The 7-Day Contract (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
The voice ringing excitedly from the other end of the phone was highly agitated.
『Isn’t that Si Woo’s father walking down the street? He looked exactly like him! What on earth? I nearly fainted!』
“Oh, really…”
Da Jung let out a heavy sigh.
That man had met Si Woo again. Was it truly okay for things to stay this way? Her chest felt tight.
『They say he’s marrying the principal—what are you going to do from now on?』
“Huh? Marriage…?”
Da Jung’s expression went blank, and she could only blink her wide-open eyes.
『That’s what he said! When I asked if they knew each other well, he bluntly replied, ‘She’s the woman I’m going to marry.’』
“…”
『If he marries the principal, he’ll become the principal’s husband, and then he’ll be visiting the kindergarten constantly, won’t he?』
“Mommy… coo…”
Si Woo shuffled out of the room, rubbing his sleepy eyes.
“Sol Yi, I think Si Woo’s sleepy. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”
Da Jung hurriedly ended the call and turned the wobbling Si Woo around.
“My Si Woo, shall we coo with Mommy?”
“Yes…”
After laying him down and gently patting his hunched shoulders for a moment, his blinking eyes quickly closed. His cheek pressed into the sheet looked like dough, making her smile.
As Da Jung straightened Si Woo’s posture and pulled up the blanket, a shadow suddenly fell across her face.
Whenever she looked at Si Woo’s face, that man’s face inevitably overlapped in her vision.
Marrying Director Oh Hyun Ah…
Whomever he married had nothing to do with Da Jung. Perhaps his rushing into marriage was even the best way to ease her worries.
Once he started a family, he wouldn’t have the energy—or reason—to care about anything else.
Yet, for some reason, her feelings remained confusingly tangled. He was now a man completely unrelated to her.
Her steps sweeping through the department store were light and buoyant. A smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, refusing to fade.
“Thank you, Mom. Hyun Ah loves you, you know?”
Hyun Ah hugged Seon Young’s arm tightly and rubbed her head against her shoulder like a cat.
The new Chanel bag slung over her shoulder gleamed with a glossy sheen, releasing a sharp leather scent—it was the item Seon Young had promised days before.
Not only that, but shopping bags bearing logos of various luxury brands dangled heavily from the hands of her personal assistant.
Seeing her daughter in such high spirits, affectionately playful, Seon Young’s face softened with warm satisfaction.
“My daughter—if you’re satisfied with something like this, what will you do? Once you become the mistress of Myeonghan Group, things like this will quickly become boring.”
Hyun Ah’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Is there something even better than a bag?”
“Of course. My daughter, your innocence worries me. Anyway, just keep doing as you are—I’ll support you in anything.”
Hyun Ah’s beaming smile widened into a surprised gape.
“Just like you said, Oppa really seems to view me differently now. He even praised me, saying I have strong professional dedication.”
Seon Young offered a dry, knowing smirk, as if to say, “What did I tell you?”
“What did I say? Didn’t I tell you that if you just listen to me, rice cakes will appear even while you sleep?”
“Oh, right—the single mother you wrote a recommendation letter for.”
At the mention of “single mother,” Seon Young, who had been strolling carefree, tensed and abruptly stopped.
“What about her?”
“She seems to know Jeong Hyeok Oppa.”
“How long has Jeong Hyeok even been back in Korea? How could he possibly know such a woman?”
“It’s true! Oppa said so himself—he claimed she stole something.”
“Stole? Stole what?”
Hyun Ah shook her head vigorously.
“I don’t know. Oppa said he didn’t know either.”
Anyway—Seon Young frowned, pressing her temple.
“Here I was, writing her a recommendation without even knowing she was a single mother—I really got played.”
She hadn’t realized it before, but now that the memory resurfaced, her mood soured. Sensing her mother’s irritation, Hyun Ah pouted.
“Seriously, why did you write a letter for a woman you hardly knew? It only damages the kindergarten’s reputation.”
Exactly. A charitable act born of pity had ended up compromising the institution’s prestige.
Though the foundation claimed transparency in fund usage, the open bidding process for the kindergarten’s construction was mere pretense—the contractors had been preselected through personal connections from the start.
On the day of the bidding, as the chairperson, she merely sat in place, offering perfunctory, rehearsed responses.
Amidst that tedious waste of time, a heavily pregnant woman entered. Struggling with her weight yet speaking with powerful conviction, she struck Seon Young as remarkably earnest.
That sight reminded Seon Young of herself when she’d carried Hyun Ah—and in a moment of sentimental impulse, she committed the mistake of writing the recommendation letter.
Time passed, and she completely forgot about the incident. Years later, a report surfaced: one of the newly enrolled children was illegitimate.
The foundation erupted in outrage. Such a thing was impossible—admissions involved strict scrutiny of both parents and family lineage.
An illegitimate child at Hansong Private Kindergarten?
Though she wished it could simply vanish, her dignity as chairperson made it impossible to ignore so casually.
The idea of such a socially mismatched mother and child made Seon Young deeply uncomfortable, and she began pondering how to resolve the situation.
It would be ideal if the issue faded away naturally, without a fuss.
Late in the morning, Da Jung instructed Hee Joo to prepare the design drawings and necessary documents—they planned to visit the L Park construction site together.
As Hee Joo rolled up the blueprints and placed them into the drawing tube, she suddenly whined.
“Hweeeng—I’m sooo hungry…”
“It’s still far from lunchtime—what did you even do to get hungry already?”
Da Jung scolded her like a stern senior, and Hee Joo’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Team Leader, you really don’t understand. People like us, who use our brains all day, burn energy even just spacing out.”
“You’re not hungry from spacing out—you’re hungry because you skipped breakfast.”
Caught in the accurate observation, Hee Joo giggled sheepishly. Amused by the silly act, Da Jung smiled too.
“Let’s have lunch before heading to the site. Tell me whatever you want—I’m treating today.”
“Kyaa! Best! Best! How about Chinese food today, Team Leader?”
“Now that you mention it, I’m craving jjajangmyeon.”
“I want jjamppong!”
Linking arms affectionately, they headed toward the office exit—when Da Jung’s phone vibrated. The caller was Do Jun. She pressed it to her ear.
“Yes, Senior.”
Da Jung listened silently, her brow furrowing. After ending the call, she let out a heavy sigh.
“Hee Joo, something came up—we’ll have to visit L Park tomorrow instead.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Hee Joo accepted immediately—it was common enough, given the sheer number of sites they managed.
Da Jung pulled out her corporate card and pressed it firmly into Hee Joo’s hand.
“Order extra-spicy jjamppong—and tangsuyuk too.”
Descending to the outdoor parking lot, Da Jung took out her sneakers from the trunk. Changing into sneakers before visiting a site was mandatory.
Just then, Do Jun’s car glided smoothly into the lot.
“You got here fast, Senior.”
“Drink this first.”
Even before Da Jung fastened her seatbelt, a takeout coffee was abruptly thrust toward her face.
Da Jung narrowed her eyes at Do Jun.
“Senior, you’re sneaky.”
“For situations like this, you’re supposed to say ‘thoughtful.’”
At his shameless remark, Da Jung burst into helpless laughter. He knew caffeine helped when stress loomed—and so he came thoroughly prepared.
His considerate gesture, however, also served as a silent warning: the issue ahead would be seriously troublesome.
In short, he was giving her medicine in advance.
Hanaum Outlet had been completed just a year ago—designed by Hanbit and built by multiple cooperating firms.
The lively outlet had abruptly suspended basement operations two days prior due to a sudden water leak.
Upon arrival, the basement was already sealed off.
“We called a repair company, but they said it’s beyond their capacity. All the stores shut down, and merchandise got submerged. What do we do about this?”
The facility manager made no effort to hide his irritation.
“We’ll first identify the source of the leak and resolve it, then handle compensation through proper, legal discussions.”
Do Jun calmly reassured him while gently placing a safety helmet onto Da Jung’s head.
Beneath their feet, a squelching sound echoed. With electricity cut off due to electrocution risk, the surroundings plunged into near-total darkness.
Holding the blueprints, Da Jung surveyed the damp space by the light of her helmet-mounted lantern.
Do Jun followed closely behind, ladder slung over his shoulder, watching her like a detection dog on high alert.
“Man Soo Plumbing… I’m so sick of them.”
Da Jung muttered resentfully.
It was Man Soo Plumbing again. Whenever they were involved—even with flawless design and construction—problems inevitably arose.
Knowing she meant for him to hear, Do Jun glanced at her and carefully broached the subject.
“I was already planning to cut ties with them after the Bangbae-dong remodeling wraps up.”
Da Jung, who had been walking with a squelch-squelch sound, suddenly spun around. The lantern’s bright beam flooded Do Jun’s vision, making him wince.
“Seriously, Senior—no more letting sentiment cloud your judgment this time.”
“I said I got it. It’s blinding. Let’s go.”
Every time Man Soo Plumbing caused trouble, Do Jun failed to firmly dismiss Director Hwang, who always pleaded for leniency. He was great in most ways—but that softness remained his critical flaw.
Climbing the ladder, Da Jung pushed aside the ceiling panel and scanned the dark space for a long while, even using her phone’s flashlight.
“It’s not the restroom… it’s the food court. And the pipes are smaller than specified in the design. No wonder they’re overloaded and bursting—there must be a crack somewhere, or a joint came loose. They just do whatever they want.”
Witnessing yet another of Man Soo Plumbing’s misdeeds, Da Jung’s sigh deepened.
“This will be a major repair—not something fixed by swapping a few pipes. Compensation claims are bound to come in—what do we do?”
“That’s for the CEO to handle. Team Leader, please come down already.”
Do Jun urged her. Seeing him clutch the ladder tightly, tense and restless the whole time, Da Jung couldn’t help but smile—she was always treated like a child brought to the water’s edge.
Da Jung lowered one foot. As she shifted her weight and lifted the other, her previously placed foot slipped on the damp surface—and she toppled into empty air.
Breath stolen by the dizzying sensation, Da Jung froze. In that instant, something firm pressed hard against her back and waist, steadying her.
Boom! The fallen ladder’s crash echoed eerily through the pitch-black space.
Da Jung, eyes wide like a startled rabbit, slowly exhaled. In the lantern’s glow, Do Jun’s face looked as if he’d aged ten years in seconds.
She felt the hands gripping her waist and back tighten sharply.
“Yoo Da Jung…”
His voice, thick with tension, mixed with ragged breathing. Sensing his rising temper, Da Jung quickly straightened her posture.
“S-sorry, Senior. Were you really startled?”
“Ha… are you okay?”
“Y-yes, I’m fine.”
Do Jun’s expression remained deeply creased.
“You’re so careless. What would Si Woo do if you got hurt?”
“True. If it weren’t for you, Si Woo might’ve lost his mom today.”
She teased, sticking out her tongue—but Do Jun’s stiff expression didn’t soften.
“I’m not joking. Stay alert. Every time you space out, my heart skips.”
“Oh dear, okay—I got it. Why are you so naggy all of a sudden? So un-senior-like.”
“Because I worry.”
“Senior…”
An awkward silence drifted between them. Fortunately, Do Jun didn’t let the discomfort linger.
“If something happens to you, the whole company halts—you know that.”
“Wow—I’m guaranteed a job until retirement?”
“Only until you’re a hundred.”
Da Jung, walking ahead, suddenly turned back again with a sullen pout.
“Evil boss.”
“I’ll give you a big performance bonus.”
“How much, exactly?”
Ladder hoisted, Do Jun quickly chased after her.
“You just looked like a money-grubbing worm consumed by greed.”
“Oh my—that’s the highest compliment! Si Woo is my favorite, and money comes second.”
“And me?”
“You, Senior…”
Da Jung blinked, pondering thoughtfully—then Do Jun cut in.
“Can’t I be third?”
“Huh? Sol Yi would be upset.”
“We’ll keep it a secret. Can I be third?”
“Okay. Senior, you’re third. Ding-ding-ding!”
Da Jung cheerfully agreed, beaming. Meeting her smile, Do Jun also gave a gentle, quiet smile.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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