so that I may focus solely on fulfilling my responsibilities within my own sphere.”

Ha……

Hee-dae dragged both hands down his face for good measure and exhaled deeply.

“Didn’t I tell you I’m an inconsiderate bastard? You’re a lawyer, yet your memory is that bad?”

After letting out several heavy sighs, Hee-dae returned to his desk. He immediately looked at his computer screen, accessed a restricted programme and searched for Yeon-seo’s CV.