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# Chapter 3
HR Media.
That was the official name of our company.
It was one of the many subsidiaries under HR Group, but among them, it held enough influence to proudly stand near the top.
Being a media company, we naturally had direct and indirect ties with the press, and we consistently ranked among the group's Top 10 in revenue.
The department I belonged to was Planning Team 2.
More specifically, we handled advertising planning.
From TV commercials to product placements in dramas and movies.
Social media ads, short-form advertisements, YouTube promotional videos...
As expected of a major corporation, we dealt with just about everything related to advertising.
You could say we were something like one of the industry's leading advertising companies.
Some people mistakenly assumed we only planned advertisements for our own group.
In reality, we handled outside clients more often than internal ones.
For example, not long ago, we were responsible for planning the commercial campaign for McDoria Burgers.
Simply put, our team directed advertisements.
When a client came to us, we worked with commercial directors to develop concepts and bring them to life using various production techniques.
The work was demanding.
But I genuinely enjoyed working here.
Planning new advertising campaigns every day and working on the front lines of marketing was rewarding enough.
Still, the thing I appreciated most was...
'It's a major corporation.'
Whenever I attended class reunions...
"Wow, you've really made it."
"That's incredible. How did you get into HR?"
"Our company is making us use vacation days even on National Foundation Day... Working for a conglomerate really is different."
I was always met with envious looks.
Even at blind dates...
"HR? And at the Media headquarters? That's amazing..."
"Really? The employee benefits must be incredible. Wait... you're guaranteed employment until retirement?"
"Oh, I'll pay for dinner. How about we grab a beer afterward? I'd love to talk more."
Simply carrying an HR business card was enough to make me a top-tier marriage prospect.
There were countless reasons why...
'I absolutely can't quit this company.'
Sure, I'd spent a drunken night with the female intern from my department.
But there was no way I was going to resign because of that.
'To be blunt, I wasn't the one at fault.'
I hadn't forced anything.
We were both consenting adults.
We'd both wanted it.
And we'd both enjoyed it.
'That's not something someone can use against me.'
My leg continued bouncing uncontrollably.
Still...
We had spent the night together.
And to make matters worse, I was technically her superior.
I couldn't shake the uneasiness.
'I should be able to talk things through with her.'
No.
I had to.
---
“You're here early, Assistant Manager.”
“Oh, Sia.”
Exit 3 of Sinsa Station.
I'd arrived five minutes before our meeting time, yet Yu Sia was already waiting.
“You changed your clothes?”
At work, she'd been wearing a neat business-casual outfit.
Now she wore a V-neck blouse that revealed her collarbone and an H-line skirt with a diagonal slit exposing one thigh.
It was the kind of outfit that drew everyone's eyes and refused to let them look away.
“Yeah.”
She smiled brightly while smoothing her slightly wrinkled skirt.
“I got a little sweaty at work.”
I'd heard she didn't live nearby.
She must have taken a taxi home to change.
“I made a reservation at a steak and pasta restaurant nearby. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
“This way.”
We started walking together.
I'd thought it before, but there was no denying how attractive Yu Sia was.
Even on Gangnam-daero, where beautiful young women were everywhere, men openly stared at her as they passed.
To be honest, it wasn't just the alcohol that night.
Yu Sia herself had been incredibly attractive.
After admiring her, those same men inevitably looked toward me.
Their expressions were filled with envy and jealousy.
For a moment, I almost felt strangely superior.
I quickly shook the thought from my head.
After enduring countless stares, we arrived at a small steakhouse.
“I'll have the beef tenderloin steak.”
She picked the very first item on the menu.
“...I'll have the shrimp rosé pasta.”
I picked the cheapest item at the bottom.
Honestly, after everything that happened last week, I expected tonight's conversation to be serious.
Instead...
“I heard something recently. Assistant Manager, you used to play baseball?”
“Yeah.”
“Were you actually an athlete?”
“Up until college.”
“Wow, that's amazing. I've never met a real athlete before.”
“You're making fun of me, aren't you?”
“No. My family—especially my grandfather—loves baseball, so I've always been interested. Do you still play?”
“...That's all in the past now.”
It truly was.
Whimoon Middle School.
Deoksu High School.
Then the baseball team at Korea University.
I'd been the team's ace.
People once called me one of the country's brightest prospects.
I had dreamed of becoming a professional player.
Then my shoulder gave out.
Ten years ago.
Autumn.
Even as a freshman, I'd become our starting pitcher and led the team to victory after victory.
The championship game of the National University Baseball League.
“Coach, let me pitch.”
“Didn't you hear what the doctor said? If you throw now, you'll never play baseball again!”
“Even after surgery, they said the chances of returning as a player are slim.”
“Still...”
“That's exactly why I want one last game. If I'm retiring anyway, I'd at least like one story to tell for the rest of my life.”
I insisted.
I refused to back down.
And in the end...
I proved myself.
“The final score is 1–0! Korea University wins the championship with a perfect game! Not a single runner reached base!”
We became champions.
But it was a hollow victory.
“I'm sorry... Even surgery won't be enough. I'm afraid your playing career is over.”
Right before the rookie draft that would've sent me straight into professional baseball...
My shoulder was completely destroyed.
Just like that...
My dream disappeared.
At the time, I thought life would end without baseball.
Yet strangely enough...
Reality forced me to keep living.
Although I'd been a baseball player, I was fortunate enough to attend a good university.
Since I was injured early in my freshman year, I switched my focus to studying.
Apparently, I wasn't bad at it.
My grades ended up being much better than I'd expected.
That was how I eventually found my way into HR Media.
'Looking back, giving up was the right decision.'
My shoulder had been a problem since high school.
Even if I'd gone pro, I probably wouldn't have lasted long.
It was better to prepare for another future than be thrown out of professional sports with nothing.
I'd be lying if I said I had no regrets.
But a stable reality mattered more than an impossible dream.
“By the way, what was your major again, Sia?”
“Business Administration.”
“A solid major for finding a job.”
“Yeah. Though... my father recommended it too.”
“I see. Sounds like he's a wise man.”
Of course, unlike business majors from wealthy families...
People like us had nothing to manage.
We kept chatting while waiting for the food.
Work.
Personal opinions.
Random stories.
The more we talked...
The more surprised I became.
'We actually get along really well.'
Instead of feeling awkward, we shared similar interests.
Even our sense of humor matched.
We'd worked in the same department for months.
But almost every conversation we'd had before was about work.
Any personal conversations had happened during noisy company dinners.
Talking alone like this felt completely different.
She wasn't just an inexperienced rookie.
She was an attractive woman I genuinely enjoyed talking to.
'I've been on plenty of blind dates... but this is rare.'
Setting aside the fact that she was my coworker...
I honestly liked her as a person.
If we'd met through a blind date instead...
I definitely would've asked to see her again.
“Your meals are ready. Enjoy.”
Before long, the steak and pasta were served.
Before touching her utensils, however, Yu Sia raised her hand.
“We'd like to order some wine. May I see the wine list?”
“Of course.”
The moment I heard the word "wine," reality came crashing back.
'A place like this won't serve cheap wine.'
The steak and pasta were already expensive.
And now wine too?
'If this is how she spends money, she's going to be a disaster.'
Sure, Yu Sia was beautiful.
Her figure was incredible.
But marriage wasn't based on appearances alone.
She wasn't even ordering the house wine.
Instead, she chose some expensive Italian label.
'I think I saw that bottle listed for over a hundred thousand won.'
Just thinking about my credit card bill this month made me dizzy.
Damn it.
A moment ago I'd been enjoying myself.
Now I was back in reality.
“Assistant Manager?”
“...Hm?”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing...”
I found myself irrationally blaming the wine.
“You actually know this wine?”
“Not this one.”
She smiled.
“The wine I usually drink wasn't on the menu.”
Right.
People like me bought house wine or cheap sparkling wine from the supermarket whenever we wanted wine.
Who ordered expensive imported bottles just because they were eating steak?
“Sia... You don't really save money, do you?”
“Hmm... not really.”
She answered honestly.
“I've never really felt the need.”
'That's exactly the problem!'
She ordered wine she'd never even tried because she was having dinner with a man.
She followed that YOLO lifestyle and never saved anything.
Who would end up paying for all of it?
The person she eventually married.
Yu Sia leaned slightly across the table.
Her bright eyes and delicate collarbone glowed softly beneath the restaurant lights.
“Assistant Manager.”
“...Yeah?”
“You don't have a girlfriend, do you?”
She asked so suddenly that it caught me completely off guard.
But by now I'd already convinced myself to stay alert.
“...No.”
“Oh.”
She smiled sweetly.
“That's good.”
Her smile remained.
Mine didn't.
“Sia.”
“Yes?”
“I hope you don't think that what happened on Friday means we're dating.”
“Oh, of course not.”
She nodded.
“I think it's better if we get to know each other slowly.”
No.
That wasn't what I meant.
I needed to be clearer.
“To be honest... I prefer someone who's careful with money.”
“...What?”
“Sigh... Sia, you don't even have a housing savings account, do you?”
“A housing... what?”
She looked completely unfamiliar with the term.
“See? I knew it. I want someone I can build a future with.”
“...”
“I believe at least twenty percent of your salary should go into savings. I don't think taking taxis all the time is a good habit. I think people should keep using their phones until the contract ends. Instead of impulsively spending money on things like coffee, people should spend with their future in mind.”
She blinked in confusion.
“But you own a lot of luxury goods... and you've traveled abroad so much...”
I hesitated.
Should I really say this?
“I honestly think...”
If I wanted to end this properly, I had to be honest.
“I think you're too materialistic.”
“...What?”
She stared at me in disbelief.
“What are you talking about...?”
“Just look at the handbag you brought today. It's obviously an expensive luxury brand. Even working for a major corporation, a new employee couldn't realistically afford something like that. Sure, maybe it's fake, but just wanting to carry something like that says a lot—”
“It's not fake.”
She answered immediately.
“It's authentic.”
“That's even worse. We both know how much we earn. That means you probably bought it in installments. I can't handle someone like that.”
“Ah... This one was a gift...”
“That's still a problem. Who gives someone a gift that expensive without expecting something in return? You shouldn't just accept things like that.”
Bzzz—
My phone suddenly rang.
“Sorry, but I don't think I could handle someone like you.”
“No, Assistant Manager. That's not what I—”
Department Head Ma.
“Sorry. I need to take this. It's my department head. Something must've come up at work.”
Leaving Yu Sia behind, I stood up to answer the call.
Left alone...
Yu Sia stared blankly at the empty seat across from her.
'What exactly is he thinking...?'
'I think he's completely misunderstood everything...'
She had deliberately kept her family background a secret.
But now she had no idea how much she should reveal—or where to even begin.
Buzz.
A text message arrived on her phone.
Sender: Grandpa ♥
Our Sia, have you had dinner yet?
Your grandpa was so surprised during the holiday gathering that I forgot to give you your New Year's gift money.
I've just transferred it.
Your birthday present will be separate, so if there's anything you want, tell me anytime.
Don't worry about shares or stocks. Just tell me what you genuinely want.
By the way, the spending money I sent has already been taken care of for tax purposes, so spend it however you like. ^^
Hanri Bank
Deposit: ₩1,000,000,000
From: Yu Jin-gap
Yu Sia quietly looked at the empty seat where Assistant Manager Song Jin-seong had been sitting.
“...He thinks I'm materialistic?”