Chapter 1.4

She picked up a piece of the cleanly sliced red meat with her fork and placed it in her mouth. It was surprisingly delicious.  

At first, she thought it might taste so good because it was her first meal of the day. Then she realized that, despite having visited this place multiple times, today was the first time she had actually eaten here. She had always found the staff’s arrogance during reservation calls unpleasant, but now she felt a newfound understanding for their attitude. Defining it as a justified arrogance, she continued to chew the meat with satisfaction.  

“Seems like the meat suits your taste?”  

“Yes, it’s very delicious.”  

Nodding cheerfully, Su-eon glanced at Ki Seung-jo, who was smoothly cutting into the red lobster claw meat. Knowing that she had taken the charcoal-grilled Hanwoo beef, aged for two days at low temperatures, while giving him the lobster made her feel a slight pang of guilt.  

“Does it suit your taste, Director?”  

“I eat everything well, so don’t worry about me.”  

“I’m glad to hear that.”  

Su-eon smiled brightly and took another bite of her meat. It was remarkable how the human survival instinct worked—even with an intimidating figure sitting across from her, high-quality meat still melted effortlessly in her mouth. She cut into the Mediterranean-style crepe served as a garnish and swallowed it along with the meat juices. At that moment, her phone vibrated.  

“Excuse me for a moment.”  

After politely excusing herself, Su-eon lowered her phone beneath the table to check the message. Her brow furrowed upon reading the news that Jung Cho-ah still hadn’t been found.  

She quickly typed out a list of places where Jung Cho-ah might have gone—luxury shops in Dosan-dong with personal shoppers, a spa in Cheongdam-dong, or a bar in Apgujeong—and sent it off with a single-handed typing speed. She added a final note:  

<She must be found before midnight.>  

Midnight was the time when Assemblywoman Yeo would receive her report. That meant they had to locate the runaway Jung Cho-ah and resolve today’s mess before then.  

“Is it an urgent message?”  

Momentarily forgetting about Ki Seung-jo sitting across from her, Su-eon raised her head. His straightforward tone made it seem as though he’d stand up and leave if she said yes. Su-eon quickly denied it.  

“It’s nothing important.”  

She couldn’t end this meeting without resolving anything.  

“Just a spam message.”  

“Your face looks deeply troubled, though.”  

“…Actually, when I eat something delicious, I make this kind of face. A really serious, frowning face. Like this.”  

Ji Su-eon deliberately tensed her eyes and made a grave expression. She hadn’t meant it to be funny, but Ki Seung-jo laughed.  

“Do people often tell you that you’re amusing?”  

Although she didn’t understand why he was laughing, Su-eon guessed that laughter was a sign of goodwill. She assumed she had unintentionally earned some points and nodded.  

“Yes, I do hear that sometimes.”  

In truth, the comment about being amusing was something people usually said about Jung Cho-ah, not Su-eon. However, since they couldn’t outright call the World Hotel owner’s granddaughter “crazy,” people often phrased it more delicately in this way.  

“I try not to be prejudiced about people, but you’re very different from what I expected.”  

Hearing Ki Seung-jo’s words, which carried a hint of a smile, Su-eon felt a sting of guilt and gripped her fork tightly.  

“I only recently started learning the ropes, so every day is a new experience, and I’m growing.”  

She answered seriously, channeling Jung Cho-ah’s persona. Ki Seung-jo, observing her silently, smiled.  

“Is hotel work manageable for you?”  

“I’m still in the process of adapting.”  

“That industry tends to have a lot of variables.”  

Ki Seung-jo murmured quietly, and Su-eon agreed. While sometimes crises could be avoided by handling situations strictly according to the manual, public opinion could turn against you when the atmosphere wasn’t favorable. Industries that involved face-to-face interactions with people were similar everywhere.  

“Is dealing with people difficult for you?”  

“There are times when it’s hard, and times when it’s rewarding.”  

“What do you do when it’s hard?”  

When Jung Cho-ah was stressed, she would go out for a round of golf or take her sports car and drive off to the countryside or wherever she felt like. However, Su-eon had never played golf or owned a high-speed sports car. If Director Ki showed interest and asked about golf or cars, her lack of experience might be exposed.  

“When I feel a little stressed, I run all the way home. By the time I’m out of breath, I completely forget why I was upset in the first place.”  

After some consideration, Su-eon gave her answer. Ki Seung-jo didn’t seem surprised and smiled softly, as if he had heard something he found pleasant.  

“Your shoes don’t look very comfortable for running home.”  

“Oh, I change into running shoes when I run.”  

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to run at a gym?”  

“That’s not fun for me. Running while feeling the wind is refreshing and enjoyable. Besides, I have to get home anyway.”  

For Ji Su-eon, who prioritized efficiency in everything, this was also an important matter. She expected to be called peculiar, but Ki Seung-jo unexpectedly nodded seriously.  

“You’re exercising, commuting, and relieving stress all at once. It’s like killing three birds with one stone.”  

“Exactly.”  

Su-eon recalled the moment from the previous night when she had run through the tropical heatwave, sweating as if it were raining.  

“Do you often run home like that?”  

“No, only occasionally.”  

Occasionally. By that, she meant about three or four times a week. Su-eon would sometimes run all the way home after work.  

“That’s a healthy habit. Maybe I should try it next time.”  

Why on earth would he do that? 

Especially when he had a perfectly fine car. If Director Ki decided to run, his chauffeur and personal secretary would likely have to run alongside him. In this tropical night heat, no less, wearing suits. It was a perfect recipe for being murdered out of resentment.  

Internally horrified, Su-eon carefully advised him.  

“If you run home after work, Sir, it might make the news the next day.”  

“Then I shouldn’t do it?”  

“Yes, for everyone’s happiness, that would be best.”  

Ki Seung-jo laughed again as he watched Su-eon nod seriously. Su-eon, looking at his gentle smile, suddenly felt puzzled. 

Was he always like this? He used to be much rougher and scarier, but now he was offering drinks and food, and surprisingly… he seemed quite down-to-earth.  

The Ki Seung-jo in front of her was unexpectedly nice, making her initial nervousness seem unnecessary. Perhaps the saying “a position shapes a person” was true. Just as Su-eon had decided to compromise with the world, it seemed that over the years, Ki Seung-jo had also adopted a more generous attitude toward life.  

The power of alcohol was indeed remarkable, and it helped Su-eon shed some of the fearful and intimidating image she had of Ki Seung-jo from the past. After all, everyone goes through phases in their teenage years. Even Ki Seung-jo was just human.  

Although he wasn’t her ideal type, Ki Seung-jo had been a famous basketball star during his school days, drawing fans wherever he went for national competitions.  

A high school basketball MVP and a promising talent who had been selected for the youth national team early on.  

While Ki Seung-jo might be seeing her for the first time, Su-eon knew a fair bit about his high school days. This was because her deskmate back then had been an ardent fan of his.  

Ki Seung-jo used to smile often back then as well. During the time when he dominated national tournaments as a starting player on the basketball team, his radiant smile—with his wet hair glistening—was immortalized everywhere, from the school gallery to online articles.  

With that face, Ki Seung-jo not only captivated the female students at his school, but even stirred up the middle school next door, where Ji Su-eon studied, into a frenzy of innocent first loves. Su-eon’s deskmate was also one of those middle school girls who couldn’t escape the fever of love. All of them would sway between joy and despair at the slightest change in Ki Seung-jo’s expressions.  

The rough yet noble aura he exuded on the basketball court also played a role in fueling the half-baked desires of adolescent girls. Holding the ball, he would run fearlessly toward victory, leaping high into the air and lightly extending his arms to shoot. The ball he threw would draw a perfect arc and pass smoothly through the net. His shots weren’t merely a skill for scoring points; they resembled elegant and precise works of art.  

Amidst the scorching heat of the stadium and the roaring cheers, Ki Seung-jo would turn away with a lofty expression, drinking a few sips of water during halftime and then pouring the rest over his head. His focused gaze, as if he were playing a game entirely on his own without caring about anyone’s attention, mesmerized the audience.  

Ki Seung-jo was fundamentally different from the pathetic boys of their age, who clumsily tried to catch the attention of girls. He existed on an entirely different level. Su-eon also envied his natural talent and the confidence that stemmed from it. But for her, it was a kind of admiration, not the sort of obsession that would leave her collapsing to the ground in tears like some of the others.  

When Su-eon couldn’t understand why her friends would scream “Oppa, I love you!” every day, or how they could so easily throw around the word “love,” her deskmate explained, “If just imagining it makes your heart race so much that you feel dizzy, that’s love.”  

Thirteen-year-olds talking about love—it seemed so hopelessly naive back then. But now, thinking about her own obsession with Black, she could understand it, even if just a little. Back then, Ki Seung-jo must have been the same for those girls.  

For that reason, looking back now, it was clear that Ki Seung-jo had a share in Su-eon’s school days. At least until the day he suddenly left for America, leaving everyone in despair.