“Are you talking to me?”

Ji Soo pointed to herself with her index finger and asked.

“Of course I’m talking to Han Ji Soo. Who else have I been talking to all this time?”

Joo Hyuk gestured with his chin, pointing inside the sedan. Ji Soo’s face was still filled with questions, but she didn’t persist any further. As Ji Soo grabbed the handle of the passenger side door and tried to open it,

“No, not there. Here.”

Joo Hyuk stopped her. Then he pointed to the seat next to him with his chin. In the end, Ji Soo sat next to him as Joo Hyuk wanted, and only after Joo Hyuk gave the signal that they could leave did the sedan start moving.

“Executive Director, where are you… going? You can just drop me off in front of the subway station…”

“If I was going to let you off that quickly, I wouldn’t have told you to get in.”

“…”

At Joo Hyuk’s firm tone, Ji Soo pressed her lips together. Joo Hyuk seemed to be in an unpleasant mood for some reason. At times like this, it was better to just not say anything.

“It’s dinner time.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Do you have any plans tonight?”

“No, not really…”

“Well, you definitely need to eat dinner.”

“Yes, I suppose…?”

Joo Hyuk nodded his head slightly in a perfunctory manner and turned to Driver Kim.

“Let’s go to Cheongsong.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

The sedan smoothly changed direction and moved.

***

It was the first time Joo Hyuk had brought someone with him for personal reasons.

This Korean restaurant, which the main family members frequented like a hideout, was an extremely exclusive restaurant. It switched to a reservation-only system a month ago, but people from the ACS Group could use it anytime without a reservation.

As they entered Cheongsong, a middle-aged woman who seemed to be the owner of the restaurant came out first to greet Joo Hyuk. Seeing Ji Soo standing behind Joo Hyuk, she bowed her head slightly and greeted her with her eyes.

“Executive Director, it’s been a while. How have you been?”

“Me? Well, the same as always. How about you, Madam?”

“Thanks to you. Please come in. I’ll show you to the Maehwa room.”

The Maehwa room, located in the innermost part of the Korean restaurant, was the most soundproof room in the place.

“For the menu, shall I prepare what I usually serve you?”

“Wait a moment, Han Ji Soo, please check the menu.”

“No, I’ll eat whatever you order. I really do eat well, so please order whatever is convenient for you.”

The madam quietly closed the door and left, and silence fell again.

Joo Hyuk grabbed the tip of his necktie and pulled it slightly, creating a gap around his neck. It was much easier to breathe.

“If you have any questions, ask me. Anything.”

He couldn’t honestly say he would explain everything, but he would do his best to explain. Even though Joo Hyuk openly encouraged her to ask questions again,

“No, I don’t have any particular questions.”

Ji Soo drew the line. Joo Hyuk found that quite puzzling. Even if she was a contract employee, if she was suddenly transferred to another department, couldn’t she ask the person who made it happen at least once?

Could the reason be…

“Is it because you’re afraid of me? Is that why you can’t even ask questions and are just keeping it to yourself?”

“No, I’m not afraid of you, Executive Director. Of course, since there’s a big difference in our positions, it’s difficult, but I don’t think it’s scary.”

“You must have things you’re curious about. Things you want to challenge, but it’s strange to see you pretending like it’s nothing.”

Ji Soo took a sip of the barley tea placed within reach.

“I have no questions.”

This woman, seriously.

Looking carefully, Joo Hyuk became suspicious that she was expressing her dissatisfaction with the department transfer in this way and trying to have a battle of wills.

“You have no questions at all about the department transfer? Even though you know I’m the one who gave that order? What’s the reason?”

“You have more experience at the company than me, Executive Director, and you’re smarter. When someone like you makes a decision like this, I think there must be a good reason for it. Something I couldn’t see. So I think it’s more constructive to accept that decision and think about what’s ahead.”

You’re wrong. It’s true that I have more experience and am smarter than you. But it’s not because there was a good reason. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. There’s no proper reason or logic.

It was a choice I normally would never make.

But I didn’t want to keep Han Ji Soo by my side. Of course, it wasn’t her fault. I just hated being influenced by a woman or being emotionally swayed. And by a subordinate who had only recently joined the company, no less, when there were plenty of women outside the company.

This was a violation of the ethics of a professional manager. So it was better to get her out of my sight before my condition got any stranger.

“Yes, anyway, I’m very glad you’re accepting it right away.”

“Executive Director, but… can I continue taking care of Seo Hoo?”

“Please do, until we find a new person.”

“Yes, I will.”

As if that was a relief, Ji Soo nodded and smiled blankly. Just then, the owner and three or four employees came in at once and started placing plates of food.

The conversation between Joo Hyuk and Ji Soo paused for a moment. Even so, Joo Hyuk examined Ji Soo’s face.

A small, round face with no sharp edges. Her features weren’t glamorous, but they gave a neat and smart impression. The long eyelashes covering her large eyes were dark and thick. She was a woman with a strange charm that kept drawing his gaze.

“Executive Director?”

Ji Soo’s voice woke Joo Hyuk from his thoughts.

“There are so many side dishes. They look delicious.”

“Let’s eat.”

“Thank you for the food.”

Ji Soo, who politely greeted, pondered which side dish to pick first, and eventually picked the spinach in front of her. Her small mouth moved busily.

How much time passed like that? Ji Soo’s cell phone, placed face down on the table, vibrated. Checking the screen, Ji Soo pressed the reject button. However, the cell phone vibrated again soon. Ji Soo pressed the reject button again this time as well.

“If it’s because of me, don’t mind and answer the phone. I really don’t mind.”

“I think it might be a spam call.”

As soon as Ji Soo finished speaking, her cell phone vibrated again. At this point, there was an ominous feeling. It didn’t seem to be a simple spam call.

“Executive Director, please excuse me for a moment.”

Ji Soo, who pressed the answer button, turned her head slightly and spoke.

“Yes, hello.”

− Are you Choi Hyun Sook’s guardian? You’re Han Ji Soo, right?

“Yes, I’m the guardian, but what’s this about?”

An ominous feeling lingered. Calls looking for a guardian usually didn’t deliver good news. Ji Soo gripped her cell phone tightly.

− Choi Hyun Sook fell down the stairs. She’s a little hurt, so if you, her guardian…

“She’s not… badly hurt, right? It’s really just a slight injury, right?”

− Yes, you don’t have to worry too much.

“I’ll be right there.”

As soon as the call ended, Ji Soo got up from her seat.

“Executive Director, I’m sorry. I think I’ll have to leave without finishing the meal. I’m really sorry.”

Flustered, Ji Soo hurried to gather her bag.

“Then, I’ll see you on the weekend. Executive Director.”

At those words, Joo Hyuk got up from his seat.

“Let’s go out together.”

“But you’ve only eaten half of your meal…”

“I’ve eaten half, so it’s fine.”

Joo Hyuk opened the door first and walked out. Ji Soo, who had been standing with a blank look for a moment, quickly followed Joo Hyuk.

***

“Grandma!”

As soon as she entered the emergency room, Hyun Sook was the first thing that caught her eye. Ji Soo ran to Hyun Sook and hugged her. Then, examining Hyun Sook’s legs, she bombarded her with questions.

“How did this happen? Where are you hurt? Did it hurt? What did the doctor say? How long do you have to be hospitalized?”

Seeing Ji Soo firing questions like a machine gun, Hyun Sook shook her head and let out a hollow laugh.

“It’s nothing. I just slipped a little on the stairs, but when you get older, your bones naturally get weaker.”

“Still, how did you slip on the stairs?”

“My knees aren’t in good shape, so that’s why.”

Hyun Sook spoke casually as if it was no big deal. Her gaze shifted to Joo Hyuk standing behind Ji Soo. It seemed she only now noticed Joo Hyuk. Slightly surprised by Joo Hyuk’s appearance, Hyun Sook carefully opened her mouth.

“Who are you? Do you know our Ji Soo…?”

“This person is from our company…”

“I’m Han Ji Soo’s colleague. My name is Min Joo Hyuk.”

A colleague? Ji Soo looked back at Joo Hyuk with a slightly dazed feeling, but Joo Hyuk only slightly raised his eyebrows and didn’t correct the fact.

“So you work at the same company as our Ji Soo. It’s a good company.”

“We were having a meal together and he brought me here after I received the call.”

“Thank you for taking care of our Ji Soo.”

Hyun Sook suddenly grabbed Joo Hyuk’s hand and stroked the back of his hand. Joo Hyuk was somewhat flustered by her unexpected action, but he didn’t forcibly pull his hand away.

“Grandma, what are you doing? That’s very rude. Executive Dire… no, this person doesn’t like that.”

Ji Soo panicked and separated their hands. If Hyun Sook had known Joo Hyuk’s identity, she definitely wouldn’t have grabbed his hand like that. Worried that Hyun Sook might make another mistake, Ji Soo wanted to send Joo Hyuk back as soon as possible.

“You can go now.”

I’m not sure why he followed me to the emergency room in the first place. But coming this far and even greeting Hyun Sook was already more than enough consideration from Joo Hyuk’s perspective.

“I’ll take care of it, so why don’t you go talk to the medical staff?”

“Ah! Right. I should do that. But you can really go now. I think my grandmother will be fine alone too.”

As if to say, hurry up and go. Joo Hyuk raised his chin high toward the desk and lowered it.