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chapter 23
Since when had he been standing here?
After a brief moment of surprise, Dain quickly scanned her surroundings. Luckily, she didn’t see any of her coworkers. In response to her wary behavior, Inhyuk approached slowly.
“I came because I wanted to talk.”
“How can you just show up like this?”
“You weren’t picking up my calls. Besides, you blocked my number anyway.”
Faced with an undeniable truth, Dain sealed her lips tightly. She didn’t call from another number, and now he had even come to the company. Looking at him now, she realized Inhyuk also had his blind spots.
What should I do?
She didn’t want to be caught at work and suffer again from strange rumors. With a sigh, she adjusted her bag, passed Inhyuk with brisk steps, and whispered,
“Let’s go. But just for a short while, so keep that in mind.”
“Yeah, there’s a car over there. Let’s go.”
Despite Dain’s prickly attitude, Inhyuk’s lips curved slightly, pleased to have gotten her agreement. Dain checked the time on her phone and let out another series of sighs.
“We have to be back by pick-up time.”
“I’ll take you to kindergarten, so don’t worry.”
“That won’t be necessary. A stop nearby is fine.”
As Dain walked briskly, her shadow stretched long behind her. Inhyuk followed step by step, gradually closing the distance. He was curious about her expression, partly hidden beneath her hair.
“Why didn’t you bring a car today?”
At the sudden question, Dain let out a soft snort. She knew his information network was extensive, but she hadn’t expected him to pick up on this.
“Are you… spying on me?”
“You don’t need to spy to figure this out.”
“If you’re going to talk like that, I’m leaving.”
Only after that strong statement did Inhyuk stop asking questions. He quietly opened the passenger side door of the car. Dain climbed in carefully, forcing herself to suppress her discomfort.
She wanted to cut things off sharply, but seeing him show up after she ignored his calls made her realize that wasn’t the answer. Perhaps it was better to coax him in a way that would prevent him from ever coming again.
Inhyuk got into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and turned the wheel leisurely. As the car moved through the busy streets, it swayed gently. Dain, without realizing it, gripped the seatbelt tightly, tense.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“……”
“You can answer. It’s free, you know.”
Inhyuk’s question broke the heavy silence. It was a familiar exchange. Quickly recalling the conversation, a small wrinkle appeared on Dain’s brow.
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“What?”
“If so, don’t. It just irritates me.”
At her reproach, Inhyuk flinched and glanced back. Dain bit her lower lip, as if about to cry, then turned fully toward the window.
Ah, was it like this back then too?
Inhyuk glanced at her sideways and recalled a long-buried memory.
Back in High School
Seoinhyuk had been a promising swimmer, known for his talent.
Had it not been for a shoulder injury, he likely would have followed the path his parents envisioned, climbing each step of success. But that injury changed the course of his life entirely.
“Graduate from college and join a company.”
Following his father’s orders, he graduated from a Korean university with a degree in Business Administration. However, he didn’t live a disciplined, diligent life. Perhaps compensating for the joys he had been denied as an athlete, he indulged in a rather reckless lifestyle, centered on money, fame, and women.
Joining as a regular employee… well, most of the upper management probably knows anyway. Many of them had met me during discussions with my father.
In the winter of his twenty-seventh year, having completed his military service and earned his degree, Inhyuk finally joined Seosan Construction as a regular employee in the sales team, fulfilling his parents’ wish.
It wasn’t a complete entry from the bottom, since internally it was considered a transfer, but he still wasn’t in a position to wield power freely.
A guy who’s never faced a real crisis… let’s teach him well.
He had scoffed inwardly at his father’s advice. Still, it wasn’t bad to receive his successor training while keeping his identity hidden. It was better to have some leeway than to be thrown into the hardest tasks immediately.
“Come this way, Assistant Manager Seo!”
Today’s company dinner was part of that leisurely deviation.
“Ah, yes.”
“What would you like to drink?”
“Anything is fine. I drink everything.”
Already quite drunk, the employees pushed their glasses toward him recklessly. Inhyuk responded lightly, surveying the room.
Some observed him unknowingly, while others recognized him and acted cautiously. Especially Section Chief Song Chul-woo, seated at the front.
Huh…
Even after a few drinks, he didn’t get drunk; he just felt a headache. Loud, chaotic environments were unbearable. That was why, as a child, he preferred the calm beneath the water.
Diving endlessly into the depths made him feel like his existence was erased, allowing him to escape his mother’s obsessive expectations for outstanding performance.
“Assistant Manager Min! Min Dain! Over here!”
Someone across the table raised their hand. A heavily intoxicated woman approaching froze in place. Apologetically, she waved her hand briefly, catching Inhyuk’s attention.
“Wait a moment. I’ll finish this call and come over.”
Inhyuk stared blankly at her. Despite her youthful aura, her expression seemed mature, as if she had endured all the storms of the world.
“Again?”
“Sorry, it’s an urgent call…”
“Alright, hurry back!”
Watching the empty space left by her sudden departure, the woman across sighed. Then the man beside her whispered:
“Assistant Manager Min, who are you always talking to? Got a boyfriend?”
“No way! Who has time for that?”
“Why not?”
“What, you didn’t hear last time?”
The woman clicked her tongue, whispering stories that made the man’s expression shift constantly—from surprise to shock, sympathy, and concern.
So many emotions over someone else’s misfortune…
Inhyuk frowned and took a cold sip of water to calm his brewing irritation. He remembered reporters who had hounded him after his shoulder injury, probing every wound with relentless questions.
He watched the dinner quietly. Everyone was drunk and loud, and the chaos bored him. Even during his swimming days, company dinners were always like this. He hated the commotion.
He needed a quiet place, though he had no intention or opportunity to visit the pool for a while.
“Assistant Manager Seo, where are you going?”
“Just stepping out for a smoke.”
Pushing away the hand that tried to stop him, he walked into the corridor. The dark sky greeted him. From each room in the long hallway of the Japanese restaurant came loud noise.
He searched his pockets for a cigarette, realizing he had left it in his jacket pocket inside. He clicked his tongue lightly. Going back inside seemed bothersome, so he decided to enjoy the breeze instead.
“Yes, sir… I’m afraid I’ll be late today. I’m really sorry.”
When he reached the courtyard after the long corridor, the anxious voice of the woman pierced his ears. At the end of his gaze, he saw the woman from earlier—Min Dain.
Holding her phone, bowing slightly as she spoke, her unease was palpable. She looked pale, as if in a stressful situation.
Inhyuk approached quietly, and unintentionally, her conversation was audible to him.
“Is Summer alright? She had a slight fever this morning… Yes, I gave her medicine.”
It seemed to be about a child, and she appeared concerned about her condition.
“I’ll get off work first and contact you again…”
Dain looked up, and at that moment, their eyes met. Inhyuk gazed indifferently, while Dain froze, her large eyes wide like a startled rabbit.
“I’ll contact you, yes, thank you. Sorry.”
She ended the call hurriedly, bowing her head slightly as she passed by Inhyuk quietly.
Their elbows brushed lightly as she walked past. Her scent lingered subtly—a gentle soap-like fragrance reminiscent of something a child might use, not a heavy perfume, giving a sense of her soft nature.
“Director, are you leaving already?”
Just as Inhyuk felt a pang of regret from her fading scent, Section Chief Song, who had been smoking in a corner of the yard, rushed over to speak.
