Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Which is why she had no idea what to do once she got home. Her head told her to do a thorough cleaning of her house and wash her blanket, but all her body wanted was to lie down and watch dramas.
“What’s the point anyway? Tomorrow is not even the weekend, and what use do I have on a half-Saturday?”
“Even though that may be true, you should enjoy it. And have a good rest.”
“Alright.”
“Please be well.”
“Worry about yourself first. Consider yourself lucky if you can go back home today!”
“Ah, for real, I’m dying here. If I can’t make it and my proposal B gets rejected tomorrow by the client, then I am dead meat.”
“It’s not like it is your first time anyway. Don’t fret.”
Na-Yool chuckled and left the office and Seung-Jae behind. Her footsteps towards the elevator were exceptionally light and merry.
Her merriness had begun by being reminded of Sang-Hoon. Or more precisely, by being reminded that she was not reminding him.
It felt like she had hit the reset button and started a new life. Such a great feeling! A perfect life with absolutely no need for a man. She wished she had felt that sense of liberation sooner. As in, from the moment Sang-Hoon had blessed her with the words Let’s break up.
Had she felt this way even for a bit, she would have not gotten swayed by Si-Jin and would have sold away both his and Sang-Hoon’s insect-like existences as a wholesale lot at bargain price.
It’s not too late. First, let’s start by going home and cleaning the bathroom. Though I am not sure how it will be of help, but well.
In any case, the point of putting her efforts into some activity was to not be swayed by him. She had ended things neatly with the man she dated for 200 days, certainly she could do it again with the man she had slept only twice with!
Just at this moment, as if waiting for it, the elevator stopped at the 31st floor where she was currently at. Na-Yool’s self-confidence slightly went up. It was her day – she felt invincible. Pumped up, she stepped in the elevator and the smell of food struck her nose. It seemed like the employees who had an early dinner had just got off on the upper floor, left behind them the lingering smell of each kind of stew they had, pungent enough for Na-Yool to tell them apart. Normally, she would have been irked by it, but right now it smelt even more fragrant than her favorite perfume. Because it was the smell of going home after work.
She watched the elevator’s doors close with a relaxed face, when she heard a ‘tak-tak’ of shoes coming from outside.
Perhaps the reason she reflectively pushed the button to let the doors open was because she had been raised too well, or maybe she was overly upright – more than needed. However, all you sometimes need to do is push the close button, pretend you saw and heard nothing and go down first by yourself.
For example, to avoid meeting with a pervert.
“……”
As Si-Jin leisurely stepped into the now empty elevator, Na-Yool reluctantly greeted him. “Thank you for your work today.” She could not hide her sour expression.
“Yeah, good job too. What about dinner?”
The elevator closed just as she wondered what to answer back. This time, for good. With Si-Jin in the picture, she felt like she had just been locked not just in an elevator, but in Hell instead.
To be trapped with him in this tiny square was a nightmare.
Na-Yool swallowed with a dry throat and turned her head. “I already had dinner.”
“You haven’t eaten yet, I see.”
“Doesn’t it smell like stew here? That’s what I had.”
“I can smell at least three different smells, though?”
“… I ate with someone…”
“So, is there anything you want to eat?”
“Mr. President. I had dinner, please take my word for it.”
“Choose a menu already.”
Si-Jin disregarded her plea and changed the topic while he handed over an invisible menu. Na-Yool ignored it just the same.
“I have all I want to eat at home. Not outside.”
“Then let’s go to your house, Ms. Na-Yool.”
“Do you think I have lost my mind?”
“You won’t lose your mind by bringing me over to your house. I can guarantee it.”
“I will eat by myself.”
Fortunately for Na-Yool, the elevator went down straight and stopped with a clear ‘ding!’ at the lobby without stopping halfway. It was common at this hour that it would stop at every floor, and if it did, it truly would have been a nightmare. So the fact that it did not really was a blessing. Without a second look back, Na-Yool hightailed the hell out of there.