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“What if I do it?”
Ji-hyuk, who had been checking his watch, raised an eyebrow as if asking what she meant. Na-yeon suddenly stood up and approached him.
“What if I do it?”
Without hesitation, she reached out to adjust his tie. But—
“Haha.”
Ji-hyuk pushed her hand away with a light thud, making Na-yeon laugh incredulously.
“What the hell is this?”
“What?”
“Sa-hee can do it, but I can’t?”
“Why would I trust you?”
His unexpectedly sharp response made Na-yeon bristle.
“Wow, and how exactly is Sa-hee so trustworthy?”
Though she was still smiling, her irritation was palpable. Ji-hyuk stared at her for a moment before grabbing his jacket and walking past her.
“You’ve seen it. She’s someone I’d trust with my life.”
He chuckled dismissively, as if humoring a ridiculous question, then closed the office door behind him with a thud.
Left alone, Na-yeon stared at the door before letting out a delayed, hollow laugh.
Does he even realize his own feelings? I think I do.
What had started as simple curiosity was now solidifying into certainty.
________________________________________
Fresh out of the shower, Ji-hyuk towel-dried his hair, the crisp scent of soap lingering around him.
As he passed through the living room, he spotted his jacket haphazardly draped over the couch. Seeing it reminded him of the memory card—delivered to him at work earlier, with Na-yeon’s message that she had left something for him.
Digging through the pockets, he pulled out the small memory card and plugged it into his laptop.
The files inside were all photos—every single one featuring him. Some had him as the main subject, while others caught him in the background of shots meant for someone else.
“......”
What’s the point of this? He thought Na-yeon was up to her usual nonsense again. But as he scrolled through the photos, his fingers slowed.
Because it was obvious.
In every photo, Ji-hyuk’s gaze was fixed on one person—his secretary, Yoon Sa-hee. Whether she was looking at him or not, his attention was always on her.
[Isn’t it about time someone figured out how you feel?]
His phone lit up with a message from Na-yeon.
What exactly are my feelings?
Running a hand through his damp hair, Ji-hyuk headed to the kitchen and chugged a bottle of cold water.
Yoon Sa-hee. A long-time colleague, someone he trusted implicitly. And… something more? Had he unknowingly started feeling that way?
He had begun dreading weekends. Lunch breaks and leaving work no longer felt enjoyable. The reason was embarrassingly simple—he couldn’t see her.
He couldn’t have her by his side.
He had always known the effort he put into her was incomparable to anyone else. But he never considered if those feelings were romantic. Not because they shouldn’t be—he just never thought about it that way.
Leaning against the counter, Ji-hyuk tossed the empty bottle into the air and caught it again. His thoughts were just as restless—bouncing, colliding, repeating endlessly.
Sa-hee by my side. Sa-hee by someone else’s side. Sa-hee, always noticeable. Sa-hee, gone somewhere I can’t see. Sa-hee, just a subordinate. Sa-hee, someone I could love with everything I have…
The comparisons were endless. And the more he compared, the clearer his feelings became.
First, he needed to see Sa-hee.
Crunch. He crushed the empty bottle in his hand before tossing it into the trash. His expression was unreadable.
________________________________________
He had another nightmare last night. This time, Ji-hyuk managed to break free from the people holding him back and got closer to the building.
Ambulances arrived soon after. The scene was chaos—panicked people, emergency workers struggling in the dust. And in the middle of it all, Ji-hyuk was refusing to accept the unbearable pain.
This isn’t real. This is a dream. A lie.
Then, bodies began being carried out on stretchers. Dazed, he turned and walked toward them—and woke up.
“Good morning, Vice President.”
Sa-hee’s soft voice greeted him pleasantly. Ji-hyuk, dragging his tired body into work, simply stared at her for a moment.
“......”
“......”
An awkward silence passed before Ji-hyuk walked past her without a word. Sa-hee blinked in confusion as she watched his retreating figure.
Why is he like this today? Maybe he wasn’t feeling well, or he was preoccupied… There could be many reasons. Or maybe—
She shook her head violently, cutting off that train of thought. Sitting at her desk, she focused on organizing the day’s schedule. She needed to prepare thoroughly for the upcoming briefing.
“I’ll review it myself. Just leave it and go.”
“Ah, yes.”
But even her preparations were wasted—she was dismissed before the briefing could properly conclude. Worse, Ji-hyuk didn’t even look at her properly the entire time.
What’s going on? Did I make a mistake?
Baffled but unable to get answers, she moved on to other tasks.
Later, she returned to his office with vitamins, water, and light refreshments—part of her daily routine to monitor his health.
“Vice President.”
When she called out, tray in hand, Ji-hyuk finally looked up. His gaze was dry and indifferent. With a glance that said just leave it, he returned to his documents without a word.
Sa-hee moistened her lips and set the tray on the coffee table before quietly leaving. A hollow feeling spread through her.
Ji-hyuk’s cold behavior lasted all day. He avoided her, went about his business alone, and left work without a word.
When she finally realized he had left, she sighed deeply. She had no idea what was wrong.
“Is he sulking?”
Joo-ri, slurping up spicy soft tofu stew, offered her own theory. The two were having dinner after work.
“At me? Why?”
“Not at me?”
“There’s no reason for him to be upset with me.”
“Some people sulk over the smallest things.”
“He’s not that type.”
“Wow, defending your boss like that.”
“I’m not defending him. I’m just saying he’s not like that.”
“Maybe he just had a bad day.”
“Maybe.”
Sa-hee poked at her food absentmindedly, lost in thought about Ji-hyuk. Meanwhile, Joo-ri pulled out a bottle of soju from the fridge and poured herself a drink.
“Want some?”
“No.”
“Why stress over a sulking boss? Drink and forget. He’ll be fine tomorrow.”
Would he? Watching the clear liquid fill Joo-ri’s glass, Sa-hee almost believed it.
Ring. Ring.
Just as she was convincing herself tomorrow would be better, her phone buzzed.
“You got a call.”
“Yeah.”
Joo-ri, already pouring another drink, raised an eyebrow when Sa-hee declined again. The call was from an unknown number.
“Hello?”
—Is this Yoon Sa-hee’s phone?
“Yes, it is. May I ask who’s calling?”
—Ah, hello. This is Lee Young-shin. Ji-hyuk’s mother.
Lee Young-shin—Ji-hyuk’s mother, the matriarch of Taesung Group. Why would she call at this hour?
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
—Did I surprise you with this sudden call?
“Not at all. Please, go ahead.”
—Actually, I was wondering if you could stop by the house tomorrow after work.
“The main house? I can make time, but…”
—Perfect. Please come by. There’s something I’d like to discuss.
What could it be? An uneasy feeling settled in as Sa-hee’s expression stiffened.
“Who is it?” Joo-ri mouthed.
“I’ll tell you later,” Sa-hee mouthed back with an awkward smile.
“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
—Thank you. See you tomorrow.
“Take care.”
The call ended abruptly, and Sa-hee exhaled deeply without realizing it. Joo-ri, refilling her glass, pressed for details.
“Well? Who was it?”
“My boss’s mother. The matriarch of Taesung Group.”
“Why would someone like that call you?”
“No idea. She asked me to come to the main house tomorrow. Said she has something to talk about.”
Joo-ri made a face before sipping her stew broth.
“Your boss sulks all day, flipping his mood since morning, and now his mom summons you to the house? Why are they harassing you like this?”
“I’ll find out when I go.”
“Hey, Yoon Sa-hee. Friendly advice—do only what you’re paid for. Don’t go above and beyond. You’ll regret it later.”
“I know.”
Joo-ri wasn’t drunk yet, but her voice was rising. Sa-hee placated her with a noncommittal answer while refilling her glass.
But deep down, she was worried too. What could she possibly want to talk about? She could only hope it wasn’t something unreasonable.
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