II - 1

A famous brand withdrew from a department store in Seoul, which is known to be the largest in Asia. The attention was especially focused on the beauty section on the first floor, which was frequented by many customers.

With the empty space available, a fierce competition began among renowned beauty brands to fill the spot, and AE Cosmetics, a cosmetics company, was determined to secure a place in the department store.

The vacant spot was next to the escalator, which is known for being the best spot in terms of sales, so countless beauty brands flocked to it like moths to a flame.

AE Cosmetics was no different.

The head of the sales department worked behind the scenes, but was unable to even secure a meeting due to the competition from world-famous brands. Multiple meetings were held at the company headquarters with employees, but nothing more.

As a result, Seo I-jun, the executive director of the marketing strategy team, who usually didn’t get involved directly, decided to take matters into his own hands.

There is an internal regulation that when an heir to the company engages in external activities, a non-regular employee must accompany them.

Thus, following the company tradition, Cha I-ryeong, a non-regular employee and the most junior member of the marketing strategy team, was tasked with accompanying him.

The meeting at the department store’s conference room went smoother than expected.

Seo I-jun’s passionate briefing on why AE Cosmetics should secure that spot was well received by the department store representatives.

“We plan to launch a dedicated care line exclusively for the Noblesse Department Store. This will give customers a reason to come to Noblesse.”

I-jun’s marketing strategy, which aimed to differentiate the cosmetics from packaging to design, worked well with the department store executives.

After the meeting, the director in charge of brand placements clapped his hands in approval.

“I used to think of AE as just a road shop brand, but thanks to Director Seo, I now realize how dangerous it is to generalize.”

The director seemed ready to sign a contract immediately and even instructed to cancel meetings with other brands.

“Then I’ll trust you, Director Kim.”

Seo I-jun, usually stern in the company, bowed respectfully to the department store director and extended his hand.

“The official documents will be sent to your office next Monday.”

“Thank you, Director.”

Despite his reputation for being cold-blooded, I-jun smiled.

I-ryeong knew it was a business smile, but she couldn’t help but think it was impressive. Even the successor of AE Cosmetics, an executive director, had to bow his head for clients.

“We should be the ones thanking you. Once the news spreads that AE is joining, many Asian customers will come.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

The usual sharp gaze that I-jun had was nowhere to be found. Instead, he appeared like a calm, gentle golden retriever.

I-ryeong realized through today’s meeting why AE Cosmetics had built this tradition.

Seo I-jun had not asked her to prepare anything for the meeting. He simply told her to sit by his side.

She thought he wanted her to observe and learn, but at the same time, she felt conflicted, thinking it might also expose her incompetence.

The meeting ended on a good note, and I-jun and I-ryeong left the conference room and stood in front of the elevator.

“Good job, Cha I-ryeong.”

As they waited for the elevator, I-jun spoke first, offering a simple greeting.

“I learned a lot, Director.”

I-ryeong bowed respectfully, just as he had done.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

At his words, I-ryeong straightened up and looked directly at Seo I-jun.

His jet-black eyes, which seemed empty of anything, were staring at her.

“We still have an hour until work ends, but let’s call it a day here.”

“Eh? Here... already?”

“It means you can leave for the day.”

Thanks to I-jun’s consideration, I-ryeong was able to leave work early on a Friday afternoon.

Since transferring to AE Cosmetics, this was the first time she had left work so early.

After some thought, I-ryeong decided to contact her boyfriend, Dong-ha. She planned to suggest that they spend some quality time together at a nice restaurant near the department store.

As she waited excitedly for Dong-ha, who was supposed to be nearby, I-ryeong was met with an unexpected sight.

“Ari? What are you doing here?”

I-ryeong felt uneasy at the appearance of Ari, who had come with Dong-ha. No matter how much they were college classmates, it bothered her.

“I came with Dong-ha.”

“With you, Dong-ha? You should’ve told me beforehand. I was so surprised not knowing.”

I-ryeong felt strangely upset at seeing Dong-ha and Ari sitting side by side. It felt as though she had become the third wheel in a couple’s date, and her chest tightened with discomfort.

“You explain it to I-ryeong.”

“I? Dong-ha, you should explain. Even Dalkomi says it’d be better if you told her.”

“Dalkomi? Well, I guess it should be me then.”

The conversation between the two seemed unusual.

The way they touched each other casually and whispered in each other’s ears made it seem like they were a fresh new couple just starting their relationship.

Among all that, I-ryeong furrowed her brows in response to the provocative words that seemed to be deliberately said for her to hear.

“... Dalkomi? Dad?”

It didn’t feel like they were just a couple—more like they were a married couple.

“I’m going to be a dad soon.”

“A dad? What are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand. A dad... what does that even mean?”

Her boyfriend was about to become a father, and she couldn’t believe it.

“I messed up with Ari. We’re going to be parents next year.”

Dong-ha’s arm naturally draped over Ari’s shoulder, as if protecting something precious.

“Why did you leave Dong-ha alone? Our pregnancy is your responsibility too, I-ryeong.”

Ari’s justification of the pregnancy made I-ryeong feel dizzy.

The deed had already been done, and this was the moment of revealing the outcome. Not only was it about her boyfriend and a friend, but also about a pregnancy.

“Jo Dong-ha. You explain this. What the hell is going on? What nonsense is this?”

I-ryeong finally exploded in anger.

For a moment, they attracted the attention of the restaurant’s other customers.

“We messed up. We’re six weeks in. Ari insisted I tell you as soon as possible, so I brought her here. It’s still early, so please don’t make a scene.”

I-ryeong tried to calm herself by drinking some water, but her boiling insides couldn’t be soothed.

“Six weeks? Don’t make a scene?”

“Yeah, we messed up without you knowing. But what can we do? Now that a new life is on the way, we hope you can congratulate us with a happy heart. We’re friends after all.”

In this absurd situation, they were asking for congratulations.

I-ryeong took a deep breath, glaring alternately at Dong-ha and Ari.

“Me, Ari, and you—we’re all friends, right?”

“Jo Dong-ha. Do you sleep with your friends? Have sex? And make a baby?”

Finally, I-ryeong pushed her chair back and stood up. She didn’t care about the whispers of the other customers around her.

“Chae I-ryeong! Watch your mouth! The baby can hear you!”

Dong-ha, who had been calm until now, reacted sharply, making I-ryeong’s teeth grind in frustration.

Who was the one most hurt by this absurd situation?

“Do you even know what nonsense you’re saying to me right now?”

“You’ve been ignoring me because you were busy! Do you even have the right to be mad?”

“What kind of situation is it when your boyfriend is busy, and you sleep with your friend?”

“It’s all your fault, Chae I-ryeong. If you hadn’t made me feel so lonely, none of this would’ve happened.”

Finally, Dong-ha shouted.

“Hey! Jo Dong-ha! Can you shut that mouth of yours?”

I-ryeong yelled even louder and pointed her finger at him, thinking how lucky it was that she met them away from the company.

“You act all smart, but you’re really dumb, aren’t you? No wonder you’ve been a temporary worker at that company all this time. Isn’t that right?”

Ari, who had been silently observing the situation, calmly spoke up with a cheerful smile, her words deliberately irritating.

But I-ryeong didn’t react sensitively.

“Is that a dog barking I hear? I thought I was talking to a person, but it turns out I was talking to a bunch of mutts?”

“What? Dogs? What are you—!”

Dong-ha slammed his fist down on the table.

In the year they’d been dating, this was the first time she’d seen him angry. And it was for someone else.

“I thought you were my friend, but turns out you’re even worse than an animal. I was the only one who didn’t realize.”

I-ryeong turned away, trying to appear unaffected, telling herself she wasn’t going to feel miserable.

“Chae I-ryeong!”

At the sound of her name being called, I-ryeong tightly closed her eyes.

The murmurs of the other customers around her became even more pronounced.

She never imagined she’d be dumped like this. If she had known, she would have ended it first. The frustration inside her was unbearable.

She was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought that slapping his cheek might make her feel relieved.

“Chae I-ryeong?”

The low voice that pierced her ear was familiar.

Without realizing it, she bit her lip.

“What are you doing here?”

She turned to look at the man who asked, subtly expressing concern.

“... Manager?”

She didn’t want to run into anyone from the company.

“Are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

It was her earlier encounter with Seo I-jun, the manager from the company, who now looked at her with a pitying expression.

What an awkward situation this was.

At that moment, when I-ryeong decided to act as if nothing was wrong...

“I never expected this from you, Chae I-ryeong.”

His upper body moved suddenly, coming closer. He smelled faintly of a sophisticated fragrance, just like a cosmetics company manager.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve been quiet at the company, though.”

The deep, low voice pierced her ears, and the surrounding noise faded away.

I-ryeong was so focused on him that she didn’t even realize her face had turned bright red.

“I didn’t know you liked being the center of attention.”

“Excuse me? C-center of attention?”

Her whole body grew hot, almost to the point of burning.

He couldn’t have heard everything, could he?

“If you don’t want more attention, we can leave.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, Manager.”

She pretended not to know and rolled her eyes.

“That man seems to find us quite interesting.”

But soon, Seo I-jun pulled her in forcefully, and she found herself in his arms.

She had guessed from his towering 190 cm frame and his perfectly tailored luxury suits that he had a well-built body.

But now, with her face pressed against his solid chest and feeling his muscular arms wrap around her, she realized that merely guessing didn’t reveal the full reality. It was a nonsensical thought that overwhelmed her.

“He’s probably looking at us with the same suspicion as if he thought you were cheating too.”

I-ryeong’s face showed genuine surprise at Seo I-jun’s lazy tone.

This ugly and dirty breakup scene had just been witnessed by the one person she least wanted to catch her—her boss, someone she never even spoke to casually at work.