PIA 43

Jeong Han-joo, who was watching his older brother walking away at a fast pace, turned around roughly. He was clenching his fists without realizing that his fingernails were digging into his palms that made his arm feel numb. Suddenly turning back, he still saw Jeong Hee-seo holding his phone to his ear as before.

Han-joo thought to himself. It might be his imagination, but the person she was talking to sounded like Seo Ji-an. His brother was definitely pursuing Ji-an. Thinking about what kind of sweet talk he might have given the naive youngster made his teeth grind.

Originally…it was Seo Ji-an, whose eyes were sparkling when he looked at him.

He also resented his grandmother. She knew everything about him starting his job, yet she made suggestions that she hadn’t made when he had a lover… As soon as she found out that his older brother had someone, she dropped the bombshell, and he felt resentful because it seemed like his older brother was the only one in his grandmother’s mind.

His older brother always got everything so easily. The fact that he always took priority in their grandmother’s eyes scratched at Han-joo’s stomach.

“…I’m not insignificant.”

Nothing was going his way. He didn’t want to fall behind his brother at home, and now, the thought of Seo Ji-an being taken away from him also made him furious.

Jeong Hee-seo left the gate in a car driven by a driver. It was clearly visible from afar that he was talking on the phone even after getting in the car. Perhaps because of the anger welling up in his heart, he didn’t even want to see Secretary Yoon go around with Jeong Hee-seo. Who did he think he was to bring a secretary to a private event? He was just a General Manager!

Jeong Han-joo was just trampling the lawn out of anger and resentment when his cell phone rang in his pocket. It was Seo Ji-hyuk.

“Yeah, Ji-hyuk.”

– I dropped by your department to have lunch together, but you weren’t there. I have something to discuss―

“I’m at the main house. Grandmother called me.”

– Oh, really? If the chairman called you, you should go. Will it take long?

At the mention of the chairman, he involuntarily glanced back before biting his lip again.

“No. Eat with me.  I’m going back to the office now.”

– Really? Great. It was awkward because everyone from the team had left to eat with their own colleagues.

“Okay. Let’s eat together. Who else would you eat with other than me?”

Jeong Han-joo ran down the stairs without hesitation. He was determined. Now was the time to focus on Seo Ji-hyuk. That’s what his grandmother wanted, after all.

– Come here. I’ll wait for you.

Whether it was marriage, pregnancy, or whatever, he had to do it. It was meaningless preparation for Jeong Han-joo, who only needed to get what he wanted.

* * *

Standing again in the hotel lobby where he had stayed for about ten days, Ji-an grabbed his bag strap and hurriedly headed towards the elevator. He had prepared various answers in case someone found him suspicious, but fortunately, no one questioned Ji-an.

“Phew.”

When he swiped his suite card key, the elevator started moving. Only then did the tension ease a little.

Since their meeting at the clinic, after persistently checking his meal status, he had received an unexpected ultimatum today. Jeong Hee-seo told him to get dressed and come out right away, because he didn’t like the menu Ji-an ate.

What’s wrong with bread…? It was rare to find high-calorie food that could be quickly consumed as chocolate spread on a small piece of bread.

Judging by the way Jeong Hee-seo was talking, Ji-an thought he was coming to pick him up, but the person who rang the doorbell a moment later was a quick delivery courier. What was in the envelope was the suite card key that was currently in Ji-an’s hand.

How interesting. What kind of spy operation was this? Even though he was laughing, Ji-an somehow became so amused that it took less than an hour for me to grab the key and scurry back to the hotel.

Walking along the carpeted corridor from the elevator to the suite entrance, he wondered why it felt so unfamiliar. It dawned on him that he had been cooped up inside for over ten days. It felt strange to come as a visitor. It was like visiting a close friend’s house when their parents weren’t home.

It felt like a scene from a typical romance movie where someone might say, ‘My parents aren’t home today, want to come to my place?’.

It was at that moment, when he was lost in a sudden strange imagination.

“Ack!”

The door suddenly swung open, and Jeong Hee-seo leaned out. His slightly disheveled hair was visible above his forehead. The tie, which was always tight around his neck, was nowhere to be seen, and he had rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, exposing his forearms. Hee-seo seemed like someone who would even smell Ji-an from a kilometer away.

“Why are you loitering outside? Come in quickly.”

Ji-an blinked his eyes and went inside. Ji-an wondered if there was a CCTV installed to view the hallway. Even though he looked around with a skeptical eye, there was no change in the suite since he stayed there.

Jeong Hee-seo walked ahead and stopped in front of the living room table.

“Come and sit here.”

He sat down without saying a word and handed out a clear file containing white paper.

“Contract for the Obligation of Adhering to a Healthy Diet for Maintaining a Healthy Body… Huh? Is this exactly what I’m thinking…?”

“Yeah, it’s exactly as you see it. It’s a contract stating that until your appetite improves completely, you must eat at least one meal a day with me. There’s nothing special about it. Read it and sign.”

There was no particular content. Ji-an rolled his eyes.

And aren’t we usually told to think about things like this carefully? Isn’t it the Communist Party that is pushing forward with the view that there is no other option than to sign? Ji-an opened the file and took out a contract.

Article 1

The purpose of this contract is for “Party A” and “Party B” to mutually agree and faithfully fulfill the necessary cooperation in relation to maintaining and undergoing the process of pregnancy and childbirth together.

Article 2

1. “Party A” shall, as specified in this contract, provide pheromones to “Party B” for at least one meal a day for the purpose of maintaining a healthy body…

Ji-an sighed as he read the fine writing. The content of the contract itself was simpler and more concise than a typical part-time employment contract.

The constraints in case of contract violation were… Well, at most, it meant being dragged somewhere and forced to eat whatever meal, so there was nothing particularly unfavorable to him.

But… the action itself was peculiar. Ji-an narrowed his eyes and looked at Hee-seo.

“Really… to this extent?”

“I didn’t know I’d come to this either.”

Jeong Hee-seo raised his hand and touched his forehead. Ji-an could see that his thumb was rubbing his temple with a lot of force.

“I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of your eating problems. Do you think it’s normal to disappear for a few days and then show up with a white pale complexion?”

“You should try not to pay attention to me…”

“I told you. I don’t want to deal with corpse and all that because of you. Since your complexion is affecting my work, from my perspective, handling it like this is rational and faster.”

Anything had to fit together perfectly in terms of cause and effect, and he liked things that were clear, fast, and accurate, typical of Hee-seo. Ji-an wrinkled his nose and shifted his gaze back to the paper.

“Need a pen?”

Jeong Hee-seo asked in a low voice. It wasn’t like him to hang his head and urge people like a child, so Ji-an suppressed the urge to laugh. Ji-an nodded and replied, “Sure,” as he reached out his hand.

“Write down your name, resident registration number, and sign. If there’s anything additional you want to add, let me know now.”

“Will you always match the menu to my choices?”

“As long as you don’t insist on going to Italy for steak on weekdays, it’s fine.”

“What about dim sum in Hong Kong?”

Ji-an said this as a joke, but when Jeong Hee-seo looked at him with serious eyes, he felt burdened again. Hearing him mention something like a round trip of about three hours… Ji-an quickly signed with a wave of his hand. He was the type to even keep track of private jet schedules.

Jeong Hee-seo, who had been watching Ji-an write his name and sign, furrowed his eyebrows. Seeing his curious expression, as if wondering what else he didn’t like, he shook his head and said as he passed by, avoiding eye contact.

“You’re really young.”

Did he feel the generation gap when he saw his resident registration number? Even if there was a slight age difference… Ji-an was not a young teenager, so why would he react like that? Even if there was an age gap… 8 years? Maybe even 10 years? Ji-an furrowed his brow, unable to recall Jeong Hee-seo’s exact age.

Jeong Hee-seo stood up quickly, leaving Ji-an behind. He wondered if Hee-seo was planning to go eat right away now that the contract was done. Ji-an followed suit and tried to think of a menu, but for some reason, Jeong Hee-seo headed to the kitchen.

“…Why?”

Jeong Hee-seo asked as he felt Ji-an’s gaze while he was washing his hands.

“Just, I don’t like instant noodles.”

“Did you expect me to cook instant noodles?”

“Then can you cook something else?”

Ji-an looked at him doubtfully. Hee-seo chuckled wryly as he looked at Ji-an’s expression.

“You don’t like the idea of me cooking something, huh?”

“It’s just that the idea of you making something to eat hasn’t formed in my mind yet. In simpler terms, I can’t imagine it.”

“So, should we go out to eat? Should I order room service?”

“No, that’s not it. Just make something right now. I’ll wait.”