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Chapter 7
After lunch, they quickly gathered in the break room—the same place they had met on Friday.
Everyone wore the same curious expression, eager to hear what Yujin had to say.
After much hesitation, Yujin finally opened her mouth, struggling under the weight of all those sparkling, expectant eyes fixed on her.
“Actually… I already knew Oppa had no messy issues with women. He told me himself. I just thought I’d play along a little, but then… every time I said anything, people kept jumping to conclusions…”
She trailed off, her eyes drooping as if pleading with them to believe her.
She explained point by point, doing her best to clear things up—even if whether they believed her or not was up to them. She had to at least try. She’d barely started this job and already her life was a complete mess.
“Yujin-ssi, is that really true?”
“Seriously? Then why would he make up something like that?”
“My God… a lie? How could—”
“That could’ve turned into a disaster.”
They all looked stunned.
But there was no other option but to insist. Kang Hee-jae had actually told her to go explain to the team members who’d spread the rumor about their kiss—but really, how could she? This was the best she could do.
“I’ve known him since I was little. We’re really close. Almost like family.”
“Wow, you had us completely fooled. If you’re saying you’re like family, then that really is close…”
“So Yujin-ssi, you mean all those rumors were really false?”
At that moment, Songha suddenly spoke up. She, the one rumored to have a crush on Kang Hee-jae, pressed for confirmation. Clearly, she wanted very badly not to believe the gossip.
Yujin nodded emphatically.
“Yes. Not long ago, Hee-jae Oppa—”
“Oh my gosh. You call him Oppa? You must be close.”
At that single slip of a word, their expressions shifted slightly. Songha in particular listened with envy glimmering in her eyes.
“He kept teasing me, so I just… snapped.”
“No wonder. I thought it was weird too. There’s no way someone that perfect could be like that.”
“Pffft. Songha-ssi, was it really that shocking for you?”
“Of course! His charm would’ve been completely ruined. Honestly, is he really your old classmate? Why would anyone make up something like that?”
Songha grimaced, clearly disgusted.
Yujin had feared they wouldn’t believe her, but fortunately, the way she and Hee-jae seemed genuinely close was enough to convince them.
Finally—after a whole weekend of torment—Yujin exhaled a hidden sigh of relief.
“Yujin-ssi, when you were called to the team leader’s office earlier, Kang Team Leader’s expression was scary as hell. I’d never seen him so serious before.”
“Right? I thought you were half-dead in there. We were terrified since we’d talked about it too.”
“Seriously…”
Jiyoung and Dohee nodded in agreement. It was a relief that the misunderstanding had been cleared up more naturally than expected.
Sure, the rumors might already have spread to other departments, but at least she’d set the record straight today. Hopefully, the new version would spread just as fast.
Yujin grabbed the iced Americano in front of her and gulped it down in one breath.
She’d been tense all day, and the thirst was unbearable. Only after draining it did her mind start to clear.
“But… I’m curious about something.”
All at once, the group fell silent, every pair of eyes turning toward her.
“What is it?”
“That Strategy PR Team Leader, Sa-eun-seo. She seems really close with Kang Team Leader.”
“Super close. They’re best friends.”
“I don’t buy it. Best friends between a man and a woman? That’s just a cover-up—it’s always more.”
Jiyoung declared it must be a fling.
“You said you’re close with him too, Yujin-ssi. You really don’t know about Sa Team Leader?”
“I really don’t…”
And she didn’t. She’d only met Sa Eun-seo after joining the company.
Still, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy. They looked too close. Their conversation that day had been one of the reasons she was so shaken.
“That’s why I’m upset. It feels like the two of them are secretly seeing each other, so I can’t even confess.”
Songha pouted and chewed on her straw. Yujin looked at her with pity.
Was this what she looked like too? Maybe this was what people meant by “misery loves company.”
She understood Songha’s pain all too well—the agony of harboring a one-sided love for Kang Hee-jae.
“But you never know. They say love is something you have to fight for.”
“Didn’t you confess first to your husband, Manager?”
“Yeah. And it was the biggest mistake of my life.”
Dohee sighed, and the whole group burst into laughter.
But even while laughing, Yujin’s mind was elsewhere.
Kang Hee-jae and Sa Eun-seo. What was their relationship? Did her brother Yuhyun know?
She would have to ask Oppa about it tonight.
Her eyes glimmered at the thought.
“Here, drink.”
Eun-seo handed an iced Americano across the table. Hee-jae accepted it with a smile, lifting it slightly as thanks.
“Thanks.”
“How close are you really with Im Yujin?”
“And what have you heard this time?”
Sliding into the seat opposite him, Eun-seo looked exasperated.
“This new hire is causing way too much commotion.”
In just two days, the outrageous rumor about Hee-jae had swept through the department. Being one of the most well-known figures in the company, anything about him was always a hot topic.
Yujin’s “he’s my brother’s friend” bombshell, combined with Cheon Jiyoung’s careless remark, meant that every conversation eventually circled back to him.
So of course, today she’d heard the continuation of Friday’s drama.
But instead of looking upset, Hee-jae only smiled.
“Hey, Kang Hee-jae.”
“What?”
“I heard Yujin said she kept quiet because you two were so close, and you told her not to worry. And then when they asked, she called you Oppa, and everyone freaked out.”
“She said that?”
“Yep. Caused another stir.”
At Eun-seo’s words, Hee-jae chuckled.
It figured. He had told her to explain—though what he really wanted was an excuse to steal those soft lips again. But of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.
“So… the rumor’s not true, then? Jiyoung just misheard?”
Eun-seo eyed him skeptically.
Hee-jae narrowed his eyes with mock difficulty.
“Honestly… how do you even prove something like this? It’s not like I can show you.”
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, looking perfectly at ease.
Maybe it was his posture. Or his deep, confident voice. Or that maddeningly handsome face.
Whatever it was, Eun-seo suddenly felt her cheeks burn.
“You pervert.”
“What did I do? You’re the one who asked. I was just clarifying.”
And she couldn’t argue—because it was true.
“Of course it’s not true. Something that pathetic would never happen in my life.”
He spoke with such conviction that he almost seemed to enjoy the gossip instead of being bothered by it.
Eun-seo knew firsthand that he had never dated anyone, not even through all of college. That was why, when the rumors started, she had vouched for him herself.
“I never planned to reveal we even knew each other. Damn brat.”
Hee-jae scratched at his brow, frowning.
The gossip about him was one thing. But now that people knew he and Yujin were close—very close—her work life would only get harder.
Everyone at the company was hyper-sensitive to this kind of talk, and once people knew they were close, Yujin would have to watch her every move. For someone who’d only just started, this was a nightmare.
Still… those sweet lips kept flashing in his mind, stirring a heat low in his stomach.
What should I teach her next?
The thought alone made him grin.
Eun-seo frowned at him like he’d lost his mind.
“Why the hell are you smiling like that?”
“Hey, Sa Team.”
“What?”
“Since when was work this fun?”
“You really are insane.”
She looked at him as if he were some bizarre creature. But Hee-jae only sipped his coffee, smiling faintly.
“This is way too fun.”
Despite the heavy workload and constant overtime, he suddenly felt invigorated—as if he’d just had a caffeine shower.
“Come on. Let’s go. We’ve got a meeting.”
He rose to his feet. But truthfully, it wasn’t the meeting he was eager for.
What he really wanted was to see Im Yujin’s face again.
His lips curled upward as he headed for the conference room.
