LWR 01

Chapter 1

“Departure… Incheon, done. Destination… Japan… where’s Japan? Ah, there it is. Click!”

My mouse, which had been darting around nonstop, finally hit the Complete Reservation button.

The trip to Tokyo had been Jinkyung’s idea.

Jinkyung, my coworker, had become my friend almost as soon as I joined the company. She was the one who helped me survive a workplace I never quite managed to adapt to.

“We should travel together someday.”

“We definitely have to.”

“Let’s go this year.”

That promise had dragged on for years.

Just when it felt like we’d never actually make it happen, a brand-new budget airline launched its lowest-price promotional sale.

Looking for the cheapest tickets to somewhere nearby naturally led us to Japan.

Today was the first day of the promotion.

As expected, it was absolute chaos.

Does everyone want to travel this badly?

Well… if even I was trying to go overseas, then everyone else probably wanted to even more.

The famous ₩50,000 round-trip ticket to Tokyo was so unbelievably cheap that getting onto the airline’s website was practically impossible.

There’s no way I’m losing a ₩50,000 ticket over this!

Times like this demanded pure determination.

Fueled by obsessive persistence and endless clicking, I finally managed to secure the round-trip ticket.

₩50,000!

These days, with prices soaring, even two bowls of jjajangmyeon at a Chinese restaurant cost nearly ₩20,000.

Judging by the ticket price alone, I had no idea how tiny or shaky the airplane would be…

But the price was simply too good to complain about.

Though, just in case, I figured I’d better buy travel insurance.

You probably shouldn’t do this at work, but after spending the entire morning desperately refreshing a website that kept crashing while trying not to get caught by my coworkers, every muscle in my body ached.

The airline’s server had gone down so many times that I’d lost count of how many failed attempts I’d made.

Only after confirming the reservation email did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Across from me, Jinkyung grinned.

She was already standing by the printer.

As always, her speed was unmatched.

She was already printing the tickets we’d just booked.

Behind her, I spotted Assistant Manager Park leisurely making a cup of Maxim coffee while everyone else was busy.

Annoyingly, every single time he lumbered all the way over to our department, he’d proudly dump another assignment on my desk with the words:

“By tomorrow!”

I stared irritably at the stack of Japanese research papers thick enough to be a book.

Everything else I was supposed to be doing had been pushed aside because of this.

You pig-headed Assistant Manager Park…

Handle your own department’s work!

Why do you always dump it on me?

Internally, I cursed him with every insult I could think of while angrily pounding away at my keyboard.

Although he was technically Jinkyung’s boss—not mine—he constantly showed up out of nowhere, tossed obscure Japanese chemistry papers onto my desk, and disappeared.

Honestly…

He wasn’t even my supervisor.

I hated how he kept interfering with my work without the slightest hint of gratitude.

But there wasn’t much I could do.

By my second year at work, I’d learned that this was simply how corporate life worked.

While struggling through Japanese chemical terminology—which differed from English notation—and flipping through a chemistry dictionary to translate everything, a message from Jinkyung popped onto my monitor.

“Thanks for fighting for the tickets. Lunch is on me today!”

At lunchtime, we headed to a brunch café near the office, where our usual nonstop chatter began.

“Harin! We’re finally going on a trip! I’ve never been to Japan before. Thank goodness you speak Japanese.”

“You know English.”

“…English? You mean that language that’s the same size as my shoe size?”

She grabbed her head dramatically.

“Ugh… damn OPIc!”

“What? Didn’t you get the score you wanted again?”

“I seriously don’t know why I’m studying English at this point. I’ll recharge after this trip and start studying again.”

Jinkyung had been under tremendous stress because she needed to submit an English proficiency score to the company.

Fortunately…

The company never asked me for one.

Which, in moments like this…

Well…

It was pretty much the only advantage of being a contract employee.

Jinkyung was a full-time employee.

I was just a contractor.

Contract jobs weren’t exactly rare these days, so I wasn’t the only one living with that insecurity.

Still…

Whenever I saw Jinkyung being recognized as a permanent employee, I couldn’t help feeling a little bitter.

Honestly, I worried more about myself than about her.

Sure, I worked for a major corporation.

But what did that matter?

My future was still uncertain.

This was already my second year.

Which meant they probably wouldn’t renew my contract next year.

Once that happened…

Even my modest salary—with no bonuses to speak of—would disappear.

I was already twenty-nine years old.

People often called me pretty enough.

Not stunning.

Not breathtaking.

Just… pleasant-looking.

At 165 centimeters, I was slightly taller than average for a woman, and my long arms and legs were probably my most distinctive physical traits.

I hadn’t been born into a wealthy family.

Maybe upper-middle-class.

But everything had changed almost overnight.

Because of tuition fees, I’d taken time off from university.

That delayed my graduation.

Which delayed finding a job.

Shortly after joining the company, during one of our rare company dinners, I met Jinho from another department.

He was kind.

Warm.

Easy to talk to.

When he confessed to me, we started dating.

Lately, though…

He seemed so busy.

Even when we met, he barely spoke and always looked exhausted.

I found myself hesitating before contacting him.

I’d never dated much before.

Was having a boyfriend supposed to feel this difficult?

Constantly watching your words.

Reading his mood.

Trying not to bother him.

Maybe…

This is what adult relationships are like.

Especially since ours was an office romance.

Maybe we simply had to be more careful.

My thoughts kept spiraling.

At times like these, the plane ticket waiting to carry me away felt like a ray of sunshine in my everyday life.

How long has it been since I last traveled?

Just thinking about it made me feel light enough to fly.

You’ve endured enough.

Good job, Min Harin.

As I silently praised myself, old memories resurfaced.

Back then…

There had been so many things I wanted to do.

So many things I wanted to learn.

But I had no choice except to endure.

That’s what being poor meant.

Things still weren’t easy now.

But back then…

Life had been unbearable.

For years, nearly every paycheck disappeared into paying off my father’s debts.

Only recently had I finally begun to see the end of that tunnel.

Even dating Jinho wasn’t easy.

Trying to match what I could afford often stretched my finances to the limit.

Still…

These days, women weren’t expected to simply receive gifts.

So no matter how small, I always bought Jinho luxury-brand presents.

Sometimes I struggled to pay off my credit card afterward.

But I never regretted spending money on him.

Because…

He was the man I’d always dreamed of.

At some point, I’d developed a very specific image of my ideal partner.

First—

A completely ordinary appearance.

Neither exceptionally handsome nor unattractive.

Second—

Someone practical and hardworking rather than obsessed with trends.

And most importantly…

A man who gave off the impression he’d become a kind husband and a good father—not someone constantly trying to flaunt his masculinity.

Simple requirements.

Yet surprisingly difficult to find.

The only man who met every one of them…

Was Jinho.

I truly believed he could make those dreams come true.

Yet reality was cruel.

For days, I hadn’t seen Jinho’s face.

Instead, all I’d had to look at was Assistant Manager Park’s annoying one.

Still…

None of that mattered.

What mattered was that, for a few precious days, I’d finally escape this repetitive life.

By the time I came back…

Jinho would probably be less busy too.

Just imagining it made all my stress disappear.

There was one more place I absolutely had to visit while in Japan.

The trip would only last four days and three nights.

But I planned to stop by and visit my aunt and my cousin Jihyun.

Jihyun had always treated me like a real younger sister.

I couldn’t wait to see how much her children had grown.

I’d only seen pictures.

Seeing them in person would be completely different.

What should I buy for my little nieces and nephews?

That was the happiest thing occupying my mind.

One Week Later

It was nearly the end of the workday.

The clock read 5:45 p.m.

Bzzz.

My phone vibrated beside my keyboard.

The message I’d been waiting for.

[Let’s meet for a moment before work ends.]

[Okay! I’ll be right there~!]

I’d secretly been disappointed that he hadn’t contacted me since we met the previous week.

But…

Of course.

Jinho was always thoughtful.

Smiling as though I’d been handed the whole world, I reread his message.

With light footsteps, I headed toward our secret meeting place—

The emergency stairwell.

Just before leaving, I’d hurriedly touched up my lipstick and makeup.

I hope it hasn’t smudged.

When I arrived, I saw Jinho standing by the window.

Average height.

Small eyes that almost disappeared whenever he smiled.

A perfectly tailored suit with no unnecessary flashiness.

Neatly combed hair that ignored every fashion trend.

I even liked how little effort he put into looking stylish.

A man who fit comfortably into every definition of “ordinary.”

Never flashy.

Never attention-seeking.

Yet…

Special to me.

He’s all I need.

I would never make the same mistake my mother had.

Character mattered more than looks.

Ability mattered more than family wealth.

Jinho fulfilled all of my minimum requirements.

The women at work always called him boring.

Plain.

Bookish.

But I loved how diligently he devoted himself to work—even if it meant he couldn’t always answer my messages.

At least someone like him…

Would never betray me.

“Jinho!”

Smiling as brightly as moonlight illuminating the night sky, I walked toward him.

Each step warmed my heart.

This…

This must be what love feels like.

He turned from the window and looked at me.

Just as he seemed endlessly handsome in my eyes…

I hoped I looked beautiful in his.

I loved that look in his eyes…

…Wait.

Why was he sighing?

Surely…

He isn’t sighing because of me…?

Something about his gaze felt unfamiliar.

The moment our eyes met, every instinct inside me screamed that something was wrong.

He hadn’t yelled.

He hadn’t said anything cruel.

Yet…

Something felt terribly off.

“You came.”

His voice sounded dry.

Like slicing through a hollow radish.

“Yeah… Have you been really busy lately? You look exhausted.”

Instead of answering…

He silently held out a long envelope.

“…What’s this?”

It didn’t look like a greeting card.

Nor a regular letter.

Looking closer…

I noticed the bank logo printed in the upper-left corner.

It was one of those envelopes used for depositing cash at ATMs.

Why…?

Unable to understand, I looked at him blankly.

“What is it?”

“I heard you’re going to Japan with Jinkyung.”

“Use it there.”

“…Oh… You remembered.”

“But you didn’t have to do this. Just thinking of me is enough.”

As I tried to refuse the envelope…

Jinho unexpectedly grabbed my hand and firmly pressed it into my palm.

“No.”

“Take it.”

“Have fun.”

His expression was so solemn that I couldn’t refuse.

Before I knew it, I was standing there holding the envelope.

“I have another meeting.”

“I should go.”

Just like that…

He left.

Leaving me alone in the emergency stairwell.

A boyfriend thoughtful enough to give me spending money for my trip…

Then why…

Why do I feel like this?

An indescribable feeling spread through my chest.

Bzzz.

My phone vibrated again.

It was Jinkyung.

We’d planned to leave work together.

“Hey, Jinkyung.”

“Where are you? Why aren’t you here yet?”

“I’m coming. Sorry.”

Since our flight was tomorrow morning, we planned to stop by my apartment first before heading to her place to finalize our itinerary, organize our shopping list, and pack together.

When I reached the parking lot, Jinkyung glared at me from inside the car.

“So… can I really trust you to survive Japan? You’re not going to be late, disappear, or abandon me there, right?”

“Sorry! Jinho wanted to see me for a minute.”

“Ooooh…”

“So that’s why you were off enjoying your secret office romance in the emergency stairwell.”

She exaggerated every syllable with a teasing grin.

Now that she mentioned it…

Wasn’t it supposed to feel romantic?

Then what exactly had that strange atmosphere been?

“Jinkyung…”

“You’ve dated a lot, right?”

“I wouldn’t say a lot.”

“I’ve just met a few people here and there.”

“Still… more than me.”

“I only recently escaped being single my whole life.”

“What?”

“Did something happen with Jinho?”

“Well…”

“It’s just…”

“What?”

“Come on! Stop being so vague!”

“What happened?”

“…He gave me this.”

I showed her the bank envelope.

She looked at me as though I were bragging.

“Wow.”

“Seriously?”

“A boyfriend who gives his girlfriend spending money for her vacation?”

“So Jinho’s that kind of guy?”

“I told you he’s a good person.”

“Everyone just thinks he’s boring.”

“So they judge him wrong.”

“Then what’s bothering you?”

“…Nothing.”

“Now that I think about it…”

“I was probably just being overly sensitive.”

“I’m still new to dating.”

That’s probably it.

I’d never experienced such a peaceful relationship before.

I was overthinking things.

Jinho was simply busy.

“Alright.”

“Let’s go.”

“We’ll stop by your place first, then head to mine.”

Even as Jinkyung drove away…

I still couldn’t understand what that uneasy feeling meant.

Later that evening…

After planning our trip, eating a late dinner, and chatting…

My phone rang.

At that hour, it could only be my mother…

Or Jinho.

The caller ID read:

❤️ Jinhoo

How long has it been since he’d called me?

Back when I’d saved his contact with that nickname, we texted so much that I couldn’t survive without a power bank.

I hoped the project keeping him so busy would finish soon.

I wanted the old Jinho back—

The one who looked at me with honey dripping from his eyes.

Smiling, I quickly answered.

After clearing my throat…

“Hello? Jinho?”

“…Th-the… hahaha…”

“…No…”

“…I…”

“Hello?”

“Hello?”

“Jinho?”

Confused, I looked back at the screen.

It was definitely his number.

“Hello—”

I couldn’t finish saying the word.

Because…

I finally heard Jinho’s voice.