Chapter 44. Lack
“They’re looking for you everywhere.”
His lips, the color of ripe pomegranate, parted slightly. Glancing at his wristwatch, he had no choice but to move.
The team leader and staff didn’t dare lift their heads until Lee Jun left the room. The look in his eyes made them feel like they were being tested.
They had done their best, yet it seemed it still didn’t meet the expectations of the executive director. The lingering feeling left them unsettled.
“Lee Jun.”
At the sound of heels tapping against the marble floor, he smiled. He’d left because she told him to, but Lee Jun had already known Yooa would follow him.
See? You’re coming to me after all.
He had purposely avoided pressing the elevator button. Now, slowly raising his right arm, he pushed the down arrow. In the shiny elevator doors, he saw Yooa rushing toward him, out of breath.
“Wait!”
Yooa, who had come up behind Lee Jun at a quick trot, stopped and panted as she caught her breath. Lee Jun silently counted to three, then turned coldly and asked,
“Why?”
“Are… you mad?”
Even her disheveled hair couldn’t hide her pure and delicate beauty. Noticing his gaze, Yooa raised her hands and awkwardly straightened her clothes.
“Why? Is something on me?”
“No.”
Hearing that nothing was on her, Yooa clasped her hands nervously in front of her. Seeing her flustered over nothing seemed to amuse Lee Jun, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
He shouldn’t laugh—but whenever he saw Yooa, he couldn’t help but smile.
Forcing his face to stay serious, Lee Jun simply looked up with his eyes and asked the anxious Yooa,
“Didn’t you say you’re shy around strangers?”
He wanted her to recall the words she herself had once said:
<“I’m not good with strangers. So please stick close to me. Then there won’t be any problems.”>
But Yooa blinked with wide eyes, clearly not remembering.
“Me?”
“Isn’t this your first time meeting Deputy Manager Hong?”
“Who? Ah… Seonghan?”
“Seonghan? You should address him by his title if this is a work matter.”
“I’ll be more careful.”
Yooa bit her lip, acknowledging that calling him by name had likely been a mistake and promising to be mindful next time.
Unconsciously following him into the elevator, she checked the time on her phone, growing anxious. She still had about two minutes left.
If she moved quickly from the elevator to the display area with the camper vans, she might barely make it on time. But—
Beep.
The elevator stopped suddenly between the executive floor and the lobby.
“Lee Jun?”
Frustrated, Lee Jun ran his long fingers through his neatly styled hair. Normally mindful of appearance and presentation—believing people often judged by looks—he now even loosened his tie out of discomfort.
Yooa gently grabbed his hand.
“Are you okay? Do you have… claustrophobia?”
As far as she knew, Lee Jun only had insomnia. But panic or claustrophobia could come on suddenly.
Knowing that he disliked ambulances or hospital visits, Yooa debated whether she should press the emergency button. Did she have Dr. Park’s number?
While biting her lips nervously, Lee Jun spoke in a completely calm voice:
“So, is he a middle or high school friend? Or maybe your first love?”
“…What?”
He continued, “You two seemed pretty familiar. Could he be a younger brother of your first love? Or someone your dad knows? A family friend’s son? Anything?”
“None of that.”
“Then good.”
With Yooa now trapped between Lee Jun and the elevator wall, his face drew closer. Without warning, he roughly captured her soft lips.
“Ah! Lee Jun—mmph.”
Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he clung to her, not even giving her time to breathe. Their mouths clashed, and she exhaled the breath he fed her.
Lee Jun looked down into Yooa’s eyes as she matched her breath to his—and chuckled silently.
“Should we just skip it? At this rate, we’ll be late.”
Apparently satisfied, he smiled as he pressed the emergency call button.
Soon after a soft mechanical chime, the elevator began moving again.
This must be what people mean when they say something’s “beyond belief.”
As if the reason for being late was her fault now, Yooa stood speechless, mouth slightly open.
As the elevator descended, Lee Jun slicked back his hair and adjusted his tie, then tilted his head and asked slyly,
“What? Still not enough?”
***
Just like they say the ground hardens after rain, Grip Company’s stock price stayed in the red—meaning positive—every day.
The executive director’s private move to pursue civil lawsuits against Yooa’s online abusers, even beyond the company’s legal team, actually turned out to be good PR.
An interview where he stated he “detests people who say nothing to your face but speak badly behind your back” went viral on online communities.
Capable and handsome, Lee Jun declaring his intent to protect his fiancée drew wide support.
Riding the wave of public approval, he doubled the participant limit for the family camping event—and it quickly filled.
Those who weren’t selected even offered to pay extra, unwilling to miss a chance to see Lee Jun and Yooa in person.
Who would want to miss the chance to meet a friendly and charming chaebol couple?
Though the PR team had to work late due to the expanded list, no one complained.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
The day of the camping trip.
Yooa had been up early, bustling about. Many of Grip Company’s employees had volunteered, so they weren’t short on hands. But with the participants arriving soon, she grew anxious.
“If you don’t mind, helping the forest experience team would be great.”
“Sure, I’ll do that.”
She’d prepared an explorer-style vest with lots of pockets and a wide-brimmed safari hat to match the outdoor setting.
Setting out notebooks and pens for the kids to take notes during the forest guide’s explanation, she was already sweating—despite it being winter.
So were the other staff members, prompting Yooa to get up first and volunteer to fetch water.
“Everyone has their number tags, right? Your tent is the one with the same number. Unpack your things, and we’ll meet here again in 30 minutes!”
The host’s voice boomed out cheerfully.
Yooa, holding several water bottles in her arms, smiled as she heard the sound of children approaching grow louder.
“I hope they have fun.”
Since it was her idea that had been chosen, she’d poured her heart into the preparations.
She even arranged for medical staff and emergency supplies in case the kids got hurt while running around the forest.
Knowing how quickly the temperature dropped after sunset in the woods, she needed to double-check if the hot packs had been distributed.
Her mind was full of tasks still to do.
“Yooa.”
She turned instinctively at the voice calling her name.
“How…?”
Clatter.
The bottles slipped from her weakened arms and burst on the ground. She didn’t even have the presence of mind to pick them up.
Smiling brightly, Seong Ji-hye approached and spoke casually.
“Don’t misunderstand. I won fair and square.”
There was plenty to be suspicious of, but it was too late to question her now.
Maybe she’d joined when the participant list was expanded?
Just seeing Ji-hye made Yooa’s heart race with unease.
And her gut feeling was never wrong.
Ji-hye’s appearance filled her with dread. In contrast, Ji-hye narrowed her eyes at the pale Yooa and smiled.
“I’m happy to see you. But it doesn’t look like you feel the same?”
