It was on the way back to the office with the person in charge after Sung Hun went out for a site inspection. It was lunchtime, and the Domyeongjae truck carrying food and side dishes for the workers was parked in the corner.

“Executive Director, aren’t you going to eat?”

The person in charge asked as Sung Hun’s gaze lingered on the truck. Sung Hun, who had been staring blankly at the truck, pointed his chin towards the office.

“Let’s eat together in the office.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

They walked across the barren field where even a single blade of grass had been pushed away.

“The food from Domyeongjae tastes really good. The workers are very satisfied. The side dishes are excellent, and there’s a wide variety too.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The person in charge highly praised the quality of meals provided by Domyeongjae. It was only natural. From the rice used to make the meals to most of the vegetables and meats, they were all grown and cultivated directly by Domyeongjae.

Additionally, with the main house staff known for their excellent cooking skills and a nutritionist directly involved in the preparation, the taste was exquisite and the quality couldn’t help but be good.

“Executive Director, you have breakfast and dinner at Domyeongjae, right? I’m envious.”

“You should come over for a meal sometime.”

“Oh my, I definitely should. I won’t forget that invitation.”

As the older person in charge laughed heartily in response, Sung Hun gave a brief smile.

Workers who had finished their meals in the large container building set up as a cafeteria on one side of the construction site began to come out one by one. The rough voice of a worker patting his full stomach and using a toothpick rang out quite loudly.

“I fell in love with my wife at first sight. Yeah, I fell for her at first sight and until this day, I’ve never looked at another woman and sworn my loyalty. I’ve earned money and given it all to her, given her all my devotion. That’s how I’ve lived, gentlemen.”

“You’re being ridiculous. What devotion have you given? Falling in love at first sight, my foot. Are you writing a drama or something?”

Sung Hun briefly stopped walking. Then he looked at the workers walking in the opposite direction.

“Look at this guy, he doesn’t believe me. I’m telling you I fell in love at first sight! My wife was walking over from that direction, and I just felt like a shovel had suddenly pierced my heart. It was an incredible feeling, I tell you!”

As the bearded man glamorously packaged his first meeting with his wife, the other men laughed.

“Do you guys know anything about that kind of encounter? How hot and sizzling love at first sight can be. Do you know? If you’ve never experienced it, don’t talk. You worthless, pathetic gentlemen. Suddenly, I don’t even want to mix words with you.”

Love at first sight.

“It’s an incredibly amazing thing. Your eyes are completely covered with blinders, you can’t see anything in front of you, your ears are completely blocked, you can’t even tell if water is hot or cold.”

At first sight.

“Ah. I have to marry this woman. I must make this woman mine! That was the only thought in my mind. It was fate, destiny.”

“Oh my, yes. You’re the second greatest lover in Moksan County, aren’t you? A true romantic you are. Then stop making your wife miserable, you jerk! Stop drinking and sleeping on the streets every day!”

“Well, these things can happen in life. Anyway, my wife is an amazing person who tamed me, Jo Cheol Woong. That’s what I wanted to say. Let’s go.”

As the workers walked away with a swaggering gait, Sung Hun’s face was momentarily lost in thought.

‘It’s an incredibly amazing thing. Your eyes are completely covered with blinders, you can’t see anything in front of you, your ears are completely blocked, you can’t even tell if water is hot or cold.’

Is it possible to fall in love at first sight?

What do you know about the other person, what have you encountered for your heart to bloom?

‘Ah. I have to marry this woman. I must make this woman mine! That was the only thought in my mind. It was fate, destiny.’

It doesn’t make sense.

“Executive Director?”

As Sung Hun suddenly stopped and didn’t move for a while, the person in charge made a puzzled expression. Soon after, Sung Hun straightened his posture and began to walk again.

Falling in love at first sight is impossible. It’s just the psychology of an impulse buyer swayed by product packaging, nothing more, nothing less.

“Oh, I’m hungry. I saw there was spring onion bibimbap and cheonggukjang today, with meat side dishes. I should eat that…”

As the person in charge’s words faded in his ears, Sung Hun stopped again.

‘My wife was walking over from that direction, and I just felt like a shovel had suddenly pierced my heart. It was an incredible feeling, I tell you!’

These days, when he can’t get a grip on himself whenever he thinks of that woman. When he’s struggling to control himself, unable to even distinguish the types of emotions that flood in all at once.

…If falling in love at first sight doesn’t make sense.

Then does my current state make sense?

It was fate, destiny.

No. It wasn’t that either.

*

‘I’ll be going now.’

After frantically finishing the morning work, the time Yeon Woo arrived at the warehouse was 3 PM.

Yeon Woo opened the warehouse door to start the work she couldn’t finish yesterday. Most of the tasks Eun Ja had given her, determined to put her to work, involved physical labor, and although it was strenuous, her thoughts had settled due to being so busy.

However, from the moment she started taking out the basin and sitting down to wash the dishes, thoughts of Sung Hun began to pool again. Yeon Woo looked up while in the middle of making soap suds.

I’ll be going now.

It was just a greeting, but her heart was troubled.

Yeon Woo, who had been quietly lifting her chin and just opening and closing her eyes, shook her head vigorously. Yes, there probably wasn’t any special meaning. He probably just greeted her because she greeted him, and there was no other reason.

Knowing only the position and place where a person named Nam Sung Hun lives, how could she know what kind of personality he has? He might be kinder and more sensitive than expected.

“Is that right…?”

It didn’t seem like the correct answer. He seemed far, very far from being a kind and sensitive person. But the image of him bowing his head several times to smooth over an employee’s mistake at the bus stop, the act of handing over his business card.

Even accepting the substitute work that Manager Moon had flatly refused, he might be a kind-hearted person unlike his appearance.

Although it was a rather bland conclusion, Yeon Woo decided to think that way. Whew, after letting out a small breath, she picked up a dusty dish that had been soaking in water. Just as she was about to start washing dishes as if to cleanse her mind and body…

“Yeon Woo. Hi.”

It was Hyun Wook’s voice, as expected. Yeon Woo, who had roughly wiped the sweat from her forehead with her rubber-gloved arm, turned her head to look.

“Did you just wake up?”

“As you can see. Overslept.”

As the lucky young master of a chaebol family who had just woken up approached, Yeon Woo went back to washing the dishes.

“What are you doing here?”

“As you can see. Washing dishes.”

When Yeon Woo answered as if imitating him, Hyun Wook, who had sat down carelessly on the dirt floor, looked at the pile of dishes with wide eyes.

“You’re washing all this by yourself? This many?”

“The surprising thing is that there are many more unwashed dishes than this. In that warehouse.”

“Wow. Manager Moon is not okay. She’s really showing her true colors to the newbie, huh?”

“I said I’d do it. It’s the most comfortable work because I can be alone, at least.”

“Well, I guess Manager Moon’s group must be quite intimidating. Even I would feel more comfortable being alone.”

When Hyun Wook agreed in a affirming tone, Yeon Woo stared at him blankly. Then Hyun Wook, who had just quietly opened and closed his eyes not knowing what was going on, pointed at himself with his finger and spoke in an aggrieved voice.

“Don’t tell me you’re saying I’m uncomfortable too?”

“I didn’t say anything?”

“Wow, you’ve really become cold. You’ve become cold. You smiled well in the morning, but you’re cold at lunch. I wonder what Yeon Woo will be like in the evening?”

Yeon Woo burst into laughter at Hyun Wook’s retort, not backing down and acting shamelessly. He was definitely comfortable in some ways.

“Should I help you? I have nothing else to do.”

“No need. Why should the young master of Domyeongjae get his hands wet and make Manager Moon scold me?”

“No one’s going to come. From what I see, it looks like no one will come looking for you while you’re here.”

As Hyun Wook casually dipped his hand in the basin, Yeon Woo straightened her back.

“I said no?”

“I’ve already put my hand in?”

“Take it out quickly.”

“There’s even soap on my hand?”

“I said no. I’ll get scolded, I told you?”

“Oh? I’ve even picked up the scouring pad. Now I just need to start washing, right?”

Hyun Wook started washing the dishes faster than Yeon Woo. Feeling exasperated, Yeon Woo stared at him blankly, and by then he had already washed one dish until it was sparkling clean and held it out to her.

“Look. See how high-quality labor I am. Look at how shiny this is. Not just anyone can do this. Only an unemployed person who just woke up can do this.”

It was a level of shamelessness that Yeon Woo couldn’t handle. As she watched Hyun Wook pick up and wash another dish with a blatant face, Yeon Woo suddenly thought of Sung Hun.

“Hyun Wook.”

“Hm?”

“Is this friendliness and kindness to people perhaps a family trait?”

She asked indirectly. Hyun Wook grinned and placed the cleanly washed dish in the basin.

“No? In our family, only my father and I have this kind of personality?”

“Ah…”

“You saw my cousin at Woonsundang, right? He’s a workaholic and cold-blooded. I’ve never seen a kind word come out of his mouth.”

The image of the kind executive director crumbled completely. Yeon Woo bit her lip gently.

“I’m already curious about what kind of woman will marry my cousin. Well, since Sung Hun hyung has money and good looks, I guess she could live with just that.”

Hyun Wook had already washed the third dish and suddenly held it out to Yeon Woo.

“I said I’d help, not that I’d do it alone. Hurry up and move, Ji Yeon Woo.”

As Yeon Woo picked up the dish with an exasperated look, Hyun Wook spoke again.

“Oh, Yeon Woo. We’re going to have a class reunion soon, you should attend too.”

“Class reunion?”

Yeon Woo opened her eyes wide.

*

It was approaching quitting time. Sung Hun received a phone call from the head office.

“Yes. It’s me.”

─ Hey, Executive Director Nam. Are you busy?

It was a call from his uncle, President Nam Tae Jin. Sung Hun glanced at the time.

“What’s the matter? This doesn’t seem like a courtesy call.”

─ You know about the French architecture officials coming to Korea this weekend, right?

Sung Hun held his words. He could somewhat predict what would come next.

─ You need to make some time. I absolutely can’t make it that day.

After pressing his temples gently, Sung Hun asked back.

“Are you busy?”

─ Well, yeah. Inevitably.

What could he be busy with on a weekend? It must be a golf appointment.

─ Being busy is one thing, but the officials are young, so what good would an old fogey like me do there? It’d be better for a young person like you. You’d communicate better. Or not? Would the language not work well? Sung Hun, should I arrange an interpreter for you?

“I’ll check the remaining details through the secretary. You don’t have anything else to say, right?”

─ You brat, your voice gets cold when I give you work. Actually, that’s not it. I had a big fight with your aunt recently.

Sung Hun let out a short sigh after hearing about the marital quarrel he didn’t particularly want to know about. President Nam Tae Jin explained in detail.

─ Your aunt, whether it’s menopause or what, she’s been nagging me to death these days. It’s our wedding anniversary that day. I need to take her out for a meal or something to have a peaceful year ahead. Please understand my situation.

“You know Hyun Wook is here, right?”

─ I know. He left on the day your aunt and I were fighting? At least he has somewhere to escape to. He’s my son, but I’m envious.

So Hyun Wook had come down to Domyeongjae to avoid his parents’ marital quarrel. Feeling a throbbing headache, Sung Hun rubbed his temples again.

He had nothing particular to say about spending the wedding anniversary with his wife, and he had no objection to having to make time instead.

“Then I’ll hang up.”

As Sung Hun was about to hang up without any particular greeting, an urgent voice came through the receiver.

─ Ah, Sung Hun! I mean, Executive Director Nam!

“Yes.”

He put the receiver back to his ear.

─ You need to do well and create a good atmosphere there. You understand, right? Smile nicely, treat them well, okay? Don’t be stiff and ruin everything at the last moment. Okay?

“I’m hanging up. I have a meeting.”

Sung Hun abruptly put down the receiver.

‘You need to do well and create a good atmosphere there. You understand, right? Smile nicely, treat them well, okay? Don’t be stiff and ruin everything at the last moment. Okay?’

Only then did he let out a long breath and look back at the monitor.

Smile nicely? Just the thought made his nerves raw.