The next day, Eun-seo couldn't concentrate on her work all day. As time passed, she became more and more nervous and out of breath. Every time she checked her watch, she felt her heart sink.
"Why is your face so white?"
Kim Seon-ah, a close colleague in the same planning team as me, asked.
"Oh, I guess I just had a bad breakfast."
"I see. By the way, I saw Mr. Seung-ju in the lobby this morning."
Seon-ah was a big fan of the CEO, Kwon Seung-ju. She didn't fall in love with him after joining the company, but she applied for the job because she liked him in the first place. When she was a sophomore in college, she saw a small photo with the article "Daewon Group's 3rd Generation Kwon Seung-ju joins Daewon E&C as Executive" and felt a sense of fate at first sight.
(T/N: Daewon E&C is a South Korean construction and engineering company. They are involved in various construction projects, including civil engineering, building construction, and infrastructure development.)
I wonder if it was stressful for her to have to keep it hidden after joining the company, but only in front of his closest colleague, Eun-seo, boldly revealed the virtue she had been hiding and called him 'Mr. Seung-ju' on a whim.
"But for some reason, Mr. Seung-ju’s looks strange today."
Eun-seo's heart sank.
Did he seem to be in a bad mood? It shouldn't be today.
Eun-seo tried to hide her anxiety and asked nonchalantly.
"Why? What did you see?"
"He is dressed differently than usual, he was always so stiff, but today he look strangely fresh, and he is wearing a nice tie too.
Eun-seo's felt relieved and asked, "Do he have a date?"
Seon-ah, who was giggling and muttering to herself, quickly shook her head.
"My Mr. Seung-ju doesn't have time for women."
Finally, at five o'clock in the afternoon, Eun-seo sneaked out of the office, taking advantage of the slight chaotic atmosphere as everyone else prepared to leave for the day. She went to the CEO's office and was greeted by his secretary.
"President, Ms. Yoon is here."
The CEO's office was much bigger than I had expected. The view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows seemed to change this man's social position. Always on top, looking down on everyone else.
Eun-seo greeted Mr. Kwon, who was sitting in front of a large wooden desk.
"Thank you for your time, President."
Kwon walked over and sat down on the couch.
"I won't be here for long, so no tea."
Waving the secretary away with a jerk of his chin, Kwon looked at his wristwatch.
"We don't have much time, so let's be brief."
He straightened his back and stared at her, and it was enough to make her blood run cold. His gaze seemed to burn where it touched her.
Unable to look into his eyes, Eun-seo shifted her gaze to the chest of his suit. Suddenly, she understood what Seon-ah had said this morning.
Even though she had never paid attention to what the President usually wore, she could tell at a glance that he was different.
At the age of thirty-three, the man who was in this position always wore heavy clothes, but today he was wearing a light navy suit. Without his usual stuffy waistcoat, his large frame looked slimmer, and his dark brown tie looked fashionable. I can understand why Seon-ah said that.
In front of a man who wouldn't look out of place on the catwalk, Eun-seo felt even more nervous. Her head kept hanging down. The knees of the pants she was wearing were slightly fluffy and she regretted it. She didn't have good clothes to begin with, but she should have taken care of them.
Eun-seo pushed these thought's away and opened her mouth.
"I'm a tenant in your property at Yeonsa-dong."
Again, Kwon Seung-ju didn't seem surprised.
"So?"
"For letting me live here for 15 years without raising the rent even once, I am truly grateful to you."
There was a hint of irritation in his voice.
"Enough with the greetings, I'll ask again what you want."
"I've heard that in three months they're going to tear down the house and put up a building in its place."
Eun-seo bowed his head deeply.
"I know it's an unreasonable request, but I'd like to ask you to postpone it for a year."
"Why?"
I saw a glimmer of hope in the fact that she didn't just say no, but asked why.
"There's a reason I can't move right now."
Mr. Kwon gave me an 'aha' look. I wonder if it's an illusion that the tip of one side of lip seems to have subtly lifted.
"If it's a moving fee, I'll make sure you don't mind."
My face heats up with shame.
"It's not about the money, it's about the fact that I..."
Eun-seo took a deep breath and looked into his eyes for the first time.
"I have a younger brother that I lost fifteen years ago."
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