Chapter 21
“Work? Han Sua, you?”
As if unable to understand, Chaeyoung stuttered, shaking her head repeatedly.
“Why? No, your husband doesn’t give you money? Doesn’t even give you living expenses?”
“No way.”
Even though Sua had a generous living allowance, there was also a credit card that no one cared about, even if she spent it lavishly.
“Then? Suddenly, what’s up with the chaebol’s daughter-in-law?”
Chaeyoung stuttered, making it plausible to say so.
Most chaebol daughters-in-law didn’t work. At most, they helped a little with internal group affairs or took charge of welfare foundations.
Leaving the house to work was naturally out of the question, as there was a risk of tarnishing the family’s reputation. Sua was no exception. Without attending bridal classes, she hastily married and focused only on housework afterward.
But now, three months until divorce loomed ahead.
It seemed like a good idea to try working and gaining various experiences in line with the conversation they had impulsively had about divorcing in three months.
“I don’t know anything. Maybe I wasn’t interested in the world too much.”
Sua forced a smile.
Before marriage, she lived comfortably at home, so she never tried the part-time jobs that college students commonly did. Therefore, it seemed like a good idea to get a job before completely becoming independent after divorce.
Where else could she find a company that would accept someone like her, with no work experience, at this age? Nevertheless, she lied awkwardly with dry lips.
“I have no children, and it’s lonely being alone at home. It’s like practicing social life.”
“Social life? If you’re bored, you should have a hobby, what’s this about?”
Chaeyoung frowned in disapproval.
“Hobbies have their limits. And when I see people like you, Chaeyoung, who work, I envy you. Maybe because I’ve never experienced social life. I want to experience it.”
Even though they were the same age, Chaeyoung, who had already established herself in a job relatively quickly, was always enviable from Sua’s perspective. But Sua’s words made Chaeyoung shake her hand.
“Hey, it’s exhausting to live off someone else’s money. What’s so good about it? Living elegantly like you is better. Life’s like a dog. I want to live comfortably at home if possible.”
“Of course, it must be hard. Maybe because I don’t know well. And now, where else could I find a company that would accept someone like me with no work experience? But still, I want to try.”
Seeing Chaeyoung, who had probably stayed up all night and went to work, today, it was evident that earning money wasn’t an easy task. But if even Chaeyoung’s fatigue looked cool, was it naive to think so?
Sua silently sipped her coffee, lost in thought. Seeing her lost in thought, Chaeyoung rolled her eyes and clapped her hands.
“Sua.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you want to try working for a while? I’ll introduce you.”
At the unexpected offer, Sua’s eyes widened.
“Work? You’ll introduce me?”
Chaeyoung nodded.
“Yeah. At our publishing company.”
“Are you hiring now?”
“Yeah. We’re going crazy because we don’t have enough people. We have two books scheduled for release next month, but we need someone to review and proofread. But you know our brother, no, our boss. You know what he’s like? He’s so ambitious about work.”
Chaeyoung’s cousin brother, Yoon Dam, was originally a famous author who had written several bestsellers. A few years after his debut, he opened and operated a publishing company. Sua had met him a few times during college, and as Chaeyoung said, he seemed to be completely immersed in his work.
“Yoon Dam likes books, doesn’t he?”
“No, listen. Listen, it’s not just that. We’ve brought in a new author again. But, you know, even if the writing is good? Still, there are deadlines. He wants to publish it in September, but how can we meet that with the piled-up schedule? We’re not living in the office 24/7 like him. Don’t we have private lives too?”
After a long rant, Chaeyoung lowered her head.
“I talked too much about useless stuff. Anyway, that’s why we’re hiring interns right now. Reviewers, proofreaders.”
“Yeah.”
“But you majored in Korean literature.”
“Yeah, I did. But I have no experience.”
“Ah, experience doesn’t matter. It’s an internship.”
After making the offer, Chaeyoung whispered apologetically, as if feeling sorry.
“Of course, the pay is minimal. It’ll probably be minimum wage for the internship, maybe even for three months. It’ll increase afterward, but you know, even though our company is doing well, right? The book market these days is the worst. We’re quite small. Besides, you probably want to work at a place like PY rather than our company…”
Interrupting Chaeyoung’s lengthy explanation, Sua spoke firmly.
“I’ll do it.”
There was no need for long deliberation. Sua asked her question decisively.
“I want to try. What do I need to prepare?”
Sua had always been passive and quiet since she was young. The world was full of scary things, and her family never understood her introverted nature.
What captivated her during her childhood was books.
Although she couldn’t raise her voice in front of others, within the pages of a book, she could become a hero, an explorer traveling the world.
Chaeyoung blinked at Sua’s sudden decision.
“Did you hear about the minimum wage?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know how intense the work at our company is?”
If anything, that was a good thing. If she was busy, maybe she could temporarily push away the troubled feelings filled with Hyun-oh.
Moreover, if it was a publishing company, it was the opposite field of Hyun-oh’s work. The farther away from him, the better.
“Yeah, I know. The problem is me, not the company.”
But unlike usual, Sua’s lips moved with confidence.
“I already know a lot about your company’s books, and, um, I have my TOEIC scores prepared too. If there’s anything else needed, I’ll prepare it.”
Chaeyoung brushed her disheveled hair away with her hand, as if to say, “Are you really okay?” She furrowed her brow in concern before nodding.
“Well, I guess… if you try the internship and it’s okay, they might hire you. Well, what power does a mere entry-level employee like me have? Anyway, if you’re okay, should I ask my brother?”
“Yes, please. Chaeyoung!”
Sua smiled brightly and tightly held Chaeyoung’s hand.
—
During lunchtime, on the way home. Sua paused her steps for a moment, recalling the conversation she had with Chaeyoung earlier.
“Was that the right decision?”
Even though she had asked Chaeyoung for a favor, she couldn’t help but feel uneasy, wondering if she had brought up unnecessary matters to her friend for no reason.
Chaeyoung had readily said, “Ah, Sua, I’ll be grateful if you come to our company.” But was it not difficult for her to refuse, after all?
Chaeyoung had always been a good friend. Whenever Sua had something she wanted to do, Chaeyoung always had her back. She worried that she might have burdened Chaeyoung with unnecessary worries.
“Well, it’s done now, so I can’t help it.”
If it really didn’t work out, her boss Yoon Dam could reject her. It was something she would never have thought of in the past, but she had asked without hesitation.
The path stretched from the cafe to home. As she walked, the refreshing summer breeze felt cool. The verdant greenery blooming on the roadside was dazzling.
Should I take a little walk?
If she went home now, she would likely think about what had happened with Hyun-oh on the table again. Just the thought of it made her body feel hot and her mind dizzy.
Just then, she thought about going to the nearby park.
Her phone rang. She took out her phone and saw the noisy device.
– RRRRR
It was Hyun-oh.
It was still daytime, so what could be the matter?
He was supposed to be at work.
“Hello? Mr. Hyun-oh?”
If there was something urgent, she hurriedly answered the call.
– Sua, where are you?
“Yes, I’m currently…”
She looked around.
“I’m in front of Pyeongchang Citizens Park. What’s going on?”
He rarely called her unless it was urgent. Except for when she suddenly went to her mother’s house recently, when else had he called her? It was almost never.
“I don’t need your help. I just… if you’re free, I’ll pick you up now.”
“Yes? Why suddenly?”
“Why? Just because.”
She heard a low breath from the other end of the phone. It sounded like laughter. Hyun-oh’s voice was low and deep.
His voice sounded even more sophisticated over the phone, making her breath catch.
“I miss you.”
For a moment, Sua’s heart sank.
