II - 43

Even without a single friend, she didn’t feel sad.

Though she had been nervous, thanks to her teammates brightening the occasion, the photo session and ceremony had gone smoothly.

She felt immense gratitude toward them.

“Does the Vice President treat you well?”

“Does he ever make scary faces at his new bride?”

The team members cautiously glanced at I-jun, who stood tall and imposing, before asking their burning questions. Though their biggest curiosity remained unspoken.

“He treats me well.”

I-ryeong smiled brightly, revealing her white teeth.

She was someone who rarely smiled in the office. But now, her expression was genuine, radiating pure satisfaction.

“Oh! It seems the Vice President is treating I-ryeong well.”

The team members nudged each other, laughing along with her.

Some even clapped their hands, saying how glad they were to see her so happy.

“What kind of image do I have around here that makes you think like that?”

I-jun, who had been quietly standing the entire time, finally spoke. His face hardened as if displeased by the overly excited atmosphere that excluded him.

“A-Ah, no! No, Vice President!”

“Phew, it’s not like that at all!”

The man who froze the air in the office—this was always who he was.

As both the Vice President and head of the marketing strategy team, he shared the office space with them, oblivious to their discomfort.

I-ryeong found herself suppressing a bitter laugh at the fact that this person was her husband, but she held it in tightly.

“We prepared a gift for you, Vice President. It’s a small token, but please accept it.”

With that, she looked up at him with wide eyes and playfully nudged his arm, signaling him to personally hand out the gifts.

Without a word of complaint, I-jun followed her wishes and distributed the thank-you gifts one by one to the team members.

“While you’re receiving these, let me inform you: I’ll be moving my seat starting next week. The work will remain the same; only my seat is changing, so it won’t cause much disruption.”

The sudden announcement from the Vice President stirred the team. Even I-ryeong, hearing this news for the first time, felt a growing sense of bewilderment.

The fact that such an important piece of information was being shared with the team left her feeling hurt.

I-jun’s demeanor remained calm and composed, as though this decision wasn’t abrupt but rather pre-planned.

“It’s not happening today, so there’s no need to panic.”

His words were directed at both the team and I-ryeong.

Just before the wedding ceremony, he had received a request from his mother, CEO Lee Jung-ae, to separate their spaces, citing employee discomfort with the couple sharing the same workspace.

I-jun hadn’t particularly resisted.

As the Vice President, he already had a personal office on the floor above. However, he had been working alongside the marketing team in their shared office to help turn around their lackluster performance.

“Wouldn’t you all feel more comfortable without me around?”

Having already achieved solid results with the existing products and confident about the upcoming releases, he decided it was time to step back.

“Vice President, we’re disappointed.”

“That’s right. This feels too sudden.”

I-jun’s hand paused momentarily as he handed out the neatly wrapped rice cakes.

He had assumed everyone would cheer and celebrate his departure. But seeing the gloomy expressions on his team members’ faces stirred something within him.

Carrying this strange feeling, he continued handing out the remaining rice cakes.

“Chae I-ryeong seems to be the most disappointed among us.”

He gently placed a rice cake in her hands, clasping them as she fidgeted nervously, avoiding eye contact.

At the same time, playful jeers erupted from the team members. The atmosphere in the office shifted dramatically, excluding only the newlywed couple.

“I thought announcing the move today, on top of your commute, might upset you further. You’re not offended, are you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

Though her words said otherwise, her mind was still in turmoil.

It was the first time hearing about this, and it stung.

There had been plenty of time to discuss this privately, yet hearing such a major decision alongside the team made her feel less special to him.

“It’s not fine. I’m actually quite upset.”

Swiftly, I-jun’s hand brushed against her cheek.

“W-Wait! We’re at the office!”

Her face flushed red instantly at his light touch.

She raised her voice in protest, but it felt like not just her face, but every inch of her skin was on fire. She worried she might burn down to ashes.

I-jun set the empty bag on the floor and firmly grasped I-ryeong’s hand as she bowed her head deeply.

“The thank-you gifts prepared today were solely I-ryeong’s effort.”

He revealed to the team how she had also prepared handmade cookies along with the rice cakes.

“I should have personally thanked the marketing team members and invited them to the wedding. That was my oversight.”

The murmurs among the team gradually quieted. I-jun met each of their eyes before lowering his gaze to I-ryeong, whose ears were now beet red.

Like her, he hadn’t invited any friends to the wedding. Betrayed by those close to her, she had chosen not to invite anyone, and he had followed suit.

At the time, he had secretly rejoiced at the excuse not to invite anyone, thanks to her decision. He hadn’t realized how petty that mindset was.

“Let’s have dinner together. Those who are free tonight, please join us.”

Though he had an important prior engagement that evening, he went ahead and scheduled the team dinner.

He tightened his grip on her hand.

“Though it’s a sudden dinner, I hope no one skips out.”

He hoped this gathering would lift her spirits. Perhaps then, the guilt of his earlier selfishness would ease a little.

“Are you treating us to something expensive?”

Just then, Baek Hyun-wook, one of the team members, cracked a joke, reviving the previously subdued office atmosphere with laughter.

For a moment, I-jun’s gaze shifted to the gift Baek was holding.

Intellectually, he understood it was just a joke. Yet, he couldn’t comprehend why his chest burned and his throat tightened.

“Vice President?”

Feeling the tension in their clasped hands, I-ryeong cautiously called out to him.

But there was no response from him.

“I-jun.”

She lightly tapped the back of his hand with her clenched fist, but there was no reaction. If anything, his grip only tightened further.

“Vice President!”

“...Ah, yes.”

Only after she raised her voice did he finally respond, loosening his grip and eventually letting go of her hand.

Confused by his seemingly angry expression, I-ryeong couldn’t shake off her puzzlement, but soon she realized the reason.

“We’ll skip the morning meeting and dive straight into work.”

At I-jun’s instruction, the team members busily returned to their seats.

It was around this time that Baek Hyun-wook also began heading back to his desk.

“Baek, you just returned from a business trip last week, right? Submit your report.”

“I already submitted the documents last week, Vice President.”

Since Hyun-wook prided himself on his meticulous work, the report had indeed been submitted promptly the previous week.

“Are you going to discuss it out here? Come inside and give me a direct briefing. I’d rather hear it from you than read the documents.”

“Huh? Understood. I’ll gather the documents and head in.”

I-ryeong watched alternately between Hyun-wook, who was hurriedly preparing to report to his superior without a hint of suspicion, and I-jun. To anyone observing, it was clear that I-jun was nitpicking.

She had long sensed his strangely hostile attitude toward Baek Hyun-wook, and today’s actions confirmed it.

Thinking back, a similar situation had occurred last winter—whenever Hyun-wook had no choice but to stay close or exchange whispers with her.

Aware of I-jun standing firmly in front of the small conference room inside the office, I-ryeong returned to her seat.

“Sir, is there anything I can help with?”

Before sitting down, she approached the busy Hyun-wook, all while stealing a glance at I-jun.

“I’m no longer your mentor, so there’s nothing for you to assist me with. I’m fine, but thank you for your concern.”

Hyun-wook smiled faintly, and without realizing it, she found herself smiling back. She couldn’t possibly harbor ill will toward someone who was kind to her.

“No, no need to thank me, sir.”

I-ryeong grinned prettily, her eyes forming crescents, and pulled out her chair to sit down.

She deliberately avoided looking toward the conference room. There was no need to confirm what she already felt—I-jun’s piercing gaze.

She turned on her monitor to hide her face, but her lips kept twitching upward uncontrollably, driving her nearly mad.

If her suspicions were correct—and they surely were—he definitely was...

“I-ryeong, are you okay?”

Hyun-wook’s sudden interruption scattered her thoughts.

But the fleeting regret didn’t last long.

“Ah, yes! I’m fine!”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Peering past Hyun-wook, who leaned forward with concern, she caught sight of I-jun gritting his teeth and furrowing his brow.

Adorably enough, she realized he was jealous.

---

The dinner I-jun had arranged was held at an upscale Japanese restaurant near the company.

The prices were steep, making it a place more frequented for business entertainment than by regular customers. In fact, several team members who had initially tried to avoid the gathering with various excuses ended up changing their minds because of the venue.

The marketing team booked the largest private room in the restaurant. Though the number of attendees was modest, the staff happily accommodated them upon seeing I-jun’s business card.

The head seat remained empty as the team members sat facing each other in two long rows along the sides.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“Baek Hyun-wook. What kind of person do you think I am?”

“Well, you’re obviously the richest person here.”

Seeing Hyun-wook’s sharp retort, I-jun finally threw up both hands in surrender. When the entire team burst into laughter at his joke, he lost all motivation to continue bickering.

Having canceled an important appointment with a friend to be here, he decided to take the jokes lightly.

“Are you okay?”

I-ryeong, seated beside I-jun, checked his mood.

“Yeah.”

His short reply said it all—it wasn’t okay.

When I-ryeong reached for his hand and placed hers over it, their warmth mingled, creating a comforting temperature.

It was a sensation that made her want to hold on all night, to feel him endlessly. The mutual exchange of touch felt wonderful.