“So our team leader’s ex-lover is pianist Oh Se Jin?”

“Yes, I was so surprised too.”

“So that’s why she always seemed a bit tense.”

Manager Jung looked as if the last puzzle piece had fallen into place, belatedly resolving his lingering doubts.

To Manager Jung, Yu Ra usually appeared somewhat cold-faced, but when dealing with performers, she always responded with a gentle smile.

However, from the moment Oh Se Jin first appeared, Yu Ra’s expression wasn’t very pleasant, so Manager Jung had been closely observing their interactions.

“Once I learned that fact, I understood why the team leader’s expression wasn’t very good.”

“It was the first time I’ve seen her expression harden like that, even when dealing with the most difficult performers.”

Ji Hye’s additional comment made Manager Jung even more worried, as he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Yu Ra, who never showed personal emotions about work more than anyone else, must have been in a very uncomfortable situation for other employees to notice. This led to the conclusion that preparing for this performance might be quite challenging.

“Will this performance be alright?”

A worry anyone might have surfaced through Ji Hye’s words. And for a moment, silence fell over the office as if everyone shared the same concern. But it was only for a moment before Sung Hoon broke the silence with an “Ah-” while waving his hand.

“What kind of person is our team leader? She’s overcome so many difficult situations before.”

“But a difficult ex-boyfriend is different from just a difficult person.”

“In the end, they’re all the same kind of trouble.”

Sung Hoon and Eun Young continued their conversation as if defining the concept of ‘trouble’. Manager Jung, listening calmly to their conversation, agreed with their thoughts.

He believed that whether it was this trouble or that trouble, in the end, it was all just trouble, and the team leader Jin Yu Ra whom he respected would overcome it well, even if it might be a bit difficult.

“I wonder why they broke up?”

Ji Hye’s question interrupted Manager Jung’s thoughts. Ji Hye was an employee who was particularly curious about Yu Ra. In response to her usual inquiry, Manager Jung answered indifferently.

“When men and women meet, aren’t there countless reasons to break up?”

“I guess so. Looking at it now, our team leader seems too good for him.”

“Of course. She’s a person who doesn’t fall short in ability or appearance.”

Everyone expressed their rising pride in their colleague without hiding it, as if they had become mother birds. This was probably something anyone who had worked with Yu Ra would agree with.

When it came to work, Yu Ra was more thorough and meticulous than anyone else. And she was a natural talent who showed definite results just as much.

She never got angry over trivial matters unless someone was disrespectful or their work was a mess. On the contrary, outside of work, she was a person who showed thoughtful consideration even in small things.

And that’s not all. She was the type to always throw a lavish carrot if she had used the stick, never neglecting anyone she had formed a connection with, even part-timers or freelancers who had participated.

That’s why it was said that while there might be people who had never participated in a performance overseen by Jin Yu Ra, there was no one who had participated only once.

As the office was filled with chatter about Yu Ra and Se Jin in small groups, the phone rang, and Manager Jung put a period to the idle talk.

With a deeply furrowed brow, Yu Gun was glaring into empty space.

He had intended to give her a heads-up that their father was looking into setting up a blind date for Yu Ra. But once again, he couldn’t reach her and was getting anxious. Then, hearing some infuriating information, his nerves became even more frayed.

Oh Se Jin, not only had he suddenly returned and was hovering around Yu Ra, which was irritating enough, but his actions that seemed to keep trying to entangle her personally were testing Yu Gun’s patience.

Naturally, with his patience quickly running out, Yu Gun judged that he could no longer leave it to Yu Ra and called for Secretary Park.

“Secretary Park.”

“Yes.”

“Please investigate Oh Se Jin.”

Since Yu Ra had broken up with her lover a few years ago, Yu Gun had periodically ordered investigations into Yu Ra’s surroundings. The key point of those orders was the existence of Oh Se Jin. And recently, it had been reported that he had returned to Korea and encountered Jin Yu Ra.

“You mean the pianist Oh Se Jin I reported about earlier?”

“Yes.”

“What aspects would you like me to focus on?”

“Everything you can find out. Preferably discreet and personal things.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Then, Yu Gun added one more request.

“And right now, please locate Director Baek of Songnim.”

“Yes.”

As it was an obvious connection, Secretary Park acknowledged Yu Gun’s instructions without additional questions. At that moment, there was a knock, and as the office door opened, a familiar figure appeared.

“Is this a conversation I shouldn’t hear?”

The person who threw a sharp glance at the two, his eyes glinting, was Yu Gun’s close friend, CH Group’s Vice President, Baek Yi Hyun.

“Hello, sir.”

“How about it? Should I wait outside?”

“No. Secretary Park, you may go.”

Secretary Park could easily guess the reason for the appearance of Vice President Baek, who rarely visited the company.

Their personal meetings were always held at the high-end bar of the Grand Garden Hotel, a CH affiliate. That’s how rare it was for them to meet at the company.

Especially, the reason for barging in without an appointment was only one. It was related to Yu Gun’s younger sister, Jin Yu Ra. Having just received instructions regarding her issue, Secretary Park was certain that this meeting was about Jin Yu Ra.

There was no conversation between the two until Secretary Park bowed politely and turned to leave. It meant that no one should hear this.

As they got into the driver’s seat and passenger seat side by side, Yu Ra warned in a businesslike tone, as if preemptively blocking Se Jin from crossing the line again.

“I’m sorry, but I’d like to travel quietly. I tend to get sensitive when I drive.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Se Jin, whose mood seemed quite different from just before, was staring out the window without saying a word during the drive to the practice room.

Yu Ra felt nauseous at the thought of driving Se Jin to the practice room like in the old days.

It seemed ridiculous to be doing that crazy thing again. Although it wasn’t the car they used to ride in, she felt even more dejected as if she still hadn’t escaped from that time.

Unwanted, that time she didn’t even want to recall invaded her mind with useless thoughts.

At that time, she had been anxious for days, unable to properly contact Se Jin. While he wasn’t answering calls and only sending short text messages, she received a call from his acquaintance instead of Se Jin.

‘Ah, hello?’

−Yu Ra, has Se Jin moved?

‘What? Moved?’

Although she had been receiving text messages saying he was busy every time, there had never been any mention of moving.

−You don’t know either? His phone isn’t working, and his place is empty?

‘Wh-what do you mean…’

−I came by because his voice sounded really bad yesterday, but it was empty. The landlord said he hurriedly moved out in the morning, I wonder what on earth happened…

‘I-I’ll call you back.’

She had received a text message until the day before, but today Yu Ra had been too busy to try contacting him separately.

Ominous thoughts filled her mind, but thinking it couldn’t be, she called Se Jin without even thinking of stopping the car. However, all she heard was a short mechanical sound saying the number didn’t exist.

As the call disconnected, Yu Ra’s eyes grew distant, the steering wheel turned, and she ended up hitting the guardrail alone. With a loud bang that seemed to tear her eardrums, the navigation system announced their arrival.

『You have arrived at your destination. Ending guidance.』

Along with the heavy mechanical voice, Yu Ra emerged from her past memories.

As the office door closed with a dull sound, Yi Hyun, who had been watching Secretary Park’s movements, turned to Yu Gun.

“The atmosphere is heavy.”

Yu Gun, who had been rubbing his face dry in rising irritation, furrowed his brow as if revealing his troubled mind.

“Do you know where Director Baek is?”

“Why Director Baek?”

“Do you know or not?”

“He must be somewhere.”

“Tsk.”

Yu Gun clicked his tongue in displeasure as he watched Yi Hyun answer indifferently and take a seat on the sofa. Yu Gun felt even more upset because there was nothing he could do right away.

“Is it because of Oh Se Jin?”

In response to Yi Hyun’s question as he sat nobly on the sofa with his legs crossed, Yu Gun loosened his tie as if feeling stifled and sat across from him. Yi Hyun’s hand on his thigh was tapping to a steady beat.

It was a small habit Yi Hyun showed when he was deep in thought or when something interesting happened. Perhaps because they had known each other for over 20 years, even such a small habit easily caught Yu Gun’s eye.

“Your information network is crazy as always.”

The information power of Baek Yi Hyun, the real power of CH, was beyond imagination. Or maybe his ability to collect information was good. That too was a skill if you could call it that.

With keen observation and excellent judgment, Yi Hyun gathered even the tiniest bits of information without fail. And among that vast amount of information, he found gems, or held someone’s weakness in his hand. Oh Se Jin was probably one of those many pieces of information.

“Do you know why Oh Se Jin came?”

Yi Hyun, who had been tapping his thigh, stopped and smirked.

“My information network doesn’t include mind reading.”

“You crazy bastard.”

Unable to get any useful information even from Yi Hyun, Yu Gun felt even more frustrated and leaned his head back on the sofa. Staring at the white ceiling, he muttered as if talking to himself.

“I was really going to make him regret it this time.”

“And?”

“Jin Yu Ra says he’s her assigned artist, so I can’t touch him.”

“Assigned, artist.”

Yi Hyun slowly repeated Yu Gun’s words as if finding them distasteful. Thinking that his friend would have similar feelings about Yu Ra as himself, Yu Gun straightened up and vented the frustration he had been suppressing.

“That’s not right either. Why on earth would she plan that bastard’s performance?”

“She’s good at separating work and personal matters. Our Team Leader Jin is.”

Yu Gun’s mood quickly improved at Yi Hyun’s tone that seemed to praise his sister, as if he were doting on her. But that was only for a moment before Yu Gun expressed his frustration again, as if he had found an ally.

“It doesn’t matter how good Yu Ra is. That crazy guy isn’t cooperating.”

“Did something happen?”

Yi Hyun, who usually doesn’t show much interest unless it’s work-related, expressed curiosity. Thinking this was a rare opportunity, Yu Gun leaned forward towards him, ready to spill everything he had been holding in.

“I couldn’t reach her, so I called the office, and they said she went out with Oh Se Jin, just the two of them.”

“What’s wrong with them going out together?”

Seeing Yi Hyun’s nonchalant reaction, Yu Gun closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. Yu Gun leaned even further forward, his eyes narrowing as if he had become a detective.

“They said the atmosphere was a bit strange. Yu Ra kept a stern expression, while Oh Se Jin kept grinning.”

Yi Hyun’s expression suddenly turned cold.