LGHTNOVELBOOK Ch93 - Both Sides
While everyone was frozen in shock, Eun-joo was the first to regain her composure and shouted.
“Deputy! We’ve been looking for you! What are you doing here!”
Eun-joo quickly organized Jeong-oh’s laptop as she shouted.
“Come on, let’s hurry up and go! Gi-hoon, get ready quickly! We have a meeting!”
Jeong-oh had never seen Eun-joo, usually so poised and graceful, move so swiftly to gather her things.
For a moment, he was speechless, but Eun-joo’s quick response snapped him back to reality. He felt that he couldn’t leave Gi-hoon and Ji-hun alone like this. Ji-hun was no concern, but the innocent Gi-hoon was worrisome. He needed to separate the two as soon as possible.
Gi-hoon, whose brain was still reeling from Ji-hun’s reckless words, remained dazed as Eun-joo pulled him out of the conference room. Jeong-oh shot Ji-hun a sharp glance before leaving the meeting room.
As he stepped out, he checked on Gi-hoon. Gi-hoon’s face was as red as one molded from pink clay, not just his cheeks but also his ears and neck.
Seeing such a reaction, it was clear that Gi-hoon had heard everything Ji-hun said, but how to handle it now?
“Gi-hoon…”
Just as Jeong-oh cautiously reached out to Gi-hoon, another voice called out to him from across the room.
“Deputy Lee Jeong-oh!”
The planning team’s team leader had rushed over with the head of the team, looking for Jeong-oh.
“Deputy Lee, we need your help! Come quickly!”
“Uh? What’s going on?”
“The client is calling for us, and you’re the only one who can handle it with quick thinking!”
“W-wait! I have a meeting to attend!”
Jeong-oh exclaimed as he was hurried away by the AE from the planning team, who grabbed his shoulders.
“It’s okay. Go ahead, Deputy!”
Eun-joo said to Jeong-oh. In fact, there was no urgent meeting at all; it was just an excuse to get Jeong-oh and Gi-hoon out of the conference room. It was fortunate that the planning team arrived just in time to take Jeong-oh away.
Once Jeong-oh was swept away like someone caught in a crowded subway entrance, Eun-joo sighed quietly.
Gi-hoon still wore a blank expression, tightly shutting his mouth. Eun-joo began to notice a side of Gi-hoon she had never seen before.
As Gi-hoon was about to quietly sit down, he suddenly flinched. He saw Ji-hun walking gracefully down the hallway behind Eun-joo. Ji-hun was also leaving the conference room, returning to his office.
“Gi-hoon, hang in there. You can overcome this! Let’s get back to work and focus!”
Eun-joo silently sent a telepathic message of encouragement, though she couldn’t bring herself to say it directly.
However, Gi-hoon, who had been silently sitting and clenching and unclenching his fists, ultimately stood up.
“Gi-hoon, where are you going…?”
Eun-joo called out desperately, but Gi-hoon didn’t respond. She helplessly watched as his youthful determination led him toward Ji-hun’s office.
Gi-hoon knocked confidently on Ji-hun’s office door and entered.
“Director.”
Ji-hun, who was about to sit down, turned his back against the executive desk and looked at Gi-hoon. Just staring silently was enough to make Gi-hoon feel pressured. But he steeled himself and bravely spoke up.
“Director, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”
“I thought you, Song Gi-hoon, would understand.”
As expected, Ji-hun responded clearly without getting flustered or agitated. When Gi-hoon hesitated and didn’t respond, Ji-hun skillfully pressed on.
“Or did I mistakenly pick on someone who isn’t aware?”
“……”
“Are you certain you can guarantee that you have no feelings for Deputy Lee Jeong-oh? Then I’ll apologize.”
Having no intention of hiding anymore, Ji-hun asked pointedly, as if he could read Gi-hoon’s mind. Gi-hoon’s expression changed first, suddenly realizing something.
Director Jeong Ji-hun likes Deputy Lee Jeong-oh too.
But that couldn’t be a reason. Unless he was directly involved, Ji-hun couldn’t give him such advice.
“…But I don’t understand why I should hear such things from you.”
After a moment of silence, Gi-hoon replied.
“Why are you saying that? It’s between me and Deputy Lee Jeong-oh.”
“……”
“Just because you have feelings for Deputy Lee Jeong-oh doesn’t mean you can control my words or actions.”
“Not at all.”
Ji-hun decisively countered Gi-hoon’s argument. Gi-hoon flinched again at that boldness, feeling as if he were being overpowered by Ji-hun.
“If you control my words and actions, then I…”
“That’s not it; I’m saying it’s not one-sided.”
Thinking Gi-hoon had misunderstood, Ji-hun clarified. What he was pointing out wasn’t Gi-hoon’s words or actions, but rather that his feelings for Lee Jeong-oh weren’t one-sided.
Gi-hoon stared at Ji-hun in shock, his eyes widening. As he opened them wider, Ji-hun’s handsome idol-like features shone even brighter. Ji-hun’s competitive spirit surged.
I have to make him realize this; a man’s instincts sent a sharp warning to Ji-hun.
“…If it’s not one-sided…”
“Both sides.”
“……”
“Does that answer your question?”
In the midst of everyone being frozen, Eun-joo, the first to regain her senses, shouted.
“Deputy! We’ve been looking everywhere! What are you doing here!”
As she organized Jeong-oh’s laptop, she continued to shout.
“Come on, let’s hurry up and get ready! Gi-hun, you too! Let’s have a meeting!”
Seeing the other party waiting ahead, the princess of the world, who never ran, was packing up with such agility that Jeong-oh had never witnessed before.
Momentarily at a loss for words, Jeong-oh also snapped back to reality thanks to Eun-joo’s quick response. He felt he couldn’t leave Gi-hun and Ji-heon alone like this. Ji-heon was no worry, but he was concerned about the innocent young Gi-hun. He decided he needed to separate the two quickly.
Stunned by Ji-heon’s hurtful words, Gi-hun remained in a daze as Eun-joo pulled him out of the meeting room. Jeong-oh shot a sharp glance at Ji-heon before leaving the meeting room.
As they exited the meeting room, Jeong-oh checked on Gi-hun’s condition. His face was as red as a person sculpted from pink clay, not just his face but also his ears and neck.
Judging by his reaction, it seemed he had heard everything Ji-heon said, but how could this be handled?
“Gi-hun…”
Just as Jeong-oh cautiously reached out to him.
“Lee Jeong-oh!”
Another voice calling Jeong-oh from the opposite side interrupted them. The deputy team leader from the planning team had rushed in with the team leader.
“Lee, we need your help! Hurry, come on!”
“Uh? What’s going on?”
“The client is calling for us, and we need someone who can think on their feet, and that someone is you!”
“Uh, uh, uh! But I have a meeting!”
As Jeong-oh was being pulled away by the AE from the planning team, he shouted in a fluster.
“It’s okay. Just go, Deputy.”
Eun-joo said to Jeong-oh. In truth, there was no urgent meeting; it was just an excuse to get Jeong-oh and Gi-hun out of the meeting room. It was fortunate that the planning team came to take Jeong-oh away at that moment.
After Jeong-oh was swept away like someone waiting at the entrance of a crowded subway station, Eun-joo let out a quiet sigh.
Gi-hun was still sitting there with a blank expression, keeping his mouth tightly shut. Eun-joo began to notice Gi-hun’s uncharacteristically anxious demeanor.
Just as Gi-hun was about to quietly sit down, he flinched. He spotted Director Jeong Ji-heon sauntering down the hallway behind Eun-joo. Ji-heon was also leaving the meeting room and heading back to his office.
“Gi-hun, hang in there. You can do this! Let’s get back to work!”
Eun-joo couldn’t bring herself to say it directly, so she sent supportive telepathy from her seat.
However, despite quietly sitting and opening and closing his fists, Gi-hun eventually stood up abruptly.
“Gi-hun, where are you going…?”
Eun-joo called out sorrowfully, but Gi-hun didn’t answer. She watched in despair as youthful vigor led him towards Director Jeong Ji-heon’s office.
Gi-hun confidently knocked on the door of Ji-heon’s office and stepped inside.
“Director.”
Ji-heon, who had turned his back while about to sit, leaned against the executive desk and looked at Gi-hun. Just by looking silently, Gi-hun felt overwhelmed by his aura. Yet he steeled himself and bravely spoke.
“Director, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”
“I thought you would understand, Song Gi-hun.”
Ji-heon replied steadily, not at all flustered or agitated. Gi-hun hesitated, unable to respond, prompting Ji-heon to skillfully continue.
“Did I catch you off guard?”
“…”
“I can assure you that I didn’t have even the slightest feeling for Lee Jeong-oh as a woman. If that’s the case, I’ll apologize.”
Having no intention of hiding any longer, Ji-heon spoke directly. When Ji-heon asked him pointedly, Gi-hun’s expression changed. Suddenly, he realized something.
Director Jeong Ji-heon likes Lee Jeong-oh too.
But that couldn’t be a reason. After all, it was one thing for him to feel that way as a party involved, but Ji-heon had no right to give him such advice.
“…But I don’t understand why I have to hear this from you, Director.”
After Gi-hun, whose feelings had been exposed, paused for a moment, he replied.
“Why are you saying this? It’s a matter between me and Lee Jeong-oh.”
“…”
“Just because you like Lee Jeong-oh unilaterally doesn’t mean you can control how I speak or act.”
“That’s not true.”
Ji-heon replied curtly to Gi-hun’s assertion. Gi-hun flinched again at the confidence in his response. It felt as if he was being overpowered by Ji-heon.
“If you can control my words and actions, then I…”
“No, I’m not being unilateral.”
Feeling that Gi-hun had misunderstood, Ji-heon clarified once more. What Ji-heon was emphasizing was not Gi-hun’s words or actions but that his feelings for Lee Jeong-oh weren’t one-sided.
Gi-hun stared wide-eyed at Ji-heon, shocked. As he opened his eyes wide, Ji-heon’s good-looking idol-like appearance shone even brighter. Ji-heon’s competitive spirit surged.
He had to make Gi-hun back down; a man’s instinct warned Ji-heon sharply.
“…If it’s not unilateral…”
“Then it’s mutual.”
“…”
“Is that answer sufficient?”
With Ji-heon’s uninterrupted response, Gi-hun’s eyes trembled. His heart collapsed.
“Gi-hun, you said you were tight-lipped, right?”
“…”
“I hope you keep this a secret.”
Ji-heon seemed to grant Gi-hun some time to collect himself, leaving the office first. He maintained a confident and relaxed demeanor until the end, making him appear even more cruel and sinister in Gi-hun’s eyes.
‘Why, Deputy? Why of all people… Why that guy…’
He didn’t have the black heart to pursue a relationship with Lee Jeong-oh. However, he respected Ji-heon so much, thought him too kind, and found him too pitiful, wanting to protect him.
He thought he was protecting him. Yet all that he had done was sabotage.
Thinking back, something always felt off about the two of them. Director Jeong Ji-heon sought out Lee Jeong-oh unusually often. Unlike other employees, they seemed to have spent quite a lot of time alone together.
Ji-heon’s decision to go on a business trip abroad was also when Lee Jeong-oh replaced Team Leader Seong Mi-ran for the overseas shoot.
The moments of doubt fell into place. Gi-hun felt like he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.
“Gi-hun, what’s wrong with you?”
Seeing Gi-hun slump down in his seat, Deputy Park Young-gwang asked.
“Deputy.”
“…”
“I want to quit this company…”
Gi-hun replied in a voice completely devoid of spirit.
Afterward, Gi-hun remained unable to collect himself. This was the unfortunate situation that Eun-joo had feared. The youngest member of the team had lost his energy and couldn’t get any work done. The results he produced with his weak hands were all lifeless.
“Team Leader, Director Jeong Ji-heon is the best psycho I know. He must have come here to blow up this company.”
As soon as Eun-joo bumped into Mi-ran returning from the meeting, she vented her frustrations.
When Jeong-oh, who had been dragged away by the planning team, returned after finishing his work outside late in the afternoon, he heard the news that Gi-hun had lost his appetite. Feeling too worried, Jeong-oh packed a bowl of soup from a soup house and returned to the office.
Gi-hun was sitting alone in the break room. Mi-ran had sent him there because she saw no signs of recovery.
“Song Gi-hun…”
“Deputy.”
As Eun-joo cautiously approached, Gi-hun also called out to Jeong-oh.
“Were you dating Director Jeong Ji-heon?”
Gi-hun asked the person directly. Upon confirming with Jeong-oh’s trembling eyes, Gi-hun let out a bitter sigh.
“Who said that?”
“The director.”
“…”
“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
After Gi-hun greeted her weakly and left, Jeong-oh muttered “Oh my God” as she exited the break room.
Returning to the team, she found Gi-hun sitting at his desk, weakly clicking the mouse. Eun-joo messaged Jeong-oh through the company messenger.
– Gi-hun just went to Director Jeong’s office alone a while ago. He’s been like this ever since.
Eun-joo secretly hoped that Ji-heon had been dumped decisively by Jeong-oh and sent a curse-laden report. Eun-joo’s curse had a partial effect. Jeong-oh clenched his fist and strode toward Ji-heon’s office.
A few hours earlier, as he walked through the hallway, Ji-heon had confirmed that Gi-hun was sitting blankly at his desk with a lost expression. Ji-heon felt no pangs of guilt.
Though he was the leader of the department, he couldn’t be a good person to everyone. For him, who had lived carelessly without being too invested in his work, the most important thing was always Lee Jeong-oh. His relationship with Jeong-oh was more important than his work.
Later, Jeong-oh, who had a slightly different stance than Ji-heon, came to find him in the late afternoon, fuming.
“Did you tell Song Gi-hun everything?”
Pfft. At her cute and ridiculous tone, Ji-heon couldn’t help but laugh. However, Jeong-oh was serious.
“This isn’t a joke!”
Grinding her teeth, Jeong-oh confronted Ji-heon.
“Sure, he would find out sooner or later, but you shouldn’t have said it like that. I should have told him myself, carefully!”
“Carefully when?”
As she came at him so earnestly, he couldn’t help but back down. It was a topic that needed to be addressed, and Ji-heon had to address it earnestly.
“You should have told him long ago.”
“When was there time to talk? Think about how busy we were.”
“When Ye-na was hospitalized, I called you, right? You should have mentioned it then.”
Ji-heon had his own grievances. It bothered him that the woman who had put up such a strong wall and was terrifying to him was so tender toward Gi-hun.
He let it go without bringing it up, fearing he might seem petty, but he had definitely hinted at it at some point.
He felt uncomfortable that Gi-hun knew more about her than he did.
Jeong-oh let out a sigh of resignation and asked, “At that time? Should I have told Song Gi-hun while driving?”
“Of course.”
“Should I have revealed that? At that time?”
“Absolutely. It was a good opportunity.”
“Opportunity? Ye-na collapsed. In that dark moment, I should have rambled on about our relationship to Song Gi-hun?”
Jeong-oh’s retort made Ji-heon’s brows furrow. While he understood her situation and circumstances, he didn’t want to easily admit it. He felt that he had gained Ye-na’s heart, but he still hadn’t won Jeong-oh’s heart.
He was also frustrated that he was still stuck in the emotional state of the villain.
How do we make progress?
In the midst of this, his phone buzzed. Ji-heon turned his head towards his phone. The screen illuminated, and he noticed a message from “Princess Ye-na.”
– I hope Dad comes to pick me up from the academy.
A short message containing the child’s wish to be picked up from the academy.
That brief sentence smoothed the lines on Ji-heon’s forehead. He immediately picked up his phone.
It was the first text message sent to him by his child. Ji-heon gazed at the sixteen characters sent by his child, engraving each letter in his heart. Each character brought waves of emotion.
Did she maintain proper spelling at the age of seven? She must be a copywriter’s daughter.
How long did it take her to send this?
Imagining that she had been fiddling with the phone screen with her small hand, he felt a flutter of excitement even amidst the serious moment. It felt like the child was playfully squeezing his heart.
“What’s this? Are you avoiding my question? Why are you smiling?”
Not yet aware of the situation, Jeong-oh glared at him, questioning him. Yet, a proud smile leaked from Ji-heon’s lips.
“Sorry.”
“Is saying sorry going to solve anything? What are you going to do now?”
Facing the furious Jeong-oh, Ji-heon leisurely put on his suit jacket.
“I’ll talk about it later. I have to step out for a bit.”
“No. You can’t. Finish this conversation first.”
Blocking Ji-heon’s path with a fierce expression, Jeong-oh stood her ground.
“I have to go.”
In the end, Ji-heon had no choice but to show his phone screen. He may have wanted to boast a little.
The various expressions on Jeong-oh’s face changed as she read the text message on Ji-heon’s phone screen. She initially scowled but raised her eyebrows as she read the message, then pouted and looked at Ji-heon with dissatisfaction.
“What? She called for you?”
Did she not call me, but rather her father?