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chapter 24
“Manager Song?”
As soon as Inhyuk spoke, he dashed over and guided him to the smoking room on the right side of the yard. It seemed that he had deliberately cleared the place, making it relatively quiet.
Inhyuk strolled into the smoking room, loosening his tie as he went. Manager Song, hesitating for a moment, cautiously approached and offered a cigarette.
“You need to enjoy the company dinner properly. Everyone’s been really mindful today, trying to make sure the director is well taken care of.”
Inhyuk glanced at the cigarette and chuckled lightly. The thought of something amusing had completely erased any desire to smoke.
“‘Prospective’ director, I suppose.”
At Inhyuk’s curt remark, Manager Song’s shoulders twitched. Inhyuk didn’t stop there; he issued a direct warning.
“I’m sure your mother repeatedly warned you to be careful with titles in front of others. Your memory must be terrible.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Manager Song lowered his head, his face pale.
Although he didn’t know much about Seo Inhyuk yet, he was well aware that Inhyuk’s mother was unusually strict and intimidating. She would risk anything for her son’s success.
Inhyuk leaned back against the wall, brushing his hair away from his face. His mother’s excessive expectations, his father’s moderate neglect… it was all exhausting.
He felt more at ease when he didn’t care about anything and could just focus on moving forward, like when he was underwater, free to choose without being constrained.
“…Hmph.”
The word “constrained” brought to mind the image of Dain he had encountered earlier. The image of the woman flustered over her phone strangely wouldn’t disappear.
“What kind of person is Min Dain from the sales team?”
“You mean Assistant Manager Min Dain?”
Manager Song looked at Inhyuk with a puzzled expression but answered faithfully.
“She’s a diligent employee. She works hard, learns her job well, and her performance is good.”
“I heard her participation in company dinners is low.”
As soon as Inhyuk casually mentioned what he had heard, Manager Song quickly responded.
“Ah… I see you’ve heard that story.”
“That story?”
Manager Song lowered his voice, whispering confidentially.
“She has a young niece living with her, and she hasn’t been able to find someone to properly take care of her.”
Ah, a niece—so that explained why she had to leave her child in her care. He was curious about the part where she lived alone with her niece, and Manager Song elaborated.
“Team Leader Park had been insisting she attend every dinner, but when I heard her story, I felt it was rather unfortunate.”
“A story?”
“Yes, she lost her parents in a traffic accident long ago, and not long after, her older sister also passed away, unfortunately.”
Manager Song sighed heavily and shook his right hand. Thinking about Dain’s story again, he felt sympathy. Not everyone has a tragedy-free life, but Dain’s story was especially heavy for someone her age.
“Raising a niece alone must be very challenging.”
It was a significant story. Inhyuk let out a small sigh. He felt sorry that her personal story had been casually turned into conversation for anyone to discuss.
From the way it seemed to have spread among the employees who had been talking earlier, Dain’s story had essentially become public knowledge—like how Inhyuk’s past shoulder injury had been turned into fodder for countless articles.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Yes, indeed. I hope she can keep her spirits up. She’s a genuinely good person, just a little gloomy at times.”
If someone had that much hardship and was constantly cheerful, it would seem even stranger. Inhyuk recalled Dain’s expression from earlier and closed his eyes.
“Did she leave early?”
He wondered if Dain would still be at the company dinner. Judging by what he had heard earlier, she likely had already left. Thinking this made him feel a strange sense of regret.
By now, Inhyuk’s curiosity about Dain had begun to grow.
Several months had passed since Inhyuk started working as an assistant manager.
He began observing Dain closely during those days at the office. She was fundamentally diligent and didn’t waste her time outside of work.
She rarely attended company dinners and, even on field assignments, showed a strong determination to finish her work quickly and return to the office rather than taking her time.
Some colleagues admired her dedication, but most seemed wary. While she worked hard, she didn’t easily mingle with others.
Her habit of politely declining invitations for light meals or drinks after work only added to her air of independence, but this only gradually piqued Inhyuk’s interest.
“The meeting’s over. Shall we head back?”
“Yes, let’s.”
It was their first time going out on a business trip together. The air was slightly awkward since they rarely spoke outside of work.
Yet neither seemed to mind. It didn’t interfere with their tasks, and in fact, focusing solely on work allowed them to finish earlier than expected.
‘She’s good at her job.’
During the meeting, Inhyuk noticed many things about Dain. She was proficient in English conversation and persuasive with clients using well-prepared data.
From the perspective of a prospective entrepreneur, she was an impressive talent, seemingly ready for real-world challenges at any moment.
“Would you like to grab a coffee? You worked hard today; it’s on me.”
Perhaps impressed by her performance during the meeting, Inhyuk tried a conversation beyond work. Dain smiled gently.
“No, thank you. I still have some coffee from this morning. I’ll gladly accept the thought, though.”
Her answer was exactly what he had expected. Dain was careful and reserved, even when offered something others would have been thrilled to accept. Her constant checking of her phone drew his attention as well.
‘She probably doesn’t want to be out late.’
Whenever there was even a slight risk of wasting time, she seemed to think of her niece, declining politely. Working late would delay her return home.
“Assistant Manager Min.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
At this casual question, Dain’s previously calm expression changed. Her eyes, wide and round, sparkled through strands of hair blowing in the wind.
Although this wasn’t the first time she had been asked, the question was unexpected coming from him, and she was naturally surprised. She furrowed her brows slightly, trying to gauge his intentions.
“Why… do you ask all of a sudden?”
“I want to hear your answer first.”
Her eyes flickered, startled. She seemed to suspect it was a bad joke.
But seeing Inhyuk’s serious expression, she let out a small, resigned sigh.
“Don’t you think it’s a rude question?”
He knew it was, but he wanted to know anyway. Inhyuk persisted.
“Shall I tell you about mine first?”
“Yes, if you do, I’ll listen.”
She responded directly, unexpectedly. Watching her reaction with interest, Inhyuk asked further.
“Curious?”
“No, it’s free.”
That answer was completely unexpected. Inhyuk blinked, then laughed softly.
Normally expressionless and intimidating, his smile transformed his atmosphere entirely. A dimple on his left cheek appeared.
“You have a dimple…”
Dain stared at the dimple with fascination. Inhyuk touched it lightly with his fingertips.
“Yes, I do. Didn’t you know?”
“You’ve never smiled in front of me, so how could I know?”
Dain muttered softly, teasingly, and Inhyuk laughed again. Someone who rarely even lifted the corners of their mouth was now smiling repeatedly, which was amusingly disarming.
“Why do you keep smiling?”
Dain asked, embarrassed. Seeing this new side of someone usually so cold was fascinating, but it was still awkward to face it directly.
“Sorry. I guess…”
Inhyuk stopped laughing and looked at her again. Though small, she didn’t seem weak—her confident posture gave that impression.
A simple, calm woman, like a spring breeze—new and intriguing. A woman whose subtle scent naturally eased one’s guard.
“It seems I’ve taken an interest in you.”
His tone was overly businesslike, yet the words contained unmistakable affection. At the time, Inhyuk didn’t realize it, but later he would understand that the feeling he held in his heart was love—and he would regret recognizing it too late.
