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chapter 48
‘Out walking so early in the morning.’
It was as if he had heard her thoughts—Do-hyun and her eyes met. Then, as if he knew she was staring, he winked at her playfully, a teasing smile on his lips.
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Crazy.”
Flustered, Yeon-ha quickly turned her head, her heated earlobes burning.
“Kim Su-ji, you’re persistent.”
Jin-young’s words left Yeon-ha puzzled.
“Huh?”
“She’s been quiet the past few days, so I thought she’d given up. But look over there.”
Following Jin-young’s nod, Yeon-ha saw Kim Su-ji from the marketing team closely clinging to Do-hyun, who had been alone just moments ago. Su-ji was tapping his arm lightly and laughing gleefully.
‘Since when did those two get so close?’
As she furrowed her brows in confusion, Jin-young leaned in and whispered.
“Do-hyun doesn’t seem interested at all. Isn’t it funny that she’s putting on a show by herself? She’s definitely doing it on purpose so the other female employees can see.”
Jin-young huffed.
“Seems like she’s really having fun.”
“You just don’t know her, team leader. She’s sly. She can be cold around us, but when it comes to a guy she likes, she’s all smiles and charm. It’s crazy.”
“Does that mean every guy falls for her?”
“That’s exactly the problem. Every single one does. Remember last time? She made Manager Park from General Affairs break up with his girlfriend.”
Even as Yeon-ha listened with one ear, her gaze remained fixed on Do-hyun and Su-ji. Do-hyun, tall and handsome like a model, and Su-ji, slender and charming—visually, they were a perfect match.
Then, she heard whispers behind her.
“Looking at those two, it’s like a fashion magazine cover.”
“Annoying, but they really do look good together.”
The comment lodged itself in her mind. The fact that others saw them that way stung more than she expected.
‘Then what about Do-hyun and me?’
A few days ago, after Yeon-ha had helped Chairman Kwon Jin-man at a rest stop, rumors started circulating about her relationship with Do-hyun—but they didn’t last long.
“Do-hyun, flawless as he is, would never be with Team Leader Seo, who’s four years older.”
When she first heard that, she felt relieved that no one knew but also strangely wounded her pride.
Yeon-ha considered herself well-qualified. She had been promoted faster than other designers her age and her skills were recognized. She wasn’t flashy, but neither was she someone to be disliked. And though she couldn’t compare to Do-hyun, many men had shown interest in her over time.
Yet, just because she was four years older, being treated as if she wasn’t even eligible annoyed her.
‘Seo Yeon-ha, stop overthinking. There’s nothing to gain by letting other people’s words sway you.’
To distract her frazzled nerves, Yeon-ha took out her phone. While scrolling through the market research photos from last week, she heard the bus doors open.
Looking up absentmindedly, she saw Do-hyun boarding. He glanced around, seemingly searching for a seat, and their eyes met.
Yeon-ha quickly averted her gaze and pretended to focus on her phone.
But he walked briskly over and stopped in front of the seat where she was sitting.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Do-hyun.”
Her colleague Jin-young blushed at his fresh greeting. Though she had decided to give up, she clearly still harbored lingering feelings.
“Team Leader, hello.”
Yeon-ha pretended to continue browsing her photos, but he deliberately greeted her. Reluctantly, she lifted her head, and as if he had been waiting, Do-hyun’s gaze locked on her.
She had planned to confess when she returned home, but his business trip to Busan forced her to postpone.
Since returning, he had been tied up with store inspections, competitor research, performance analysis, restocking popular items, and redistributing low-performing products, all requiring overtime. Meanwhile, she had flown to New York for Fashion Week and spent nine hectic days analyzing trends, planning designs, and producing samples.
Just as she finally caught her breath, a workshop awaited. It had been a long time since she encountered him outside the company.
Their eyes didn’t break contact.
At that moment, Kim Su-ji got on the bus, holding her phone to her ear.
“…Yeah. Okay. I’ll call you later.”
After ending the call quickly, she looked around and spotted Do-hyun, striding over.
“Can I sit next to you?”
She asked boldly, as if the seat had been hers all along.
“No, there’s a seat over there.”
“Who is it?”
Su-ji’s pupils flickered in surprise at his unexpected refusal.
Do-hyun casually turned his head, waving his hand.
“Ah, here you come. Manager! Over here.”
“Oh? Ah, yes.”
Manager Jung Sung-tae, just boarding the bus, hesitated briefly at Do-hyun’s raised hand but then approached. Do-hyun stood, pointing to the window seat.
“Sit further in.”
“Thanks.”
Su-ji, robbed of the seat, flushed red and stomped toward the back row, her frustration audible in her footsteps.
“By the way, why are you doing this? Saving my seat and all.”
“I remembered you said you get motion sickness.”
“You remembered that? Seems like you’re the only one who takes care of me, Do-hyun.”
Jung laughed heartily, clearly pleased. Yeon-ha didn’t show it outwardly, but she felt oddly relieved that Su-ji couldn’t sit next to him.
As the bus departed, people chatted in low voices. Yeon-ha put down her phone and gazed out the window, letting the crisp autumn air brush past.
Upon arriving in Yangpyeong, they had lunch at the resort’s restaurant before the afternoon schedule began.
After leadership training and light warm-up games, the highlight of the workshop—team competitions—began.
During the speed quiz, everyone laughed at the physical antics, while stacking dominoes kept them on edge. In the subsequent relay and three-legged races, teams were assigned by drawing lots.
Yeon-ha hoped to end up paired with Do-hyun, but unfortunately, her partner turned out to be Manager Lee Jae-seok from General Affairs, the next most popular guy in the company after Do-hyun.
He approached with a sly grin.
“Looks like I’m lucky today, being on the same team as you, team leader.”
“You’ll regret saying that. I’m terrible at sports.”
Unlike the excited Lee, Yeon-ha responded awkwardly; they knew each other, but weren’t close.
“Don’t worry. I was a track athlete in high school,” Lee said confidently. No wonder he was known for his athletic skills at the company.
“Then I just have to keep up.”
“Just stay right next to me, and we’ll win first place.”
Seeing his determined expression, Yeon-ha wanted to say she didn’t care if they lost, but it didn’t seem like he would listen. His competitive spirit was already ablaze.
As Lee tied her ankle with the provided rope, she glanced around, curious about her opponent—and froze. Her partner was Kim Su-ji.
No way. How did this happen?
Already bothered by the morning incident, seeing her paired with Su-ji again made her mood sour.
She looked up—and their eyes met.
His friendly smile vanished when he saw her partner.
As if to annoy her, he looked away. Yeon-ha focused straight ahead, still sensing his gaze, but she refused to look back.
