Kim Yi Hyun was in an extremely sensitive state right now. Due to the explosion accident at the local factory in India, he had put aside all other matters and immediately headed to India with Han Team Leader. The rather large-scale accident had resulted in numerous casualties.

The accident news was covered extensively not only in Korea but also in local Indian broadcasts, and there was an enormous amount of aftermath and cleanup to deal with.

After finishing a week-long business trip, this time he was hit with a bomb of backlogged paperwork.

Contrary to rumors of being an idle director of Jaein Group, the work he actually did was quite extensive and diverse, and every task was important.

Starting with the business trip, Yi Hyun, who had been working day and night for almost 2 weeks, was finally able to escape overtime work today.

“Good work, Director.”

“Go straight home.”

“Yes.”

Yi Hyun, leaning back in the car’s rear seat, pressed hard on his tired eyes.

Soon the car started, and as Yi Hyun apathetically looked out at the early summer streets where the sun had not yet set, the Sungjin Group headquarters building came into view.

At that moment, the image of a woman he had momentarily forgotten due to work struck like lightning.

“Han Team Leader. Stop the car.”

“Pardon?”

“Stop the car.”

Ji Won tilted his head but followed Yi Hyun’s order. As the car stopped, Yi Hyun immediately got out of the back seat. Ji Won in the driver’s seat also got out of the car.

“You wait here.”

Without even looking at Ji Won, Yi Hyun blurted out the words and immediately strode towards the Sungjin Group headquarters.

Ji Won, left behind, looked at him with bewildered eyes, but Yi Hyun’s attention was entirely focused on Ha Jun, who would be inside that building.

He hadn’t realized it when he was too busy to remember, but once the thought occurred, the woman’s face dug into his mind endlessly.

Even though I said we should meet often, I couldn’t go even once. While I was busy working, did that woman think of me? Did she wait for me?

He wanted to see that expressionless face. No, to be precise, he wanted to see the woman’s face filled with surprise and embarrassment upon seeing him.

Why he kept wanting to tease her, even he thought it was quite ridiculous.

“Since when did I become such an impulsive person?”

A wry smile played on Yi Hyun’s lips.

But as soon as he set foot in the first-floor lobby, the sight of Ha Jun, who had been occupying his mind, came into view.

Today again, in an unexpectedly flustered appearance.

“One minute left. Get ready.”

At Hyun Ju’s words, looking at the wall, the digital clock was blinking PM 05:59.

As the three women stood up from their seats and prepared to leave with their bags, the clock numbers changed to 06:00 and the executive office door opened.

“Well, shall we go?”

Today again, a cheerful and confident voice.

Thinking that Se Ra’s nickname must surely be Kant, Ha Jun followed behind.

As the four women crossed the first-floor lobby, heading to a nearby place for the company dinner, a middle-aged woman approached them from ahead, breathing heavily.

“Lee Ha Jun!! You bad girl!”

Suddenly rushing in and grabbing Ha Jun’s hair was Jae Suk.

“You changed companies without telling me? Why? To run away alone after making money? Not satisfied with eating your father, you want to starve your family to death too! You should die! Someone like you should go out and die!”

Unlike Jae Suk who was screaming at the top of her lungs, Ha Jun silently swayed like a reed as her hair was grabbed and shaken.

From her numerous past experiences, she knew well that at times like this, it hurts less to just let the body go.

Along with Oh Se Ra’s piercing scream of shock, security guards hurriedly ran over and pulled Jae Suk away.

At Se Ra’s signal, Choi Hyun Ju and Yeon A embraced the disheveled Ha Jun and slipped out of the building.

“Where are you going! Come back here! You bitch who deserves to die! Someone like you should die!”

Jae Suk, with both arms restrained by two security guards, continued to scream at the top of her lungs. Se Ra, who had been watching that ugly scene with amazement, confidently placed her hands on her hips and stood proudly in front of Jae Suk.

Looking down at Jae Suk arrogantly with her tall stature, her bright red lips opened.

“Listen, auntie. You’re not Lee Ha Jun’s real mother, are you?”

“What? Who are you! Get out of the way! Let me go!”

Towards Jae Suk who was struggling and flailing, Se Ra smirked and looked at her straight on.

“Me? I’m the only daughter of this building’s owner. How dare you cause a scene here? Just looking at your spiteful face, you seem like a Cinderella’s stepmother living off Ha Jun’s back. If you want to go home nicely, stop here and get lost. If not, go see how many iron bars there are in a police cell.”

At Se Ra’s words about being the daughter of Sungjin Group, Jae Suk’s fierce gaze immediately softened.

“I really, really hate wasting time and having my planned schedule disrupted, but you just did both of those things, you know? I’m being nice and letting you go this once. Our entire security team will memorize your face. So don’t you dare show up around here. Got it?”

With a smirk and a corner of her mouth raised in a sneer, Se Ra turned around and disappeared outside the building, as if Jae Suk’s response wasn’t even worth hearing.

And Yi Hyun, who had watched the entire scene at the building entrance, also turned away with a hardened expression.

Inside a private room of a high-end Korean beef restaurant, Ha Jun and Se Ra, who had tidied up their appearance in the meantime, along with the other two women, sat in their seats, but no one opened their mouth.

That was understandable, given that they had just witnessed such a violent scene of hair-pulling.

It was Se Ra who broke the awkward silence.

“I thought a quiet and boring secretary had come, but it turns out a quite dynamic person arrived.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Lee Ha Jun doesn’t have anything to be sorry about. She won’t come to the company anymore. At least out of fear of me.”

“Thank you…”

“I can’t stand people mistreating my employees. Especially not stepmothers. Hmph, even my stepmothers pretended to be cultured enough not to pull hair, you know.”

Ha Jun’s eyes widened at Se Ra’s words. Seeing that reaction, Se Ra smiled brightly.

“Sungjin Group Chairman Oh Chul Seung’s womanizing is very famous, right? How many stepmothers have I had? I stopped counting after the fourth one. Come to think of it.”

Ha Jun thought Se Ra looked quite different as she talked about this while smiling. Indeed, her boss was truly a strong and cool woman. An amazing person.

“Well, let’s eat first. There’s no one here who will look at Ha Jun strangely because of this incident. Right?”

At Se Ra’s question, Yeon A nodded her head vigorously.

“Of course!”

“That’s right. Ha Jun, eat a lot.”

At the warm consideration of colleagues she had known for less than a month, Ha Jun’s heart ached. Tears that didn’t fall when she was being hit by Jae Suk now threatened to spill, tickling the corners of her eyes, and she strained to hold them back.

Having barely managed to contain the tears that were about to fall, Ha Jun conveyed her feelings to them in a small, faltering voice.

“Thank… you…”

The women who had eaten, drunk, and become slightly tipsy, along with Ha Jun who appeared fine on the outside but was actually quite drunk, came out onto the street.

Se Ra got into the luxury sedan that had come to pick her up, leaving with a smile and saying she’d see them next week.

Yeon A, her cheeks flushed red, excitedly called out to Hyun Ju and Ha Jun.

“Shall we go for round two? Round two? We don’t have to work tomorrow since it’s Saturday~ How about karaoke? Huh?”

Hyun Ju shook her head at Yeon A’s aegyo-laced words.

“I’d like to, but my enemy-like husband and brat-like kids are waiting at home.”

“Ah… that’s really sad.”

“Yeah. I’m the saddest. So let’s call it a day. Come on, Yeon A, my neighborhood friend! Let’s go together!”

Hyun Ju opened the back door of the waiting taxi and pushed Yeon A in. As she was about to get in the car herself, she suddenly turned around.

She took Ha Jun’s hand with a bright smile.

“Everyone in this world has their own story and sadness. Even if Ha Jun is particularly struggling among us, we’re colleagues so we’re on your side. We haven’t known each other long, but we’ve already felt what kind of person you are. Cheer up. If you want to vent, use us. If you want to drink, use us anytime. Okay?”

Ha Jun bowed her head, once again swallowing the tears that threatened to spill at Hyun Ju’s warm comfort, which felt like that of a reliable older sister.

“I will. Thank… you…”

“Get home safely. Let’s see each other with smiles on Monday.”

Hyun Ju got into the taxi, and the taxi carrying the two of them departed. Only then did tears start falling from Ha Jun’s eyes.

She hurriedly wiped away her tears and looked around, spotting a deserted flowerbed behind a convenience store. She went over and sat down.

“Sigh, this is tough…”

She hadn’t told Jae Suk about changing jobs, thinking it would be enough to just send money on the agreed dates, but how did she find out? Did she go to Sungjin Distribution too?

Although she always harassed her, it was the first time she had come to the company and caused such a scene.

She never thought her boss and colleagues would cover for her like this after witnessing such an embarrassing sight. Perhaps because of the kindness she had received after so long, once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop easily.

As teardrops silently fell, staining Ha Jun’s beige skirt a darker color while she kept her head down, a familiar man’s voice was heard.

“This is cheating, you know.”

Startled by Kim Yi Hyun’s sudden appearance, Ha Jun raised her head. Her small face, a mess with tears, turned towards Yi Hyun.

The most human-like expression he had seen since getting to know the woman called Lee Ha Jun pierced right into his heart.

Somehow, a prickling anger arose.

“Do you need comfort?”

“Why are you here?”

“Would you believe me if I said it was a coincidence?”

“No.”

“You’re right. It’s not a coincidence. I saw everything from when your hair was grabbed in the company lobby, and I followed you on purpose. Thanks to that, I even had a Korean beef dinner with our Han Team Leader.”

At Yi Hyun’s words, Ha Jun’s head dropped down.

This is really crazy. This man always seems to see the sides of her that she doesn’t want others to see.

“You didn’t answer my question. Should I comfort you?”

“Why?”

“Does comfort need a reason?”

With a thud, Yi Hyun sat down next to Ha Jun and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his embrace.

Feeling her already thin body that looked like it might collapse at any moment tremble like a rain-soaked bird, Yi Hyun tightened his arms around her even more.