Chapter 7
“Teacher Kim, hello.”
Teacher Kim was cheerful and friendly, and always seemed genuinely happy whenever she saw Jaekyung.
“Are you okay? You must be bothered by all the rumors.”
“Thanks to you warning me in advance, I wasn't as shocked. Thank you for messaging me.”
“Don't thank me. Coworker loyalty is national loyalty.”
Juyoung smiled.
“I'm heading to lunch. Come with me.”
“I'm still working.”
Jaekyung glanced toward Yugam.
He was surrounded by company workers and the vice principal, apparently discussing the enormous school garden that served as a landmark of the Uitae Foundation.
He was focused on work and hadn't yet noticed that Jaekyung had fallen behind.
Juyoung lowered her voice.
“There's a rumor that you and the chairman aren't in an ordinary relationship. Is it true?”
Jaekyung stiffened.
“People in other group chats are saying that's why you got hired as his secretary.”
“It's only temporary. I'm just helping for a little while.”
If not for Juyoung, Jaekyung would never have known where the rumors spreading around school came from.
In a way, it was better to know.
“Oh, really?”
Juyoung brightened.
“But you're capable, Teacher Seo. Maybe they'll turn you into a permanent employee.”
Then she leaned closer.
“This is still a secret, but I might be hired as a full-time teacher.”
Jaekyung immediately smiled.
“Really? That's wonderful.”
She sincerely congratulated Juyoung.
Teacher Kim had always been hardworking and kind.
She had also struggled because of her father's hospital bills, so Jaekyung was genuinely happy for her.
“Nothing's confirmed yet. There's only one position.”
Juyoung clasped her hands.
“I really hope I get it.”
“You work very hard. I always thought you deserved it.”
“I wish we could both become full-time teachers.”
Juyoung smiled.
“If another opening appears, I'll contact you immediately. I know someone in the administration office.”
“It's okay.”
Jaekyung had discovered that she genuinely enjoyed spending time with children and had started dreaming of becoming a teacher.
But she had no intention of working permanently at the Uitae Foundation while Do Yugam was chairman.
As she smiled warmly at Juyoung, her eyes suddenly met Yugam's.
“I'll go first today. Let's have lunch together next time. I'll contact you.”
Jaekyung's smile instantly disappeared.
After saying goodbye to Juyoung, she walked back toward Yugam, who hadn't taken his cold eyes off her.
“Slacking off again?”
“I'm sorry. Please tell me if you have instructions.”
Because Jaekyung responded so politely, Yugam couldn't find anything else to criticize.
He turned his attention back to work.
Being his secretary was several times harder than teaching.
But if she wanted to survive, she had to adapt.
Later, Yugam and Chief Kwon left for an outside meeting.
For the first time all day, Jaekyung could breathe.
Classes had ended, and the lively voices of the students had disappeared from the campus.
Jaekyung stood alone in the chairman's office and quietly looked outside the window at her old school.
The red camellia.
It was the school flower of the Uitae Foundation, founded by Chairman Do Uitae of the KE Group.
Patience.
Sincerity.
Integrity.
It was a fitting symbol for Chairman Do's philosophy.
He had supposedly lost both his wife and child, yet still built his business from nothing and became successful.
Jaekyung found herself staring at the unusually full spring blossoms.
Then suddenly, a memory returned.
First year of high school.
Around this same time in late March.
It had been the day Jaekyung left school early to go to the hospital.
Beneath a camellia tree covered in bright red petals that looked like sparks of fire...
There had been a boy lying on the ground.
Was it around there?
She remembered approaching him.
“Hey... are you okay?”
Jaekyung herself had been dizzy and sweating, probably because of the flu.
She had barely been in any condition to support someone else.
The boy had whispered,
“Don't tell... anyone.”
Jaekyung, swaying with fever, grabbed his hand.
It had been freezing cold.
“Let's go to the hospital. You could die.”
Jaekyung had felt as though she might collapse herself.
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and blinked.
Her vision had been too blurry to see the boy's face clearly.
Then he had whispered,
“Even if I die... it's fine.”
Maybe she had hallucinated because she was so sick.
The boy, whose face she couldn't even remember, had disappeared like smoke.
She had occasionally wandered beneath that camellia tree afterward, thinking she might accidentally meet him again.
But she had never actively searched.
It was only a faint old memory that returned whenever she saw camellias.
I wonder if he's still alive.
Jaekyung shook herself.
Why am I thinking about useless things? I should work.
She stretched her arms high, then turned back toward the monitor.
Working alone in the chairman's office felt strangely freeing, as though a heavy burden had been removed.
After some time, she looked away from the monitor toward the window again.
Tap, tap, tap.
Raindrops struck the glass.
The world outside had grown dark.
As Jaekyung prepared to leave, she opened a drawer.
Inside was the marriage certificate bearing her signature.
It was only her first day.
Yet she let out a long breath she felt she'd been holding all day.
If I finish everything quickly, maybe I can quit before the three months end.
And then she could get divorced too.
She remembered what she had boldly told Yugam.
“I'll work as your secretary. In return, as you said, please settle both the penalty fee and the marriage as though they never happened.”
She had acted recklessly because Yugam and the vice principal kept threatening her with penalties and audits.
Thinking about how confidently she had declared it despite having no real bargaining power made her want to crawl into a hole.
Shaking her head in embarrassment, Jaekyung was about to turn off the computer.
Then she noticed a folder carrying the vice principal's name.
“Check every piece of material connected to the vice principal from the last ten years. Don't miss anything.”
Among the tasks Yugam had given her, he had specifically told her to focus on anything involving the vice principal.
There were thousands of files from several years.
Product shipments.
Staff lists.
