The fog in the atmosphere laden with water vapor grew even thicker.

Mount Yeosong, which would normally feel close enough to touch, barely poked out its peak through the fog.

“Take this money and have your clothes dry cleaned. You understand?”

Yeon Woo looked at the bills the driver was holding out. Her jeans splattered with muddy water felt increasingly damp as time passed.

Yeon Woo had taken an early morning taxi out of Seoul and headed straight for Moksan County where her mother was.

This was her mother’s hometown, and where Yeon Woo had lived until high school.

After taking a taxi into Yangto-myeon, Yeon Woo got off at the bus stop instead of going home.

It was still early and her mother would be asleep, so she was waiting for daybreak.

As the sun rose through the hazy fog, she paced around waiting to catch the bus. Not wanting to miss the infrequent bus in the fog, she kept watch on the road.

When a car with bright headlights approached, she stepped closer thinking it might be the bus.

That’s when the mishap occurred. Yeon Woo hadn’t realized how wide and deep the puddle at her feet was, and the driver couldn’t gauge his surroundings either.

“I said I’m in a hurry, didn’t I? A perfectly fine young lady not understanding what I’m saying.”

Yeon Woo’s heart raced, intimidated by the scolding voice.

Perhaps because she had recently suffered from her boss’s skilled obsession and gaslighting, just mixing words with others, no, even the act of standing face-to-face like this made her uncomfortable.

Yeon Woo, who seemed to have become a completely different person in just six months, stepped back slightly.

At that moment, the car door opened and a man appeared.

Yeon Woo turned her gaze towards the sound.

“Oh my, the executive director has gotten out. That’s why I told you to take it quickly. This young lady is making a big deal out of nothing.”

Through the coach door that opened at the front, the silhouette of the man’s shoe-clad foot appeared in the pale fog.

The headlights of the stopped vehicle seemed like a halo behind the man.

A black shadow seemed to flicker into view, then moments later the man’s figure appeared brightly as if it had swallowed the light.

It was a flawless figure without a single gap, perfectly controlling the man’s body with a suit made of perfect angles and gently curved lines.

When the man’s face finally came into view, Yeon Woo’s fingertips twitched involuntarily.

“Executive Director, I apologize. I’ll handle this quickly.”

As Sung Hun approached, the driver hurried to smooth over the situation.

With a major groundbreaking ceremony ahead, he didn’t want to upset Executive Director Nam Sung Hun, who had rushed here just for today.

Sung Hun silently stared at the bills in the driver’s hand. It was a cold gaze.

“I gave her dry cleaning money but the young lady won’t take it… I’m worried about waking the president who’s sleeping now…”

While the driver was explaining, Sung Hun slowly lowered his gaze to examine Yeon Woo’s clothes.

A shirt dotted with mud stains, pants blackened with dirt, and sneakers so damaged they might not be salvageable.

He briefly glanced to the side. After confirming that splashes of dirt had also gotten on what appeared to be a woman’s carry-on sized suitcase, Sung Hun looked back at Yeon Woo.

“It seems our employee had an accident on an unfamiliar road. I apologize for the many discourtesies.”

As Sung Hun apologized, Yeon Woo reflexively bowed her head to accept. Then hesitantly, she opened her lips.

“It’s alright. I was careless. There’s no need to apologize.”

After barely managing to respond, Yeon Woo kept her eyes on the ground.

The damp feeling of her jeans and shoes felt increasingly awful, and comparing them to the man’s spotless shoes made her feel ashamed of her dirty sneakers.

Yeon Woo kept thinking, please, I beg you, just go on your way.

Sung Hun looked down at her fingertips. After observing her fingertips that clearly revealed her discomfort, he took out his wallet from his jacket’s inner pocket.

He pulled out a business card, signed it with a fountain pen, and held it out to Yeon Woo.

With only his eyes moving, Sung Hun’s gaze swept over her entire body.

“Though there isn’t one in Moksan County, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a Seolyang Department Store in each region.”

I have now fully assessed the damage you’ve incurred.

“I don’t know what significance your current clothes and shoes hold, so I’d appreciate if you could come up with compensation measures yourself. I hope it will be sufficient recompense.”

I’ll compensate you more than enough, so don’t cause any further trouble.

To Yeon Woo, it seemed Sung Hun was saying such things in a roundabout way.

Yeon Woo, who had been staring at the ground, glanced at the business card, and the driver who had been watching the entire situation had his lips slightly parted.

If it was Executive Director Nam Sung Hun’s business card, wouldn’t it be like a credit card with no limit within Seolyang Department Store?

Just then, the headlights of an arriving bus spread their light.

Yeon Woo reluctantly accepted the business card Sung Hun held out with both hands and finished her greeting.

Yeon Woo boarded the bus with her suitcase. Sung Hun bowed slightly until the bus started moving again, and only raised his head after the bus had finally departed.

The driver who had been bowing deeply alongside Sung Hun slowly straightened his posture. Then he stood awkwardly next to Sung Hun.

“Executive Director, I’m sorry for causing unnecessary trouble…”

The driver trailed off and stood up straight. It was after he realized Sung Hun’s gaze was now fixed on his chest.

Sung Hun tilted his head slightly and looked at the badge pinned to the left side of the driver’s chest.

It was a corporate badge with the 「Seolyang」 logo.

‘I’m sorry, but I’m busy and don’t have time to delay. There’s an important person in the car. Take this money and have the clothes dry cleaned. You understand, right?’

‘I said I’m in a hurry, didn’t I? There’s a very important person in the car right now. Didn’t you hear?’

A chill ran through his dry gaze.

“It’s troublesome for me if you tarnish Seolyang Construction’s image for just 50,000 won.”

“…Pardon?”

“In this day and age.”

“…”

“Wearing the Seolyang Group badge proudly on your chest, you did an excellent job promoting the company to a complete stranger.”

“Ah, ah! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I apologize, Executive Director!”

The startled driver hurriedly bowed. Sung Hun checked the time and then looked off into the distance where the bus had departed.

The driver bit his lip nervously before continuing in an embarrassed voice. Cold sweat poured down.

“I’m truly sorry for this early morning incident. Please consider it as getting rid of bad luck before your important event.”

“Getting rid of bad luck. Bad luck, you say.”

“…”

“I suppose so.”

Ah, what a relief.

The employee let out a sigh of relief, thinking he had overcome a crisis. Just then, Sung Hun casually extended his hand.

It seemed like a signal to hand something over, but the employee who didn’t understand racked his brain for everything he had on him.

“Do, do you mean this?”

Finally realizing, it was the employee badge.

Sung Hun wiggled his fingers as if to say hurry up and hand it over. The employee unpinned the badge with trembling hands and placed it in Sung Hun’s palm.

“Return the car keys when you arrive at Domyeongjae. Thank you for your hard work.”

“…Yes, Executive Director.”

“We do need to get rid of bad luck after all.”

At Sung Hun’s brief explanation, the employee could only bite his lips tightly. It was dismissal.

*

Upon entering the house, Yeon Woo went straight to shower. After finishing, she left her clothes soaking in the bathtub and exited the bathroom.

Though she tried to time it well, she couldn’t meet her mother.

Since she had turned off her cell phone when leaving Seoul, she called her mother on the house phone, but her mother had already left for work earlier than usual.

Moreover, these days she often stayed at the workplace dormitory and rarely came home.

Maybe once a week, if that.

‘If I had known, I should have just taken a taxi straight home.’

Looking at the ruined sneakers by the entrance, Yeon Woo let out a short sigh and entered her room.

After roughly drying her hair, she opened her suitcase but found she hadn’t packed anything properly.

It wasn’t a meticulously planned action, but rather an impulsive escape from Seoul in the early hours, unable to overcome the fear that had washed over her.

Staring at the cell phone tucked between clothes, Yeon Woo slumped down in her seat. Just looking at the phone made her fingertips cold with trembling.

I’ll let you go when you’re dead.

Yeon Woo was employed at 「Namsong Industrial Development」 Corporation. It was a small to medium-sized civil engineering construction company with annual sales of about 25 billion won.

Cha Yun Seok, who had been just an ordinary sales employee, was suddenly promoted to vice president one day, and Yeon Woo, who had been doing accounting work, was assigned as his secretary.

That was when Yeon Woo first learned that Cha Yun Seok was the president’s son.

Cha Yun Seok was a good-for-nothing with no interest in company affairs.

He came to work as if on a pleasure trip to the company his father had built, often just killing time.

He enjoyed meeting with unusual, rough crowds skilled in shady business, mainly earning black money in the underground, and boasting of his connections with such people, he began pressuring Yeon Woo at some point.

From the moment she started to feel scared, Cha Yun Seok’s obsession changed excessively, followed by gaslighting and threats.

Yeon Woo couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Dozens of missed calls were just the beginning, and even more terror was instilled by acts like pounding on her apartment door as if to break it down.

She couldn’t quit the company or run away due to threats that she would certainly be found and made to pay the price if she did.

In fact, Yeon Woo was convinced to her core that Cha Yun Seok was more than capable of following through on such threats.

“Where should I go now…”

Since she had run away prepared to die, she couldn’t stay here long. Her mother’s house wouldn’t be safe either.

She was going to get rid of her phone too, that’s why she came home to see her mother’s face briefly before leaving. She also needed to add that her mother should understand if they lost contact.

Her heart raced with anxiety, feeling as if Cha Yun Seok might break down the door and enter at any moment.

Unable to sit still, Yeon Woo closed her bag and came out to the kitchen.

On top of her mother’s laundered uniform, she saw the name tag.

「Domyeongjae. Shin Soon Mi」

Domyeongjae. Shin Soon Mi.

While looking at her mother’s work name tag, Yeon Woo found the business card she had received from the strange man that morning and stared at it quietly.

The crumpled business card, carelessly stuffed into her pocket.

「Seolyang Construction. Nam Sung Hun.」

Yeon Woo gazed at the card for a long time. Nam Sung Hun. Nam Sung Hun.

A name that anyone born and raised in Moksan County would have heard at least once. Yeon Woo knew that name well. Though it was the first time she had actually seen him.

Yeon Woo’s mother was an employee of Domyeongjae, Executive Director Nam Sung Hun’s family home. Her mother had worked at Domyeongjae since she was young, so it was a long-standing affair.

‘Some important people from Seoul are coming today so it’s busy. That’s why mom’s been hectic since early morning, Yeon Woo.’

Recalling her conversation with her mother, Yeon Woo stared at the business card.

The important people visiting from Seoul probably meant this man.

Just as she seemed to be lost in thought, recalling the man’s face, the loud ringing of the house phone startled Yeon Woo and made her turn around.

Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring.

The bell sound rang out sharply in the silence. It sounded like the clattering of a pair of knives, causing Yeon Woo to immediately become frightened, her face turning pale.

Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ring.

‘It can’t be. It won’t be. Stay calm. It’s nothing.’

She felt like crying from being so frightened. It seemed her breath would stop before the phone stopped ringing.

Just as the phone seemed about to stop, it rang again. Yeon Woo hesitated, then picked up the receiver with ragged breath.

“…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say “hello”.

─Hello? Hello? Is Yeon Woo there? Yeon Woo? It’s Aunt Ja Young! Hey, you! Why did you turn off your cell phone!

Hearing the familiar name and voice, Yeon Woo let out a long sigh and sank to the floor.

─Hello? Yeon Woo? You’re at home now, right? Your mom said earlier that you came home!

“Yes, Auntie. It’s me, Yeon Woo.”

As she answered in a voice drained of strength, there was a loud noise. Yeon Woo’s eyes widened immediately.

─Yeon Woo! Something terrible has happened! Your mom is hurt, right now!

The faint sound of an ambulance could be heard through the receiver.