The 7-Day Contract (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9
A white SUV sped along the morning commute road.
“Bow-wow barks ‘woof woof woof!’ Meow-meow also barks ‘woof woof woof!’ No, no, no—that’s wrong. Meow-meow goes ‘meooow!'”
Tiny feet bounced energetically up and down. Si Woo cheerfully sang along to the theme song of a children’s program playing through the car speakers.
When the vehicle reached its destination and the engine shut off, Si Woo’s singing abruptly stopped. Peering out the window, Si Woo’s mouth fell open.
“Mom! We’re already at kindergarten!”
“Wow, you’re right. We got here super fast.”
Da Jung stepped out of the car and opened the rear door. Once she unbuckled the car seat belt, Si Woo stretched out his arms, asking to be picked up.
She lifted her son out, slung his tiny bag over her shoulder, and then held his hand.
Hansong Educational Foundation-affiliated Private Kindergarten.
A private kindergarten boasting the nation’s top-tier educational quality and claiming to admit only the top 0.1% of gifted children.
Though marketed that way, in reality, it was an ultra-premium facility catering exclusively to children from chaebol families and the wealthy elite.
Some critics accused it of commercializing education, yet in truth, parents were frantic with desperation to get their children enrolled.
In fact, admission was impossible without a recommendation letter from the foundation’s chairman, fueling intense lobbying efforts among parents.
Regardless, after observing a class session, Da Jung felt satisfied. Beyond the impressive facilities, the claim of offering top-tier education proved genuine.
Basic early education in three foreign languages was standard, and all teaching focused on developing creativity and concentration.
Every teacher held qualifications in child psychology, and a wide range of arts and physical education programs were offered to help children discover and experience their talents early on.
Though she often rolled her eyes at the aggressive competitiveness of other mothers, as a parent herself, Da Jung couldn’t help but be ambitious when it came to her child’s education.
Upon reaching the building entrance, she noticed the teachers from each class, handover staff, arriving children, and parents.
“Teacher! Hello!”
Si Woo greeted politely, prompting the Rabbit Class Teacher to smile warmly and welcome him cheerfully.
“Child Si Woo—good morning! And hello to you too, Mother.”
“Hello, Teacher. Please take good care of our Si Woo again today.”
After exchanging greetings with the teacher, Da Jung knelt down to meet Si Woo’s eye level.
“Our Si Woo, listen carefully to the teacher today and get along well with your friends, okay?”
“Yes, Mom!”
Suddenly, Da Jung’s expression turned gloomy as she said dejectedly,
“Hmm… Mom feels so sad just thinking about saying goodbye to my son.”
“Oh dear… That’s so heartbreaking.”
Sighing sympathetically, Si Woo reluctantly wrapped his arms around Da Jung’s neck as if he had no choice. Then he planted a quick kiss on her cheek.
“Okay, enough now! Mom, go earn lots of money!”
Waving his hands energetically, Si Woo dashed off toward the group of friends. Watching him, Da Jung couldn’t help but smile wryly.
It still amazed and fascinated her how her baby—who used to only cry loudly for milk or diaper changes—had grown so emotionally expressive.
Whom could he have inherited such an affectionate nature from?
Da Jung herself wasn’t particularly affectionate. She briefly considered his father—but the chance that Si Woo took after him seemed even more remote.
Recalling the soft, squishy sensation of his kiss on her cheek, she let out a quiet chuckle. Once again, she found the strength to face another day.
“Chairwoman, the young master has arrived.”
The voice reporting to the elderly, white-haired man was low and calm.
At Secretary An’s report, Chairwoman Park folded the newspaper she had been reading. She removed her reading glasses, placed them aside, and rose gracefully to walk toward the entrance.
When Jeong Hyeok pushed open the inner gate, Chairwoman Park Jong Soon stood roughly ten steps away.
“You’ve come.”
A gentle smile appeared on the elderly woman’s lips.
Though nearing eighty, the old woman remained strikingly vigorous—her back perfectly straight, and her demeanor still exuding elegance and dignity.
Jeong Hyeok neatly removed his dress shoes and slid his feet into slippers.
“Grandmother, why’d you call me?”
His grumbling tone as he walked in clearly conveyed annoyance.
Her call the previous evening, right before he left work, had thrown the secretary’s office into chaos—simply because Jeong Hyeok hadn’t answered his phone.
“Why, dear? I was worried whether you’re eating properly out there on your own, so your halmeoni called you back.”
Without a word, Jeong Hyeok loosened his tie slightly.
He’d suspected the reason for summoning him would be something this trivial—which was precisely why he’d ignored her call. But instead, the old woman had stirred up the entire secretarial staff.
In the end, the flustered secretaries practically begged and pleaded until they dragged Jeong Hyeok back to the main house, dumped him there, and fled in a hurry.
Chairwoman Park personally took his jacket and gently stroked her grandson’s back. Though she had to crane her neck fully to look up at his tall frame, she didn’t seem inconvenienced at all.
“I’ve instructed Housekeeper Yeo Joo to prepare your favorite dishes, so go wash up and come downstairs.”
Though small in stature and frail-looking, her character possessed the fierce spirit of a tiger. Though no one dared underestimate Chairwoman Park, in front of her grandson, she was utterly devoted.
Without uttering a word, Jeong Hyeok ascended the stairs to the second floor, pushed open the door, and headed straight for the dressing room.
He paused mid-way through loosening his tie and slowly scanned the spacious room. Having returned only a few months after moving out, the room felt strangely unfamiliar—as if it weren’t his own.
Truthfully, he’d hardly come back since he’d gone abroad for studies at sixteen.
Still, thanks to Chairwoman Park’s consistent instructions, both the bedroom and dressing room remained impeccably clean, free of even a speck of dust.
That alone showed how devoted the elderly woman was—to have diligently maintained an unused room for nearly twenty years.
The food laid out on the dining table was extravagantly abundant and elaborate, far exceeding what two people could reasonably eat.
Wearing hygiene gloves, Chairwoman Park carefully deboned a grilled fish and placed it atop Jeong Hyeok’s rice before asking,
“Is work going well at the company?”
“Yeah.”
Jeong Hyeok replied briefly and started eating. True to his calm, unhurried nature, even the way he ate was remarkably composed.
“Grandmother. That one there.”
“Shall I wrap it in steamed pumpkin leaf for you?”
Chairwoman Park spread a tender pumpkin leaf, placed rice and seasoned sauce on top, rolled it up, and fed it to him. Like a baby bird, he readily accepted it.
Though notoriously picky outside the home, in front of his halmeoni, he was utterly spoiled.
Chairwoman Park knew this well—and she knew he deliberately acted this way because indulging him was her sole joy in life.
Suddenly, a pang of empathy stirred within her, and she tenderly stroked her grandson’s head as he ate.
Poor thing. Pitiful child.
The Cha family had always had few descendants, and Jeong Hyeok—the family’s precious fourth-generation only son—was especially rare.
Although the company founded by his grandfather had been inherited by his father, the sole heir, tragedy struck when he passed away young in an accident.
Park Jong Soon had just turned thirty at the time.
Fortunately, she had a son, but as he was still very young, she assumed the role of chairwoman, intending to safeguard the business until her son came of age to inherit it.
Then, her only son ran away from home, declaring he had no interest in managing the company and wished to pursue a different path.
She tried coaxing him back and even resorted to harsh scolding, but he wouldn’t listen at all.
In the end, she even placed guards to confine him in his room—only for him to fall seriously ill. No matter what she tried, there was no remedy.
Her son gradually faded away—so much so he seemed on the verge of death. Helpless, she finally let him go, allowing him to live as he wished.
She had no choice. She couldn’t bear to let her son die.
After losing both her husband and son, Jong Soon hardened her resolve, slicing her time down to the second and dedicating herself even more fiercely to the company.
It was she—the present Chairwoman Park—who had expanded the group from just two affiliates to over ten, elevating Myeonghan to the top rank among Korea’s conglomerates.
About seven years passed. Then, her estranged son reappeared—looking like a recluse—and holding the hand of this young child.
She raised her entrusted grandson with overwhelming love and devotion.
Poor thing. Pitiful child. Though she suppressed her compassion, she trained him rigorously as Myeonghan’s heir, taking on the strict role of grandmother with unwavering discipline.
Yet, for such a young child, he was remarkably shameless—no matter how sternly she scolded him, he’d cling to her, charming her with clever antics and adorable coquetry. At times like that, she couldn’t help but smile.
He looked just like his father, yet his personality was entirely different. Though he fussed and pouted often, he had never once disappointed her or failed to meet her expectations.
He excelled academically, achieved outstanding grades, and carried a strong sense of duty to someday take responsibility for Myeonghan.
“Stay over tonight, okay?”
At his grandmother’s words, Jeong Hyeok gave a casual nod. Watching her dependable grandson, Chairwoman Park’s eyes crinkled warmly with pride and affection.
Whenever he reminded her so vividly of his father—so much that she momentarily mistook him for her son—her eyes instantly welled up with warmth.
A black sedan slid silently into the dim underground parking lot.
“We’ve arrived, Director.”
The driver’s gentle voice resonated softly within the car. The woman who stepped out walked with dignified poise into the elevator.
Kang Seon Young.
The wife of Chairman Oh Cheol Joong of Hansong Group—and director of the Hansong Educational Foundation.
Though her husband was approaching seventy, Seon Young, still in her late forties, retained her youthfulness and beauty.
Upon reaching the penthouse floor, Seon Young pulled out her keycard and held it to the entrance scanner. As the door opened, discarded clothes littered the floor like shed skin.
With sharp clicks of her heels, she walked in, pushed open the bedroom door, and stopped before the bed.
At the lingering scent of alcohol and the tangled, disheveled state of the bedding, she let out an involuntary sigh.
“Oh Hyun Ah. Wake up.”
Though her name was called, Hyun Ah remained face-down and motionless. Seon Young’s eyebrows shot up sharply.
“OH HYUN AH!”
At the raised voice, Hyun Ah stirred and sluggishly responded.
Her long, dyed-red hair spilled wildly around her as she cracked open her bleary eyes.
“Mmm… Mom? When did you get here?”
“And who are you?”
Seon Young’s gaze shifted pointedly to the figure beside her daughter.
“Ah, I—I mean…”
The man presumed to have spent the night rolling around in bed with Hyun Ah stood frozen in shock, frantically covering his naked body.
“Kim Young Joon… you’d better leave now.”
Still half-asleep, Hyun Ah mumbled and gestured for him to go. Though desperate to flee, the man wore a deeply conflicted expression.
After glancing around desperately, he ultimately resorted to hiding his essentials with a cushion and dashed out of the bedroom.
Watching the man flee, Seon Young took a seat at the foot of the bed and began interrogating her daughter.
“Just who is he?”
“Um… he’s… the kindergarten’s… physical education teacher.”
Seon Young’s eyebrows arched high.
“I’ve never seen him before.”
“I just… helped him out as a favor…”
Hyun Ah stretched out the end of her sentence, clearly signaling she didn’t want further questions. Understanding all too well, Seon Young swallowed another sigh.
“Listen carefully, Oh Hyun Ah. You’re getting married soon—don’t give anyone cause to criticize you. Clean this up quickly.”
“I *was* going to handle it. I’m just playing around with him a little…”
Her stern expression softening, Seon Young gently brushed her beloved daughter’s hair.
“Don’t you have a schedule today? You need to wake up early, style your hair, and get skincare done, right?”
Hearing her mother’s tone soften, Hyun Ah grinned sheepishly and wrapped her arms tightly around Seon Young’s waist.
“Mom, I don’t have a handbag for my date with Oppa Hyun.”
“What about all those piled up in your closet?”
Hyun Ah’s face instantly soured.
“Those are outdated. Chanel just released a new collection.”
“You have your card, don’t you?”
Avoiding her mother’s eyes, Hyun Ah’s evasion made Seon Young sigh inwardly once more. Why even ask? Obviously, she’d already exceeded her limit.
“I’ll get it for you—*if* you have a good date with Jeong Hyeok today. By the way, has Jeong Hyeok visited our kindergarten yet?”
“No.”
“What?!”
Seon Young’s eyes widened in shock as her expression turned serious.
“Oh Hyun Ah, don’t you need to professionally impress Jeong Hyeok? Only if he treats you well will you get even a little more. Or do you want your father’s entire fortune snatched away by your older brothers?”
“I’m getting the foundation, though.”
“A foundation—how much is that really worth? Don’t you know how I became the mistress of Hansong?”
Of course she knew. All too well.
Ever since Hyun Ah could understand speech, she’d heard the dramatic tale countless times—how her mother, once a mere contract employee, seduced Chairman Oh Cheol Joong, a married man, and rose spectacularly in social status.
Though she began as a mistress, she claimed the main household in just ten years.
Given that her husband’s children from his previous marriage were around her own age, she faced relentless opposition and scrutiny from all sides.
After a moment of deep thought, Seon Young began coaching her daughter.
“Later, tell Jeong Hyeok to come visit the kindergarten.”
“We’re meeting at the R Hotel lounge.”
“You foolish girl! Just tell him your car’s broken and ask him to pick you up. I mean for you to demonstrate your capabilities *to* Jeong Hyeok!”
Cupping Hyun Ah’s face—still wearing an exasperated expression—Seon Young held her gaze firmly.
“Remember this well, Oh Hyun Ah: A man’s treatment of a woman depends entirely on how she handles him. Understand?”“`
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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