Whispers of Autumn Wind (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
“If you don’t want to eat the spicy chicken, just buy something else. You can just give me the price of the lunchbox.”
Startled by Ga Eul’s tears, Dae Woon set the lunchbox down, speaking in a soothing tone. The lunchbox was already empty. Ga Eul roughly snapped the lid shut—just as she reached to pick up the empty container, Dae Woon grabbed her wrist.
“Are you acting like this because you’re hungry? Didn’t you have a lunch appointment? Did you come back without eating?”
Although lunch breaks were flexible, Ga Eul had deliberately sent a text message to the president beforehand—anticipating that the president, who stubbornly refused to manage even his own meals, might starve while waiting for her. She also felt a vague twinge of guilt over having ordered the spicy chicken for him.
“Please give me 4,000 won.”
Ga Eul wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she spoke. She was startled by her own tears—why had they spilled out like this?
She’d sworn never to cry again after her father passed away—especially not in front of others. Until today, she’d kept that promise perfectly. So why today, of all days—and why in front of the president…?
“Please just pretend you didn’t see that.”
Ga Eul demanded confidently. Since it had already happened, there was no point hiding it. She might as well blame it on being upset about her stolen lunchbox. After all, extreme hunger could do strange things to a person.
She’d just had lunch, and the president knew that. So what if he knew? She didn’t even understand the meaning of her own tears.
Embarrassment only made Ga Eul bolder. What embarrassed her most was the fact that the president had stolen and eaten *that* lunchbox—
Kimchi fried rice, hastily tossed together from last night’s leftover rice with nothing but kimchi, no fried egg on top. That humble meal felt like a mirror of her own situation: tossed around all morning by Woo Jin’s mother and father.
By stealing her lunchbox, the president had stolen a glimpse into her life, too.
The president held out a 50,000-won bill.
“Go buy yourself lunch.”
The moment Ga Eul saw the money, her brain snapped back into gear. Nothing energized her faster than cash—especially for Han Ga Eul. Seeing the 50,000-won note, her mind whirred into overdrive.
“President, how about I just buy you a whole box of hangover cure drinks instead? Rather than buying one bottle at a time, we could keep a box in the fridge and take one out whenever you need it. There are ten bottles in a box—how about 40,000 won?”
Until now, she’d bought a box herself with her own money and sold individual bottles to the president—one by one—for an 800-won markup each.
This time, instead of squeezing out tiny profits, she’d earn a solid 8,000-won lump sum. After all, she could get a whole box for just 32,000 won.
Admiration flickered across the president’s face. Right—it *should* impress him. Anyone else would be amazed by such a sharp-witted subordinate.
But in that moment, what truly amazed Gi Dae Woong was the astonishing shift in Ga Eul’s expression:
A moment ago she wore the tragic face of a heroine wronged by the world—just because he’d nibbled a bit of her lunchbox—but the second money entered the conversation, her eyes lit up with explosive vitality. Where had that sorrowful heroine from moments earlier vanished to?
“Fine, go ahead. Use the rest to buy your lunch.”
“I’ll deduct the price of the kimchi fried rice from what’s left.”
No sooner had the president finished speaking than Ga Eul firmly added her condition. At that, his brows furrowed sharply.
“You *did* eat my kimchi fried rice—no fried egg, admittedly—but you can’t exactly walk into a restaurant and ask for a discount just for skipping the fried egg.”
Ga Eul, interpreting the president’s frown as disapproval, offered what she considered a perfectly reasonable justification. The president, looking thoroughly annoyed, waved his hand dismissively.
“I’ve already eaten lunch—I’m heading to the convenience store near campus now. The afternoon part-timer called in sick today.”
Ga Eul skipped out of the office, her steps feather-light.
Watching her go, Gi Dae Woong let out a dry, hollow chuckle. He’d repeated “Go buy yourself lunch” multiple times, genuinely concerned about her tearful state—and, predictably, money was the ultimate cure. At least, for Han Ga Eul.
“She must’ve overcharged me. She looks way too pleased.”
Dae Woon muttered to himself as he flopped onto the sofa, stretching out with a faint smile tugging at his lips. *What would Se Hyun say if he saw me grinning after getting swindled like this? And Han Ga Eul—he’d probably press me even harder, demanding to know what’s so different about her.*
In truth, Ga Eul was silently cheering inside.
“I just made 8,000 won.”
She’d been resentful of being constantly sent off to the pharmacy, so she’d tacked on 800 won extra per bottle of hangover drink. Now, thanks to the box deal, she’d pocket 8,000 won in profit at once—and on top of that, she’d gotten separate compensation for her lunch. And tucked away in the fridge: sliced boiled beef. Suddenly, she felt rich.
*Maybe I’ll even buy some fruit today.* Even the heavy boiled beef—gifted by Woo Jin’s father, which had weighed on her the whole way back—now seemed pleasantly comforting. After all, the meat was innocent.
* * *
“President, shall I brief you on yesterday’s U.S. stock market trends?”
The sun was already high in the sky. Korea’s stock market had opened hours ago—rendering any report now obsolete—but having received her salary, Ga Eul felt obliged to do *something*, so she asked Dae Woon.
“Nah. Just pick a lunch menu instead.”
Dae Woon replied listlessly from his sprawl on the sofa. Ga Eul quickly lowered her eyes—lest her “you’re hopeless” gaze accidentally land on the president.
“The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 2.32%. The Nasdaq dropped 4.05%, and the S&P 500 fell 3.24%. European markets also declined in tandem…”
“Haaaaaam.”
She’d begun her briefing regardless of his response—but by now, the president was already yawning wide open. Ga Eul strained her eyes to suppress the scorn threatening to spill out toward him.
Then again, it wasn’t even his request in the first place. *She* had volunteered this report, feeling obligated to do *something* after receiving her salary. After all, this *was* supposed to be an investment firm—so stock market reporting seemed appropriate.
At first, she hadn’t even known what to report—she’d been clueless about stocks, even the character for “stock” (ju). Desperate, she’d taken to watching YouTube stock commentary before work and summarizing it for the president. For a full year, she’d kept up this reporting, driven entirely by the fear of being fired.
“Oil prices dropped, causing airline stocks to rise sharply—yet travel and leisure stocks declined. Why is that? Shouldn’t lower fuel costs boost travel and leisure too? Normally, people travel more when gas is cheaper, right?”
“Han Ga Eul.”
The president cut her off, his exhaustion palpable.
“Don’t think. I didn’t hire you to *think*. Just do your job—go make me a sweet coffee.”
He reminded her plainly: *making sweet coffee* was her job. Oddly, despite his usual aversion to talking, he’d just delivered quite a lengthy speech. Ga Eul rose from her seat, her face twisted into a grimace.
“Try keeping that mouth of yours shut.”
Dae Woon called out after her, a grin tugging uncontrollably at his lips. He knew perfectly well Ga Eul thought he was pathetic—how could he *not*, given how blatantly she showed it? He settled in, ready for coffee: sitting upright, leaning back against the sofa, legs crossed and propped on the table.
“Yep, I really picked a great sofa.”
He rested an arm over the backrest and murmured contentedly—just as the office door suddenly slammed open.
“Han Ga Eul! Is Han Ga Eul here?”
A middle-aged man, face flushed deep red, staggered into the office reeking strongly of alcohol.
“Han Ga Eul! Han Ga Eul!”
Drunk on daytime liquor, the man repeatedly barked her name in an angry tone. Before Dae Woon could swing his feet off the desk, Ga Eul emerged from behind the partition.
“Oh—uncle.”
Her face, as it appeared, looked deathly pale. *What day is it today?* Dae Woon mused. He was witnessing rare sights one after another: Han Ga Eul’s tears, Han Ga Eul’s pallor.
Straightening up, he watched as Ga Eul, usually so resolute and assertive—so unafraid to speak her mind even to *him*—now looked as if she’d just seen a ghost.
“So *this* is where you’ve been hiding all this time. You found a job, yet kept it secret—even though we live in the same neighborhood. Only I was left in the dark. Only I ended up looking like a fool.”
The man snarled as he advanced toward her. Dae Woon moved to block him—but once again, Ga Eul was faster. She stepped forward and grasped the man’s arm.
“Uncle, let’s talk outside. I’ll explain everything.”
“Let go!”
The man harshly shook off her hand. Unable to withstand the force, Ga Eul stumbled backward—her frail frame clearly no match for his strength.
“What’s going on here?”
Dae Woon stepped in front of Ga Eul, shielding her with his body.
“President, I’ll handle this myself.”
Though she’d deliberately hidden behind him, Ga Eul insisted she’d take care of it. She reached again and tugged at the man’s arm.
“Uncle, I’ll tell you everything—let’s go outside. If you just listen to me—*hk!*”
She couldn’t finish. The man seized her by the collar and yanked her upward; a strangled gasp escaped her throat.
“What’s there to talk about *now*? Did you conspire with that woman to deceive me? People in the neighborhood have been laughing at me behind my back—calling me an idiot.”
He shook her violently by the collar while shouting. With each outburst, alcohol fumes washed over Ga Eul. Her head grew faint, her consciousness slipping.
“Let go of her—*now*!”
Action outpaced words. Ga Eul only registered Dae Woon’s shout *after* she’d been freed from Young Min’s father’s grip—Dae Woon now gripping the man’s wrist, his eyes blazing.
“You okay? Let me see.”
With his free hand, Dae Woon gently pulled open the collar of Ga Eul’s shirt to inspect her neck.
“I’m fine.”
Startled, Ga Eul hastily re-buttoned her collar and stepped back. Her pulse fluttered wildly where his fingers had brushed her skin.
Just then, the door burst open again—a middle-aged woman rushed in, shouting:
“Honey! Young Min’s father! What’s gotten into you? Come out—quickly! Do you even know where you are, barging in here like this?”
“So *that’s* why you were so secretive—I caught you, and now you’re shocked?”
“Young Min’s father, it’s not like that—let’s go home and talk. Ga Eul, I’m so sorry. He’s completely drunk right now—not in his right mind at all. Please understand.”
“What? I’m *not* in my right mind?!”
Young Min’s mother’s arrival only further inflamed him. Raising his free hand—still trapped in Dae Woon’s grip—he seemed ready to strike his wife. Seeing this, Dae Woon twisted the wrist he held.
“Uuugh!”
Young Min’s father groaned, his raised hand dropping limply.
“And just who are *you*? What gives you the right to interfere in other people’s business?”
“Me? I’m the president of this company—and Han Ga Eul’s employer.”
Dae Woon flung the man’s arm aside like trash and yanked Ga Eul behind him. He hadn’t even pulled hard—but her body followed easily, so light it alarmed him. *She’s far too thin*, he thought, suddenly regretting always ordering only jajangmyeon for her lunches.
“You think I’ll just let this go? Assaulting someone who came here to collect money? I swear—I’ll deal with you people today.”
“Uncle, please—I’ll explain everything.”
Ga Eul tried to step forward, but Dae Woon’s arm blocked her like a locked gate. She pushed against it with all her might—but his arm didn’t budge.
Then her eyes caught Young Min’s mother behind the man, shaking her head frantically, her face twisted in terror. Seeing that expression, Ga Eul abandoned any attempt to reason with Young Min’s father.
After all, *barking dogs seldom bite*. Since he was only shouting, he probably wouldn’t cause further harm. Either way, Ga Eul decided she had no choice but to protect Young Min’s mother’s secret.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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