Do Han quickly came back to his senses at her words.

“They don’t sell yuja tea at the company cafe. How did you get it?”

Feeling the awkward air getting heavier, Sa Rang changed the topic.

“I asked the cafe manager. It was on the menu until recently, so I thought they might still have it.”

That made sense.

Sa Rang hadn’t thought of that approach and nodded.

“Thank you. If I had any other senior, I would have been praised today.”

Being cared for when sick by a junior would definitely be touching.

The warmth in the relationship between seniors and juniors at a harsh workplace is more energizing than cold medicine.

“If it had been someone else, I wouldn’t have given it.”

“Excuse me?”

“I gave it because you’re my senior.”

Do Han wasn’t the kind of person to show kindness to a sick colleague.

He was worried only because Sa Rang was sick, the person he loved.

Sa Rang’s face suddenly felt hot.

After startling her yesterday with his words, ‘I love you more than anyone else,’ he was unusually blunt.

He was always truthful, not good at lying, but it felt like their roles had reversed now.

As Sa Rang awkwardly faced him, their ordered porridges arrived.

“Eat carefully. It’s hot.”

“Okay.”

Even this felt unfamiliar to her, and she ate slowly, sneaking glances at him.

“Doesn’t your leg hurt? I heard you stood for three hours at the Product Planning Team.”

“It’s fine.”

Talking about work seemed the most appropriate when conversing with him.

It felt less awkward than staying silent.
The original Korean paragraph contains 35 lines. Here is the verbatim English translation, preserving the same number of lines:

“Next time, just come yourself. Provoking Manager Park will do you no good. You might even get fired if you get on his bad side.”

“If I get fired, that’d be good for you.”

Sa Rang couldn’t respond to his half-joking, half-serious remark.

Although she had considered quitting due to the discomfort of working in the same office, she didn’t want him to be unfairly fired.

Seeing her troubled expression, Do Han let out a wry smile.

“No matter how powerful a boss is, they can’t fire people at will. The labor office exists for a reason.”

“What if you get harassed?”

“Then I’ll quit. It’s not like Seohan Electronics is the only company out there.”

“I thought you came here because you had someone you wanted to see.”

Sa Rang muttered this under her breath while blowing on her hot porridge.

When he conveniently talks about quitting now, after having stirred her emotions by suddenly appearing, it irked her.

Did he regret joining our company now that he has to face me every day at the office?

Since she never treated him affectionately as his senior, it wasn’t surprising he felt that way.

From a work perspective, he was an employee who would be welcomed anywhere.

Just when Sa Rang’s heart felt a bit cold, he spoke.

“You’re uncomfortable because of me.”

Sa Rang, who had been stirring her porridge, stopped and looked up.

Do Han was smiling warmly, as if understanding her unspoken feelings.

Embarrassed at having her feelings exposed, Sa Rang quickly looked down.

“Anyway, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For sending you to the Product Planning Team. I should have gone.”

“It’s good I went. If you had been standing there for three hours, I would have reported that guy for power abuse.”

Sa Rang looked at him again.

‘If you had been hurt, I would have killed that guy.’

It was what Do Han had said five years ago when she got injured after being bumped into by another guy.

Feeling her eyes moisten, Sa Rang distracted herself by stirring her porridge.

Even though time had passed, he hadn’t changed much, but why had our relationship become like this?

“If I had gone, I wouldn’t have stood for three hours. Who would foolishly do that? If they refuse to give it, I would have just left.”

“He disregards female employees.”

“What?”

“I get angry thinking he would have done the same to you.”

“…”

“That’s why I didn’t want to lose.”

After saying it, Do Han worried it might sound childish, so he bowed his head and continued eating his porridge.

Sa Rang watched him intently.

Her heart, which had been cool a moment ago, was now warm.

After finishing his meal first, Do Han waited for Sa Rang.

Not wanting to make her uncomfortable by watching her eat, he looked out the window.

His phone vibrated on the table. It was a call from Tae Hoon.

Planning to call back later, Do Han put the phone in his pocket, feeling Sa Rang’s gaze on him.

After hesitating, she spoke.

“How is that sister doing? Did she have her surgery and return to school?”

Sa Rang felt compassion
The original Korean paragraph contains 35 lines. Here is the verbatim English translation, preserving the same number of lines:

“She didn’t return to school.”

Do Han decided not to mention that he had made breaking up with Sa Rang a condition for Hyeri to quit school. He didn’t want to appear even more heartless.

“You said her surgery went well.”

“She needed chemotherapy too, and it seemed better for her to rest.”

“Is she really okay now?”

“She’s fine.”

Sa Rang felt a sense of relief knowing Hyeri had regained her health.

Although they weren’t close, she would have been saddened if Hyeri had died.

A moment of silence fell, and then Do Han’s phone vibrated again.

“Answer it. It’s okay.”

“I’ll call back later.”

Sa Rang thought the caller might be Hyeri, but it wasn’t.

“It’s Kim Tae Hoon. He’s getting married soon. He must be calling to see if I can attend the wedding.”

“Tae Hoon oppa is getting married already?”

“He said it’s in May.”

Sa Rang nodded.

Despite knowing Tae Hoon’s number, they had become distant due to their tangled pasts and didn’t contact each other. That’s probably why he hadn’t sent her a wedding invitation.

“Have you been in touch with Tae Hoon oppa?”

“No, just recently.”

“Tae Hoon oppa used to curse you a lot when we were in school. He wondered if you went to space, not the U.S., for not calling once. He called you a real jerk.”

Tae Hoon, who usually watched Sa Rang’s reactions before speaking about Do Han, tended to loosen up after drinking.

As his closest friend in school, he must have felt more betrayed.

“I guess that’s why Kang Ji Woo broke up with him.”

Ji Woo had denied it, but Sa Rang couldn’t refute it either.

“Kang Ji Woo must have cursed me a lot too.”

“Of course. Once, he shouted so loudly when drunk that we were almost kicked out of a restaurant. Yun Jae barely calmed him down.”

Do Han smiled faintly as she spoke, but his expression soon hardened.

He clenched his fists, thinking about how long Jung Yun Jae and Kang Ji Woo had deceived Sa Rang.

Both seemed so innocent.

He had thought they suited Sa Rang well.

Do Han found it increasingly difficult to face Sa Rang, who remained blissfully unaware of her friends’ betrayal.

“Let’s get up if you’re done. We have a company outing tomorrow, so let’s go home early to rest.”

But Sa Rang, unaware of his feelings, let out a wry smile.

Uncertain who the senior was here.

“Yes, let’s go.”

After having a filling dinner with abalone porridge, Sa Rang stood up to leave with Do Han.

She was amazed they had reached a point where having a meal together wasn’t awkward.

If only every day could be like today, coexisting as colleagues seemed possible.

Sa Rang gradually became more comfortable with him.