Chapter 8 (Part 2)

She was currently focused on selecting and designing furniture for the drama sponsorship.  

On her desk was a photo of Jung Yi-hyuk smiling brightly.  

Standing at a distance, Jinwon looked at the photo with disapproval.  

“What are you doing?”  

Kang Cheol, following Jinwon’s gaze, asked.  

“Isn’t it too lenient to let them decorate their desks freely?”  

“What?”  

Only then did Kang Cheol realize he was talking about the photo of Jung Yi-hyuk on her desk.  

“It’s her desk, isn’t it? Why, are you jealous because your employee likes another guy?”  

“Jealous? No way.”  

His puffed-up cheeks clearly showed jealousy.  

Kang Cheol laughed heartily, almost doubling over. Wiping away tears of laughter, he teased,  

“You’re quite an attention seeker, you know?”  

“Attention seeker?”  

At that moment, she passed by them. Kang Cheol, grinning, called her over.  

“In-ah! Your boyfriend is handsome, huh?”

“Sorry?”  

He gestured to the photo on her desk. Realizing the intention of the question, she laughed.  

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s an actor. He’s the lead in the drama we’re sponsoring. I put it up for reference.”  

“There you go, Team Leader.”  

Kang Cheol teased Jinwon with a knowing smile. She looked at Jinwon, unaware of the reason.  

He cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly left.  

Kang Cheol couldn’t stop laughing at Jinwon’s reaction.  

***  

Lysian actively supported its employees’ volunteer activities.  

Following a previous flood recovery effort, they now planned a home-building project for residents affected by wildfires.  

The bus carrying the employees arrived at the site, and they began to disembark.  

Upon arrival, they saw a few other volunteer teams. One team stood out with their striking visuals.  

It turned out to be a team of actors.  

“Designer!”  

All the designers from Lysian turned their heads simultaneously. It was because Jung Yi-hyuk was waving with a bright smile.  

Drawing everyone’s attention, he ran toward her.  

Next to her, Hye-yoon was so surprised that she barely managed to cover her gaping mouth with her hands.  

“Seeing you here makes me even happier. Are you here to volunteer?”  

His lips curved into a gentle arc, eliciting gasps from the watching women.  

Accustomed to such reactions, he remained unfazed, focusing only on her.  

“I forgot to ask your name last time. What’s your name, Designer?”  

“Seo In-ah.”  

“Seo. In. Ah.”  

He repeated each syllable with emphasis.  

“They’re starting safety training over there. Let’s go together.”  

With the house partially constructed, the volunteer teams gathered inside. As they moved, she introduced Hye-yoon to Yi-hyuk at Hye-yoon’s insistence.

As more female employees gathered around her, he quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist. The only person who saw this was Jinwon. He flinched unintentionally but couldn’t approach them. 

Standing side by side, they listened to the safety training explanation. His face was filled with a gentle smile as he personally fitted her with a safety helmet. 

During a brief break, Hye-yoon whispered to her.

“When did you become close with Jung Yi-hyuk?”  

“We’re not close.”  

“You seem close.”  

Hye-yoon scrutinized her from head to toe, pondering.  

“What could it be?”  

“What?”  

“You’re not prettier than me, nor do you have a better figure. Are you charming? I don’t think so. I just don’t get it.”

“What are you saying?”  

Gravel arrived at the site, and the volunteer teams gathered.  

“Please move the gravel to the yard, the drainage on the road, and behind the house.”  

The men shoveled the gravel, and the women moved it bit by bit.  

Rolling up her sleeves, she energetically grabbed a shovel and started working.  

One of the actresses who came with Yi-hyuk clapped her hands and said.

“You’re really cool, unnie.”

She flinched. A stranger suddenly approached her, speaking familiarly, which startled her.  

“Give me what you’ve shoveled. I’ll move it. I may look delicate, but I’m quite strong.”  

Having grown accustomed to bold personalities like Hye-yoon’s, she quickly adapted. 

After moving the gravel a few times, the actress opened a drink and offered it to her.

“How do you know Yi-hyuk oppa? He’s a notorious playboy, you know?”  

Sipping her drink, she looked at the actress, who exaggeratedly feigned surprise.  

“You didn’t know? It’s not just about getting numbers… Everyone in the industry knows. Unnie, you’re more oblivious than you look.”

She picked up the shovel and resumed her work.  

“I’m not interested. Shouldn’t we focus on moving the gravel?”  

The actress’s expression suddenly turned frosty.  

A moment later, a handkerchief appeared before her eyes. Thinking the actress offered it, she looked up.  

The actress had already left. It was Yi-hyuk who offered the handkerchief.  

“I’m fine.”  

“Please take it. You’re sweating a lot.”  

“That’s proof of hard work. Why wipe it off?”  

He laughed, amused.  

“To show someone?”  

“To myself. It’s a proud day for me.”

“Ha-ha. Designer Seo In-ah, you’re much cooler than I thought. Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”  

Without much thought, she handed him her phone.  

After entering his number, his phone rang from his pocket.  

She asked with a slightly displeased expression,  

“What did you just do?”  

“I’ll call you later. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. It’s embarrassing to be rejected right away. Can you at least do that?”  

Unable to say anything to him as he walked away with a dazzling smile, she remained silent.  

After he left, Jinwon approached her with a towel.  

She immediately accepted it and wiped the sweat from her forehead.  

Watching her, he asked,  

“Will you answer if he calls?”  

She looked at him, who averted his gaze and added,  

“If Jung Yi-hyuk contacts you.”  

“I don’t know.”  

As he walked away, he muttered,  

“Isn’t it unusual to exchange direct contacts?”  

She stared at him as he walked away, wondering if she had misheard.  

Later, Jinwon discussed the furniture for the house with the representatives.  

While moving gravel, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.  

Does he look better than Yi-hyuk? Is it just an illusion? After all, Yi-hyuk is a top actor in Korea. Seo In-ah, what’s wrong with your eyes?  

Afraid someone might notice her thoughts, she quickly shook her head to clear them.  

After the volunteer work ended, the teams gathered in front of the house for a group photo.  

Yi-hyuk, who approached unnoticed, stood next to her.  

At that moment, someone squeezed between them. It was Jinwon.  

‘Click!’  

The photo captured their surprised expressions as he stood between them.  

“Thank you for your hard work!”  

Jinwon shouted cheerfully to the staff, as if nothing had happened.  

She found his behavior both unfamiliar and intriguing, letting out a laugh. Though she quickly stifled it.  

***  

On a day off, she was helping her parents at their restaurant with In-kyung.  

Taking a break during a lull in customers, she sat down absentmindedly.  

In-kyung, curious to the point of bursting, approached her.  

“What happened with your Team Leader’s cancer? Was it true?”  

“No, it wasn’t.”  

“Really? That’s a relief.”  

About to turn away, In-kyung bombarded her with questions.  

“Then why was he at the cancer ward? If he doesn’t have cancer, why was he there alone? Did you ask him? Did you hear it directly from him?”  

“Not exactly…”  

Her voice trailed off, lacking confidence. In-kyung immediately scolded her.  

“You should’ve asked directly!”  

In-kyung’s confident remark made her feel even less sure about her answer.  

“Maybe… It must be because of Jeong-ho’s grandmother…”  

Could it be? No, it couldn’t. Maybe asking directly is the only way?  

***  

She was reporting to Jinwon about the drama sponsorship.  

Reviewing her proposal, he asked,  

“You’re not neglecting the Jinseong Resort project, right?”  

“Are we still handling that?”  

She asked, and he looked up at her,  

“Yes. No changes.”  

Despite the commotion, it was odd that the person in charge hadn’t changed.  

Moreover, she felt uneasy about meeting the CEO of Jinseong Construction for work.  

“Do you know the CEO of Jinseong Construction personally?”  

“No, I don’t.”  

He casually replied, flipping through her proposal.  

She stared intently at his expression.  

He’s lying. Why?  

***  

The company dinner was to celebrate her successful new product project.  

Everyone was enjoying the dinner, drinking happily.  

“Did you see in front? They’re filming a movie. Jung Yi-hyuk is there.”  

Someone’s comment instantly piqued the employees’ curiosity.  

Female employees stood up one by one, craning their necks to see the filming location.  

Then, Hye-yoon jumped up and dashed outside. The hesitant employees followed her.  

She was the only female employee left at the dinner.  

“Aren’t you going, In-ah?”  

Kang Cheol asked curiously, then laughed,  

“Is this some kind of pretense? Acting like you’re not interested when you are?”

“No, it’s not.”  

She firmly denied, and as the employees’ eyes turned to her, she smiled,  

“I just like pork belly, so I’m pretending to be interested in pork belly.”

She smiled contentedly, putting pork belly in her mouth.  

A moment later, she stepped out to go to the restroom next to the restaurant.  

Just then, she ran into Jung Yi-hyuk, who was passing by with a crowd.

“Oh? Designer Seo In-ah?”  

He greeted her warmly, recognizing her. The crowd with him immediately turned their eyes on her.  

When he approached her, the crowd surged toward them.  

In the midst of it, Yi-hyuk reached out to catch In-ah as he did last time, but he couldn’t reach her.  

As she was pushed back, she twisted her ankle. Her face, contorted with pain, changed to surprise in the next moment.  

Someone had wrapped their arms around her shoulders, and she found herself enveloped in that person’s embrace.  

Still swept along by the crowd, she looked up to see who it was. It was Jinwon holding her.  

The sound of a heartbeat thumped loudly in her ears. She couldn’t tell if it was his heartbeat or her own.  

In his arms, she was shielded from the crowd’s pushes and rough hands.  

Amidst the chaos, she felt dazed, as if all she could hear was the heartbeat.

After Yi-hyuk and the crowd had dispersed like an ebbing tide, he gently released her shoulders.  

“Sorry.”  

Feeling awkward for some reason, she nodded slightly and returned to the restaurant.  

He cleared his throat and glanced around for no reason.