Chapter 108
“Teacher, can we meet again?” Banji asked.
After a moment’s hesitation, Ga-eun nodded. “Yes. I can’t see you often, but I’ll definitely come to meet you.”
“Promise!”
Their pinky fingers intertwined.
“Mister!”
Ga-eun’s eyes widened. Banji had suddenly called out to Noh Man-su .
“Ba-Banji.”
“Mister! Can I see you again next time?”
Ga-eun inhaled sharply, fearful that Noh Man-su might react harshly to the child, and feeling helpless to protect her.
“Mister, Banji helped the teacher talk so you could focus on driving?”
At Banji’s words, Ga-eun looked up, and Noh Man-su lifted his sunglasses with his hand.
“That’s right.”
“So it’s a mission accomplished?”
“It’s a mission, not ‘mission accomplished’.”
Noh Man-su opened the center console and pulled out a small bag of candy, handing it to Banji.
“A reward. You did well.”
“Wow! This was super delicious earlier!”
What just happened?
As Ga-eun blinked in confusion, Noh Man-su got out of the car and opened the back door to help Banji down.
“This is the candy the mister gave me at the hospital when the teacher was getting treatment! Teacher, try it. It’s super delicious.”
“Oh, is that so…”
“Teacher! See you again!”
“Yes. Be careful, Banji. I really enjoyed meeting you today.”
“I enjoyed meeting the teacher and mister too!”
Waving energetically, Banji turned and ran to her mother.
“Please wait inside. I’ll explain the situation,” Noh Man-su said, bowing his head and closing the car door.
He explained the circumstances to Banji’s mother, who looked frightened and stepped back, then said goodbye to Banji before turning around.
Tak. Noh Man-su got back in the car and pressed the accelerator, turning the steering wheel. The car smoothly merged onto the road.
‘Back to Seoul.’
Familiar air. Familiar scenery.
Familiar pressure.
Weighed down by these sensations, Ga-eun was looking out the window when Noh Man-su ‘s voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Was the driving not rough?”
Ga-eun turned her gaze back, wondering if the child’s interaction had somewhat softened his attitude. His voice sounded gentler than usual.
“It was fine.”
“May I ask about the car the Executive Director drives?”
Wondering why he was asking such a thing, Ga-eun spoke.
“Seamless.”
Thinking she should elaborate, she added, “I mean, clean. Neither pressing the accelerator nor the brake too much or too little.”
“You’re the only one besides the Chief Secretary who has ridden in the Executive Director’s car.”
Ga-eun bit her lower lip, caught off guard by the unexpected words. Resignation was familiar to her, not hope—never hope. Even when she tried to suppress her breathing, her heart swelled and pounded wildly at anything related to Si-heon, despite her attempts to deny it.
No matter how hard she tried to reject her feelings, unmistakable joy filled her entire being.
“Why… would you say something like that…” she whispered.
Noh Man-su paused for a few seconds, then lifted his sunglasses slightly. “While the executive is indeed quite exceptional, being an adult is something that applies universally to everyone.”
Before Man-su could fully process his own words, his phone rang. Startled, he immediately answered.
“Yes, sir.”
[If you wanted the manager’s position, why didn’t you just say so?]
“I’m sorry?”
[Can’t I even do this much for Manager Noh?]
Man-su blinked, utterly confused by the cryptic conversation.
[Who is this?]
Si-heon’s voice dropped to a dangerous low.
[The kid I dropped off at Seoul Station.]
Man-su involuntarily drew a sharp breath. He knew Si-heon avoided children, and that this aversion was the root of his insomnia. And now, he had been caught transporting someone in his personal vehicle.
[Do I need to repeat myself?]
Nervously scanning his surroundings, Man-su swallowed hard as he glanced slightly behind him. Like a black beast poised to leap, a stationary black sedan waited—Si-heon’s work vehicle.
“The orphanage director asked if I could give a staff member a ride to Seoul, so I…”
[Staff member.]
Si-heon’s voice grew even softer, a clear warning signal.
[Bring Ga-eun home.]
Click.
The moment the call ended, the black sedan across from him immediately began to move. Man-su closed and opened his eyes deliberately.
“I’ll take you home,” he said.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.