“With the big project we’re starting and the overlapping preparations for business trips, it’s going to be very busy. I can pass on any messages now if you want.”
An even denser silence followed.
[Dash] No.No? At the end of the waiting, Jae Heon’s eyebrows lifted at Seon Woo’s response.
[Dash] I’ll talk to her directly later.What is he saying that he can’t tell me?
[Dash] There’s an alumni meeting coming up; make sure you attend this time. Let’s see each other.“I’ll discuss it with Ra Jin.”
[Dash] …Alright. Take care.The call ended.
In the meantime, having received the second light, Ra Jin quickly hit the brake and turned to Jae Heon.
“Director, how can you say that!”
“What did I say?”
“You told Seon Woo oppa…you called me Ra Jin and…said you’d discuss things with me? What close relationship is this?”
Ra Jin stumbled over her words in her excitement. But she had no choice.
“What if people misunderstand?”
“Misunderstand? What misunderstanding?”
Even the word ‘misunderstanding’ felt like it was fanning the flames within.
Ra Jin’s subsequent words poured oil over Jae Heon’s inner fire.
“Of course, Seon Woo oppa isn’t someone who talks lightly, but even with trustworthy people, it’s better to be cautious.”
The phrase ‘trustworthy person’ lodged deep into his heart.
This was the first time Ra Jin had spoken this way about anyone.
The first time she’d used the word ‘oppa’. The first positive evaluation.
Just how many ‘firsts’ did Jeong Seon Woo occupy in Ra Jin’s life?
Why did that fact make him…so angry?
“So, if I call you Ra Jin and say we’re close, is it all a lie?”
Jae Heon’s voice unknowingly grew colder.
“Our contract may be time-limited. But that doesn’t make it a lie.”
For only a moment did Ra Jin flinch; then she stared directly into his eyes and countered.
“Wasn’t the third condition of your offer ‘never let this contract leak out’? I remember it clearly.”
Uh. Jae Heon frowned.
“I am doing my utmost to maintain the conditions of our contract. But it seems like you’re doing the opposite.”
“…”
“If the contract leaks, your reputation could be at risk, could it not?”
There were none. He couldn’t find any.
No loopholes, no gaps, nothing to counter.
Every single word Ra Jin said was correct.
This contract could easily turn into a vulnerability that could shake Jae Heon.
Especially now when a clean platonic relationship was counted as a huge advantage.
Being careful and cautious was never enough, but not showing it was agonizing.
‘…Why am I like this?’
Always in control of myself with reason, no matter the situation.
I was always on guard, eyes wide open even to the passing wind, not to give myself away.
Finding myself in a situation that put me at a disadvantage felt so unfamiliar.
Has my ability to think decreased? Am I losing my ability to judge?
Is it… this woman?
“I apologize if I’ve offended you, but I believe being cautious is the right thing to do. So, I’d like you to think again,” Ra Jin, who had completely switched to ‘Secretary Mode,’ turned her gaze away from him.
“Then let’s go.”
The green light signaled, and the black sedan smoothly moved forward.
‘…I must have let my guard down in the joy of being able to sleep soundly.’
Being cautioned to keep the contract terms confidential by the very party I’ve signed a contract with.
This has never happened in Jae Heon’s life before.
If I’d drawn the line too strictly and that had become a problem, that would be one thing.
But the more serious issue is…
Even now, the side profile of Ra Jin, who is looking straight ahead with a hardened expression due to her displeasure with me, looks pretty.
‘Severe.’
Such a harsh and addictive tranquilizer.
Jae Heon let out an internal sigh and refreshed himself.
I need to keep my wits about me. Be careful, be very careful.
With that resolution, he too turned his gaze away from Ra Jin and looked straight ahead.
Both maintained their silence, looking at the same place until they arrived at the office.
Yoon Hee, who was about to stand up to ask Ra Jin something, quietly sat back down.
‘I should probably handle this myself.’
As soon as she arrived at work in the morning, Yoon Hee froze at the sight of Ra Jin.
It had been a long time since she had seen Ra Jin so coldly frozen.
Was it a year ago? When Jae Heon’s cousin, Ju Han, had visited the Food Building to see Chairman Seo, and she’d run into him, the pressure was just as low.
To see that scary Director’s appearance once again.
But the scarier person was their boss, Jae Heon.
While Ra Jin made her cautious, Jae Heon was so sharp that she didn’t even dare look at him.
Just a slight brush against him felt like it might draw blood.
‘What happened between the two of them?’
It must be something work-related. Clearly, the Director pushed too hard, and the Manager objected with objective and rational judgment, causing a clash.
Yoon Hee’s eyes sparkled with blind favoritism towards Ra Jin.
Could this be an opportunity?
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
