Chapter 7 ….
gulp
Uju unconsciously swallowed dryly, overwhelmed by some inexplicable force.
Section Chief Ok made a quick, low hand gesture toward her. It was a signal to hurry inside.
Before she could even prepare herself mentally, she stepped into the new head office—a room brighter and cleaner than she had imagined.
Morning sunlight poured through a massive glass wall that spanned an entire side of the room. Sitting with his back to it was a stranger—a man.
His black hair was neatly styled, his shirt stretched across broad, angular shoulders, and even though the backrest partially hid him, she could clearly see the vast expanse of his back, like a sports field.
It was undeniable—this was a physique no company could ever hope to find.
Now she understood why Kyung-soo had been making such a fuss earlier. Not only was he younger than expected, but his presence alone was overwhelming.
Yet, there was something… familiar about this new head. Somewhere she had seen or felt this before.
“After a full six years at our company, rising to Manager with a special promotion, our top talent and ace… Manager Uju Yu!”
Section Chief Ok’s embarrassing introduction made Uju’s face burn red.
She straightened her back and bowed sharply, passing the baton of politeness.
“Apologies for the late greeting, Head of Department. I am Uju Yu. I look forward to working with you.”
“Huh.”
Before she could even straighten her back fully, a low chuckle floated down from above.
Uju’s eyes widened in disbelief, and Section Chief Ok beside her did the same.
Frozen like ice, they looked at each other and then rolled their eyes toward the head once more. Yet the new head remained seated, still showing his back.
Section Chief Ok, clearly flustered, licked her lips and began speaking.
“As for Manager Uju Yu, she’s been handling the establishment of our new Malaysia plant alongside me. Of course, other employees are helping, but she is the most reliable… that is, the most trusted employee. Uh… well, Head of Department, I believe you know her and specifically asked for her…”
“That’s correct.”
Finally, the new head’s voice came through.
At once, Uju jerked her head up.
“…Huh?”
Section Chief Ok seemed relieved to finally get a response from the head, but Uju was not.
The calm, composed tone. The gentle voice laced with warmth and a hint of amusement.
Somehow… it was familiar.
As far as she knew, there was only one person who had such a voice…
“Ah, haha! Yes, that’s right! Our Head of Department has a sharp eye for people. Truly capable and excellent!”
No. That couldn’t be. It wasn’t possible.
It made no sense. Kyung-soo had clearly said that he was the chairman’s grandson…
“Even if the world changes, some things remain the same, it seems.”
“Eh?”
Section Chief Ok asked absentmindedly. Then, for the first time, the head turned fully around from his previous back-facing position.
“…!”
At that moment, Uju felt as if the whole world had stopped.
She was standing in reality. He… sitting there, seemed unreal.
“Manager Uju Yu was always so dependable even when she was young…”
Ji Haebum…?
Her eyes shook violently, as if an earthquake had hit. She couldn’t even bring his name to her lips.
‘This can’t be…’
When Uju realized the new head was none other than Haebum, she wanted to deny reality entirely.
The KU Group she belonged to was so large it had a headquarters in the U.S.—an internationally recognized conglomerate.
She knew Haebum was rich, but part of the KU Group owner family?
Come to think of it, she had never known exactly what his parents did. She only remembered rumors that his father’s side was a major business family, and that Haebum traveled often between the U.S. and Korea.
“Ah… th-that’s…”
Section Chief Ok stammered, clearly flustered by the unexpected development.
Uju shut her eyes tightly in disbelief.
“I’d like to talk to Manager Uju Yu alone. Could you please give us some space, Section Chief?”
“Ah, yes! Of course!”
Section Chief Ok seemed certain that they already knew each other.
Uju felt a twinge of betrayal as Ok disappeared quickly. It was only a matter of time before the entire team found out.
“Sit there.”
Hearing Haebum’s gentle voice, it was clear from the start he had no intention of hiding their relationship.
Taking a deep breath, Uju walked with resolve to the sofa he pointed to and sat down.
“Ji Haebum… why are you here? Some explanation is needed.”
He smirked faintly at her bluntness and stood up.
“I’m here to work. Any other explanation you need?”
The fitted dark gray suit and polished shoes made him even more striking.
Seeing him in a different light than when they met on Friday, Uju felt a momentary dizziness.
“You really…”
She couldn’t bring herself to say that he was the chairman’s grandson. Haebum walked to the window.
Soon, the sweet aroma of coffee began filling the room.
Uju found it strange that Haebum seemed calm while she was flustered.
And then a thought struck her.
“So… you knew even before coming to Korea? That I was working at your company?”
“Of course I knew.”
“Did you… look through my files or something?”
“I kept in touch with Jiseung.”
At this point, her confusion intensified. A wave of complex, strange emotions washed over her.
To be precise, she felt foolish for having cherished Haebum as a tender, poignant memory.
And now she was curious about his true intentions for returning.
“Why didn’t you say anything at the reunion? You should’ve told me then.”
“Was there time?”
By the time Haebum arrived, Uju had already been drunk. The last thing she remembered was being put into the car after witnessing something she wished she hadn’t.
Her fingers stiffened as she recoiled.
The large, warm hands holding hers, the broad shoulders steadying her, the mature scent… Could that have been Haebum?
“So, then…”
She faltered, then shut her mouth tightly.
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything like, “Why didn’t you say so even in the group chat?”
While she was lost in thought, a warm cup of coffee was placed on the table.
“Drink. It’s my favorite bean—I brought it just for you.”
The implication seemed like he brought it for her, but she quickly shook her head.
She no longer relied on Haebum’s kindness. She wouldn’t misinterpret his words anymore.
“Did you sleep well?”
Uju didn’t answer. It wasn’t a question he was asking out of concern anyway.
“I didn’t sleep well.”
“Now’s not the time to be talking about that.”
The blunt words escaped her naturally.
Haebum would know how stressed she must have been, seeing her drunken state that night. He also knew she’d be annoyed that he hadn’t revealed the significant fact that he was the head and she a manager.
Yet, he relaxed back into the sofa as if welcoming her curt response.
“You don’t look well.”
Uju tilted her thoughts—was he hoping she would feel good in this situation?
“Did you have breakfast?”
“You didn’t ask the Section Chief to leave just to check on me, did you?”
“No. If you’re hungry, you’re on alert. I’m just checking if it’s safe to talk before bringing up business.”
Funny. He thinks he knows me.
Still, she silently lifted the coffee cup, knowing he wasn’t wrong.
“Uju Yu.”
Just as she was about to take a sip, his deep voice stopped her.
