He couldn’t focus on work at all. Kyungwoo touched his mobile phone once every three minutes. He kept agonizing over whether to call again right now.
During lunch break, he turned his phone back on in case a call came, but there were no messages or missed call records at all. He thought about reaching out first but held back, thinking more time was still needed.
‘It would probably be better to meet in the evening and talk face to face.’
With a long sigh, he put down his mobile phone. Still, his eyes didn’t go to the documents. It was as if some kind of concentration-disrupting waves were emanating from the mobile phone sitting on his work desk.
Thud.
He shoved it into a drawer and began turning through the approval documents he’d put off all morning one by one. He had difficulty concentrating, so work efficiency declined. Still, he processed a couple of approvals that needed to be done immediately and ordered his secretary to deliver them.
More approvals were coming in than the ones he’d sent out. Taking repeated deep breaths, he opened the next document. Just then, the internal phone rang.
For a moment, his heart pounded. Maybe thinking the phone had been continuously off, he’d contacted through the internal line.
—Executive Director. It’s President Jung Kyungrok. Should I connect you?
“Ah… Yes… Do that.”
His pounding pulse quickly subsided and his stomach churned. After a moment, the signal rang again.
“Yes.”
—I just met Prosecutor Seo.
The back of his neck tensed tightly. Kyungwoo narrowed his eyes and put down the fountain pen he was holding.
“What did you say to him?”
—He’s handsome, a professional, and has a manly personality, so it was quite a waste. If we weren’t entangled like this, he would have done great things later.
“What did you do to Prosecutor Seo?”
The voice asking again became much stiffer and louder.
—What could I do? Deputy Manager Park was going to correct Prosecutor Seo’s habits over the Assemblyman Hwang matter anyway. He said that after working in a quiet branch office for a few years, wouldn’t that rash temperament of his settle down a bit?
“A demotion, then.”
—Demotion, saying it like that is hurtful. He’s just going back to his original position. He’s originally from a district office, isn’t he?
It was sophistry. Every prosecutor receives a regional assignment once or twice. Therefore, there was no such thing as an original position.
“Where are you planning to send him?”
—I don’t know that either. But until he comes to his senses, he won’t even dream of anywhere within Cheonan.
“Why Cheonan?”
At Kyungwoo’s question, Kyungrok laughed.
—I asked that too. Cheonan is relatively part of the metropolitan area because the subway connects to it, and promising prosecutors during their regular prosecutor days only rotate within Cheonan unless it’s a special case or something.
Cheonan was psychologically a close distance. Anywhere farther than that would be the southern region entirely. He hoped it would at least be somewhere close to the KTX or airport.
—It won’t be an easy place to come and go, so don’t have premature expectations.
Kyungrok warned as if reading his mind.
“That’s a weaker measure than expected. I thought you’d make him take off his uniform entirely.”
—Make him a civilian? For whose benefit?
“But surely I wouldn’t bring Prosecutor Seo into the family, would I?”
—That’s unknown. Anyway, if you think this is the end, you’re mistaken. I dealt with it lightly as a warning. I’ll postpone the main game for the time being.
A snort came out involuntarily. Not because he doubted or dismissed Kyungrok’s true intentions. He already knew it would be like that.
“Did Prosecutor Seo accept the regional assignment obediently?”
—As if. He hurled quite abusive language. Said I was doing sleazy background checks and such.
“I suppose so.”
Somehow it seemed like he’d laugh. Kyungwoo rubbed his mouth with his hand and cleared his voice.
—Even when I brought up family and career, he wouldn’t back down at all, so I asked if he’d ever really seriously thought about the relationship between you two.
“What did he say?”
Kyungwoo didn’t doubt for a moment that Jaeha would take their relationship seriously. Rather, he was quite curious about what punchline he might have used to trouble the formidable Kyungrok.
—He couldn’t say anything.
“No way.”
Out of nowhere, a long spike slowly entered the area around his solar plexus. Jaeha didn’t say anything? It was hard to believe.
It didn’t seem like Kyungrok was lying either.
—I told him to think about it seriously and left. Seeing as he didn’t speak or try to stop me, I suppose he accepted it?
“Is that… so?”
Somehow breathing was difficult.
—You should seriously think about it too at this opportunity. This really isn’t right. You’re no different from a child when it comes to this…
Unable to listen anymore, Kyungwoo unilaterally hung up the phone. Then he took out his mobile phone from the drawer and immediately called Seo Jaeha.
Ring ring ring. Ring ring ring.
The signal that continued for a couple times soon cut off abruptly. It seemed he’d pressed the call rejection button. As he pressed redial, a message came in.
[Thinking about your suggestion to have a cooling-off period for a while, it seems fine. Let’s do that. I left the unnecessary gift at your company reception. Pick it up yourself.]
The moment he saw the text, Kyungwoo sprang up from his seat. His insides churned. He rushed out of his office and caught the elevator.
Ignoring his secretary’s puzzled look, he got on the quickly arriving elevator and repeatedly pressed the first floor button. He kept pressing redial, but Jaeha didn’t answer.
—I cannot take your call right now…
As soon as he arrived on the first floor, he ran to the information desk. The employee who recognized Kyungwoo reflexively stood up.
“Where did the person who just came go? The person who came to see me.”
“He left just a moment ago.”
The employee looked toward the main entrance. Kyungwoo forcefully pushed through the still-moving revolving door and went out.
The wide boulevard lined with huge buildings stretched out refreshingly straight, visible to a very far distance. However, Seo Jaeha’s figure was visible neither here nor there. He wasn’t across the street either.
The call still wasn’t connecting. A private security guard protecting the company followed him out.
“Should I contact the police?”
He probably thought it was someone who needed to be caught for work reasons.
“No. Never mind.”
Kyungwoo shook his head and turned around.
Coming back into the lobby and heading to the information desk, Kyungwoo approached the employee who was whispering with the person sitting next to them.
“There’s something left for me, right?”
“Yes. Here.”
The employee held out a yellow bubble wrap envelope. As soon as he received it, he tore it open right there. Inside was a white envelope. Without opening it, it was so obviously a cash envelope.
While heading to the elevator, Kyungwoo called Kyungrok.
—My. What’s the point of hanging up on me and then calling back?
“What did you do to Prosecutor Seo!”
Unable to hold back, Kyungwoo shouted furiously. The private security guard who was holding the elevator froze in surprise. At the same time, the gazes of people passing through the lobby also fixed on Kyungwoo.
He pressed the underground parking lot floor instead of the upper floor.
—I don’t know why you’re angry at me.
“Did you give Prosecutor Seo an envelope?”
—He’s moving to the provinces urgently, so I should show that much sincerity. Real estate prices have gone up a lot even in the provinces these days.
“Why do such a thing!”
—Why do you think?
“Do you have to be this petty? Are you filming some drama?”
—Because it’s the most certain way to separate you two. Looking at your reaction, it seems Prosecutor Seo got extremely angry as expected. He looked like he had strong pride, so I thought he would.
Laughter followed as if satisfied. He felt no more point in continuing the call. The mobile phone felt like Kyungrok herself. He wanted to smash it right there. But the urgent priority was to talk with Seo Jaeha immediately.
“Executive Director?”
Dohyun, who was wiping the car windows in the parking lot, was startled to discover Kyungwoo. Wondering if she’d missed a contact, she first checked her mobile phone.
“Keys.”
“I’ll drive.”
“Choi Dohyun, keys!”
Dohyun ended up calling for trouble. Quickly taking out the smart key from her pocket, she pressed the start button and then handed it to Kyungwoo.
Vroooom. Screeech. Screech.
The large sedan exited the underground parking lot at a speed close to sudden acceleration. Since work wasn’t over, Jaeha should still be at his office.
He continued trying to call even while going. The damn guidance that the call couldn’t be answered kept continuing.
“Why won’t you answer the phone? You bastard.”
Kyungwoo trembled at the childish retaliation of responding the same way just because he’d turned off his phone. The mobile phone connected to the car speaker via Bluetooth. He repeatedly redialed using the button on the steering wheel. When the car climbed onto the huge bridge crossing the Han River, a dial tone continued instead of the guidance. After a while, the call connected.
—Hello.
Jaeha’s voice was annoyingly calm.
“Where are you?”
—Office.
“I’m coming now, so let’s meet and talk.”
—I talked enough with your noona.
“I’m not done yet!”
Inexplicable anger and impatience welled up, so the answer didn’t come out nicely. When he shouted, Jaeha was silent for a moment.
—Didn’t we finish everything in that earlier call? About having a cooling-off period for a while.
“So what? Let’s have a cooling-off period like this? Let’s do that?”
—You wanted it.
“When did you ever do what I said? You always tried to teach me while talking about manners, so why are you suddenly being so obedient this time? Are you doing this to screw me over?”
—No. Because your proposal was really reasonable.
“Are you scared because Noona threatened you? Is that it? You gave in because of just a regional assignment? The Seo Jaeha who was playing with me!”
—Calm down. You were the one who said to have a cooling-off period.
“Do I look like I’m going to calm down right now?”
—It sounds like you’re driving, so let’s hang up. You’ll get into an accident.
“Hey! Seo Jaeha!”
—Even if you come, I won’t meet you. I’m leaving now, so don’t waste your time and go back.
“How… you bas… tard.”
A suppressed curse burst out.
“I’ll make it so there’s no regional assignment. I’ll use whatever means to restore it to the original. So meet me now.”
—This matter, Chairman Jung Taeho ordered it. How would you? Think about yourself. If you come at it emotionally like this, you won’t be safe either.
“I’ll handle that myself!”
—Haa.
A low sigh continued long. His grip on the steering wheel turned white. The speed had already exceeded 100 km/h. Kyungwoo, who passed through the bridge in an instant, suddenly braked at a changing signal.
Screeeech!
The sound of brakes locking was loud.
