Chapter 4.2

“Hey, you’re that person, right? The one who works at the restaurant and does deliveries?”

The man smiled warmly and pretended to turn the scooter’s handle. His neatly arranged teeth shone exceptionally bright.

Finally, Yoon-jae realized who he was. He was one of the site managers. She recalled how the older folks would praise the man whenever she delivered or went to the cafeteria for lunch.

They said he was self-made at a young age. Compliments about his diligence and competence had made her envious at times.

She never really recognized who was who, as they were always partly obscured by work hats. Moreover, she usually paid no attention to the people at the site, which made her even less aware. Yoon-jae bowed her head slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Nice to see you here.”

The man spoke warmly with a smile.

“You must be here to work. I was invited, but I feel awkward at events like this.”

Yoon-jae couldn’t find the words to respond and awkwardly nodded.

“What’s your name? I’m Woo Hyun-kyu.”

The man persistently tried to engage her in conversation. Yoon-jae reluctantly opened her mouth slightly.

“So Yoon-jae…”

“Aren’t you working without eating? Why is your voice so small?”

Hyun-kyu asked curiously, and lifted the box Yoon-jae was holding.

“Oh, just give it to me. I’ll…”

“You look like you have no strength, just leave it. I’ll carry it.”

Hyun-kyu smiled brightly. Somehow, his face seemed dazzling. Yoon-jae unconsciously turned her head slightly to avoid him.

“I wanted to help you whenever you delivered, but people kept saying things, so I couldn’t. I felt sorry. Today, I’ll help you as much as I want.”

Hyun-kyu spoke casually as he carried and moved the boxes. Yoon-jae was flustered and tried to stop him.

“It’s okay. I’ll do it. You’re wearing a suit today…”

“Oh, it’s nothing. This is easy.”

Hyun-kyu’s innocent and bright smile left her speechless. It was surprising that an adult man could smile so purely and brightly.

“Actually, I once asked the boss at the restaurant about your age, Yoon-jae.”

“What?”

Yoon-jae looked at him in surprise at Hyun-kyu’s words.

“Oh, sorry. I was curious… I thought you wouldn’t tell me if I asked directly.”

He said with an awkward expression.

“But it turns out you’re older than me, Yoon-jae. Two years older. I was surprised. You looked like you were only in your early twenties to me.”

Yoon-jae’s face flushed at the unexpected comment. It wasn’t much, but it made her feel embarrassed. She had never heard such words before, so she didn’t know how to react.

Hyun-kyu smiled at her stiff demeanor. He continued to talk to Yoon-jae while diligently carrying the food supplies.

“You don’t dislike me coming on strong, do you?”

Yoon-jae paused for a moment. It wasn’t that she disliked it; she just didn’t want to get close to anyone. It was the same in the past and now. She wasn’t in a position to date or share her heart with someone.

Ever since she left law school abruptly, she had to live quietly, almost as if she didn’t exist. It had become a habit, and even now, after such encounters, she was left with only bitter feelings.

Moreover, she was pregnant now. Meeting a man in this state was absurd.

That’s why she couldn’t help but be stiff. Even if someone showed interest, she couldn’t respond easily. She didn’t want to respond, but she couldn’t outright ignore kindness, which was troubling.

Whether he understood her feelings or not, Hyun-kyu continued to joke and act warmly. After placing the last of the food supplies down, he tilted his head as he looked at Yoon-jae.

“Seeing you here, you look really pretty, Yoon-jae. Haven’t you heard that?”

She pretended not to hear and looked elsewhere. Hyun-kyu seemed to realize his mistake and maintained silence for a moment before changing the subject.

“So, I heard you got hurt. Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine now. It wasn’t serious.”

At Yoon-jae’s words, Hyun-kyu shook his head and frowned.

“Even if it was a scooter accident, you should have gone to the hospital. Did you go?”

“It really wasn’t that bad. I applied some medication for a few days, and it healed.”

“Oh, but it’s still good to go once. I know a good hospital, want to check it out?”

She felt troubled by the man’s persistent friendliness. Since few had genuinely worried about her well-being after she got hurt, even such words felt awkward.

Knowing all too well the importance of not trusting others recklessly, Yoon-jae couldn’t easily react.

“It’s okay. I was just suggesting it, so you don’t need to find words to reject it so seriously.”

Hyun-kyu smiled calmly. It was quite different from before.

“I could tell you hadn’t had an easy life, Yoon-jae. People like that find it hard to accept others’ kindness easily.”

Yoon-jae couldn’t find the words to respond and remained silent.

What do you know?

Suddenly, a rebellious feeling filled her chest. However, she couldn’t easily voice her objections.

“I’ve been there too. It hasn’t been long since I changed that. I’m quite young, but somehow I ended up as a site manager. When I first started, I fought a lot with the older guys. They’d say, ‘Is being a young site manager all that matters?’”

Hyun-kyu scratched the back of his head with an awkward expression.

“But one day, I had a thought. Until then, I had always bristled like a hedgehog, taking everyone’s words cynically. But raising my guard like that only ended up hurting me.”

Yoon-jae could only manage a faint smile. He seemed a bit naive and cute, which made her laugh.

Is this how it feels to have a younger brother?

He approached her with such familiarity, like a younger brother, that she missed the chance to build a barrier. Sensing that Yoon-jae’s demeanor had softened a bit, Hyun-kyu smiled again.

“I’m not approaching you with any weird intentions, Yoon-jae. I just want to help if I can and be friends. Maybe it’s because I’ve been close to my sister since I was young.”

“You have a sister?”

“She lives far away now. My brother-in-law works at a shipyard.”

As soon as Hyun-kyu answered, she heard the chief calling Yoon-jae. She bowed lightly in farewell and quickly approached the chief.

“What are you doing? If you’ve finished moving things, hurry up and start serving.”

The chief spoke reproachfully and glanced at Hyun-kyu standing in the distance. Yoon-jae lowered her eyes under the chief’s cold gaze.

“Staff shouldn’t chat familiarly with guests. Even if they make suggestions, pretend you don’t know. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Yoon-jae responded politely to the chief’s harsh gaze and cold remarks. It wasn’t wrong. It wouldn’t look good for servers to chat casually with guests.

When she readily accepted, the chief pointed at the trays on the table.

“Start with the champagne. Don’t forget to offer it as you go.”

Yoon-jae picked up the tray filled with glasses and began to move slowly. As soon as she was out of the chief’s sight, Hyun-kyu ran over.

“I didn’t get you in trouble, did I?”

“It’s okay. But since you’re a guest, it’s better to stay in the garden.”

Yoon-jae spoke concisely and moved diligently with the tray. However, Hyun-kyu persistently followed and talked to her.

“I have nothing to talk about with people. Half the guests work at headquarters, so there’s nothing to really connect with.”

He shook his head and picked up a glass from the tray. Yoon-jae faintly smiled and turned her body to blend into the guests.

In that moment, a man entered her field of vision. The fierce argument from not long ago was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a handsome appearance.

Yoon-jae unwittingly stared at the man as if entranced. Until Hyun-kyu suddenly interjected beside her, it felt as if the air and her breath had stopped.

Impressive.

Baek-geon truly looked like a celebrity or model. Seeing him dressed in a luxurious suit, a sigh escaped her lips like a lament.

Watching him greet people politely, he seemed more like a respectable businessman than the head of an organization. He appeared to be the offspring of a prestigious conglomerate by nature.

An inexplicable sense of despair seeped into Yoon-jae’s heart. No matter how she looked at it, Han Baek-geon seemed like someone from a completely different world than hers.

Even if the baby in her belly was born, it was clear that she could never stand beside that man.  

She thought she didn’t have any feelings left, but it seemed she still clung to some foolish longing. With a dark expression, she turned her gaze away.  

“Don’t you think I’d look cooler carrying the tray around? Come on, let me hold it. You’d look even more amazing holding this glass, Yoon-jae.”  

Hyun-kyu spoke with a playful smile. Startled, Yoon-jae almost dropped the tray.  

“Oh, oh, careful, careful.”  

Hyun-kyu’s hand supported the tray. Yoon-jae, flustered, awkwardly smiled.  

“Th-thank you.”  

“You really must not have eaten anything. How about I treat you to a meal afterward? How about some hangover soup? After a hard day, there’s nothing better than gukbap and soju to wash it down.”  

At Hyun-kyu’s casual banter, Yoon-jae faintly smiled and firmly gripped the tray as she resumed walking.  

This place was a world completely different from hers anyway. She was always just an extra, no matter where she went. She had never once been the protagonist.  

Swallowing a bitter smile, Yoon-jae began serving again. For some reason, the resignation she felt calmed her down.