CHAPTER1- PART 4

 

 

 

As she walked down to the parking lot, Kang-woo was waiting for her. Ha-eun wondered where she should get a ride.

 

 

 

The secretary was driving, so she opened the door to get into the passenger seat.

 

 

 

“Get in the back.”

 

 

 

“What? But…. My seat is here….”

 

“Because I want to hear how you’re going to utilize the space on site.”

 

“Then….”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun opened the back door and sat down next to him. The spacious back seat could easily accommodate three people, but their shoulders were almost touching as they looked at the same design. HaEun’s heart pounded.

 

 

 

I was flipping through the PPT, explaining what each space would be used for, but all my attention was on him. I shouldn’t be doing this…    The drive from Seoul to Paju took almost two hours, and the roads were crowded today with many cars coming and going.

 

 

 

“Let’s get something to drink.”

 

“I’ll get a coffee from a nearby cafe.”

 

 

 

When the secretary stopped the car on the shoulder of the road, Ha-eun opened the door.

 

 

 

“Hey, boss. I’ll be right back. Can I get an Americano?”

 

 

 

It’s a hierarchical society. Even if I was an up-and-coming designer, the secretary was still my boss.

 

 

 

“No, sir, I have my own favorite coffee, so I’ll go get it.”

 

“As long as you tell me.”

 

“That’s fine.”

 

“Still.”

 

 

 

Kang-woo flung open the door, a little annoyed that we’d offered to buy each other coffee.

 

 

 

“It would be faster to buy it myself.”

 

“Bone, General Manager!”

 

“Ms. Do, Ha-Eun.”

 

“Yes, go, I’ll go.”

 

 

 

Ha-eun ran after the briskly walking Kang-woo. She had to run lightly to keep up with his long strides.  Once inside the coffee shop, Kang-woo looked at Ha-eun.

 

 

 

“What are you going to eat?”

 

“Oh, I’ll order from….”

 

“Someone else can do it. I don’t have time.”

 

“I’ll have an iced Americano,”

 

 

 

Kang-woo ordered the coffee from the waitress.

 

 

 

“Two iced Americano’s. One with a double shot, no ice, please.”

 

“It’s an iced Americano. Do you want no ice?”

 

“I don’t like ice.” “……?”

 

 

 

What’s the point of having an iced Americano if you don’t like ice? The coffee was served quickly, so we grabbed ours and left the coffee shop.

 

 

 

The coffee in my hand jostled as I tried to keep up with his pace. Oops, moment.  Her foot jerked and her center of gravity collapsed. Ha-Eun was dizzy.

 

 

 

The coffee spilled and splattered on Kang’s shirt.

 

 

 

“Bo, General Manager… I apologize. I tripped and…….”

 

“Can’t you see your shirt is all w*t?”

 

“Oh, yeah. I’ll go get a new shirt.”

 

“You know what I’m wearing.”

 

“……So. What should we do?”

 

“Let’s go together, there’s a store.”

 

 

 

It wasn’t a department store, but there was a dress shirt store. Ha-eun went into the store first. She picked out the best shirt and held it out to Kang-woo, who stared at her.

 

 

 

“Why?”

 

“Look at my hands and tell me.”

 

 

 

She didn’t realize it at the time, but her hands had coffee on them, too. She was in no condition to drink coffee herself.

 

 

 

“I’m sorry, I need to wash my hands first.”

 

“Put your shirt on first.”

 

“Then…….”

 

“Do I have to tell you?”

 

“Nope. Go that way.”

 

 

 

Ha-eun followed Kang-woo into the fitting room.  With a snap, he unbuttoned his shirt. Her heart thudded in her chest. She could picture his body: the broad shoulders, the hard chest, the muscles etched into his stomach.

 

 

 

I remember it vividly. And the great c*ck underneath.  Heat rushed to my face as I thought about it.

 

 

 

“It feels weird.”

 

“What, what?”

 

“Excited, I guess you could say.”

 

“……hhh!”

 

“Getting hard.”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun was so surprised her heart felt like it was going to break through her skin.

 

 

 

“Now, wait a minute, Mr. General Manager, that’s not the kind of conversation….

 

“boss and subordinate should have.”

 

 

 

Her fingers twitched in anticipation. The suspense made her thirsty.

 

 

 

“You’re no good at taking off shirts.”

 

“That’s because you don’t have to.”

 

“Though I’m more passionate about tearing it off than taking it off.”

 

 

 

Rain leaned his head down and I felt his breath on my forehead. His forehead tickled. His heart pounded out of control and he felt even more thirsty.

 

 

 

“Ms. HaEun.”

 

“Yes…. Yes….”

 

“Should we have a relationship?”

 

“What?!”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun was dumbfounded.  Her head was pounding as she realized what she had just heard.

 

 

 

“What’s the big deal? It can’t be a real relationship, it’s just a partner proposal.”

 

“Uh, I’m not interested.”

 

 

 

Ha-eun shook her head. Kang-woo’s eyebrows arched.

 

 

 

“Do you not like it?”

 

“It’s not like that, I just don’t like it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“You know.”

 

“Because your last relationship wasn’t a good one?”

 

“…There’s that, too, and I’m not thinking about it anyway.”

 

 

 

I meant it when I said I didn’t want to be in a relationship. I couldn’t afford to care about anything else until I took care of my mom and made sure Young Eun graduated from college safely. He was happy to be in Ha-eun’s position, not to waste her emotions on something so trivial.

 

 

 

“That’s unfair.”

 

“What?”

 

“Because that bastard is making Ms. Doha-eun hesitate.”

 

“Even if it’s not him, I don’t have an in-house relationship.”

 

“Isn’t it a bit of a misnomer to call it a relationship? We’re compatible, so we can f*ck whenever we want….”

 

“You don’t care because you have nothing to lose, but I’m just a low-level employee.”

 

 

 

The thought was horrifying. If I lost my job, how would I pay for my mom’s medical bills and Young-Eun’s school fees?

 

 

 

Just as she was starting to grow, Guanghua Construction became a merger and acquisition, and she lost her chance for promotion. Ha-eun couldn’t stop there. To solidify her position, she had to make sure Kang-woo’s project was successful.

 

 

 

“Why? Are you afraid I’m going to pull a fast one on you?”

 

“You say scary things so casually.”

 

“You seem to have forgotten that I own the company. Do you think I’m going to fire Mr. Ha Han just because I made a proposal?”

 

“I don’t believe in words.”

 

“I can write you a contract if you want.”

 

 

 

Ha-eun was stunned.

 

 

 

“Mr. General Manager… Why are you saying this? Can’t we just pretend like nothing happened?”

 

“What if I get excited when I see you? Would that change your mind?”

 

“……….!”

 

 

 

What are you talking about…  He’s still thinking about that day.

 

 

 

Ha-Eun’s breath caught in her throat.

 

 

 

“Wouldn’t this be easier than looking for a one-night stand in a club? It’s even better since that crazy bastard knows me as a lover.”

 

“…………”

 

 

 

He was suggesting a s*x partner. Ha-Eun couldn’t say anymore. Say no. You have to say no now…

 

 

 

But somehow her mouth stuck like glue and wouldn’t come off. One mistake became a forbidden fruit, igniting Ha’eun’s desire.

 

 

 

She also had an org*sm that she had never felt before when she had s*x with Zhuan…  It was undeniable that they were compatible.

 

 

 

Kang-woo’s lips moved to the nape of Ha-eun’s neck, and a sexy voice drifted into her ear.

 

 

 

“I want to suck you off right now.”

 

“I’d rather find a one-night stand.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I don’t want anything complicated, does that answer that?”

 

“Is that a rejection without even thinking about it?”

 

“Yes. We can’t have a deal if only one side wants it.”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun breathed a sigh of relief.  Then he ripped his shirt off in front of me, almost tearing it off.  My muscles tensed, and I couldn’t help but stare.

 

 

 

“But.”

 

“………..?”

 

How do you explain the way you look at my body?”

 

“Well, it’s because it’s the only place I can put my eyes in this small space.”

 

“That’s it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then look away. Cause I’m going to want to eat you.”

 

“………..?”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun turned, and behind her back, she could hear him changing his shirt. Tsk, tsk, the sound of him buttoning his shirt was unusually loud.

 

 

 

“Let’s get out of here.”

 

“Yes, sir. Oh, and coffee….”

 

“I ordered it from Secretary Chung.”

 

 

 

The two walked out of the shop and to the car.  Ha-eun stared at the back of Kang-woo’s head.

 

He was the kind of guy that made people stop and stare.

 

 

 

If it wasn’t his boss at work, she might have given it a second thought. Once in the car, she closed her eyes. It would only be ten minutes before the secretary picked up his coffee.

 

 

 

The car was silent as a mouse. The deep silence only made her more conscious.  While she waited, Ha-Eun pulled out his tablet and sketched a design.

 

 

 

Even without the pajama project, I had plenty of work to do. I looked at the date and saw that the deadline with the client was approaching.

 

 

 

“Let’s get to work.”

 

 

 

I was much more effective when I focused on my work.  I fumbled with my fingers, oblivious to the fact that Kang-woo was watching Ha-eun next to me.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

 

 

When we arrived, the Paju site was devastated. It was even more desolate than it looked in the photos.  It was at least 10 kilometers from the main road, and it would take a year just to clear a path.

 

 

 

“Do you really think a townhouse could be built here?”

 

“It’s a reckless plan, everyone thinks so.”

 

 

 

Kang-woo’s voice was cold.

 

 

 

“Not in a year, probably not even ten mansions.”

 

“Five hundred generations should be built.”

 

“Five hundred generations?”

 

“It’s too early to be alarmed.”

 

“It’s going to take six months just to break ground.”

 

“The road construction is already underway.”

 

“What? Where?”

 

“Over there.”

 

 

 

Kang-woo pointed to a mountain.

 

 

 

“……? That’s a mountain?”

 

 

 

“Beyond the mountain is a four-lane road adjacent to the highway, and the fastest way to connect it to the town is through the mountain.”

 

 

 

“So… the entrance to the townhouse is….”

 

 

 

“Having an entrance on the road is a universal idea, and I’m thinking of making a healing complex around the townhouse. A top-of-the-line complex, complete with living infrastructure, where you can live with nature.”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun tried to visualize his words. They would jog along the trails in the early morning hours, and the children would receive valuable gifts from the mountains and trees as they lived with nature.

 

 

 

But there would be no inconvenience. There were three large supermarkets beyond the mountains, and the city was not far away as the land bordered Paju.

 

 

 

“I can only imagine, but only on the condition that the construction is completed without incident.”

 

 

 

“Ms. Ha-eun, your role is important, so keep coming up with new designs. I don’t want to list the same house.”

 

“Yes, I know what you mean, I’ll do my best, Mr. GM.”

 

 

 

They both looked at the same place.  A wasteland of nothingness. No, it looked like abandoned land.  It was an adventure to build a large-scale luxury townhouse here.

 

 

 

Ha’eun’s heart sank; if she helped him succeed in this project, she would grow as well.

 

 

 

‘If he succeeds, I’ll be recognized,’ she bit her lip, ‘but to do that, I need to keep my distance from him.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

 

 

The heat had been sweltering since morning, and the meeting room was sweltering. Everyone from the team members who would be working on the Paju project to the foreman who would be managing the site was in the meeting.

 

 

 

“I’m… I honestly don’t have a clue.”

 

 

 

“When the full-scale excavation work starts, we’ll have to scoop up the soil and fly it away, and there will be a hundred dump trucks passing by a day. The villagers are complaining of damage just to make way for the road, but… What to do….”

 

 

 

To get to the four-lane road over the mountain, we had to pass through a small village, where the opposition was fierce.  Everywhere you looked, there were red letters scrawled in opposition to the project.

 

 

 

“There are quite a few villagers who are against the construction. Most of them are farmers who have been farming for generations, so they don’t accept new things easily. Even when the neighboring apartment building went up, there were protests. The fact that it took two years longer than expected to complete shows how much opposition there was.”

 

 

 

“This is unrealistic, no matter who you ask.”

 

 

 

The other team members shook their heads.

 

 

 

You heard the conference room door open and Rainbow walked in. Kang-woo’s eyes were cold.  He took a seat at the head table and began the briefing.

 

 

 

“We’re going to start construction with the model home. One by one, please give me your opinions.”

 

 

 

I could see the team members who had a lot to say but didn’t want to say it for fear of getting ugly. They were destined to be pushed aside at any moment.  Weeks of observation confirmed that the general manager’s personality was that of a difficult boss.

 

 

 

“How long do we have to wait?”

 

 

 

The corners of his eyes furrowed.  Ha-eun and Team Leader Kim’s gazes tangled in midair. Team Leader Kim raised his hand to summon courage.

 

 

 

“Honestly, it’s physically impossible to build 50,000 square meters in one year.”

 

 

 

“I know.”

 

 

 

“The biggest problem is the opposition from the people in the neighboring villages. There are several people who complain about safety issues and respiratory diseases because large trucks pass through the village from time to time.”

 

 

 

“They’re only doing road maintenance right now, so there should only be about 10 cars a day.”

 

 

 

“I know there were some disputes a while back when the neighboring apartments were under construction.”

 

 

 

“Well…. We’ll have to discuss compensation for that. Leave that to me and let’s have a working meeting.”

 

 

 

“…………”

 

 

 

“What’s with all the faces?” The construction foreman raised his hand.

 

 

 

“It’s because… A project this big should be planned a little more carefully….”

 

 

 

“You’re scared before you even start?”

 

 

 

“…………..”

 

 

 

“If you don’t want to work, write your resignation and leave now, I’m not going to catch you.”

 

 

 

“I’m sorry. Mr. General Manager.”

 

 

 

“Back off and… This is why Guanghua Construction collapsed.”

 

 

 

“………….”

 

 

 

Everyone showed signs of discomfort.

 

 

 

“Listen. It’s not my way to freak out and back down, and you’re going to have to get your sh*t together because mining construction and settlement construction are different ways of working.”

 

 

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

 

 

“Meeting called to order.”

 

 

 

A bird’s-eye view popped up on the board. Kang-woo’s expression remained stony throughout the meeting.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

When the meeting ended and they descended to the first floor, Team Leader Kim sighed.

 

 

 

“I thought I was going to pee my pants, you’ve never been wrong about anything, and to be honest, the previous managers have been all over the place, and….”

 

 

 

“I’m not the kind of person who can get away with it.”

 

“Well, Mr. Ha, did you get it right this time?”

 

“………….” “Huh?

 

What’s that?”

 

 

 

There were people picketing the front door of the company.

 

 

 

[I don’t accept the merger of Jungkook Group! Jungkook Group should be more transparent about the merger process!!!]

 

 

 

There was an uproar, and Ha-eun saw a familiar face in it.

 

 

 

“……I see faces… Over there… You’re Ms. Yang, right?”

 

“……Yes….”

 

“We don’t know when we’ll be like that, too. Phew….”

 

“Look at that. The general manager is coming out….”

 

 

 

Ha-eun held her breath and looked at Kang-woo.

 

 

 

Kang Woo looked at the picketers and laughed in disbelief.

 

 

 

“If you’re unhappy, blame the incompetent owner of Guanghua Construction. What are you doing? I never gave you permission to rally in front of the company.”

 

 

 

“Dude, don’t you realize you’ve created a legal loophole for all of your big business! I can see you buying up Metallurgical Metallurgy stock becoming a majority shareholder and absorbing it! How are my family supposed to eat?!!”

 

 

 

“That’s your problem.”

 

 

 

“What? What…. Hey….”

 

 

 

“You shouldn’t be out here picketing and protesting right now. You should be thinking about finding a job and feeding your family.”

 

 

 

Security and guards rushed in and tried to disperse the protesters.

 

 

 

“Let go of me! Let go of me! F*ck!”

 

 

 

the evil one screamed.  Kang-woo raised his hand to stop them, as if he’d forgotten something, and soon glared at the former executives with a cold stare.

 

 

 

“Oh, one more thing. Among the reasons why Guanghua Construction went bankrupt. I heard there was some corruption among the executives.”

 

 

 

“…………!!!”

 

 

 

The faces of the former executives turned white.

 

 

 

“It’s too early to be surprised. Would you have come to be the head of this company without knowing that much?”

 

 

 

“That… That’s… That kind of thing….”

 

 

 

“If you’re going to get it wrong, dig in the roots, that’s how I do it.”

 

 

 

Rain’s eyes flashed. No wonder the guilty cowered under the overwhelming gaze. They glanced at each other, grabbed their pickets, and disappeared. Team Leader Kim whistled softly.

 

 

 

“…One out.”

 

 

 

“Team Leader Kim, are you sure about what the general manager said? It’s not true….”

 

 

 

“I just heard it through the grapevine. They said that the executives invested in Bitcoin with company funds. They said they lost a lot of money…. I heard it through the grapevine. It must be true.”

 

 

 

“…… I see.”

 

 

 

“Under our general manager, it seems like it would be clogged at the source, but….”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun’s jaw dropped in amazement. This was amazing. It was amazing when he knew all the details of the company.  This was no ordinary man.

 

 

 

The man who had a one-night stand with himself…  Ha-eun and Kang-woo’s eyes met. ‘Men like that, once they set their sights on a goal, they’ll do whatever it takes….

 

 

 

She hoped that goal wasn’t me. Ha-eun felt a pit in her stomach.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

 

 

The next day, the team went out into the field.  Kang-woo spread out a map of the area, and Kim scribbled a line on it with a red pen.

 

 

 

“This is the village with the most noise.”

 

“What about the number of households?”

 

“There are only a few, around fifty, but there are a lot of young people and children, so they are more concerned.”

 

“Break it down by age group.”

 

“Yeah. We have three generations, mostly in their 30s to 80s. There are ten children.”

 

“Have you met the village chief?”

 

“We’ve tried, but he doesn’t want to talk to us.”

 

“That’s because you’re doing it the wrong way.”

 

“Mr. ……?”

 

 

 

Suddenly, Kang-woo took off his jacket. The team scratched their heads.

 

 

 

“What are you doing? Everyone gets dressed.”

 

“What?”

 

“Let’s go to work.”

 

 

 

The secretary handed each team m*mber a pair of sweatpants. There were a total of eighteen team members participating in the Paju project, including Ha-eun. After changing clothes, they traveled to the village over the mountain.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

 

A sweltering summer. Harvesting the crops at the house was hard work.

 

 

 

The team members were careful not to get their feet caught in the vines.

 

 

 

“I think my back is going to fall out…. Ms. Ha-eun, are you okay?”

 

 

 

Team Leader Kim patted her back.

 

 

 

“It’s hot.”

 

 

 

“It’s a steamer. A steaming pit. How long do you have to work anyway?”

 

 

 

“A little longer.”

 

 

 

“By the way, look at your strength. You’re like a human machine picking watermelons.”

 

 

 

“……….Yes.”

 

 

 

Team Leader Kim stuck his tongue out at the sight of Kang-woo picking watermelons nonstop. It looked like he had finished a whole house by himself. The team members were now employees of the parent company, who had come to volunteer in the countryside.

 

 

 

The hostess’s face lit up with a smile at the sight of so many people helping out at once. She glanced at Kang-woo’s back.

 

 

 

“He’s handsome. I’ve never seen a man so handsome.”

 

 

 

“He is handsome.”

 

 

 

“How can he be so good at his job? We need to pick all the watermelons before the rainy season, but we don’t have enough laborers.”

 

 

 

“It’s hard work, and we don’t want to ruin it.”

 

 

 

“Of course, it’s our blood and sweat….”

 

 

 

“By the way, when is the village head coming?” Today’s workplace was the village head’s house.

 

 

 

“It’s time for him to come. He’s very busy these days. Busy. He’s against some construction… Chit-chit….”

 

 

 

“I see.”

 

 

 

Just then, I heard a car and saw someone opening the door to the house. The hostess waved.

 

 

 

“Honey, you need to come over here, some people from a company came to do rural service and picked all those watermelons.”

 

 

 

“Service? I’m not even a college student… What… Where did they come from?”

 

 

 

Lee scratched his head.

 

 

 

“Hello, I’m from Jeong Construction.”

 

 

 

Kang-woo stepped in front of him and bowed politely.

 

 

 

“I…. I’m from… Construction? Huh! Jee, I’m…. construction up there….”

 

 

 

“Yeah. That’s right.”

 

 

 

“Ha, no need to hear anymore, let’s go, we’re not going to agree to the construction.”

 

 

 

“First of all, you can say no. I am the general manager of Jeong  Construction, who is in charge of the project.”

 

 

 

“If you’re the general manager, then….”

 

 

 

“Honey, aren’t you the highest-ranking person in the company? You look like you’ve never done any hard work. Just listen to us, we’ve been working for free all day, what’s so hard about listening?”

 

 

 

Mr. Li frowned.  But when he saw how hard they had worked in the heat, he felt sorry for them.

 

 

 

“It won’t make a difference, we’re all on the same page.”

 

 

 

“It’ll only take a minute. Give me half an hour, or even ten minutes, to talk to them.”

 

 

 

“…………”

 

 

 

“Honey. Here’s the big boss himself, let’s hear it. I’ll broadcast that we need to meet in the hall.”

 

 

 

The village chief looked reluctant, but agreed to let me broadcast.  An hour later, the team moved to the village hall.

 

 

 

A murmur. There were a few shouts of discomfort here and there, but no major uproar. Meanwhile, Kang-woo, who had changed into a suit, stood in front of them.

 

 

 

“I’m sure your biggest concerns in town are the dust and noise from the construction, and the heavy trucks that pass by on the road every day.”

 

 

 

“We’ve had a kid get hit by a truck before when they were doing construction on the apartments down there, so we’re not just blowing smoke.”

 

 

 

“Of course, I’ve heard that. We’re very aware of that, and we’ve taken steps to minimize the disruption caused by the construction.”

 

 

 

“What measures…. You don’t even listen to me when I tell you that.”

 

 

 

Kang Woo drew a picture on a hardboard board.

 

 

 

“First, please look at this map. From now on, construction vehicles will take a detour instead of using the village road.”

 

 

 

“Will there be no dust if we are diverted?”

 

 

 

“We will set up the shields twice as high. The wind will blow the dust, but we will spray water every day to stop it as much as possible. For the dust you can’t see, we will give each household a state-of-the-art air purifier, and we will install a large air purifier in the house where you work to minimize the damage.”

 

 

 

“We’re against another village coming in, who will be responsible if we lose our land?”

 

 

 

“We’re not people who want to take over the land. We want a win-win relationship. Our goal is to make the village one of the most beautiful places in the country. It’s a place where we live in harmony with nature but with guaranteed infrastructure. I plan to build not only houses in townhouses, but also schools, grocery stores, academies, art galleries, and various experience centers, which we will always share with the villagers and give them the support they need.”

 

 

 

There was a pause, and the younger couples in particular looked wide-eyed in surprise.

 

 

 

“In addition, our company will be providing labor during the construction to help you guys with the work. I’ve been working for a day today, and I can tell you that farming is no ordinary job.”

 

 

 

“Really?”

 

 

 

“Not only that, we’ll also help you distribute your crops. There’s a department in our company that exports crops. I ate some watermelon while working today, and it tasted very good.”

 

 

 

“What do you mean, exporting… Isn’t that good for our village?”

 

 

 

“It’s a business that shouldn’t be promoted like that….”

 

 

 

After hearing Kang-woo’s words, the young people responded positively.

 

 

 

“Well, how do you believe that?”

 

 

 

“I’ll put it in writing in the presence of a lawyer.”

 

 

 

It was noisy as the villagers talked amongst themselves, and when it came down to the nay-sayers and the yes-sayers, Mrs. Lee stood up and spoke her mind.

 

 

 

“Why not! The apartment enforcer over there only threw in a few tissues and that was it…. If it’s such a great deal….”

 

 

 

“Sure. It was….”

 

 

 

“But what if they get sick?” She looked at the rain.

 

 

 

“So, if any of our residents fall ill in the future, you’ll take care of them?”

 

 

 

“We’ll pay for their treatment, regardless of whether it’s causal or not.”

 

 

 

“Oooh!!!”

 

 

 

The villagers cheered. My nervousness seemed to be released.

 

 

 

* * * * * * * *

 

 

 

The field wives and team members had a barbecue on site.   eam Leader Kim glanced at Kang-woo.

 

 

 

“I’m totally surprised, Mr. General Manager. Your momentum is over.”

 

 

 

“Me too.”

 

 

 

“Pork belly and soju. I’m getting drunk. That’s great. I’m going to be your biggest fan from now on.”

 

 

 

“…… Looks like everyone is a fan.”

 

 

 

It was Kang-woo who solved the most difficult task.  The team members were touched by their trustworthy boss.

 

 

 

“Don’t you eat meat?”

 

 

 

Ha-eun didn’t feel like eating meat. Stressed out, she often felt sluggish.

 

 

 

“I haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”

 

 

 

“Don’t you have a stomach bug? I know, our job is a lot of stress.”

 

 

 

“I’m going to take a walk to relieve myself.”

 

 

 

Ha-Eun pushed away and got up.  She left the noisy drinking party and walked down the country road.

 

 

 

Poke.  Chirp.  The cicadas chirped incessantly, looking for a mate. Her unconscious stumbling took her a little farther away from the scene.  Ha-eun walked to the side of the stream where the water was gurgling. As she stared at the water, she heard a rustling sound. She turned around and was startled.

 

 

 

When. What are you doing here by yourself?”

 

 

 

“Oh…. I’m just walking a little bit.”

 

 

 

“It’s not just a little walk….”

 

 

 

It was quite a distance from where people were.

 

 

 

“…Oh…. I didn’t realize that.”

 

 

 

“Have you been waiting for me?”

 

 

 

“No, I don’t think so.”

 

 

 

I backed away as he stepped a little closer.

 

 

 

“Am I eating you?”

 

 

 

“…….”

 

 

 

“Or do I keep bothering you?”

 

 

 

“No.”

 

 

 

I tried not to think about it, but when I did, my eyes were always on him.

 

 

 

The wind whipped at his back.  It was a hot summer breeze, but it felt cool against his body.

 

 

 

“One more step and I might fall in.”

 

 

 

“What?”

 

 

 

It was a stream. Lush grass grew, but not so much that the bottom would fall out…. Boom!!!