SMS 09

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Chapter 9 Seminar – 2

A bewildered expression rose on Jun-seo’s face.

Ugh, I know.

I realized I had asked a stupid question and squeezed my eyes shut.

Then I quickly spoke.

“I’m sorry. That was out of line. It’s just that… you always buy me coffee…”

“Yeah. I have a lot.”

What? Startled by the unexpected answer, I stared at him. Jun-seo continued with a blank face.

“I have a lot of money. So? Starting to like me a little?”

Uh…

I didn’t know what to say and just stared at him with my mouth agape.

Well, having money is a good thing.

But whether that makes someone likeable is a different matter.

“I don’t know about that. Are you going to give me that money?”

Jun-seo let out a scoffing laugh at my absurd question. He pointed his chin towards the inside of the seminar room as if to suggest we go in.

“We’ll see.”

Really?

As I entered the seminar room with him, I wondered if this guy was teasing me.

He must be teasing me.

“It’s clean money, right? No tax issues, not involved in anything illegal?”

If money was falling from the sky, I’d want it to be like that. At my question, Jun-seo glanced at me and said.

“Up to six billion.”

My mouth dropped open at the staggering amount. But by the time I sat down in my seat, I started wondering why specifically six billion? Why not five or ten billion?

“Long time no see.”

Shortly after we took our seats, people started approaching Jun-seo to greet him.

He seems more famous than I thought.

Well, with that face, it’d be hard for him not to be famous.

“We’re looking forward to your presentation.”

When people even started telling Jun-seo to do well on his presentation or that they were looking forward to it, I looked at him, wondering what was going on.

He’s giving a presentation?

I quickly checked the seminar info email I had looked at before coming, but there was no information about who was presenting.

Ah, it must be information only sent to those who applied by the deadline.

“Are you giving a presentation?” I asked after the group of people who had come to greet him left.

Jun-seo replied nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

“Yeah. Just briefly.”

“If people are coming to cheer you on to that extent, it seems important, even if it’s brief.”

I said it purely out of admiration, but Jun-seo seemed to think I was complimenting him. He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal.

“I’m just doing a demo. Showing how the program works and such.”

Isn’t that even more impressive? I asked in surprise.

“You’re demoing how this project’s program works? How?”

The program has only been open to those involved in this project for a week. But again, Jun-seo spoke as if it were nothing.

“Ah, I’m on the inspection team.”

That’s a completely new story to me.

Does Team Leader Lee Soo-bin know about this?

Seeing my surprise, Jun-seo finally explained in detail.

“They recruited an inspection team when they were making the program. Those people over there are also on the inspection team.”

When I looked where Jun-seo pointed, two of the people who had greeted him earlier were sitting there.

I cautiously asked.

“Does… the team leader know about that?”

Jun-seo laughed scoffingly as if it were obvious.

“Why do you think I took on this project?”

I just thought Soo-bin assigned it to him. I honestly expressed my admiration.

“Lee Jun-seo, you’re an amazing person.”

“Just for being an inspector?”

Jun-seo found my admiration laughable and snorted, but then his eyes met mine. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, sounding strange.

“You think me being just an inspector is more amazing than being the chairman’s son or having a lot of money?”

Isn’t that obvious?

I tilted my head and said.

“The first two things weren’t your choice, but the last one is your skill and your choice. That’s amazing.”

Besides, he said he wasn’t the chairman’s son.

Well, even if he were, it still wouldn’t be ‘amazing’.

A smile rose on Jun-seo’s face. He stared at me intently for a moment, then said quietly.

“Thank you.”

I was momentarily mesmerized by a smile that could melt ice in an instant.

What? Why the sudden attack?

“Lee Jun-seo? Would you like help setting up your laptop?”

Just then, a man with a ‘Staff’ nametag approached and spoke to us. Jun-seo, his gaze still fixed on me, said.

“Yes.”

Then he turned his head to the staff member. I saw the staff member flinch slightly upon seeing Jun-seo’s face.

“Should I go now?” Jun-seo asked him.

“Uh, no, uh, I mean…”

He must have been flustered seeing Jun-seo’s face. The staff member fumbled before finally managing to say.

“Um, if you give me your laptop…”

Jun-seo’s eyebrows went up. He looked at the staff member for a moment, then handed over the laptop bag he had brought. It was a plain black bag without any distinctive features. It looked fairly well-used, as the handle was slightly worn.

The staff member took the laptop bag, said he would set it up in advance, and left.

Soon after, the seminar began. The moderator, who introduced his affiliation and name, explained the order of events, and a schedule appeared on the screen behind him. Jun-seo’s name was really on the schedule. Seeing it was towards the later part, probably because it was a demo, I leaned towards him and whispered.

“Good. If I’m asleep before you go up to present, please wake me up.”

Jun-seo laughed quietly and said.

“I was going to ask Park Chae-won to wake me up if I fall asleep.”

“Ah, so that’s why you bought coffee?”

When I held up the coffee he bought me, Jun-seo laughed quietly again.

So he had that plan all along.

The introductions of the company hosting the seminar and the sponsors followed. I listened to the seminar while sipping my coffee. I asked Jun-seo if he wanted me to take pictures during his presentation, but he said it wasn’t necessary.

“Ugh, I’m going to the restroom.”

I had an accident around the time the seminar reached its midpoint. There was a little coffee left in the cup that I thought I had finished and was about to put down.

“It splashed a little,” I said as I moved my hand away from my body. Jun-seo searched his pockets and asked.

“Did it get on you?”

“Just on my hand. I’ll go wash my hands.”

Holding the coffee cup, I bent my waist and went outside so as not to disturb the seminar. After throwing the coffee cup in the first trash can I saw, I went to the restroom to wash my hands, and then I had some time to spare.

I need to be careful.

I checked again to make sure no coffee had splashed on my clothes and left the restroom.

That’s when I saw a black bag placed near the restroom entrance.

Was someone in there?

I went back into the restroom to check, but I was the only one there.

Someone must have forgotten it.

I tried to ignore it and walk past, but I stopped.

“Isn’t that a laptop bag?”

It looked very similar to the laptop bag Jun-seo had given to the staff earlier. Just in case, I looked inside and saw a laptop was in it.

“Ugh, no way.”

I took the bag and handed it over to a staff member who was organizing things outside the seminar room.

“We’ll keep it until six, then leave it at the management office.”

That seemed like a good idea. I took another look at the laptop bag the staff member put down to the side.

Is it a popular design among guys these days?

When I entered the seminar room, I saw a staff member approaching Jun-seo. It seemed they had come to get him as his presentation time was approaching. As I approached my seat, I nodded at Jun-seo, who was standing up. It was meant to wish him luck, but I’m not sure how well that was conveyed to him.

As I sat down and looked at Jun-seo, I saw the staff member handing him the laptop. I guessed they were telling him to prepare for his presentation in advance. But Jun-seo’s expression was unusual. I realized from his stiff expression that something was wrong. The staff member also clearly looked flustered, whispering something and holding up the bag.

“What’s going on?”

I could see other staff members nearby looking around. When I saw the staff member show Jun-seo another laptop bag that was on the floor, I stood up from my seat.

“What’s going on?”

At my question, the gazes of Jun-seo and the staff member turned towards me. The staff member who had first taken Jun-seo’s laptop bag spoke with a flustered expression.