Chapter 20 – Cowardly Peace

“About Team Leader Jung.”

As soon as Gayeon spoke, Eunjae paused her chopsticks for a moment.

“Why?”

Hakyung responded absentmindedly, putting a bite of stir-fried eggplant from the lunch menu into her mouth.

“Something feels off.”

Eunjae tried to think of it as just casual lunchtime conversation, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was squeezing her heart. Like a thief with a guilty conscience, just hearing Wooseok’s name made her anxious.

“What do you mean, ‘something feels off’?”

This time, Hakyung picked up a piece of pork cutlet with her chopsticks and asked again.

“He keeps silently smiling from time to time.”

Hakyung scoffed at what sounded like nonsense. At that moment, Gayeon’s gaze briefly brushed past Eunjae, who was seated diagonally, but their eyes didn’t meet. Eunjae tried her best to avoid eye contact. There was no reason for her to react to anything here. She just needed to maintain that.

“Is that a problem?”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant…”

‘Is this an era where people gossip because the Team Leader smiles for no reason?’ Hakyung spoke to Gayeon a bit sternly, almost scolding her. Gayeon waved her hands, insisting it was a misunderstanding. Only Eunjae could sense Gayeon’s true intentions in her words. Everyone knew Jung Wooseok was not the type to smile much at work. So, it was understandable that his sudden laughter seemed strange.

“Well, maybe something good happened.”

Hakyung answered nonchalantly, brushing it off.

“So, what do you think it is?”

Gayeon whispered to the others at the table, as if genuinely curious. Eunjae still kept her nose buried in her food, pretending not to notice, and Minhyuk, sitting across from her, showed no particular reaction either. Only Hakyung aimed a sharp warning at Gayeon’s overflowing company spirit.

“And if you find out? What, are you going to throw him a congratulatory party?”

“Oh, Manager!”

Gayeon looked at her with a slightly different expression, bothered by the continued teasing.

“Senior Staff Choi, haven’t I told you over and over not to pry into others’ private lives? I know you enjoy gossip and browsing other people’s social media, but this is reality, this is the company. Let’s keep online and offline separate, okay?”

“…Yes.”

Gayeon replied in a subdued voice, deflated by Hakyung’s remark. She was still only in her first year, so it was understandable that she didn’t know where the boundaries were, but if the same advice had to be given repeatedly, it was worth considering as a problem. Their conversation dampened the mood at the lunch table a bit. Eunjae tried to lighten the atmosphere.

“Minhyuk, how are you feeling?”

“Ah… I’m much better now.”

Minhyuk finally looked up and met her gaze.

“Why? Are you sick, Minhyuk? Is it because you went to Jeju Island? Did something happen there?”

As if she hadn’t just been scolded, Gayeon jumped in with a question. Hakyung just shook her head at Gayeon. Well, it was better than sulking, but Gayeon’s ability to switch emotions so quickly was still hard to understand. Maybe that’s just how the younger generation is.

“I have something to do, so I’ll head out first.”

With personal business to attend to, Hakyung finished her meal quickly and left. As soon as she cleared her tray and exited the cafeteria, Gayeon grumbled as if she’d been waiting.

“Manager is always stopping me from saying anything.”

Eunjae smiled and tried to comfort Gayeon.

“That’s just her style. I got scolded a lot when I first joined, too. And… she’s only ever telling the truth.”

She empathized to some extent, but still made it clear where the line was. If she sided with Gayeon here, it would just lead to gossip about Hakyung. Besides, Eunjae also felt that Gayeon sometimes crossed the line. This time, the topic happened to be about Wooseok, but Gayeon was always overly interested in the private lives of her coworkers. That kind of behavior always led to trouble eventually.

“It wasn’t anything bad, I just thought something good must have happened.”

When even Eunjae scolded her, Gayeon pouted in defense.

“Anyway, what really happened in Jeju Island?”

Gayeon turned her attention entirely to Minhyuk, asking him directly. Maybe she thought Minhyuk, who joined after her, had no right to scold her. Eunjae just shook her head, unable to stop Gayeon, and continued her meal.

At that moment, Eunjae noticed a group entering the cafeteria. Sitting near the entrance, her eyes met one of them directly. It looked like the team leader-level meeting had ended, and three people entered together. Since the cafeteria was used by the entire building where the architecture office was located, it was always crowded. Eunjae tried to focus back on her own table, pretending not to notice.

But her attention kept drifting toward Wooseok at the serving counter. As soon as he sat down with Kiwon and Sungho, he took out his phone. It looked like he was typing a message, and then he glanced over at Eunjae. She felt her phone buzz in her pocket, instantly knowing it was from Wooseok.

“I just… drank a lot.” 

Minhyuk was explaining to Gayeon about the Jeju Island trip, but Eunjae was only half-listening as she checked her phone under the table. She entered her password and opened the chat window.

[You didn’t forget about going to the hospital today, right?]

Ah. Eunjae suddenly remembered the promise she made with him on the flight back from Jeju Island. After leaving behind the words to give him her answer in Seoul and running away to the lodging, she hadn’t had any time alone with Wooseok. They finished the trip and only managed to sit together, a little apart from the group, on the plane home.

Nothing had really changed. He still teased her playfully, and Eunjae glared at him now and then—just like always. What kind of boundary did one have to cross to go from friends to lovers? It was confusing. Nothing felt different, and Eunjae even forgot for a moment that she’d confessed.

‘Come with me to the hospital for my wound treatment.’

Before they got up from their seats as the plane landed in Seoul, Wooseok had said that. Then, because everyone had to move together, it was difficult to act separately. Kiwon insisted on driving everyone home, so Eunjae had to get in his car. When she got home and was unpacking, Wooseok called just to check if she’d arrived safely.

And then, today was her first day back at work. After hearing from Gayeon that Wooseok was smiling more than usual, Eunjae felt a strange sensation. If the reason he was smiling was because of her… Just that thought made her heart flutter with excitement.

[Okay. See you after work.]

Eunjae quickly replied and put her phone away. When she looked up, she met Minhyuk’s gaze. He seemed to be watching her. Was his slightly subdued expression just her imagination? After drinking more than he could handle, Minhyuk had been sick the next day.

Kiwon had suggested he just rest at the hotel. Minhyuk apologized and agreed. So the rest of the trip was handled by Kiwon, Wooseok, and Eunjae. Jiyeon also drank a lot that night and left on the first flight the next morning.

Eunjae felt guilty for not taking better care of her older sister after inviting her, so she tried to talk to Jiyeon as soon as they got back. But Jiyeon just gave short, listless answers, as if she was completely out of it. She seemed exhausted and drained. Maybe the illness was contagious. Eunjae thought about this as she looked at Minhyuk’s pale face across from her.

“…Why?”

Minhyuk kept staring at her, so Eunjae asked, feeling uneasy.

“Huh?”

Minhyuk’s eyes widened at her question.

“Don’t you have something to say to me?”

“…No.”

“Really? Then shall we get up?”

Seeing that everyone had put down their utensils, Eunjae spoke.

“Who’s buying coffee today? Isn’t it you, Assistant Manager?”

Gayeon, as if she hadn’t just been scolded, looked at Eunjae with a high-pitched voice. Eunjae smiled leisurely, as always, agreeing. Minhyuk followed behind them like a bodyguard.

The afternoon passed in a whirlwind. Eunjae worked quickly, thinking she could finish early and go to the hospital with Wooseok. When she checked the clock, it was about thirty minutes past quitting time.

She glanced toward Wooseok’s office, just in case, but it was already empty. He’d said he had an outside meeting after lunch, so he’d obviously finish his day at the site. Eunjae wondered if she should go straight to the hospital.

Just as she was about to text Wooseok, he called her. She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the office.

“Hey, it’s me. I was just about to call you.”

-Why?

Wooseok’s voice sounded a little excited.

“Why do you think? I was going to tell you I’m heading straight to the hospital.”

Her tone kept getting more curt. Was this some side effect of her confession? She felt embarrassed and wanted to act like nothing had happened. Since Wooseok hadn’t said anything about it yet, it was even more awkward. He’d said he’d answer her in Seoul, but she had no idea when that would be. She wondered if she shouldn’t have brought it up at all.

-Do you think I’ll let you go alone?

Wooseok asked as if scolding her.

“Then…”

-Come down. Basement level 2, row B, spot 3.

Had he come just to pick her up? Eunjae replied simply, feeling her lips curl up. Why did going to the hospital together feel like a date?