The Young Boss (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

At lunchtime, Woo Jin, who met Si Hyeon at the park near the office, looked slightly surprised upon seeing her.

“Why did you come out looking so pretty today?”

Pretending not to know. Instead of answering, Si Hyeon just gave him a subtle sideways glance.

Si Hyeon didn’t particularly avoid any foods, nor was she especially fixated on eating itself. Therefore, Woo Jin usually chose the menu, mostly dishes he liked—such as soup with rice or rice bowl dishes. But today was different, as expected.

“How about we go eat seafood pasta, your favorite, after so long?”

After all, proposing over ox-bone soup or hangover stew wouldn’t be quite right. Si Hyeon carefully controlled her expression.

Linking arms, they walked to a lovely café-restaurant and took their seats.

“By the way, Si Hyeon. Are you getting ready to meet my parents?”

“I booked an appointment at the salon this morning. I’m thinking of getting a ginseng set as a gift—what do you think?”

“That sounds great. My father’s been extra concerned about his health lately. How about also buying a cake? It’s Mom’s birthday, so she’ll need to blow out the candles.”

His tone made it sound as if he’d completely forgotten that the day was also Si Hyeon’s birthday, which left her a bit disappointed, but she just smiled it off. After all, today was the day she was going to be proposed to.

“Alright. I’ll make a reservation at a nice hotel and bring a good one.”

Shortly afterward, their ordered seafood pasta arrived. Despite it being her favorite dish, Si Hyeon barely tasted anything. Her mind was entirely occupied with wondering when this man would finally propose.

Yet Woo Jin showed no sign of getting to the point anytime soon.

“The stock market’s been crashing lately—everyone’s crying all over the place, total chaos. I’m so lucky I never touched it, thanks to you. How about the people at your company?”

“Same as everyone else, I guess.”

Until they’d nearly finished eating, he kept talking about irrelevant things, so Si Hyeon, frustrated, even tried gently prying open a mussel with her fork.

Could there be a necklace hidden inside?

Of course, there was no necklace in the mussel. Only after finishing the meal did Woo Jin finally take a small shopping bag from his bag and hand it to her.

“Here, take it.”

“What’s this?”

Trying to hide her pounding heart, Si Hyeon pretended not to know.

“It’s White Day today.”

“What? You’re actually remembering something like this, Oppa?”

With trembling hands, Si Hyeon opened the box inside the shopping bag. What came out of the square box wasn’t a necklace, but hand cream.

“What’s this?”

“It’s been so dry lately—your hands looked rougher than usual, so I bought this. It’s really expensive, so use it regularly.”

“Why on earth would hand cream cost fifty thousand won?” Woo Jin muttered quietly.

‘Is he trying to disappoint me first, then surprise me with the real gift at the end?’

Thinking that, Si Hyeon closed the box again.

“I’ll use it well.”

Any moment now… or maybe not.

But in the end, Woo Jin never even mentioned the word “proposal.” After paying the bill, he glanced at his watch, then muttered with a look of sudden realization.

“Oh, I’d better head back now, Si Hyeon. Let’s talk again tonight.”

Si Hyeon finally called out to stop him.

“Hey, Oppa.”

Woo Jin, who had been hurrying toward his office, stopped and turned around.

“What?”

“Did you forget anything by any chance?”

“Huh? Forget anything?”

He looked genuinely clueless. Finally, swallowing her wounded pride, Si Hyeon brought it up.

“You know Mi Ju in our team, right? She’s close to me. She said she saw you buying something at the department store over the weekend. I was wondering if it was for me.”

“Huh?”

Woo Jin looked momentarily flustered. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he snapped his fingers.

“Oh, that? It was an errand for our team leader—he said it’s their twentieth wedding anniversary and wanted a gift for his wife.”

Si Hyeon instantly felt her face burn hot. Oh, so I was drinking kimchi soup before it was even served.

Not knowing what expression to make, she forced an exaggeratedly cheerful tone to seem unaffected.

“Goodness, does the team leader really send you on personal errands like that?”

“You know how he is—he even makes me do his son’s college homework. That day, I stood in line for ages just to buy that necklace or whatever it was.”

Woo Jin grumbled resentfully.

“It’s a tiny little necklace, smaller than a thumbnail, and costs two or three million won—but he was standing in line to buy it anyway. Seriously, what’s wrong with women these days? I kept thinking how lucky I am that you’re not like that while I was standing in line.”

Si Hyeon kept quiet, unable to admit she’d also wanted a necklace like that herself. She felt ashamed for having carefully dressed from head to toe, believing she was going to be proposed to.

“The weather’s so nice, yet it feels strangely slow.”

Walking back to the office with heavy steps, Si Hyeon sank into thought.

Her Uncle’s household had started urging her to get married years ago. It wasn’t just the pressure—Si Hyeon herself wanted to marry Woo Jin soon.

Having lived practically as a dependent in her Uncle’s home since childhood, Si Hyeon had never had anything she could truly call “my home” or “my family.” So she longed to build her own happy family with the man she loved as soon as possible.

[Oppa, when will we go visit your parents?]

Thus, unintentionally, she’d started sounding pushy around age thirty.

[We’re both still young—why be in such a hurry?]

At times like that, Woo Jin always responded with a lukewarm attitude. Otherwise, they would’ve married years ago.

[Are you maybe not even thinking about marriage? If that’s the case, just tell me honestly.]

Even when she asked seriously, Woo Jin always brushed it off with a laugh.

[Ah, come on—you know that’s not it, so why ask?]

Though discussions had finally become serious this year, Si Hyeon still occasionally sensed his “I’m in no rush” attitude. It almost felt as if he were reluctantly agreeing to marry only because she kept pressing him.

Perhaps that was why Woo Jin still hadn’t formally proposed to her—and likely never intended to.

‘What’s so important about a proposal anyway? We’re getting married regardless—it’s just a formality.’

Si Hyeon tried hard to convince herself it didn’t matter. After all, it’s normal to have all sorts of thoughts before marriage, right? That’s just me.

Still, she couldn’t help the lingering unease in her heart.

Was this how everyone else got married too? When she was younger, she’d imagined a handsome man handing her a bouquet and passionately proposing…

Her high-heeled shoes, which she’d taken out after a long time, suddenly felt uncomfortably tight, so Si Hyeon walked slowly down the street. Buds were beginning to form on the cherry trees by the roadside, yet spring still felt far away.

Trudging back to the office, she saw Bo Ra running toward her from afar, calling out.

“Associate Manager Kang! Where have you been?”

Bo Ra affectionately linked arms with her. Normally, Si Hyeon would’ve been delighted, but exhausted as she was today, she replied curtly.

“I had a lunch appointment.”

“Oh! It’s White Day—so you met your boyfriend?”

Sharp-eyed Bo Ra immediately flashed a knowing smile and glanced at the shopping bag Si Hyeon was holding.

“Did you get a nice gift? I want to see it too.”

Embarrassed, Si Hyeon quickly hid the shopping bag behind her back.

“It’s nothing special.”

“Why? Come on, show me!”

After a brief tug-of-war, she finally lost the bag. When Bo Ra saw the hand cream inside the box, her eyes widened.

“Wow, this hand cream is really good! He must’ve put a lot of thought into picking it.”

“Really?”

“Of course! I always hesitate at the department store, thinking about buying it—but it’s too expensive, so I end up putting it back.”

In truth, Bo Ra came from a wealthy family. Her father was the owner of Jo Han Newspaper, a major national daily.

Even knowing Bo Ra could easily afford such hand cream, Si Hyeon felt a little of her disappointment fade.

Right—he did try his best to get something nice, in his own way.

“Lunch break’s almost over. Let’s head back in, Bo Ra.”

After getting her shopping bag back, Bo Ra grinned and waved cheerfully.

“Then good luck this afternoon, Associate Manager!”

On his way back from lunch, Tae Ha ran into Si Hyeon in the hallway.

“Team Leader.”

The woman gave him a light nod, but her face looked noticeably gloomy—unlike that morning, when she’d greeted him brightly.

[Hello, Team Leader!]

Back then, she’d smiled cheerfully and energetically, looking utterly beautiful. Naturally pretty, and with her makeup perfectly done, she’d been almost impossible to look away from. He’d caught himself staring blankly before snapping out of it.

‘Ah, right—it’s White Day today.’

She must’ve had a date for sure.

Ever since the last time Si Hyeon had casually rubbed her stomach, Tae Ha had realized one thing clearly: no matter how much he tried to seduce her physically, she wouldn’t even bat an eye.

So he’d decided to stop doing that. It never suited his character anyway.

Instead, he’d thought of approaching her more seriously and even prepared some candy.

[Oh! Are you giving us something for White Day?]

In the end, he never got to hand it over—it ended up snatched by someone else entirely.

Still, why had this woman, who’d been sparkling so brightly that morning, suddenly lost all her energy?

Gathering his courage, Tae Ha awkwardly spoke up.

“Miss Kang Si Hyeon… Did something happen…?”

But Si Hyeon didn’t answer—she just walked straight into the office. It didn’t seem like she was deliberately ignoring him; rather, she seemed lost in thought and hadn’t even heard him.

Watching her dejected back disappear down the hallway, Tae Ha grew restless.

What on earth had happened?

Back in his own office, he couldn’t focus on work at all. Finally, he stormed out. Just then, one of the female employees he’d seen in the break room that morning greeted him brightly.

“Hello, Team Leader!”

Tae Ha struggled to recall who she was. His secretary had mentioned something about her being a “goddess” or something—so probably from the Yeo Shin team.

But her actual name escaped him. It had something to do with a color…?

He glanced quickly at her light green blouse, but she wasn’t even wearing an ID badge.

In the end, he called out the first name that popped into his head.

“Miss Lee Yeon Doo.”

“Yes?”

Her startled expression suggested she might actually be Lee Bun Hong. But her name wasn’t the point. Tae Ha cut straight to the chase.

“Did anything happen to Associate Manager Kang Si Hyeon from OneApp Team during lunch?”

“She went out and had lunch with her boyfriend.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as he heard the answer, Tae Ha turned away.

Seeing how distraught his fiancée was yet her boyfriend didn’t even come to check on her—what kind of guy was he? He’d been vaguely wondering, and now that suspicion was growing stronger.

Could it be… she wasn’t actually happy?

What exactly had that boyfriend done at lunch to make Si Hyeon look like that?

Anger rose in him, yet his heart started racing.

…Maybe, just maybe, I still have a chance?

“Ha!”

Watching Tae Ha’s retreating back down the hallway, Bo Ra let out a hollow laugh.

“Seriously, you really don’t remember me?”

Last time they’d greeted each other, the hallway had been dim—so maybe he hadn’t recognized her. This morning, there’d been so many people around—he probably couldn’t acknowledge her easily.

But now it was clear: he genuinely didn’t remember her at all.

He’d even called her… Lee Yeon Doo?

“…You’re not allowed to forget me, Yoon Tae Ha.”

Around Bo Ra’s neck, a three-leaf clover-shaped necklace glinted with a crooked smile.