Chapter 3. Discomfort

Yeonsu couldn’t fall asleep through the long pre-dawn hours until sunrise.

Even the sleep-inducing component in her medication couldn’t calm her anxiety.

As morning dawned, Yeonsu went straight to work.

Director Yoon was waiting for her when she arrived at the company.

Perhaps because she had expressed her intention to withdraw from The Closet channel after yesterday’s meeting, Director Yoon had requested a meeting first thing in the morning.

The two sat facing each other in an empty conference room.

“I thought about it after you told me you wanted to quit.”

She spoke first.

“I know it’s not right to force someone who doesn’t want to do it. But it’s difficult right now. You’ve already filmed. How would viewers feel if the brand’s head designer suddenly changed?”

“……”

“It’s a matter of our brand’s credibility. I’d like you to reconsider quitting more carefully. What do you think?”

Yeonsu found it difficult to refuse outright when Director Yoon went this far.

Besides, she knew well that it would be hard to quit overnight when filming had already begun and shooting scripts with dialogue had been released.

There was also an element of spite in her decision after learning about Seonjae’s regular appearance.

In the end, Yeonsu left the conference room saying she would think about it.

Just as she turned around, swallowing the sigh that kept trying to escape, she ran into Sehee, who was about to enter her executive office.

“Team Leader Seo, you came in early today?”

Sehee glanced at her wristwatch pointing to 8 o’clock as she spoke.

“Yes, I woke up a bit early today.”

Yeonsu was about to leave after greeting her.

“Do you have a moment to talk?”

But after just a few steps, Yeonsu turned at the sound of Sehee’s voice.

At the end of her gaze was Sehee, gesturing with her chin toward her half-open office.

※※※

Sehee’s office was filled with the rich aroma of brewing coffee.

Yeonsu scanned her surroundings before sitting down, watching Sehee approach with coffee.

“You look tired today. Couldn’t sleep, huh?”

She asked while placing a coffee cup in front of Yeonsu.

She looked worriedly at Yeonsu’s deeply sunken eyes.

“You know I’ve always had bad insomnia. It’s nothing new.”

“Oh my, I heard you missed your appointment this month. Dr. Cho was worried. You need to take your medication consistently.”

Dr. Cho was Chairman Hong Hyeonchul’s personal physician.

Yeonsu had been receiving treatment from him for five years since her stillbirth.

Most of her prescriptions were for antidepressants and sedatives.

〈Yeonsu, it’s not good for an unmarried young woman to be known for receiving psychiatric treatment. See Dr. Cho instead.〉

There were many times when she thought it would be better to receive treatment from a psychiatrist, but Sukgyeong was adamant.

Panic attacks would come unexpectedly when it rained or when she saw children.

But as they say, time heals all wounds, and things gradually improved as time passed.

So she had been gradually reducing the frequency of her appointments.

“That’s right.”

But she felt no need to share such detailed plans with Sehee.

So she was being frugal with her words, not adding anything more, when—

“By the way, I heard you said you’re quitting The Closet?”

Sehee put down her coffee cup and introduced a new topic.

It had only been a day.

She had expected this to some extent when she told Director Yoon she wanted to quit, but she hadn’t expected it to spread so quickly.

“That’s right. You heard from Director Yoon.”

Director Yoon probably thought Sehee was the surest way to keep Yeonsu on board.

She knew well that Yeonsu found it difficult to refuse Sehee’s requests.

Why not try a little harder?

She was waiting for words like “since you’ve already started, let’s continue a bit more.”

But the words that cut through the silence were different from what she expected.

“If it’s hard for you, you should quit.”

When Yeonsu looked up, her eyes met Sehee’s.

She smiled at Yeonsu with a kind gaze.

“You already have those seizure symptoms. You’re taking medication too, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

Yeonsu’s pupils gradually widened.

The words were so unexpected that she couldn’t hide her surprise.

“You’re saying it’s okay if I quit?”

“Of course. What do you take me for? Would I force you to do something?”

Yeonsu’s expression stiffened as she watched Sehee laugh playfully.

“If it’s too difficult, I’ll appear in your place. I’ll talk to Director Yoon. Don’t worry. Originally, I was supposed to be the one appearing, but you did it for me, Yeonsu.”

Yeonsu’s brow furrowed unconsciously.

Sehee’s consideration, which should have been appreciated, felt more like a whim.

‘Why so suddenly?’

It seemed strange that she would offer to take over so belatedly.

Yeonsu’s hand gripping the cup tightened.

Was it because of her conversation with Seonjae last night?

Sehee was the same as always.

Her capriciousness was so typical, yet why did these words and actions start to feel familiar in a disturbing way?

“I heard you have an arranged date on Saturday? That man’s family is quite solid despite the rumors.”

“……”

“Technically, it’s a first for you, but not perfectly so. Your marriage fell through, and you had a child.”

Yeonsu finally understood.

The identity of the strange discomfort she had been feeling toward Sehee.

“He’s someone who will understand all that. Take this opportunity to date and rest. You deserve happiness too.”

The sincerity that should have been felt from Sehee speaking of happiness wasn’t there.

Unlike the straightforward Moon Seonjae, who had called Min Jeongho a bastard.

It was confusing.

Once the floodgates of doubt opened, suspicion spread uncontrollably.

All the actions shown by Sehee and Sukgyeong began to feel strange.

But she couldn’t reveal her agitation.

“You’re right. I’m still thinking about The Closet, so I’ll consider it.”

Yeonsu put down her teacup.

“It’s already nine o’clock. I should go.”

“Oh my, nine already? Hang in there today, Yeonsu.”

Yeonsu stood up with Sehee seeing her off.

Even as she left the office, her pounding heart seemed to warn her.

That she needed to resolve this anxiety.

※※※

After parking, Seonjae unbuttoned his jacket as he climbed the stairs leading to the garden.

Taejungwon, located in Seongbuk-dong, was Chairman Moon Daeho’s residence.

The scenery of Taejungwon felt unfamiliar to Seonjae after so long.

It had been quite some time since he visited Seongbuk-dong after moving to his independent residence in Hannam-dong.

He walked along, noticing how green the garden had become, realizing how indifferent he had been to Taejungwon.

The main building’s entrance door was open.

Seonjae thought about visiting the bedroom on the second floor but headed straight to the dining room instead.

“Son, you’re here?”

Minhee recognized him and smiled broadly.

Familiar faces were in the dining room.

Chairman Moon Daeho was at the center, with Minhee, his aunt and her husband, and Gijun at the very end.

Seonjae took off his jacket and hung it on the chair.

Then he naturally sat down across from Minhee.

The conspicuously empty seat in the middle.

The seating arrangement highlighted his position in the Taeseo family.

However, Seonjae felt nothing special about it, as it wasn’t the first time.

Soon after, staff entered and set the table.

Perhaps because it had been a long time since they had a meal together, the dishes filled the table with more remaining on the trolley.

The meal began at Chairman Moon’s word to eat.

For a family meal, only the occasional sound of utensils hitting plates could be heard.

The household was always quiet, but even more so with his aunt and her husband present.

The only interaction was the occasional eye contact with Gijun when shifting his gaze.

Chairman Moon was the first to break the silence.

“Seonjae.”

Seonjae looked up at the sound of Chairman Moon’s low voice.

“I heard you were dating someone in America, so why aren’t you dating these days?”

A moment of silence followed his words.

“Has your taste changed in the meantime? Do you prefer men now?”

“Oh my, Father, your joke goes too far.”

Minhee answered on behalf of Seonjae, who remained silent.

She was trying to move past this atmosphere with a light joke.

Meanwhile, she glanced at Seonjae sitting across from her.

It had been less than six months since he returned from working at Taeseo Group’s holding company in the United States.

But during those six months, he had been on more blind dates than projects he had taken on.

While Chairman Moon had called him back for formal successor training, the truth was that finding Seonjae a match was more accurate.

Gijun was already married with a son.

The chairman’s special affection for his nephew’s son and his desire to see children from Seonjae were all part of Chairman Moon’s aging process.

Though he understood those feelings, Seonjae was hardly an easy case.

Minhee’s gaze on Seonjae narrowed like thread.

Though her son had never rebelled in his life, he wasn’t exactly compliant either.

“Everyone has their match, so I’ll meet her eventually.”

He didn’t want to create unnecessary discord in front of his aunt and her husband.

Especially since Gijun was already following closely behind Seonjae after being appointed as department head.

Just as Minhee was trying to wrap up this uncomfortable situation with appropriate words—

Clunk. A metal spoon was placed on the table, creating a dull noise.

“Go on a follow-up date with SD Finance’s eldest daughter.”

Chairman Moon’s words followed, revealing his displeasure.

Seonjae was now making eye contact with him.