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Chapter 12
Ttukkeum—her heart gave a jolt. At Hee-jae’s words, which struck right at the mark, Yu-jin’s face was swept with dismay.
No one could tell how their relationship would change in the future, but even if they did start dating, it was bound to be troublesome. He was such an extraordinary man that not only the teammates working alongside her but also countless others around him had their eyes set on Kang Hee-jae.
This whole incident, after all, had started because of that.
“I’ve got work on Saturday, but I’m free on Sunday.”
“……”
“What, you’re not even going to look at me before getting out?”
He explained it with a calm steadiness.
Ha, really.
The man’s talent for push-and-pull was something else.
No, Hee-jae had always been different from Im Yoo-hyun—gentle and charming. But how could he possibly ask in such a sweet way?
In the end, when Yu-jin half-turned her body as if giving in, her gaze collided with Hee-jae’s. He was smiling faintly at her.
“I’ll come pick you up Sunday morning.”
And then, at last, he released the wrist he had been holding.
Not knowing how to answer, Yu-jin simply bowed her head politely before slipping out of the car.
“Get home safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He rolled down the passenger-side window, gave her a little wave, and then drove off.
“In the end… I didn’t manage to ask him a single thing.”
Muttering under her breath, Yu-jin stared at the back of his car as it grew distant.
Had he gone on that blind date? Why was Sa Eun-seo acting that way?
Questions still piled up endlessly, and yet he had just driven away like that.
Her wrist—where he had held her—still seemed to thrum with his pulse. Pressing a hand against her pounding chest, Yu-jin forced herself to head home.
“Yu-jin, what are you doing?”
“Ah! Deputy Manager!”
Sitting at her desk, completely absorbed, Yu-jin startled when Ji-young peeked over her partition and whispered softly.
“This… my colleague asked me for a favor, so I was just looking through it.”
What she had been poring over was none other than the interview material Bo-kyung had given her.
Ji-young’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the title.
“Oh! So that’s it. The trailer went up already. You’re the one doing it?”
“Trailer?”
“Yeah. That one…”
Her excitement made her voice rise a notch, and she quickly lowered her tone, glancing around warily.
“Mm. That thing is blowing up right now.”
“What’s blowing up?”
“Hold on. Come with me.”
“Over here.” Ji-young gestured with her hand, motioning Yu-jin to follow.
They ended up on the rooftop garden.
“Wow, this is so nice.”
“You’ve never been up here before?”
“No.”
Yu-jin answered while looking around curiously. She had always gone to the cafeteria or lounge after meals, so this was her first time stepping into the outdoor garden.
Flowerbeds dotted here and there, neat benches arranged just so, even the canopies shading them were stylishly designed.
“Since lunch hour’s over, hardly anyone’s here.”
Ji-young sat first, scanning the area. There seemed to be someone at the far end, but the distance was enough that their conversation wouldn’t carry.
“Here, drink this.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Ji-young handed her a cup of iced coffee.
The languid drowsiness of the afternoon after lunch… Yu-jin had been on the verge of nodding off, so the icy Americano was a welcome gift.
She took a long sip.
“Ah! I feel awake now.”
“It is the drowsy hour.”
Ji-young crossed her legs, smiling faintly.
Silence fell for a moment. They had chatted plenty when with the whole team, but this was the first time Yu-jin was alone with her. It felt a bit awkward.
She was still wondering why Ji-young had brought her here when—
“I’ve got a favor to ask you, Yu-jin.”
“Ah, yes! Please, go ahead.”
Ji-young’s cautious words cut through the quiet. Yu-jin forced a bright smile, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
“You know I used to like the team leader, right? Well… truth is, I still do.”
“Ah…”
It was about Hee-jae. Of all things, she hadn’t expected Ji-young to drag her up here just to talk about Kang Hee-jae.
Yu-jin tightened her expression, forcing composure as she looked at Ji-young.
“Help me out, okay?”
“…What?”
Her voice came out louder than intended, shocked.
“Geez, why so loud? You’re embarrassing me.”
Ji-young gave a playful tap to Yu-jin’s arm, chuckling.
Of course she’d be shocked—who would expect her to ask so directly? The chaos had barely died down, and already another trial was upon her.
“How could I possibly… I mean, what could I even do to help?”
Yu-jin’s face twisted into a strained smile.
“Why not? You’re close with him, aren’t you? I couldn’t say anything in front of the others, but when I found out you were doing that interview, I thought—this is it!”
Ji-young’s eyes gleamed with excitement.
“The interview’s happening outside the company, right?”
“How did you know?”
“Oh, it’s already all over the promo team. They put up a teaser, and the rumors spread like wildfire. Two interviews—one at the company, and one showing the team leader’s personal life, out of the office.”
Apparently, Bo-kyung’s teaser had stirred up quite a fuss.
But still—what exactly did she want Yu-jin to do?
Nervously gnawing at her nails, Yu-jin waited for her to explain.
“First, find out if he has a girlfriend.”
“…Well, he does seem to have one.”
“Really?!”
The words slipped out of Yu-jin’s mouth before she could stop herself. She’d said it just to escape this conversation.
“Seems to? Or does he really? Be sure.”
Ji-young’s persistence left Yu-jin momentarily speechless. She didn’t dare lie too boldly—it could backfire terribly. She couldn’t risk being branded the office fibber.
Ah, why did these trials keep falling into her lap? Because of Kang Hee-jae, every single day felt like a battle for survival.
“…It’s hard to say for certain.”
At last she hedged. Ji-young sighed in relief, then pressed on eagerly.
“During the interview, could you find out for me? You could slip it into conversation, right? There’s literally no one else who can ask. He says he doesn’t have a girlfriend, but I don’t buy it. I can feel it.”
Words poured from her like she had been holding them back forever.
In front of the team she had pretended to move on, but clearly, she hadn’t. Well, human hearts don’t let go so easily—it wasn’t incomprehensible.
“If he’s single, I might confess again. Could you… maybe play matchmaker?”
“How could I possibly…”
One mountain after another.
This was the price of bragging that she and Hee-jae were close. And she had no one to blame but herself.
“Anyway, just finding out whether he’s dating someone—that’s the most important part. If he’s free, I’ll make my move at the next workshop.”
Her eyes gleamed with determination.
“And please, keep this a secret. Everyone already knows I got rejected once—I can’t admit I’m going for it again. Imagine the humiliation if I get turned down twice.”
Ji-young muttered with a pained look.
She looked so distressed that Yu-jin couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright. Reluctantly, she nodded.
“…Fine. During the interview, I’ll try to find out if he’s seeing someone.”
“Thank you, Yu-jin.”
Yu-jin told herself she could always brush it off later, saying he did have a girlfriend.
“Come on, let’s get back.”
Rising from the bench, Ji-young urged her along.
On the way back to the office, Ji-young talked non-stop—the team leader’s childhood, his true personality, all the questions she had been dying to ask.
Yu-jin felt her chest tighten. Another burden had been laid upon her shoulders.
