By Zephyria 
Kwon Yi-tae
[I’ll adjust to whatever time you want.]
I clutched my head as I read the text. My disheveled hair stood on end. I wish a groundbreaking idea that would get me promoted would spring up like this. It wasn’t easy to even reply to the text in front of me now.
I was horrified to see the strands of hair between my fingers, realizing how much force I had used, and shook my hand. Still, self-inflicted hair loss should not happen in my life. I’d rather go bald than lose my hair. Instead of tearing at my hair, I frantically rubbed my face with my dry hands.
Since that phone call, Yi-tae had completely changed his attitude. He didn’t cling pathetically, nor did he act coldly. He relinquished all authority to me as if he had become a Buddha of non-possession. …It’s not like the situation will change now that he’s doing this. Yi-tae must know that.
My legs trembled.
“Head of section, you’re making me dizzy.”
“…What if.”
“What is it?”
My Hubae, his eyes sparkling, leaned towards me and chattered. He’s definitely doing that because he doesn’t want to work, but right now, even those little hands that are just trying to skip work are urgent. Maybe it’ll help somehow.
I quickly turned my head to look at him. There was no way a lie that wouldn’t work anyway would be believed. Like those ridiculous excuses about a friend.
“I’m going to meet my ex-boyfriend who I broke up with after getting caught cheating.”
“Wow, this is already exciting. So?”
“The conversation is going too smoothly, it’s weird.”
“Huh? That’s your concern?”
Of course, I wasn’t expecting a huge backlash, but even so, it was too docile. The clingy Kwon Yi-tae was gone, as if it had all been an illusion, and his emotions were completely cut off. It was easier to deal with, but I doubted whether I could take it at face value.
I understood my Hubae’s reaction. I thought it was an absurd statement myself. To be worried because there’s nothing there. Doesn’t it seem like I’m waiting for something?
But that wasn’t the reality. So this is… a kind of fear. I was afraid that something more would be carried behind it and washed up by the waves.
It wasn’t like this in the drama that ended yesterday.
The cheating man persistently came to find her and even brought the police. There was a property issue between them, so they inevitably had to meet, but it was completely different from Kwon Yi-tae.
“No ‘Good night’, no ‘Sleep well’. He just passed the decision-making authority to me so plainly. He’s not usually like that…”
“Ah, so you’re worried because it feels like the Calm before the storm?”
I stopped abruptly.
Yes, that was it. It felt like I was in the Eye of the storm. I didn’t know when the wind would start swirling again, and I just felt trapped in the peace.
How can I respond to make it completely disappear? I wondered what kind of answer I should give to avoid being involved with him anymore, but I couldn’t come up with an answer.
My Hubae leaned back in his chair and made a sound like an old man, “Eing.”
“It’s not like Head of section is waiting for a sentimental, clingy call from your ex-boyfriend, is it? You’re secretly expecting it.”
“Do I look like that kind of person to you?”
“Not really. I was expecting something like a catastrophe, but if it’s such a boring drama, it won’t even get 1% viewership.”
“You think you can take advantage of your Sunbae.”
I sorted out my complicated thoughts while exchanging jokes. I didn’t have time to waste like this. I had a video meeting with the overseas representative who would be working with me on the new project coming up, and I had to revise the materials I would be using then.
It was easier to admit it cleanly. I knew. That Kwon Yi-tae had completely moved on. That it wasn’t the Calm before the storm, but a peace that came after everything was over.
Maybe my subconscious wanted him to be a little more clingy, as my Hubae said. I wasn’t going to accept him back, but since we had loved each other for so long, I wanted to find at least a little bit of evidence.
I just… I guess I wanted to find at least one piece of evidence that he really loved me, that we were in love. Like a kind of compensation. I wanted him to be in pain.
[I’m in charge of an important new project, so I’ll contact you when it’s all over. It’ll be hard to make time in between. Sorry.]
I replied quickly and concisely and put my phone face down. That was the end of it. Kwon Yi-tae would reply with a boring “Okay” again, and I could easily move on.
My Hubae was looking at me, curious about what would happen next, but when I lifted up the work he had brought instead, he quietly buried his head in his monitor. I smiled at the sight and gave him a laugh.
After revising the last page, there were only a few minutes left until the meeting. I stretched and grabbed my laptop and tumbler. It seemed more comfortable to proceed separately in the conference room. There was a subtle focus from other teams on the follow-up project, which had high expectations.
But all we were doing today was a brief preliminary meeting. I would see the Team leader I had been communicating with by email in person, say hello, and gauge the other party’s estimate. It was a time of appraisal to see how much we could squeeze out of each other.
I entered the empty conference room. I set up my laptop and took a sip of coffee. There were still a few minutes to spare.
Ian Meyer, one year younger than me and rumored to be handsome. I’ll be able to see that now. Judging by the fact that he became a Team leader at a young age, he must be quite capable.
Only the ticking of the clock could be heard in the quiet space. Then, an exotic-looking man filled the monitor. He was a person with neatly combed blond hair, and the fit of his shirt and knitwear suited him quite well.
……Ji-oul?
I always contacted him by email, so I belatedly realized that I didn’t know if he could speak Korean. I was captivated by that handsome face. I heard he was handsome, and he really was a handsome man. But even if he was handsome, I couldn’t stand him calling my name like that.
…Should I get angry in English? Or in Korean? Our headquarters is a Korean company for now. Should I just go for it?
I was worried, but I couldn’t miss the timing to get angry. I needed to find out if he really didn’t know how to read it, or if he was trying to take the lead first. Even if it was a collaboration, the equity and profit relationship was clear.
“Team leader. It’s not Ji-oul, it’s Gyeoul. Choi Gyeoul. If it’s difficult, call me Head of section Choi.”
Ah, I apologize. I read it in English notation. If it had been written in Korean, I wouldn’t have made such a big mistake. Anyway, nice to meet you, Mr. Gyeoul. I wanted to see you. Because you’re a competent person.
The Team leader spoke fluent Korean. I forcibly suppressed the widening of my lips at the Team leader’s flattery and maintained a blank expression. He was always polite and courteous, but personality was something that could be easily hidden in text.
His blue eyes were curving kindly. His smiling face didn’t look easygoing, but rather felt like he was drawing a line.
“Rather, I learned from Team leader. Like the last project.”
We seemed to get along quite well. I agreed to this one because I heard Mr. Gyeoul was in charge again. Actually, it’s not a big deal for us.
Was this expressing goodwill, or was it a provocation? I was deeply troubled. When we talked in English, he was definitely more polite than this…
As I stared at the Team leader, he smiled with a much more mischievous face than before. He seemed to have vaguely inferred my psychological state. That’s why it’s important to control your expression. I showed my hand to the other party too easily.
So, I volunteered solely because of Mr. Gyeoul. I wanted to work with you more. There was no other meaning. I’m sorry if I said it in a way that made you misunderstand.
“No, Team leader. I took it as a compliment.”
Then how about Ian instead of the stiff Team leader?
“…Pardon?”
He’s a formidable opponent. I don’t think I’ve been this flustered this often in my 32 years of life.
Ian urged again, “Huh?” It would be a lie to say that there was no familiarity, but we weren’t close enough to call each other by name only. Of course, there’s also the difference in cultures…
We don’t really use the title Team leader here. It’s funny to ask you to call me in English. I gave up because I thought you’d refuse if I asked you to call me Ian, but isn’t this much okay?
“Yes, I will. Mr. Ian.”
It wasn’t my style to hold back. If he tells me to call him that, I’ll call him that. I readily accepted his offer. Then Ian laughed heartily. Looking at his handsome face, I felt like everything he said was right. Is this what it means to be captivated?
Then I’ll tell you the business first. I’ll probably arrive in Seoul the day after tomorrow morning. I expect to be at Incheon around 11 o’clock. Will Gyeoul come to pick me up?
“Pardon?”
No, I want Gyeoul to come.
It was a firm tone. But still, the corners of his mouth were rounded. Even though he was far away beyond the monitor, I had the illusion that his gaze was reaching me. Ian expressed his intentions firmly even while wearing a friendly mask.