CTL 23

“Oppa.”

“Everyone has their own role. That’s all.”

The role Yoongeon had decided for Ko Yebin was to push out the thorn in their side, Ko Yoonchul, and rise to the Executive Director position, and not be pushed out of that spot. By doing so, he had to provide at least some comfort to our mother who pours her love on me without knowing the truth.

“No.”

But Yebin shook his head.

“That only helps me.”

“It helps me too.”

“Liar.”

“It’s not a lie.”

If only I had the certainty that this project would succeed, then I could leave without any lingering regrets. So for Yoongeon, for whom enduring each day was an ordeal, it was a very big help.

At Yoongeon’s words, Yebin ultimately had no choice but to agree, albeit with a reluctant face. It was because he knew Yoongeon wouldn’t say anything more than this anyway.

“Okay…. I understand for now.”

Taking a step back, Yebin said it was almost lunchtime and suggested they eat together. But Yoongeon said he was fine and sent him out.

“You’re going to eat lunch anyway, why refuse?”

Secretary Lim, who was looking at the time while organizing documents, asked, but Yoongeon asked an unrelated question.

“…Around what time did Manager Kim Jia leave earlier?”

“Ms. Kim Jia? Hmm, she probably left right after we went up. It’s about time she’d be well on her way now.”

At his answer, Yoongeon bit his lip firmly. Then he reprimanded himself. Just when he had suggested to Seohwi that they get along like close hyung and dongsaeng, it was ridiculous of him to be like this the very next day.

“Where is the business partner located?”

“It’s Jungseo Industries.”

“However,” Secretary Lim continued.

“Not the office. They’re not going to the Dongdaemun side, but to the factory, so they’re supposed to meet the office staff from that side at the factory. The location is Goesan, North Chungcheong Province.”

“Goesan, North Chungcheong Province, you say?”

Isn’t North Chungcheong Province a place that takes nearly two hours to get to? Yoongeon became anxious and pointlessly picked up his fountain pen, but he just gripped it tightly, unable to do anything properly.

As his superior suddenly showed signs of anxiety without a word, Secretary Lim, who had been subtly observing his reactions while pretending not to, stared at Yoongeon and then asked as if he couldn’t help it.

“Shall I give you a ride?”

He acted quickly because he knew that Yoongeon acted particularly strange when it came to matters concerning Seohwi.

“What?”

Meanwhile, Yoongeon, who was unaware that Secretary Lim had noticed something, thought he was suddenly saying something strange. When he asked back what he meant, Secretary Lim shrugged his shoulders.

“The Jungseo Industries factory. You want to go there, don’t you, right now.”

To the words that were immediately added, “Probably because you’re worried about Mr. Seohwi?”, Yoongeon glared at him murderously.

“What kind of ridiculous thing is that. Why would I worry about Mr. Seohwi.”

“Am I wrong?”

“You are.”

“Then what is it? You seem very anxious.”

Secretary Lim thought for a moment and then said.

“But, Executive Director. In my opinion, I think you should go to that factory.”

“…….”

I glared at him, wondering what kind of nonsense he was about to spout now, and Secretary Lim said.

“The samples. Samples are usually selected from the best ones to be sent, but with that quality from earlier, there could be a problem with the line.”

“……Ah.”

Secretary Lim thought. Phew, it’s because it’s me that I’m giving you this push, Executive Director! he thought.

“If there’s a problem with the line, a fight could break out. No matter how much of a manager Ms. Jia is, she’s outnumbered, so she might not be able to win. I think the Executive Director should go there in person to mediate.”

At Secretary Lim’s words asking if that wouldn’t be right, Yoongeon thought deeply and then nodded his head. Right, he was right. If there was a problem with the factory production line, they would have to either fix it or change their business partner. Rather than wasting time on a pointless squabble, it was better for him, a senior executive, to make a move.

While Yoongeon was making that excuse, which was not quite an excuse, to himself, Secretary Lim made a phone call and sent an SOS to the snack bar owner, saying he was in a great hurry for two rolls of tuna gimbap. Of course, it wasn’t for his boss, Yoongeon, but for himself to eat.

✧ ✧ ✧

Although Secretary Lim had asked him to wait for a moment, Yoongeon abandoned him. Looking at him who said he didn’t have time to wait for gimbap or whatever, Secretary Lim, with a fed-up look on his face, said let’s just go together then, but Yoongeon just shook his head and told him to stay here and watch Ko Yoonchul’s movements. In fact, if he wasn’t chasing after Seohwi, that was what he would have had to do in the afternoon.

As I got into the car and started the engine, I thought. When a man and a woman, two people who look good together at that, are in a confined space, it’s only a matter of time before they fall for each other. While my head thought I should be happy if Kim Jia and Seohwi fell for each other, my heart was growing uncontrollably cold.

“No, …he said he rejected her.”

Yoongeon constantly reassured himself. Didn’t Seohwi say himself that he had rejected her? It must have been because he really didn’t like her. Besides, Seohwi said that he was bothered by Yoongeon himself….

“……!”

It was when he thought that far. I thought the signal was cutting it close, but the orange light turned red. Yoongeon hastily stepped on the brake, but he passed the stop line and ended up stopping in the middle of the traffic light. People coming and going glanced at his car with uncomfortable looks.

“Haaah…. What are you going to do about it then….”

Frustrated, he sighed and muttered.

It was my position to reject Seohwi if he approached. But why was I getting worked up over that one phrase where he said he was bothered by me? At a time when I should be drawing a line and pushing him away. So in fact, Yoongeon should have returned to the company right now and sent Yebin to the factory instead of me. …Because Yoongeon had impure intentions.

Even if it wasn’t Kim Jia, Seohwi should meet a good person and live a peaceful life. Yoongeon would soon disappear from his sight, and if only I were gone, Seohwi would pull himself together again and live his own life. Given his disposition, he wasn’t the type to remember a person who just passes by like Yoongeon for a long time, so that would probably be the case.

But he couldn’t stop. As soon as the light changed, Yoongeon started pressing the accelerator again. In his head, the image of Seohwi smiling and holding someone else’s hand was still vivid.

“…….”

An hour later, Yoongeon stopped in front of the factory. He had arrived in an hour a distance that should have taken over an hour and a half, and he opened the car door and got out with a slightly rushed air. When he got out, a middle-aged man who had been talking with an employee inside came up to him with a greeting.

“Who are you?”

He seemed to think that Yoongeon, dressed in a suit, was a salesperson. But when Yoongeon handed him his business card, he looked at him in surprise at the title of Executive Director.

“I’m Executive Director Ko Yoongeon from Shinhyun Motors. Our employees should have arrived first.”

“Oh my, the Executive Director himself.”

“Where are they?”

“Ah, this way.”

Perhaps because an Executive Director, not a mere employee, had come in person made him very uneasy, the man fussed and began to guide him. He asked Yoongeon what brought him all the way here, but I only said that I came because there was something to look into and didn’t say more.

A moment later, upon entering a small office, I found Seohwi with a man who appeared to be the factory manager. Seohwi was standing still while Manager Kim Jia was talking to the factory manager in a rather agitated voice, and then she looked at him in surprise. It was the same for Seohwi who was next to her.

“Executive Director?”

“Ms. Kim Jia.”

“What brings you all the way here, no, wait a minute. Executive Director, your face….”

Kim Jia asked in surprise, but Yoongeon shook his head. It was not a conversation to be had here.

“I saw the samples at the company. I thought I should check them.”

At Yoongeon’s words, not only the factory manager but also the office staff looked at each other with tense faces.

“Ha, haha…. It seems there was a small problem on our side. But it’s not something the Executive Director needs to worry too much about….”

“It’s a bit cold.”

They rambled on about something, but Yoongeon, instead of bothering to argue, pulled up a chair and sat down, saying. In fact, Yoongeon was just fine, but looking around, wasn’t it excessively chilly because they hadn’t even closed the windows properly in the middle of winter? He couldn’t leave Seohwi in an environment perfect for catching a cold. He was the type to always get sick once in a while, whether it was cold or hot.

At his words that it was cold, the factory employees quickly came forward to close the windows and hastily brought two heaters and placed them on either side of Yoongeon. Are these people crazy trying to burn a person alive? Yoongeon furrowed his brow and told them to put them next to his employees as he stood up from his seat. Perhaps because it felt a little stuffy after closing the windows, he took off his coat and hung it on the chair.

“Excuse me, Executive Director. Didn’t you just say it was cold….”

At the factory manager’s question, asked with a puzzled face, Yoongeon replied nonchalantly.

“Aren’t our employees’ clothes thin?”

“…….”

At his words, the factory manager looked at Manager Kim Jia. Kim Jia was wearing a long padded jacket, but the factory manager, thinking Yoongeon was taking care of the female employee, smiled and nodded his head. No one thought that the ‘person with thin clothes’ he was referring to was Seohwi.

After they all sat down, the conversation resumed under Yoongeon’s lead. However, after he pointed out the quality of the samples and then toured the entire factory, the situation became a bit serious. It was because the defects in the machinery were more severe than expected. While Manager Kim Jia and Yoongeon led the work, Seohwi listened intently to their conversation and grasped the situation.

At first, they expressed reluctance, saying it was difficult, but that was all. When told that if they couldn’t guarantee the quality of the finishing, there would be no choice but to change suppliers, they finally backed down. They tried to hold out, saying the unit price didn’t match, but in the end, they decided to replace the old and worn-out machinery and make the parts again.

“If you are concerned about the investment cost that goes in right now, you cannot work with us. From now on, we will dispatch management staff periodically, so I will take it that you will cooperate. Please manage it well.”

“Yes, thank you, Executive Director….”

It was a long time after that when we came out of the factory, leaving behind the employees who were smiling but looked very awkward.

“Wow, Executive Director, you are truly the savior of my life.”

Kim Jia said with a refreshed face.

“I really thought I was going to stay up all night just arguing.”

Kim Jia, who had been arguing with the factory manager until Yoongeon arrived, explained the situation. No matter how she thought about it, it seemed to be a problem with the machinery, but they were strangely reluctant to show it.

“We usually conduct factory inspections periodically, but they suddenly said there was no need to see it and tried to keep us out. It was strange, so I insisted on seeing it, but they just kept blocking us. I was even wondering if I should try to push my way in with force.”

“It seems they showed the line with the new machinery during inspections, and usually produced parts using the old machinery as well.”

In fact, just because it was old machinery didn’t necessarily mean the quality of the parts was low. If it had been well-maintained, even old machinery could produce high-quality parts. In the end, it was a problem of poor management.

“Wouldn’t it be better to change suppliers?”

Seemingly quite angry after learning the actual situation, Manager Kim Jia said, panting. But Yoongeon shook his head.

“If we cut them off like that, eventually there will be no one left. It’s right to give them one chance.”

Since we had given them a chance this time, we could see their future progress. Although they had made a mistake, it was difficult to ignore the time we had worked together, so changing suppliers could be done after that and it wouldn’t be too late. Since they had also admitted their fault and said they would correct it.

“Anyway, I feel so relieved.”

Kim Jia smiled.

“But Executive Director, what really brings you all the way here? I didn’t hear you were coming.”

If they had planned to move together, they would have come together from the beginning, so Kim Jia’s question was natural. Knowing that he had to answer right away, Yoongeon, without realizing it, answered after a slight pause.

“…I saw the samples at the office earlier, and the condition looked more serious than I thought. I hadn’t planned to come, but I thought I should come, even if it was a bit late.”

“Without Mr. Seonwoong?”

“Secretary Lim had something else to do.”

“Aah… I see.”

Kim Jia, convinced by Yoongeon’s words, nodded her head. She took out her phone, looked at the time, and then asked.

“By the way, did you have a meal before you came? Thinking about the time you arrived, it must have been tight.”

“Yes. Something simple.”

He lied without batting an eye and asked back.

“What about you, Ms. Kim Jia.”

“Us? Aah, we bought two rolls of gimbap and ate them on the way here.”

It was natural since they had gone without even taking a lunch break.

“In the car?”

“Yes. I was driving, so Mr. Seohwi fed me. Maybe that’s why, but it doesn’t really feel like I ate anything.”

“…….”

Yoongeon, who was about to give a perfunctory reply about how it was a shame they ate roughly, was momentarily unable to say anything at the words that Seohwi had fed her gimbap.

“Uh….”

He had to say something, but he was so shocked that he just made a stupid sound. Yoongeon turned his gaze to look at Seohwi, but Seohwi was looking at him with a face that knew nothing.

“Yes… you worked hard.”

Yoongeon barely managed his expression.

“You haven’t even had a proper meal, so if you’re okay with it, let’s have a meal nearby before we go.”

“Oh my, really?”

At the suggestion of a meal, Kim Jia smiled brightly. Her smiling face was pretty, and the thought that she would look good with Seohwi came to him without thinking.

“Actually, I was so hungry that as I was leaving here, I was thinking of getting tteokbokki. I was so angry that I only ate gimbap. Gimbap has to be eaten with either ramen or tteokbokki, right? How can you eat it as a standalone item? It’s illegal.”

“Aah… yes.”

He didn’t know there was such a law—of course there wasn’t—but she was so worked up that Yoongeon nodded his head.

“But let’s have that next time… let’s go to a restaurant I know.”

He couldn’t let Seohwi eat such spicy trash. Fortunately, Kim Jia said that was fine. Yoongeon gave her the location, and they decided to take their respective cars and meet at the restaurant. But then, Seohwi got into Manager Kim’s car as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Yoongeon got into his car with a sour face and started the engine. In his head, he knew this was natural, but if he could, he wanted to separate the two. For a moment, he even thought about intentionally causing a minor fender bender.

Right, if I just bump them lightly, no one will get hurt and it will be fine.

Yoongeon, who was contemplating how he could get Seohwi into his car, was startled. Why on earth was he thinking such a thing?

“Haaah….”

My heart, it really doesn’t do what I want it to.

✧ ✧ ✧

This was the only restaurant I knew nearby. Actually, it was just that this was the only place around here where one could eat something relatively bland.

The place, which didn’t even have a sign, was a house that sold beef bone soup, and it was a restaurant that suited the picky eater Yoongeon relatively well. Kim Jia looked around the restaurant and then sat down in a suitable spot. Then she looked at Yoongeon, who was sitting across from her, and whispered.

“I didn’t know the Executive Director would eat at a place like this.”

“I wasn’t particularly picky about food… I must have seemed very difficult, seeing as you say that.”

“Ah, not the food. I just thought that whatever food you ate, you would eat it at a high-end restaurant.”

She meant that it was an overly humble place for him, who was born into a chaebol family, to be in. Of course, the proportion of going to expensive places was high, but Yoongeon was not originally picky about restaurants. Besides, Yoongeon, although very occasionally, also participated in company dinners, so I don’t know why she has such a misunderstanding.

“Actually, I wanted to buy you something expensive, but this area is all factory complexes, so there are no such places. I’m sorry, Ms. Jia.”

I had no intention of chiding her for it, so instead, I said let’s have a company lunch at a better place next time. At that, Kim Jia was very pleased and asked if they could have Western food. Yoongeon moved the kimchi, which was served in a small earthenware pot, to a dish, set down the spoons and chopsticks, and nodded his head.

“Oh my, the new employee should be doing this.”

Kim Jia lightly tapped Seohwi’s arm and said he should watch and learn. At that, Seohwi, who had been spacing out, looked like he had just realized his mistake and bowed his head in apology. It wasn’t something to apologize for.

“The Executive Director has such good manners.”

At his nonchalant attitude, Kim Jia praised him. She laughed, saying he was different from the company’s old fogeys, and then asked Seohwi for his agreement. Sitting side by side like that, they looked overly affectionate.

“…….”

Yoongeon, without realizing it, stared at the sight. It’s so hard to see this kind of scene, even after going through many lives.

In the past, he avoided it, so he didn’t see it. Of course, he always sacrificed himself for him, but there were also lives where he couldn’t die right away, so there were opportunities to see it. But Yoongeon did not confirm it with his own eyes. Partly because he lacked courage, and partly because he was jealous.

Even while wishing for him to be happy without me, the fact that I can’t actually see that sight is probably because I am a narrow-minded man. Suddenly, he recalled the past.

It must have been his fourth life. At that time, Yoongeon was born as a nobleman, and he heard about the misfortune that had befallen a distant relative whose name he didn’t even know. At his father’s request at the time, Yoongeon went to look after the young boy who had been left alone after his parents took their own lives side by side, and there, he saw Seohwi.

Yoongeon, who had originally intended to check on him moderately and just give him some money before leaving, brought Seohwi with him that day. The small boy, who could have been just about eight years old, was highly guarded, and it took a long time just for him to open his heart, but Yoongeon waited with patience.

In that life, Yoongeon was seventeen years older than Seohwi, so there was no problem in adopting him as his son. Yoongeon raised Seohwi without even holding a wedding ceremony. And when that child grew up and became a fine man, he made a deal with the king.

The Yoongeon of that time coldly pushed away Seohwi, who approached him saying he didn’t want to marry the princess and that he had something to say to him. When he reprimanded him with words he didn’t mean, saying to act properly if he didn’t want to bring ruin to the family, Seohwi hesitated for a long time before finally backing down.

On the day of Seohwi’s wedding, he went off to war at the border. It was because he didn’t have the confidence to watch his wedding ceremony. He did not return from there until he died. Because that was the deal with the king.

“Executive Director? Why aren’t you eating?”

As he was recalling that life, Kim Jia’s voice cut through his thoughts. Since he hadn’t started his meal, they couldn’t either. Yoongeon looked at the food that had been placed in front of him at some point and picked up his spoon.

“I’m sorry. I had something to think about.”

“Still, you have to eat. Wow, this looks delicious. I’ll eat well.”

“Yes, you too, Ms. Jia.”

Actually, he wanted to tell Seohwi to eat well too, but Yoongeon deliberately said it only to Kim Jia, afraid he would seem strange. Besides, every time Kim Jia’s gaze fell on Seohwi, his heart throbbed. Yoongeon deliberately struck up a conversation with Kim Jia and even served her side dishes, acting affectionately to draw her gaze to himself. Fortunately, Kim Jia no longer looked at Seohwi and only looked at him.

“By the way, Executive Director.”