Parachute, what do you mean by parachute?

Tae Hong was bluntly cold to Hae Jin on her first day at work. Though she tried her best to hide her irritation, an unintended battle of gazes unfolded.

“I heard well from the Chairman. That you’ll be personally marking me.”

The sarcastic tone was strangely grating. But do you know? That an amazing modifier was missing in front.

Personally marking the rugby ball. More precisely, one that could bounce anywhere unpredictably.

Hae Jin swallowed the words she was about to fire back like a machine gun and forced a generous smile.

Right now, she was the weak one. He was her lifeline, the rope she had to hold onto. Within the company, he was the team leader, and she was just a deputy manager. In a hierarchical society, rank was power and authority.

Moreover, he was none other than the heir to the Yeonchang Group.

Hae Jin had a salary she needed to receive regularly from now on, and now was not the time to freely express the words in her heart. It was time to act tactfully.

Tae Hong, who had no way of knowing what words she was uttering inside, simply looked her up and down.

The feeling wasn’t good from the start. The other party was not friendly from the beginning. He even blatantly showed that she was a thorn in his side.

It was a scene she had imagined, and she thought she had become strong through constant mental training, but when actually confronted directly, it still hurt helplessly.

The arrival sound of another elevator was heard. And the Strategic Planning Team employees started getting off one by one. Noticing the employees hesitating upon seeing Tae Hong and Hae Jin, Tae Hong started moving first.

“Follow me, Jung Hae Jin.”

The employees who came to greet looked questioningly at the two. Tae Hong started walking ahead.

As expected of a jerk, he doesn’t even return the employees’ greetings.

Following behind him, she naturally scanned the employees. From those around her age to older-looking people, the size of the Strategic Planning Team was larger than expected.

Though she had resolved thousands of times not to be intimidated, she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the stares that clung persistently to her steps as she followed Tae Hong.

Everyone except herself was already part of one team. Even facing them one-on-one would be a case of one against many.

The one in need should dig the well. For now, she held back her gaze and gestures. She needed to gauge the company atmosphere, and she was the one who needed to approach them first.

Hae Jin walked looking only at around Tae Hong’s shoulders to avoid lowering her head. The team leader’s office is at the very end of the 28th floor corridor. While walking to his room, she quickly scanned the office size, atmosphere, desk arrangements, etc.

Compared to Sion, it was definitely a larger scale. There were many employee desks, and several meeting rooms as well.

The pantry, the flower of rest, also caught her eye. From years of office experience, it seemed free but with a strict hierarchy feeling.

Lost in thoughts while walking, she found herself in front of the team leader’s office.

The team leader’s office was similar to Tae Hong’s first impression. Clean, but the furniture resembling its owner was cold. The spotless desk lacked a human touch.

Tae Hong routinely took off his jacket to hang it and put down his mobile phone. Then he undid the cuffs on his sleeves and rolled them up a few times. He gestured mechanically towards the sofa.

“Sit down.”

She noticed him even preparing tea cups himself, whether out of courtesy to a new acquaintance. He picked up one of various types of tea.

His voice without the sarcasm was a pleasant baritone. Hae Jin’s eyes narrowed at his different demeanor from in the elevator.

Calling him a jerk.

For a moment, she regretted her prejudice. Though he called her a parachute, could it be because she first blocked the elevator with her foot?

The thought flashed by very briefly, very briefly. He set down two cups and sat across from Hae Jin.

“Drink. It’s good for clearing your head in the morning.”

As Tae Hong first brought the teacup to his lips, Hae Jin followed suit. After putting down his cup, Tae Hong stretched out his long legs and crossed them to one side. With his arms on the armrests, he leisurely observed Hae Jin sipping her tea.

“What’s your relationship with the Chairman?”

Just as she was getting used to the heat of the tea, the question that suddenly blocked her words made her movements stop. Hae Jin chose silence instead of answering, not knowing the intent of the question.

“Ah. You won’t answer difficult questions?”

She remained calm even under the gaze that stared intently while talking to himself.

Hae Jin knew. In unfavorable moments, or when something could become a weakness, one should keep their mouth shut and assess the situation.

“You must know this won’t be resolved by not answering. Well, fine. Try not answering till the end.”

Though she chose silence, that may not be the best option. Anxiety washed over her, but Hae Jin didn’t rush. It was before she had figured out Tae Hong yet.

He leaned deep into the chair, crossing his legs as he picked up his teacup. At the end of the tug-of-war of silence, Tae Hong broke the quiet first.

“Are you perhaps some kind of private investigator? Undercover employment because of the Chairman?”

What is he saying? It felt like Tae Hong was constantly trying to dig something out of Hae Jin’s eyes while writing his own story.

“I’m not a private investigator, much less undercover employed.”

Hae Jin reluctantly opened her mouth. Feeling like the speculation would endlessly expand, she had to clearly let him know what wasn’t true before misunderstandings grew.

“You don’t have an unspeakable relationship with the Chairman, right?”

She had to stop the wings of imagination from spreading oddly in all directions, given what was in his head.

“You called me a parachute, I won’t deny that.”

At Hae Jin’s unexpected confession, Tae Hong seemed to finally start putting down his suspicious gaze bit by bit.

So honesty is the answer after all.

Having grasped which direction to take, Hae Jin started speaking smoothly.

“A kind of deal, yes. There was something like a deal.”

The suspicion cleared from Tae Hong’s face, and curiosity slowly took its place. Hae Jin opened her mouth with a resolute expression.

I should clearly tell him what that deal was.

“Specifically, it’s a request the Chairman made to me.”

You need to listen with your ears wide open. I’ll only say this once.

Hae Jin took a deep breath. Though her face looked delicate, her heart was firm. The corners of her mouth rising demurely was enough to make the other relax, but inside she was still the all-purpose deputy Jung Hae Jin.

“There’s a rugby ball in our company, and I’d like Hae Jin to personally mark it.”

Without a trace of laughter, Hae Jin delivered the words without missing a single syllable while imitating Jun Tae’s voice.

In this brief moment facing Tae Hong, she grasped one thing about him. That honest and factual stories worked on him better than lies and flimsy excuses.

Tae Hong’s brow furrowed as Jun Tae’s imitated voice suddenly came out of the pure-looking Hae Jin’s mouth. His crossed legs uncrossed as his body, which had been leaning deep into the chair, came forward to meet her.

“A rugby ball and personal marking.”

Tae Hong’s hand massaged the deep wrinkles between his brows. The fingertips that massaged the wrinkles eventually pressed firmly on his temples.

“The Chairman knows me too well. But, not a man, attaching a woman as a personal mark?”

Tae Hong’s slightly raised tone at the end was subtly irritating. It seemed to have a hint of mockery. Or not. Was it just her feeling?

Hae Jin held back her words. She needed time to figure out what the other’s cards were. Though it was a wide open space, the atmosphere became heavy again.

The difference was that while they had been looking at the other person towards one side before, now they were facing each other looking at faces.

This situation was more uncomfortable but there was no space or seat to avoid it. Hae Jin clasped her two hands that had been resting on her knees. She even felt like her hands were damp with tension.

Whether due to the hot tea or the heat of the gaze looking at her, she wasn’t sure exactly, but even the pressure of the heavy air pressing down felt hot.

For now, she hoped the uncomfortable interview would end quickly.

“Are you confident?”

It was awkward. An ultra-awkward question.

How could she be confident? She was doing this because her livelihood depended on it.

“Yes, I’m confident.”

Unlike her thoughts, her voice was loud enough to cause misunderstanding. In contrast to her pure and pitiful face, there was even discipline in her voice. Backed into a corner in the face of survival, Hae Jin exerted superhuman patience.

“You say you’re confident.”

Tae Hong’s words trailed off, and his expression also twisted strangely. This time, a blatant gaze clung to her.

“Just how confident are you?”

Ahem, Hae Jin cleared her throat and sat up straight. Thinking that her livelihood depended on this answer, she naturally assumed a proper posture.

I need to answer well. Jung Hae Jin. You’re no longer Sion’s Jung Hae Jin. There’s nowhere to back down, and there won’t be another golden opportunity like this. Maybe this path could bring your family back together.

So Hae Jin, let’s do this properly.

“I, I’m good at handling accidents.”

Rugby ball and personal marking, the word that fit in between came to Hae Jin’s mind. But accident was clearly what this current situation was.

The Chairman must have been worried too. With his handsome looks and tall stature, and above all as the only son to inherit the Yeonchang Group, how many temptations would be reaching out from the outside.

Especially the approach of women could be the most dangerous. He could get caught up in scandals due to women coming at him with determination. In that aspect, wouldn’t a female personal mark be somewhat advantageous and able to deal with things more flexibly.

Since there wouldn’t be unnecessary misunderstandings. So it must be to make it easier to monitor by attaching her to him. It was Hae Jin’s reason for employment that she came up with after mind control and lying awake at night.

As an additional option, hoping she wasn’t a new employee, someone desperate for this position and who knew the ecology of this field well.

Now she could understand that Hae Jin was at the intersection of numerous conditions.

But Tae Hong’s expression crumpled strangely again. The texture of his blatant gaze twisted.

“Handling accidents.”

Unlike the utterly serious Hae Jin, Tae Hong laughed, even tilting his head back, at whatever he found funny. Tae Hong’s laughter that had continued for a while stopped.

It was the moment Tae Hong’s real face, which she hadn’t seen until now, was revealed. Hae Jin froze in place as she faced it.

The sharply narrowed eyes made her unable to move an inch.

“Alright, Jung Hae Jin.”

As if nothing had happened, Tae Hong stood up brushing off his pants, and Hae Jin’s head lifted following him. Along with his crumpled expression, his pants straightened out.

Is life taking the highway like this? Enough to cause a misunderstanding.

And Hae Jin stood up from her seat like a marionette without realizing it.

Tae Hong’s hand with the sleeves rolled up several times reached out towards Hae Jin.

“I look forward to you personally marking me well.”