However, the moment she had entered the conference room she had realized the atmosphere was filled not with the air of lust, but instead a dreariness casted by a group of downhearted middle-aged men. Thinking that something was wrong, she had turned back, just to end up facing Si-Jin who was coming in.
She did not remember well what happened after that.
Feeling somehow moody, Na-Yool turned off the messaging box.
“Haa……” As Na-Yool’s head fell down with a deep sigh, Seung-Jae stopped his mouse and glanced at her.
“Ms. Na-Yool, could it be…”
Unlike his usual self, he was cautious and did not end his sentence. But Na-Yool, unable to sense something was strange, just sank her head further down. In a similar manner, Seung-Jae let go of his mouse and ruffled his hair with a puzzled expression. Na-Yool heard Jin-Hoon muttering “What’s wrong with these two?” from his desk a little farther, but she couldn’t care less.
“Haa…”
“For real…”
“Really…”
No way their sighs were leading to a proper conversation. However, Seung-Jae, who was relatively more in his right mind, attempted to converse once again.
“Could it be that something is going on with your boyfriend?”
Completely way off mark.
… Wasn’t it?
Was Seung-Jae not off mark?
…Or could it be her?
B.o.y.f.r.i.e.n.d.
If the pervert of her life had such status, then Seung-Jae would not be in the wrong.
No, no it won’t. It cannot be. Never.
Na-Yool shook her head sideways. “No, nothing in particular happened.”
“Then what is wrong with you…? You have been acting weird since last week.”
“When did I?”
“Lately you always are, Ms. Na-Yool.”
“…Maybe it’s because we broke up?”
“What?!”
“Hm?”
“What did you say?”
In the blink of an eye, Seung-Jae had dragged his chair and rushed to sit next to Na-Yool. Without taking a breath, he asked: “You guys broke up?!”
“Ah, yeah.”
“When? Why?”
“It’s been a while.”
“What?”
“Hm?”
He looked so astonished it almost seemed like he was the one who had broken up. Before Na-Yool ‒ slightly oppressed by his reaction ‒ could add anything, Seung-Jae threw another question, closer to an interrogation than a simple inquiry.
“In Gapyeong? No wait, you did not even go close to Gapyeong… sorry. Then, after the trip was cancelled? Was it back then? It was, wasn’t it?”
That damn Gapyeong trip, as if having to listen to Sang-Hoon running his mouth because of it was not enough, now it was Seung-Jae’s turn.
Na-Yool nodded her head reluctantly, as if she was sick of it. He was not wrong.
“Well, time-wise, I guess it’s right.”
“Wow… that is crazy.”
“Why would you go crazy over it? I don’t even…”
Seung-Jae sank his head down. Kind of perplexed, Na-Yool mumbled to herself.
Right. At least she had not lost her mind over this matter. How much pride that fact had instilled in her! She needed to stop being thrown into confusion and return to her proud self from back then. Even if she had to force it.
“Personally, I am alright. I really am…”
“Ah, Ms. Na-Yool. You do not have to force yourself to say that you are okay in front of me. Really.”
“I’m not forcing myself…”
“I told you, don’t. It makes me sad.”
“It is not my intention to make you feel this way, but what can I do? I really am okay.”
“How could you be? It has been barely a week since you broke up!”
“M-…more?”
Na-Yool managed to swallow back the word ‘probably’, which would reflect how hazy her memory was. She had reached the point where she could not clearly judge if it had been more than a week or not since their separation.
“Anyway, raise your head. I’m okay, for real.”
“I am too sorry, I cannot.”
“What are you sorry for? It is not even your love life.”
“Because it is partially my fault…”
“Seung-Jae, if you go around saying stuff like that, others might misunderstand it in a weird way.” Na-Yool drew a firm line, always careful of what sort of rumors could spread.
She was still looking at the top of his head.
“Ah, no, I mean not you two, but the trip. It blew up because of me. I did it.”
“Right.”
“You know, 3 or 4 weeks ago, that one trip your boyfriend originally booked for your 200 days anniversary… where was it again…”
“Alright, stop it now. No need to elaborate more.”
“If you had gone there, you would not have had any problems to begin with.”
“……”
Suddenly recalling the epic narration sent by Sang-Hoon at 2 a.m., she wondered if they indeed would have not.
Maybe the timing would have been different. But it would have turned weird someday anyway.
As she had absolutely no regret left, she felt remembering the times where they were no problems between them even more unpleasant. Just imagining him and herself stuck to each other…
Na-Yool hid her displeasure and smiled ambiguously.
“We were not together for long, but it was not for 1 or 2 days either. Do you think we would break up over such a trivial thing?” At first, they obviously did, but no need to tell others about it.
Na-Yool carefully shook Seung-Jae’s shoulder, “Firstly, could you raise your head?”
“I really don’t know why I am so uselessly creative, if only I had not been kicked out of the project then…”
Na-Yool could not tell if he was boasting or blaming himself. She sighed deeply and asked again, “I’m telling you to look up.”
“Talking nicely to me does not make my guilt go away…”
“So what should I do with your guilty conscience then…? Now I look like a suspicious person.”
“Ah.”
Seung-Jae’s eyes carefully looked up at Na-Yool through his big hand that was covering his face. As his face was likeable to begin with, he kind of looked cute doing it. But thinking how he had dragged the conversation about Sang-Hoon, she really felt it was the biggest waste of her time.
Though she had no intention to have a proper talk ‒ and besides, it was not even worth it ‒ this alone was like calling for a cold and thorough tongue lashing of Lee Sang-Hoon.
“The last time when I asked, you did not say anything. I am sure of it…”
“It must have been before the break-up.”
“No remember, it was Monday. So after you broke up.” The irony of a stranger being more accurate than her. Na-Yool nodded vaguely.
“Yeah. After we did, indeed.”
“You lied for my sake, didn’t you?”
“Did not.”
“That you were still together when in fact you were not. Just like that, right?”
“No, not really.”
She denied it twice in a row, but Seung-Jae, convinced he was right, continued to lament with an unusual deep voice.
“If I found out that you two broke up last week because of the Gapyeong trip issue—”
“I keep telling you, it’s not the reason.”
“—the fact that I caused your break-up—”
“If you say that people will misunderstand! I-”
“—you were worried I would feel uncomfortable about it, so you were being considerate, right, Ms. Na-Yool?”
Seung-Jae’s misunderstanding of Na-Yool’s hidden intentions could not be more incorrect. Despite not being able to see the real consideration she had always shown him, in his misunderstanding, his eyes currently saw Na-Yool as a caring wingless angel – or something close enough to it – when she actually was not.
Na-Yool quickly gave up and muttered: “Sure. Let’s say I was being considerate.”
“Even though you do not have to.” His voice was full of thankfulness and guilt. If she wanted to, she could use his emotions to shamelessly control him, but for now she only hoped for a quick end.
“Anyway, we are at the company, Seung-Jae. Even if all other seats are empty, that is not an excuse. Let’s leave the private talk at that.”
“Exactly. It cannot be this way.”
“What?”
“Let’s have a dinner party! We can talk in detail about it then, Ms. Na-Yool.”
“What, why should we? What are you saying! What kind of dinner party has only two members!”
“If you do not drink on such a day, when would you! Let’s go! Let’s have your favorite, beef!”
“We have to work overtime today.”
“So what, can we not get dinner if we work overtime? Of course we can!”
“……”
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