I woke up with a slightly hazy consciousness.
Strangely enough, as soon as I woke up, the first thing I felt wasn’t the warm air of the room or the soft texture of the blanket. It was just his strong body, which had embraced me tightly last night.
Now that I express it this way, it does seem a bit indecent, but I wasn’t particularly embarrassed. Even if I say it’s not yet the case, it will eventually become a rite of passage for lovers, so what’s there to be ashamed of?
【Uju♥】 – You said you couldn’t meet today because of something else, right?
【Uju♥】 – Don’t worry about me, just rest well, noona.
【Uju♥】 – If you happen to be bored, feel free to come over anytime!
【Uju♥】 – (emoji of a tiger laying out a red carpet)
Pfft.
As soon as I checked the message, a gentle smile spread across my lips. Somehow, the tiger character in the emoji seemed to overlap with his appearance, making it even cuter.
【Me】 – Yeah, thanks.
【Me】 – I’ll see you tomorrow, Uju.
After sending a reply to Uju, I caressed my fluttering heart and let out a sigh.
That’s right. As of yesterday, Uju and I had finally dropped the honorifics.
To be precise, the way Uju addresses me hadn’t changed, but the way I addressed Uju did. I haven’t fully adjusted yet, but one thing was certain: I was happy.
“Hello, Secretary Kim?”
– Yes, Director.
Keeping that joy close, the person I called was none other than Secretary Kim.
I called, knowing it was early, because I had someone to meet and various requests to make.
“I’ll leave by 11, so please have a car waiting downstairs. And could you let my father know that I’d like to see him for a moment?”
– You mean the Chairman?
Secretary Kim seemed surprised at the name that slipped out, as a hint of astonishment mingled with his usually businesslike tone.
Well, it’s no wonder he would be surprised since I hardly visit my father except when returning to the family home. I could understand if he thought something must have happened.
In reality, something had indeed happened.
“Yes, if he’s not busy, please tell him I’d like to see him today. If he says no, just arrange another time and let me know.”
– Understood.
Though I said that, it was obvious that my father would rearrange everything to meet me if his schedule didn’t allow it. He can be quite overbearing when it comes to his children, though not as much as my mother.
Especially since I’m the one who only manages to show my face during holidays, it’s plain that he would make time to see me.
It’s been a while since we last met, maybe I should buy a gift.
Swoosh.
Thinking I should ponder this while showering, I took off my clothes and headed straight for the shower.
*
My father was, as expected, at the company today.
It wasn’t surprising at all since I had been in much the same position until recently. Both my father and I are the type of people who live to work.
As Secretary Kim and I walked toward the chairman’s office with my father’s favorite liquor in hand, a man in his early to mid-fifties, who was guarding the entrance, greeted me.
Of course, it was none other than Mr. Secretary Jeong, who was close to my father and someone I could call a friendly uncle since I had known him since childhood.
“Oh, Mr. Secretary Jeong. It’s been a while.”
“Welcome, miss. You seem to have grown more beautiful during the time we haven’t seen each other.”
“Really? I’m glad to hear that.”
Normally, I would have brushed off such remarks as a joke, but now that I had someone special in my heart, it felt too hard to overlook, so I smiled happily.
Mr. Secretary Jeong watched me with a warm expression and nodded his head.
“The Chairman is waiting inside. He seemed to be hardly able to take his eyes off the window all day, eagerly anticipating your arrival.”
“Is that so? I should have come a bit earlier.”
“Do come by more often. I’m sure the Chairman has been hoping for that.”
The fact that Mr. Secretary Jeong said such things meant that my father had subtly expressed his disappointment at my rare visits.
Feeling guilty toward my father and also sorry for Mr. Secretary Jeong, I apologized and stepped inside.
Just then, my eyes met my father’s as he stood by the window, gazing intently toward the entrance.
“Ahem, ahem. You’re here.”
“I’m sorry for not contacting you properly, Father.”
My father, who was clearly aware I was coming, pretended not to notice, which I found rather adorable.
When my mother had once answered my question about what she found attractive about my father with “His cuteness,” I had wondered what she meant at that time, but lately, I feel like I’m starting to understand.
After all, my Uju is just as cute.
Perhaps women have this ability to spot cuteness in a man they like.
“I’m not the kind of heartless father who cannot understand a busy daughter. Ah, you’re here too.”
“Yes, Chairman. It’s been a while since we last exchanged greetings.”
“Hmm, you must be having quite a hard time because of Seo-ha, huh? You’ve been busy with various matters lately, haven’t you?”
“It’s nothing to worry about. Ah, and I wanted to give you this…”
As Secretary Kim handed over a box containing the liquor, my father took it, checked the label of his favorite brand, and couldn’t help but smile.
“Then we’ll be taking our leave now, Chairman.”
“Alright, take it easy.”
After successfully completing his mission, Secretary Kim turned his back and left the chairman’s office with Mr. Secretary Jeong, leaving my father and me to sit across from each other on the sofa.
“I heard the news. You’re doing quite well with the friend you mentioned before?”
“…Yes, Father.”
Caught off guard by my father abruptly bringing up my relationship with Uju, I hesitated before finally nodding in response.
I knew that my mother had found out, but it turns out my father knew as well. While it wasn’t too shocking, I was still a bit taken aback that he jumped straight to that topic.
“That’s good news. There was a time when you showed no interest in men at all that your mother and I even talked about whether you liked women instead.”
“Wh-what do you mean…?”
“I mean it casually. It’s a relief that it’s not true.”
Realizing I had almost fallen victim to a huge misunderstanding sent a chill down my spine.
Come to think of it, even though I had been dismissive of men, they seriously doubted my romantic preferences. It seems my parents were pondering my love life far more seriously than I realized.
I was just glad I could share some good news with them.
“So, have you decided to date?”
“Ah, not yet. Actually, we confirmed our feelings for each other yesterday, but I ended up asking for a little more time…”
“Speaking of which, I heard about it. It seems you haven’t told him that you’re part of the Changseong Group, have you?”
“No…”
As I nodded gloomily in response to my father’s keen observation, I felt rather pathetic.
While we had confirmed our feelings for each other, there was still a truth I needed to reveal to Uju. Moreover, the number of lies I told him was astonishingly high.
I wouldn’t have the right to continue a relationship with him without expressing the truth and being understood.
Knowing that but still being unable to voice it made me feel low.
“Whatever the case, don’t rush. If he said he would wait for you, that means he’s not the kind to hurry you.”
“You’re right, and I feel guilty about that.”
In a way, it was Uju who, due to my urging, ended up revealing his past trauma and bravely extended his hand first.
And here I was, the girl, asking for time to gather my thoughts while not even grasping his hand, which was downright shameless.
“Once you decide to trust someone, be sure to trust them completely. That will translate to trusting yourself.”
“Yes, Father. Thank you.”
As I smiled in response to his insightful advice, my father returned my smile, looking relieved.
“Now, what brings you here today? I assume it’s not just to update me on your romance progress?”
“Ah, actually…”
Sure enough, my father was sharp as a tack when it came to figuring out others’ intentions. It seemed that didn’t change even if it was his daughter.
I narrowed my eyes in admiration and decided to reveal the real purpose of my visit today. Normally, I would have tried to handle this on my own, but this was an issue that required my father’s influence to be handled more firmly.
“There’s a case I’m personally investigating, and I’d like to ask for your help with the aftermath.”
“Hm, a case? That’s quite a grim word. By ‘aftermath,’ what do you mean?”
“Actually, I heard that one of the main perpetrators involved in this case is the son of a venture company owner.”
Even if I spoke vaguely, he seemed to immediately grasp the underlying meaning, looking at me intently with sharp eyes while stroking his chin.
“…So, you want to give him a little lesson?”
“No, if it were just that, I wouldn’t need to ask you for help.”
Investigating a person and causing them to suffer repercussions would be an easy task for me now. I wouldn’t have to resort to my father’s power for such a trivial matter.
Yet, the reason I approached my father was simple.
“I want to make them regret having such a child. I want them to learn firsthand that those who make others weep will inevitably shed tears themselves.”
I merely wished to return the unhappiness and sorrow Uju had experienced a hundredfold, a thousandfold.
I wanted to see them kneeling before me, begging me to spare their wretched scion, at least allowing him to stay alive on this land.
That was my bare minimum wish.
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