Chapter 18: Unwelcome Face

– So, would the interview schedule around this time be okay?

“Yeah. I don’t have anything else planned for the weekend anyway. As long as I can set that reporter aside, it should be fine.”

During lunch, Yehyeon quickly finished his meal and went up to the rooftop to talk to Lee Jeong on the phone.

– Was it Pahwa Ilbo?

“Uh-huh.”

– It’s not a very famous place. They’re probably doing it for the view count. Once they lose the exclusive title, it’ll die down, so don’t worry too much.

Thanks to Lee Jeong, who quickly set up the interview as promised, Yehyeon finally felt a bit relieved. Fortunately, no suspicious person appeared in front of the company or his house the next day, but he couldn’t help feeling uneasy and resentful.

“Is that person trustworthy?”

– Yeah. They have ties with the company, so you don’t have to worry about rude questions. Just act as you normally do, honey.

In short, the reporter didn’t know their relationship was fake, but they would try to be as accommodating as possible.

– Has no strange person come by since then?

“I circled the neighborhood a few times right after work yesterday, but I didn’t see anyone suspicious.”

The previous day, right after work, Yehyeon had quickly changed clothes and walked around his neighborhood several times. Yeseo tried to stop him, saying he was being overly cautious, but he couldn’t just sit still.

“My personal info is already all over the place, so that doesn’t matter, but I absolutely cannot tolerate them saying anything unnecessary to Yeseo just to get an interview.”

– People usually don’t have that little ethics, but… Anyway, just come to the address I’ll send you tomorrow.

“…Thank you.”

Yehyeon expressed his gratitude to Lee Jeong for quickly arranging the interview.

– Don’t mention it. We’re accomplices, aren’t we? This is nothing.

– Lee Jeong, I think it’s time to come out.

– Ah, I’m on my way. Hyung, I’ll call you later.

“Yeah, okay.”

He heard Manager Juseok’s voice over the phone, and then the call ended.

“I hope I never have to see that crazy bastard again…” Yehyeon muttered quietly.

And at Yehyeon’s quitting time, as he had hoped, the reporter didn’t show up again.

But they say you should wish in detail. If he had known this would happen, he would have just wished never to see all the people he didn’t want to see again. Today, Yehyeon had to face an unwelcome face in front of the company instead.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”

Well, at least today she wasn’t wearing embarrassing clothes like that day. Yehyeon let out a small sigh and spoke.

“Yes. Unfortunately.”

The woman in front of him was someone he had only encountered once in his life, but she had left a strong impression in his memory.

“I’d like to talk.”

The woman who came to see him was Gyujin’s new girlfriend.

“Why did you come all the way here?” Yehyeon looked at her sideways and said. After all, she was the one who had an affair with his ex-boyfriend. “I’m sure you didn’t come here for a friendly chat. I don’t want to drag this out, so please just get to the point.”

The woman, who seemed to have only ever heard gentle words her whole life, looked a bit shocked by his blunt tone. In fact, she had grown up like a princess. She was a late-born daughter, a dominant omega, and the youngest in the entire HJ Group, with a significant age gap from her siblings. Precious things fell into her hands without her even needing to wish for them, and she enjoyed them as a matter of course, living a peaceful daily life.

To her, Yehyeon’s existence was like a bolt from the blue.

“You don’t need to worry about him. I’ll take care of it,” Gyujin had coaxed her, saying he would handle it, but she simply couldn’t stay still.

For her, who had never experienced a single setback in her life, this matter seemed as monumental as becoming the protagonist of a movie or drama.

“Oppa said he’d handle it, but since this concerns me too, I can’t just sit back.”

So she pestered Gyujin’s friends until she found out where Yehyeon worked, and she deliberately came all the way here.

“Let me introduce myself first. I’m Ju Seoyeon. I’m Gyujin oppa’s girlfriend and the person he’s going to marry.”

I don’t really want to know. Yehyeon frowned slightly. But if he got up and left, he felt like he would somehow be conceding to her, so he chose to face her properly.

“I’m Shin Yehyeon. I dated Park Gyujin for seven years. It’s over now, though.”

“Seven years…?” Seoyeon’s eyes widened in shock. She had thought he was just some omega Gyujin had briefly met, but seven years? It was unexpected.

“How long have you known Park Gyujin?”

“Almost a year now.”

Actually, it had only been a little over half a year, but Seoyeon, feeling like she was losing, deliberately stretched the time they had been together.

“One year.”

Seoyeon was deflated by the length of time Yehyeon and Gyujin had been together, but Yehyeon was not in a state to notice. Almost a year. He hid it for so long. What was he thinking while watching me, who knew nothing, worrying in front of him, asking if he was busy, if he was okay?

Yehyeon bit his lip and stared at his coffee cup.

“So, what’s the reason for coming all the way here? Park Gyujin and I are completely broken up. I have no intention of clinging or getting involved again.”

“You’re being quite aggressive. But still, you’re someone who dated my boyfriend… I just thought I should at least talk to you.”

From the short conversation, Yehyeon could tell how naive Seoyeon’s mind was. She had clearly lived peacefully without any hardships or adversities. So she probably thought this situation made her look pitiful, like the heroine of a tragedy. ‘I can grow more through this experience,’ is that what she’s thinking?

“How did you find out where I work?” But Yehyeon had no desire to play along with her growth diary.

“Is that important?”

“Of course it is.” Yehyeon looked at her with cold eyes. “It means my personal information was leaked somewhere, so I’m not exactly thrilled.”

“……”

Seoyeon quietly lowered her head. At least it was clear that she had found out his workplace through not-so-ethical means.

“Did you ask Park Gyujin?”

“No! Why would I talk about you to him?”

Was she even older than twenty-five? Yehyeon stared at Seoyeon’s face, which couldn’t hide her feelings at all.

“I just heard it from an acquaintance. I happened to find out.”

If only Gyujin’s new girlfriend had been a sharp, capable, impressive person, would he have felt less complicated? Seoyeon seemed lacking in both intelligence and coping skills, to the point it was embarrassing to even call her in her early to mid-twenties.

What do I lack compared to this person? Yehyeon laughed bitterly to himself.

No, there is something. Yehyeon slowly looked over Seoyeon’s outfit and accessories. A dress worth millions of won, a bag priced at the annual salary of most people. Her makeup and hair were clearly done at a high-end salon. Anyone could see at a glance that she was a rich family’s young lady.

In the end, what Park Gyujin needed was a pretty, young dominant omega of his own class. Ability or personality didn’t matter.

“How foolish…”

All the effort he had put into becoming a lover Gyujin could be proud of felt so pointless.

“Anyway, I came here to confirm some things and to find out what you think of Gyujin oppa. If it was rude to come without notice, I apologize.”

“What exactly are you confirming?” Yehyeon answered with a bitter smile.

Seoyeon was quite flustered by his attitude. This wasn’t the situation she had imagined. She thought he would get angry, saying that Gyujin was his boyfriend. Then she would calm him down with calm, logical words, tell him never to contact Gyujin again because he was out of his league, and then leave.

“If you have questions, ask. I’ll answer anything. But I have no intention of playing along with your actions in the future, so ask everything here and don’t come looking for me like this again.”

If they dated for seven years, she was practically the mistress who intruded, but Yehyeon wasn’t even angry; he was cold. Feeling that she would only make herself more ridiculous if this continued, Seoyeon spoke hastily.

“The fact that Oppa met me without breaking up with you… I also think it was his fault and I’m disappointed in him, but I hope you don’t hold too much ill will. That’s just how marriage is. Just because you dated for a long time doesn’t mean you have to get married.” Seoyeon blurted out words without knowing what logic she was following. “Seven years… You probably met in college, and that’s an age when you don’t know much. Don’t take it too hard…”

“If that’s what you’re going to talk about, can I leave now?” In the end, Yehyeon couldn’t stand it and cut her off. It was bad enough that his ex’s affair partner had come looking for him; did he need to listen to this?

Yehyeon spoke without hiding his displeasure. He no longer felt any reason to continue talking to her. Getting angry at a kid who was rambling without even knowing what she was saying would be pointless. Thinking that, Yehyeon tried to pick up his bag.

“Are you avoiding me now? Because you have nothing to say?”

But at Seoyeon’s following words, Yehyeon put his bag back on the table and sat up straight.

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