[Even that’s too much for the current performance. It’s an opportunity to buy cheap.]

“They won’t sell at that price.”

[Do I have to tell you everything step by step!]

Chairman Ryu spat out angrily, his nerves on edge.

[When the second half’s sales drop and the financial statements are a mess, they’ll sell. Make them unable to hold out without selling! That’s your job, isn’t it?]

That was the end of the call between the two wealthy men. Kyung Joon silently stared at his coldly disconnected phone, then turned his attention back to the documents.

The words didn’t seem to come into focus as easily as before.

‘If you’re loved.’

Yoon Seo Ha, who used to mumble with a slightly twisted pronunciation, came to mind.

‘I’m my mom and dad’s pride and treasure. I don’t need a husband. I’ll live happily with my mom while growing our company and show my brand to the world.’

Yoon Seo Ha always shone like that. It was both enviable and annoying. It had been that way since Kyung Joon was a little child.

Kyung Joon’s mother was a longpastherprime actress.

She met Chairman Ryu when the money she had earned during her heyday had long since run out, and all that remained were her pride and fading beauty. She must have hoped to live a life of leisure as the mistress of a wealthy chairman, but businessmen are not so easily manipulated.

Chairman Ryu practically banished her, pregnant, overseas, and even cut off her living expenses. It was only after a few years that she could barely return to her home country.

Kyung Joon had never experienced his parents’ love. He couldn’t eat properly, so he was very thin, and much shorter than his peers.

“It’s all because of you. My life has become like this because of you! If only you weren’t here!”

His drunk mother always yelled at Kyung Joon.

“Stop, stop. You’ll ruin your throat with all that yelling. Fine, take this and go buy some tteokbokki.”

The men who used to hang around his mother would pull a 10,000 won bill from their pockets and throw it at her.

Kyung Joon couldn’t even eat the tteokbokki.

“Hey, what did you do with the money you got earlier? Hand it over.”

The crumpled 10,000 won bill belonged to his mother.

Despite everything, Kyung Joon attended a good school. He thought that perhaps it was another form of love.

But his mother spoke as if it was astounding.

“Your father will look for you someday, won’t he? I have to show that you’re useful then to get the value of giving birth to you.”

At that school, Kyung Joon saw Yoon Seo Ha.

Unlike Kyung Joon, who was always downcast and alone, Yoon Seo Ha had friends wherever she went. The teachers, who subtly avoided Kyung Joon, bloomed with smiles when they saw Seo Ha.

He was so envious. So envious that he spitefully splashed paint on Seo Ha’s pretty clothes.

“What are you doing!”

Seo Ha, who had been quietly standing there, yelled in surprise at the paint attack. Startled by the sudden focus of everyone’s attention, Kyung Joon froze on the spot.

“How am I supposed to fix this? My mom bought this for me as a birthday gift!”

It was the first time he had seen Seo Ha so angry. It was disconcerting and scary, but strangely, he also felt a peculiar sense of pleasure.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were there. I was just going to wash the brush…”

“Don’t lie! You saw me, didn’t you? Apologize. Apologize now!”

Seo Ha’s dress looked expensive and luxurious at first glance. As usual, Kyung Joon, wearing wornout pants and a tshirt that his mother had gotten from somewhere, stood in front of Seo Ha, flustered.

That’s when a miracle happened.

“Seo Ha, it’s no use if it’s like this. Kyung Joon said he’s sorry.”

The homeroom teacher, who had always adored Seo Ha, took Kyung Joon’s side.

“That’s right. Don’t be like that. Kyung Joon is a pitiful kid.”

“Be nice to Kyung Joon, Seo Ha.”

“You can just buy new clothes.”

Friends from all around stepped in. Even Yoon Seo Ha showed a sorry expression towards the bewildered Kyung Joon, who had been standing still.

“I’m sorry, Kyung Joon. I guess I misunderstood. Don’t worry about the paint; it can be washed off.”

“Uh, uh, yeah…”

Having ruined her pretty clothes and even receiving an apology, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

Kyung Joon hung around Seo Ha for several days. As Seo Ha always had friends around, it was difficult to find a moment when she was alone.

Had she noticed his gaze? One day, Seo Ha approached Kyung Joon.

“You have something to say to me, right?”

There was a very pleasant scent.

“Uh… Uh, yes.”

Kyung Joon’s face turned red as he stuttered his response. His small heart was pounding so much that he couldn’t speak properly.

“Well, that time… the paint. Your dress… Actually, I did it on purpose. I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I knew that. But…”

Seo Ha came one step closer with a bright smile and whispered.

“Try doing something like that again. I’ll dunk your head in a bucket of paint.”

“…?”

Kyung Joon stared blankly at Seo Ha, wondering if he had heard her correctly.

“Did you just say that?”

“Yes. You understood it well, right?”

Seo Ha smiled again, turned her body, and ran off, shouting.

“Goodbye, Kyung Joon! See you tomorrow!”

Kyung Joon mumbled to himself as he watched Seo Ha’s figure fluttering away like a butterfly.

“…She really was an unlucky girl. Yoon Seo Ha.”

The next semester, his mother couldn’t afford the tuition, and Kyung Joon had to transfer to another school.

The vivid memory gradually faded with time. By the time Kyung Joon reached high school, having gone through elementary and middle school, his mother had also passed away.

Chairman Ryu, whom his mother had waited for her entire life, sent someone to pick up Kyung Joon only after the funeral was over. It was as if he had been waiting for her to die.

Kyung Joon made relentless efforts to prove his worth to Chairman Ryu. He poured out his efforts to catch up with his older brothers’ academic achievements, studied while working as a lowranking employee in the company, and learned practical skills.

“If we can successfully acquire this place…”

Kyung Joon, who had just finished reviewing the documents, looked around the office again. It was a company where he had worked extremely hard, using the excuse of acquisition.

With a bitter smile, Kyung Joon got up and left the office. Due to the late hour, the lights were off on every floor the elevator descended to.

Except for one floor.

“Who left the lights on? They don’t know how to save the company’s electricity.”

Grumbling, Kyung Joon pressed the button for the lower floor and got out of the elevator.

When he went up the stairs, he realized it wasn’t just the hallway with the lights on. A little further inside, an office was brightly lit like daylight, and the rustling sound of movement could be heard.

It was the design room.

Kyung Joon’s steps seemed to be drawn to something, and he involuntarily moved towards the design room.

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