“I understand why you’re angry, Secretary Ryu.”

Jo Seo Ha spoke slowly. Her tone and observing gaze were strangely captivating.

“Who said I was angry?”

Seo Ha looked leisurely at Kyung Jun speaking uncertainly and smiled.

“How much?”

“…”

Where did she pick up such keen hearing?

“I’m not angry, I’m irritated. I clearly told you to focus on design and not think about seducing that idiot.”

“I didn’t seduce him. The idiot seduced me.”

Jo Seo Ha took a couple sips of beer, then wiped her mouth with a “Ah.”

“Well, anyone would misunderstand. Besides, Secretary Ryu, you’re devoted to serving Chairman Kang, and the idiot is Chairman Kang’s son-in-law. Of course you’d be angry. But that’s no reason to be mad at me.”

So that’s why he was angry? Kyung Jun pondered Seo Ha’s words for a moment. It made sense, but he didn’t think that was the real reason he was upset.

But let’s just go with that. If Jo Seo Ha says so, then that must be it.

“I broke the vase on purpose.”

Jo Seo Ha said quietly.

“I thought you might be outside. I believed if I broke it, you’d come running. And you actually came.”

How strange. Hearing those words, his frozen heart melted like snow. It’s funny that his heart was frozen in the first place, but that’s how it was.

“I just opened the door because the sound was too loud.”

“I know. That’s why I smashed it with all my might.”

Seo Ha hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees.

“I’ll probably annoy Secretary Ryu a lot in the future. I’ll also need a lot of help. You’re the only one who can help me anyway.”

“Why lay the groundwork to be even more annoying?”

“Please bear with me. For Yoon Seo Ha’s sake.”

Seo Ha unconsciously opened her palm and looked down at it.

Yoon Seo Ha’s hand had calluses on the middle finger of her right hand from using pencils too much, and it was even slightly bent. There were many scars here and there from cuts and needle pricks.

But this hand had more vitality. Though it had no scars or calluses, Jo Seo Ha’s hand seemed somewhat dry and dehydrated.

“I believe Yoon Seo Ha will return.”

Seo Ha’s murmur was both to Kyung Jun and to herself.

“But before that, I’ll protect Yoon Seo Ha’s company. I won’t be picky about means or methods. I need to see those two parasites who shamelessly fed off each other tear into one another.”

“Did you hear? The Design Team leader got disciplined.”

“Disciplined? Why?”

“Apparently she slapped the cheek of the new junior designer and got caught. She’s been suspended for workplace violence.”

“With the design review right around the corner… Besides, isn’t she intimate with CEO Lee Seung Oh? And she still got disciplined?”

It was well-known in other departments that all the existing designers had quit, unable to endure since Lee Ji Soo became team leader.

The fact that Ji Soo, who had never even written an apology letter despite her reckless behavior, was suspended naturally became a hot topic within the company.

Rumors spread like wildfire. With the person in question absent, people gossiped without restraint.

The problem was that the rumors started to involve Seo Ha as well.

“Is that her?”

Seo Ha was on edge all day from the whispers. It was a mystery why this weak body had such sharp ears.

“Jo from Accounting said he saw them having lunch together yesterday.”

“I heard they even had coffee.”

“Oh my. Are they openly dating while Team Leader Lee is away?”

“Actually, there’s no need to be wary of Team Leader Lee. The CEO was married from the start.”

That’s right. The accident happened before the divorce papers were filed.

It was easy to listen to all this gossip with one ear and let it go out the other. None of the rumors were accurate anyway, so there was no need to pay attention.

Seo Ha, who had lived with rumors her whole life, wasn’t bothered by this level of gossip.

It was nothing. Really nothing.

Why is he like this?

Seo Ha wondered what expression to make as she looked at Lee Seung Oh lounging in the CEO’s chair.

“You’re quite something, Jo Seo Ha.”

Click.

Click.

Lee Seung Oh clicked the pen in his hand rhythmically.

“What… do you mean?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? Or pretending not to know?”

Seo Ha shook her head a couple times. She didn’t understand what this idiot was saying, nor did she want to know.

“You really look like you don’t know.”

Because I don’t, you bastard.

Lee Seung Oh slowly pushed back his chair and stood up. Thinking he might try something foolish again, Seo Ha put up her guard and stepped back two paces.

“Don’t be scared. You’re like a stray cat.”

I wish I were a cat. I could bite him and run away – wouldn’t he die of sepsis? Ah, he can’t die yet. He needs to hang on until I find my body.

Seo Ha lowered her gaze pitifully, fighting an internal battle between emotion and reason.

“I don’t understand why you called me today. I have a lot of work piling up, so if you could tell me quickly…”

“I know you’re busy. Shall I get straight to the point then?”

Lee Seung Oh approached as much as Seo Ha had retreated, stroking her hair with one hand.

“I’ve become interested in you, Jo Seo Ha.”

I know.

“But it seems I’m not the only one interested in you.”

…That, I don’t know.

When Seo Ha looked at him quizzically, Lee Seung Oh smirked.

“You really didn’t know? I’m talking about Secretary Ryu.”

He was clearly misunderstanding something.

Seo Ha wasn’t sure if she should correct this, and if so, where to begin. When in doubt, it’s best to keep your mouth shut.

“I’ve known Secretary Ryu for a long time. That bas… that person doesn’t show interest in anyone like this. Especially women – he hates them. He scowls even if a passing woman just asks for his contact. It’s like he has a vendetta against women or something.”

He seemed to have a good grasp of Ryu Kyung Jun’s personality after observing him for a few years. Seo Ha almost nodded in agreement, but caught herself and just said, “I see.”

“But he’s different with you, Jo Seo Ha.”

Lee Seung Oh twisted his lips sinisterly.

“It’s not just different. It may not be love, sure. But for Secretary Ryu’s standards… couldn’t we call it love?”

Seo Ha almost contorted her face like a half-rotten pumpkin, losing her poker face. Lee Seung Oh was disgusting enough, but what he was saying now was even more revolting.

Love? That Ryu Kyung Jun? The world champion of rudeness, who could make even Trump cry with his insolence?

“I think you’re misunderstanding something.”

“I don’t know if it’s a misunderstanding or not. Let’s make a deal, Jo Seo Ha.”

Lee Seung Oh chuckled as if the mere thought amused him.

“A deal…?”

“Date Secretary Ryu for me.”

This time it was really dangerous. She almost screamed out loud. Me, do what with whom? Even if I did, why are you telling me to do such a thing?

“You look extremely flustered. Of course you would be. After all, you’d want to date me, Jo Seo Ha.”

Seo Ha covered her mouth with one hand. If she didn’t, she felt like she might really scream. Or let loose a string of curses.

“CEO, what on earth…”

Are you in your right mind?

She barely swallowed the last words. She knew Lee Seung Oh wasn’t in his right mind. It would be stranger if someone who tried to run over his wife with a truck because he was about to lose everything in the divorce was sane.

“That’s why I’m calling it a deal. I’m not asking you to really date him.”

Seeing Seo Ha’s expression, Lee Seung Oh laughed again.

“The truth is, I have some negotiations to do with Secretary Ryu. But he has more cards than me, so I’m at a bit of a disadvantage. So I’d like you to approach him and steer the negotiations in my favor.”

The ‘negotiations’ were likely about the merger between Taeyang Group and Kang Yoon, even without seeing it. But approach him and do what exactly?

“I don’t know what you expect from me. I’m just a designer. I’ve never thought about making deals with you or approaching Secretary Ryu…”

“This is why I like you, Jo Seo Ha. You know your place. You’re so docile.”

Why had she never realized that Lee Seung Oh’s specialty was talking shit? It would have been nice if her late father had appeared in a dream to throw some toilet paper.

“Don’t worry. I’ll give you all the instructions on what to do. And since it’s a deal, you should get something out of it too, right?”

She had reached a point where she was looking forward to what kind of shit he would spew next. Would it be star-shaped or heart-shaped?

“I don’t want anything…”

“Team Leader Lee Ji Soo asked me a favor. She said to fire you if none of your designs are selected at the review.”

I knew it. That goddamn sea squirt.

“F-fire me? Why?”

Seo Ha looked at Lee Seung Oh with wide, blinking eyes.

“I don’t know. The important thing is, no one has lasted more than six months when Team Leader Lee singled them out like this.”

Her fists clenched automatically at the thought of all the designers who had spent countless nights laughing and crying together as a family being driven out like this.

“…I see.”

“But don’t worry. I can protect you, Jo Seo Ha.”

It took talent to make workplace bullying and unfair dismissal sound so eloquent.

“Is that the deal? I approach Secretary Ryu, and you make sure I don’t get fired?”

“You think that’s all? Didn’t you hear me say I’m interested in you?”

Right on the mark.

“I still don’t understand your intentions, CEO.”

“That naive act is my style too.”

Lee Seung Oh stroked Seo Ha’s hair again. Slowly, from the top of her head down past her shoulders.

“Approach Secretary Ryu. In return, I’ll really date you, Jo Seo Ha.”

Seo Ha covered her mouth again. If she didn’t, this time a torrent of curses would surely pour out like a waterfall.

Right. She had planned to seduce Lee Seung Oh and give Lee Ji Soo a big “screw you.” She was going to slowly wedge herself between the two of them, gnawing at the foundations until everything came crashing down.

All while trying to reclaim Yoon Seo Ha’s body and her mother’s mind to put everything back in its rightful place.

“But CEO, you and Team Leader Lee Ji Soo…”

“So what? It’s not like we’re married.”

Lee Seung Oh smirked as if it was no big deal. He didn’t seem to consider the fact that he was already married to Yoon Seo Ha at all, not even a speck of glitter fallen from a hairpin.