Chapter 20

Ji-won tapped her fingers lightly on the desk. After a long silence, Tae-sil asked,  

“Shall I take action?”  

“No. If you do, Minjun might notice. Just leave it be. Monitor them, and if they meet, report to me immediately. Action can wait until then.”  

Ji-won, lost in thought for a moment, asked,  

“Hey, is she seeing anyone?”  

“It doesn’t seem so. According to the reports, she’s only working.”  

“You’ve made sure the traditional medicine clinic is keeping quiet, right?”  

“Yes.”  

“And Minjun?”  

“He’s clean. After work, he returns straight home, except for work-related meetings.”  

Ji-won frowned slightly at the report. It would be easier to handle him if he loosened up a bit, but her son was too much of an FM (by-the-book person). Even though he was her son, this made him difficult to deal with. She had already experienced how he could change once he decided on something.  

“Got it. You can leave now.”  

After Tae-sil left, Ji-won stood up from her chair and walked to the window.  

‘Mother, do you happen to know what that herbal medicine is?’  

‘Herbal medicine? Isn’t it for conceiving a child? Why, does it not suit you? Should I get it made again?’  

‘No, I think I’m just sensitive.’  

‘If you’re stressed, you won’t conceive. You need to relax and rest. You’re not drawing again, are you?’  

As memories from seven years ago came flooding back, Ji-won’s expression became tinged with irritation.  

Since that day, Minjun stopped going to work on Sundays. Kyungseo changed the lobby’s flower frame every two weeks, arranged flowers for the entire Paragon once a week, and visited every other day at dawn to replace the water. Minjun deliberately avoided her flower shop and her house, but he knew she had been there when the flowers changed.  

A month passed like this.  

One day, Minjun left the office to meet his mother, Ji-won, as promised. The meeting location was Gallery Yeon, near Seoul. Sitting in the back seat and looking at his tablet, Minjun appeared composed. Wearing a camel-colored coat and a black knit sweater, his pale complexion emphasized his sharp features.  

The car arrived at a scenic location surrounded by mountains. After stepping out, Minjun gazed at the gallery in the distance. The spiral-shaped building had even won architectural awards abroad. True to Jaeyang Construction’s reputation, the site was well-maintained, with sculptures placed strategically and photo spots for families.  

At the white tent, many people had already gathered, and the sound of an orchestra’s performance filled the air. As Minjun approached, his eyes narrowed. The flower decorations around the tent looked familiar. When he saw the large flower frame at the center, his expression darkened. It was her. It was done by Hwain. Turning his head, he began looking for Kyungseo. Since the setup would need to be dismantled after the event, she would definitely be nearby.  

Scanning the less crowded areas, away from the center, his gaze found her. Standing outside the tent, Kyungseo wore a black suit with a white shirt. Her hunched shoulders, red cheeks and nose, and exposed skin above her shoes caught his attention. Minjun frowned slightly.  

The weather was still cold; why was she dressed so lightly? She could at least go inside the tent. 

His gaze deepened, sinking into an abyss. How long had it been since he last saw her? Her face looked worse. He had tried so hard not to see her, but just meeting her eyes made his chest ache. He should feel hatred and resentment, yet his heart told a different story. Despite being rejected so firmly, why did his chest still throb?  

Minjun glanced around. Meeting his mother wouldn’t lead to anything good. While he had managed not to run into her at the inauguration ceremony, there was no guarantee of the same luck today. After checking the tent and seeing his mother engaged in conversation, Minjun turned and headed toward Kyungseo.  

On her day off, Hansoo had come along to help but had gone to fetch her padded jacket from the car. Haejin, Youngin, and the newly hired employee, Taeyoung, had gone to the restroom, leaving Kyungseo alone, wiggling her toes. She had left her jacket in the car, thinking it would be cumbersome while working and that she might sweat, but now that the work was done, she was freezing.  

As she turned toward the parking lot, wondering when Hansoo would return, she froze. Minjun was walking toward her. Her eyes widened. It was the first time she had seen him since that day. As he approached, her chest and legs trembled. Gritting her teeth and steadying herself, Kyungseo didn’t avoid him.  

But instead of stopping in front of her, Minjun brushed past her.  

“My mother is here.”  

Leaving only those brief words behind, he walked away. Kyungseo resisted the urge to turn around. 

Did he come all the way just to tell me that? 

Then, realization struck her. Her former mother-in-law was here. She couldn’t afford to run into her. Turning away, Kyungseo headed toward the parking lot. From a distance, she saw Hansoo approaching with an armful of padded jackets.  

As she reached him, Hansoo asked,  

“Did you come out because it was cold? Why don’t you go into the staff tent?”  

“Hansoo, I’m going to wait in the car. Can you let Haejin know I’ll call her?”  

“Are you feeling sick again?”  

Though she wasn’t feeling unwell, it seemed like a good excuse, so she replied, “Yes.” Hansoo helped her put on her jacket.  

“Should I take you home?”  

“Once everyone’s back, go into the tent. Eat something.”  

“Without you? But you need to eat too.”  

“My stomach isn’t feeling well. I’ll call you later.”  

Kyungseo climbed into the truck at the parking lot. Turning on the heater, she pressed her red, frozen hands against the vents and pursed her lips.  

‘My mother is here.’

Did he know? Did he know what had happened between his mother and me? 

Shaking her head, Kyungseo dismissed the thought. No, he wouldn’t reveal something like that. Even now, if they ran into each other, he would worry about her. His actions must be for a simple reason. As brief memories of Minjun flashed through her mind, her expression darkened.  

Had he lost weight? His cheeks looked pale.  

“Hoo….”  

Sighing, Kyungseo unzipped her jacket, only to hear a knock on the door. For a moment, she wondered if it was Minjun, but as she turned, disappointment crossed her face. Opening the door, Haejin climbed into the passenger seat, shivering.  

“It’s still freezing.”  

The cold air felt sharp as Haejin entered.  

“What are you doing here?”  

“They liked the setup and decided to keep it. No need to wait; we can leave now. It worked out well, didn’t it? No need to dismantle anything. Let’s go eat.”  

“What about the others?”  

“They’re heading straight to the restaurant. Hansoo suggested budae jjigae and boiled pork belly.”  

“Then we should head to Grandma’s place.”  

“Yeah. Let’s go!”  

Kyungseo started the truck. In the rearview mirror, she saw Haejin’s compact car following behind, packed with Hansoo.  

“Hansoo should’ve ridden in the truck. Your car looks cramped.”  

Turning to look, Haejin burst into laughter. Stretching her arms forward, she said,  

“I was worried about the tight schedule, but it worked out well.”  

“True. We should prepare for cases like this in the future. With Taeyoung joining, we can handle it.”  

“Wedding season is coming up. At this rate, we might actually build a building someday.”  

“That would be nice.”  

Haejin glanced at Kyungseo, gauging her mood.  

“Why are you looking at me like that again?”  

“Nothing, just….”  

“What is it?”  

“Minjun was here. Did you see him?”  

“I did. He told me his mother was here.”  

Haejin’s eyes widened.  

“He told you his mother was here?”  

“Yeah.”  

“Was that why you went to the truck?”  

“Yeah. I figured running into her would cause trouble.”  

Haejin’s expression darkened as she looked at her friend. About a month ago, after Kyungseo had fallen ill, something had changed in her. Though hard to pinpoint, she had undeniably changed.  

“Are you okay?”  

“There’s nothing not to be okay about. I’m trying not to think about it anymore.”  

“Really?”  

“Yeah.”  

Checking the rearview mirror, Kyungseo changed lanes and gripped the steering wheel.  

“The timing is awkward; traffic will be bad heading into Seoul. Get some rest.”  

“You’re driving, though. Should we listen to music?”  

Turning on her playlist, Haejin seemed relaxed. Watching the road ahead, Kyungseo bit her lip. She didn’t know why, but her eyes stung with tears. It absolutely couldn’t be because of Han Minjun.  

***

Minjun, unaware that Kyungseo had left, entered the tent. Inside, the heater was on, making the space pleasantly warm. As he was about to head toward his mother, a woman appeared in front of him. Minjun’s eyes softened with a slight smile.  

“Team Leader Choi, you’re here too.”  

Raon, dressed in a pantsuit, smiled brightly and responded,  

“Good to see you, Chairman.”  

“Did you come here for coverage?”  

“No, my mother dragged me here today. She said she’d fire me if I didn’t show my face. What about you, Chairman Han?”  

“I’m not in danger of being fired, but I came here out of filial duty.”  

Raon glanced toward a spot. There, Ji-won and the star of the opening ceremony, Director Ha, were laughing together.  

“Anyone looking at them would think they genuinely get along.”