“Where are you? I’m waiting.”
– In the lobby. About to go up to the lounge. After dealing with all these old folks, I need a drink. Come up too. Let’s have a drink together.
The identity of the woman who unabashedly changed the meeting place was Dokyung’s aunt, Lee Yeonjae. As Chairman Lee Yangho’s late-in-life daughter born when he was over forty, she treated her nephew, who was only ten years younger than her, quite affectionately. Just like now.
Dokyung checked the time on his wrist and flatly refused her suggestion.
“I’m busy. Just send the documents through your secretary.”
– What’s this, showing no respect when an elder tells you to come? No way. If you need them, come up and get them yourself.
The phone suddenly disconnected, causing a short sigh to escape from between Dokyung’s teeth. His aunt Yeonjae, who people said was the spitting image of his late grandmother, occasionally had these fits of petulance. Even the mighty Chairman Lee Yangho couldn’t stop her stubbornness.
Dokyung reluctantly stood up and told Jinwoo to go home.
“The meeting will probably run long. Director Kang, you can head home first.”
He left Yeonjae’s office and got on the elevator heading to the top floor of the building.
A moment later, with a clear chime sound, the double doors opened. With perfect timing, Yeonjae was also getting off the adjacent elevator.
Seeing Dokyung approaching, she grinned mischievously.
“You must be quite interested in the resort construction, huh? Coming up so quickly?”
“Are you abusing your power?”
“Abusing my power? Who? Me? To you, dear nephew? Ha!”
Yeonjae snorted as if the idea was completely absurd.
“Follow me, let’s see about this power abuse.”
Dokyung followed her into the lounge.
After taking a few steps, his carelessly wandering gaze suddenly fixed on a certain point.
A small, round head and an unusually white, straight nape. The delicate features glimpsed in profile. And even the clean ivory-colored flat shoes.
He slowly took in the now quite familiar appearance.
“Yuri-ssi?”
Sure enough, the woman whose name he called slowly turned her head in his direction. The light brown eyes that met his as if by fate widened in surprise.
Finding her somewhat frozen expression quite amusing, Dokyung unconsciously curled up the corner of his lips.
***
Amber liquid flowed down through her parted lips. Already several glasses in, Yuri was continuously downing the bitter liquor.
“Director Han, don’t you want to do your job?”
“Or just do as you’re told. Stop arguing.”
Her chest felt tight from the words that kept ringing in her ears like tinnitus no matter how much she drank.
Chairman Han, whose health had recently begun to deteriorate rapidly, was pushing Yuri away more blatantly than before. It seemed like a gesture indicating he couldn’t even trust his son, Vice Chairman Han Wonshik.
On top of that, there were rumors among shareholders that Chairman Han would soon promote Han Hyunsu to become the group’s general president. If that was true, it was painfully obvious how her stolen achievements would be used.
She put down her emptied glass on the table with a thud. The inevitable sigh that followed was deep.
“Ha…”
Just then.
“Yuri-ssi?”
She casually turned her head at the voice from behind.
A stylish woman with medium-length hair smiling at her and a tall man standing next to her came into view.
Her wet lips parted slightly.
Yuri only then realized that the place where she was drinking was the lounge bar of Haegang Hotel. And that it wouldn’t be strange at all for Lee Yeonjae, the manager of this hotel, and her nephew Lee Dokyung to appear here.
She had definitely chosen the wrong place.
Yuri greeted them while hiding her internal panic, deliberately ignoring the piercing gaze she briefly met.
“Hello.”
“What brings you here?”
“I had a meeting nearby. Just stopped by on my way home.”
“Alone?”
Yeonjae asked, glancing at the table where Yuri had been sitting. Yuri nodded lightly.
“Perfect, I was just needing a drinking buddy. Join us if you don’t mind. I’ll pay for the drinks.”
“…”
“It’s really boring drinking with this guy alone. Is that okay?”
Yuri couldn’t answer Yeonjae who was speaking loudly as if deliberately wanting to be heard. Meanwhile, Yeonjae was already ordering the staff who had followed them to move their seats.
“Here, please move us to a private room inside.”
Before she knew it, she followed Yeonjae into a VIP room. Unlike the somewhat bustling bar area, it was a perfectly private space.
For a brief moment, doubt crossed her mind. Should she just get up and leave now? The presence of the man sitting with his long legs crossed opposite her was extremely bothersome.
Eventually, the whiskey bottle she had been drinking from alone was placed on the table. The man who had been staring at the almost empty bottle then shifted his gaze to her.
Somehow her cheeks stung. She couldn’t help but worry if they had turned red again like that day.
Just as she was looking for an excuse to avoid his gaze, Yeonjae broke the silence.
“If you came to the hotel, you should have contacted me.”
“I just stopped by briefly while passing. And you’re busy, Director.”
“Oh come on, no matter how busy I am, I’m always okay for Director Han Yuri’s call.”
Yeonjae and Yuri had become acquainted a few years ago during negotiations for Haegang Hotel’s duty-free shop. She really liked Yuri, who was a good match professionally and had a similar temperament to herself. Enough to willingly accommodate Yuri’s sudden request to arrange a meeting with Lee Dokyung.
“Ah. You two aren’t uncomfortable with each other, are you?”
Yeonjae asked as if she had just thought of it. Yuri gave her an automatic smile.
“It’s fine.”
“Good, then.”
Yeonjae’s expression as she smiled back revealed her obvious intentions. Her eyes were full of mischievous desire to pry into her not-so-soft nephew’s private life.
Sure enough, the expected words followed.
“What didn’t you like?”
Unexpected words were also added.
“I heard you rejected him.”
It was clearly Lee Dokyung who had declined her marriage proposal. Yet he had told others that she was the one who rejected him?
She looked at him with eyes full of protest, but his pitch-black eyes showed not the slightest disturbance, annoyingly serene.
“Why, did he act rudely again?”
“…No.”
“No way. I understand. He’s my nephew, but sometimes even I get turned off by his attitude.”
Yeonjae clicked her tongue as if she knew without having to hear more.
“Anyway, it’s a shame. If things had gone well, you could have become part of our family, Yuri-ssi.”
Yeonjae laughed good-naturedly. She definitely had a similar vibe to Lee Dokyung sitting across from her. Even though she was smiling, there was something cold about her that made them seem particularly alike.
As Yeonjae was pouring a drink into Yuri’s empty glass, she took out her vibrating phone.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
After checking the screen, she naturally got up and left the room.
Only the two of them remained in the enclosed space. A strange silence descended.
Her throat felt dry, so Yuri gulped down the drink Yeonjae had poured. Unlike her, Lee Dokyung, who hadn’t touched his alcohol, was watching her every move. As if observing a test subject. No, as if inspecting merchandise.
Yuri looked at him directly and asked.
“Why did you lie?”
With the intermediary gone, she intended to reveal her unpleasant thoughts without filtering. Only then did his lips, which had been closed the whole time, move slowly.
“About what?”
“That day. You rejected me, Lee Dokyung-ssi. I didn’t reject you.”
“That’s not possible.”
“…”
“I said I would think about it, I never rejected you. I believe you were the one who got up and left first.”
She narrowed her brows, wondering what kind of sophistry this was.
Saying the conditions weren’t that attractive, asking if there was any specific reason why it had to be her. After thoroughly putting her down to her face, he now claimed he never rejected her.
Faced with his brazen attitude that was absurdly shameless, she couldn’t help but respond with a sneering tone.
“So have you finished thinking about it?”
“Yes.”
His unhesitating immediate answer came back. Yuri’s hand gripping the empty glass paused.
Without warning, amber liquid was being poured into her glass again. The man’s voice continued calmly as he put down the now completely empty bottle.
“As I expected, making a deal with Han Yuri-ssi would be difficult.”
It was a casual remark, as if commenting while putting down an item he had picked up at a convenience store.
A scornful laugh escaped from between Yuri’s teeth.
The man’s hand taking the glass she had filled was smooth. His lips meeting the transparent glass parted leisurely, and the Adam’s apple prominent under his haughtily raised chin moved up and down.
Yuri glared with all her might at that unbearably beautiful face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
