CHAPTER 70

In front of his grandfather and father, Siyeon wished Gwihyeon a quick recovery, who was pretending to have lost his memory again, and left the hospital room.

She had been too focused on watching his acting and felt drained. She stepped outside and called Manager Yang. It was almost lunchtime.

“Unnie, it’s me, Siyeon.”

[I know. Where are you, at home?]

“No, I stepped out briefly for a hospital visit, and since I’m hungry, I thought of you and Team Leader.”

[Oh, really? Is that so? Then let’s eat together. Are you coming here now?]

“If I go now, lunchtime will almost be over.”  

Siyeon said with a weak voice. She should have made the call a little earlier. No, if she had hurried the hospital visit a bit more, she could have made it in time for lunch. She felt regretful.

 [It’s okay if we eat a little late. I can wait. What do you want to do, will you come?]

“Is it really okay?”

[Choi Siyeon. You’re the boss’s daughter! And it’s just me and the team leader going out to join you for lunch. Can’t there be some flexibility?]

“Really? Then I’ll go right now.”

Her footsteps quickened. Siyeon, who had come out of the hospital building, got into the taxi that was parked at the front of the line, and stated the destination.

[No need to rush. Got it?]

“Yes.”

A smile unconsciously spread across her lips. Anticipation fluttered in her chest at the thought of meeting them. She planned to have lunch with them, spend time with her mom at home, and then have dinner before leaving. 

‘I’m happy.’

Siyeon thought, looking at the rapidly passing scenery outside the car window.

* * *

“Siyeon!”

When Siyeon entered the office, Manager Yang, who had been sitting alone in the empty office, jumped up from her seat with a surprised expression.

“Unnie, I’m here!”

“I told you that there’s no need to rush.”

Manager Yang rushed to Siyeon, hugged her, and patted her back warmly.

“Where’s the boss?” 

“The boss and the staff went out for a meal. When the boss said you were coming and wanted to eat with us, I firmly refused. I did well, didn’t I?”

She said with a chuckle.

“Do you still find the factory meals tasty?”

“Yes.” 

Yoonsoo was also there beside her. He, too, had been eagerly waiting for Siyeon along with Manager Yang. 

“Oh, right. What about team leader?”

“I’ll go call her. She’s so precise about administrative matter, she works until you come, and when you come, she’s still working, even though it’s lunch time.”

Siyeon, feeling sentimental, grabbed one of Manager Yang’s hands and playfully shook it, expressing her affection. She couldn’t help but feel touched by meeting such wonderful people again.

“Don’t act cute! You’re a married woman.”

“Tsk.”

“Hey, little brat! What’s ‘Tsk’? Brat!”

As Siyeon pouted, Manager Yang chuckled and pinched her cheek.

“I’m starving to death. This brat is here, so let’s go eat quickly.”

Yoonsoo said gruffly and hurried them along. The three of them soon left the office.

When they stopped by the factory to pick up the team leader before heading to the cafeteria, most of the people inside had already finished their meals.

“Everyone! Yeongjin’s daughter, Choi Siyeon, is here!”

 “Unnie!”

As Manager Yang playfully shouted while opening the cafeteria door, Siyeon nudged her with her elbow. Amidst the bustling crowd, Siyeon found her father and waved at him with a bright smile as their eyes met. Her father, who was having a meal, greeted her with a bright smile, raising his right hand. 

Siyeon picked up her meal tray and placed it at an empty seat before approaching her father.

“…Dad.” 

She called out to him in a soft voice. Today was the first time she had called him ‘dad.’

“You should have contacted Dad, and then I would have gone out to buy something delicious for you.”

Even he smoothly used the term ‘Dad’ in front of Siyeon. 

“I was planning to have lunch with the factory staff and then go home for dinner later.” 

“Is Ijun not coming?” 

“…Ah. Shall I ask him to come home for dinner?” 

When her father asked about Ijun, Siyeon was inwardly flustered but didn’t show it outwardly. Nonchalantly, she said that she could call Ijun, as if he would rush over whenever she called. She wanted to uphold her father’s dignity in front of people. 

“Really? Then you should tell Mom about it. We need to properly feed him today.”

“Ah… Yes. I’ll try calling Ijun. If he’s not too busy, he might come.” 

“Good. Now, hurry up and go have your meal.” 

“Yes.”

Her father was pleased with Siyeon’s response. It seemed that he really liked Ijun. As she turned back to her seat, her heart was pounding too hard. The fact that she had to call Ijun and ask him to come for dinner weighed heavily on her.

The fact that she had to call Jun for dinner when he had time became a significant task for her.

“Hurry up and sit down to eat.”

As they returned to their seats, Manager Yang pulled Siyeon’s arm and said. Siyeon picked up her spoon with a mixture of worry and joy.

“Siyeon, you know the team leader’s daughter, right? Such a pretty girl.” 

“You mean Dayeon, right?” 

“Yeah, Yoon Dayeon. Well, our Dayeon is going to be on TV starting next week!” 

“Really? Is it true, Team Leader?” 

Siyeon quickly forgot about her concerns regarding Ijun as she widened her eyes and looked at the team leader. Dayeon, the team leader’s daughter, aspired to be an actress.

“Oh my, just a supporting role. It’s a drama that airs on Fridays and Saturdays. Our daughter will only appear briefly.” 

“Wow, Team Leader, you must be so happy!”

“What’s so good about it? She just says a few lines and comes home late every day. If you didn’t know, you’d think she’s the main character.” 

She waved her hand as if it was nothing special, but she couldn’t hide her pride. Her usual affection and pride for her pretty daughter made her feel proud enough.

“Everyone starts like that at first. Oh, but this is not the time for this. We should get her autograph before Dayeon becomes more famous. Let’s take a picture too.”

“Jessica, I tried that already, but it was a total failure. I got an instant rejection from the team leader.”

Yoonsoo grumbled while eating, looking displeased. His words made the people around laugh.

“It would be nice if the drama does well and she can do commercials and all. Followed by a manager and stylist.”

“Siyeon, to do that, Dayeon needs a stronger agency. She had to audition dozens of times for that role. Even that almost got snatched by a big planning agency, but the director liked Dayeon and barely managed to keep it for her.”  

“Oh, really?”

As Manager Yang explained further, the team leader’s expression darkened. It was heartbreaking to see her daughter’s struggles. Siyeon also became melancholic alongside.

“Should I show you some pictures of our daughter filming?” 

“Yes.” 

As Siyeon nodded, the team leader discreetly took out her phone and showed them pictures of her daughter in action.

“Dayeon is really beautiful.”

“What’s so beautiful about her? Where among the actors is someone not as good-looking as her?” 

As she said this, her eyes crinkled with satisfaction.

“I hope the drama does well. It would be nice for Dayeon to rise to stardom.” 

“Thank you.” 

Siyeon smiled as she looked at the picture. She hoped that if things went well for her, it would make the team leader even happier.

* * *

After having lunch, Siyeon walked towards her parents’ house. Yoonsoo offered to drive her, but she insisted on walking. It was to contact Ijun while she was alone. She needed to ask Ijun in advance so her mom wouldn’t unnecessarily prepare food. 

[Are you busy?]

She texted Ijun.

[The same as always. Why?]

[What time will you finish work?]

[I’ll be a bit late today. Around 9 o’clock.]

Siyeon frowned. It meant that having Ijun come over for dinner was out of the question. As she recalled her father’s pleased expression from earlier, she felt heavy-hearted. 

[I’ve come to my parents’ house. It seems like it’ll be late after dinner… Can I stay here tonight and go tomorrow?] 

[Even if it’s late, you should sleep at home. I’ll send a driver over there, so just rest while waiting.]

She sighed, shoulders slumping. Inviting Ijun had failed, and planning to stay at her parents’ house also seemed unsuccessful. 

[Okay.]

After sending the reply, Siyeon briskly walked towards her home.

“Mom, I’m here.”

Upon arriving at home, she opened the front door and stepped inside. The house was quiet. 

“Mom! Siyeon is here.” 

Siyeon checked various rooms, but her mother was nowhere to be found.

 “Where did she go?”

Just as Siyeon was about to make a phone call, her mother opened the front door and walked in, carrying a handful of bags. 

“Oh? You’re here already? I thought you’d stay out a bit longer.” 

“Mom, what’s all this?” 

Siyeon hurriedly took the bags from her and asked with a puzzled expression. 

“I went grocery shopping because your dad said Ijun’s coming today. I even bought a native chicken at the market to make samgyetang.” 

“…Shouldn’t you have asked me first?” 

“Why? Is he… not coming?” 

“He said he’s busy. He’ll be working late, so I told him to come next time.” 

“Oh dear. What should we do with all this?” 

Seeing her mother looking tired from all the shopping, Siyeon also felt drained. She felt like she wanted to explain the situation to Ijun, suggesting he just come for a meal then leave. 

“That’s okay. I’ll call the people from the factory to have dinner together. I’ll make the call.”

“Who from the factory?”

“Manager Yang, the team leader, and also Yoonsoo oppa. They’ve been so good to me all this time, and I’ve always felt bad that I couldn’t properly treat them to a meal. They’ll probably be okay with the timing.” 

“Should we do that, then?”

“Yes. I think that would be great.”

Her mother’s face brightened instantly at Siyeon’s words. She was pleased to be able to fulfill her daughter’s request. 

While she was preparing the groceries, Siyeon called Manager Yang and ordered beer and soju from a nearby supermarket. Manager Yang and the other two naturally agreed to Siyeon’s invitation. 

Siyeon pushed two long tables together in the living room and covered them with white paper. She arranged individual utensils, plates, and cups at regular intervals. The delivered alcohol was placed in the refrigerator to keep it cool. The house soon filled with the aroma of delicious food. 

“Mrs. Choi! We’re here!” 

As soon as they arrived, the three of them, who had rushed over in Yoonsoo’s car after work, crossed the threshold of Siyeon’s house in less than 5 minutes. Manager Yang, the team leader, Yoonsoo, and Siyeon sat at the table full of food. 

“Boss, you should eat with us too!” 

“We have back pain, so we can’t sit on the floor. Eat a lot.” 

Sitting at the dining table, Siyeon’s father joked, indicating that the four of them should have a good time together. 

“Siyeon is very grateful to the three of you. Please take good care of our Siyeon in the future.”

At her mother’s words, Manager Yang and the team leader nodded in agreement. 

The four of them began to enjoy their dinner with laughter and joy. SSiyeon silently chuckled to herself as she saw that the chicken that was supposed to be Samgyetang had turned into a deliciously sliced Dakbokkeumtang, realizing that her mother strictly differentiated between sons-in-law and non-sons-in-law. 

(Samgyetang = Ginseng Chicken Soup; Dakbokkeumtang = Spicy Braised Chicken)

The doorbell rang while the four of them were enjoying their dinner and having a good time over drinks.