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Chapter 3
[Hyunjin Group Chairman climbs Bukhansan every weekend.]
The moment she read the short sentence, suspicion cast over Seokyung’s eyes.
What kind of scheme is this now?
Giving information like this to a competitor. It was deeply suspicious, but she couldn’t ignore it.
Seokyung gripped the cup with the hint he had given her and muttered lowly.
“I don’t know what trick this is, but just you wait, Han Taeo. Whatever you’re scheming, I will definitely win.”
Seokyung muttered lowly and downed the cooling coffee in one gulp.
A bitter taste rolled over the tip of her tongue.
Saturday, 6 a.m.
The air at the Bukhansan entrance was cold and clear like ice water.
Seokyung, dressed in hiking clothes with her hat pulled down deep, was catching her breath at the trail entrance.
Despite the early hour, there were quite a few hikers.
Seokyung’s eyes swiftly swept among them, searching for Chairman Park of Hyunjin Group.
‘He said he climbs every weekend.’
Seokyung waited for Chairman Park at the trail entrance.
But when he didn’t appear after more than thirty minutes of waiting, she began to suspect that Taeo had given her false information.
That was when—
“You really came.”
Seokyung turned her head toward the sound.
Taeo, dressed as if he had just walked out of an outdoor advertisement, was smiling leisurely.
Having shed his suit, he gave off a different atmosphere from what she saw in the office.
“…Why are you here, Division Head?”
When Seokyung asked in a voice full of wariness, Taeo casually held out the water bottle in his hand and smiled playfully.
“Probably for the same reason as Team Leader Joo.”
He lightly shrugged as if it were a shame.
“You must have given up your early morning sleep to come meet Chairman Park. Unfortunately, give up for today. I heard he changed his course today.”
Seokyung’s brow furrowed at once.
“Did you give me fake information?”
When Seokyung snapped coldly, Taeo made an exaggeratedly aggrieved expression.
“Come on, I’m not that petty. I only found out a little while ago too. That’s why I was about to head to that course now.”
Having said that, Taeo lightly rotated his ankles and stretched, then glanced down at Seokyung.
“What do you say, want to run with me? If you don’t want to, you can just go back from here.”
Taeo turned around abruptly without giving her time to answer and began moving quickly along the mountain path.
“Hesitate and you’ll miss your chance!”
“Wow, seriously!”
Seokyung muttered a curse-like complaint to herself and had no choice but to chase after him.
She was confident in her stamina. But on her first hike in a long while, not only did she have to walk, but she also had to keep up with Taeo, who was scaling the mountain path like a flying squirrel—her breath came in gasps.
This wasn’t hiking; it was nothing short of a pursuit.
“If you don’t pace yourself, you’ll collapse before even meeting Chairman Park.”
Taeo, who was ahead, looked back and called out leisurely.
“If it’s hard, give up.”
He knew exactly how to provoke people so she couldn’t quit.
Seokyung wanted to snap back right away, but if she opened her mouth, she felt like her lungs would pop out instead of words.
So she clamped her teeth shut and stuck close behind him.
When her breath was at her throat and sweat was beading heavily on her forehead, the steep rocky section finally ended.
Taeo stopped on the ridge and held out a water bottle to Seokyung, who was gasping for air.
“Your stamina’s still good, I see.”
Tch! Still good, my foot—it’s killing me.
Seokyung snatched the water bottle irritably and downed it in one go.
Only when the cool stream of water wet her throat did she finally feel somewhat revived.
“…Tell me honestly. Why are you giving me information like this?”
Taeo sat on a rock and gazed at the distant mountain range.
“I want to have a fun competition since we’re doing this anyway.”
“Because it’s fun? That makes no sense.”
When Seokyung narrowed her eyes as if she couldn’t believe it, Taeo turned his head and looked at her.
“If it’s not that, then what do you think it is? Do I look like I’m trying to hit on Team Leader Joo Seokyung because I like her?”
A mischievous smile hung on Taeo’s lips.
“Of course not. I’ve never even thought about that.”
When Seokyung shot back as if disgusted, Taeo laughed low, as if it were the expected answer.
Then his gaze, having scanned the surroundings once, stopped at a pavilion next to a spring.
“There he is.”
Taeo gestured with his chin toward one side.
“Hyunjin Group Chairman Park Mansu.”
Seokyung’s gaze went straight there.
An old man in plain hiking clothes was busily moving about in front of the pavilion.
When she looked at what he was doing, he was picking up trash left behind by hikers one by one and putting it in a bag.
“Chairman Park is someone who values the basics.”
Taeo explained in a low voice.
“Rather than a flashily packaged proposal, he first looks at what kind of eyes the person who made it sees the world with. He believes a person’s true self is revealed in small actions.”
His gaze turned toward Chairman Park again.
“Coming to the mountain every weekend to pick up trash is probably because of that too.”
It was information that appeared in no data analysis report.
Seokyung, watching Chairman Park pick up trash, suddenly pushed her bangs up.
Her hair, scattered by the wind, kept stinging her eyes.
Taeo, finding that irritating, realized he had unconsciously reached out his hand and clenched it.
Doing that might earn him a slap from Seokyung.
“What are you doing? Hurry and go see him. You need to approach Chairman Park and get something—anything—that’ll help with the PT.”
Taeo tapped Seokyung’s shoulder as if cheering her on.
Seokyung coldly shook off his hand and headed straight to where Chairman Park was.
Taeo moved to the opposite side, far away, as if he wouldn’t interfere.
Chairman Park didn’t even raise his head despite the stranger approaching.
Instead of speaking to him, Seokyung began picking up cigarette butts and bits of tissue one by one beside him.
When about ten minutes had passed like that, Chairman Park spoke first.
“A young woman coming all the way up the mountain—you must be having a hard time. Are you from Taesung?”
He recognized her identity right away.
Seokyung, putting the trash she had picked up into the bag, answered calmly.
“Yes. I’m Joo Seokyung from Taesung Ad.”
“Joo Seokyung… Did you come with that Han Taeo fellow over there pretending to mind his own business?”
Chairman Park gestured with his chin toward Taeo, who was pretending to enjoy the view from a distance.
Taeo grinned as if caught and gave a light bow.
In fact, Taeo was the first son of Taesung Group Chairman Han Dongman—no, the illegitimate son of Inyong. Because of that, Chairman Park, who had long been close with Chairman Han, had often seen Taeo since childhood, as Taeo resided at Cheongsoljae, the main house of the Taesung family.
Chairman Park, clicking his tongue as he looked at Taeo, stared intently at Seokyung.
“Did that fellow tell you to come here and fish for me?”
“No. I came because I wanted to know Chairman’s perspective.”
At the unexpected answer, Chairman Park raised his eyebrows.
“My perspective?”
“I heard Chairman changed agencies three times last year alone. If my guess is right, all the proposals Chairman has received so far were probably flashy and grandiose—befitting Hyunjin’s brand power.”
“So?”
“I learned something today after meeting Chairman.”
Seokyung looked at the trash bag in Chairman Park’s hand.
“What Chairman wants might be a single small detail, and everyone may have missed that.”
Chairman Park waited for her next words without responding.
“If you give me a chance, I’ll start by studying Chairman’s sincerity. Properly reading that sincerity and delivering it to people. I believe that’s the beginning of this campaign.”
Chairman Park, who had been gazing at Seokyung for a moment, burst into hearty laughter.
“You’ve got a way with words. But advertising isn’t wordplay. What moves people’s hearts isn’t sophisticated copy—it’s sincerity.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
When Seokyung answered earnestly, Chairman Park nodded as if quite pleased.
“At the resort campaign PT, try putting that perspective you mentioned into your proposal. I’ll be watching with interest.”
After finishing tidying up the surroundings, Chairman Park slung over the bag he had set down to one side.
Then, before descending the mountain, he raised his voice toward where Taeo was.
“Han Taeo! You’d better prepare properly too. If you bring something obvious, I won’t even glance at your proposal next time.”
Taeo answered with a relaxed face.
“Don’t worry, Chairman. I detest obvious things too.”
