Chapter 8 …
For some reason, Uju, whose heart had sunk, continued to watch Haebum while keeping her lips on the coffee cup.
“…You’re not going to get married, right?”
Haebum’s sudden question caught her off guard.
Of course, she had no intention of marrying Shim Ki-uk.
Looking back, it seemed that had been the case from the start. She had ended up dating Ki-uk, pushed by her mother who encouraged her to try being with someone who actively pursued her, but it had never been pure love.
Most of it had been out of a sense of responsibility.
A desperate wish to bring even a little happiness to her mother, who was still grieving over her father’s death.
That feeling hadn’t changed, even now. Of course, her relationship with Ki-uk was completely over, but as long as her mother was happy, she wouldn’t mind marrying anyone.
Uju finally put down the coffee she hadn’t finished and asked with a sigh,
“…What if I did?”
At that, the normally neat brows of Haebum instantly furrowed.
The slight distortion around his handsome eyes seemed to mirror the surge of emotion he felt.
“Are you serious?”
“Does it look like I’m joking? After what happened that day?”
“What did I even do that day?”
It was then that Uju realized Haebum couldn’t possibly know about her broken engagement.
…Wait.
She noticed late that this conversation was a bit strange.
“Why do you keep opposing my marriage?”
He had done the same on the day they first reunited.
The way his eyes had silently begged her not to marry had haunted her all weekend. Haebum could never know how agonizing it had been for her.
She admitted it. Ever since he had reappeared before her, her mind had been completely consumed by Ji Haebum.
“That guy… might be seeing someone else.”
The reply, though firm in tone, betrayed his concern.
Sure enough, his dark eyes were carefully watching her expression.
Uju felt her heart sink again.
Was Shim Ki-uk really that terrible? That even Haebum had noticed it immediately upon meeting him?
“I know this might sound unpleasant, but I’ve thought a lot about it…”
“How did you find out?”
Uju let out a laugh like a sigh.
It had been something she had suspected hundreds, even thousands of times in her mind, half certain all along.
It was last summer, wasn’t it?
She had gone to Ki-uk’s apartment to clean on his behalf, and by chance discovered some Polaroid photos.
The man in the photos was not the weary, familiar Ki-uk she knew.
There he was, smiling warmly with a young woman, their cheeks pressed together, the picture of a man completely in love.
The images, still vivid in her mind, made Uju clench her fists.
“I know.”
So don’t worry about my wounds.
“But what does it matter? I don’t love you either, oppa.”
Though she tried to sound confident, she was too embarrassed to even look Haebum in the eye.
To not love the man she had considered marrying was almost like confessing that she didn’t love herself.
And in a way, it also meant her life was a mess.
Seeing the photos with a strange woman, she hadn’t stayed with Ki-uk out of love.
She had stayed because she couldn’t bear to see her mother heartbroken.
“I just never had the chance. If I make a boyfriend myself, it’s the same thing.”
Yet, in front of her first love, whom she had reunited with after a long time, Uju couldn’t help but put on a show.
She preferred maintaining an attitude of “I don’t care” rather than showing how pathetic she had been in love.
After saying something she didn’t fully mean, she picked up her coffee again.
She gripped the handle tightly, worried her trembling hands might betray her.
Haebum, apparently surprised, didn’t respond.
Uju couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes, so she just drank her coffee.
He was probably disappointed. He’d probably think she’d become shallow with age.
Breaking up with Ki-uk was one thing—but seeing Haebum disappointed would hurt a little.
“That’s good.”
Contrary to her worry, his voice, tinged with a smile, reached her ears.
“I thought about it all night.”
Feeling a strange sense of foreboding at his calm preamble, Uju slowly lifted her eyes.
Ji Haebum, universally admired and liked by everyone, had one personality trait that only she knew.
“I’ll tell you this first: I’ve already made my decision.”
Once he fixed on something, he would charge straight ahead like a racehorse, no matter what.
“I’ll be your boyfriend.”
“…What?”
Haebum dropped the posture he had maintained a moment ago, and his dark eyes flickered with that familiar expression.
“Of course, I can be your husband too.”
Hot coffee spilled from Uju’s mouth.
After Haebum’s bombshell declaration, each day became overwhelming for Uju.
Under the pretext of business reports, meetings in which Haebum participated noticeably increased, especially approvals related to the new Malaysian factory that Uju had to submit directly to him.
The hardest part was that Haebum acted as if nothing had happened.
Every day was pure chaos for Uju.
“Good morning.”
Every morning, he deliberately looked her straight in the eyes when greeting her.
“Manager Yuuju, may I see you for a moment?”
He would summon her to his office at any time, constantly shaking her heart.
But apart from that, Haebum was a natural leader.
Excluding the rumors about him being a con artist, he displayed such immense ability that it seemed every story she had heard about him was true.
His speed and accuracy at work, his insight to see the bigger picture, and the way he corrected mistakes in the team all overturned the previously lax atmosphere.
As a result, the team members, barely catching the last train home after consecutive late nights, began to falter under accumulated fatigue.
“Wow… I feel like I’m dying…”
After the relay meetings, the team gathered together. Even though it was for work prep, the relief of Haebum’s absence was palpable, and Uju was not alone in feeling it.
“But we can’t complain because his feedback is correct.”
“Right. Honestly, it makes me realize how sloppily we’ve been working all this time.”
“That’s true…”
Uju agreed.
Though exhausted, if it weren’t for Haebum, they might have proceeded with projects oblivious to gaps in their work.
Perhaps she should be grateful that he didn’t show emotion about it.
He still hadn’t demanded an answer from her. It was fortunate—if he had brought feelings into work during times like this, she could never have handled it.
“Was he like that when he was young? Strict and meticulous?”
Everyone on the team already knew they had been classmates.
Rather than letting rumors swirl, Uju decided to explain her connection with Haebum first.
“Well… maybe. Kind of.”
Though she thought she knew Haebum well, reflecting on the past brought surprisingly little to mind.
In kindergarten and elementary school, he was too young. In middle school, they went to different schools. In high school, she had been too busy secretly hiding her feelings for him.
“He was smart. Knew things others didn’t.”
No one in the neighborhood didn’t know Ji Haebum.
Top scores on nationwide mock exams, flawless appearance, model-like height, excellent athletic ability—if he picked up a basketball, the gym would erupt in cheers.
On top of that, he came from a wealthy family and had such a good personality that everyone loved him.
“Of course. You have to be naturally smart to notice gaps in work. To figure it out in such a short time… really impressive.”
The team nodded in agreement.
Uju felt relieved that the team didn’t dislike Haebum.
“Oh, Manager Yuuju.”
Then Kyungsoo suddenly straightened up, as if remembering something.
“Next week, you’re going on a business trip with the director, right?”
