An Unexpected Encounter
The crisp sound of knuckles rapping against the desk echoed relentlessly through the office. It was Cha Siheon's dry, mechanical tapping, like a metronome keeping time with his thoughts.
“By chance, I came across my father’s medical records and saw Chairman Cha’s name on them. You know, it’s rare for our father’s treatment to reach even that far.”
The words from earlier that day with Jiwoo lingered stubbornly in his mind. Why his grandfather? For what reason?
No reports related to this had come from Director Myeong today. That meant there was some other reason beyond his control.
I should contact the head of the hospital, Chairman Cha’s personal physician, separately.
It wasn’t something he particularly enjoyed, given the way it seemed like he was digging into Chairman Cha’s past, but there seemed to be no other way.
He pulled out his phone to find his contact number, when the intercom buzzed, signaling that someone was at the door.
“Yes. What is it?”
He pressed the speaker button and answered, and Director Myeong’s voice came through.
“Sir. Lawyer Kang Hyeong-seok is waiting.”
Lawyer Kang. As he recalled the chairman’s face in his mind, Cha Siheon let out a low breath and told him to let him in.
A moment later, after the call disconnected, Lawyer Kang entered the office with Director Myeong.
He was a private legal expert. For a long time, he had handled matters for the family, and recently, there had been a specific request from him personally.
“Please, come in. It’s been a while.”
“I heard the news that you had returned to Korea. Congratulations on your promotion, even if it’s late, Chairman.”
After exchanging light greetings, Lawyer Kang sat on the sofa placed in the center of the office. Then, he pulled out the document folder he had prepared and handed it to Siheon.
“This is the summary regarding President Go Byeong-uk.”
While Siheon was scanning the documents, Lawyer Kang continued.
“We have several business entities, but the largest source of income is managing the loan shark company. There are numerous indications of illegal interest collection and coercive debt recovery, and the police have already been involved.”
Siheon’s gaze settled on the documents. The circumstances of how Dayeon had come into contact with the president were vividly clear before his eyes.
“If we leave it as is, the other side will probably figure it out on their own…”
“That won’t be enough.”
Siheon’s sharp words cut him off. Lawyer Kang looked up.
“What? Then, up to what extent does Chairman wish to go…”
“Complete ruin. Use every legal means possible to ensure that no one ever commits such acts again.”
Siheon paused briefly, then raised his gaze and said.
“Especially, make sure that Jeong Dayeon’s name does not appear anywhere in their documents.”
Lawyer Kang, watching the firm expression on Siheon’s face, nodded with a grave face.
“I understand. I will handle it according to Chairman’s wishes.”
After organizing the documents and putting them in his bag, he stood up, bowed, and left. Even after the door closed, Siheon remained motionless for a while.
Is it okay for me to intervene like this? Jeong Dayeon might not even need my help anymore.
“Chairman, there is a meeting scheduled with the Planning and Strategy Department after this. Will you be attending?”
Siheon, lost in thought, slowly raised his head at Director Myeong’s question.
“I have to go. Where is it?”
The traces of his earlier contemplation had completely vanished from his face as he stood up casually.
After that, the tedious meeting continued. Reports from each department, strategy planning for next year, interspersed with checks and political calculations. After hours of the same scenery, everything finally ended.
As the sky outside turned red, Siheon’s eyes, tired from rubbing them after finishing everything, caught a bright light flashing on his phone.
He slowly picked up the phone and checked the message, then let out a short breath, rubbing his smooth jaw with his hand.
[Teacher! Instead of the bean sprout soup I was supposed to buy you for lunch, please buy dinner for me.]
It was a message from Dayeon. No matter how much he pushed her away, she was this bold girl who kept coming at him relentlessly.
He hesitated for a moment, then stood up from his seat.
He had been bothered that he couldn’t buy her dinner because of meeting Han Jiwoo.
'Since I met her, I should return the photo too.'
That oddly irritating small proof photo kept coming to mind. It would be good to handle it properly as well.
After organizing his thoughts, Siheon grabbed his jacket and left the office.
The place where Dayeon was waiting was somewhere in the middle between the company and the school.
'She should be around here.'
However, scanning the area with his eyes, he couldn’t see Dayeon’s figure.
Was she not there yet? He pulled over to the side of the road, took a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and was about to light it with his lighter when he noticed someone in the distance surrounded by men.
In an instant, when he saw a familiar face among the men, Siheon’s eyes narrowed.
It was none other than Dayeon, surrounded by a group of men.
Siheon looked up and closed the lighter’s lid to extinguish the flame.
“Jeong Dayeon. As expected, there is no day without causing trouble.”
Siheon, cursing under his breath, snapped the cigarette in half with one hand and walked towards them.
As he got closer, Dayeon’s troubled face and the unsavory appearance of the group of men became clearer. One of the men was holding Dayeon’s arm. A small scuffle broke out between the man pulling and Dayeon.
“Ah. Come on, let’s play together.”
“I don’t want to. I have a promise here.”
“Even if it’s a lie, you have to be careful. Wandering around this street on Friday night dressed like this, what are you trying to hide?”
“No, it’s true.”
Dayeon tried to twist her wrist out of the man’s grip, but the man was stubborn.
“Got business with my friend?”
As Siheon approached them closely, a low voice came from his mouth.
“What?”
The man, who had turned his head at the question, his gaze collided with Siheon’s chin.
Realizing that his eye level didn’t match, he looked up at Siheon.
Tall, well-built body from exercise. And eyes raised in displeasure.
He shrank back. Pointing at Siheon with his thumb, he looked at Dayeon and asked her.
“Promise?”
Dayeon nodded.
“Then why didn’t you say it earlier.”
Although he had no intention of handling the woman roughly, he didn’t want to get involved in pointless arguments either, so he took a light, deferential posture.
“Then… Take care.”
As he gestured to the friends to go, the group surrounding Dayeon moved away from their seats.
After they left, Dayeon brushed her hand over her chest.
“Whew. I thought I was being dragged away. Thanks to you, Teacher, I survived.”
Dayeon smiled faintly and looked at Siheon. But Siheon’s expression remained unchanged, still tense.
“Why is your outfit like this?”
“Wh-what? I…”
Even as Dayeon tried to brush it off and look away, Siheon’s gaze grew narrower. With eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, he crossed his arms tightly.
“Your outfit is different from usual. In this weather, you’ll freeze to death?”
It was mid-March, when the cherry blossom cold hadn’t subsided yet. Unbothered by the weather, Dayeon was wearing a short skirt that exposed her shoulders and thighs. Moreover, the black one-piece dress clinging to her body emphasized her slim waist and full bust line.
High heels, and on top of that, what was that stuff on her face?
Seeing the heavy makeup on her face that was originally clear, Siheon’s brows furrowed more.
“What… what is it? I usually dress like this, you know?”
“I know you usually do. When I saw you earlier, you were wearing a shirt and jeans.”
'Ah. Now that I think about it, I met the Teacher earlier.'
Startled, Dayeon momentarily forgot the fact and bit her lip.
The clothes she was wearing now were chosen by Han Seung-hyun. After receiving makeup as a bonus from the store owner sister, the reflection in the mirror was so awkward that even she thought it was strange.
But Dayeon recalled the woman who was the Teacher’s friend from earlier that day and squeezed out some courage she didn’t have.
No, she had to wear it. To overcome the nine-year age gap.
Unlike her determined expression, her body was trembling from the cold. Siheon let out a short breath and took off the suit jacket he was wearing. Then, he draped it over Dayeon’s shoulders.
For a moment, warm air enveloped her whole body. From the jacket that reached her knees on Dayeon, a soft yet heavy scent of the Teacher emanated.
Startled, Dayeon looked at him. Siheon nodded slightly.
“Let’s go.”
“Eh? Where…”
“I told you to buy me dinner. We have to go eat.”
Ah, right, I said that. I called the Teacher using the excuse to eat dinner today.
Quickly, Dayeon nodded and followed Siheon.
Seeing her constantly lagging behind because the high heels she had just put on were uncomfortable, Siheon sighed and offered one arm.
“…?”
Looking at the bewildered Dayeon, Siheon turned his gaze elsewhere as if he didn’t notice.
“Hold on. If you fall, it’ll be even more troublesome.”
Dayeon, suppressing the smile that kept wanting to escape from the corner of her mouth, carefully placed her hand on the Teacher’s arm. The cold and the awkward situation from just before were forgotten for a moment, and her heart warmed.
'Following Han Seung-hyun’s advice, I handled it well.'
Thinking this, Dayeon walked alongside Siheon.