Chapter 5 (Part 5)

A few days later.

The atmosphere, which had been good between Jinwon and Sang-wook, as if they had formed a temporary alliance, quickly cooled.

“What is this, are we on the same team or what? It’s really nice to see you again!”

Sang-wook ended up going on a business trip with Jinwon, In-ah, and Hye-yoon. He kept grinning and openly expressed his good mood.

In contrast, Jinwon showed no signs of relaxing. With a weary look, Jinwon opened the driver’s side door.

“How can I let the Team Leader drive alone?”

“Mr. Go Sang-wook, don’t you not have a license?”

Hye-yoon immediately interrupted Sang-wook’s remark.

“That’s why I should stay wide awake and support in every way. In-ah and Hye-yoon, you can comfortably sit in the back.”

A little while later.

The first to fall asleep in Jinwon’s car was Sang-wook.

Jinwon, finding it absurd, glanced at In-ah in the back seat through the rearview mirror.

The wind blowing through the open window was tossing In-ah’s hair. That sight instantly took Jinwon back to that day eight years ago.

***

One day, Jinwon woke up late after spending the night in the practice room. He yawned deeply and gazed out the window, becoming entranced by the scene.

On a sunny day, under the oldest zelkova tree on campus, stood In-ah.

There, In-ah was feeling the breeze with her eyes gently closed.

Her hair fluttering in the wind seemed to complete the picturesque beauty.

Jinwon fell in love at first sight with the sight of In-ah squinting as if the breaking sunlight was dazzling.

That was the moment Jinwon first saw In-ah. A moment only Jinwon knew until now.

***

“Wow!”

Hye-yoon’s exclamation woke Sang-wook from his nap.

Jinwon’s car was driving along the winding coastal road. The view was breathtaking.

Everyone was left speechless, repeatedly exclaiming “Wow!” at the stunning scenery.

“Is that where we’re heading, way over there?”

“Amazing!”

A resort perched on a coastal cliff, boasting an ocean view from every room, was visible in the distance.

While Hye-yoon and Sang-wook continued to express their excitement, In-ah remained unusually quiet.

Finding it strange, Jinwon looked at In-ah through the rearview mirror. Her complexion was rapidly darkening.

“Should we take a break?”

Jinwon suggested, unable to take his eyes off In-ah in the rearview mirror.

“We’re almost there, and you want to stop here? Suddenly?”

Hye-yoon asked, puzzled. Jinwon quickly changed his question.

“No, how about we take a moment to enjoy the view?”

“Oh, that sounds great! We can take some pictures too.”

Jinwon pulled over into a space beside the road. It was a parking area set up for people to enjoy the view.

Sang-wook and Hye-yoon got out of the car to take photos and enjoy the scenery.

In-ah rolled down the window, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Watching the resort on the distant cliff, Sang-wook asked Jinwon.

“If that resort gets remodeled, it’ll be amazing. They’re going all out for luxury this time. Why did they choose our company?”

“Who knows. Isn’t that a marketing point? Sounds like a problem for you to solve, Mr. Go Sang-wook.”

“Haha. You’re more perceptive than I thought.”

Listening to Sang-wook, Hye-yoon chuckled.

“What were you thinking?”

While answering the question, Jinwon kept an eye on In-ah’s complexion. It didn’t seem to be improving much.

“Let’s just head to the resort. It would be better to rest there.”

The car started moving again along the winding road.

“Wow. I’m so dizzy. I feel like I’m going to throw up.”

Before Sang-wook’s words even finished, In-ah gagged. Everyone looked at In-ah in surprise.

“In-ah! Are you okay?”

In-ah suddenly clutched her chest and began to breathe heavily. Seeing In-ah’s face turn red from hyperventilation, Jinwon froze in shock.

Unable to stop the car, Jinwon pressed his foot down hard on the accelerator.

The car quickly reached the destination, the resort.

Thanks to Jinwon’s racing-speed driving, Sang-wook and Hye-yoon looked pale as they got out of the car.

Still, In-ah seemed to be gradually returning to her normal condition after getting out of the car.

“I thought my heart was going to drop. How can you get motion sickness so severely? You scared us.”

Hye-yoon patted her chest repeatedly, trying to calm her startled heart.

“In-ah is delicate, you know. She needs to eat nutritious, restorative foods.”

“Don’t just say it, actually buy some for her.”

“Who, me?”

Seeing Sang-wook’s questioning look, Hye-yoon shook her head in disbelief.

“What should we do with this guy? Never mind. Just enjoy the view.”

The old resort was empty, as it was not accepting guests before the remodeling. As a result, the lobby was all theirs.

Then, footsteps echoed loudly through the lobby.

A group of men in suits, looking like a gang, approached in a line. The man leading them looked like a boss, with a face that resembled a shady nouveau riche.

“What brings you here?”

The man spoke to Jinwon abruptly. It was only then that In-ah recognized the man and her eyes widened.

The man was Lee Seong-tae, the one who had previously pressured Jinwon to resign in the Team Leader’s office during her overtime.

“I’m here to work.”

“Work? On whose orders?”

When Jinwon kept his mouth shut, Seong-tae scoffed.

“I’m here with my eyes wide open. Who supposedly gave you orders, and what nonsense is this?”

Seong-tae’s rough tone left Hye-yoon and Sang-wook unable to hide their surprise.

Only Jinwon and In-ah reacted with indifferent expressions, seemingly unfazed. Jinwon’s demeanor irked Seong-tae.

“Do you want to make me ask twice? Annoying.”

Seong-tae raised his hand threateningly, causing Hye-yoon and Sang-wook to flinch.

Then Jinwon stepped aside and said.

“Let’s talk over there.”

Seong-tae glanced at the three people, then turned around as Jinwon led the way.

As Jinwon and Seong-tae walked away, Hye-yoon and Sang-wook whispered to each other in hushed voices.

“What is he, a gangster or something?”

“He seems like a gangster.”

At Sang-wook’s confident tone, Hye-yoon clicked her tongue.

“How can you do marketing with such poor observation skills?”

“What does observation have to do with marketing?”

“Didn’t you see the watch on that guy’s wrist?”

“A watch?”

“That thing costs over a hundred million.”

“What? Over a hundred million?”

In-ah, too, was hearing this for the first time. 

So, does that mean the tough-looking man isn’t from the gangster or loan shark world?

As In-ah’s thoughts continued to spiral, she raised a question with Hye-yoon.

“But even gangsters can wear expensive watches, right?”

“True~”

Sang-wook quickly sided with In-ah.

Then Hye-yoon, with a confident expression, lowered her gaze.

“You guys don’t know anything. Where are we? This is a resort set to be reborn as a luxury hotel.”

“Right.”

“And who bought this old resort?”

“Jinseong did.”

Sang-wook immediately answered Hye-yoon’s question.

Hye-yoon crossed her arms and looked at Sang-wook and In-ah, as if she had said everything she needed to say. After pondering for a while, Sang-wook asked Hye-yoon another question.

“What does that have to do with that gangster?”

“Who could freely enter this resort, which isn’t even accepting guests right now?”

“Oh!”

Listening to Hye-yoon, In-ah’s mind began to work quickly.

If that’s the case, the gangster-like man could be someone related to Jinseong Corporation. So is he a gangster hired by Jinseong?

But there was no way to solve the mystery of why this gangster was acting like this with Jinwon.

While Jinwon and Seong-tae disappeared, Hye-yoon and Sang-wook, unable to contain their boredom, went out to the resort’s front garden.

They indulged in the tourist vibe, taking pictures of each other with the picturesque sea as the backdrop.

Jinwon returned to In-ah, who was left alone. She informed him of their whereabouts.

“They’re taking pictures.”

Jinwon checked his watch and murmured.

“There’s still time.”

They both watched Hye-yoon and Sang-wook taking pictures. After a while, In-ah spoke.

“I have something to ask…”

Jinwon turned his head to look at In-ah.

Without looking at Jinwon, In-ah hesitated for a moment.

“Why did you make me out to be the bad one?”

“What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”

“I thought you broke up with me because I was pregnant. For seven years.”

“…”

Jinwon was taken aback by In-ah’s sudden words. As In-ah waited for Jinwon’s answer, she began speaking again.

“If you had told me that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t have hated you so much.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yes, you should be very sorry.”

In-ah’s voice grew louder as she continued.

“It wasn’t just hate. Do you know how much pain I was in…!”

Then she abruptly stopped as if slamming on the brakes.

“But that’s not enough, you made me out to be someone who abandoned a sick person, the worst kind of person?”

“In-ah… I…”

“Say something. Are you going to run away again? After stirring everything up like this?”

Seeing In-ah yelling and pressing him, Jinwon’s eyes turned red.

In-ah bit her lip. She had no certainty. Everything was her conjecture.

Was he really sick somewhere? Did he have a terminal illness? 

She didn’t think Jinwon would tell the truth if she asked honestly.

As she pieced the puzzle together, she thought the last resort was to make a guess. So In-ah decided to act as if she knew everything.

And it seemed her thinking was somewhat correct.

But the problem was that In-ah was the one surprised by Jinwon’s response.

“I couldn’t let you suffer too. Back then, I had no hope.”

“…”

In-ah was speechless. There was something bigger than she had expected. That’s how it felt.

“I’m sorry, In-ah. I don’t regret what I did back then.”

In-ah bit her lip hard as she thought. 

Fine, don’t regret it. It’s none of my business.

“I was wrong. Bringing up unnecessary things. I must have temporarily lost my mind because I wasn’t feeling well.”

In-ah went out to the garden to join Hye-yoon and Sang-wook.

Jinwon watched her through the window with a complicated expression.

Regardless of In-ah’s chaotic mind, the meeting proceeded, and Jinwon and his group toured the resort, receiving explanations.

It was a large-scale project, as big as, if not bigger than, the new wing of the Conners Hotel.

It seemed likely that other design teams, in addition to In-ah’s, would join the project.

After the meeting ended, even on the way back, In-ah didn’t glance at Jinwon.

Jinwon occasionally looked at In-ah, but he thought it was fine just like this. He wouldn’t desire anything more.