By Zephyria 
-Want to go shopping tomorrow?
Yoon Se-na sighed before replying. Her mother, Kim Su-jin, had recently been feeling a subtle sense of depression. Se-na knew it had started after the 50th anniversary founding ceremony. It seemed Su-jin was deeply resentful that only the first wife and her children had received the spotlight.
Despite this, she couldn’t show it to her husband, Chairman Yoon. What had been the condition when they first married? It was a promise to take care of the children from the previous marriage as if they were her own. Others whispered that she married for money and so on, but Kim Su-jin truly loved Chairman Yoon. That was why she tried her best not to cause any conflict. The reason she occasionally gathered the children from the first marriage for meals or celebrated their birthdays was for that very reason.
Meanwhile, another message arrived.
-How long are you going to keep avoiding me?
Sighing, she entered the last stall of the restroom and hurriedly sent a reply.
-Are you crazy? I told you not to contact me.
-You said you liked me too. Was that a lie?
The words “crazy bastard” escaped her lips aloud.
-Know your place.
-You said your boyfriend is boring. You said you’re annoyed because he’s too busy.
He was a rookie actor who had just debuted. Someone whose face appeared occasionally in commercials. Their first meeting had been at a club she frequently visited with friends. She had joined a table with a friend’s acquaintance, and the actor happened to be there. She had drunk too much that day and crossed the line. He had asked to meet a few more times since then, but she had unilaterally avoided him. Yet, the guy persisted in contacting her. There was no need to ask why. He probably needed a sponsor.
-If you keep contacting me, I’m reporting you to the police.
Just as she sent the message and was about to block him, a photo arrived. Yoon Se-na’s face turned pale as she opened the image. It was a photo of her hugging and kissing a man. While she stood frozen in shock, another message came in.
-If you want to report me, go ahead and show them this too.
She bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
-Actually, you said your boyfriend is a prosecutor, right? Go ask him. Ask him who’s in the wrong. Is it you, who sleeps around with other guys while having a boyfriend, or me, who mistook that for affection? I’m curious. I wonder how he’ll answer. Or should I just spread it to the press?
“…….”
-Why aren’t you answering? Scared?
She gripped her phone tightly. Hoo, get it together, Yoon Se-na. There’s nothing to be afraid of. The goals of guys like this are obvious. He’s just starting to make a name for himself, so he won’t be able to act recklessly.
She threatened him to do whatever he wanted and blocked him immediately. Crazy bastard. Go ahead and try it. As she was about to leave, she heard the presence of others outside. Soon, the sound of running water was followed by voices. Missing her timing to exit, she stood still in front of the door.
“About Head of Section Yoon Se-na. Is she really the Chairman’s biological daughter?”
“Why? Does she not look like him?”
“No. If her father is the Chairman, wouldn’t she at least be a General Manager? She came to the headquarters after being at a subsidiary, but she’s only a Head of Section.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because she’s a child born from an affair.”
“Heol. Is that rumor true? That he cheated during his marriage?”
“The Chairman’s second divorce lawsuit was long. Because of the custody battle.”
“That Japanese wife?”
“Yeah. I heard that at first, Head of Section Yoon’s birth was registered under her mother. What else could be the reason?”
“That’s a bit… Still, he should have divorced before meeting her. Our Chairman is great in every way, but his relationship with women is a bit…”
“Anyway, she hit the jackpot. She’s not even a famous actress, but her life completely turned around.”
“I feel a bit sorry for Head of Section Yoon. What’s the point of having lots of money if you spend your whole life being called the child of a mistress?”
“Still, she seems like a decent person. She’s good at her job and doesn’t hold grudges. I thought she was just another immature chaebol daughter who flaunts luxury brands, but she’s surprising.”
“But don’t you think her smile is a bit fake?”
“You too? I felt that a little bit as well.”
Se-na, who had been listening silently at the door, stepped outside. The eyes of the two women widened immensely as they turned around. Seeing them stuttering with pale faces, she went to the sink and turned on the water. After washing and drying her hands, she approached the two of them. Then, she checked their name tags one by one.
“Kim Hyo-eun, Oh Yeon-seo? Next time you want to talk behind someone’s back, at least check if anyone is listening.”
One of them quickly bowed her head.
“I’m sorry, Head of Section!” The other employee’s face also turned white.
“Head of Section Yoon! We didn’t mean it like that…”
“It’s fine. I’ve heard it a lot in my life. But, my mother is not a mistress. So please don’t make things up. It hurts my feelings.”
She gave a bright smile and left the restroom. As she walked down the hallway, her eyes stung. It wasn’t the first or second time she had heard such things. Sometimes people babbled about it in SNS or article comments. It was unfair and sorrowful. Without knowing anything. But instead of crying, she grit her teeth and endured. She deliberately pulled the corners of her mouth up and took a deep breath. She didn’t want to show it once she entered the office. It seemed today was just one of those days where nothing went right.
After getting out of the taxi, Hee-shin entered the hotel. As he went up to the 22nd-floor BAR, a staff member guided him. Upon arriving, he saw Yoon Se-na’s friend waving at him. She was one of the few people Se-na relied on, but he had heard they hadn’t met often recently because her business had become busy.
“I’m sorry. I know you’ve been busy lately, so I tried not to contact you, but she got way too drunk.”
She pointed to Yoon Se-na, who was slumped over the table.
“Not at all. Thank you for contacting me.”
“She doesn’t usually drink. I wonder if something upsetting happened at work today; she drank like she wanted to die.”
“I’ll take care of her and take her home. It’s late, so please head out.”
“Yes, I will. Oh, right. I heard you got permission to marry. Congratulations!”
She joked that she had decided to take the bouquet herself, so now she only needed a man. She was a well-known lifelong singleton. She loved her work, and Yoon Se-na also admired that aspect of her friend. After the friend left, only the two of them remained, and he approached Yoon Se-na.
She had drunk so much that she was completely unconscious.
“Sena. Yoon Se-na.”
As he gently shook her shoulder, she slowly opened her eyes. Her eye makeup was slightly smudged, as if she had cried. Seeing her like that after seeing only her perfectly made-up face every day made him smile a little. Yoon Se-na smiled back goofily.
“Huh? Mr. Kang Hee-shin is here? The incredibly busy Mr. Kang Hee-shin. Our f***ing busy Mr. Kang Hee-shin.”
Seeing her use profanity and sarcasm, she must have been quite drunk.
As he gathered her bag and helped her up, she dove deep into his arms.
“It’s because of you, Oppa. You always make me lonely. It’s all your fault, Kang Hee-shin.”
He listened in silence and patted her back. Sorry. It is all my fault. So let’s go home. I’ll take you. After going outside, he sat her on a bench for a moment, bought a hangover cure from a nearby convenience store, fed it to her, and hailed a taxi. Just as the car was about to start, Yoon Se-na rested her head on his shoulder.
“Can’t I go to your house today, Oppa?”
“I’ll take you to your studio apartment.”
“Stingy. You took Im Gyeong to your place.”
“My house is dirty. I’m worried you might run away.”
“Liar. You’re just uncomfortable with me.”
At those words, he looked as if he had been struck. When he looked back, Yoon Se-na had her eyes tightly closed. He slowly bit the tender skin inside his cheek. The taxi eventually arrived at Yoon Se-na’s home, and after supporting her inside, he laid her on the bed.
“Oppa, sorry. I’m sorry…” She let out a whimpering sound, rolled to the side, and fell fast asleep. After changing her clothes, he sat at the edge of the bed for a long time. He was pondering the meaning of Yoon Se-na’s words—both her apology and her comment about him being uncomfortable. However, it was difficult to reach a conclusion readily. Human emotions are truly complex and unpredictable.
“…Sleep well.”
He said goodbye to the sleeping Yoon Se-na and stepped outside. He considered going to the Prosecutor’s Office to handle his backlog of work, but decided against it and headed home. Hadn’t he already spent the last three days eating and sleeping at the office?
As he sat on the bus, drifting in and out of sleep, he eventually reached his neighborhood. Before going home, he stopped at a convenience store and bought a bottle of soju and two bottles of mineral water. Then, he took a seat under a parasol and drank the soju straight without any snacks.
The intoxication hit him quickly.
If I just go and pass out like this, I’ll sleep well.
With that thought, he passed through the common entrance and stood in front of the elevator. While waiting after pressing the button, he sensed a presence behind him. When he turned around, he almost threw the water bottle he was holding. A dark figure was sitting in the middle of the emergency stairs. The memory of the day he was attacked resurfaced, and he took a step back. The moment the man, wearing a deep hood, raised his head, Hee-shin’s expression froze.
“…W-what are you doing here?”
Im Gyeong slowly stood up. As he descended the stairs, he groaned, clutching his waist.
“Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting for a long time. I thought my stitches were going to burst.”
Having come right up to him, he leaned his upper body forward slightly. “Did you drink?” He seemed to sniff the air, then immediately frowned. For a very brief moment, a murderous glint appeared in his eyes, but he soon smiled softly with an expression as if nothing had happened.
“I came to drink coffee. The cheap coffee that Mr. Kang Hee-shin makes.”