I couldn’t sleep all night. Ji Soo, who had stayed up all night with her eyes open, called Ok Soon as soon as morning came.

“Mother, is elder brother there by any chance?”

[What kind of phone etiquette is that? Don’t you think to say ‘Did you sleep well’ when calling in the morning? This is why poor kids are no good!]

“I’m, I’m sorry. Yesterday elder brother went out for a drive and didn’t come back… I was worried.”

[Seung Oh slept here.]

“Then, could you please put him on the phone? He didn’t answer when I called yesterday.”

[Why are you calling when the child is busy getting ready? He’ll wash up, eat breakfast, and go straight to work from here, so know that. I’m hanging up!]

The phone cut off abruptly. Even though she couldn’t hear his voice, it was a relief that he was at his in-laws’. Ji Soo finally relaxed and enjoyed a rare morning without having to prepare breakfast.

“Maybe I’ll have some toast.”

It was when Ji Soo took bread out of the freezer and put it in the toaster that a clear guidance voice flowed from the living room wall pad.

[A vehicle has passed through the main gate.]

“Huh?”

Seung Oh was supposed to be preparing for work at his in-laws’ house. Unless he could teleport, it was impossible for him to come home now.

Five minutes later.

That impossible thing happened.

“Did you sleep well, honey?”

Lee Seung Oh appeared, opening the front door with a big smile and spreading his arms. Ji Soo hesitated, then just went to him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and gave him a quick kiss.

“Where did you go? You didn’t answer your phone. I was worried.”

“I drove around nearby and slept at my parents’ house. I didn’t want to wake you up by coming in late.”

“… Then are you coming from your parents’ house now?”

“That’s right.”

Lee Seung Oh sniffed around and frowned.

“Toast? Don’t you know I hate having bread for breakfast?”

“I thought you weren’t coming, elder brother. I’ll quickly prepare a meal for you!”

Ji Soo hurriedly put on an apron and took ingredients out of the refrigerator to cut.

But there was no way she could concentrate on cooking. Unless she was a fool, how could she not know that Lee Seung Oh wasn’t coming from his parents’ house now?

“Ouch!”

The sharp knife blade cut near her thumbnail. Bright red drops of blood immediately fell onto the cutting board.

“Are you okay?”

Seung Oh ran over at the sound and examined her finger.

“I’m, I’m fine.”

“It’s a deep cut. I’ll just eat breakfast at the company, so don’t cook today.”

Lee Seung Oh dumped all the zucchini and tofu that had been cut into the sink and brought a bandage.

“Um, elder brother.”

As Seung Oh cleaned the bloody finger and put on the bandage, Ji Soo stared at him blankly and carefully opened her mouth.

“Wait. It’s done.”

Seung Oh finished neatly bandaging the cut and looked up.

“Why did you call me, honey?”

“…”

She remembered Seung Oh’s cold back as he left last night after she had just complained a little.

What would happen if she asked where he had been last night if not at his parents’ house?

Ji Soo’s lips moved several times, but she just shook her head.

“Thank you. And, I’m sorry about last night.”

“I knew you would apologize.”

Lee Seung Oh smiled gently and hugged Ji Soo tightly, patting her back.

“Jo Seo Ha may be lacking in educational background and experience, but she has quite good sense. She’ll probably do well at the next design review. That would be good for you, good for the design team, and good for my company. Don’t you think?”

The ‘design review’ was an essential step that had to be taken before preparing new products each season.

Designers would each make physical samples and put them on models, then managers from each store and company executives would gather to choose which designs would actually go into production.

Since it was such an important task, there was no place for the youngest designer to stand.

They usually didn’t even look at their own designs while doing all sorts of miscellaneous work while their seniors designed and made samples.

“You want Jo, Jo Seo Ha to participate in the design review?”

When Ji Soo asked in disbelief, Lee Seung Oh shrugged.

“She’s an official designer. What’s wrong with that?”

“She just got her designer badge. Usually, the youngest designer doesn’t participate in the design review.”

“I want to see it.”

Actually, it was Kyung Jun who had said to have Jo Seo Ha participate in the design review. Since he couldn’t explain that in detail, Seung Oh just said vaguely that he wanted to see it.

But those words were a huge shock to Ji Soo.

“I, I didn’t even participate in the design review my first year!”

“Okay, let’s go quickly now. Ryu Secretary said he can’t come today, so let’s go to work together.”

“I love you,” Seung Oh said, lightly kissing Ji Soo’s forehead.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Please complete the work order by tomorrow morning!”

“I need to get the pattern today but there’s no contact from the pattern room. Seo Ha, could you go get it yourself?”

“Aren’t you going to organize the packages that arrived? We can’t move around because of the boxes!”

“Seo Ha, come here and take out some fabric!”

The youngest designer had much more work than an intern. Thanks to seniors calling from here and there, Seo Ha let time pass without even holding a pencil.

When I go back, I’ll treat the youngest designers really well. I won’t let them do such miscellaneous tasks. For sure.

In the meantime, a new design suddenly came to mind. Seo Ha quietly slipped a stub of a pencil into her pocket and slipped out of the design room, pretending to go to the bathroom.

Since it was almost lunchtime, if she skipped the meal, she could spare at least thirty minutes.

She needed a place to sketch where others wouldn’t see. Was there an empty office?

After pondering for a moment, Seo Ha headed straight for the elevator to Kyung Jun’s office on the top floor. No one comes and goes, it’s quiet, and the desk is comfortable. It was the perfect place to hide and design.

−Knock knock.

After knocking a couple of times out of courtesy and entering, Kyung Jun, who was just putting on his jacket, furrowed his brow.

“What is it?”

“Let me borrow your office. And if you have a blank notebook, give me one of those too.”

“Why should I do that?”

“You said to come up with an amazing design.”

“Did a bomb drop on the design room?”

Seo Ha took out the pencil from her pocket and waved it.

“A work bomb dropped. If I stay in the design room, I don’t even have time to hold a pencil.”

“Haaaa.”

Kyung Jun sighed long and hard, clearly displeased about something. Still, he found a blank notebook from the bookshelf and threw it to her.

“Don’t leave eraser shavings. I’ll be back in exactly forty minutes, so finish up by the time I arrive.”

“Received.”

As Kyung Jun was about to walk out briskly while adjusting his tie, just before grabbing the handle, he suddenly turned to look at Seo Ha.

“It’s lunchtime now. Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Buy me a subway sandwich on your way back. Half a rotisserie chicken on honey oat bread with all the insides scooped out, shredded cheese, all the vegetables and lots of olives, olive oil and pepper for dressing. And an iced Americano with one shot and no syrup.”

“I didn’t say I’d buy you anything.”

“I see.”

Seo Ha replied indifferently, scribbling with her pencil without even looking at Kyung Jun. Soon Kyung Jun grumbled, “What kind of woman is this,” and left the room.

“What kind of spy is this.”

Seo Ha also muttered while continuing to move her pencil.

After concentrating for a while, hunger slowly crept in. There were ten minutes left until the time Kyung Jun said he’d return. Seo Ha put down the second design she had just started drawing and massaged her wrist.

“I should at least drink some water.”

Seo Ha went to the vending machine at the end of the hallway and got a can of the tea drink she used to drink a lot during college.

“…?”

But Lee Ji Soo was in the office. Holding the notebook Seo Ha had been drawing in until just now.

“Jo Seo Ha. What were you doing here?”

Ji Soo waved the notebook in her hand. Seo Ha walked over without hesitation and tried to snatch the notebook from her hand.

“Give it here!”

“Oh my.”

Ji Soo quickly hid the notebook behind her back and giggled.

“I just want to look, why. Can’t a team leader see a team member’s design?”

Seo Ha looked behind her. Fortunately, the door was tightly closed.

It was a good thing.

“Hey. Lee Ji Soo.”

Ji Soo’s eyes widened.

“Jo Seo Ha. Are you crazy?”

“You’re the crazy one. How dare you handle someone else’s design like that?”

“Hey!”

“Did you lose your mind after getting the senior designer and design team leader badge while the legal wife is away, you mistress?”

Seo Ha continued speaking in a small but clear voice without filtering.

“That’s not your skill. It’s your married boyfriend’s backing. You know that too, that’s why you’re going crazy tearing up and stealing my designs, right? Am I wrong?”

“You crazy b***h!”

The notebook flew forcefully from Ji Soo’s hand. Seo Ha reflexively tilted her head to the side to avoid it. Missing its target, the notebook flew and landed with a thud near Kyung Jun’s feet by the open door.

“…”

Kyung Jun bent down to pick up the notebook. In his hand was a sandwich bag.

“What are you doing in my office?”

Then the door opened a bit more and Lee Seung Oh poked his head in.

“Honey. Why are you here?”

“O-oppa!”

Ji Soo, who became as triumphant as a general who had gained a million-strong army at the sight of Seung Oh, scurried over.

“Did you hear? I told you. She’s weird!”

“I heard.”

The sandwich bag Kyung Jun threw landed precisely in the middle of the sofa.

“Lee Ji Soo shouting that someone’s a crazy b***h.”

“No, that’s-!”

“I’m sorry!”

Just as Ji Soo was about to protest her innocence, Seo Ha’s knees hit the floor.

“I’m really sorry, Team Leader. I just suddenly had a design idea… I was going to quickly draw this and go back down to work. Really!”

She even put her hands together as if praying, and Seung Oh frowned. It was the exact expression Seo Ha had seen when she first met Ji Soo.

“What are you saying, Jo Seo Ha! You were just talking rudely to me!”

“What did Jo Seo Ha say?”

Seung Oh asked Ji Soo with his face still frowning.

“Uh, well…”

You can’t say it out loud, can you? How can you say with your own mouth that I called you a mistress who became team leader through your married boyfriend’s backing while the legal wife is away?

“CEO, Team Leader did nothing wrong. She was just scolding me for leaving the design room on my own. It’s all my fault, so please don’t blame the Team Leader!”

Seo Ha put her hands on the floor and bowed her head repeatedly. With each bow, the smile she secretly wore went unseen by anyone.

“Haaa.”

Lee Seung Oh sighed deeply, pushed Ji Soo aside, and approached Seo Ha, holding out his hand.

“Stand up, Jo Seo Ha.”

This guy clearly has a prince on a white horse complex. Seo Ha looked up at Seung Oh with moist eyes and grasped his hand, standing up unsteadily.

“Ow ow ow…”

“Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Ah, no. I’m fine. Thank you, CEO.”

Seung Oh secretly squeezed Seo Ha’s hand, who had her shoulders hunched up, and slowly let go without anyone noticing.