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“Alright.”
As Joo-Hyuk impatiently reiterated the conditions, Mr. Seo finally broke the heavy silence and responded.
“Let me have the documents you prepared.”
At Mr. Seo’s words, Joo-Hyuk retrieved a document from the side table and handed it to him. It was a pledge stating that the issue regarding KMS’s funding would not be reported on for a year.
Without hesitation, Mr. Seo signed the document. As soon as the secretary returned with the iced Americano he had ordered, Mr. Seo left the CEO’s office.
Had this been the right decision?
At the very least, preventing unnecessary gossip about KMS for a year could be considered a good move, couldn’t it?
Moreover, since he had offered another scoop, it was unlikely Mr. Seo would harbor any ill will over this matter. Feeling slightly reassured, Joo-Hyuk let out a deep sigh from his diaphragm.
---
That night, during KO Channel’s 9 p.m. news broadcast, Mr. Seo’s exclusive report broke, alleging that Joo-Hyuk, the CEO of KMS, had colluded with his lobbyist father in an attempt to make his older brother the mayor of Seoul. Mr. Seo had broken his promise.
[Could these just be circumstantial pieces fitting together to create a misleading picture? Or is this an accusation based on valid evidence? KO News will continue reporting on this matter until it becomes clear.]
The news anchor repeatedly brought up Joo-Hyuk’s case until the end of the broadcast.
As soon as the news ended, Joo-Hyuk turned off the TV with the remote. He could see Sena’s face turn pale as they watched the broadcast together.
“H... how…?”
She was too shocked to continue speaking.
The puzzle had been pieced together so convincingly that it instantly knocked Joo-Hyuk off the pedestal of a respectable journalist.
“It’s okay.”
Joo-Hyuk moved closer to Sena, sitting beside her and gently stroking her face.
In truth, nothing was okay. His words were meant to reassure her, as she was trembling uncontrollably. He himself was barely holding back his own anger and fear, his hands shaking slightly.
“How can it be okay? You’re not that kind of person.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not just going to sit back and take this.”
“But…”
“Shh—”
He gently pressed his thumb against her lips to silence her.
Her plump lips were slightly squished under his finger as she gazed at him with teary eyes.
Desperate to stop her from crying—or perhaps to stop himself from breaking down—he slowly leaned toward her face.
Their breaths grew closer, and he removed the finger covering her lips. Just as his lips were about to touch hers, the cell phone on the living room table rang loudly.
“The call….”
“Just leave it.”
He didn’t want to bother with the phone. Surely, it was someone urgently calling after seeing the KO News broadcast.
As his lips lightly brushed against hers, she slowly closed her eyes. Her long lashes tickled his face.
Yes, forget everything and focus on her. The complicated stuff could wait until tomorrow. Besides, the call had stopped ringing, which was perfect.
He gently pulled away his lips. Just as he tilted his head slightly to kiss her again, the disconnected call rang once more.
“Damn it.”
He pulled away from her and roughly grabbed the phone.
“Hello?”
[It’s me. Why aren’t you answering your phone?]
It was Eun-Woo.
[Did you see the KO News?]
“Yeah.”
[Is Mr. Seo insane? This isn’t just reporting—it’s practically fiction. Saying we conspired with your father to make your brother the mayor of Seoul. What does he think KMS is?!]
Eun-Woo spat out angrily.
“Calm down.”
Joo-Hyuk gave Sena a faint smile, though his eyes betrayed his worry as he looked at her.
Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.
In fact, until hearing from Sena about Mr. Seo’s visit, Joo-Hyuk had been confident about everything. Regardless of what article Mr. Seo might publish, he had planned to return his father’s investment funds within a few days and apologize for any past indiscretions.
But.
This accusation was something he hadn’t anticipated at all.
Moreover, he never imagined that Mr. Seo would break their agreement and publish the article immediately after receiving a new scoop. His naivety in trusting Mr. Seo had been a grave mistake.
Even though he could have obtained the political scandal material within a week, Mr. Seo couldn’t wait that long and instead chose to publish an immediate, sensational story about Joo-Hyuk.
And even if he had decided to publish an article, who would have thought he’d release such baseless, far-fetched allegations?
It was as if he had spewed out something dirty and foul.
[Choi Joo-Hyuk, are you even listening to me?]
Eun-Woo, who had been ranting on her own, called out to Joo-Hyuk.
“Huh? No, I missed that.”
[Pull yourself together. Now’s not the time to space out.]
“Yeah.”
[For now, we’ll release an article stating that the allegations raised by KO are baseless speculation, completely detached from the truth. If they continue reporting like this, we’ll sue them for defamation. The legal team is already closely monitoring everything, analyzing every article published online starting from today’s report.]
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
[Don’t think about anything else and just trust us. How dare they portray KMS as some naive fools being manipulated in politics! KO has clearly underestimated us!]
Eun-Woo shouted in a voice brimming with anger.
“Thanks to your advance preparations, the shareholders aren’t panicking too much. So don’t worry about that side of things.”
[Of course not. You and I divided our roles as CEO and editor-in-chief because we each excel in different areas.]
She laughed as if reminiscing about their earlier days.
As she said, when KMS was first founded, the two of them worked together on everything—writing articles, editing, printing, and distribution. But as the company grew, they needed to divide their roles.
Joo-Hyuk, who was more sociable, active, and had a degree in business management, took charge of operations and company management. Meanwhile, Eun-Woo naturally took over all tasks related to editorial work. That’s how the roles of CEO and editor-in-chief were established.
[Oh, and one more thing. For now, don’t come into the office. Stay at home.]
“Huh?”
[This fight between the long-established KO and the new KMS is bound to draw spectators. Not to mention, since a leading Seoul mayoral candidate is involved, it’s obviously going to get noisy.]
“I’m so tired.”
His head was pounding painfully.
[Why don’t you and Sena go somewhere quiet for a trip?]
“Alright.”
[Just make sure to answer your phone.]
With that final reminder to stay in contact, Eun-Woo ended the call.
Joo-Hyuk placed his phone back on the table and let out a deep sigh.
“Was that Eun-Woo? What did she say?”
Sena gently placed her hand on his shoulder and asked.
“She said they’re handling it as planned.”
“Did that reporter deliberately set out to attack us?”
“It seems so. He clearly agreed not to write the article, but he twisted the facts cleverly to create a speculative report.”
“Did I make some kind of mistake?”
“Not at all. In fact, him coming to see you was the foolish move.”
“Huh?”
Instead of answering, Joo-Hyuk pulled Sena into a tight embrace.
A normal person might have wanted to shake things up, wondering how much trust could exist between a couple who hadn’t known each other for very long. Perhaps the reporter’s instincts led him to Sena.
“Take a few days off from the center.”
“Vacation?”
“Let’s go on a trip together.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, as if questioning what he meant. But soon, she seemed to make up her mind and slowly nodded.
“Alright. Let’s… go on a trip together.”
Without any plans or promises about where or for how long, the two clasped each other’s hands tightly.
---
On the way to the mountain lodge, the first snow of the season began to fall.
After eating a warm, hearty meal at a rest stop, Joo-Hyuk and Sena stepped outside just as white snowflakes began drifting down from the sky. They both stopped in their tracks simultaneously.
“Wow!”
“It’s the first snow!”
Sena gazed up at the sky in awe, marveling at the sight. From behind, Joo-Hyuk wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he held her snugly against him.
“This year’s first snow came a bit early, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, it did.”
“Do you like snow?”
“Not really… I don’t particularly like it.”
Sena regretted her honest answer as soon as she saw Joo-Hyuk’s reaction. Watching him release the embrace and smile brightly with twinkling eyes, it was clear he loved snowy weather.
“Do you know how to ski?”
“Huh? Ah, no.”
She waved her hands dismissively.
“Not at all?”
“I’ve never tried it before.”
“Really?”
This time, his tone carried a clear note of disappointment.
Sena realized she should have caught on to Joo-Hyuk’s plan when he suggested traveling to Gangwon Province, where the mountain lodge was located. It was obvious now—someone as active and sporty as him wouldn’t pass up the chance to enjoy winter sports like skiing.
“Do you like skiing?”
“More than skiing, I prefer snowboarding. I usually stay at the lodge every winter and go snowboarding.”
“I see.”
“If you get the chance, give it a try. It’s fun.”
Sena nodded.
Though she had always kept her distance from sports, the idea of learning one of Joo-Hyuk’s favorite hobbies didn’t seem so bad. After all, they would be spending every winter together from now on, and she didn’t want to be left behind while he came here alone—or worse, sit idly in the lodge by herself while he enjoyed the slopes.
“Let’s go before it starts snowing harder.”
As the snowfall intensified, Joo-Hyuk quickly extended his hand.
Without hesitation, Sena reached out and clasped his large, warm hand. The comforting heat traveled through her palm, enveloping her entirely.
The couple drove for another two hours on the highway after leaving the rest stop before finally arriving at the mountain lodge.
Fortunately, the first snow had stopped midway, leaving behind only beautiful memories without a trace on the ground.
Still, gray clouds loomed overhead, hinting that heavy snowfall might occur within the next few days.
Expecting a small wooden cabin when she heard “mountain lodge,” Sena couldn’t help but gape in awe as soon as she stepped out of the car. A massive three-story house stood before her eyes.
“You call this a mountain lodge?”
“Yeah. A villa in the mountains—a mountain lodge.”
Joo-Hyuk chuckled softly, seemingly amused by her surprise. But even his laughter lacked energy, and it tugged painfully at her heart.
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