Chapter 19
An Awkward Air
The bar had a distinctive split-level layout despite being underground.
At the front, an enormous display case—taller than any adult—showcased a stunning array of whiskies, while long wooden tables, supported by rough brick bases, gave the place an upscale feel.
At the center of one such table sat Gyeon-hee, knocking back glass after glass of premium whisky worth hundreds of thousands of won per pour.
“Sigh.”
She checked the message on her phone: the address of the animal clinic that Secretary Kwon had sent.
For a moment she considered dropping by, but dismissed the thought. It felt pathetic, unlike her.
Still, every nerve in her body was tuned to the clinic’s director—a man she had never even met.
“Well, look who it is!”
A slender-toned male voice rang out.
“Isn’t this the CEO of Consensio?”
Turning slightly, Gyeon-hee saw Choi Chun-deok, his narrow eyes slanting upward.
He was her aunt’s son and technically an older cousin, but he had always been overshadowed by her—in looks, ability, even school grades—and carried a heavy complex about it.
“Why the heavy drinking? Oh, right, I heard your operating profits tanked. The graph just nose-dived, didn’t it?”
Chun-deok sneered openly.
Already exhausted from Seon-yi’s lingering cold, Gyeon-hee felt her brow tighten.
“Happy now?” she asked flatly.
“Of course. Other than the chairman, I’m basically number one in the family hierarchy now.”
He deliberately raised his voice to draw attention.
“Well, kids who’ve been second all their lives will always crave first place, worrying when they’ll be knocked down again.”
“What was that?”
“Too on the nose?”
“Don’t kid yourself. What matters is the present. I’m first. You’re second.”
Feigning calm, Chun-deok forced a smile.
“Hmm. Not quite.”
Gyeon-hee shook her head. “You can’t compare a class first to a school second. Different league entirely.”
“Ho!”
“Wow!”
The other third-generation chaebols watching them whooped at her comeback.
Gyeon-hee simply lifted her glass with a small smile.
Chun-deok’s expression twisted.
“Let’s see how long you can keep that attitude,” he muttered, face reddening.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to watch it again in this lifetime.”
Speechless, he glared.
“Now that’s my man, Woo Gyeon-hee,” a bright female voice chimed in.
A woman with softly waved bobbed hair approached, flashing a lively smile.
“Chae-kyung? When did you get back?” Chun-deok asked, eyes wide.
“Just now. Hi, Chun-deok oppa. Hi, my man.”
Chae-kyung sat beside Gyeon-hee and greeted them both.
Gyeon-hee rose without even meeting her eyes.
“Where are you going?”
“Somewhere you’re not.”
With that, she left the bar.
“Wow. Even storming off, he’s hot,” Chae-kyung murmured, watching him.
“Just wait. One day I’ll crush that guy,” Chun-deok growled.
“Come on. You’ve been saying that for over ten years—and getting crushed instead.”
“Why do you even chase after that jerk?” he demanded.
“He’s handsome and rude. That’s the charm.”
Her smile was radiant.
“Forget him, Chae-kyung. How about dating me? I’m family rank number one now—”
“Ugh, no. You’re not handsome.”
“What?”
Ignoring him, Chae-kyung drained the whisky Gyeon-hee had left behind, wincing at the burn.
Chun-deok swallowed hard, strangely captivated.
“Time to catch up with him,” she said, rising.
“Chae-kyung!” he called, but she was already hurrying after Gyeon-hee.
“I’ll start driving,” the substitute driver said.
Gyeon-hee gave a silent nod from the back seat.
“Wait!”
The door suddenly flew open and Chae-kyung climbed in.
Gyeon-hee frowned.
“What are you doing? Get out.”
“No. We’re headed the same way. Give me a lift.”
“Where’s your car?”
“I drank. Want me to drive drunk?”
“Then take a taxi.”
Unmoved by his cold tone, she replied, “A drunk woman alone in a taxi? Dangerous.”
“Sigh.”
He pressed his temples and closed his eyes.
“Let’s go,” Chae-kyung told the driver.
“Shall I…?” the driver asked uncertainly.
Not wanting more conversation, Gyeon-hee merely nodded and turned to the window.
The car eased onto the main road.
“So, you broke up with that woman, right?” Chae-kyung asked.
‘Madam Shin must’ve told her,’ he thought, brow furrowing.
“That was about three months ago, wasn’t it? The day you answered the phone so sweetly.”
Her knowing gaze brought back the memory: cold winter rain and Seon-yi’s tear-streaked face.
“…Don’t talk nonsense.”
“You were sweet on the phone because of her—just to hurt her. Cruel.”
Then she smiled again.
“But that’s fine. Keep using me like that. Gives me another chance.”
“Want to get out?” he asked.
“Nope.”
Her face was all playful confidence.
“She seeing anyone? She was pretty.”
His face hardened slightly, recalling the tone of the animal-hospital director he’d spoken to that afternoon.
“So she is, huh? Congratulations to everyone, I guess.”
She clapped lightly.
“Please pull over,” Gyeon-hee told the driver.
“Yes, sir.”
Sensing something, Chae-kyung quickly buckled her seat belt.
“If you think you’re dumping me here, forget it,” she said with a teasing smile.
“Not my plan.”
“Really?” she asked, surprised.
Instead of answering, he suddenly stepped out and shut the door.
“Please take her home.”
“Wha—hey!”
Startled, she tried to follow, but her belt stuck.
“Go,” Gyeon-hee instructed.
The car moved off before she could free herself.
“You know I’ll just find you again tomorrow!” she called, waving brightly from the window.
“Sigh. That girl,” he muttered, clearly annoyed.
Once his own car disappeared, he hailed a taxi and slid into the back seat.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
After a pause, Gyeon-hee showed the text on his phone.
“…Here, please.”
It was the address Secretary Kwon had sent.
“You’re keeping a puppy?” Eun-young asked from the driver’s seat, surprised.
“Yeah,” Seon-yi nodded from the passenger side.
“Since when? You’ve never had a pet.”
“…It just happened,” she said, deciding against a full explanation.
“And the vet?”
“…He hurt his leg.”
“The puppy?”
“…Yeah.” Her voice was low, worried.
Eun-young sighed. “Are you lonely? Want me to set you up with someone?”
“No. It’s not that.”
“If you’re lonely, meet people. Don’t cling to a poor dog.”
“I said it’s not like that.”
“Not even texting anyone these days?”
“It hasn’t been that long since the breakup.”
“Three months and ten days.”
“You know me better than I do.”
“Exactly. So listen to me.”
Knowing her older sister’s concern, Seon-yi only nodded.
The car soon reached a narrow alley near Seon-yi’s home.
“Here’s fine,” she said.
“Here?”
“Yeah. Any farther and it’s hard to turn around.”
“…Okay.”
Once parked, Seon-yi stepped out.
“Seon-yi,” Eun-young called.
“Yeah?”
“Meet someone new. Forget Director Woo.”
A wry smile touched Seon-yi’s lips.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Go on. Isn’t Bong-something waiting?”
“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”
As her sister’s car disappeared, a quiet sigh escaped her.
‘If only it were as easy as you say.’
She shook her head, checked the time, and hurried her steps.
Eun-woo watched the street outside, worried.
The appointed time had long passed, but Seon-yi still hadn’t arrived.
“Hmm… did something happen?”
That afternoon phone call kept nagging at him.
Jingle.
The door chime rang. He looked up quickly—only to see a tall man enter instead of Seon-yi.
“Welcome,” Eun-woo greeted politely.
The man said nothing.
Polished shoes, a flawless suit without a crease, a cold, perfectly composed face—
he seemed almost manufactured.
He glanced around the clinic, then at the caged puppies.
“I’m thinking of buying a dog,” the man said.
“Adopting, you mean? Any breed in mind?”
“Small, easy to handle.”
Eun-woo’s curiosity flickered.
“I see.”
After a slow look through the cages, he stood with a regretful smile.
“Sorry, but we don’t seem to have what you’re looking for.”
The man frowned. “There are dogs everywhere. What do you mean?”
“Our animals choose their owners. They’ve all been hurt, and… they’re afraid of you. Guess you’re disqualified.”
The man gave a short, incredulous laugh and fixed his gaze on Eun-woo.
“Why don’t you tell me your real reason for coming?”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’ve spoken before—at least by voice.”
From the man’s tone, Eun-woo realized this was the caller from earlier.
“Quick on the uptake,” the man said, one corner of his mouth lifting in a cold smile.
They held each other’s gaze in silence.
Jingle.
The chime sounded again, drawing both their eyes to the door.
“Huff… I’m so sorry, Director. I’m really late, aren’t I?”
Seon-yi entered, breathless.
“It’s fine. I had another visitor,” Eun-woo said, glancing toward the man.
Seon-yi followed his gaze.
“G-Gyeon-hee?”
Frozen in shock, she could only stare.
Eun-woo looked from Gyeon-hee to Seon-yi.
Gyeon-hee looked from Seon-yi to Eun-woo.
Between the three of them, only an awkward silence flowed.
