IT - 16

16. Unrequited Love Remains Unrequited  

Several days had passed since Ji-soo sent the text—or rather, more accurately, since her phone had died before she could press send, leaving the message undelivered. She had spent her vacation in limbo and now faced Friday without hearing a word from Tae-ha. 

But… there had been no contact from him at all. 

During lunchtime, after finishing her broadcast at the company cafeteria, Ji-soo let out a long sigh. 

Knock, knock. Eun-ho entered, holding a paper bag that reminded her of that day. 

“Ji-soo, how about some gimbap for lunch?” 

After tidying up her script, Ji-soo stepped out of the studio. On the table sat a steaming bowl of seafood porridge, accompanied by a neatly placed glass of water—enough for two people. 

“Team Leader, haven’t you eaten yet?” 

“Yes.” 

Eun-ho hid the reason he’d waited—his racing heart—and smiled cheerfully as he pulled out a chair for her to sit. 

“Did I make you wait because of me…?” 

“No, not at all. Actually, I have an external meeting this afternoon, and I got caught up preparing materials, so I’m running late. I just wanted to grab something quick before heading out. Thank you for having lunch with me, Ji-soo.” 

Though the meal hardly seemed “quick” given the care and expense evident in the spread, Ji-soo hesitated only briefly before sitting down, drawn by the delicious aroma and her own gnawing hunger. 

“I’ll enjoy it, thank you.” 

Moreover, thanks to the mishap with her phone dying mid-message (whether it was sent or not remained unclear), she hadn’t eaten a proper meal since Sunday. 

If the text hadn’t gone through, considering Tae-ha’s impatient nature, he would’ve come chasing after her on Monday to demand an explanation. 

That meant, unfortunately, the message had likely reached him—but why no response? Did he find her rejection so insignificant that it wasn’t even worth acknowledging? 

“…How is it?” 

“Hmm?” 

Eun-ho asked, watching Ji-soo stir her untouched porridge aimlessly. 

“Are you feeling unwell? You look pale.” 

“No, I’m just chewing slowly to avoid indigestion.” 

The gimbap Eun-ho had unwrapped remained untouched. Alongside it were the seafood porridge, egg tarts, macarons, and honey rice cakes for dessert—a feast fit for royalty. 

Whether the text was still wandering in cyberspace or had already landed in Tae-ha’s hands, it was out of her control now. With such delicious food before her, why did her thoughts keep straying? 

Yet Ji-soo couldn’t deceive her own heart. She had been waiting for Tae-ha’s reply ever since sending—or attempting to send—that message. If he had shown even a shred of sincerity, she would have gladly accepted his proposal without hesitation. 

Taking a spoonful of the warm porridge, its nutty flavor comforted her. Right, there are plenty of pleasant things around besides Cha Tae-ha. 

Opening her mouth wide, Ji-soo took a bite of the thick gimbap roll, nearly three times the size of her forearm. 

“This 'Bulgeun Gimbap' is always delicious. And last week’s gimbap you bought me was great too.” 

“Oh, that one.” 

Eun-ho smiled faintly as he pushed the gimbap closer to her. 

“I figured cooking over the weekend would be a hassle, so I picked some up for you while passing by. Was it okay?” 

As always, Eun-ho crafted excuses and justifications when doing something kind for Ji-soo, ensuring she felt no burden. 

“Yes! Of course. How could it not be good with plenty of spicy bulgogi and sweet braised lotus root inside?” 

The edges of Eun-ho’s gentle smile wavered slightly, but Ji-soo didn’t notice as she continued eating, exclaiming how delicious it was. 

That Saturday, when Eun-ho had ordered the gimbap, it had been the shop owner’s mother-in-law’s 80th birthday celebration. Despite being scolded by her daughter-in-law for staying open during such an occasion, the shop closed right after fulfilling Eun-ho’s order. Later, they called to apologize, explaining they’d forgotten to add the lotus root in their rush. 

Had Ji-soo not returned home that night, or perhaps thrown away the gimbap uneaten? Either way, it was her choice, but today pretending nothing happened felt harder than usual. 

“Team Leader, what did you ask me earlier?” 

“Hmm?” 

“You asked me something before. Actually, I’m a bit distracted because of my evening plans. Sorry for not focusing. Could you repeat it?” 

Her excuse sounded oddly unlike Ji-soo—blaming her distraction on upcoming plans instead of admitting to deeper worries. 

Tonight’s schedule involved filming advertisements for Taesung Group’s second-half recruitment campaign. The event included a university campus tour, with Kang Yoo-ri selected as the exclusive model due to her popularity among young audiences. Though Eun-ho learned about it indirectly through media promotion schedules, not directly from family discussions. 

Something was clearly troubling Ji-soo. Initially, he thought it might just be physical discomfort, but after observing her for several days, he grew certain. What could it be? What was weighing her down? He wished she’d confide in him. 

“It’s a shame we missed the movie last week… But the performance you wanted to see has an encore showing tomorrow—it’s only for one day. Want to go?” 

“Really? Are you sure? I feel bad imposing…” 

“Not going would be worse. Let’s go together. I need to see it too—they’ve been pestering me for a review since I got the tickets.” 

“Then dinner’s on me.” 

Her radiant smile remained dazzling, though traces of fatigue lingered beneath. 

“The Hotel Hera dining vouchers are ready. We can head straight there after the show, if that works?”

The hotel where she had spent such intimate moments with Tae-ha was not a place Ji-soo wanted to revisit anytime soon. However, having resolved to return to her normal life, she nodded cheerfully. Avoiding everything related to Taesung Group would mean cutting ties with nearly all aspects of life in Korea—something she couldn’t afford to do. 

“You’re treating me to an amazing performance and a delicious meal, so if you’re free afterward, would you like to grab a beer with me? Let me treat you this time, Team Leader.” 

“Ah, sure. I’d like that.” 

The thought of meeting Ji-soo tomorrow made Eun-ho’s face flush red. Trying to hide his excitement, he gulped down his iced Americano, though the ice did little to cool his rising emotions. 

---

The recruitment advertisement photoshoot took place in one of Taesung Group’s studios. Yoo-ri, at the peak of her popularity, arrived early to discuss costumes and makeup with the photographer, displaying a diligent attitude. 

“Why do we have to interview Kang Yoo-ri?” 

Hee-kyung grumbled as Ji-soo stood up to leave for the interview. Technically, it wasn’t “we”—it was solely Ji-soo’s task—but Hee-kyung included herself out of habit. 

“If we include Kang Yoo-ri’s photos and interview, people will pay more attention, don’t you think? Hee-kyung, why don’t you come along?” 

“She’s not even that pretty, and her acting is mediocre at best. It’s all about her family background, isn’t it? Just another silver-spoon brat!” 

Hee-kyung masked her refusal with hostility. 

“I heard rumors that Kang Yoo-ri’s exclusive contract is somehow connected to Vice President Cha.” 

A colleague who was quick on both internal company matters and chaebol gossip muttered under her breath. Ji-soo, who had been about to leave the office, paused mid-step. Pretending to busy herself by rummaging through a drawer to pick a recorder for the interview, she waited for the rest of the story. 

“What?! Vice President Cha?” 

Intrigued, Hee-kyung perked up, prompting the colleague to hush her with a finger to her lips. 

“Why stop there? So? Are they getting married or something?” 

“They say the marriage contract has already been signed! That’s why she’s suddenly doing this recruitment photoshoot and was chosen as the group’s exclusive image model. It’s all part of the plan.” 

“What does one thing have to do with the other?” 

“To make it seem less like a typical chaebol arranged marriage and more like they naturally fell in love while working together as advertiser and model.” 

“Aww, poor Vice President Cha!” 

Clatter. Ji-soo accidentally dropped the drawer handle, scattering her phone and its contents onto the floor. Hee-kyung, sitting nearby, quickly gathered the items and returned them to the drawer. Though her hands helped Ji-soo, her mind and mouth remained fixated on Kang Yoo-ri. 

“No wonder Kang Yoo-ri became our company’s model despite not being top-tier. Why bother with an image model when she doesn’t need PR anyway? Everyone’s pairing off secretly behind my back! Ugh, I’m jealous.” 

Lost in thought, pondering Tae-ha’s supposed “secret match,” Ji-soo finally spoke. 

“Thanks, Hee-kyung.” 

“You’re welcome. Oh? Team Leader, but your phone screen is cracked.” 

“It’s fine. I’ll be back after the interview.” 

Clutching her cracked phone, Ji-soo hurried out of the office without taking any of the recorders she had been searching for. 

Standing in front of the elevator, Ji-soo didn’t even have the presence of mind to press the button. While reading up on Yoo-ri for the interview, she hadn’t come across anything about marriage. In fact, she had found Yoo-ri’s claim of waiting for her destined partner endearing, even thinking how pure and cute it was. 

Yoo-ri’s exclusive contract had reportedly been signed about a month ago—meaning the marriage must have been planned around then. And yet, Tae-ha had asked Ji-soo to enter into a sleeping-only relationship. 

“An excellent bed partner.” 

Should she have questioned what exactly made her so “excellent”? Instead, she had spent the entire week agonizing over his proposal, reconsidering it repeatedly. She had even entertained thoughts of going to him first—but the mere idea made her cheeks burn. 

What if she had accepted his offer just before his important matchmaking appointment? Perhaps he had known she would reject him and said those words deliberately. 

As he claimed, she was merely an excellent bed partner he felt physically attracted to. To Tae-ha, who would soon belong to another woman, Ji-soo’s role was limited to that. 

She knew all this but chose to feign ignorance. She should have left her unrequited love as it was. Though circumstances had changed and she had grown older, her heart remained stuck at twenty—the age when she first fell in love with Tae-ha. 

Ding. The elevator stopped at the 10th floor, where the media production team was located. Ji-soo, unsure whether she had pressed the down button, stared blankly as the doors opened. 

Through the widening gap emerged a familiar silhouette. Tall and broad-shouldered, clad in an elegant suit that fit him perfectly—it could only be Tae-ha. His commanding presence and physique left no room for doubt. 

Ji-soo’s gaze traveled from his neatly tied tie and crisp white shirt upward until it met his cold, piercing eyes. He was using the employee elevator instead of the executive one. 

Her blurry vision gradually sharpened. Standing before her was unmistakably Tae-ha. 

“Aren’t you getting on?” 

His indifferent tone, as if nothing had happened between them, made Ji-soo wonder if the events of the past week had been nothing more than a vivid nightmare. Caught between a dreamlike nightmare and a nightmarish reality, she stepped into the elevator.