Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Saturday morning.
Bom stepped off the village bus. A group of students was already gathered in front of the school gates.
“Teacher! Hello!”
“Hi, everyone. You’re all here early for a weekend.”
Se-jin, Dong-pyo, and the twins, Dae-han and Min-guk—all four were present.
Han-gyeol would likely arrive with his uncle... Bom pulled out her phone to check the time.
Ten minutes before the meeting time.
He said he’d send a company vehicle.
Since she had no idea what kind of car it would be, Bom kept a close eye on the vehicles passing by on the road.
“You put a lot of effort into your look today, Teacher,” Dong-pyo remarked suddenly from behind her. Bom jumped, startled.
Was it that obvious?
She had trimmed her hair for the first time in a while and let it fall long, adding a touch of color to her face.
She was only wearing a light, breezy light-gray one-piece dress, and at a glance, she looked much like she always did—but in truth, she had spent a long time picking this out.
It was because today was an important day.
This was the first time she would face Jae-gyu after hurling those harsh words at him. To be honest, she planned to apologize to him today.
‘I’ve never thought of you as a romantic partner.’ She could have simply left it at that—a clean, polite rejection—but the fact that she had gone on a long-winded personal attack weighed heavily on her conscience.
I was mean.
Looking back, those were words that could have deeply wounded him.
She felt she would only be at peace if she could at least set up a dinner date after today’s field trip.
Today might be a bit too soon; perhaps the day of the closing ceremony would be better. By then, Jae-gyu would have had time to process his feelings. Bom wanted to fix the fact that she hadn't acted like an adult.
What if Mr. Jae-gyu refuses?
The possibility was high enough to make her even more nervous.
“Teacher!”
“Oh, yes?”
Se-jin called out to Bom, snapping her out of her thoughts. The girl stepped closer and pointed into the distance.
“Look over there. Isn't that the car?”
A van gliding smoothly toward them caught her eye. The silver 15-seater van slowed down and came to a stop in front of the school gates.
Bom stood before the van, waiting for Jae-gyu.
“Oh...?”
It wasn't Jae-gyu who stepped out of the car, but a stranger.
“Hello!”
A man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties approached with a cheerful expression.
I thought Mr. Jae-gyu would come himself... Bom barely managed to hide her disappointment.
“This is the Shinsu High club that applied for the JK Power Energy field trip, right?”
“...?”
She didn't know what JK Power Energy was, but given the context, she assumed it was the name of Jae-gyu’s company.
“Ah. Yes, that’s right. Hello.”
She followed up with a polite bow.
“We’re here for the tour through CEO Seon Jae-gyu’s introduction.”
“Yes, nice to meet you. Please, get in.”
Rattle. The van door slid open.
“Okay. Kids, get in one by one. Fasten your seatbelts as soon as you’re seated.”
The four students quickly boarded the van. Bom wondered if Han-gyeol was already inside, but he wasn't there. Before getting into the car, Bom noticed the company name printed on the side of the van.
Jae Kyu Power Energy
Creating Humanity’s Dreams through Renewable Energy.
JK Power Energy. So it was his initials. He really was a CEO.
It didn't feel real. Bom climbed into the passenger seat.
During the field trip they’d taken on the day Jae-gyu had his lacquer allergy breakout, they had only seen the installed solar panels. She’d heard he had a separate office, but she never dreamed it would be such a proper business.
He hadn't just stuck some solar panels on his own land.
Since she was hearing the name ‘JK Power Energy’ for the first time, she started searching for it on her phone. As it turned out, it was a company that had recently been listed on the KOSDAQ market through a special technology track.
Mr. Jae-gyu was actually an impressive person.
The CEO of a company like this... The Jae-gyu who had always seemed like a fun, simple man suddenly felt distant and unfamiliar.
The drive to the office was quiet. However, thanks to the radio playing in the car, the atmosphere wasn't awkward.
The man, who had been laughing his head off at a radio story while driving, spoke up in a friendly tone once the segment ended.
“Man, this feels great. This is the first time students have come to our company for a field trip.”
“Is that so? Thank you for agreeing so readily.”
“Well, the CEO is the one who agreed. We just follow orders. The CEO told us to treat the Greennarae club like VVIPs. So don't you worry about a thing.”
The man, full of confidence as he patted his chest, pulled a business card out of his polo shirt’s front pocket when they hit a red light and handed it over.
“Ah! My name is Gu Philip. It’s a Hanja name. Phil for 'certainly,' and Lip for 'to stand.' Philip.”
It was a name she’d heard a few times when Jae-gyu mentioned getting calls from the office. He was also the person who had recommended 'Dog-Comfortable World,' where Bom-sik went. She had assumed he was a foreigner, but he was 100% Korean.
“Ah, I’m Yoon Bom.”
“What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. Your name is very nice too, Mr. Gu Philip.”
He was a man with a genial impression and a way with words. Philip kept the conversation going just enough so the ride wouldn't be boring.
She had been a bit tense because a stranger had come to pick them up, but Philip was an easy person to be around.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. Perhaps Jae-gyu had just been making time to visit her, and in reality, he was a very busy man?
“Mr. Jae-gyu—I mean, the CEO—must be very busy with company work.”
At those words, Philip, who was turning up the radio volume, let out a short sigh.
“It’s not really that. Um, the CEO hasn't been feeling very well lately.”
“What?”
Bom’s voice came out louder than intended. A sturdy body that looked like it had never suffered so much as a cold in its life—she couldn't believe that Jae-gyu, who was always overflowing with energy, was sick.
“Where does it hurt? What’s wrong?”
Her mind immediately became a jumble of questions: Had he gone to the hospital? Was he taking medicine? Was it serious?
“What did he call it... lovesickness, I think.”
“...”
Of course. Bom bit her lip hard. She was a fool for believing him even for a second. Philip continued solemnly on his own.
“He isn't eating, he isn't moving at all... He’s lost so much weight.”
“He’s even skipping meals?”
Bom wondered for a moment if it was because of her, then shook her head. No way. It couldn't be. She decided to feign ignorance and rolled down the window.
When did the breeze get so warm?
It was the moment she realized midsummer was fast approaching. It was also the last summer Bom would spend in Shinsu-eup.
“It’s a bit hot today, isn't it?”
“We’re almost there, so it’s fine.”
“Whoa, you can tell? You’re right. It’s right after we turn at that intersection.”
As they followed the road, a long line of buildings came into view.
The exterior looked somewhat like a factory, with warehouses and trucks visible in the front and back. Philip, parking the car in an open lot, whipped his head around.
“Students, we’ve arrived. Check to make sure you haven't dropped anything before you get out.”
“Ugh... Okay.”
The kids, who had all fallen asleep halfway through, climbed out of the car with sluggish movements. Bom got out with them and followed Philip toward the entrance of the building.
She was inwardly surprised by the scale, which was larger than she’d expected.
The lot was about 1,300 pyeong, and the building area alone looked to be around 600 pyeong.
There was the main factory building on the lot, and a newly constructed building in front that looked like it had been built recently. He said that was the office.
Unlike the exterior, the inside was pleasant and clean. When they opened the glass door on the left, a small office space appeared.
And at the far end, she saw Jae-gyu. Her heart began to thud.
“Ah, Teacher Yoon Bom.”
Jae-gyu, who was on the phone at a wide desk at the very end of the office, spotted Bom and covered the receiver with his hand.
“Could you wait a moment, please?”
Jae-gyu spoke in a calm, smooth Seoul accent. Bom was momentarily flustered. Had he completely changed his way of speaking since that day?
“Ah! Take your time. I’ll wait.”
Bom pretended to look around the office while stealing glances at this unfamiliar version of Jae-gyu.
It was strange seeing him in a space like this.
Does he usually dress like that for work?
Jae-gyu had shed the functional t-shirts he usually wore like a uniform and was wearing clothes she’d never seen before.
The three-piece suit made of high-quality material looked incredibly hot. To make matters worse, it was all black, making him look like a mob boss in the private loan business.
Still, he looks quite the part.
A crystal nameplate shining on the high-end executive desk.
<CEO Seon Jae-gyu (Xuan Zaikyu)>
The sight of him holding the receiver while jotting something down with a fountain pen in his long fingers. The low, thick voice as he spoke calmly on the phone with a furrowed brow.
All these things came together to create an atmosphere entirely different from before.
Bom quietly gestured for the children to sit at the guest table and sat down herself.
The call seemed to be wrapping up.
“Yes. I understand what you’re saying, Manager.”
Was it a client?
“So, to summarize, since I have a 'cool tone,' there’s no need to dye it brown, and I just need to keep it trimmed as black hair, right?”
Se-jin, who was listening, let out a snort of laughter. Bom’s face flushed hot.
What is he doing, seriously!
She thought he was on some important business call. It was just a hair salon reservation.
At the same time, she was grateful to the salon employee who stopped him from dyeing his hair brown. Imagining Jae-gyu with brown hair... that was really not it.
“Then I’ll be there Monday at lunchtime. Yes.”
Jae-gyu hung up, cleared his throat with a brief ahem, and stood up.
Dressed to the nines in his suit, Jae-gyu began to walk toward them. Bom was deeply shaken.
Oh no.
Now that she was actually facing him like this after that day, an immense wave of tension washed over her. Her eyes locked right with Jae-gyu’s as he slowly approached.