The Shadow of Jealousy
“What brings you here?”
Siheon asked with a nonchalant expression. On the bench in the corner of the courtyard, his old friend Ji-woo sat beside him. Ji-woo burst into a loud “ha ha ha” laugh, then rolled her eyes.
“Grandpa is the president of this school, you know. I work at the university hospital here too. I thought friends would know at least this much. It’s a bit disappointing?”
“Hmm.”
Siheon didn’t even drink the ion drink he’d pulled from the vending machine; he simply rolled it around in his palm. While talking to Ji-woo beside him, his mind kept drifting to Dayeon’s face.
Because Ji-woo had suddenly dragged him along, claiming she had something important to say, he had ended their conversation with Dayeon on an awkward note.
The fact that she still hadn’t eaten anything lingered in his thoughts.
Siheon glanced at his wrist to check the time, his expression darkening.
What has she been doing that she hasn’t eaten yet? It’s already past lunch.
The thought that she was so petite and thin she hadn’t even had lunch kept nagging at him.
It would be better to feed her properly when they met again.
“Ji-woo. Sorry, but…”
Siheon, having made up his mind, stood up with the intention of suggesting they meet later, but Ji-woo’s unexpected words cut him off mid-sentence.
“Chairman Cha, are you well?”
“…Grandpa?”
Siheon frowned at the sudden question.
“Why are you asking about Grandpa?”
“I transferred to internal medicine resident this time. By chance, I looked through Dad’s medical records and saw Chairman Cha’s name. You know, it’s rare for Dad’s records to reach even the chairman’s level?”
Han Young-sik, Ji-woo’s father, was the director of Hankuk University Hospital.
Ordinary medical contents rarely reached the hospital director’s level. No matter how much the chairman of Samjeong Group was involved.
“Perhaps it’s because he’s getting older. Since visiting the hospital last time, he seems to have thought more.”
The words Director Myeong had said a while ago came back to him. He had asked to investigate Chairman Cha’s hospital medical records, but no report had arrived yet.
He wouldn’t have forgotten his own instructions, and there must be a reason for this delay.
Siheon’s eyes darkened with thought. The order to call Dayeon and marry her immediately, and now even the hospital director’s medical records.
An inexplicable unease brushed past his spine.
On the bench where Siheon and Ji-woo sat, far away, Dayeon stood watching their figures with a sidelong glance.
After the woman who had suddenly appeared took the teacher away, she had followed out of worry.
From the teacher’s expression, it seemed like they were having a serious conversation. She couldn’t eavesdrop.
What are the two of them talking about?
Could it be that they’re talking about marriage?
If the reason the teacher keeps pushing her away is because there’s another person she loves…
Dayeon’s heart burned with jealousy, and suddenly a hand landed on her shoulder with a light tap.
“What are you doing here?”
The sudden loud voice startled Dayeon almost to fainting. Turning around, she saw Han Seung-hyun staring at her with eyes full of “why are you here?”
Tall and with a loud voice. To make sure Siheon wouldn’t notice she was here, Dayeon quickly put her finger to her lips.
“Shh. Quietly!”
Seeing Dayeon with her finger on her lips, Seung-hyun lowered his voice too.
“Why. What’s up? Is there something interesting?”
Looking at his sparkling eyes full of curiosity, Dayeon furrowed her brows.
Why is he like this? I’m dying from being serious here.
“…You don’t need to worry about it.”
Dayeon waved her hand and even made a gesture to go away, but once Seung-hyun got interested, he couldn’t leave Dayeon’s side easily.
“What. Why?”
His gaze wandering around landed on the pair of man and woman sitting on the bench far away. And Dayeon glancing at it repeatedly.
“Eh? That person… Aha?”
Staring at the woman, Seung-hyun’s lips curved into a subtle smile as if he noticed something.
Seung-hyun laughed with a “hee hee” and pointed with his chin at Siheon.
“Hey. Do you like that guy?”
“W-what… what?”
Dayeon stuttered in shock.
“Ah, no. What are you talking about?”
“Eh. You’re acting like it.”
Seeing Seung-hyun’s mocking smile, Dayeon asked in a serious voice.
“Does it look like that to you?”
“Hmph.”
At the innocent answer, Seung-hyun burst into laughter.
“Don’t laugh. It’s serious.”
Dayeon pouted, sighing heavily.
Even a stranger could tell, but the teacher didn’t know until now. Does he not care about me that much?
Looking at Dayeon’s gloomy eyes, Seung-hyun said.
“But why are you here? Are you embarrassed? Want me to go tell Jung Dayeon is here?”
Seung-hyun was about to step forward, but Dayeon grabbed him with a shocked face.
“Are you crazy? Why are you doing this for real.”
“Why. It’s better than standing here like this.”
“I don’t like it. Shut up!”
While Dayeon and Seung-hyun were whispering to each other, the two people who finished their conversation got up from their seats.
Dayeon quickly hid behind the corner. As a result, Seung-hyun had to squeeze into the narrow space too.
A while later, Dayeon peeked her head out. The bench was empty; neither Siheon nor the woman who was his friend was there.
Seung-hyun, who had peeked out following Dayeon, shook his head.
“I can’t understand at all. You said you like her. Then shouldn’t you try to win her over?”
“Shut up. It’s not that simple.”
“If it’s not simple, what’s the problem?”
There were too many problems.
Siheon is the successor of Samjeong Group, but I’m earning living expenses because my father is in debt, and I’m still too young.
And most importantly, the fact that he doesn’t want to marry me is the biggest problem.
But I couldn’t tell all that to Seung-hyun.
“I… actually, I’ve been rejected by Cha once before.”
Moreover, seeing the woman with Siheon made her feel inferior to herself.
She was radiating mature charm that I couldn’t compare to.
Her glamorous features and long wavy hair in a long hairstyle. And her tall figure that looked like 170cm wearing a fitted two-piece suit.
I’m just in a shirt and jeans. The back view of her walking with the teacher in a suit looked embarrassing but also perfectly matched like a painting.
Dayeon, dejected, looked at her with pitying eyes.
Even if it’s Jung Dayeon, why was she rejected?
Since the semester started, Jung Dayeon has been quite talked about among the male students.
Her pure face and not-so-pure figure, and her indifference even when men openly showed interest without giving a glance.
Several factors overlapped, and the male students were talking about Jung Dayeon as if competing whenever the topic came up. Although the person herself seemed not to notice the situation well.
But that was all the reason.
Was it because she liked another man?
Among the many classmates who confessed but got rejected, Dayeon was secretly admiring them, and suddenly a good idea popped into Seung-hyun’s mind.
“I can help you.”
“With what?”
“A man’s heart is something a man knows best, right?”
“……?”
“I’ll transform you. Ta-da, for an older man’s taste.”
Seung-hyun grabbed Dayeon’s arm that was tilting her head curiously and walked somewhere.
“Transform?”
Dayeon followed him without knowing where they were going.
The place Seung-hyun dragged her into was a clothing shop near the school.
“Unnie. I’m here.”
“Seunghyun is here?”
Seung-hyun greeted the shop owner naturally and walked without hesitation to the clothes display, taking out a few pieces.
“This and this. Ah. This should suit you too.”
Watching Seung-hyun trying on various clothes on Dayeon’s body, Dayeon stared with her mouth wide open.
Mini skirt that reveals her figure, knit sweater, and a one-piece dress with a completely new atmosphere that she had never worn before.
“Are you crazy? How am I supposed to wear these clothes…”
Dayeon suddenly snapped back and pushed his hand away. But even with Dayeon’s rough reaction, Seung-hyun’s face showed no concern.
“You. Did you see that unnie earlier?”
“…….”
No words came out. She was a cool and intelligent ‘adult’ woman in Dayeon’s eyes.
“To win over such a woman, you need at least this much, right?”
He handed her a short one-piece dress that would reveal her legs.
Dayeon’s eyes, chewing her lips, sparkled intensely as if she had made a decision.