‘It can’t be Choong-Sik, can it? Why am I even thinking about this now?’
Just then, she looked up and inadvertently made eye contact with Choong-Sik sitting across from her.
“Do you want to grab a coffee?”
“What to do? I just had one with Deputy Jo.”
“Did you? I’m late then.”
Seeing Choong-Sik’s slightly deflated expression, Ji Yeon found herself unexpectedly concerned.
‘He’s not usually like this. Why is he acting off today?’
“Choong-Sik, how about later in the evening? The guys are making a fuss because you didn’t contact them since you’ve been in Korea. They’re demanding a gathering… You should have reached out earlier; why do I have to get scolded in your place?”
“I’m free!”
Choong-Sik immediately answered with a sparkle in his eye.
“Alright then. I’ll tell everyone to gather around 10 pm, short and sweet. And just so you know, you’re going to get an earful from Choi Yoo Na.”
“Ugh, Choi Yoo Na! Am I a dead man walking?”
“Do you ask because you don’t know? Come prepared to be a human punching bag. And just so you know, I’ll be there with Yoo Na too.”
Ji Yeon laughed, amused by the thought.
‘Nah… it’s not Choong-Sik. Deputy Jo Yu Ri has got it all wrong.’
At the afternoon team meeting, Ji Yeon scheduled a meeting with Author Soo for Thursday afternoon and checked the list of colleagues who would accompany her.
“Section Chief Seol, can you make it this Thursday?”
“I might have difficulty that day. Manager Eun, you and Manager Choong-Sik go and make sure to handle the discussion well. I think I can attend the storyboard review meeting later.”
“Understood. I guess Director Lee will be too busy to attend?”
With Lee Kang Hyun absent due to another meeting, his attendance on Thursday was uncertain.
Typically, executives didn’t attend meetings related to advertising models, but this project was different from usual ad campaigns, so there was a possibility he might attend.
“Why does everyone call me Choong-Sik? My name is Kwon Yi An.”
Choong-Sik’s sudden question to everyone was met with a few seconds of silence.
“Since there’s also collaboration with the same author on the product side, Director Lee might be able to join. I’ll leave a note with his secretary.”
“Okay, I will.”
Everyone moved on to the next topic as if they hadn’t heard Choong-Sik.
“Manager Choong-Sik, have you heard anything in the U.S. about Author Soo? The author is more famous there than in Korea.”
“No. The author is so secretive, there’s no exposure of their real name or face. They do all their work alone, right? And all external communication is handled by the agency. That’s why I was so surprised when they agreed to participate in our advertisement, and even attend a meeting in person. A total surprise that they’re currently in Korea.”
“We’ve got approval for new work for the advertisement, and we’ll try to persuade them for an appearance when we meet.”
“Alright, let’s conclude the meeting. Manager Ji Yeon, please confirm Director Lee’s attendance, Deputy Jo, check with the Korean agency about the budget and share it with me. Manager Choong-Sik, please arrange the meeting venue with the author. It’s best to pick a quiet place for the initial meeting without the Korean agency. And Employee Ko, check the contract with the legal team.”
Section Chief Seol Dong-Seok wrapped up the meeting, summarizing the main points.
And so, Choong-Sik’s name was… just going to stay as Kwon Choong-Sik.
Upon leaving the meeting, Ji Yeon was startled to see an unread message.
For over ten years, during the three they lived together, she had never heard such words from Cha Min Woo.
[I miss you, Eun Ji Yeon.]‘Cha Min Woo, this guy must have finally lost it.’
Ji Yeon quickly deleted the message lest anyone see it.
‘Why is he doing this now? Are things not going well with Jung Se Ah?’
The more Cha Min Woo acted like this, the more Ji Yeon’s feelings for him cooled.
How easy must she have appeared to him, for him to casually throw such words, expecting them to change anything? She really detested it.
How easily did I seem, for such words to be tossed casually as if they would change something? I really despised seeing that.
‘Please, just stop appearing in my life, whether it’s your face, a message, or even your shadow!’
Given the late hour, Ji Yeon thought it best to invite her friends over to her house instead of going out to eat.
“Ji Yeon, your place is too nice, isn’t it? Let me live here with you.”
As soon as Yu Na, who communicated with Ji Yeon the most out of the quintet, arrived, she flopped down in the living room, clearly loving the space.
“Seung Gyu is glaring, Yu Na. If you don’t want to get lasered by your husband’s gaze, be careful! But you’re always welcome to visit anytime.”
Eun Ji Yeon, Kwon Choong-Sik, Choi Yu Na, Kim Seung Gyu, and Kang Tae Ho.
These five were inseparable throughout middle school.
Even after going to different high schools and universities, with Choong-Sik leaving for the U.S., the remaining four would meet at least two or three times a month to study and hang out – they were true friends.
They were so close that they never considered each other romantically; they were what you’d call ‘XX friends.’ However, Yu Na and Seung Gyu had secretly started dating and eventually got married.
‘Life is so unpredictable.’
While the three men went to buy some drinks from the convenience store, Ji Yeon and Yu Na started setting the delivered food on the table.
“That guy Choong-Sik, he needs to get dusted off today. How can he just pop up out of nowhere after diving under for so long?”
Yu Na joked while clenching her fist.
“But Yu Na, isn’t it strange? We haven’t seen each other for so long, but it feels just like yesterday. It doesn’t feel awkward at all, does it?”
“Families don’t get awkward just because they haven’t seen each other for a few years. But what’s he like at work?”
“I haven’t quite grasped how he works since he hasn’t been there long, but Director Lee said he brought Choong-Sik in because he’s good at his job. Director Lee is very strict with work, so if he says that, Choong-Sik must be good.”
“No, no, that’s not what I mean. Isn’t that guy, you know, clingy to you?”
Ji Yeon turned to Yu Na, her eyes filled with surprise.
“What do you mean clingy? Him? Kwon Choong-Sik, to me? No way!”
“Ugh, our Ji Yeon is so oblivious in this area. Even if he flirted, you wouldn’t notice.”
Yu Na sighed deeply, shaking her head.
“What are you saying, Yu Na? Are you saying I’m so clueless that I wouldn’t know?”
“Everyone but you knows. Choong-Sik likes you.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
