SELA - 25

[Come down right now.]

The next day, Sa-hee was discussing work-related matters with the staff in the annex office when she received a message that made her doubt her eyes.

[We’re at the first floor of your building.]

As the follow-up messages came in, Sa-hee abruptly stood up from her seat.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Excuse me for just a moment. I’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

The employees looked up at her curiously. Forcing a smile, Sa-hee tightly gripped her phone and hurriedly left the annex.

Pressing the elevator button, the wait felt unbearably long. She tapped the tip of her shoe impatiently on the floor until, finally, the elevator doors opened. Sa-hee quickly stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor.

• The doors are opening. First floor.

As the crowd poured out, Sa-hee exited along with them. The space on the first floor was relatively quieter compared to other floors, its vastness making it hard to take in at a glance. Sa-hee swallowed nervously as she scanned the area quickly. Finally, at one end, a familiar figure caught her eye. A sigh escaped her lips.

“What brings you here?”

At the company entrance on the left, the cold voice of Sa-hee caused the person standing there to turn around. The man towering over her by a head, with a smooth appearance and sharp eyes, frowned upon seeing her.

“You should greet your older brother first instead of being so rude.”

“Are you crazy? Smoking is prohibited inside the building.”

The person who had come to see Sa-hee was none other than Yoon Cheol-woo, her older brother. Looking displeased, he pulled out a cigarette, which Sa-hee immediately snatched away.

“What happened to your face? Did you get into another fight?”

Sa-hee quietly asked, looking up at Cheol-woo, who was covered in cuts and bruises. Her attempt to pull him further inside the building annoyed him, and he shook off her hand.

“Shut up, girl. If you have any cash, just hand it over.”

“I don’t have any money.”

“Stop lying and give me whatever you’ve got!”

Cheol-woo’s impatience quickly escalated his voice. He kept glancing around nervously, clearly being chased again.

“Be quiet, are you insane? This is my workplace.”

“Yeah, you’re so accomplished. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of your fancy coworkers, hand it over while you still can.”

Cheol-woo approached her threateningly, glaring. But Sa-hee stood her ground, refusing to back down.

“Don’t you know all the money I saved was taken by your debt collectors? Do you really not know?”

“What do I care?”

“What?”

Sa-hee let out a bitter laugh, stunned by his response. At that moment, Cheol-woo snatched her wallet from her hand. She had anticipated this confrontation and brought some cash, intending to give him a small amount and end it quickly. But upon opening the wallet, Cheol-woo hastily began pulling out not only the cash but also every single card.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

“Just tell me the PIN for the cards. I’ll get a cash advance.”

“No way. Give it back.”

“You damn stubborn woman!”

As their voices grew louder and the altercation intensified, passersby began to notice. People whispered among themselves as they passed by.

By coincidence, Ji-young, who had come to the company to meet Ji-hyuk, entered through the lobby just in time to witness this scene. Dressed in an especially radiant dress and fully made up, Ji-young paused momentarily to watch the two siblings argue.

“Damn it, seriously!”

Finally, Cheol-woo roughly shoved Sa-hee off his arm. She fell hard on her knees, scattering bills and cards all over the floor.

“Shit.”

After briefly looking down at Sa-hee, who lay sprawled on the ground, Cheol-woo gathered the money and cards and fled.

“…”

The already quiet first-floor lobby seemed to grow even more silent. Everyone who knew either of them had witnessed this embarrassing scene. Sa-hee felt her face flush, but she pretended nothing happened and stood up.

“Ah…”

But her knee was a problem. Looking down, she saw bruises forming and bloodstains smudging her skin. Her ankle throbbed painfully.

Sa-hee bent down to pick up her wallet. Despite the lingering gazes from onlookers, she straightened herself as if nothing had happened. After adjusting her clothes, she limped toward the elevator.

Ji-young, who had been silently observing, finally moved once the commotion ended. There was an inexplicable lightness to her steps as she adjusted her bag strap and headed toward Ji-hyuk’s office, her face bearing an unreadable expression.

________________________________________

“Here’s the list of designers under the P brand you requested. If you could select two or three, I’ll arrange new meeting dates.”

“Alright.”

“And Mr. Choi Il-woo, Senior Managing Director of Youngil Electronics, would like to have dinner with you this Thursday evening. What would you like to do?”

“If there are no conflicting schedules, go ahead and arrange it.”

“Yes. I’ll set up the dinner appointment.”

After delivering the updates, Sa-hee bowed slightly. Ji-hyuk glanced at her briefly before returning his attention elsewhere.

“Unnie.”

Just as Sa-hee was about to leave, she stopped at the sound of her name being called. The voice came from Ji-young, seated on the couch. Ji-young had come to Ji-hyuk’s office without any specific agenda, simply to see him.

“Who was that person earlier?”

“Huh?”

“I saw it. You were in the lobby with some man.”

Sa-hee’s face stiffened. The thought that someone had witnessed the entire altercation made her cheeks burn.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“No.”

A boyfriend? The absurdity of the assumption made Sa-hee respond sharply. Where on earth did she get the idea that he could be her boyfriend?

The sound of flipping pages briefly interrupted the silence. Ji-hyuk was leafing through documents, reminding Sa-hee that they weren’t alone in the room.

“Aren’t you being naive? I saw you holding hands and getting close. It looked quite intimate.”

Did their scuffle look like intimacy to her? Sa-hee hesitated, unsure how to respond. Explaining the messy details felt ridiculous. To Ji-young, it was probably just small talk—why bother getting worked up over it?

“You can leave now.”

The sudden, detached voice startled Sa-hee. Turning, she saw that Ji-hyuk wasn’t even looking at her. He continued reviewing his documents, his face sharp yet inscrutable.

“Yes.”

All Sa-hee could do was bow and turn to leave. She nodded politely to Ji-young and walked toward the door. Her knee and ankle, injured from falling because of Cheol-woo, still throbbed painfully.

“Go treat your leg.”

Just as she was about to step out, Ji-hyuk’s voice reached her ears. Turning back, she saw that this time, he was looking at her intently. How had he noticed her limp without seeming to pay attention?

Ji-young, cradling her teacup with both hands, watched the two of them alternately. An unspoken tension filled the air, making the room feel restless. Feeling slighted for some reason, Ji-young noisily placed her teacup down.

The clinking sound snapped Sa-hee back to reality. The time she’d spent locked in Ji-hyuk’s gaze felt eternal, but she had finally returned to the present.

“…”

“…”

Sa-hee gave a small bow to Ji-hyuk. He sat upright, watching her every move—the way she bowed, grabbed the doorknob, turned it, and slipped through the door until she was completely out of sight.

Once Sa-hee had disappeared from view, Ji-hyuk remained seated and moistened his lips. His throat felt oddly tight, though he hadn’t loosened his tie.

“How long are you going to sit around here?”

Leaning back in his chair, Ji-hyuk addressed Ji-young. Her aimless visit irritated him.

“Sit around? That’s harsh, Oppa. Let’s at least have lunch together…”

“I have prior engagements. And why should I?”

His curt rejection left Ji-young visibly flustered.

“Can’t you even share one meal with me?”

Ji-hyuk furrowed his brows, closed the document he was reading, and set it aside. With fluid elegance, he capped his fountain pen and rose to his feet.

“Don’t come here without a reason anymore.”

“…”

“Answer me.”

“Or you won’t see me at all, right?”

“Moon Ji-young.”

“Yes, Oppa.”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

As he slipped on his suit jacket, his dismissive gaze exuded irritation. Ji-young, unable to miss the contempt in his eyes, felt humiliated but couldn’t show it. Asserting herself would only bring everything crashing down.

While Ji-young’s thoughts tangled like threads, a beep sounded. Ji-hyuk had pressed the call button.

“I’m leaving soon. Have Song, the chauffeur, ready.”

• Yes, sir.

With that, Ji-hyuk raised an eyebrow as if asking, “Aren’t you leaving?” Ji-young had no choice but to stand up. Waves of shame crashed over her, as if she’d been drenched in water. She thought it would be better if he just outright said he didn’t want to see her. Facing this impenetrable wall felt unbearably humiliating.