The words Jae Ha left me with echoed in my mind as he dropped me off in front of the broadcasting station.
What did he mean by suppressing rumors with rumors?
‘Did he know about the unpleasant situation I faced at the broadcasting station?’
Jae Ha seemed to know that I was being ostracized.
Before I knew it, I was in front of the programming department, and I took a deep breath before opening the door.
The previously noisy office grew eerily silent upon my entrance.
I felt the hushed glances of my colleagues as I walked to my seat.
I wished I could just shut my eyes tightly.
Despite a week’s absence, my workspace remained unchanged.
As I set down my handbag, Senior Yeong Joon, who had been looking at me with concern, approached.
“Did you rest well, Yoon?”
“Yes, I rested… wait, no. I spent the time in self-reflection.”
I unintentionally agreed, but then quickly corrected myself.
Seeing my playful demeanor, Senior Yeong Joon’s face lit up.
“What self-reflection? What did you do wrong? It’s just a vacation.”
“Then I’ll think of it that way. Thanks to you, I had a good rest.”
“Looks like it. Your complexion has improved.”
I spent a luxurious week at a villa, eating, playing, and simply breathing, thanks to someone.
Yeong Joon’s comment about my improved complexion made me feel a little shy.
I began organizing my desk when he changed the topic.
“By the way, Yoon, I called you, but you didn’t answer?”
“Ah, I was in a place with no phone service.”
I noticed the missed call from Senior Yeong Joon only after returning to Jae Ha’s house yesterday.
I intended to inquire in the morning when I arrived at work.
“No phone service in this day and age?”
“Surprisingly, such places still exist.”
His eyebrows knitted in disbelief.
I could have contacted him if I really wanted to, but I had made a promise with Jae Ha.
We agreed not to concern ourselves with the outside world during our stay.
And so, I spent the week isolated, returning with newfound calm.
Thinking about it now, it seemed like a pretty good decision.
Perhaps because of that, I felt more relaxed than before.
“Was there something urgent? I saw the missed call and intended to get back to you.”
“Just a casual call to check in. But seeing you look so refreshed now is a relief.”
“It seems only you are genuinely concerned about me.”
We were chatting when the office door opened, and a familiar face peeked in, waving at me.
It was the news team staff I had agreed to meet this morning.
Senior Yeong Joon looked between the staff and me, puzzled.
“What’s this, Jeong Min is calling for you? Do you two have plans this early?”
“Yes. I had a favor to ask, so I reached out.”
“You did?”
Nodding, I stood up before he could ask further.
I felt if I broached the topic, I’d have to explain everything from start to finish.
“I’ll let you know later, Senior. See you in a bit.”
With a face full of curiosity, Senior Yeong Joon watched as I left the office.
I felt the watchful eyes of my colleagues until I exited.
They probably read the counter-article about Jae Ha, but their wariness towards me remained.
‘To regain my original position, I’ll need a strong move.’
Pondering how to resolve the issue, my eyes met with Jeong Min, who had been waiting outside.
I greeted him with a warm smile.
I intended to go to the company cafe, but it was bustling with people even in the early morning, so I headed to an outside cafe.
As I sat facing him, I remembered the moment I contacted him.
Near the end of the weekend when I returned to Seoul, I reached out to Jeong Min late at night, and he showed no signs of annoyance.
“I’m sorry for reaching out during the weekend. It was very inconsiderate of me, wasn’t it?”
“Nah, it wasn’t about work, so it’s okay.”
He waved off my apology, reassuring me.
At first, I was deeply concerned about how to clarify the rumors surrounding me.
‘It’s not just one or two rumors.’
The rumor about my relationship with Jae Ha had been resolved, thanks to the video he presented at his inauguration and subsequent articles.
However, the unresolved issue was about my parents.
‘The baseless rumor of being an unfilial son hurts the most.’
It was a fabricated statement by Seo Rin to disadvantage me, but people easily believed it.
Which meant, people believed what they saw rather than the truth.
That’s why I sought out Jeong Min, who had once seen me at the hospital where my parents were admitted.
It seemed more persuasive for a third person to testify than for me to explain directly.
“I have a slightly awkward favor to ask. Is it okay?”
“A favor? If it’s something I can help with, absolutely.”
With a smile that suggested I should be at ease, Jeong Min seemed to understand why I wanted to meet.
He probably heard various stories since he worked closely with Senior Yeong Joon.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but there are baseless rumors about me. The one I want to address most is the unfilial tag.”
“Ah…”
He nodded, understanding.
“I understand why such baseless rumors spread, but now I can’t just ignore them. So…”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced