Chapter 3.6

“They do go to the market, but always come out empty-handed. Both Henry and his wife looked completely flustered, trying to calm down Stella, who was crying.”

“The child came out crying?”

“It was more than just crying. She seemed to be throwing a tantrum.”

In-wook’s eyebrow twitched again. The situation made little sense. For a child to cry and throw a fit at a market, it was most likely because she did not get what she wanted.

That was exactly the part he could not understand.

What could possibly be at a Korean market that Stella would want?

“Was the market Henry’s family visited the kind of place that sold toys children might like?”

“No. It was just a market. Mainly groceries.”

“I can’t make any sense of it.”

“No. I couldn’t figure out why they were going to the Korean market, or why Stella was crying so much, so I wanted to get a little closer, but since Henry already knows my face, I couldn’t go any further. I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to keep the distance as it is for now.”

Chief Kim watched In-wook’s expression. As his secretary, he felt he had failed to perform his duties successfully, and his face did not look good.

In-wook quietly looked back at him, then shook his head right away.

“There’s nothing for you to be sorry about, Chief Kim. The reason you were exposed was because I acted on my own without consulting you.”

He shrugged his shoulders out of habit, encouraging Chief Kim. He showed not the slightest concern about the less-than-perfect report.

Of course, it would be a lie to say he felt no regret at all. But even this meant Chief Kim was doing his job well enough. To expect anything more from him would be greedy.

However, Chief Kim seemed to think differently from In-wook. Even with In-wook’s forthright attitude, Chief Kim’s face did not brighten.

It seemed his perfectionist tendencies were in full effect. His characteristic competitiveness about this matter was also subtly at play.

In-wook took a deep breath. Then he carefully chose his words. It seemed Chief Kim needed a pacemaker more than encouragement right now.

“The fact that you figured out Henry’s travel destination this year would be Hallstatt is a huge accomplishment, Chief Kim. I guarantee we’re the only company among those planning to enter Arno that knows Henry’s travel plans.”

“But…”

“Didn’t you notice while watching Henry all this time? The only Asian around Henry is us. Chief Kim, you’ve already done more than enough. So please, don’t make that face.”

In-wook lifted the corners of his mouth as much as he could, hoping to convey to Chief Kim that he was already more than satisfied with his work.

After exchanging a look with Chief Kim, In-wook soon set down the tablet he had been holding. Then he glanced at the watch on his wrist.

It was almost six o’clock. If not for the current circumstances, this would have been the middle of working hours for In-wook—a time when he would never even consider leaving work.

But today, for various reasons, it seemed best to wrap things up here.

“I think it’s best to finish up for today here. Let’s call it a day.”

“Right now, Sir?”

Chief Kim looked at In-wook with surprised eyes. It was understandable. When it came to Baek In-wook of Taeseon Department Store, Chief Kim knew him even better than In-wook himself. So, such an uncharacteristic order from In-wook was bound to be bewildering.

Chief Kim, who had been silently moving his lips, hurriedly added,

“If we drive for about thirty minutes from here, we’ll arrive at the multi-cultural complex you mentioned.”

“I know. But today, I think both you and I need rest more than another inspection.”

“If you’re saying this because you’re worried about me…”

“It’s not consideration, it’s just an excuse. It was because I was checking emails, but after sitting for a while, I suddenly felt so tired.”

In-wook deliberately cut off Chief Kim’s words and chose a pleasant answer with an obvious intention. That was In-wook’s way of being considerate. It was the sincerity and expression he could show to his secretary, who sometimes became even more of a workaholic than himself.

Chief Kim surely knew that. Which was probably why he still couldn’t relax his uncomfortable expression.

In-wook quickly stood up. Because of that, Chief Kim, who had been half out of it, also had no choice but to get up in a hurry.

“Chief Kim, your accommodation is right nearby, isn’t it?”

“Pardon? Yes, it is, but…”

“Then, as for the awkward business of dropping you off at your place, let’s skip that between us.”

“Oh, please, Sir. I should be the one to drive you back, not the other way around!”

“There’s no need for that when your place is right here. My hands are just fine for the wheel, and my legs are perfectly fine for the accelerator.”

As if talking about someone else, In-wook muttered indifferently and walked ahead. Chief Kim’s steps, following behind, were still full of confusion.

Only after seeing In-wook completely leave the café and get into the driver’s seat did Chief Kim, with a resigned look, fold his hands together below his belly button.

“I really can drive, Sir.”

Chief Kim sent an uneasy glance through the half-open window. Still, In-wook did not budge.

“Maybe you don’t know, but my driving skills are actually quite good.”

“I’m not saying this because I don’t know that.”

“If that’s not the case, then please, just go rest. Who knows when I’ll be able to guarantee you a proper break again.”

His tone was cynical, but his expression was not. In the end, faced with this tsundere side, Chief Kim could only surrender.

“All right. Then I’ll get a good rest today, and from tomorrow, I’ll support you twice as hard.”

“As expected, you’re quick-witted. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. Let’s skip the formalities here, and I’ll head out first.”

“Yes, Sir. Please drive safely.”

For the last farewell, Chief Kim also gave a bright smile. Watching him bow deeply for a moment, In-wook soon pressed the accelerator.

After passing through the well-paved, bustling streets, a winding mountain road soon followed. Only after passing this stretch would he reach the residential area, like something out of a fairy tale, where he was staying. He was just about to turn the wheel in that familiar direction.

As he looked around, In-wook’s eyes suddenly caught a small restaurant. Instantly, the image of Hae-soo from that morning flashed through his mind.

“How’s your schedule today?”

“Well… Maybe because I did something unusual these past few days, I’m really tired. I’m thinking of just resting.”

On her way back from jogging, Hae-soo had looked quite exhausted. Her words about wanting to rest did not seem like empty talk. Over the past few days, her face had grown noticeably pale.

“With that scatterbrained personality, there’s no way she’s had a proper meal…”

In-wook twitched one eyebrow. Before leaving the house, he had caught a glimpse of the state of the fridge, and it hadn’t looked good.

In other words, unless she went out to eat, Yoon Hae-soo’s stomach was probably completely empty today.

Lost in thought, In-wook passed the restaurant and eventually pulled the car over to the shoulder. Then he stared at the side mirror for a while.

It was just one of the many restaurants in the neighborhood, but he couldn’t understand why he felt so strange looking at the building.

He kept seeing Hae-soo’s face before his eyes. And not just any face—he imagined her smiling brightly as she enjoyed the food he had brought.

It was strange. Imagining something that hadn’t even happened was not like him at all, but when he pictured Hae-soo’s face like that, he found himself smiling along with his imaginary version of her.

“…What on earth have you done to me, Yoon Hae-soo.”

In-wook leaned back deeply into the seat and muttered to himself. The hand that habitually swept over his face carried a tangle of complicated feelings. 

It was hard to admit, but his mind was already at the restaurant’s entrance. Yet, he kept hesitating. 

If it had been the old Baek In-wook. No, if it had been Baek In-wook before that night with Hae-soo, he would not have cared at all about Hae-soo’s meals. 

Well, even if he did care about Yoon Hae-soo’s meals because of this unusual situation, at the very least, he would not have done something as foolish as standing in front of a restaurant, needlessly agonizing over it. 

Until now, to In-wook, Hae-soo had been no different from In-ah. So there had never been any discomfort or hesitation in the way he treated her. 

To In-wook, Hae-soo was just like In-ah—in other words, like a real younger sister. 

So why was his mind so tangled now? Against his will, his thoughts kept searching for excuses. 

A reasonable justification for having to bring food for Yoon Hae-soo, who had probably not eaten all day. 

In-wook furrowed his brow and pondered for a long while. Only then did he finally find a suitable pretext. 

“Well, she’s even been jogging every day because of me, something she never used to do, so maybe it’s only right for me to take care of her this much.” 

Even as he muttered excuses he was not used to, he could not relax the frown of discomfort on his forehead. But even so, it seemed he could not go home empty-handed. 

Just finding one ridiculous reason made his heart feel strangely at peace. 

In the end, In-wook got out of the car and looked around. Only after confirming there were no car lights did he cross the street. His shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh. 

Even after arriving in front of the restaurant, he sighed again out of habit. Yet, his steps as he opened the door and entered the place seemed unusually light. 

Completely at odds with the sigh he had just let out.