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Chapter 21
“Ah… yes. Manager Kim Ji-yoon used to drink this every day, so I tried it once, and it was delicious. So now I drink it sometimes too. Hehe.”
Yena sat at a rust-stained table, sipping her banana milk. The sight of her felt strangely surreal to Hyunseung.
Yena could feel his curious gaze but deliberately ignored it. Right now, she just wanted to clear her mind of every worry and concern.
She leaned back and looked up at the sky. How long had it been since she last really looked at it? The sky was blue, and the greens around her were deep and rich.
After staring at some distant point for a long time, Yena finally turned her head toward Hyunseung.
“Director.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
“What do you mean…?”
Hyunseung furrowed his brow in confusion. Yena gave a faint, hazy smile.
“I don’t have anyone on my side at the company. Everyone hates me… But you, Director—you feel like someone who would stand by me if anything happened. That’s why I’m grateful. You’re the only one on my side.”
“On your side?”
“Yes. Sometimes, it’s so suffocating being at work. Like today during the presentation… I know very well that both our team members and the executives dislike me.”
Yena’s gaze drifted off toward the acacia forest in the distance. The breeze blew past, sending her long hair fluttering. Her tightly sealed lips and the wistful look on her profile gave her a lonely air.
“That’s not true,” Hyunseung said.
“You don’t have to lie for me. Not just at work—wherever I go, even when I’m outside, people look at me with such cold eyes. So sometimes, I feel unbearably lonely. Like there’s no one in this world on my side, like I’m completely alone.”
“…”
Lowering her eyes, Yena fidgeted with the banana milk carton in her hands.
Her large eyes glistened with sadness. Hyunseung had never seen her like this before. His eyelids trembled slightly as he looked at her.
“But, thinking about it… I guess I’ve been really thoughtless and careless all this time. So it’s only natural that people around me walk on eggshells or avoid me. I get that.”
“…”
Hyunseung couldn’t think of what to say and just listened in silence.
“But from now on, I’m going to change. Choi Yena will be a completely different person.”
The cheerful air she’d had moments ago was gone. Her eyes were steady and determined. Hyunseung could tell—her words weren’t empty. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he studied her face, then swallowed the question that rose to his lips.
“Director, please help me. Honestly, I don’t have a place at home or at work. But I really want to do well—no, I have to. I want to be recognized not as ‘Choi Yena, the fourth-generation heir of Ilsung Group,’ but as ‘Choi Yena, the executive director of Ilsung Trading,’ as a capable human being. But… I don’t know how. Please, help me.”
“Are you sincere?” Hyunseung asked quietly.
“Yes.”
Yena’s earnest eyes met his.
Whatever the reason, Choi Yena was no longer the same person she had been. She was truly ready to change. As her chief secretary, Hyunseung had both the duty and the responsibility to assist her as best he could.
And now, she was desperately asking for help. There was no reason to refuse.
“If that’s what you truly want, Director Choi, I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“Thank you.”
Yena reached out her hand, and Hyunseung took it.
As his warm grip enveloped her delicate fingers, Yena felt as if she had gained a thousand allies—her heart filled with courage and strength.
It was still dawn, with a faint bluish light in the sky, when Choi Kang-jun was already on his way to the golf course owned by Ilsung Group in Gyeonggi Province.
Today was an important day—the day Kang-jun would unveil his ambitious new golf apparel brand, “J.U.N,” to the world.
Though his title was President of Ilsung Electronics, Kang-jun had a surprising passion for fashion, food, music, and culture.
Despite being the eldest son and third-generation heir of a chaebol family, he wasn’t very interested in taking over the family business. He was the type who valued doing whatever he wanted freely, without caring what others thought. Unlike most chaebol heirs, he was active on social media and secretly enjoyed public attention.
Sitting beside him in the golf cart, Executive Director Kim Il-gu turned to him and said,
“President, your fashion today is especially stylish!”
When Kim exaggeratedly raised a thumbs-up, Kang-jun’s lips curved into a proud grin.
“Haha, I appreciate that someone noticed. These clothes are from my new brand—‘J.U.N.’ I had Yena start preparing for the launch.”
Kim’s eyes widened in surprise, and he pursed his lips.
“Oh, of course! I thought it looked different from the usual golfwear. So this is your own brand!”
“Exactly. I designed everything myself, haha. It’s time golfwear got an update. Those flashy patterns and skin-tight outfits are old news.”
“President, you’re so multi-talented. You look just like someone in his twenties wearing that!”
Kim’s admiring eyes traveled from the bucket hat on Kang-jun’s head, to the bright orange hoodie, to the crisp white shorts below. When their eyes met behind Kang-jun’s blue polarized sunglasses, his face was unreadable—but his mouth was stretched in a wide grin.
“Hahaha! Me, in my twenties? Come on, man—our Yena’s already twenty-seven.”
“Oh wow, Executive Director Choi Yena is twenty-seven already? I remember her as a child. Time really flies.”
Kim pretended to be shocked, pressing a hand to his forehead.
“Right? We’re both getting old. And you—stop wearing those clothes with skull prints. Don’t make yourself look like an old man trying too hard.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll make sure to wear something from ‘J.U.N’ next time.”
Kim glanced down at the giant skull design on his shirt and gave an awkward laugh.
“By the way… how is Executive Director Choi Yena doing these days?”
“Ahem! What about her?”
Kang-jun’s expression stiffened. The question irked him—was Kim referring to the recent scandal?
“I just saw that big article a few days ago and was a little worried…”
“What’s there to worry about? That’s all just journalists making up stories to earn a paycheck. That’s why people call them trash reporters, isn’t it?”
His lips jutted out in irritation as he raised his voice.
“Ah, yes, that’s true. Reporters can twist anything these days.”
“Exactly.”
“Um… the Chairman hasn’t said anything about it, has he?”
Kim narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Kang-jun’s reaction carefully.
Kang-jun had been secretly anxious that his father, Chairman Choi Hyuk-pil, might summon him about the incident. The question struck a nerve. Though startled, he quickly put on a calm front. He didn’t want to seem like an overgrown child still afraid of his father’s shadow.
With a sulky face, he muttered,
“What could he say? Yena’s at that age—it’s normal for her to date. Even parents can’t tell their adult children what to do anymore.”
“Yes, of course, President. You’re absolutely right.”
Sensing the sudden chill in Kang-jun’s demeanor, Kim quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, it’s perfect weather for golf today.”
Looking up at the cloudless blue sky, he smiled.
“Mmm, indeed.”
When the cart came to a stop, Kang-jun got out first and took his position at the tee box.
He looked out over the lush, green fairway and made a few practice swings. Each powerful motion cut through the air with a sharp whoosh. Then, as if remembering something, he turned toward Kim standing behind him.
“Executive Director Kim, take a photo of me while I tee off. Make sure the ‘J.U.N’ logo shows clearly.”
“Yes, President! I’ll make sure to capture it perfectly.”
Kim eagerly pulled out his phone and started recording.
“Good. Try getting this angle here—this background will look nice. Take a video while I swing, too. I’ll upload it to Stargram later, so make it look great.”
“Yes, sir. Don’t worry.”
It was a dazzling spring day in April.
Standing on the green grass, Choi Kang-jun did indeed look like a man in his twenties, just as Kim had said.
Thwack!
The crisp sound rang out as Kang-jun’s body twisted gracefully, sending the white golf ball soaring high in a perfect arc.
“Nice shot, President!”
Kim shouted in a high-pitched voice while recording the video. The other players, the caddy, and his aides clapped and echoed, “Nice shot!” in unison.
Confirming that the ball had landed exactly where he wanted, Kang-jun’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
That day, several photos and videos appeared on Choi Kang-jun’s Stargram account.
#OneDayInApril #J.U.NFirstLaunch #NiceBirdie #PerfectDay
