Not being able to enter the studio apartment right away was already frustrating, but the thought of getting entangled with Tae Oh was even more stressful.

“Mom, why did you accept that money from elder brother in the first place? Do you know how much a studio apartment in Seoul costs? Sigh…”

“He told me to just accept it if I thought of him as a son. When he asked if I couldn’t even do that much for my younger sibling, what could I say to that? Mom seemed happy about it, thinking that cold Tae Oh was finally accepting us as real family.”

Sounding like a sibling my foot. Liking family now huh. Sun Joo, oblivious to Seo Hee’s concerns, couldn’t wipe the smile off her face despite the unpleasant news.

“Thanks to that, our daughter’s money is secured. It’s still in the bank account, I’ll pack it for you when you move out. Ah, don’t even think about returning the money to elder brother. That would be a huge disrespect to Tae Oh. Got it? By the way, how fortunate that you discovered the problem before moving into the studio. It would have been so troublesome if the leak happened after you moved in.”

Mom was right that it was fortunate, but Seo Hee’s mind became a bit cluttered.

Over Mom’s seemingly welcoming expression, the kind face of uncle and Tae Oh’s cynical face flashed by simultaneously.

Ah… Staying in this house seems like it would be a bit uncomfortable. What to do…

Suddenly, Kang Mo’s words came to mind.

‘If you don’t like the studio you moved to or there are any issues, you can come to my apartment.’

Seo Hee went up to her room on this floor, holding the cell phone Kang Mo gave her, and paced around the room for a while.

Thinking only of Mom, of course she wanted to stay in this house with her, but putting aside uncle whom she still couldn’t be fully comfortable with, it seemed like nothing good would come from frequently running into Han Tae Oh.

Sigh… right. No matter how I think about it, this place isn’t it.

Even if they hadn’t properly figured out the cause of the leak issue yet, the repair period would likely take at least a few days. The only place she could stay during that time would be Mom’s house here or a hotel.

No matter how she thought about it, the best option Seo Hee could choose right now was none other than Kang Mo’s empty apartment.

After much deliberation, Seo Hee picked up the phone. Before the ringtone could even properly ring once, Kang Mo’s voice flowed into her ears.

“Baek Seo Hee?”

A silly laugh leaked out at his voice that seemed doubtful for some reason.

“Yeah, it’s me.”

“Is it really Baek Seo Hee?”

“Are you kidding?”

“Ha, haha. No, I just didn’t expect you to call so quickly. I thought I’d be lucky if you even answered my call.”

Lee Kang Mo, you sure do know how to make people feel bad in many ways.

“Are you still driving by any chance? Then I’ll call back later.”

“No, I parked. I was just about to go into the office.”

“Yeah? Then, can we talk for a bit now?”

The pleasant sound of his laughter tapped on her eardrums.

“If it’s your call, I have to make it possible anytime, anywhere. Why, did something happen?”

“Ah… well.”

Seo Hee chewed on her lip and paced around the room anxiously. If she had known Kang Mo had foresight, she wouldn’t have rejected him so flatly earlier. Now, it was quite embarrassing to bring up if she could stay at his apartment for a bit.

“What is it that you’re hesitating? Unless you’re going to say let’s never see each other again, don’t ever appear in front of me – I’ll listen to anything else you say, so speak comfortably. Hmm?”

“Uh. So the thing is…”

“Do you need a place to stay by any chance? Did my apartment suddenly become necessary?”

Seo Hee’s eyes grew as big as saucers.

“Kang Mo, how did you know that?”

“Should I call this a feeling, a hunch, intuition? Or telepathy? Seeing you surprised, I must be right. Is that it?”

She nodded her head blankly to him who couldn’t see her stunned expression.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. That’s right. I was just spacing out for a moment because I was amazed at how you got it right in one shot. Actually, there’s a small issue with the studio apartment I was supposed to move into,”

“It’s fine. You don’t have to explain in detail to me. I already said you can move in anytime since my apartment is empty. You can go right now.”

Seo Hee waved her hands in refusal without realizing it.

“No, not right now, but would it be okay if I go tomorrow afternoon?”

“Of course. You can go anytime tomorrow when it’s convenient for you.”

“Okay. I think I’ll need to stay for a few days.”

“Stay as long as you need. It doesn’t matter if it’s not just a few days but even a few years.”

“That won’t be necessary, but thank you for saying that, Kang Mo. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”

She was about to hang up, worried she took up too much of his time, when Kang Mo’s urgent voice was heard.

“Seo Hee, Baek Seo Hee!”

“Yeah, go ahead, I’m listening.”

“I just remembered what I was going to ask earlier. You haven’t found a job yet, right?”

She tilted her head at the sudden question.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“How about coming to our company? I’m scouting you right now. I have to hurry and bring in top talent before someone else takes you.”

“I must be popular. Guess I haven’t wasted my life. There are so many places telling me to come.”

During the day, Tae Oh surprised her with an unexpected proposal, and now it was Kang Mo.

Actually, even before coming to Korea, there was a request from a sunbae to help out, so without meaning to, there were already three options laid out in front of her without even submitting a resume once.

Not bad. As she shook her head with a chuckle, a displeased voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Where? Who else is telling you to come?”

“There are places. Here and there. I appreciate the offer, but I think I should go to the place that contacted me first?”

“Anyways, everyone has a good eye, huh?”

A silly laugh leaked out at his words that weren’t unpleasant to hear, and Kang Mo’s voice continued.

“I’m going into the office now. Call me anytime you want to hear my voice.”

Lee Kang Mo, you’re really something new. Why have you become so smooth-talking?

“Well… okay. Work hard.”

Seo Hee, who put out the urgent fire for now, plopped down on the bed with a sigh of relief.

She felt bad for Mom who said it was fortunate they could live together a bit longer, but she consoled herself that rather than showing discomfort while staying in this house, it would be better to leave and contact her frequently.

After hanging up the phone, Kang Mo couldn’t hide his content smile. Getting out of the car, he twirled the cell phone in his hand as his steps toward the elevator felt light enough to fly.

‘Baek Seo Hee, you’re already in the palm of my hand. I won’t let you go again.’

As he waited for the elevator coming down from the upper floor, he changed the ringtone to vibrate, and just then, a call came from Seung Ho.

“I just arrived. I’m in the parking lot.”

“Senior manager, I will come down. If you could please wait a moment.”

“Why are you coming down when I said I’m almost there? I’ll be right up.”

“Uh, sir. It would be better if you just stay there for a bit…”

Seung Ho’s hesitating voice without any explanation, unlike him, was ominous.

“…Why, did something happen at the company?”

“No, sir. There’s something I need to tell you…”

“What is it? Tell me.”

Kang Mo, feeling uneasy, couldn’t wait quietly and pressed both up buttons for the two-way elevators. The elevators that stopped on different floors each felt slower than ever today.

“Senior manager…”

Kang Mo, sighing, urged his secretary.

“Han Seung Ho, what on earth happened? I told you to tell me, right now.”

What could have possibly happened? All he could hear was the sound of Seung Ho’s heavy sigh. He could practically see his secretary’s困难的处境。

“Well, Kim Chang Ju came.”

“What? Who came?”

“I mean Kim Chang Ju, the CEO of Bogak Industries. It’s been 30 minutes. I told him you were out on business, but he’s insisting on staying. What should we do?”

“Where is he?”

“He’s in the lobby.”

“I’ll be right there.”

He was about to hang up when Seung Ho’s urgent voice made him pause.

“Senior manager, wouldn’t it be better to avoid him? Isn’t he someone not worth dealing with?”

“Why should I avoid him? If anyone should avoid, it’s that bastard who should avoid me.”

“Still…”

There was no need to hear more. Kang Mo hung up and strode into the elevator that just arrived and opened its doors.

The expression that was shining with a bright light just a moment ago changed in an instant. Kang Mo’s eyes sharpened like a blade as he pressed the lobby button.

“Crazy bastard. Where does he think this is to come here?”

Finally, the elevator arrived at the lobby and as soon as the doors opened, Seung Ho followed right behind as Kang Mo took a step out.

“You’re here, senior manager.”

“Where is he? Kim Chang Ju.”

There was no need to ask. After walking a few steps, the scene inside the lobby was fully revealed to Kang Mo’s sight.

On the side of the lobby with the front entirely made of glass, the spot where one could see the well-maintained garden reminiscent of a park at a glance – on the luxurious sofas arranged in a row in front of it sat Kim Chang Ju and his bulky lackeys, not just one but five or six of them scattered about.

His brows furrowed at the incongruous sight that didn’t match at all with the bright tone of the lobby atmosphere that seemed to have transplanted a cafe.

Even though the space those sofas took up in the vast lobby floor was only a small portion, perhaps due to the unruly aura they exuded, it felt as if the surroundings were all dyed in gray.

A hollow laugh escaped in disbelief. Kang Mo strode forward without stopping, and behind him, Seung Ho diligently babbled on about something.

“Do you remember the report submitted recently regarding the ready-mix concrete plant status inspection?”

“You mean the content about the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducting an audit. Bogak Industries was also caught for improper quality control?”

“Yes, that’s right. Bogak was caught for mixing substandard materials and is under corrective action, so I think that’s probably why he came. He’ll definitely try to provoke you. You mustn’t be swayed…”

“Enough, I didn’t know I seemed foolish enough to fall for such an obvious ploy.”

“Ah, you misunderstand. I’m just worried.”

“I get it, so stop.”

“Yes, senior manager.”

Kang Mo let out a snicker at the picture roughly coming together.

Bogak Industries was the ready-mix concrete plant Kim Chang Ju acquired after closing his distribution business.

If he had just run the distribution business the organization split off for him well, he could have lived lavishly without any worries for the rest of his life, but who knows what notion made him wrap up the smoothly running distribution business and acquire a concrete plant.

Perhaps the underlying intention was being conscious of my father Seok Hoon who took over a struggling construction company and turned it into a major one, but that’s only a guess.

The Bogak Industries Kim Chang Ju first acquired seemed to be cruising on the highway with the already established foundation. However, that past glory didn’t last long. In just 5 years, sales were cut in half, and recently, the downward trajectory seemed to be accelerating.

Trying to cut costs by using defective materials and managing quality like that – it’s a wonder they haven’t gone under yet. The problem was jumping into a new business without any preparation in the first place.

Before he knew it, Kang Mo stood in front of Kim Chang Ju – no, to be precise, he stood looking at his back facing the garden, quickly scanning the surroundings with his eyes.

There were plenty of onlookers, and diagonally up to the right on the ceiling, a CCTV was solidly positioned watching this way.

Good point.