Chapter 4.1

“Hey, you, come over here.”

Yoon-jae turned her body toward the direction of the voice. A woman with her hair tightly tied back, not a single strand out of place, and wearing glasses, was waving her hand.

“I wish you’d put your outfit together more neatly. Go over there and tie your hair a bit tighter.”

The woman, who introduced herself as the catering company’s chief, was holding a hair net and hairpins in her hand. Yoon-jae silently took the pins and headed to the restroom.

She brushed her hair in front of the mirror and tied it up tightly. The blouse the chief had given her earlier was a bit loose, so she had to tuck it deep into her skirt and smooth out the wrinkles at the back.

Wearing a knee-length skirt, a white blouse, and flat shoes, her appearance was no different from the other staff members. She felt relieved, thinking that she wouldn’t stand out anywhere or catch anyone’s attention.

After tidying herself up and returning, the chief nodded but repeated her warnings.

“Even though you’re working here because the butler asked, our company has always been strict about hygiene. That’s how we ensure our customers come back. What was your name again? Anyway, since you’re not one of our employees, please be extra careful. I don’t want to get bad reviews because of one person.”

“Yes.”

Despite Yoon-jae’s response, the chief still looked at her with a doubtful expression before turning around to point at the incoming food supplies in the kitchen.

“Move those over there. Be careful not to trip and spill them in the garden.”

Yoon-jae quickly started carrying the supplies, paying close attention to her steps as the chief had instructed.

Why did I even come here?

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. Yoon-jae let out a hollow laugh.

It all started last week. After finishing the lunch service and loading the dishes collected from deliveries into the dishwasher, it happened.

‘Hey, youngest! Come here for a second.’

After loading the dishes and starting the machine, Yoon-jae wiped her hands and stepped outside. The boss, who was punching numbers into a calculator, gestured at her as soon as he saw her.

‘Sit down for a bit. I need to discuss something important.’

‘…With me?’

What could he possibly need to discuss with someone like her, who wasn’t even a cook but merely did dishwashing and odd jobs? Her curiosity quickly turned to shock at the boss’s next words.

‘Next week, the construction company boss at this site is hosting some kind of garden party or banquet. They asked our restaurant to handle the meals for their staff. Since they even gave us a cash advance, there was no reason to refuse, so I agreed. But then, out of nowhere, they mentioned you. They asked if you could help with serving at the party. You’re okay with that, right?’

As soon as she sat down, the boss’s abrupt words weren’t so much a discussion as they were an announcement. A construction company boss at an apartment site? A sense of foreboding crept into her mind, and she couldn’t help but feel scared.

‘Serving…?’

‘Yeah.’

The boss nodded nonchalantly.

‘It seems they need some young hands. They said a catering company is coming too, but apparently, when the boss visited the site the other day, he saw you doing deliveries. They think you’ll blend in well with the site foremen and make things less awkward if you’re serving.’

It didn’t make any sense. At least, that’s how it sounded to Yoon-jae. But the boss seemed to accept it without any suspicion, not even looking like he found it odd.

The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Knowing how much Han Baek-geon disliked her, would he really go out of his way to involve her in something like this? Especially when he had been so furious about her pregnancy.

In the end, Yoon-jae had no choice but to express her refusal. She frowned slightly and opened her mouth.

‘Can’t I sit this one out? I want to rest over the weekend.’

She also felt uneasy about her heavy body. Even though it was still early, the doctor’s advice to be cautious came to mind.

‘Are you crazy? Weren’t you scrambling around like a starving stray horse at dawn because you were broke? And now, after a few months of being fed, you’re acting spoiled?’

The boss immediately scolded her. Yoon-jae could only lower her head.

‘Do you know how much you can earn in just one day? Sigh, fine. I’ll give you the money in advance, so just take it and show up that day.’

‘What?’

‘They already transferred the money for you serving, you idiot. Do you not understand?’

The boss spoke curtly and tossed an envelope onto the table. Yoon-jae’s heart raced. She picked up the envelope, looked inside, and widened her eyes in shock.

‘W-what is this…?’

‘I don’t know either. They gave it to me, so what am I supposed to do? They said someone from there—a department head or a director—knows you from your hometown. Apparently, they owe you something and wanted to repay you, but since you refused, they’re trying to give you work instead. Jeez, what’s so great about you that you keep turning down money?’

The boss, who had been pouting and eyeing her up and down, suddenly asked,

‘So, are you going to do it or not? Just say the word.’

For just one day of work, the amount was quite significant. Yoon-jae’s throat tightened with tension.

She was already feeling anxious about needing to find a place to live. At this rate, she’d have to settle for a goshiwon (a small, cheap room for students preparing for exams).

Her mind was a whirlwind of unease and urgency. The amount was too large to refuse. Besides, if it was about repaying a debt, it wasn’t an amount that would make others suspicious.

It was clear that Cheong-o must have been the one babbling about debts. Yet, she couldn’t shake off the growing anxiety and restlessness.

What if it wasn’t Cheong-o but that man who had deliberately called me?

There were countless catering companies that were skilled in their craft. For a company of Baek-geon’s caliber, there was no reason to call this site’s cafeteria specifically.

That’s why his intentions felt more suspicious and impure. Yoon-jae couldn’t stop her hands from trembling.

‘Look at you. Why are you shaking so much? I thought there was an earthquake. Did the boss scold you?’

The cook muttered as she sat down next to her with a cup of instant coffee. The boss sighed and shook his head.

‘Exactly. Anyone would think I’m dragging her into hell or something.’

The boss agreed enthusiastically with the cook’s words.

‘That’s what I’m saying. Jeez, stop complaining and just go. They’re paying you well enough. It’s not like you’re doing anything hard—just serving food to the staff. What’s so difficult about carrying a tray?’

Faced with such forceful persuasion, Yoon-jae’s shoulders slumped. She unconsciously wore a defeated expression as she glanced at the boss for approval.

‘You’re going, right? If you don’t, we can’t go either, you know. They made it a condition.’

Could it be that if I didn’t go, the boss wouldn’t get paid either?

The thought flashed through Yoon-jae’s mind.

It couldn’t be him, but if it was Cheong-o, he might very well have pulled such a cheap trick. Considering how desperate he was to take care of her, it wouldn’t be surprising.

Thinking that way, she had no choice but to comply with the boss’s words.

After all, she felt more gratitude than resentment toward the boss. He was the one who had taken her in without asking questions. She couldn’t repay him by causing losses. 

Yoon-jae silently nodded and stood up. She could hear the boss and the cook whispering behind her about how she looked like she was walking to her death, but she didn’t even have the energy to get angry.

She walked back into the kitchen and began moving the dishes she hadn’t finished unloading from the dishwasher. Her long sigh lingered in the air.

What should I do? Do I really have to go?

The thought of carrying trays and serving food in front of a man who treated her worse than a bug made her skin crawl. Just thinking about it disgusted her.

To make matters worse, it was obvious that the space would be crawling with people who knew her and Yoon-ryeol. No matter how much they were paying her, she still didn’t want to do it.

But she had no choice. The amount Cheong-o had offered was too big. Besides, it wasn’t a bad deal for the boss and the cook either. All she had to do was quietly go and work.

“Excuse me.”

Lost in thought, Yoon-jae was startled back to reality by a voice. She turned her head. A man was smiling at her.