Chapter 89: Ten Dinners and a Type

“What is this all of a sudden?”

“You and him look incredibly uncomfortable together. You haven’t even kept in touch all this time.”

“…That’s not true.”

I stuffed a fried snack into my mouth, pretending to be uninterested. However, my heart was thumping wildly at Seung Hee’s radical declaration.

Choi Seung Hee would kick out Choi Do Yun for me? It was a deeply touching sentiment, but… anyone who tried to harm Choi Do Yun, regardless of who they were, never met a good end. I didn’t want Seung Hee to get hurt by picking a fight with the male lead for no reason.

Seung Hee, currently holding the title of Executive Director at Haewon Logistics, was undeniably the most active participant in the company’s management among us three siblings. She was the one who met most frequently with our father, the group’s Vice Chairman, and speculative articles about the “Emergence of Haewon’s First Female CEO” were already surfacing. My broken engagement had played a part in that.

When my marriage to the eldest grandson of Goryeo Daily fell through—along with the partnership and the merger plans—Grandfather was immensely disappointed. In the meantime, Seung Hee had stepped in to clean up the stalled projects, successfully making a strong impression on him once again.

My failed engagement became her blessing. If I were the original Choi Seung Hyeon, I would have been twisted with jealousy and probably lashed out at people, but I had no complaints about this flow that brought Seung Hee to the forefront.

Of course, she would eventually have to compete with Do Yun for a single seat, but there was no need to start that war prematurely just because of me.

Seung Hee frowned slightly at my response and asked.

“Are you really okay with it? A kid who just graduated being placed above you?”

I was a bit startled by her bluntness.

“Does it look strange to you, too, Noona?”

“Of course. If anyone was going to be Director, it should have been you. Why him?”

To be honest, I didn’t understand it either, but I had assumed it was just one of those things where the “male lead factor” overrides narrative logic. Apparently, it wasn’t that simple. I remained silent for a moment before nodding slowly.

“I’m fine, but I am curious about what Mom thinks.”

“I don’t know either. But it seems Choi Do Yun met with Mom as soon as he returned to discuss something. I didn’t even know he was coming back.”

What? I had no idea about that. What could those two possibly have to talk about privately? Just then, Seung Hee drained her glass of liquor like water and slammed it onto the table with a thud.

“Anyway, I wanted to check your intent. If possible, I want to push things in the direction you want.”

I was touched—actually, honestly, I was incredibly moved by her words.

“Wow, Executive Director Choi…. I hope you continue to thrive, and please don’t forget me when you become Chairman.”

“I know you tried to concede a lot to me.”

“It’s because you’re so good at what you do. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“…At first, I thought you were stupid. Then I thought you’d finally grown up. But now, I don’t think it’s either. Lately, it feels like you’re constantly….”

Seung Hee chose her words carefully before speaking.

“Like you’re about to disappear somewhere.”

I winced inwardly.

“Why would you think that?”

“You just…. I don’t know. You don’t seem to have any greed. I don’t understand it.”

I gave a bitter smile at her words.

My greed? If Choi Seung Hee knew how enormous my greed actually was, she’d fall over in shock. I wanted the happiness of everyone I cherished. And among them, I wanted Do Yun to be the happiest.

However, the obvious fact that Bae Ji An had to be there for Do Yun’s happiness had been gnawing at me for some time now. And I couldn’t admit that fact, even if it killed me.

I just drank alongside Seung Hee. If this inexplicable feeling didn’t stop, I kept thinking I might have to book a flight out of the country soon, regardless of the secrets of my birth.

A short while later, the new movie managed by Bae Ji An’s team became a massive hit. It was a good film, but because it was such a low-budget production, no one had expected this level of success. It slowly gained word-of-mouth traction and eventually drew in over five million viewers. By May, the film was even invited to the “Midnight Screening” section of an international film festival held in the south of France.

The “Midnight Screening” is a non-competitive category that invites two or three genre films with unique artistic merit and gripping storytelling.

Ji An’s Marketing Team 2 immediately began blasting press releases across every platform, boasting that the film had proven both its artistic quality and its commercial appeal. This piqued the public’s interest even further, and the audience count surpassed six million in no time.

Thanks to this, Ji An, who was set to go on an eleven-day business trip to France with A Young, looked incredibly happy every single day.

“I think we got such great results because the seniors led the way so well. Thank you so much….”

Ji An delivered her thoughts with the grandeur of an actress who had just won Best Actress. She looked ten times more excited than she had during the sports day. I congratulated her along with the others while my mind wandered elsewhere.

‘Is this perhaps a change from the domestic business trip in the original novel?’

In the original, there was an episode where Do Yun and Ji An went on a business trip together to Jeonju. Because it happened during an international film festival, every hotel and motel in the vicinity was fully booked. After wandering for two hours, the two of them eventually ended up staying in a crumbling, shabby traditional guesthouse.

But in the original, the film festival was just a plot device to force the two of them into a single room. Whether it was a film festival, a folk festival, or a volcanic eruption, it didn’t matter as long as they were stuck together. But this trip to France was purely Bae Ji An’s achievement and luck.

‘Does the story just adapt itself like this? They’re both film festivals, after all.’

If that were the case, the male lead, Do Yun, should be going as well. But no matter how I looked at it, there was no room for Do Yun on this trip. The Strategic Planning Office wasn’t that idle, and there was no justification for him to suddenly join the marketing team.

Even after checking the list of travelers several times, I felt a strange sense of relief when I saw Do Yun show up for work on the day Ji An and her group left for France.

But the next moment, another possibility occurred to me.

‘But it’s an eleven-day trip. Could he be going next week?’

After a moment of hesitation, I sent Do Yun a text.

[Are you not going on a business trip? This week or next?]

Do Yun replied almost instantly.

[What business trip? Are you going on one, Hyung?]

[I’m not.]

[I don’t have one either.]

Confirming that answer finally made me feel a bit more at ease. But a moment later, Do Yun sent me another text.

[If you’re okay with it, would you like to have dinner together tonight? I’ve found a good place.]

Since “that time,” Do Yun had been continuously suggesting that we do things together. Until now, I had rejected every offer because I was annoyed that he was dodging the reason why he left me, but this time felt different.

I called Do Yun immediately. He picked up before the second ring. I went straight to the point.

“Don’t just eat with me today. Eat with me for the next ten days. But we’re going to a place I choose, not the one you found.”

After a brief pause, I heard Do Yun’s voice over the phone, sounding slightly overwhelmed with emotion as he shouted, “I’d love to!” I ended the call as soon as I heard his answer. A wave of heat rushed to my face as I realized I had done something embarrassing.

Even though I knew that if something came up, Do Yun would have to go on a trip regardless of this promise, I didn’t know why I had done it.

‘I’m just using Choi Do Yun because I have no one else to eat dinner with. And as for him hiding things from me…. I’ll just make him buy me ten expensive meals and call it even.’

I muttered those hollow words to myself several times.

So, the place I finally took Choi Do Yun after agonizing over it all day was just a simple gukbap restaurant. I was worried he might be disappointed by the shabby atmosphere, but he just looked genuinely happy.

“Is this a place you come to often, Hyung? I should start coming here often, too.”

“…No, it’s my first time here, too.”

“Then let’s come here together often from now on.”

Do Yun was grinning from ear to ear, clearly delighted. To think this guy should perhaps be eating raw oysters in Cannes while looking at the Mediterranean with Ji An right now….

I sipped the hot broth with my spoon while checking Do Yun’s complexion. Fortunately, he seemed to like the food. The moment our eyes met while he was eating, my inner thoughts blurted out without passing through my brain.

“Did you date a lot of women when you were in America?”

I was stunned by my own question. You idiot! Why bring that up all of a sudden?!

Do Yun’s eyes widened, his long eyelashes blinking.

“No, not at all….”

Regardless of my slip of the tongue, I glared at him. But you acted like that in bed? I took a deep breath and asked again.

“Then, perhaps, men…?”

Do Yun’s face stiffened instantly. He set down his spoon, his expression turning ice-cold.

“What did you say?”

“…I’m really not prejudiced. It’s okay.”

Do Yun let out a cold, incredulous smirk.

“I really haven’t dated anyone.”

“Why?”

“I haven’t met anyone who fits my taste.”

“What… exactly is your taste?”

I didn’t know why I was asking this, and I knew it was a mistake even as I said it. It’s obviously Bae Ji An. Why on earth did I ask? But then, Do Yun looked me straight in the eyes and spoke.

“Someone who is kind but doesn’t realize they are. Someone who is incredibly popular because they’re nice to everyone, but drives people crazy because they don’t know it.”