Office Romance Scandal - Chapter 42

Despite the late hour, the surroundings were quiet. Beyond Tae Hong’s faded gaze, what did he want? Constantly delving in, yet pulling back at one end, what did I want?

In the deep black pupils, the things that surfaced urged an answer.

He had called me cute. My ears had turned red at those words. And what else did he say?

He said he was very surprised when I collapsed. The worry that had been uncertain was evident on his face, dripping with concern.

On top of that, he even boiled barley tea, causing all sorts of emotions.

Doesn’t he keep making my heart flutter, so isn’t that why I’m looking for ways to be with him now?

Though there are many sharp thorns entangled around, shall I become a vine on his solid wall?

As I walked, there was one thing that had newly settled in my organized mind. Had there ever been a time when my heart wasn’t shaken by all the actions he showed?

Thud, the planted seed took root. It finally pushed through the firmly trodden ground. That sprout grew gradually, and eventually took its place in front of his wall.

Hae Jin closed her large eyes slowly once, as if determined, then opened them. While fully feeling Tae Hong’s gaze still on her, she didn’t loosen her composure.

“I…”

Though it wasn’t a confession, her throat felt parched as if it were.

“I want to commute with you, Team Leader.”

As Hae Jin finally spoke, her thirst deepened. His eyes, wanting to be together, followed her steadily.

Hurry and say more, she even felt the desire to keep capturing his image that endlessly yearned. Because she liked his gaze, because she liked those eyes that only looked at her.

“Carpooling, you know?”

“Carpooling?”

Had he expected words like ‘I like you and want to be with you’? Tae Hong’s eyebrows raised slightly then quickly returned to their place. Whether the answer was unexpected or not to his liking, she couldn’t tell.

Whatever it was, Hae Jin briefed her thoughts in detail.

“It’s not about commuting together every day, of course that would be too much right now. But when our schedules match and we commute together, we’d have more time to talk about the project, Manager Lee’s work, things like that.”

Though it was clearly organized in her mind, the words coming out were a jumbled mess. Even to her rambling words, Tae Hong nodded his head, seeming to listen intently.

“So, Deputy Jung Hae Jin’s conclusion is.”

As if to add further explanation, she needed to speak, but he sharply summarized the situation.

“You want to be with me. Is that it?”

If forced to summarize in one line that would be it, but strangely his tone felt different. If she put weight on the functional aspect, he seemed to put weight on the emotional aspect.

Of course, she wasn’t ignoring the emotional side, but the depth felt different. Her eyes, slightly raised diagonally, stared at some empty space, wavering without finding their bearings.

“Alright. Let’s do that.”

Satisfaction settled on his face. Whether functional or emotional, it was clearly a conclusion both of them could be satisfied with.

It was a definite compromise between what he wanted and what she wanted.

As she looked at the comfortable smile he wore, her heart was gradually dyed.

Could this now be called watching out for one’s superior?

Her head tilted. Perhaps this was seeping into him, she thought.

**

Though the name had changed, Hae Jin took the wheel, and Tae Hong sat in the passenger seat looking at documents. Nothing had changed, and daily life flowed on.

“Team Leader.”

When he was looking at documents, she tried not to speak as much as possible. She didn’t want to break the flow, and he also didn’t seem to want to be spoken to.

So she often enjoyed driving in the silence that frequently came, but this time she broke the quiet.

To be precise, she hadn’t intended to break it, but as various thoughts continued in her mind, the title flowed out without her realizing. He simply said “Yes,” still focusing on the documents.

“From now on, I don’t need to worry about your schedule, right?”

“That’s right.”

Unlike his light answer, Hae Jin’s heart wasn’t so light. She couldn’t distinguish whether it was emptiness from losing the main branch of work, or regret for the moments spent together with him.

“Feeling regretful?”

While she was flustered about which it was, he pinpointed it. So it was regret after all, then would he feel regretful too?

“Even if you feel regret, you have to yield. It’s an important time for both Deputy Jung and me now.”

His words were right. It was also an issue of livelihood. But, apart from such rational things, it was something emotional that she had meant.

“What about you, Team Leader?”

She ended up asking what she shouldn’t have. A sense of unfairness, as if she alone was feeling regretful.

“I mean, aren’t you uncomfortable without someone by your side to be your hands and feet?”

She asked roundaboutly, but she was curious. Don’t they say the empty space is bigger than when someone was there?

Sometimes when schedules don’t match and she commutes alone, it feels awkward and strange, but how would he feel?

“It will be uncomfortable, but it can’t be helped.”

As expected, he clearly distinguishes between public and private matters. The reason it couldn’t be seen as just cold was also because his position was as the heir to Yeonchang Group.

“Still, I should try to match my commute with Deputy Jung as much as possible.”

Rather than keep looking at his phone. As he captured Hae Jin in his pupils instead of the documents, embarrassment washed over her, and her face burned hot.

With that exact gaze, we had kissed.

“Since we’re on the topic, let’s go home together today too.”

She shook her head so he wouldn’t notice. It was she who couldn’t distinguish between public and private.

As the burning thoughts kept coming, her heart cried out that this was big trouble.

**

Hae Jin pressed 28 for the sales department floor, but Tae Hong stood behind her and pressed 45 above her head.

When Hae Jin turned around at the unexpected floor, she realized he was standing right behind her. The hand stretched above her head rested on her crown.

“I wonder if pressing will make you smaller?”

Before she could ask why he said that, his words were faster.

“Deputy Jung is too visible to the eye.”

It wasn’t that Hae Jin was particularly short. With heels on, she was easy to find anywhere. So she agreed with his words about being visible.

“As we passed through the lobby, every time someone’s eyes followed your steps, I wanted to make you smaller.”

As if it wasn’t just empty words, the hand on her crown pressed down once more. Though it’s not like she’d actually get smaller.

“Why are you going to the 45th floor?”

“I’m going to the Chairman’s office.”

Hae Jin looked back and forth between the button for the 45th floor and Tae Hong.

“Why?”

“To see the Chairman.”

She couldn’t hide her surprised look. She had already known she couldn’t escape his downward gaze. The only fortunate thing was that they were alone in the elevator.

“Do you have something to feel guilty about?”

“No.”

Embarrassed, Hae Jin took a step back. Only then did she come to her senses at the full view of Tae Hong.

“I’m sorry. I think I overreacted unconsciously to the mention of the Chairman.”

The elevator arrived at the 28th floor. Only Hae Jin got off. Tae Hong remained inside the elevator.

“Have a good day.”

Hae Jin bowed slightly through the open elevator doors. Tae Hong raised his hand once then lowered it and pressed the close button.

As the doors closed, Tae Hong disappeared from Hae Jin’s sight. The elevator carrying him quickly went up. Hae Jin’s scent still lingered inside the elevator.

Though she was tall, she was small compared to his height. To him she was cute, but to others she was an object of interest.

He had witnessed it a few times while commuting together. Every time male employees glanced at her, unpleasant emotions bubbled up in his heart.

What if she really did get smaller when pressed down, the unpleasant feelings subsided just from imagining it.

Lately he had experienced his emotions getting jumbled up with her emotions several times. Especially when she said she wanted to commute together, just recalling that moment made him smile.

He liked the step forward she had shown, and her unmasked expressions were pleasing.

Though she was clearly trying hard not to show her embarrassment, it was difficult to pretend not to notice. But he didn’t want to burden her as she approached bit by bit.

Of course, going up to the Chairman’s office now was also a way to lessen her burden. He wanted to remove them one by one. He hoped her steps would gain speed.

45th floor.

The announcement came just as he finished his thoughts. The smile that naturally appeared when thinking of her disappeared from his face along with the opening doors. It was time to hide thoughts of her.

Walking down the quiet hallway, his destination came into view. It was a place he rarely went up to, and didn’t particularly think to either.

“You’re here.”

Since Tae Hong had notified in advance, Secretary Choi quickly came out to greet him.

“The Chairman is inside?”

Knowing the cold relationship between father and son, Secretary Choi gave a short “Yes” and opened the door to the Chairman’s office. Tae Hong, standing behind, nodded briefly to Secretary Choi and entered the Chairman’s office.

Jun Tae remained unchanged. The hairstyle without a hair out of place and clothes without a single wrinkle were the same as always.

“Come in.”

Jun Tae was already seated on the reception room sofa. Seeing no steam rising from the teacup in front, quite some time seemed to have passed.

Just from looking at the teacup, the subject Tae Hong had to hide momentarily came to mind.

Next time when filling barley tea, should I let it cool a bit first? The thermos looked a bit big then, should I buy a smaller size?

The images of Hae Jin blowing on the tea as she drank, hugging the thermos tightly to her chest, passed by in order.

I can’t hide it even if I try.

Tae Hong sat down across from Jun Tae with a small smile.

“Did something good happen?”

Since his son had never even smiled in front of him recently, this current appearance was quite unfamiliar to Jun Tae.

There were good things, but the person he should hide it from most was right in front of him.

“No.”

But Tae Hong answered sharply as if nothing had happened and put on an expressionless face.

“Well then, what’s the reason you wanted to see me?”

The awkward father-son relationship made even the flow of air creak. At Jun Tae’s appearance of getting straight to the point, Tae Hong slightly pulled his jacket forward and adjusted his posture again.

Shall we get to the point. His lips loosened slightly.

“Deputy Jung Hae Jin, please stop cutting her parachute strings?”