The Young Boss (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15

Woo Jin stood in front of Si Hyeon’s front door, holding a bouquet of flowers.

“What the hell.”

The moment their eyes met, Woo Jin dropped the bouquet in shock.

“Why are you coming out of the next-door house?”

His gaze already brimmed with deep suspicion—like a husband catching his wife in the act of infidelity.

Si Hyeon was so flustered she couldn’t utter a word. Where should she even begin explaining this mess? Her mind went completely blank.

To make matters worse, she heard Tae Ha’s voice from behind her.

“Why are you just standing there like a statue? Hurry up and get ready for work.”

Seeing Woo Jin’s eyes widen at the sight of Tae Ha, Si Hyeon wished she could just shut her eyes and disappear.

“What the hell, why is this guy coming out from there too?”

Woo Jin glared at Tae Ha, who stood behind Si Hyeon, and demanded an answer.

“Kang Si Hyeon. Don’t tell me you’re cheating on me with this guy? Is that what’s going on?”

“It’s not like that!”

Si Hyeon cried out in panic, but Woo Jin’s furious expression didn’t soften in the slightest.

“Then why the hell does this guy live next door? And why are you coming out of there in your pajamas!”

Only then did Si Hyeon realize she was still dressed in her comfortable sleepwear. No wonder he’d jumped to conclusions—it was practically asking for it.

“I’ll explain everything, Oppa. Just come inside and let’s talk.”

Si Hyeon quickly grabbed Woo Jin’s arm to pull him toward her own house, but he refused to budge, glaring murderously at Tae Ha.

“I never liked you from the start anyway. Hey, you bastard—just who the hell are you? What gives you the right to get cozy with someone else’s fiancée!”

“You must’ve heard already, haven’t you? Exactly what kind of guy I am.”

Tae Ha scoffed with a smirk.

“You said you were just a section chief at the company, right? Must be tough navigating office politics.”

He’d thrown Woo Jin’s own words from their last encounter right back at him.

“You little—!”

Woo Jin looked ready to throw a punch, his pride clearly wounded. Even Si Hyeon, who’d dated him for six years, had never seen such a terrifying expression on his face.

“Do you think just because you’ve got money, you can look down on people like me? Huh?”

“What are you talking about? When did Tae Ha ever look down on you? It’s not like that at all!”

Si Hyeon desperately tried to calm him down.

“Stop it, Oppa, okay? Come on, let’s just go inside and talk—”

As Si Hyeon pulled with all her might, Woo Jin shouted and violently shook her off.

“Let go of me!”

His rough shove threw Si Hyeon off balance, and she staggered back, nearly falling over. Tae Ha immediately caught her with one arm, pulling her close to his side.

“Are you okay?”

Si Hyeon hastily pulled away from Tae Ha, but by then, Woo Jin’s eyes had already gone completely wild.

“What the hell are you two doing right in front of me…!”

“You must be awfully insecure about yourself.”

At Tae Ha’s mocking murmur, Woo Jin reacted instantly.

“What?”

“You really can’t trust your own woman?”

They were on the verge of throwing punches. Unable to bear watching it escalate further, Si Hyeon turned to Tae Ha with a pleading look.

“Please don’t, Tae Ha. Just go back inside right now.”

But Tae Ha wouldn’t move an inch either.

“This isn’t helping me at all! Please, just go inside!”

She shoved him hard against his chest, forcing him into his apartment, then slammed the front door shut and let out a heavy sigh.

“Let’s go inside and talk, Oppa.”

“Damn it!”

As soon as he stepped into Si Hyeon’s house, Woo Jin cursed and hurled the bouquet onto the floor. Crimson rose petals scattered across the room.

Only then did she remember—why flowers first thing in the morning? Last night, during dinner, he’d mentioned something about engagement gifts, and she’d stormed out in anger halfway through.

‘He came here to apologize and cheer me up.’

Feeling guilty, Si Hyeon picked up the flowers and carefully placed them on the table.

“No wonder I felt so weird the moment you said you’d be coming to my company. So this is how it is, huh?”

Trying to soothe his lingering anger, Si Hyeon spoke calmly.

“It wasn’t my decision that you ended up at our company—that was decided by higher-ups. And I didn’t even know you’d moved in next door until last night.”

“So you’re telling me it’s just a coincidence you ended up at my company and also moved into the house right next to mine?”

“Tae Ha told you already—he’s there on a one-year contract. Since his old place was too far from work, he looked for somewhere to stay for just a year, and this happened to be it. You know how few studio apartments are near the office.”

“So you expect me to believe that?”

Si Hyeon sighed.

“It’s the truth—what else can I do?”

“Then why were you coming out of his place this morning?”

“He said he’d set an extra spoon while making breakfast, so I just ate with him, that’s all.”

“Hey, Kang Si Hyeon—are you out of your mind?”

Woo Jin looked utterly exasperated.

“A rich, handsome guy like that deliberately leaves his own company to become a department head at yours, out of all the companies in Seoul. And out of all the houses under the sky, he chooses the one right next to yours. He even cooks breakfast for you personally—and you still claim there’s nothing between you?”

“Then what kind of relationship do you think it is?”

Frustrated by his refusal to understand, Si Hyeon felt helpless.

“I’ve told you countless times about Tae Ha. I’ve known him since he was nine. I taught him his ABCs myself. I brushed his teeth and washed his hair—raised him like my own.”

“How the hell is that kid!”

Woo Jin finally exploded.

“Open your eyes and look properly! In what universe does that guy look like a child to you!”

She almost snapped back, “He looks like one to me,” but bit her tongue instead.

Because memories from last night suddenly flooded back.

[Look at me properly.]

That challenging, provocative gaze.

[Am I a man—or not?]

The dazzling sight of a man’s body glimpsed beneath the robe.

No one blushes in front of a child. Maybe… maybe I don’t see Tae Ha as just a kid anymore either…

Embarrassed by her own realization, Si Hyeon deliberately emphasized her words.

“He’s a child—to my eyes.”

She looked straight into Woo Jin’s eyes and repeated firmly,

“No matter how old he gets, to me, he’ll always be that nine-year-old boy.”

“So this is how it really is, huh?”

Through the thin, non-soundproof walls of the studio apartment, their argument carried clearly from the other side.

Tae Ha listened while getting ready for work. If things escalated into violence, he’d rush over and knock the guy flat instantly.

Woo Jin was clearly furious, while Si Hyeon kept insisting it was all just coincidence.

Of course, no real explanation would work—because it wasn’t coincidence at all. Only Kang Si Hyeon thought it was.

“A rich, handsome guy like that leaves his own company to become a department head at yours, out of all the companies in Seoul. And out of all the houses under the sky, he chooses yours to move right beside. He even cooks breakfast for you personally—and you still claim there’s nothing between you?”

Buttoning his dress shirt, Tae Ha let out a quiet chuckle.

‘At least this guy has slightly better instincts than Kang Si Hyeon.’

He’d already planned to take her from the start, but seeing how roughly Woo Jin had just shoved Si Hyeon had only hardened his resolve.

[Let go of me!]

That Kim Woo Jin fellow clearly didn’t value Kang Si Hyeon at all. No matter how angry you are, who treats their own woman like that?

So Tae Ha didn’t mind the earlier commotion at all—in fact, he was rather pleased. If the guy had been decent, he might’ve felt a twinge of guilt, but seeing him in person only confirmed how unworthy he was.

“How the hell is that kid!”

Tae Ha even listened to Woo Jin’s shouting with a hint of amusement.

“Open your eyes and look properly! In what universe does that guy look like a child to you!”

Every single word was perfectly reasonable.

Exactly—well said. Tae Ha nodded approvingly, almost wanting to cheer him on.

But then Si Hyeon’s next words made him freeze mid-motion while tying his tie.

“He’s a child—to my eyes.”

She stated it plainly.

“No matter how old he gets, to me, he’ll always be that nine-year-old boy.”

“I have to go to work now, so we’ll talk again later. I absolutely won’t let this go.”

Woo Jin spat out the words and stormed out of Si Hyeon’s apartment, seething. He wanted to keep yelling, but unfortunately, it was already time for work.

“So he’s just a kid, huh?”

Glaring at Tae Ha’s closed front door, Woo Jin muttered under his breath.

Si Hyeon had mentioned him endlessly—though he’d never really paid attention.

One memory stood out: early in their relationship, they’d had a huge fight over this same guy. Si Hyeon had been worried sick because he hadn’t contacted her since enlisting right after turning twenty. Woo Jin had casually shrugged and said,

[Maybe he died in an accident during military service? It happens sometimes.] [Are you seriously saying that, Oppa?]

He remembered how furious she’d been—calming her down had taken real effort.

Since she’d always said she practically raised the guy from childhood, he’d assumed he was just some naive kid.

But the man he’d just seen was nothing like his imagination.

He was much taller than Woo Jin himself, with shoulders incomparably broader. His face looked like it belonged in an international fashion magazine—and to top it off, he was a department head, which only made Woo Jin’s blood boil more.

He felt like he’d already lost before even throwing a punch. The fact that he was thirty-five while the guy was only twenty-six alone made him feel defeated.

He understood now—Si Hyeon truly had no ulterior motives toward him. That stubborn woman simply couldn’t lie or even suspect betrayal. That’s why she’d never noticed his own secret affair all this time.

But it was glaringly obvious that the guy felt otherwise. What lunatic would deliberately move next door to a woman he wasn’t interested in and even cook her breakfast?

“They say even a grub knows how to roll—looks like he’s not bad at all, Kang Si Hyeon.”

Woo Jin twisted his lips bitterly, yet felt utterly lost inside.

Even though he was the one cheating, the fact that someone far better than him was interested in Si Hyeon filled him with unbearable anxiety and frustration.

How could he shake off this rotten feeling?

After a moment’s thought, Woo Jin got into his car parked outside the studio building and immediately pulled out his phone to make a call.

Just seeing the name on the screen made his bruised ego miraculously recover.

“Yeah, Bo Ra.”

From the same lips that had just bellowed at Si Hyeon, a sweet voice now slipped out—completely different, as if speaking to someone else.

“Are you free Friday evening? Let’s go on a date somewhere nice.”