Chapter 15 (Part 6)

In-kyung expertly tied on an apron, washed her hands, and stood in front of the cutting board with a knife.  

Jeong-ho, who had been watching her, finally spoke up.  

“You seem to have some experience in the kitchen?”  

“No.”  

Her confident response left Jeong-ho bewildered.  

“Do you know how to cook?”  

“No.”  

Once again, her answer was unapologetically direct.  

Jeong-ho sighed in exasperation.  

“Do you at least know how to use a knife?”  

“I’ve never tried.”  

Now, he was completely dumbfounded.  

“You must cook at home sometimes.”  

“I eat out.”  

Jeong-ho pressed his lips together tightly. Accepting her request to teach her how to cook had clearly been a mistake.  

“Let’s start with how to hold a knife.”  

In-kyung picked up the knife in front of her. Seeing this, Jeong-ho let out another sigh.  

“Like this. Hold it like this.”  

“Oh!”  

Glancing at Jeong-ho’s grip, In-kyung adjusted her hold on the knife.  

To demonstrate, Jeong-ho began slicing a carrot.  

“Wow! You’re so good at this.”  

Clapping enthusiastically, In-kyung’s wide-eyed admiration made Jeong-ho puff up with pride.  

“Now, you try. Slowly.”  

In-kyung grabbed the carrot and boldly began chopping at a rapid pace.  

“Wait! Stop!”  

Startled, Jeong-ho grabbed her wrist.  

“Why?”  

Unlike the panicked Jeong-ho, In-kyung remained completely calm.  

Exasperated, he shouted,  

“You almost chopped off your finger! And you’re asking why?”  

Startled by his outburst, In-kyung pulled her hand back.  

“Could you please let go of my wrist first?”  

Realizing he was still holding her wrist, Jeong-ho quickly released her.  

Rubbing her wrist, In-kyung remarked casually,  

“You’re really strong, Boss. You look strong, but you actually are.”  

Jeong-ho frowned in disbelief.  

“Is this really the time for jokes?”  

“Why not? You should always joke and laugh, no matter the situation. Life’s too tiring if everything’s so serious.”  

Jeong-ho turned away, clearly frustrated.  

“I tend to have a temper. People often tell me to tone it down. But I always wondered, how do you suppress something so alive and kicking?”  

Jeong-ho’s eyebrow twitched slightly—a sign that he was beginning to find her words intriguing.  

“But Boss, you’re not angry; you’re scared. You need to tone down your fear. Should I help you with that?”  

Still exuding nonchalance, In-kyung’s suggestion prompted Jeong-ho to respond firmly.  

“In the kitchen, fearlessness is not an option. Everything here is dangerous. If you can’t take it seriously, then quit. I can’t teach you.”  

Without hesitation, he began taking off his apron.  

In-kyung stopped him, her gaze sharpening as she looked at him.  

“I was wrong. I won’t do it again.” 

Her words didn’t match her expression, leaving Jeong-ho momentarily confused.  

Then, In-kyung clasped her hands together and bowed her head.  

“Boss—no, Teacher! I’ll be a good student, so please give me another chance.”  

Jeong-ho almost burst out laughing but managed to hold it in.  

Barely regaining his composure, he said,  

“Pick up the knife again.”

“Yes, I’ve got it. Like this, right, Teacher?”  

In-kyung was not someone who had an ounce of cuteness in her DNA. Yet, without realizing it, she was acting like this in front of Jeong-ho.  

It seemed that when people wanted to achieve something, an unknown part of their personality would emerge.  

Completely unaware of In-kyung’s philosophical musings, Jeong-ho resumed teaching her how to chop with a knife, his face expressionless.  

***

The gates of the Jinseong Group Chairwoman’s mansion opened, and In-ah and Hye-yoon climbed the stairs through the garden.  

Hye-yoon sighed in a low voice to In-ah.  

“Why did they call us back again? Honestly, do you know how happy I was when I heard the designer was being replaced?”  

“I thought you were disappointed. Was I wrong?”  

Shaking her head slightly, Hye-yoon looked up at the sky.  

“To think I’d have to experience this nerve-wracking tension again. Ugh.”  

Watching Hye-yoon let out a deep sigh, In-ah laughed and asked,  

“What does nerve-wracking tension taste like?”  

Hye-yoon glared at her.  

“Do you really feel like joking in this situation?”  

Seeing Hye-yoon’s pouty expression, In-ah chuckled slyly.  

As they entered the house, both women were startled.  

The Chairwoman, who usually arrived late, was already seated, waiting for them.  

Hurriedly, In-ah and Hye-yoon greeted the Chairwoman and took their seats.  

Steaming tea was placed before them.  

As usual, Hye-yoon took a sip of tea and smiled at the Chairwoman.  

“The tea has such a subtle aroma. Every time I visit your home, I look forward to seeing what tea I’ll be served today.”  

The Chairwoman set down her teacup and replied,  

“Does your company teach you to call flattery salesmanship?”  

Hye-yoon nearly spat out the tea she had just sipped.  

As she coughed repeatedly, In-ah spoke up.  

“If you say all pleasant words lack sincerity, then there will be many unjustly accused people.”  

The Chairwoman stared at In-ah for a moment before taking another sip of tea. Then, she slowly turned to In-ah and asked,  

“May I ask you a personal question?”  

Hye-yoon’s tension reached its peak. The Chairwoman had never asked a personal question before.  

Nodding her head, In-ah returned the Chairwoman’s gaze as she asked,  

“What do your parents do for a living?”  

What an unexpected question. Though slightly surprised, In-ah answered without hesitation.  

“They run a restaurant.”  

“And your grandparents?”  

Still puzzled, In-ah replied.  

“They’ve both passed away. But why do you ask?”  

She didn’t forget to inquire about the intention behind the question.  

The Chairwoman set her teacup down and, with an unchanged expression, answered In-ah’s question.  

“I was wondering if you had anyone backing you.”  

“What?”  

Neither In-ah nor Hye-yoon could make sense of the comment. The mystery was cleared up by the Chairwoman’s next words.  

“I was curious what gave you the nerve to speak your mind so fearlessly.”  

Glancing briefly at In-ah, the Chairwoman continued.  

“I assumed you must have someone to rely on.”  

“I do. I have someone I trust.”  

Hye-yoon turned to In-ah in shock, her eyes wide.  

“I trust my own judgment. I believe it’s not wrong.”  

The Chairwoman silently observed In-ah for a moment before opening her mouth again.  

“Does this trust of yours ever suggest you use a bit of cunning?”  

“Pardon? What do you mean by that?”  

The Chairwoman glanced at the secretary standing behind her, who stepped forward and placed a file on the table.  

It was a design proposal bearing In-ah’s name.  

While Hye-yoon looked at the file in shock, In-ah’s expression remained calm.  

Noticing In-ah’s composed demeanor, the Chairwoman smiled faintly.  

“So, does your trust tell you this design is worth having confidence in?”  

Meeting the Chairwoman’s gaze directly, In-ah replied,  

“A designer doesn’t present a design to a client unless they’re confident in it. If the client rejects the design, it’s for one reason only: ‘preference.’”  

The Chairwoman shifted her gaze back to her teacup and took another sip. She didn’t interrupt In-ah’s words.  

“If this design doesn’t suit your preference, I’ll revise it. The entire process is about finding a design that matches your taste. But just because a design gets rejected doesn’t mean it lacks confidence.”  

Hye-yoon nervously glanced at the Chairwoman as In-ah spoke with such decisiveness.  

But In-ah wasn’t finished. She drove her point home with one final statement.  

“As a designer, I would never belittle a design that’s like my own child. Especially not when I’m the parent.”  

The Chairwoman slowly set her teacup down and looked at In-ah.  

“Do you rehearse your speeches before coming here?”  

It was hard to tell whether the Chairwoman was joking or not, given her serious and stoic expression.  

“We’ll proceed with this design. It’s not exactly to my ‘preference’ yet, so we’ll adjust the finer details as we go.”  

After the Chairwoman left, Hye-yoon quickly grabbed the design book and flipped through it.  

“When did you submit this behind my back?”  

In-ah explained defensively.  

“When I visited after hearing about the designer change, I left it on my way out.”  

“Oh, so that’s why she called it cunning?”  

Hye-yoon looked at In-ah in surprise.  

“Wow, cunning! Seo In-ah, you can be cunning too?”  

Shaking her head in disbelief, Hye-yoon remarked,  

“One thing’s clear: you’re way too fearless, In-ah. I feel like I’m going to die of nerves in front of the Chairwoman.”  

“Well, I don’t feel nervous.”  

In-ah smiled confidently, amazed at herself.  

***

After work, Jinwon left the office and headed to the parking lot.  

As he approached his car, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.  

A silhouette was lingering near his car.  

Tensing up, Jinwon kept a close eye on the figure. When someone appeared on the other side, the silhouette quickly hid.  

Now certain of his suspicions, Jinwon looked around and picked up a stick lying nearby.  

Holding his breath and minimizing his footsteps, Jinwon crept closer to the silhouette.  

When he was less than a meter away, he tightened his grip on the stick and raised it into the air.  

“Ahhh!”  

Ahhh?  

A woman’s scream echoed through the parking lot.  

The startled silhouette fell backward with a loud shriek.  

“In-ah!”  

“Oppa!”  

Jinwon quickly reached out and helped the fallen In-ah to her feet.  

As she clutched her chest, trying to calm her racing heart, she pointed at the stick in Jinwon’s hand.  

“What’s with that club? Do you know how scared I was?”  

Jinwon was just as startled.  

Though he didn’t tell In-ah, he had been on edge ever since discovering the stalker’s threatening letter the previous night.  

Finally calming himself, Jinwon asked,  

“What are you doing here?”  

“I was waiting to go home with you.”  

A smile crept onto Jinwon’s face.  

“Because of the stalker?”  

Dusting off her clothes, In-ah replied,  

“Of course. Who else is going to protect you if not me?”  

Jinwon struggled to hold back a laugh.  

“You, who just fell over in fright, think you can protect me?”  

“Well, that’s because you suddenly appeared out of nowhere….”  

Unable to contain himself, Jinwon burst into laughter.  

“Are you laughing right now? Why?”  

As In-ah protested, Jinwon tried to stifle his laughter and teased her.  

“I was just thinking how polite the stalker would have to be to approach you slowly and from the front.”  

In-ah glared at him.  

Jinwon quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began to soothe her.  

“Sorry. I won’t tease you anymore. You’re just too cute, In-ah.”  

Still frowning, In-ah warned him sternly.  

“You’d better behave. Don’t rile me up.”  

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll serve you well. Please, get in, my fearsome bodyguard.”  

Opening the car door with an exaggerated bow, Jinwon made In-ah tilt her head in suspicion.  

“It still feels like you’re teasing me.”  

“No way, not at all.”  

As the two bickered and got into the car, someone watched them from a distance.