Between Us is X - Chapter 10
“As we discussed before, starting from this month, as long as the weather permits, we’ll open the full-length windows on the first floor to extend the space to the front yard, and open the backyard on weekends.”
Usually, customers weren’t allowed in the back of the building, but once in a while, around the change of seasons, they would set a date and open it to the public.
It was a chance to take a big tour around the entire building, allowing views even into the basement through the full-length windows that were usually off-limits.
The warehouse with a different atmosphere from the showroom, and above all, the sight of Joo Han and So Min working inside, tended to be well-received by customers.
“And since we’re opening the yard, it might be nice to hold a small event along with it.”
Sun Kyung cautiously offered her opinion.
“How about the single chair exhibition we briefly talked about before?”
“That sounds good?”
Eun Soo immediately expressed her agreement.
“When you think of Family Month, people usually think of parents or family, but these days there are many single-person households too. It might be interesting to target that demographic.”
Everyone freely shared their ideas and started to shape the plan.
“So, to summarize… The theme will be a Single Chair Festival, ‘A Seat for Myself’.”
As Joo Han started to wrap up, Eun Soo chimed in.
“That’s right. We’ll utilize both the showroom and the garden to showcase as many of our chairs as possible, with up to 30 percent discount during the event.”
So Min, focused on taking notes, spoke with her eyes fixed on her notebook.
“I’ll check the warehouse by the day after tomorrow and gather the relevant products.”
“Then once the products are confirmed, I’ll check the purchase prices and repair and storage costs to determine the discount rates.”
Following Sun Kyung, Jae Rim also spoke.
“We’ll need to prepare images and copy to post the announcement within this week.”
The meeting was wrapping up. As everyone was stretching and preparing to get up, Joo Han’s phone rang.
“Oh, elder brother. Me? I’m at the shop now. Just about to open. Now? Alright.”
While Joo Han was on the call, Sun Kyung and Jae Rim returned to their respective desks. So Min also gave Eun Soo a nod and went down to the basement.
After finishing the call, Joo Han turned to Eun Soo and said,
“Elder brother Ki Woo says he’s coming.”
“Senior Ki Woo? Now?”
“Yeah. He says he has an acquaintance curious about this place, so they’re coming together since the timing worked out.”
“Oh? Then we should greet them.”
Eun Soo put down the tablet she had been holding throughout the meeting and headed for the stairs. Joo Han and Eun Soo went down to the first-floor showroom together.
The Movie PR Company , where Eun Soo had briefly worked after quitting the magazine company, had grown even bigger and more famous since then.
Despite his busy schedule, Ki Woo had dropped by a few times, saying he was in the neighborhood, and it seemed he occasionally met Joo Han for meals or drinks.
Sometimes when props were needed on set, or when he met people interested in vintage furniture, he would introduce them.
While they had been close in school, it was said that they became even closer when Ki Woo stayed by Joo Han’s side for three days straight when he had to hold his father’s funeral alone, with no other family, two years ago.
Left alone on the first floor showroom, a strange silence hung between Joo Han and Eun Soo as they sat a little apart, waiting for Ki Woo.
Clearing his throat, Joo Han casually threw out a question.
“You haven’t received any more contact from Jang Sol Hee, right?”
Eun Soo just nodded.
Just recalling what she had heard then was this uncomfortable and awkward, there was no way business or acting would be possible. The more she mulled it over, the more dizzying it became.
‘No matter how I think about it, I can’t understand. What on earth was she thinking to say such a thing? Has my friend really become a broadcast person to the bone?’
As she was fuming inside, Joo Han folded his arms and gestured with his chin.
“What’s that?”
“Huh?”
Seeing Joo Han’s gaze fixed on the drink cup in her hand, Eun Soo said, “Ah, this.”
It seemed he was asking about the cup she had been holding throughout the meeting, which had barely decreased in volume.
“The cafe owner recommended it so confidently as a new item that I said I’d try it, but it doesn’t suit my taste. It’s too sweet.”
“I was wondering why you were holding something you don’t usually drink. If you’re not going to drink it, give it to me.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Eun Soo readily handed the cup to Joo Han. Joo Han put his lips to the straw without hesitation.
“It’s delicious though?”
“You can have it all.”
Jae Rim, who was just coming down from the second floor, stopped in her tracks when she saw the scene.
‘What’s this? It looks like the boss is drinking from the straw the manager used. Can you put your lips so naturally on something someone else has used, no matter how close you are?’
The two of them seemed completely unaware of it. Jae Rim inwardly raised an eyebrow and continued on her way.
Shortly after, right as they opened, Ki Woo opened the door and entered. He was with a woman who looked about the same age.
As soon as Ki Woo saw Joo Han and Eun Soo standing side by side, he said,
“You guys sure know how to treat a VIP, huh? I see the CEO and the manager are waiting by the door because I’m coming.”
Joo Han scratched his cheek as he retorted,
“Um… if that’s how you want to see it, let’s go with that.”
Eun Soo also added a word,
“Right. I don’t think we need to point out the misunderstanding.”
“Well, that’s quite an unsettling response.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Ki Woo introduced the woman next to him who was smiling,
“This is my friend, she’s getting married next month. We’re going around looking at things to put in her newlywed home right now. When I said she absolutely had to come here once, she immediately asked about it.”
Eun Soo said with a friendly smile,
“Congratulations on your marriage. Please feel free to look around.”
“Thank you.”
After glancing around the showroom, the woman asked,
“Actually, I’m looking for something. It’s a chair?”
“Yes. What kind…?”
“The ‘Bloom’ armchair from . I heard it hasn’t been widely imported to Korea yet…”
“Oh, we have one of those!”
Eun Soo brightened as she continued,
“I really love furniture too. It’s a shame it’s not as well-known as it should be, given its value. I’m glad to meet someone who knows about it.”
“That’s what I’m saying! Do you really have the ‘Bloom’ armchair here?”
“Which model are you looking for? The one we have is the AL3 model with a silver frame.”
“I was looking for exactly the AL2 or AL3 model! The first one I saw in photos had a black frame, but I was curious about the silver too.”
“Then come see it in person and have a seat. It’s in really good condition too.”
“Oh my, I’m so glad I came.”
Eun Soo and the customer headed towards the stairs, exuding an excited atmosphere. Watching the two women’s backs as they went up to the second-floor showroom, Ki Woo turned to Joo Han.
“I don’t understand all of it, but it seems like things are going well. Anyway, it’s nice to see you and Eun Soo working together so amicably.”
“How can you tell if we’re getting along well or not after just 5 minutes?”
“Even if you’re not, you should. Anyway, Joo Han, you should really be grateful to me.”
“Before you say such things, it would be better if you clarified the valid reasons first.”
“Someone like Eun Soo would be a high-quality employee at any company. I was going to offer her a full-time position after seeing how efficiently she worked when I asked her for short-term help, but I didn’t poach her to our company because you begged so much.”
Joo Han’s eyes widened at the ‘begged so much’ part, and he quickly looked around to see if anyone was listening. Then, leaning towards Ki Woo and lowering his voice, he said,
“When did I ever beg you?”
There was one fact from long ago that Eun Soo didn’t know, and that he hoped she would continue not to know.
‘Hey, actually Eun Soo’s been working part-time at our company these days. But I’m thinking of hiring her full-time. If Eun Soo’s okay with it.’
‘No, elder brother.’
‘Who are you to say yes or no? Don’t tell me you’re some clingy ex-boyfriend or something? If so, don’t even go near Eun Soo. That seems to be the way to protect Eun Soo’s safety and your dignity.’
‘It’s not like that. Eun Soo is the only person I know who knows a lot about vintage furniture and is trustworthy. You should look for someone else.’
‘Would Eun Soo be crazy enough to work with you?’
‘What’s your office address? I’ll go there and tell her I was introduced by you.’
‘No, why should I be treated like a crazy person by Eun Soo too!’
‘Think of it as saving a dear younger brother and let it go. I’ll take responsibility.’
Ki Woo nodded thoughtfully, as if understanding.
“Right. Come to think of it, it wasn’t begging but more like half-threatening.”
“I begged Eun Soo. Anyway, do you want to look around too?”
“No. From the looks of it, it seems like it’ll take a while, so let’s sit somewhere.”
“Alright. Let’s go down.”
Joo Han and Ki Woo went down to the basement. So Min, who encountered Ki Woo, gave a quick bow and headed towards the back of the warehouse.
“Sit here for a bit.”
Joo Han, who had entered the office space partitioned off in one corner of the workshop, offered Ki Woo the chair in front of his desk. Then he headed towards the capsule coffee machine placed on one side.
Ki Woo, sitting back in the chair with its elegant curve where the backrest and armrests connected, exclaimed,
“Wow, as expected of a furniture shop owner. You don’t even use ordinary chairs? This is really nice. The leather just molds to your body.”
“Want to buy one? There are other colors too, and if you want that one, I can have it cleaned up nicely and delivered.”
“I’m tempted, but elder brother is having a hard time these days.”
“Why, because you’re too busy with overflowing work and money is pouring in uncontrollably?”
Ki Woo chuckled. While it wasn’t quite to the point of money pouring in, it was true that the movie PR company was doing quite well, too good to complain about.
Joo Han, placing the coffee in front of Ki Woo, threw out a playful jab,
“What’s life like as a successful CEO, not just a regular CEO? I’m curious.”
“You’ll soon know what that life is like if you do well, but I’ll never know what life is like for a guy who looks like you, no matter how curious I am.”
“Uh… that’s a bit difficult.”
“Hey, sit right here and open your ears. I’m going to curse at you.”
Joo Han snickered as he sat across from him.
“But, elder brother.”
“What?”
“The person who came with you today, isn’t she the one you were seeing before?”
“Oh, you remember? Didn’t you only see her once?”
He had been unsure when they first came into the shop and exchanged greetings. But there was something familiar about her.
Especially the image of her standing next to Ki Woo seemed familiar somehow, and when he searched his memory, he recalled meeting and greeting her by chance about a year ago. Back then, Ki Woo’s arm was affectionately wrapped around the woman’s shoulders.
“Helping an ex-girlfriend shop for newlywed furniture…?”
Joo Han muttered as if talking to himself. Ki Woo responded nonchalantly,
“She’s just a friend, a friend. We were unusually close for a while, but now we’re just appropriately friendly. It’s like you and Eun Soo.”
“……”
Joo Han said nothing. Sol Hee’s words from not long ago flashed through his mind.
‘You’ve cleared everything out and become cool friends, so you can see each other every day and work together, right?’
So that’s how Eun Soo and I look to others.
Like friends who were unusually close for a while but are now just appropriately friendly.
A bitter smile appeared and disappeared on Joo Han’s lips.
Ex-husband Wants Reconciliation
One-line summary: Chasing the wife to the crematorium (making an effort to attract someone who has become indifferent), the female lead doesn’t look back, the second male lead takes the position.
Intro:
To repay the kindness of the older generation, Su Mu crossed into a female-dominated world and became a live-in daughter-in-law of the Yan family, single-handedly saving the Yan family from fire and water.
But her husband, Yan Jiyue, the eldest son of the Yan family, treated her with sarcasm and never showed her a good face.
It wasn’t until after Su Mu’s death that this pampered and arrogant young master shed a few fake tears and pretended to want to die for love.
This life’s kindness was enough. If there was a next life, she would definitely kick Yan Jiyue away.
Who knew that the heavens would be so kind as to allow her to be reborn, returning to the time when she had just married into the Yan family.
Su Mu glanced at the Yan eldest son, who still spoke coldly to her, and threw a divorce letter in front of him.
“Let’s divorce!”
***
Yan Jiyue never imagined that he would be reborn. He happily went to find Su Mu, wanting to make up for the mistakes he had made in his ignorant youth.
Wasn’t the reason the heavens allowed him to be reborn to let him reconcile with Su Mu?
But when he pushed open the door to Su Mu’s room, the person lying on the bed was another man.
Su Mu’s personal attendant, Xie Yi.
Yan Jiyue hated him so much that his teeth itched. In front of Su Mu, Xie Yi was a gentle and considerate whisperer of sweet nothings, but in reality, he was vicious-hearted and deliberately sabotaged their husband and wife relationship.
In the previous life, it was he who secretly hid in Su Mu’s coffin and committed suicide, stealing a step ahead of him to be buried with Su Mu.
Yan Jiyue’s eyes were filled with hatred as he cursed, “What kind of thing are you? Your background is lowly, what right do you have to occupy Su Mu?”
Xie Yi looked at the sleeping Su Mu and no longer pretended to be a whisperer of sweet nothings.
He proudly stuck out his belly, “I have the right because my belly is capable of giving the Wife-master a daughter.”
***
Yan Jiyue was consumed with jealousy. He spread rumors that Xie Yi had once been branded with the mark of a “harlot” on his chest.
But on the night Xie Yi cut off the flesh bearing that mark, Su Mu suddenly realized something was amiss.
“How did you know the exact moment I was poisoned? And why did you show up a month early?”
Xie Yi remained silent, blood from his wound soaking through his robes. His sapphire eyes brimmed with anguish – or was it just a flawless act?
Between a once-arrogant husband now seeking redemption, and a gentle soul willing to die for her – who truly held the darkest secrets? And could it be that Su Mu and Yan Jiyue weren’t the only ones given a second chance at life…?
[Reading Guide]
1. True divorce, chasing the wife to the crematorium, the female lead doesn’t look back, the male lead is Xie Yi.
2. The ex-husband did not cheat, he just realized too late and didn’t realize that he liked the female lead.
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