If that was the elder’s plan, there would be nothing that could be changed.

Chairman Jang Ho Muk’s decision was Bando’s will, and Seo Ji Wan’s position at Bando depended on the chairman’s decision.

It doesn’t matter.

I shouldn’t be hurt by words like this.

If I had been greedy from the start, it would be different,

But at least I was a woman who knew her place, so this kind of threat may have worked on someone who had planned a future with a man, but it shouldn’t have worked on me.

“I understood all of that before. I’ve taken it to heart, so don’t worry.”

It wasn’t an environment I dared to compare to a man.

No proper house, not much education, far from being able to save face for my husband, I’d be lucky not to embarrass him.

It must have been for the same reason that Ji Wan proposed the contract to me with such conditions.

Since I couldn’t even look at a tree I could never climb.

Hearing Do Eum’s unwavering answer, Chairman Jang’s eyes narrowed.

“How is it that you are not afraid of me, nor even find me difficult?”

Perhaps the thoughts she had been having alone all this time, setting Do Eum before her, the elder finally voiced aloud.

It was clearly an expression of displeasure.

“I wonder too, why am I like that? What do you think, grandmother?”

As if making jokes in front of the elder, Do Eum even seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Even if you act obedient, you know you’ll be cast aside. At least compared to others, you know your place. Or if not, you’re pretending not to be afraid.”

Do Eum picked up the peach that Chairman Jang hadn’t touched and put it in her mouth.

The sweet scent and juice went down.

“I have nothing to gain from you, grandmother. Since I have nothing to gain, I have no reason to be obedient, and even if I’m cast aside, I have nothing to fear.”

So your threats won’t work on me at all, was what she meant.

The audacious words continued after that.

“So you don’t need to look after me. Even if I go back, I’ll live as I did before, whether I become porridge or rice.”

With a completely relaxed expression, Do Eum rather seemed to worry about the elder opposite her.

“A terminal life is this scary, grandmother.”

Chairman Jang, who had intended to firmly drive home the point of not being greedy beyond a certain line, stood up with a face that had clearly lost.

“As soon as the youngest child arrives, I’ll send someone from the main house to stay by your side and teach you.”

“All of a sudden?”

Do Eum’s eyes widened as she followed.

“They’ve observed what Chairman Seo likes to eat and enjoy for a long time, so they can teach you without reservations.”

Chairman Jang must have heard about when Do Eum had asked around in the kitchen during her visit to the main house.

Even for someone who would be cast aside when their usefulness ended, it wouldn’t be bad to be devoted to taking care of her grandson while they were together.

Do Eum bowed in gratitude for sending someone to teach about something she would just hear and forget.

“Thank you, I’ll learn diligently!!”

Before the door of the waiting sedan opened and Chairman Jang’s jade-colored skirt hem disappeared inside.

“Ah.”

The elder half-turned her body.

Her gaze was still directed at the back seat of the car.

“The anchovy jjigae was well made.”

It was praise for the dish she had cooked before.

Thud.

The sedan door closed firmly and the elder’s voice quietly sank into the dark grass.

Even hearing unexpected praise, far from being happy, Do Eum’s face was stained with melancholy sorrow.

*****

Lim San Ha.

It was a name she had erased from her mind since that day.

The man who had brazenly spoken informally even while wearing a school uniform was already discharged when she visited for the volunteer schedule two months later.

“Right, that motorcycle back then.”

“Well, I don’t remember clearly.”

Gripping the steering wheel and looking only at the front of the vehicle, San Ha was initially evasive.

Seeing the noncommittal answer as if it was bothersome, Seo Hyeon gave up trying to get an answer and turned her gaze.

“You must have really disliked me too, seeing how you’ve forgotten everything.”

To Seo Hyeon, the boy had been nothing short of a benefactor.

Her father at that time was obsessed with his image, so if he had caught his only child with a cigarette in her mouth, she would have been grounded for at least a month or two without fail.

Except for his unique delinquency, if the boy from back then was the man in front of her now, she thought he had grown up well. Not just his eye-catching appearance, but his seemingly upright personality as well.

Rrrr.

“Director Seo, you have a call.”

Since it was Seo Hyeon’s personal vehicle, it seemed the Bluetooth was connected to her phone.

“Connect it.”

Seo Hyeon answered with a frown, feeling an uncomfortable pain in her lower abdomen.

They were on their way back from an obstetrics and gynecology appointment.

She had regularly checked her follicle size on ovulation days and received injections to grow follicles for the designated day.

Having received the injection to burst the fully grown follicle, today was the day Ki Hyeok had to come home no matter what.

“I can’t come home today.”

The injections over 5 days may have grown the follicles, but Seo Hyeon’s condition was the worst.

On top of that, Ki Hyeok snapped as soon as he answered the phone.

“Listen, Seo Ki Hyeok.”

It was just a week ago.

She had told him this was the plan, so not to schedule anything special this week.

The cheerful ping, ping sound of a golf swing could be heard through the receiver.

“You don’t think I have to drop everything and rush over for that, right? We’re not that kind of relationship, after all.”

It was clearly mockery, deliberately choosing the worst timing.

Not only trampling on her week of diligent efforts going to the hospital, but also an intention to thoroughly humiliate her.

The call ended without even listening to Seo Hyeon’s response.

He was a man who adamantly refused artificial insemination even when recommended.

To do this, to see her trembling before him time and time again using that as an excuse.

Seo Hyeon, who kept falling for the man’s despicable tricks, swallowed a bitter smile.

*****

Jing, jiiing.

At the loud vibration, Do Eum reached out to the bedside table and picked up her phone.

“Hello?”

−Were you sleeping?

It was Ji Wan.

It was the first call in 6 days since he left on a business trip.

Unlike Woo Seok who contacted twice daily as expected, the man who seemed like he would call every day to check in hadn’t made a single message or call.

Do Eum looked up at the clock.

4 AM.

If he was in Vietnam, his time would be around 2 AM.

“No, I wasn’t.”

Both the person calling at a time when one should rightfully be sleeping to ask if they were sleeping, and the person denying they were asleep.

The two laughed at the same time, pfft.

“Why are you still up at this hour?”

−I was busy.

She knew.

His Vietnam schedule had been front page economic news every day, so it was impossible not to know.

The man on the news screen caught attention no less than a celebrity in his fine suit and neat appearance.

The faint smile that occasionally touched his lips looked relaxed, and his fluent English pronunciation was even sensual with his low voice.

While having vulgar thoughts about his tired-looking face, she felt pathetic, but also deeply moved that such an impressive man had taken an interest in her who had absolutely nothing.

−I miss you, Do Eum.

It was words heard after a long silence.

Cutting off everything before and after, thrown out abruptly.

“For someone who says that, your call is quite late.”

−I did it as soon as I could.

He must have.

She didn’t doubt it for a second.

Even this call, he must have held back as much as he could to avoid waking her.

−Are you eating well?

“Yes, of course.”

−And going to school properly?

“Yes.”

−And… thinking of me?

Finding it funny even as he said it, the man on the other end of the line laughed, pfft.

She doesn’t answer.

This was clearly a promise with the man who told her not to be swayed.

“How’s the weather there, does the food suit your taste? You looked very tired on the news, so.”

I was worried.

Seeing you even through the screen, I was glad.

Twelve times a day, no twenty times, no all day long. I think of you, sir.

So I’m going absolutely crazy.

Pfft.

A faint laugh from Ji Wan could be heard through the receiver.

“Why are you laughing?”

−Because I missed it, your chatter.

“Ah, grandmother from An Seo-dong came by.”

Clunk.

Through the receiver, the sound of something falling loudly was heard.

Presumably, the man had dropped something in surprise at the mention of Chairman Jang’s visit.

“Are you okay?”

−Yeah, I just dropped something. Are you alright?

His voice asking after Do Eum’s wellbeing was strained.

“Of course, she was passing by and worried I might be alone, so she stopped in. We had a pleasant chat, it was nice having a guest at home after so long.”

That it was pleasant.

No one would think time spent with the stubborn old woman who reached the heavens could be pleasant.

Yet this woman’s voice was full of excitement as if it really had been enjoyable.

Even without seeing her, Ji Wan could imagine what kind of face Do Eum must be making now.

“Ah, the person who used to live in this house came by recently wanting to see the backyard. It was a middle-aged woman, and goodness, there was a path leading to a real big forest in the backyard.”

−…

“She explained one by one about the wildflowers and fruit trees planted there. It was my first time hosting a guest in this house, so I really enjoyed it. She felt bad for coming suddenly, so I asked her to come by often to keep me company. I said I had no friends and was very bored.”

−…

“Mr. Seo? Are you listening?”

−I’m listening.

“You must be tired, I talked too much, didn’t I?”

−Keep going, that’s why I called.

“When… are you coming back?”

Do Eum ended up asking what she shouldn’t have.

−I’ll be heading to Shanghai soon. I’m trying to get back as quickly as possible.

“You don’t need to rush like that. Please don’t do that at all. Actually, I recently bought some flowers I like and put them in a vase, and you need to see them before they wilt. You don’t absolutely have to see them, but they’re not easy-to-find wildflowers either and also…”

−Also?

“They’re really expensive.”

A faint laugh could be heard from the other end of the line.

To a man who could fill the entire front yard with these flowers at a single word from her,

It seemed like too poor an excuse.

−Alright, I’ll come before they wilt.

She was about to add that while regular flowers can last up to a week, these flowers are hard to keep for even 5 days, but she held back.

If she said that much, it felt like the man would come to her right away instead of Shanghai.

“Ah, the tie you wore when touring the site yesterday wasn’t good.”

It was an abrupt statement.

−Huh?

“The jean grey striped tie, it doesn’t suit you sir. Blue tones look good on you. Not those dark tones.”

Before packing his suitcase, she had heard through Woo Seok that for overseas business trips, Ji Wan hired local stylists due to the many formal occasions.

The dark-toned tie on the man who looked tired from the tight schedule made him appear even more lifeless, which really bothered her.

After a silence at the forcibly changed topic, Ji Wan continued.

−When I get back, I’m thinking of going on a trip.

It was a one-sided notification of an already decided matter.

A trip right after finishing the business trip.

How much longer until he returns, Ji Wan’s absence drags on.

“…Where to? And for how long?”

Right after you come back, immediately?

At this point, wasn’t saying you missed me a complete lie?

Holding back the urge to snap, the question she threw out was inevitably sulky.

−Anywhere. I want to go wherever you want.