CHAPTER 57………………………………………
“Even if you don’t need it, please come by. I saw today that your English is quite good, and we happen to need an interpreter.”
It was what Rian, whom she had met at the pharmacy, said.
It might have been a polite remark, but Chohee couldn’t just brush it off.
Having resolved to leave Dowoon’s house, Chohee needed a new job.
And Mr. Moon-gyu had recommended it as well. Maybe they really do need an interpreter.
Trying to calm her anxious heart, Chohee headed once again to Andong-hyun, following the path she had taken with Kim Moon-gyu before.
“Iryung Trading Company, wasn’t it?”
Kim Moon-gyu had mentioned the name of his company last time, telling Chohee to consider it carefully. Luckily, the unusual name had stuck in her mind.
Finding the company wasn’t difficult. The British concession in Andong-hyun wasn’t very large, and there weren’t many trading companies there.
Swallowing her nervousness, Chohee stood in front of the Iryung Trading Company building. Outside, a statue of King George of England stood proudly, emphasizing the company’s British identity.
Just as she was about to open the door, it swung open, and a familiar man stepped out.
“Well, who do we have here! Isn’t this Bok-hee?”
“Kim Moon-gyu?”
Moon-gyu smiled brightly despite the unexpected encounter and welcomed Chohee.
“What brings you here? Surely, you didn’t come to accept the offer I made. Are you looking for something else?”
“No, I came to accept that offer.”
“Really?”
The corners of Moon-gyu’s smile drooped slightly. He looked surprised by her words.
“I thought you already had another job?”
“That job… seems like it’s about to end. If it’s okay, could I work here?”
“Haha… I see.”
Unlike their previous meeting, Moon-gyu reacted with a slightly sour expression, as if swallowing a bitter taste.
Had he already found someone else in the meantime? Or maybe Chohee was no longer urgently needed.
Feeling a bit desperate, Chohee spoke more actively.
“Of course, I’m only accepting the offer, so we can go through formal procedures. Any tests or interviews are fine—just tell me! I can do anything.”
She spoke more boldly, trying to show the enthusiasm of a motivated applicant.
Strangely, the bolder she became, the more troubled Moon-gyu’s expression looked.
“Very well. Come inside first.”
Moon-gyu led Chohee into the company’s reception room.
Despite the neat exterior, the reception room was chaotic. It wasn’t organized at all, with various items and documents scattered around.
The two of them barely found chairs beneath the piles and sat down.
“Ahem.”
Moon-gyu coughed awkwardly a couple of times, then took a document from his desk drawer and handed it to Chohee.
“As for your English skills, I saw them last time, so no further verification seems necessary. I will ask you some questions regarding things I’m curious about. Can you answer?”
“Of course. I’ll answer sincerely. What are you curious about?”
“First… hmm. I’m curious about the work you’ve done before.”
“Work I’ve done before?”
Chohee took a deep breath.
She couldn’t say that she had been acting as a wife under contract, extracting information from a man who was pretending to be an independence activist.
In the end, what he wanted was likely ‘someone good at English,’ so she answered accordingly.
“When I was in Gyeongseong, I taught at Ewha Hakdang. For about three years. I taught English to middle school students there.”
“I see.”
Moon-gyu nodded mechanically but seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
“Besides Gyeongseong, what work are you doing now? Can you tell me why you want to quit? For example, friction with your employer… things like that.”
Giving specific examples felt like he was testing her.
Friction with her current employer?
Was it with Dowoon? They hadn’t talked since that day, so it wasn’t exactly a fight.
There had only been his one-sided letter and her one-sided frustration.
How could she make that sound plausible…
“There isn’t any friction, but the job seems to be ending soon. Perhaps my employer doesn’t want me to stay long either.”
“Hmph—why do you think that is? Why wouldn’t they want you to stay long?”
Moon-gyu leaned closer, completely captivated, repeating her words.
Chohee, compelled to continue explaining, spoke reluctantly.
“There’s… a delicate matter.”
“A delicate matter? What is it?”
“Do I have to tell you? It’s personal…”
“Ah, sorry for pressing. But as an employer, the reason you left your previous job is very important, so I have no choice but to ask. If it’s uncomfortable, you don’t have to say more.”
Chohee hesitated, uneasy.
How could she explain that she had harbored feelings for her employer, accidentally kissed him, and that he had disappeared afterward?
“You know how complicated things between a man and a woman can be… a lot happened.”
“Between a man and a woman?”
Moon-gyu’s face turned pale and then red. Startled, Chohee waved her hands.
“Of course, nothing like that will happen here! Don’t worry!”
“Did he confess to you? Did he say he loved you?”
Moon-gyu’s mustache trembled as he pressed urgently. Flustered, Chohee quickly replied.
“No, he didn’t say anything like that! It was just a mistake—”
“A mistake? What kind of mistake? Surely not an outrageous one?”
“I… I can’t say that!”
“Oh my goodness!”
Moon-gyu cried out and buried his face in his hands. He muttered something inaudible to himself.
Blushing, he lifted his head and gave an awkward smile, offering an excuse.
“Ah, sorry to show you this. I also have complicated matters with colleagues right now, which led to this behavior.”
“I see… I hope you manage it well.”
“In any case, very well, Bok-hee. We’d be grateful if you could work at our company.”
“Really? So, I’m hired?”
Surprised at passing what felt like a sham interview, she asked. The questions had felt nothing like a proper job interview.
By comparison, Dowoon’s mock class had seemed far more professional.
“Working at this company… should be fine, right?”
A sudden doubt arose.
But the doubt was short-lived. Moon-gyu immediately discussed internal regulations and salary.
It was comparable to what Chohee had earned in Gyeongseong.
Compared to what she got from Dowoon, it was a pittance—but realistically, it was normal.
“What I did with him was a risky contract.”
Comparing them, Chohee realized just how dangerously involved she had been.
Perhaps this turn of events was for the best.
Maybe it was always meant to be this way.
She tried to soothe her bittersweet feelings.
“So that’s why you ran away like that.”
Moon-gyu—Joseph—murmured, burying his face in his hands.
Joseph knew exactly who Bok-hee, or rather Chohee, was.
Seong Chohee. She was Michael’s contracted wife.
That she came here looking for a job was a red flag.
Now that he knew there was more information to be gained from Mrs. Minamoto, she had to be further utilized.
But she wanted to quit.
Surprised, he used the interview as an excuse to press Chohee.
Unexpectedly, a certain fact came to light.
“Did Michael have feelings for Seong Chohee…?”
Piecing together Chohee’s words, it was clear there had been an incident between the two that could happen between a man and a woman.
After that incident, Michael had fled to Pyongyang, and Seong Chohee came seeking employment.
It implied something had happened between them.
“Things get complicated, and now it’s twisted like this?”
Joseph felt uneasy.
He took pride in secretly working for the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, serving his country.
He also took pride in having excellent colleagues around him.
Michael, in particular, was an unmatched talent.
A top student at Tokyo Imperial University, quick-witted, capable of completing any mission successfully.
He joked that Michael was “a human made of steel.”
Cold, ruthless, and strong.
Yet this time, he seemed unusually hesitant regarding Chohee.
Though he was normally ruthless in using people, he appeared indecisive toward Seong Chohee.
It seemed strange, but Joseph trusted him. He thought Michael would ruthlessly cut Chohee off.
“But now… it looks like he truly cares.”
Facing an unwanted truth, Joseph realized that if Michael couldn’t cut her off himself, he would have to. For the sake of the country.
“In any case, very well, Bok-hee. We’d be grateful if you could work at our company.”
Joseph hid a sigh as he handed the documents to Chohee.
“So, I just translate these documents and submit them, right?”
“Yes. There are many trade terms, but with your skills, Bok-hee, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
Chohee received a stack of documents from Moon-gyu and looked inside. The papers were in English, with occasional French.
Fortunately, Chohee was also fluent in French, so it was not a problem.
After discussing the work, the two left the reception room. As they walked down the corridor, a familiar woman appeared in the distance.
“Rian!”
“Bok-hee, what a pleasure to meet you here.”
Rian brightened at the sight of Chohee. She briefly explained to the confused Moon-gyu about their meeting at the pharmacy.
“So we meet again. I look forward to working with you.”
“That’s my line. Let’s do well together at the company. By the way, is Bok-hee’s husband alright?”
Since she had brought medicine, it was natural to ask. Chohee began to answer, but Moon-gyu interrupted.
“Rian, why do you ask about her husband?”
“Oh, Bok-hee came to the pharmacy the other day. She said her husband was stabbed.”
Strangely, Moon-gyu’s expression darkened at Rian’s words.
