Chapter 6 (Part 6)

A post appeared on the company community stating that the scandal involving Jinwon and In-ah was false.

Hye-yoon was the first to approach In-ah as she arrived at work, patting her shoulder in consolation.

“You’ve had a tough time. What a mess.”

In-ah smiled at Hye-yoon and said,

“Could you remove your hand?”

Hye-yoon awkwardly took her hand off In-ah’s shoulder.

In-ah turned her head to look toward the Team Leader’s office where Jinwon was.

People who had misunderstood Jinwon due to baseless speculation were gathered around him. They were trying to make amends by offering drinks or snacks.

Kang Cheol, who was the last to leave after everyone else, clung to Jinwon, pleading earnestly with his hands clasped.

Chasing after Jinwon, who continuously ignored him, Kang Cheol eventually paid the price(?) by finding himself in a headlock and screaming.

Only then did In-ah let out a sigh. She felt a sense of relief.

***

• In-ah. Please help me just this once. If I miss it again, Min-jun says I’m not his mom.

In-ah’s heart softened at Hae-jeong’s call on Friday night.

Hae-jeong would sometimes ask In-ah to cover for her at the animal hospital when something urgent came up. This was possible thanks to her close relationship and understanding with the hospital director.

On weekends without scheduled surgeries, In-ah could handle answering calls and attending to customers.

In the end, In-ah decided to give up her weekend for Min-jun’s talent show.

Saturday morning. Just as In-ah opened the animal hospital and turned to head to the reception desk, the door burst open.

Jinwon, with a face she had never seen before, rushed in.

With several bird’s nests in his hair and a swollen face, Jinwon was panting as if his heart might leap out of his chest.

“Please… save my dog…”

In Jinwon’s arms was a puppy, its body stained with red blood from its mouth to its torso.

Startled, In-ah quickly took the puppy from him.

“Blood! Did the puppy cough up blood?”

“No, paint… red paint…”

In-ah, holding the puppy, rushed into the examination room and immediately began emergency surgery.

After checking on the puppy undergoing surgery, In-ah came out and looked for Jinwon.

Jinwon was crouched in a corner of the waiting room, hands clasped together. In-ah gently placed her hand on Jinwon’s shoulder.

“It’s going to be okay.”

Jinwon, hunched over as if he might sink into the floor, grasped In-ah’s hand on his shoulder.

“Just for a moment. Just like this…”

In-ah stayed with Jinwon, holding his hand for a while.

After some time, Jinwon slowly lifted his head, looked at In-ah, and gently released her hand.

“Sorry.”

Jinwon stood up abruptly and asked, looking toward the surgery room,

“Is it okay? It’s not life-threatening, right?”

“Of course. They said it’s going to be fine.”

Jinwon, as if his legs had given out, slumped back into his seat. It was a side of Jinwon that In-ah had never seen before.

In-ah helped the seated Jinwon into a chair.

After a while, Jinwon, who seemed to have relaxed, looked at In-ah sitting beside him.

“Why are you here…?”

“Oh, I was covering for a friend. My friend works here as a nurse.”

Jinwon nodded slowly.

The surgery went well, and Jinwon’s puppy was placed in the recovery booth. Jinwon gazed at the sleeping puppy with a look full of affection.

“They said to come pick him up the day after tomorrow.”

Without taking his eyes off the puppy, Jinwon said,

“I don’t expect anything from him. Just having him by my side is enough.”

Jinwon’s gaze then settled on In-ah, who was quietly listening.

“Can’t you not go to the U.S.? I don’t expect anything from you.”

In-ah met Jinwon’s eyes, which were looking at her with a wistful expression. Her heart wavered, but she struggled to hold it steady again.

“I think it’s better to leave now. Let the puppy rest peacefully.”

Jinwon watched In-ah as she turned to leave, then lowered his head.

***

On her way home, In-ah stopped in front of her apartment building.

Shin-hye, who was sitting in front of the apartment, approached In-ah.

“Do you live here?”

In-ah looked at Shin-hye without answering. She wondered if she should answer or not.

Shin-hye, with a suspicious look, asked In-ah again.

“Are you living with Jinwon, by any chance?”

Unable to hold back any longer, In-ah replied.

“No, I’m not.”

“Really?”

“Think whatever you want.”

In-ah, no longer wanting to engage, turned toward the apartment entrance.

Following her, Shin-hye observed In-ah’s expression and asked.

“Can you give me a cup of tea? Aren’t we at least that close?”

“What kind of relationship do we have?”

“A somewhat close one? No, maybe a relationship connected by people?”

In-ah let out a small sigh and started walking again. At that moment, Shin-hye’s confident voice reached her.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll tell you something you’re curious about?”

“I’m not curious.”

“What?”

“I said I’m not curious.”

As In-ah walked toward the elevator without looking back, Shin-hye muttered.

“What’s with her?”

Though dissatisfied, Shin-hye reluctantly followed In-ah. She stood next to In-ah, who was waiting for the elevator.

With her eyes fixed on the elevator numbers, In-ah spoke.

“Are you worried about me? You don’t need to be. There’s nothing between Team Leader Lee and me.”

“Good grief. Who said anything? You’re really jumping to conclusions.”

Shin-hye couldn’t hide her surprise at In-ah’s words, so she exaggerated her voice.

“Do you think the saying ‘first love never works out’ is just there for no reason? Especially if it’s a first love that betrayed you, it’s all over.”

In-ah’s face changed. Her expression turned icy as she asked Shin-hye.

“What do you mean by that?”

“What do you mean? It means you’re just a part of Jinwon’s past.”

Confidently continuing her words, Shin-hye paused when she finally saw In-ah’s face. She quickly retraced what she had said, shifting her eyes.

“Past?”

In-ah couldn’t grasp it. 

How did Shin-hye know about Jinwon and I’s past relationship?

Jinwon couldn’t have told her. Or maybe Jinwon and Shin-hye were closer than she thought, and Jinwon had confided everything to her.

So In-ah decided to go straight to the point.

“How can you be sure it’s the past?”

Startled by In-ah’s sudden sharp gaze, Shin-hye flinched.

“It’s the past, of course. Are you and Jinwon in some kind of relationship now? That’s funny.”

Rapidly spitting out her words, Shin-hye turned around quickly.

“It’s the past, yes. But why are you so concerned about me?”

Caught off guard, Shin-hye cleared her throat.

“I don’t care about you.”

“I wasn’t going to tell you because I thought you’d be too happy…”

Feigning indifference, Shin-hye leaned in slightly toward In-ah.

“I’m going to the U.S. soon. It means you won’t see me anymore.”

With a face as if she had just seen sunshine after rain, Shin-hye’s mouth dropped open.

“Really? Is that true? When are you going?”

Without answering, In-ah continued on her way, with Shin-hye trailing behind.

***

In-ah and Hae-jeong visited Jeong-ho’s bar. It was close to home, and the delicious side dishes often came to mind.

“Thanks for last time, friend. I’ll ask for your help next time too.”

“Are you buying today?”

“Of course. I’m not that inconsiderate~”

In-ah and Hae-jeong giggled as they clinked their glasses. After setting her glass down, Hae-jeong asked.

“But are you really going to the U.S.?”

“Of course, I’m really going. Do you think I’m going as a joke?”

“I just can’t believe it. A life without you.”

Hae-jeong clutched her chest, feigning pain.

“I understand your feelings. I’m kind of an indispensable presence in your life.”

With a big smile, In-ah winked playfully, and Hae-jeong playfully smacked her on the head.

“Show-off. Oh, wait! I have something to show you!”

Suddenly, Hae-jeong pulled out her phone with urgency.

“I went to Min-jun’s friend’s house recently. His name is Hyung-kyu. Guess what I saw there?”

Hae-jeong, who had been speaking without pause, handed her phone to In-ah with a tense expression.

“What is it?”

Meanwhile, Jeong-ho hurried into the kitchen and called Jinwon.

“Hey, Lee Jinwon! What’s going on? In-ah is going to America! Did you know?”

Jeong-ho, who had believed In-ah was Jinwon’s match, was in an uproar upon hearing the news of her departure.

“Get over here right now. Do you think love will just come to you if you sit still? Love is something you have to win!”