Chapter 16: Why Are You Avoiding Me?

Within Seojeon, a joke circulated that one had to pass through Chief Seo Junhwan to reach Ki Joyoon.

Joyoon rarely revealed himself unless it was absolutely necessary.

He used Seo Junhwan as a primary gateway, ensuring that only filtered data ever reached his desk.

This remained true even after he transitioned from Executive Vice President to CEO.

In external circles, rumors floated that he might suffer from social anxiety, but the reason was much simpler: Joyoon just didn’t want to waste time.

Of course, critical primary reports were delivered to him directly.

However, unless a proposal was immediately rejected, it was mostly handled by Junhwan until the core of the report was condensed enough to be summarized in a single line.

Being the CEO’s direct team made no difference.

The team members would hold meetings, organize the data, and then hand it over to Chief Seo Junhwan.

Instructions always came down through Junhwan, and reports always went up through him.

Yet, for some reason, Ki Joyoon—a man who was said to be harder to see than a celebrity—had decided to attend a meeting in person.

Because of that, Eunjae’s steps toward the meeting room were filled with excitement.

One benefit of being the direct team was that everything was handled on the same floor.

The CEO’s office, the meeting room, and the Strategic Planning Team office were all clustered together.

Just as Jiheum was about to follow Eunjae into the meeting room, she heard a door open in the lobby of the executive suite.

Jiheum’s gaze shifted instinctively toward the office.

She locked eyes with Joyoon, who was stepping out with a somewhat bored gait.

A spark of interest flickered in Joyoon’s pupils.

The moment Jiheum saw the corners of his lips curve into a slanted smile, she whipped her body around.

Ah, I’m doomed. I should have greeted him.

Jiheum realized her mistake a second too late, but her body had already closed the meeting room door and was heading toward her seat.

As Jiheum sat down and brushed back her hair in frustration, the door opened again.

As everyone prepared to stand, Joyoon raised a hand, gesturing for them to stay seated.

“Let’s start the meeting immediately.”

As Joyoon took his seat, the team members began reporting their prepared materials one by one.

Joyoon nodded or maintained eye contact, signaling that he was listening intently.

The meeting started with basic sales figures before moving on to the comprehensive remodeling of the department store.

The strategy focused on breaking away from the classic department store image and establishing a differentiated strategy for the younger generation and VVIPs.

While the department store had previously seen only minor, incremental changes, Joyoon’s appointment as CEO signaled a massive overhaul.

“Let’s start by changing the VVIP service.”

The moment Joyoon, who had been listening calmly, spoke, the atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

The team members’ eyes were drawn to him as if by magnets.

“Nowadays, we live in a world where anyone can become a VIP or VVIP as long as they have money. To true VVIP customers, this is nothing short of irritating. What they truly want is discrimination and inequality.”

Discrimination and inequality.

Those two words swirled in Jiheum’s head.

Is that what Jiyoon wants, too?

Jiyoon, who was born officially to a married couple, and herself, born as an illegitimate child.

A relationship where Jiyoon never wanted them to be on the same level.

“We must make them feel that they belong to a class entirely separate from regular VIPs. It shouldn’t just be about money. Package it so it feels like one must possess something beyond wealth to enter the VVIP group.”

Joyoon’s words weren’t reaching Jiheum properly.

Struck by the sudden loneliness of her reality—where being discriminated against and despised was treated as natural simply because she was born illegitimate—a self-mocking smile bloomed on her lips.

“Assistant Manager Yoon Jiheum.”

“Yes?”

Jiheum flinched and immediately smoothed over her expression.

Joyoon’s gaze was fixed steadily on her; she had no idea how long he had been watching.

“Did you understand what I said?”

At Joyoon’s question, the eyes of every team member turned toward Jiheum at once.

Under the sudden scrutiny, Jiheum adjusted her smile and spoke.

“Ah… are you saying we should sell ‘value’?”

The value that says ‘you and we are born different.’

“Exactly. Make being a Seojeon VVIP a source of pride. Make the VIPs crave the VVIP status. Make it so that even the VVIPs of other department stores have no choice but to come to Seojeon.”

Joyoon finished his statement and scanned the team members, confirming if the direction he wanted had been properly conveyed.

“Yes. We will frame the plan along those lines.”

The meeting concluded with Manager Heo Hyeyoung’s response.

Everyone stood up, exchanging words of hard work.

As Joyoon left first, the faces of the staff gathering their materials showed clear signs of exhaustion.

It had only been an hour-long meeting, but it felt as though they had been trapped in the room for ten hours before finally escaping.

Jiheum felt the same.

She had struggled throughout the meeting to avoid being conscious of Joyoon.

She simply didn’t have the confidence to look at him. Whenever her gaze accidentally drifted toward him, she heard it.

‘Want to get intoxicated again?’

The seductive whisper echoed in her mind.

Fearing her face would flush, she had to hurriedly look away every time.

“Ah… what a way to start a Monday morning. I said I was happy to see the CEO’s face, but I feel completely drained. Don’t you feel the same, Assistant Manager?”

“About what?”

“The CEO. His looks are heavenly, but I was nervous the entire meeting. How should I put it…”

Eunjae rolled her eyes, searching for the right words, then clapped her hands together.

“He looks so indifferent and languid, but he’s incredibly serious about his work. He has a very contradictory image.”

“What kind of description is that?”

Jiheum gave a small chuckle as she was about to leave the meeting room.

“Assistant Manager Yoon.”

A voice called out to her so tenderly it felt like it could melt her ears.

Jiheum, who had been swelling with the joy of returning to her desk, froze in her tracks.

She turned her head to find the source of the voice and saw Joyoon standing at the entrance to the executive lobby.

“Yes, Representative.”

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

The words Who, me? nearly tumbled out of her mouth.

She could feel Eunjae’s gaze beside her.

Suppressing her surprise, she composed her expression and answered calmly.

“Yes, sir. I understand.”

After telling Eunjae to go ahead to her desk, she headed straight for the CEO’s office.

When she opened the door, she saw Joyoon leaning against the edge of his desk.

Joyoon watched the woman approach with her long legs.

Through his slightly lowered gaze, he saw her furrow her brows and let out a sigh.

She looked exactly like a student who had been unfairly dragged to the principal’s office.

Joyoon crossed his arms and stared intently at Jiheum, who stopped three or four steps away.

Under his blatant scrutiny, he saw her brown eyes waver, unable to find a place to land.

“Why are you avoiding me?” Joyoon asked with a chuckle.

“Pardon? Me?”

Jiheum’s voice cracked slightly as she answered.

She felt humiliated that her avoidance had been so clearly detected in that short moment.

She hated how she always felt like she was making a mistake whenever she stood before this man.

Compared to his relaxed demeanor, she was always tense, and she found the dynamic unpleasant.

“You avoided me quite skillfully earlier.”

“I did no such thing.”

When Jiheum played dumb, acting as if she had no idea what he was talking about, Joyoon spoke slowly.

“1.5. 1.5.”

Joyoon pointed his index finger at each of his eyes in turn.

“My vision is 1.5 in both eyes.”

“……”

“It was a bit too close for me to have misseen. Our distance, I mean.”

Jiheum’s lips remained pressed firmly together, contrasting with the smile curving on Joyoon’s lips.

How on earth had he caught that split-second movement?

Jiheum racked her brain for an excuse.

“It wasn’t that I was avoiding you, it was…”

“It was what?”

His beaming eyes seemed to whisper, I’ll listen to whatever excuse you come up with.

Looking at the man who was so difficult to handle, her desire to lie vanished instantly.

“No, you’re right. I avoided you. …Because I was uncomfortable.”

Jiheum’s voice trailed off.

Unable to bear the embarrassment, she brushed back her hair and turned her head away.

They had both played with fire together, yet she felt like a fool for being the only one avoiding him like a criminal.

“What is so uncomfortable? Tell me. What exactly is the problem?”

Joyoon let a thin smile touch his lips as if he were genuinely curious.

Leaning against his desk, he crossed his long legs and waited for Jiheum’s answer.

After her lips parted and closed a few times, Jiheum seemed to make up her mind. She looked him straight in the eye and threw a fastball.

“Are you not uncomfortable, Representative?”

“And what exactly am I supposed to be uncomfortable about?”

Jiheum was inwardly stunned by his overflowing composure and the brazen way he enjoyed the situation.

She bit her lip, strengthening the resolve in her eyes not to be swept into his pace any further.

“Mmm—well. As for Ms. Yoon Jiheum…”

Joyoon took a step back as he looked at Jiheum, who was sending a hostile gaze his way.

“Are you uncomfortable because of our professional relationship? Or are you uncomfortable because we’ve already seen everything there is to see after spending a passionate night in the nude?”

“Both.”

“Both?”

Joyoon took on a look of surprise at her answer.

“I don’t know how it is for you, Representative. But for me, that was my first one-night stand—no, my first act of rebellion. And of all people, the partner happens to be my superior. Are you truly not uncomfortable in this situation?”