Cheongwoo Art Center was showing a different side than what Jinhyuk Park had imagined. Its exterior alone proved its scale was far beyond the simple art gallery he had expected.
High ceilings, a wide lobby, and floors meticulously paved with marble—every minor detail gave off an impression of high-end luxury. Furthermore, a massive advertisement for a current performance, nearly 3 stories high, hung inside the center.
Jinhyuk, who had simply thought of it as a gallery, followed the guiding staff member inside, admiring the way Cheongwoo Art Center aimed for comprehensive art. Jinhyuk and Junwoo Kim passed the offices located within the art center and came to a stop in front of a room.
“Representative,” Junwoo Kim said to Jinhyuk, looking at the nameplate on the door. He was following behind, carrying a bonsai intended as a gift for Han Ji-yeon.
Jinhyuk looked at the nameplate as well. “The person I actually wanted to meet is nowhere to be seen, yet someone I never expected wants to see me. Don’t worry. They know I’m here, so whether I go to them or they come to me, we’re bound to meet.”
The door, which bore a nameplate that read Center Director, opened from the inside.
“Welcome. I’ve wanted to meet you, and here we are.”
The greeting was heard before a face was even visible. Jinhyuk strode inside to see who was greeting him.
‘In her 30s? I’ve heard that wealthy ladies take rigorous care of themselves, so she’s probably older than she looks. Since Director Oh also looks 10 years younger than her age… is she in her early or mid-40s? Is this really the Art Center Director?’
Back in his days as Yujeonggeol, his profession involved dealing with people, which naturally gave him the ability to judge a person’s character and occupation by the aura they emitted. Even though his body had changed, that ability remained rooted deep in Jinhyuk’s mind. He believed this skill, combined with his other abilities, had been the factor behind his success so far.
And now, that ability was unfolding once again.
A very familiar feeling. The atmosphere, the vibe, the speech, and the expressions all told him what kind of person the Center Director was.
A bar girl.
Even among them, she gave off the vibe of a woman from a cheap bar, not a high-end one. No matter how much she adorned herself with expensive clothes and a high status, she couldn’t hide the aura of her true nature. The cheapness was so palpable it was almost like a scent.
“Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Jinhyuk Park from DS Telecom.”
However, even if she felt cheap, the seat she occupied was not. Jinhyuk hid his true thoughts and greeted the Center Director politely.
Before he could even finish his greeting, she approached him, scanning him from head to toe. “You’re different from what Ji-yeon described. Ji-yeon said… you weren’t much, but seeing you in person, you’re quite handsome. You’re tall and look good in your clothes… That girl really has no eye for men. To have such a fine gem right in front of her and not recognize it properly, tsk tsk. Please, sit here.”
She sat Jinhyuk across from her and did not take her eyes off him. Jinhyuk received her sticky gaze calmly, but the feeling wasn’t exactly pleasant. If she hadn’t been sitting in the position of Center Director, he might have walked out of the room immediately; that was how unpleasant her gaze was.
After staring at him for a long time, she finally spoke. “Director Oh has talked about you a lot, Representative.”
“About me? I have a rough idea of what she might have said.”
At Jinhyuk’s words, the Center Director laughed excessively. “Hohoho. I heard you were handsome, and you certainly live up to the rumors. Seeing you like this, I can understand why women were always around you. You must have broken many hearts.”
“Not at all. Those are just rumors.”
“Come by and visit often. Do you have my contact information? Should I give it to you separately?”
It was a blatant flirtation. Her behavior proved that Jinhyuk hadn’t misjudged her.
“Our Representative is truly handsome. But why did Ji-yeon badmouth him so much? Representative, please understand her. She’s originally just like that.”
She was calling Han Ji-yeon casually. Her words contained a nuance that suggested she knew her far better than a superior would know an employee. Looking at her like this, it would normally be reasonable to assume she was Han Ji-yeon’s mother.
The director of an art center supported by a conglomerate group was usually a position held by the chairman’s wife. However, even if she was older than she looked, she didn’t seem old enough to have Han Ji-yeon as a daughter. Most importantly, her appearance didn’t share a single resemblance with Han Ji-yeon, so she couldn’t be her biological mother.
Yet, contrary to Jinhyuk’s thoughts, unexpected words tumbled from her mouth.
“She’s always like that. Her attitude toward her mother… Her personality is the type that won’t get any praise anywhere. Whether it’s to her younger siblings or to me, her mother, she doesn’t even greet us properly. I don’t know who she takes after.”
Jinhyuk narrowed his eyes as he looked at the woman calling herself “mother.” He then recalled Cheongwoo’s complicated family history.
‘Did they say the Cheongwoo Chairman has three women?’
Jinhyuk couldn’t tell if the woman before him was the current legal wife who had come in as a second wife, or a mistress kept on the outside. Regardless, he could tell she wasn’t Han Ji-yeon’s biological mother.
Just as she was smiling warmly and preparing to start a serious conversation with Jinhyuk, the door swung wide open.
Han Ji-yeon, looking extremely angry, stormed in and shouted at Jinhyuk. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you here to see me?”
Instead of Jinhyuk, the Center Director spoke up to answer Han Ji-yeon’s question.
“Now, now. The Representative took the trouble to come, so I welcomed him. Don’t be like that. Representative, don’t mind her. The child is just like that. I don’t know what you came to ask Ji-yeon, but if you’re okay with it, ask me. I’ll take care of it for you.”
“No, it’s fine. I came here for a personal matter.”
“Oh, hohoho. Really? Child, did you get along with the Representative while doing that? How much did you badmouth him when you were with us? Was it because you were afraid we would tease you? You said so much about the Representative’s personality being this and that, but you were doing this behind our backs? You could have just told the truth. Why were you so sneaky? A person shouldn’t act like that. Don’t be a two-faced hypocrite.”
She spoke with a smile toward Han Ji-yeon, but her words were filled with criticism. It was as if she were speaking specifically for Jinhyuk to hear.
She looked at Han Ji-yeon, who stood there expressionless without even granting her a glance, and continued her tirade, her lips twitching.
“You’re always like that. Do you think you’ll ever meet a decent man with a personality like yours? Oh, right. You’ve met plenty of men before, haven’t you? Well, I suppose it was different when you were handling men. That’s why you swapped them out every other day and probably rolled around with several at once. But you shouldn’t do that. A woman has to cherish her body. What if your future husband found out? How could you have a proper married life? No, would the topic of marriage even come up in the first place?”
The intensity of her criticism toward Han Ji-yeon gradually increased. Hearing her words, which were directed toward him, Jinhyuk could see glimpses of Seyoung Oh in her.
An unwanted stepchild. She was insulting her indirectly, hoping that bad rumors would spread among people.
Han Ji-yeon, who had been ignoring her, finally turned her gaze to the Center Director at the blatant insults. Then, with an expression full of ridicule, she spoke.
“It’s funny hearing that from you. Just because a woman who sold her body moved to a new seat doesn’t mean her past is erased. Is there a single employee here who doesn’t know where you came from? But to say those things with your own mouth… what do you think other people will think?”
“Are you looking down on me right now? I am strictly your mother. What kind of way is that to speak?”
“Mother, my foot… Shall we go to a government office together? To check whether you’re my mother or not? Just because you live in our house doesn’t mean a bar girl becomes my mother.”
“What did you just say? Bar girl?”
“Am I wrong? If I am, try saying so.”
At Han Ji-yeon’s words, the Center Director looked as if she couldn’t contain her rage. She kept glancing at Jinhyuk; if he hadn’t been there, it looked as though she would have grabbed Han Ji-yeon by the hair.
Jinhyuk watched this scene while sitting on the sofa, having taken a step back. He had heard much about Cheongwoo’s complicated inner affairs, but seeing it firsthand made him feel like he was watching an entertaining drama. He realized things might be even more serious than he had thought.
Han Ji-yeon frowned when she noticed Jinhyuk’s reaction. “Aren’t you coming? You said you had something to tell me.”
“Ah, yes. Let’s go.”
Jinhyuk stood up, his smile never fading. He then looked at the Center Director. “I’ll contact you again.”
“Oh, my. Please do. Ji-yeon made such a scene today that we couldn’t even talk properly. Contact me separately. I feel like we’ll get along well.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The Center Director, who until a moment ago looked as if she would shoot lasers from her eyes at Han Ji-yeon, was now giving Jinhyuk her softest smile.
Han Ji-yeon looked back and forth between the two of them. Then, with a cold chill emanating from her, she turned and left the room.
Jinhyuk nodded his farewell to the Center Director and followed Han Ji-yeon out. Junwoo Kim, who had been outside with his ears pricked to hear what was happening inside while holding the bonsai, followed Jinhyuk toward Han Ji-yeon’s office.
Arriving at the Vice Director’s office, which was situated at the opposite end of the hall from the Center Director’s, Han Ji-yeon ordered her secretary to bring tea and slumped onto the sofa.
Jinhyuk glanced at her and then looked around the office while standing. It was the complete opposite of his own office.
“What are you standing there and looking at?”
“It’s different from my room, so there’s a lot to see.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing compared to the DS Telecom representative’s office. You don’t have to speak in circles.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. If I added up all the pieces of furniture in my room, I could count them on one hand, but here, there are many charming things. You must enjoy decorating your room.”
Jinhyuk finished speaking and signaled Junwoo to hand over the bonsai. He then walked over to the sun-drenched window and placed it down.
“This seems like the right spot for it. It’s been some time since you took your position, but I’m only now getting around to giving you a gift.”
“Isn’t that gift in the wrong place? It looks like a gift that would suit the Center Director’s room.”
“No. This red plum belongs here.”
“A red plum?”
Even though Han Ji-yeon hadn’t told him to sit, Jinhyuk naturally went and sat across from her. Still keeping his eyes on the bonsai, he spoke.
“It’s not yet time for it to bloom, so it’s hard to tell, but look at it later when the flowers appear. You’ll see how beautiful it is.”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Han Ji-yeon also turned her gaze to the bonsai. “I showed you something disgraceful, yet you gave me a flower, Representative. What should I give you in return?”
“Do you happen to know anything about plum trees?”
“No.”
At Jinhyuk’s random question, Han Ji-yeon drew her gaze away and looked at him. Junwoo Kim stood behind Jinhyuk after handing over the bonsai, and Jinhyuk was still looking at the tree.
As if feeling Han Ji-yeon’s gaze on him, Jinhyuk began to speak.
“The plum tree is a very stubborn thing. No matter how hard you tend and groom it, it won’t bloom. Instead, it often withers as if ignoring the gardener’s heart is its destiny. And then, just when you’re about to give up on everything, it quietly blooms.”
Han Ji-yeon listened to Jinhyuk’s words in silence. She looked as if she were focusing all her nerves and pricking up her ears to understand the meaning hidden within his speech.
“Do you know why the plum tree does that?”
Jinhyuk threw out the question at the right moment. Han Ji-yeon, completely absorbed in his words, shook her head and waited for his next sentence. Jinhyuk turned his gaze to her and smiled.
“It’s because it has strong pride. The pride of not wanting to be handled by others. But consider this. What if the owner of the bonsai is also a person with strong pride and stubbornness? Or what if they’re someone who isn’t proud but loves the bonsai too much? What if they’re someone whose heart breaks seeing the plum tree wither without blooming? They keep pouring love into it, but the plum tree only sees it as unwanted attention and withers in its stubbornness. Without ever knowing that what the owner offered was love.”
Han Ji-yeon lowered her head without a word. It felt as if she could vaguely sense what he was trying to say.
Jinhyuk raised his hand and signaled Junwoo Kim to leave. Once Junwoo had cautiously stepped out, Jinhyuk spoke to Han Ji-yeon, who still had her head lowered, about the reason he came.
“I came here because I have a favor I’d like to ask you, Ji-yeon.”
“A favor? For me?”
At Jinhyuk’s words, Han Ji-yeon looked up. Her expression and the look in her eyes were much softer than before.
“I need to ask a personal favor, but I don’t know anyone in the art world. And I felt like I could ask you without feeling burdened.”
“Without feeling burdened?”
“Yes. While there are people who become a burden when you owe them a debt, there are bound to be people who aren’t. In your case, you’re closer to the latter.”
“Why is that?”
“I think we think alike. Isn’t that right? Haven’t we proven to each other that we aren’t in a relationship where we’d misunderstand each other’s actions?”
Han Ji-yeon finally realized what Jinhyuk was saying. Facing the person himself and hearing those words actually made her feel a bit resentful. However, just as Jinhyuk said, she felt that he and she thought the same way.
“Right. In that sense, I suppose I’m the least burdensome person for you. Since I can pay back the debt immediately if you do me a favor later.”
“Exactly. That’s it. That’s why I came to you and not someone else.”
“Fine. I understand what you’re saying, Jinhyuk. So stop with all that nonsense about plum trees and get straight to the point. What is it you want to ask me?”
Jinhyuk smiled slightly as he watched Han Ji-yeon mention the plum tree that she supposedly didn’t need to hear about.
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