Chapter 150: White Christmas (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: White Christmas (2)
An ambitious man like Director Kim Seong-tae would never give something away easily.
Regardless of whether the favor was difficult or simple, making someone indebted to him was like adding another card to his hand to play later.
Knowing what kind of person he was, I had called him with the intention of taking on a reasonable debt, my nerves on edge, but…
-As it happens, I have an acquaintance who runs a ski resort in the Daegwallyeong area. Did you say December 31st?
“Pardon? Ah, yes.”
-I’ll contact him right away. They’ll take care of your accommodations as well.
“Um… thank you.”
-Haha, something like this is no trouble at all. As long as you continue to grow and thrive as you have been, Mr. Kim Do-jin.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
-I have a meeting soon, so I must be going. I’ll entrust the minor details to Ms. Yoon Ji-an, so please discuss it with her.
“Yes, I understand. Goodbye, sir!”
After hanging up, the bewilderment I had tried to push aside came rushing back.
“…What was that?”
Contrary to my expectations, he had coolly given me everything I wanted.
It was enough to give me cognitive dissonance.
The Director Kim Seong-tae I knew was definitely not that kind of person…
“What on earth got into him… ah.”
Thinking it over, I came to the conclusion that this was a favor he could easily grant.
Just how much had I accomplished since entering Korea University with the Hunter Association’s letter of recommendation?
I’d placed first in the practical exams for both the midterms and finals, conquered a dungeon that appeared out of nowhere, and gained immense popularity as I started getting media attention…
I couldn't be sure, but Director Kim Seong-tae must have been receiving a lot of praise from his superiors as well.
“Yeah, this is a fair trade.”
Now, I was even starting to feel like I hadn't gotten enough.
I’d just have to squeeze more out of him later.
What was important now was that two-thirds of the problem that had been giving me a headache was solved.
With the ski lift tickets and lodging taken care of, the only thing left was transportation…
“I guess I’ll just buy a car.”
I’d been thinking I needed to get one anyway. This was perfect timing.
Since it’s come to this, I might as well get a decent one.
The drive to Daegwallyeong would be pretty tiring, but… what choice did I have?
Considering everything Jeong-hee has done for me, this was nothing. A piece of cake.
“Alright, so everything’s taken care of…”
Vrrr—
Just as I was celebrating my liberation from the troublesome matter, my phone suddenly vibrated.
The name on the screen was ‘Yoon Ji-an’.
Right, Director Kim Seong-tae had said he was leaving the final arrangements to her.
I immediately pressed the call button to answer.
“Hello?”
-Hello, Mr. Kim Do-jin.
“……”
The moment I heard her first words, I knew.
-I heard from Director Kim Seong-tae. There is something I need to deliver to you regarding that matter, so I believe we should meet.
“R-Right, of course.”
-Then please decide on a day that is convenient for you and send me a text. I will come see you then. Goodbye for now.
Beep— Beep—
I knew that Yoon Ji-an was extremely upset with me.
* * *
She had become interested in a man.
It took her a surprisingly long time to understand and admit that simple sentence.
It was because she had never paid much attention to men before.
And also because she couldn't help but feel embarrassed that the man in question was six years her junior.
In truth, her understanding and admission hadn't come from deep contemplation.
From the moment she woke up until she fell asleep.
She had simply found herself waiting with bated breath, wondering when Kim Do-jin would call.
She had conveyed her feelings, however clumsily.
She had told him that no matter how trivial the matter, she hoped he would feel free to seek her out.
But he hadn't.
More than not seeking her out, he hadn't even bothered to make a single phone call.
“Why…”
She quickly grew dejected.
The atmosphere had been so good on their date, so why wasn't he looking for her?
Then, she suddenly remembered the mistakes she had made at the end of their date.
“Ugh, he must have been completely turned off by that.”
She thought it was entirely possible.
Not only had she been so drunk that she had to be carried on his back, but she had also committed a great offense on top of that.
On a first date, when she should have been showing only her best side, she had gotten drunk and thrown up.
If she were the man, wouldn't she have been turned off too?
“Aah…”
This was a new feeling for her.
To feel as though her entire world was collapsing just because she had been rejected by a man.
“Is this how all the men I rejected felt…?”
At the time, she had thought that turning them down coldly was for their own good.
For some reason, she now felt sorry.
“Haaah.”
She let out a deep sigh and stared at her empty desk.
The desk, now barren since she had started dedicating herself to managing Kim Do-jin, felt particularly cruel today.
If only she had more work, she could have immersed herself in it and forgotten, at least for a little while.
Just as she was wilting under the encroaching gloom…
“Ji-an, Director Kim Seong-tae is calling for you.”
“Ah, yes.”
She headed straight for the General Affairs Department office, where she heard news that felt like a bolt from the blue.
“Mr. Kim Do-jin asked me for a favor. I need you to organize the details and deliver them to him on my behalf.”
“Ah, yes. I understand…”
How could the world be so cruel?
To suddenly provide a reason to meet someone who was just beginning to feel the pain of a broken heart.
If possible, she wanted to avoid seeing him until this wound healed.
But it was impossible.
This was part of her job.
She didn't want to be an incompetent employee who let her personal feelings interfere with her work.
“I have to… call him.”
She took out the smartphone on her desk and called him.
As the phone rang, she repeated it to herself over and over.
‘Just say what you need to say and hang up. Exclude personal feelings, strictly business.’
Just as she steeled her resolve…
-Hello?
His voice came through the receiver.
To keep her wavering heart in check, she pinched her thigh with her free hand and began to speak.
“Hello, Mr. Kim Do-jin.”
-……
“I heard from Director Kim Seong-tae. There is something I need to deliver to you regarding that matter, so I believe we should meet.”
-R-Right, of course.
“Then please decide on a day that is convenient for you and send me a text. I will come see you then. Goodbye for now.”
She hung up as soon as she finished speaking.
If she continued the conversation any longer, she felt like she would start complaining.
She was already starting to worry.
If a brief phone call had left her in this state, how was she supposed to act when they met in person?
‘Should I just quit? Aah…’
It was the first time she had ever thought about quitting, even when she had been busy enough to die.
* * *
Since it had been a while, I put as much thought as possible into choosing my outfit.
…Though after all that deliberation, it was still the usual slacks, and since it was winter, a warm knit sweater and a coat were all I had.
“Alright, today it’s Do-jin with his hair down.”
I chose to wear my hair down rather than styled up.
Throughout my life, I’d seen many Hunters and celebrities commit wrongdoings and stand before reporters to make a public apology, but I had never seen a single one of them apologize with their forehead completely exposed.
What did that mean?
It meant that having your hair down is more suitable for that kind of atmosphere than having it styled up.
“There.”
Grabbing only my smartphone and wallet, I left the house.
The place I had arranged to meet her was a café not too far from my home.
Ting-a-ling!
As I opened the door and stepped inside, warm air greeted me.
At this temperature, I could definitely handle an iced Americano.
I ordered one and sat at a corner table to wait for her quietly.
There were about 30 minutes until our scheduled time.
“Phew.”
The closer the time to meet her came, the more clearly my mistake was etched in my mind.
Her telling me to contact her anytime, even if it was bothersome, was a signal she had courageously sent, and I had completely ignored it.
If asked why I ignored her signal, I had nothing but a flood of excuses.
That there were more than three women around me I had to pay attention to, that Yoon Ji-an was farther away compared to them, so she naturally received less of my attention, and so on.
“A textbook example of a scumbag.”
My actions were worthy of being pointed at and called trash by everyone.
But if you were to ask me if I regretted it, I would answer ‘no’ without a shred of hesitation.
Hadn't I been rolling around with women so charming that regret was impossible?
The direction of my life was already set in stone.
If someone were to curse me, I had adopted the mindset that I would just sleep with another woman for every insult I received.
Yeah, go ahead and hate. The more you do, the fewer women there will be for the rest of you.
Rebuttals will be accepted only through a duel to the death.
Just as I was finishing up the repairs and renovations on my steel-plated conscience, which had been on the verge of suffering from guilt…
Ting-a-ling!
She finally walked into the café.
“Over here, Ji-an.”
I waved to her and took in her appearance.
The same neat, two-piece suit I always saw her in.
Her stiff expression and the way she walked toward me were all uniformly cold.
“Hello, Mr. Kim Do-jin.”
She gave a short nod and sat down across from me.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Yes, I have been well.”
“……”
In situations like this, isn't it common courtesy to ask, ‘Have you been well too, Do-jin?’ even if you don't mean it?
“What would you like for coffee…”
“Ah, I’ll go get it.”
“Okay.”
Her defenses are strong.
She left her seat for a moment to order and returned with a hot coffee in her hand.
The fact that she got it in a disposable cup instead of a mug clearly conveyed her desire not to stay here for long.
“I heard from the director. You’re going to a ski resort.”
“Ah… yes.”
She took an envelope from her suit jacket and handed it to me.
“These are the ski resort passes and the business card of the owner of a nearby pension. The director has already spoken with him, and he said you just need to give him a call when you’re about to leave.”
“Please tell the director I said thank you.”
I took the envelope from the table and tucked it away inside my coat.
The official business was concluded.
The way she was tracing the rim of her coffee cup with her index finger made it seem like she was getting ready to leave.
The time had come to make a bold move if I didn't want us to part ways like this.
“Um… Ji-an?”
“…Yes.”
“I know you’re very angry that I haven’t been in touch.”
Her pupils wavered slightly at my direct words.
“Pardon? No, I’m not…”
I cut her off as she tried to deny it and continued.
“It was never because I didn’t want to see you. It’s just… I’ve been busy with one thing or another, so I couldn’t seem to find the time.”
I offered my excuses, rambling on with an awkward smile.
Then, I threw my final, prepared gambit at her bewildered face.
“So, with that said, would you give me some of your time?”
“…What time are you referring to?”
The day for our date was, of course, already decided.
Christmas.
The best day for a man and a woman to fall in love.
“Let’s go on a date on Christmas.”
“Ch-Christmas, you say…?”
“Yes. Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, whichever day is good for you.”
Yoon Ji-an looked utterly flustered.
A sudden anxiety washed over me.
Surely she didn't already have plans for both days?
“Of course, if you already have plans on both days, then it can’t be helped…”
She quickly waved her hands in denial.
“Ah, no! I don’t… yes, I don’t have any plans.”
Her flushed cheeks seemed to indicate that the atmosphere was heading in a good direction.
After pondering something deeply, she gave a slight nod.
“O-Okay. The, the date… let’s do it.”