Greed (2)
Three days later. Morning.
Factory manager Park Han-soo was giving Seung-hyun his report with an expression that was equal parts relief and regret.
“By this weekend, we should be able to handle all the volume we owe Taesung Apparel.”
“Even without Team Leader Jo Han-gyeol, you managed to get through it.”
“The textile industry is so rough these days that even people who’d been taking a break were willing to come in for a few days of part-time work. That was enough to get us past the worst of it.”
Jo Han-gyeol, of course, along with everyone else who had betrayed the company with him, had been told to leave on the spot.
He had been caught tampering with a machine right in front of everyone, and once he started talking and told the whole truth, not a single person objected to the sudden dismissal.
As the factory manager said, if not for the former workers from failed factories who came in to help as temps, keeping up with the required output on schedule would have been difficult indeed.
“That’s a relief. It looks like all of that was possible because you know everyone in the industry.”
“Haha, it’s nothing special. If you stay in this business long enough, you naturally get to know people. More importantly, what should we do about the bedding? The response seems pretty good, but if we’re going to start producing it in earnest, we’ll need equipment.”
“Yes, actually, I found a charging and quilting machine on the Korea Asset Management Corporation auction that looks just right. I think we’ll be able to pick it up cheaply.”
The factory manager’s face brightened at once.
“Ah, that’s a relief. Once the machine comes in, we’ll be able to move faster.”
“While we’re at it, are we getting the colors Daeryung Trading wanted?”
“Up until now, we’ve had to keep the technicians stuck to the dyeing process just to meet the volume Taesung Apparel needed from us. It feels like we finally have some breathing room, so I’m thinking of starting today with a few team leaders and working through it.”
“I appreciate it. We still have fabric left for the extra shipment to Daeryung anyway, so if contracts come in after the exhibition, we’ll be fine even if it’s not Taesung Apparel we’re dealing with.”
“Of course. I’ll do my best to make that happen.”
“And also...”
“Yes?”
“As you know, we’ll be taking part in the exhibition too. We’ve participated before, so we do have the samples we already had, but I’d like to make some new ones, centered around high-density silk.”
Park Han-soo immediately caught the young president’s intent.
He meant that since they were already putting effort into producing new colors, they should check everything they learned while researching from this point on and make samples from the various fabrics they came up with.
“It won’t be easy, but... I’ll do my best.”
In truth, Park Han-soo had been deeply worried about the way this young president was handling Taesung Apparel, though he also felt a certain private satisfaction.
It was the kind of thing he had only ever imagined doing, something he would never have dared attempt himself, yet this young president had done it in front of dozens of employees.
That was why he supported him even more, and why he hoped he could keep following the road Seung-hyun was making his way toward.
“Yes. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
After finishing his conversation with the factory manager, Seung-hyun left the company at once, got into his car, and drove off somewhere.
When he reached a residential neighborhood in Ansan, about an hour from the company, Seung-hyun parked in a public lot and started walking at an unhurried pace.
“Is this it...?”
Checking the address written on a memo against the map app, Seung-hyun kept moving until he soon stopped in front of a two-story villa made of red brick.
Beep.
He rang the bell and waited. After a moment, a woman’s voice came through the intercom.
[Who is it?]
“Hello. I’m Jung Seung-hyun, president of Haesol Textile. Is Team Leader Jo Han-gyeol there?”
After a long silence, the voice answered again.
[Why are you here?]
There was clear hostility in her tone.
“I really need to speak with Team Leader Jo.”
[You told him to quit, and now you’re looking for my husband? He’s not here, so go home.]
Seung-hyun bit his lip, but he did not give up.
“Madam, your husband is in a dangerous situation right now. I haven’t been able to reach him. If you cooperate with me, your husband can still recover from this.”
[Because of people like you, right now...]
“So please, just let me speak with Team Leader Jo. It sounds like your husband is still talking to Taesung Apparel, and if that happens, things will only get more dangerous.”
Seung-hyun had no choice but to come to his house, since he hadn’t been able to contact Jo Han-gyeol for days.
It was obvious what was happening.
He was probably being threatened by Taesung and agonizing over it.
If he gave in to Taesung like this, he would be dragged into all kinds of lawsuits from Haesol Textile.
The Taesung Apparel he believed in would never protect him from those lawsuits, so there was no need to explain what kind of future awaited him.
The only way he could survive would be to hand over the evidence he had at Haesol Textile and avoid a civil suit, but...
[I don’t know anything about that. He hasn’t come home in days. So stop bothering us.]
The intercom cut off, and no matter how many times Seung-hyun pressed the call button, no one answered from inside.
In the end, he had no choice but to turn away.
He knew that, from Team Leader Jo Han-gyeol’s wife’s perspective, he had no choice but to look like the bad guy.
As Seung-hyun trudged back toward the public lot, his phone rang.
He glanced down absentmindedly, then gave a dry laugh when he saw the message.
[It’s me. How have you been?]
Cha Hye-in, whom he had dated faithfully for over a year before breaking up with her.
This was the first time she had contacted him in nearly a year.
Seung-hyun was about to ignore it when another message came in immediately after, making him frown.
[I have something to say. Can we meet for a bit?]
It was over between them, and he had no intention of seeing her again, but the moment Kim In-hyuk crossed his mind, he found himself thinking he ought to hear her out.
[Where are you?]
After checking the location through the chat, Seung-hyun got into his car.
Surprisingly, he did not think much about his memories of her on the drive over.
Even he found that strange.
His head was so full of Haesol Textile and Taesung Apparel that there simply wasn’t room for anything else.
A quiet cafe near the front gate of the university.
When Seung-hyun arrived, he saw a familiar woman already seated in a corner.
She had long straight hair and was wearing a bright dress, yet unlike her clothes, her face was tense and stiff.
She was forcing a smile, but Seung-hyun, who had dated her for more than a year, could tell she was extremely nervous right now.
After a brief nod in greeting, he bought a drink and came back to sit down. She merely stared at him for a long time.
Seung-hyun deliberately avoided meeting her eyes.
He just turned his head away and sipped his cold, sweet strawberry juice.
“How have you been?”
“Yeah.”
“You won’t even look at me?”
“Is there any reason to?”
“I know. I know it was all my fault. I was the bad one, the nasty one... Even if it’s late, I really wanted to apologize.”
Her voice was heavy with gloom as she apologized.
Before coming, Seung-hyun had worried for a moment.
What if seeing her softened the resentment he had held toward her all this time?
But it had been needless concern.
“I didn’t come here to hear an apology. Still, we dated for over a year, so I figured I’d at least listen to whatever you wanted to say one last time. So go ahead. It’s not like anything will change just because you say it.”
Seung-hyun had no intention of spending long on her, because the only thing he was curious about was Kim In-hyuk.
“Wow. You’re really cold. I didn’t know you could be this cold, oppa.”
“Is that so? I only found out how light you were then.”
Cha Hye-in looked visibly flustered.
The hand holding her straw trembled.
“I’m really sorry. I guess I wasn’t myself back then.”
“It’s fine. That’s in the past, and now we’re strangers. It’s over.”
Seung-hyun checked the time and asked again.
“I’m busy, so can you just say it quickly? What did you want?”
At his colder-than-expected reaction, she bit her lip and hesitated for a while before speaking.
“Actually, In-hyuk oppa seems to have changed a bit lately. I found out he’s been chasing after some girl named Jang So-hee, a freshman. I didn’t even know...”
“Why are you suddenly talking about your boyfriend?”
“I regret it. I really do...”
“Huh?”
“Let’s start over. I’ll really do better this time.”
He had wondered what she possibly wanted to say, but he never imagined she would actually ask to get back together.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Yeah. I have. You were always so good to me. After being with In-hyuk oppa, I realized what a truly good person is like.”
She wore an expression that seemed genuinely remorseful.
Seung-hyun, of course, only found it absurd.
“I’m surprised at myself too.”
“For what?”
“I’m not even upset when I look at you. Back then, if I saw your face with tears about to spill down it, I thought I’d go crazy. But now I’m calm. Before, if your voice trembled like you were about to cry, I’d panic and wonder how I was supposed to comfort you. Now I just think, ‘So what?’”
Hye-in looked bewildered at how icy Seung-hyun was being.
The Seung-hyun she remembered and the one sitting before her now were too different.
“You’re so calm it almost makes me think something’s wrong. I mean, I know your situation is rough, but you’ve got to get through it. There’s nothing else to do.”
With that, Seung-hyun rose from his seat.
Hye-in stood up with him.
“I’m sorry, oppa. I really...”
Seung-hyun waved her off.
“I get it. I understand that you’re sorry and that you regret it. Go meet a better person next time with that kind of heart. It was good to see you again after so long, too. Seeing you made me realize my heart is neatly sorted out now. Thanks.”
A smile spread across his face without the slightest crease.
Before she could even figure out what to say, Seung-hyun turned and walked out of the cafe.
“Oppa, wait...”
As if she couldn’t let it end like this, Hye-in hurried after him.
That was when it happened.
Of all things, among a group of female students heading toward the cafe, Jang So-hee just happened to be there, and her eyes met Seung-hyun’s dead on.
!
While she blinked and tried to make sense of the scene,
“Wait, talk to me a little longer.”
Hye-in came out of the door and grabbed Seung-hyun’s arm.
Then, catching the strange mood in the air, Hye-in noticed So-hee, who was staring straight at Seung-hyun.
And then So-hee and Hye-in locked eyes.
A strange atmosphere formed right in the middle of the street, and just as Seung-hyun was about to move to escape the awkward situation, he heard So-hee’s voice.
“Oppa, are you here at school?”
“Yeah. I had something to take care of.”
Just as he was about to leave...
So-hee quickly scanned the situation and suddenly said to Hye-in, “Unnie, I saw In-hyuk oppa at the student union building.”
“...!!”
Then she looked at Seung-hyun with a bright little smile.
“Since you’re here at school anyway, buy me lunch. I’m hungry.”
“Lunch? It’s not time yet.”
“Tch, I haven’t eaten lunch yet. And if you want to keep using me as a model, shouldn’t you make a good impression on me?”
Seeing her cheerful smile and feeling Hye-in’s hand lose strength around his arm, Seung-hyun soon said to So-hee, “Let’s go.”
“Yes! See you next time, unnie!”
So-hee gave Hye-in a polite little bow, then trotted after Seung-hyun as he walked away.