Page 105 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
In all probability, though, he’s done this for me… Haneul muses.He knows how I feel about Timira.
Haneul smiles and puts a hand on Mr Choi’s shoulder.
‘Thank you, Bujangnim.Neomu, neomu gamsayo[Many, many thanks]. I’ll owe you one!’
It takes Mr Choi only one word to convince Haneul: Timira. Seeing Haneul calm down almost immediately, Mr Choi’s nagging suspicion is only confirmed. That Timira is indeed special to him.
Perhaps this is how it was meant to turn out. Perhaps this is my sign to let go of the ghosts of the past that I’ve held on to for all these years. Perhaps I ought to forgive Rodrigo, let bygones be bygones, and just move the hell on.Haneul breathes deeply and tries to calm his mind.
The nape of his neck that had been burning for the past few minutes starts to cool down. Haneul rubs it gently and smiles a lopsided smile.
‘Okay, Bujangnim. Haeboja[Let’s do it]! Let’s inform your team and see how we can milk this. Yoojin gija is getting what he wants, so it’s only fair that we gain some mileage from it, too!’
Wow, that’s all it took to convince him. Timira!
‘Geurigo, Bujangnim, get our styling team on, as well. I don’t wish to look less impressive than a football star in photos!’
Haneul is laughing, but Mr Choi can sense emotions hidden behind his happy countenance.
Aniyo, aniyo, that’s just a suspicion. I’m sure Rodrigo is not related to Daepyonim’s accident in Japan. No way! Even though they are of somewhat similar age … no no! I will not dwell on a mere suspicion, nope!
Mr Choi takes his leave from Haneul and walks out of his cabin feeling like a burden has been lifted off his shoulders.
Inside, Haneul crumples a sheet of paper into a ball, dribbles it for a few seconds before kicking it straight inside the trash can as Mr Choi watches from the outside, marvelling at his boss’ skills that seem to have collected no rust in all these years.
* * *
Everybody at the SecondSkin office is taken by surprise when they find out about Haneul and Rodrigo’s joint interview. The tension between them hasn’t gone unnoticed, so everyone is naturally curious to know what has brought this about.Especially the marketing department that is as curious as it is excited about this coup of sorts.
‘Bujangnim, tell us, won’t you? How did you manage this?’
Choi Seongjae’s team is thrilled about their boss having secured this interview. They knew that the PR department was lining up interviews with Rodrigo, but the idea of interviewing together with their handsome but media-shy chaebol CEO seemed too good to be true so it had never even been floated. And now their boss had gone ahead and done the impossible.
Mr Choi, uncomfortable with the admiration being showered upon him, is only able to manage a nervous smile.
‘I didn’t do anything. Just so happened that the reporter bumped into me and we got talking …’
He looks sideways at Hanee, who is at the coffee vending machine brewing a cuppa.
‘… you bumped into Yoojin gija? That notorious hound? Bujangnim, have you known him from before? Is that why he approached you and not the PR team?’ his team interrupts.
Mr Choi looks flustered and it shows when he speaks.
‘Er, well, yes, I mean, yeah, sort of,’ he answers vaguely.
He looks at Hanee yet again who picks up her coffee and noiselessly walks out of the pantry without so much as even a glance at him.
‘Seonbae, did you hear?’
Hanee is now back inside Timira’s cabin holding two steaming mugs of Americano.
‘Heard what, Honey?’
Hanee fills her in. But finds herself unable to tell her that it began when she spotted Kang Yoojin lurking near the office.
She doesn’t need to know. Daepyonim has clearly stepped up so her history with Rodrigo would not be made public. She has no need to feel guilty about it. Daepyonim has done what any man in his shoes would’ve done.
Timira doesn’t at all like the idea.
