Chapter 35
Let’s Go on a Field Visit Together
The moment the call ended, Siwan pulled open a drawer and took out a mirror to check his reflection. Using his fingers like a claw, he brushed back his unruly bangs.
“Ugh, my hair’s even curlier than usual today…”
Earlier that morning, Hana had seen him with nothing in his hair, just a half-hearted part, and had said:
“But Director, this hairstyle really suits you.”
Maybe that’s why?
Even to him, it didn’t look bad. Honestly, it looked better than when he used a ton of wax to slick it all back.
Ever since then, he’d stuck to this “natural part” style.
Knock knock.
At the sound of the knock, Siwan’s heart began to pound.
‘She’s here!’
Lately, the two of them had been commuting together every morning.
Today was no different.
But even though they’d already seen each other that morning, the thought of seeing Hana again made his heart refuse to calm down.
He took a deep breath and answered in a calm voice.
“Come in!”
The door opened, and Hana stepped in.
Wearing a pink blouse with black slacks and her hair tied neatly up, she entered a little shyly.
“Whoa…”
Was there anyone else who could pull off pink so well?
Cute was an understatement—the soft pink brought out an extra touch of sweetness in her appearance.
As Siwan stared blankly at her, Hana called out hesitantly.
“Director…?”
Her voice snapped him back to reality.
“Ah, yes. Ahem.”
He straightened up and gestured toward the sofa in the middle of the room.
“Shall we sit and talk?”
“Yes, sir.”
Hana stiffly made her way to the sofa like a broken wind-up doll.
‘What’s wrong with me? Did I always walk like this?’
She looked down and realized—her right arm and right leg were moving at the same time. Once she noticed, her brain completely blanked out.
She’d forgotten how to walk.
How had she been walking all this time? Her own footsteps felt clunky and unnatural.
It wasn’t a long walk, but it felt like an ordeal.
Finally reaching the sofa, she let out a sigh of relief.
‘I didn’t think I’d get so nervous just being alone with the Director.’
They rode the subway side by side every morning.
And yet, right now, something felt… off.
Was it fluttery excitement? Ever since he called her earlier, her heart had been buzzing for some reason.
Before standing at his door, it was just a light thump. But as soon as she came face-to-face with Siwan, her heart started racing uncontrollably.
While she tried to calm herself, Siwan went to the fridge and pulled out a small glass bottle of vitamin drink.
He gently placed the bottle in front of her and sat down opposite her.
“I didn’t know what you’d like, so I went with a healthy vitamin drink. Would you like coffee instead?”
Before she could answer, he was already standing again.
Hana hurriedly waved her hands.
“No, it’s okay!”
Siwan responded seriously.
“Are you saying that because you’re worried I’ll make instant coffee? Don’t worry. I have a capsule coffee machine.”
It wasn’t something he bought for himself—just in case any guests came by the director’s office. Of course, no one had ever come by, so it had never been used beyond testing.
And now, his very first guest was none other than Assistant Manager Joo Hana. That alone made Siwan ecstatic. He desperately hoped her “no” was just a polite refusal.
Hana wasn’t being polite—she was just in a rush.
She had to head out for a field visit!
She was terrible with hot drinks, just like with spicy food. Watching people gulp down steaming beverages was a mystery to her.
Anyway, she had no time to sit and savor a coffee right now. She had to get to the Food Fair!
Just as she was about to decline again, she caught a look in Siwan’s eyes.
‘Please, say yes to coffee.’
His normally sharp eyes had softened impossibly.
They looked exactly like that golden retriever from “Animal Farm” on TV when it wanted its favorite treat.
If it had been anyone else, Hana would’ve silently grumbled, “Why are we dragging this out? I’m busy!” If Donggeun had done this, she might’ve already karate-chopped his neck or jabbed him in the ribs.
But right now, she was moved. ‘Our Director is surprisingly sweet.’
Who else would look that eager just to make someone a cup of coffee?
Unable to resist that pleading gaze, Hana surrendered.
“All right. But… could I get it iced, maybe?”
Siwan lit up with joy.
“Of course. I’ve got ice in the freezer. Would you prefer an Americano? A latte?”
“Americano, please.”
“Got it. Just a moment.”
Siwan gleefully pulled open the cupboard, took out a capsule, and placed it in the machine.
Psssh.
Steam rose as the coffee dripped into the cup.
He grabbed a pair of long tongs from the freezer and transferred ice cubes into a glass. Then, he opened a 200ml bottle of water and bent almost at a perfect right angle.
With focused eyes, he slowly poured water into the cup.
The key to a good iced Americano? The perfect ratio of espresso, ice, and water.
Siwan was pouring all his energy into crafting the perfect ‘iced Americano’ for his very first guest. He was seriously happy.
Meanwhile, Hana was starting to feel awkward.
‘Maybe I should’ve just taken it hot…’
Watching him go through all that trouble made her feel a bit guilty.
Feeling the silence grow heavy, she commented,
“It smells really nice.”
Without lifting his gaze from the glass, Siwan responded in a calm tone.
“I’m glad you think so. I was picky with the capsules. I want anyone who visits this office to enjoy good coffee.”
Finally, he placed the glass in front of her and smiled proudly.
“Just so you know, this iced Americano is the very first coffee ever served from this office.”
“Wow, what an honor!”
Her voice sounded a little forced, like a half-hearted reaction—but she meant it. Well, more than honor, she was genuinely thankful.
“Would you like a straw?”
“No, I’ll drink it as is.”
The truth was, Hana didn’t really understand coffee.
To her, it was just something to drink when she was tired—a kind of energy boost. She chose Americano simply because it tasted the cleanest.
But the moment she took a sip of Siwan’s iced Americano—
Her eyes widened.
‘This is… good?!’
She’d never understood people who said coffee tasted good—especially Americano.
But now… now she got it.
“This is really good, Director. The aroma too.”
Her sincere praise made Siwan’s smile stretch ear to ear.
The atmosphere was cozy and warm. But Hana didn’t have time to bask in it.
She carefully set her cup down and asked,
“By the way, Director, what did you want to talk about…?”
Only then did Siwan remember why he had called her in and silently scolded himself.
‘This is work time. I shouldn’t be enjoying this so much.’
To save time, he got straight to the point.
“When you go on field visits, is there a reason you always take public transportation? Even though we have company cars available.”
Hana shrugged lightly.
“I don’t drive.”
“Oh, you don’t have a license?”
“No, I got one as soon as I entered university. I just… haven’t driven since passing the road test.”
Siwan nodded seriously. No wonder borrowing a company car felt intimidating.
“Are you going with Donggeun today?”
“No, I’m going alone.”
For some reason, that made Siwan extremely happy.
He had felt uneasy thinking she might be going with Donggeun.
“Good.”
“Sorry? What’s good?”
Realizing he’d said that out loud, Siwan shook his head in a fluster.
“Oh, nothing. I just… happen to have a light schedule today. I pushed everything back for the fair.”
“Ah… okay.”
Taking a deep breath, Siwan spoke smoothly, as if it was no big deal.
“So, I was thinking. Let’s go on that field visit together. No need to waste time on public transport—we can take a company car. I’ll drive.”
“Wait… you’ll come with me?”
“Yes. I’m a good driver. I strictly follow all traffic laws.”
