102. For My Woman. March 24, 2022.

Alysha, answering the phone half-asleep, swore profusely, but Kang-joon had no intention of listening.

“You can have all the conversations you want with the scoundrel sleeping next to you right now.” The contemptible fellow I would have half-killed if he weren’t so far away. At that one sentence, Alysha clamped her mouth shut. The silence that followed was heavy and chilling. Without bothering to break it, Kang-joon deliberately waited a few seconds before speaking again.

“The person who delivered the documents yesterday will visit you again this morning. Think of a repertoire that will completely reverse the situation. The guy next to you is probably the best at manipulating things.”

Whether she was surprised, couldn’t grasp the situation, or was simply foolish, Alysha rambled, feigning ignorance. What is this? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why should I do that? What good was that to him, who had called knowing everything? Kang-joon wore a cold, sarcastic smile.

“What do I mean? If you want to protect your man, you come here and take all the blame. You’re not going to live in Korea anyway, so it doesn’t matter if your image ends up in the trash.”

How could I have thought of replacing Joo Sehee with such a foolish woman? What on earth did she take me for?

“I protect my woman, and you protect your man. Let’s have a win-win.”

His indifferent tone sounded gentle at first, but it was clearly a threat. She seemed to understand that, as he heard her gasp. She must be scared and terrified. She wouldn’t know how much or what he knew, or what he might do. In fact, the purpose of his call was not a request, but a command. So Kang-joon calmly continued, as if Alysha’s answer wasn’t even needed.

“The article needs to be submitted in advance, so formulate your repertoire and send it by tomorrow. I intend to personally review it.”

He had deliberately left Kyung-soo alone even after learning he was alive. The distance was one thing, but for now, he didn’t want to do anything. He planned to make him pay the price for deceiving him thoroughly after the wedding. He had no intention of sparing him because of blood ties or letting it slide, but there was only one reason. That guy was far down on his priority list right now. But that waiting, stemming from his laziness, was actually benefiting Kang-joon now. He had become the weakness of the shield he would set up in place of Joo Sehee.

“I’ll arrange a press conference and an interview, so come to Korea within a week. That person will send you the plane ticket and your schedule after returning, so make sure there are no errors.”

He had no doubt that Kyung-soo, who knew his personality well, would handle it perfectly. He would have to if he wanted to live well with the woman he loved for the rest of his life.

“Of course, it doesn’t matter if you don’t come, but you’ll have to be prepared.”

Kang-joon never made empty threats. Alysha knew it, but Kyung-soo would know better than anyone what kind of person he was. He was definitely listening, holding his breath, right beside her.

“If I go there myself, I don’t know what I’ll do to that guy.”

His last words were a warning to Heo Kyung-soo, not Alysha. Just as you abandoned me for your woman, I will gladly abandon you for my woman.

________________________________________

Sehee and Kang-joon left the house in light clothing. Her morning sickness had subsided, and she had been eating well lately, but today, perhaps because of the article, she had no appetite. After a light dinner of udon and tonkatsu at a nearby restaurant, the two walked along Han River Park. The evening breeze was cool, as if summer had retreated a step. She loved the warmth radiating from his large, clasped hand, and the gentle eyes that met hers when she occasionally looked up. His face, handsome enough to brighten her eyes, and his fresh yet intense scent. Thanks to this man, who consistently stayed by her side, her sharp senses had gradually dulled. Perhaps that was why Sehee’s voice was bright.

“Mother said she’d meet with the planner and take care of all the wedding preparations, and told me to just focus on Pré and work.”

She knew that wedding preparations were complicated, headache-inducing, and required a lot of attention. Some people enjoyed wedding planning, but unfortunately, Sehee wasn’t one of them. Thankfully, Yeon-sook had offered to do it for her.

‘Even if I’m a novice in company management, I’m an expert in this field. I have many acquaintances who can help. If you’re okay with it, will you entrust it to me, Mom? I love preparing parties and events.’

As if to prove her words, Yeon-sook’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. Naturally, Sehee had no reason to refuse, so she accepted. Just then, Kang-joon retorted grumpily, “Then what about me?”

His narrowed eyes blazed with jealousy and possessiveness. Who was it that said a man remains a child until he dies? Just as a beast bows its head and pouts in front of a female, so too did Kang-joon. Seeing him seek this confirmation, knowing full well her feelings. Sehee suppressed a laugh and feigned ignorance.

“Mother said you don’t need to worry about Kang-joon at all, you know? She said that a boy who did everything perfectly by himself when he was young would do even better when he grew up. She said I should just lean on you. That you’re a son she gave birth to who’s annoyingly excellent, precisely for that purpose.”

“...”

“He weaned himself off the bottle without crying when he was one. He potty-trained and learned Hangul at two.”

“...”

“English at three, Chinese at four. Started stocks at six. Shall I say more?”

Finally, Kang-joon stopped walking and stood facing Sehee. “So, you’re not going to care about me?”

Kang-joon seemed to be looking at her with a pitiful gaze, but to Sehee, his eyes were still arrogant. He’d have to experience a pitiful situation to understand that feeling. This mountain of a man’s sulking was both cute and adorable. Sehee gently reached out, cupped Kang-joon’s cheek, and met his eyes.

“You’re not really asking because you don’t know, are you? You know I think about you and care about you 24/7, 365 days a year.”

If Kang-joon’s day revolved around Sehee, the same was true for Sehee. But Kang-joon held firm, as if determined to soak in all the affection he could get this time. Finally, bursting into laughter, Sehee rose on her tiptoes. It’s not like I’ll get an upset stomach from a little more affection, so why not give it to him? Sehee softly whispered into Kang-joon’s ear with a sweet breath.

“I love you very much, Seo Kang-joon.”

Sehee lowered her heels and asked Kang-joon with her eyes, Is this not enough? Should I show you more? Unable to resist, Kang-joon finally gave in and pulled Sehee into a tight embrace.

“I love you more, Joo Sehee.”

Having confirmed their feelings for each other, the two took hands and continued walking. Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, Kang-joon asked, “By the way, Sehee, don’t you have any romantic dreams for your wedding?”

She hadn’t even thought about dating, let alone marriage, so how could she have any romantic dreams? Sehee quietly turned her head to look up at Kang-joon. His exquisitely sculpted face, far from becoming tiresome, became more addictive the more she looked at it. Now I know what my unknown romantic dream is. No matter how I look at it, it’s ultimately you. You, Seo Kang-joon, are my romantic dream. Sehee smiled brightly and said coyly, “With Seo Kang-joon as the groom, any wedding would be a dream.”

If a man like him was the groom, even just offering a bowl of water and bowing would be the best wedding of her life.

“You can even throw out lines like that?”

Kang-joon stopped walking and looked at her as if surprised, and Sehee smiled. In fact, Sehee herself found it quite amazing. Malicious articles about her were flooding every portal in real-time. Yet, she could smile with such peace of mind. It was solely because of her trust in Seo Kang-joon. She knew this endlessly reliable man would protect her and the baby in her womb.

“What can’t I do?”

Of course, doing something she usually didn’t made her a little embarrassed. Kang-joon caught up to Sehee, who walked ahead, snapping back at him, and took her hand again.

“If there’s nothing you can’t do, do it often. It’s nice to hear.”

A faint smile spread across Sehee’s face as she walked, pretending not to notice his subtle gaze. How long did they walk like that? Kang-joon’s phone rang, and after checking the caller ID, he asked Sehee, “Vice Chairman Yoo, what would you like to do with him?”

Sehee stopped walking at his seemingly incomprehensible words. “Should I maintain him as he is now, or drag him to the bottom? Just decide that, Sehee.”

As Sehee quietly looked at him instead of answering, Kang-joon explained with a serious expression, “I intend to hold Vice Chairman Yoo responsible for this matter.”

To Kang-joon, Vice Chairman Yoo was a piece on his chessboard that he had temporarily put on hold. Of course, he could have waited an appropriate amount of time and then dragged him down as per his original plan, but why bother? A good opportunity had arisen, and all he had to do was drag him down. But before that, he needed to confirm Sehee’s wishes.

“Is Vice Chairman Yoo involved in this?”

“Don’t you know better than anyone that he’s a man with neither the brains nor the guts for something like this?” Kang-joon chuckled, continuing, “He bribed a nurse with the diamond earrings Jo Young-hee was wearing. He thought it would be fine to allow a brief visit since she couldn’t be discharged anyway. They temporarily replaced the CCTV with other recorded footage, and allowed Chief Jung to meet her for about 10 minutes.”

“But you’re going to hold Vice Chairman Yoo accountable for that mistake?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

At his utterly calm question, Sehee lowered her long eyelashes and fell into thought. Sehee opened her mouth, murmuring to Kang-joon, who had patiently waited for her silence, “Do you know? My target for revenge was my aunt, but the person I hated even more than my aunt was Vice Chairman Yoo.”

There was nothing scarier than indifference and neglect. At least Madam Jo had tormented Sehee, making her harbor fierce determination. With that determination, she had stubbornly survived and climbed to where she was, which led her to meet Kang-joon. But what had that man, her biological father, ever done for her? Nothing. As her thoughts reached that point, her heart felt surprisingly at peace. I no longer hate or resent you, Yoo Young-guk. The blood ties that were never truly connected have nothing left to sever. From the moment I was born until now, there has been nothing between you and me.

“You handle it, Kang-joon. I’m no longer interested in him.”

“I’ll gladly do as you command.”

Now that he had Sehee’s answer, there was no reason to hesitate or waste time. Kang-joon called the number that was showing as a missed call.

“This is Seo Kang-joon.”

[Seo, President Seo! Listen to me! How surprised I was when I saw the article...?!]

He must have been terribly anxious, given that articles were being published in real-time and he hadn’t received a single call. But the tension and anxiety in Young-guk’s voice as he answered the phone were no concern of Kang-joon’s.

“I didn’t call to listen to you, Vice Chairman Yoo.”

Kang-joon coldly cut off Young-guk’s words and pointed out each detail.

“You failed to properly manage your wife, who is hospitalized.” This happened because of you, no matter what.

“If it was something money could fix, I would have done it myself. I entrusted it to you because it wasn’t.” This happened because of you, no matter what.

“The conclusion is, you couldn’t manage your wife, and you couldn’t stop the article, so let’s cancel our deal.” Therefore, you must take responsibility and plummet to the bottom.

“You should be prepared, Vice Chairman Yoo.”

Sehee stood silently until Kang-joon delivered the death sentence to Young-guk and ruthlessly hung up. As Kang-joon looked at her, Sehee smiled brightly and embraced him. Without needing words, her sincerity was conveyed through their touching hearts. The world she looked down upon from above you. The world she began to live anew through you. It’s so comfortable and happy, and there’s nothing to fear.

________________________________________

A week passed by quickly. She had expected working from home to be boring and stifling, but it wasn’t at all. During the day, Yeon-sook, Jin-kyung, and Secretary Kim frequently came and went, and Kang-joon consistently left work on time. Perhaps because she had seen so many sensational articles, she was now indifferent to them. Most surprisingly, Inno Fashion’s stock price was holding steady, defying predictions of a sharp drop. No, in terms of trading volume, it was breaking new highs every day. This was due to the Hanshin family’s consistent silence, without issuing any statements. Those who sold their shares, expecting a collapse, and those who bought shares, trusting Joo Sehee who had the Hanshin Group backing her, were in a tense deadlock.

6:40 PM. The man who allowed no minute of error opened the front door. Kang-joon lightly kissed Sehee’s cheek and said with a smile, “I’ll go shower.”

While Kang-joon was showering, Sehee was imagining all sorts of things. A week, as promised by the man who kept his word precisely, had passed. She was dying of curiosity about how he would resolve this situation, but Kang-joon said nothing, not even giving a hint. How long did she wait, holding back? Kang-joon finished his shower, sat beside her, pulled Sehee into his arms, and turned on the TV. Is he watching TV at a time like this?

“A week has passed, Kang-joon.”

Kang-joon chuckled, replying to Sehee’s slightly accusing gaze, “You’re so impatient. I turned on the TV to keep my promise.”

Sehee’s eyes, following Kang-joon’s gaze, widened in surprise.

“Sister Alysha?”

On the TV screen, or more precisely, standing before a podium in what was clearly a live broadcast, was none other than the elegant beauty, Alysha.