Chapter 10 (Part 1)

She nodded absentmindedly and quickly left his place. When he followed her into the hallway, they encountered In-kyung approaching her apartment.  

“In-ah?”  

Startled, she alternated glances between In-kyung and Jinwon. In-kyung’s curious gaze fixed on Jinwon.  

“Oh, Team Leader!”  

Her surprised expression quickly turned into a bright smile.  

“Did you two just…”  

“Let’s go, unnie. Let’s go now.”  

She grabbed In-kyung’s arm, eager to leave.  

But things didn’t go as she wished.  

“Won’t you join us?”  

In-kyung unexpectedly invited him.  

“What?”  

“We’re going to help at our parents’ restaurant. It’d be nice if you could help too, right, In-ah?”  

While In-kyung seemed excited, she felt awkward.  

At the restaurant, their expressions remained unchanged. In-kyung was still excited, while she seemed resigned.  

“Is it going well?”  

Jinwon was moving supplies from a truck to the restaurant.  

In-ah was just uncomfortable with him doing heavy work.  

Contrary to her worries, he greeted her parents warmly and rolled up his sleeves to help.  

Her dad was beaming with satisfaction, while her mom’s stern expression didn’t easily soften.  

While lifting a box from the truck, a motorcycle brushed past him, causing him to fall onto the road.  

Startled, she and In-kyung jumped up. But as she ran outside, she froze.  

Her mom was checking his leg, looking extremely agitated.  

“Did you hurt your leg? Try moving it!”

“No, I’m fine.”  

“It doesn’t seem fine! If you hurt it again, it’ll be serious. Move it now!”  

With frozen expressions, Jinwon and she looked at each other.  

Her mom, unaware of their reactions, was focused on checking his condition.  

Her mom knew about his accident seven years ago. 

How did she know?

***  

In-ah sat by the Han River, watching the water glisten under the streetlights.  

Her phone, which kept ringing, was from her mom.  

After a while, a message notification sounded. Her mom was waiting outside her apartment.  

Reading the message, she called In-kyung.  

“Unnie, can you take mom home?”  

• Why don’t you meet and talk with her?

“I need time too.”  

She heard In-kyung’s worried sigh over the phone, then the call ended with an agreement.  

She turned her gaze back to the river.  

She remembered her aunt from the funeral after her parents passed.  

At four years old, she was fascinated by the shoes of the mourners.  

Seeing so many shoes for the first time, she played with them curiously. Her aunt approached and hugged her tightly.  

Though she felt suffocated in her aunt’s embrace, she couldn’t ask to be let go.  

Her aunt was crying endlessly while holding her.  

Afterward, her aunt took her hand and went home, where she met In-kyung and In-woo.  

Growing up in her aunt’s care, she never forgot a single moment.  

Her aunt was always sincere, showering her with motherly love.  

She always gave her the best food first and cheered for her no matter what she did.  

Because of her aunt, she never hesitated to call her ‘mom’.  

But.  

Why, knowing about Jinwon’s accident seven years ago, did she not say a word to her, who struggled with the breakup?  

No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t understand.  

How did she find out, and what did she know? She wanted to ask but couldn’t.  

Returning home, her face was still complicated.  

Jinwon, waiting for her outside the apartment, ran to her.  

“Where did you go alone? Are you okay?”

In-ah forced a smile.  

“Of course, I’m fine.”  

“Is there anything you want to eat? You haven’t had dinner, right? Let’s go for dinner.”  

“Um, chicken gizzards.”  

“What?”  

“I want chicken gizzards.”  

She smiled brightly at Jinwon.  

Putting down her soju glass, she scrunched her forehead.  

“Ah!”  

With a face full of anticipation, she picked up a piece of chicken gizzard with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.  

A satisfied smile spread across her face.  

“Chicken gizzards are the best side dish for soju!”  

Watching her quietly, Jinwon spoke softly.  

“You don’t have to pretend in front of me.”  

“What?”  

“I’m on your side no matter what you do.”  

Listening to him, she suddenly raised her voice.  

“No!”  

“What?”  

Her sudden outburst surprised him.  

But she, ignoring his reaction, insisted strongly.  

“If it’s not right, you should say so! Can you say it’s right when it’s not? No!”

She downed the soju and looked at him with a wistful expression.

“My mom, no, my aunt was always like that. Always on my side. But that’s not right~”

Having already emptied a bottle of soju, her drunkenness showed. Jinwon watched her pour a second bottle with concern.  

After finishing three bottles, she finally surrendered. Jinwon shook her awake as she lay on the table.  

“In-ah, wake up. Let’s go.”  

“Yes, we should go! We should definitely go!”  

She suddenly sat up and fumbled for her phone in her pocket.  

“I need to make a call.”  

“To whom?”  

“To Jinwon oppa.”  

“What? Jinwon oppa is right here. I’m here, In-ah.”  

But she seemed not to hear him.  

With a serious expression, she dialed a number and put the phone to her ear. Soon, his phone rang.  

He hesitated briefly before taking out his phone and answering the call.  

Then, she began shouting at him through the phone.  

“I miss you! I miss you so much! Where are you?”  

He tried to stop her, but it was no use. She shook off his hand with surprising strength and put the phone back to her ear.  

“How could you get tired of me all at once? I’m not pregnant. I’m not!”  

“In-ah.”  

Suddenly, her voice, which had been shouting, became subdued.  

“No matter how much I look, you’re not there. Where are you?”  

He stopped trying to stop her and watched her quietly.  

Her face, now on the verge of tears, looked endlessly sad.  

At that moment, she was back seven years ago. He felt a deep pain in his heart.

When he had abruptly declared the breakup seven years ago, he had thought she had turned away without regret.

That’s why he had decided to be the worst guy in the world.  

He believed she had left, living with hatred and resentment toward him.  

But he was completely wrong.  

She had endured much more pain and agony than he had imagined.  

He slowly embraced her. She nestled into his arms, closing her eyes.  

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”  

He cupped her cheeks, meeting her eyes as he spoke each word clearly.  

“In-ah, I’m here. So, don’t cry anymore.”  

***  

Hungover, she barely managed to get into the office elevator.  

Seong-jun was already inside. They exchanged brief nods.  

As soon as the elevator doors closed, she urgently covered her mouth, feeling nauseous.  

“Ugh!”  

Startled, Seong-jun instinctively stepped back.  

She glanced at him and asked,  

“Is that a designer suit? I’m worried I might inconvenience you.”  

Looking down at his suit, he replied,  

“Don’t worry about my suit. I’m worried about you.”  

“Thank you for your concern.”  

She repeatedly bowed in thanks, then suddenly remembered something.  

“By the way, about that diamond necklace. Is it real?”  

“Of course, it’s real.”  

“No, I mean…”  

He looked at her, puzzled, as if asking what she meant. She met his gaze with a serious expression and asked,  

“The thing about diamonds being incompatible with cosmetics. That’s not true, is it?”

“Who said that? It’s not true.”  

“The portal site did.”  

He looked at her, confused.  

She spoke in a nonchalant tone,  

“I searched, and it all came up. Even if you touch it with hands that have touched cosmetics, if you wipe it, it’ll become clear and shiny again.”  

He quickly looked away, clearing his throat.  

“There are a lot of incorrect facts there…”  

Unconsciously, he moved to the corner of the elevator.  

She leaned in closer and asked,  

“So, when will the diamond appraisal results come out?”  

Taking a large step away, he answered immediately,  

“I’ll let you know once they’re out.”  

Suddenly, she pretended to gag, barely covering her mouth. Startled, he flinched.  

“I don’t feel well. I should stop drinking. I’m sorry.”  

She bowed to him and exited the elevator.  

As she left, she stuck out her tongue.  

“Payback for scaring me~”  

She had been terrified she would have to pay for the diamond necklace. Thinking of the night spent in worry and despair, this revenge felt too mild.  

As she sat at her desk, Hye-yoon approached eagerly.  

“Did you hear?”  

“Hear what? I just got to work.”  

Hye-yoon, as if she expected this, leaned in closer, ready to spill the news.  

“Jinseong acquired Lysian.”  

“Is it decided?”  

Even she couldn’t help being interested.  

“Yes. The CEO position is already decided.”  

“Who?”  

“Don’t be surprised.”  

Hye-yoon seemed excited, anticipating her reaction.  

“Director Lee Seong-jun.”  

“What?”  

Her brows furrowed instantly. How unexpected!  

Ignoring her reaction, Hye-yoon continued chatting ceaselessly.  

“The son of Jinseong Group becoming the CEO, who can say anything? He’s in a league of his own.”  

Her face darkened quickly.  

As she turned, she met Seong-jun’s eyes as he left the office.  

She swallowed nervously.  

Unaware, she had teased him like a friend earlier. She felt awkward about how to handle this situation.  

Hye-yoon not only shared the news but also her opinion.  

“If it’s becoming a Jinseong subsidiary, there might be more personnel changes than just the CEO. Maybe restructuring.”  

No way. 

In-ah couldn’t hide her worried expression.  

In truth, she had no attachment to the company. Without any particular loyalty, she thought she could leave anytime for another company.  

But now, she felt a newfound attachment.  

She wanted to stay and work alongside Jinwon for a long time.