102.
#After early graduation
Dawoon submitted his early graduation application form before the final exams began. As he prepared for both the exams and his graduation thesis simultaneously, his days flew by in a whirlwind. It was natural, considering he had started his graduation thesis late, which others usually prepare over an entire semester. Living practically in the library almost every day, he didn’t have time for unnecessary thoughts. As he returned home later, his encounters with Hayun also decreased. Knowing that Dawoon was busy with exams and his graduation thesis, Hayun didn’t seek him out at night as often as before. Thanks to this, relatively peaceful days continued for a while.
“It’s finally over!”
As they came out after finishing the last major exam, Na-eun stretched widely with a relieved expression. Dawoon smiled and shook his head, thinking her behavior was still childlike, as he took all his books out of his locker and put them in his bag.
“Are you emptying your locker?”
“I have to. I won’t need it anymore.”
He had already taken home the books related to each subject as the exams ended, so there wasn’t much left to pack. Some books he thought he wouldn’t need again, he had left in the department office for juniors to use.
“Are you really going to graduate early?”
“I’ve completed all the credits.”
He answered Na-eun’s question nonchalantly.
“You weren’t in a hurry, were you?”
As she said, he hadn’t initially considered early graduation since neither graduation nor employment was urgent. At first, he had planned to attend one more semester and prepare for employment, but the situation had changed.
“I heard from Ui-hyeon. Are you really going to study abroad?”
“Yes.”
“Where to?”
“England.”
“Where in England?”
She was asking which university he would go to, but he hesitated to answer immediately. If Ui-hyeon or Na-eun knew, it could eventually reach Hayun’s ears.
“Nothing’s confirmed yet. I still have to take their entrance exams when I get there.”
He tried to brush it off casually.
“But you must have decided where you’re going to apply, right? Which exams you’ll take.”
It was definitely harder to brush off Na-eun than Ui-hyeon. Sensing something was off, she narrowed her eyes and stared intently at Dawoon’s face, as if trying to bore holes into it.
“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
“What would I be hiding?”
He smiled brightly and quickly turned away. He felt like if he talked any longer, everything would be revealed.
“Hey! Jeong Dawoon! Don’t you dare walk away!”
Na-eun hurriedly closed her locker and followed, walking beside him.
“You’re really acting suspicious.”
She continued to voice her suspicions as she matched his pace.
“What’s suspicious?”
“Suddenly deciding to graduate early is suspicious, and not getting a job but going to graduate school is suspicious.”
In response to her assertive statement, Dawoon just laughed awkwardly.
“I mean, graduating early is fine since you’ve finished your credits, no need to waste an extra semester, but didn’t you want to get a job quickly and become independent?”
Confused, he pointed at himself with his finger, and Na-eun nodded.
“That’s what Ui-hyeon said.”
Ah. At the mention of Ui-hyeon, he scratched his cheek and turned his head. He could guess why Ui-hyeon thought he needed to become independent quickly. It didn’t seem like he had told Na-eun about his relationship with Hayun. If she had known, she would have made a fuss, asking what on earth he was doing.
“I just want to study a bit more.”
He gave a safe, neutral excuse. Na-eun pouted, unsatisfied.
“I thought we could work together at a broadcasting station.”
She grumbled that she had thought they could continue to see each other, with her becoming an announcer and Dawoon a PD. If only everything could work out that way, how nice it would be. Even if he looked for a job at a broadcasting station as she said, there was no guarantee they would end up at the same one. It was just her wishful thinking; reality was harsh.
“Are you preparing well for the open recruitment?”
Although it was still far from the open recruitment season, Na-eun had been studying various things related to being an announcer since last year. She was that serious about it. He thought she would likely pass the announcer test as she wished.
“I’m studying, but I always wonder if I’m doing it right. Even among the seniors from our school broadcasting club, less than half of them passed the final announcer test. Even Yu-na unni, who we thought would definitely take the announcer test, went in a completely different direction.”
Dawoon naturally recalled meeting Choi Yu-na at Choi Seon-gyeom’s exhibition. Knowing why she didn’t become an announcer, he felt bitter again. Still, Choi Yu-na seemed to be doing well. Although she didn’t become an announcer, she seemed satisfied with her current job and no longer needed to put on the pretense she used to.
Isn’t that enough? Even if it’s not exactly the direction you wanted, people somehow manage to live on. So, wouldn’t I be okay too?
Although he was worried about having to start anew in an unexpected place, he tried to think as positively as possible. It’s not so bad to be able to study abroad, is it? Just not having to worry about making a living right away still made him more blessed than many others.
“You’re not going to cut off contact when you go to England, are you?”
Na-eun asked again, though he thought the topic of studying abroad was over. He should have answered no, but he missed the timing.
“What? Don’t tell me you were really planning to cut ties after graduation?”
Na-eun became serious.
“Are you going to ignore us because you’re entering Haedo Group? Wow, that’s too much. We’ve known each other since high school.”
He hadn’t said anything, but Na-eun jumped to conclusions. It seemed she hadn’t heard from Ui-hyeon that he had no intention of joining Haedo Group after graduation.
“I’m not joining Haedo.”
“Then will you keep in touch?”
She quickly changed her expression, blinking her large eyes as she asked. Dawoon took a short breath and nodded. Then he apologized internally. Sorry for lying.
Zing. The phone in his pocket rang. After checking the sender of the message, Dawoon told Na-eun he would go ahead.
“Are you coming to the end-of-semester party at the department tomorrow?”
She asked, even though she knew he never attended such events.
“It’s the last one, so come. You have to come!”
Na-eun insisted, as if already anticipating Dawoon’s answer. Dawoon just smiled without giving a definite answer and turned away.
“Jeong Dawoon! Answer before you go!”
Na-eun shouted loudly from behind. If Ui-hyeon had been there, he would have stopped her, saying it was embarrassing and to tone it down, but unfortunately, he was still taking an exam.
“If I have time.”
Finally giving an ambiguous answer, he quickly descended the stairs. Although not entirely satisfied, Na-eun didn’t press further, having received some kind of answer.
***
Bang! The door to the vice chairman’s office opened with a loud noise. Chairman Jeong, his face red and breathing heavily, entered, followed by the vice chairman’s secretaries who looked uneasy. Hayun, who had been looking at the monitor, raised his head at the commotion and gestured for the secretaries to leave.
“What brings you here without notice? Please, have a seat.”
He offered the sofa in the center of the vice chairman’s office, but instead of sitting, Chairman Jeong approached Hayun’s desk and slammed it with a bang.
“Explain what this is!”
He threw down a file folder. Hayun glanced down at the folder with just his eyes.
“It’s exactly as you see.”
Unlike the agitated Chairman Jeong, Hayun remained calm.
“Why are you going to the London branch?”
Chairman Jeong shouted. Hayun smiled slightly and stood up.
“Wasn’t everything explained in there?”
Inside the file folder Chairman Jeong had thrown were plans for expanding business at the London branch, with Jeong Hayun himself listed as the final person in charge. It was such a large-scale business plan that it couldn’t proceed without Hayun.
Of course, there was a way to proceed by traveling between Seoul and the London branch, like with the Saudi Arabian city planning project. But this time, he had no such intention.
“Since you’re here as the chairman, there shouldn’t be any problem even if I’m away.”
In reality, the chairman position was in name only at present, and all decisions were made by Hayun. Still, Chairman Jeong couldn’t deny Hayun’s statement that there wouldn’t be any problems since he was there.
“Why London of all places!”
Chairman Jeong raised his voice again.
“Is there any reason why it can’t be London?”
Although he knew why the chairman was so angry, Hayun feigned ignorance and calmly asked back. Chairman Jeong’s face contorted, unable to honestly answer that he intended to send Dawoon there.
Hayun stared steadily at Chairman Jeong, who was red-faced and breathing heavily. His gaze seemed to say, “If you have anything to say, say it.” Chairman Jeong frowned and took a deep breath.
“If you must go to London, at least get engaged before you go!”
An unexpected response caused Hayun to burst into laughter. It seemed the chairman had decided to take a step back rather than confront him more strongly, probably because he wasn’t planning to send Jeong Dawoon to London, but to a place quite far from London, even if it was in England.
Even so, engagement? This old man really doesn’t know when to give up.
“I’ve told you before that I won’t do that.”
He answered with a smile, still playing the role of the proper grandson.
“Jeong Hayun!”
“I have no intention of having anyone by my side other than Dawoon, so give up.”
Even as he watched Chairman Jeong’s face turn from red to pale, Hayun continued speaking with a smiling face.
