The Weight of Silence
The meeting room was refreshingly cool.
A large monitor mounted on the wall displayed the materials prepared by the client, and the account manager’s calm explanation continued without pause.
Min-ah had her laptop open and was taking notes.
Or at least, that’s what she told herself she was doing.
“…So, starting from the third quarter, we’re considering a slight adjustment to the delivery volume.”
The client’s voice reached her ears.
Min-ah hurriedly tapped at her keyboard.
But nothing of what had just been said remained in her head.
Her gaze unconsciously drifted to one corner of the laptop screen.
And then, the events from just minutes ago resurfaced.
The underground parking lot. The closed car. And… how unbearably close he had been.
Min-ah quickly shook her head.
I need to get a grip, Seo Min-ah!
It was work hours.
This was no time to be thinking about such things.
Yet her mind kept drifting elsewhere.
“…Deputy Seo Min-ah, what are your thoughts?”
At the sudden question, Min-ah’s body flinched.
“…Yes?”
For a brief moment, every pair of eyes in the meeting room focused on her.
Min-ah looked at the client with a flustered expression.
She hadn’t even heard the question.
“Ah… um… that is…”
Her voice trembled faintly.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
“We’ve been reviewing something similar internally as well.”
Gyeong-rok, seated beside her, smoothly took over.
The meeting flow resumed as if nothing had happened.
The clients turned their attention back to the materials.
But Min-ah couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.
Her face burned with heat.
She was ashamed.
Not only had she made such a mistake during work, but the reason behind it was something only she knew.
Min-ah cautiously glanced to her side.
Gyeong-rok was focused on the meeting with his usual composed expression.
It was hard to believe he was the same person who had just covered for her. He looked utterly unfazed.
That very calmness only confused her more.
Why am I the only one like this…
Min-ah gripped the pen in her hand tightly.
The meeting continued.
But she couldn’t jot down a single proper line of notes.
—
After the client meeting ended, a short silence lingered between the two of them as they walked toward the parking lot.
Min-ah kept her head down, clutching the file folder to her chest for no particular reason.
The incident from the meeting room kept replaying in her mind.
I’m such an idiot, a total dumbass… I’m completely screwed now… ugh…
She felt so embarrassed about spacing out in front of the clients that she wanted to rip her own hair out.
“Min-ah.”
At the low call of her name, Min-ah’s shoulders twitched. It wasn’t the personal way he’d addressed her before the meeting.
“Yes… Team Leader…”
Gyeong-rok spoke without stopping his stride.
“How was today’s meeting? You must have felt something from it.”
Min-ah bit her lip.
She wasn’t so dense that she couldn’t understand what he meant.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“…I… I couldn’t focus…”
It took her a long moment before her voice finally came out. Gyeong-rok remained silent for a while.
That silence felt even more oppressive.
As they reached the parking lot, Gyeong-rok spoke in a low voice.
“To be honest, I’m a little disappointed.”
Min-ah’s steps halted for a moment. A sharp ache pierced her chest.
“I thought someone of your caliber wouldn’t make mistakes like that.”
It hurt more than if he had scolded her outright.
Min-ah couldn’t lift her head.
Gyeong-rok hadn’t raised his voice or shown any anger. His tone remained perfectly calm.
That made it even harder to bear.
“I’m sorry…”
“There’s no need for apologies.”
Gyeong-rok pulled out his car key as he continued.
“Everyone makes mistakes.”
Just as Min-ah began to feel a flicker of relief, her chest tightened again.
“However… I’d prefer there be no more incidents like this in the future.”
“Yes…”
“You seem more easily affected than I thought, Min-ah.”
At those words, Min-ah flinched.
It felt as though he could see right through her. Gyeong-rok opened the driver’s side door and spoke indifferently.
“At the company, I’d like you to focus only on company matters.”
“……”
“You can manage that much, can’t you?”
Min-ah gave a small nod.
“Yes… I’m sorry, Team Leader.”
Only then did Gyeong-rok smile, seemingly satisfied.
“Good.”
He got into the car as if nothing had happened.
Min-ah stood there for a moment.
He hadn’t really scolded her harshly. He hadn’t even raised his voice.
Why do I feel so strange…
Yet every single word from Gyeong-rok had left a stinging ache in her chest.
—
“I’m home~”
“Min-ah, you should change out of your work clothes first.”
The moment Min-ah returned home, she collapsed onto the sofa with a heavy thud.
Even when told to change, she showed no sign of getting up.
“Seo Min-ah. You need to change and wash your hands.”
“Ughhh… it’s too much trouble. Take them off for me.”
I stopped preparing dinner and walked over to her.
As I unbuttoned her white blouse one by one, her black bra was revealed.
“Get up before I take off any more.”
“Ughhh…”
Grumbling, Min-ah stood up on her own and removed her blouse and skirt.
Seeing her sigh as she walked around in her underwear, it was clear something had happened…
“Min-ah, want to have a drink tonight?”
“Nooo… I don’t have an appetite. Let’s just eat something simple and clean up.”
Her answer was shocking. Min-ah turning down alcohol…?
“I’ll order chicken. How about just one beer?”
“I don’t feel like it…”
Min-ah, now in her comfortable home clothes, plopped down on the sofa again and let out another soft sigh.
I had never seen her this down before… Did something happen at the company?
“What did Gyeong-rok hyung say to you?”
“…It was my fault, that’s all.”
Even hyung usually speaks well of her… Had he said something harsh enough to make her this deflated?
“Hyung went too far. Want me to give him a piece of my mind next time?”
“No way. I told you, it was my mistake.”
Min-ah glanced at my face before standing up. Then, forcing a half-smile, she reached out and touched my butt.
“Oppa, let’s prepare dinner together.”
Pushing aside the uneasy feeling, I finished preparing dinner first.
After a few spoonfuls of rice, she seemed to feel a little better.
At least on the surface, she looked like her usual self again.
“Min-ah, what did you do at work today?”
“Um. In the morning I organized some documents, and in the afternoon there was a… meeting.”
Her chopstick movements slowed. A meeting? Normally, Min-ah would beam with pride saying she carried the whole thing whenever she attended client meetings. Why was she acting like this today…?
“Did you go to the meeting with Gyeong-rok hyung?”
“Hic… yeah…”
The moment Gyeong-rok hyung’s name came up, Min-ah hiccupped.
When I handed her some water, she quickly took it and drank.
Then, for no apparent reason, she avoided my eyes and began poking at the grains of rice with her chopsticks.
I watched her quietly.
“Min-ah… Did something happen with hyung?”
“W-what do you mean… Nothing happened.”
…Something was off.
Min-ah wouldn’t look me in the eye.
Was she really lying to me…?
Why would she lie to me…? What exactly did they do together…
My heart began to race. The frantic pounding echoed in my ears.
No… I was the one who wanted them to do something. But… if she would just tell me, that would be enough. Why…
“Oppa, I’ll get up first.”
Min-ah, who had been watching my expression, stood up. She said she was going to throw away the rest of her rice and brush her teeth, then headed to the bathroom.
The atmosphere felt strange. Why? Why was she hiding it?
What had happened while she was out on business…? She was deliberately not telling me.
My appetite vanished completely. I dumped the rest of my rice and followed after her.
“Min-ah.”
“Hm? Oppa, why do you look… like that?”
When our eyes met, Min-ah asked back in a slightly trembling voice.
When I looked in the mirror, I understood why she seemed scared.
…I had made this kind of face toward her.
That’s right. I should trust Min-ah. She must have really been scolded… scolded badly.
“It’s nothing. Let’s brush our teeth together.”
“O-okay…”
I stepped into the bathroom and stood beside her, brushing my teeth together with her.
I couldn’t stop the strange thoughts from coming, but… I tried my best not to show it.
Because I had decided to trust her.
Yes.
Nothing had really happened.
I kept convincing myself of that.
Yet a corner of my chest continued to feel tight.
I couldn’t stop the strange thoughts from surfacing.
But I couldn’t let it show.
Because I had decided to trust Min-ah.
I rinsed my toothbrush while repeating that to myself.
“Are you done?”
“Yeah.”
Min-ah left the bathroom first. I wiped my mouth with a towel and followed her out.
The living room lights were softly lit, and Min-ah was sitting on the sofa, fiddling with her phone.
Normally, she would have naturally come over and clung to my side by now. I sat down beside her.
“Ugh, oppa, why are you looking at me with those eyes?”
Min-ah asked with a smile.
“Just because.”
I smiled back. Then, naturally, I reached out and wrapped my arm around her waist.
Min-ah’s body stiffened for the briefest instant. It was truly just a split second.
But I definitely felt it.
“Min-ah.”
“Yes?”
I slowly leaned toward her. I was about to kiss her like usual.
But Min-ah’s hand came up first.
She gently pressed against my chest, stopping me.
For a moment, silence fell between us.
Min-ah’s eyes widened as if she had just realized what she had done.
“Ah, no…!”
A flustered voice burst out of her.
Brrrr.
Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, Min-ah’s phone, which had been on the table, began to vibrate.
The moment she checked the screen, her shoulders twitched.
I watched her without thinking.
“Who is it?”
“Ah…”
Min-ah hesitated for a second.
“It’s the Team Leader.”
It was Gyeong-rok hyung.
Min-ah glanced at me once before answering the call.
“Yes, Team Leader.”
The conversation continued for a short while. I tried not to pay attention, but my ears kept turning toward them.
“What? This weekend?”
Min-ah’s voice grew a little quieter.
“Ah… Yes… I understand.”
The call didn’t last long. After hanging up, Min-ah slowly set her phone down.
“Was that hyung?”
“Yeah.”
“What did he want?”
Min-ah bit her lip for a moment. Then she spoke carefully.
“He said… he wants to meet this weekend… because of that promise…”
I looked at her without saying a word. Min-ah hesitated once more before asking in a small voice.
“Oppa… Is it okay if I… go?”
The living room fell silent.
I couldn’t answer right away.
I didn’t know whether I should say it was okay or that it wasn’t.
I couldn’t even tell myself.
“Yeah. Go ahead.”
There was no justification to stop her. After all, everything was my fault.