Chapter 99: I Have a Plan
TL: Aniea
"That’s nonsense."
"You still can’t admit it?"
"No, that’s not the issue."
"...Hmm?"
The dazed look from a moment ago had disappeared, replaced by the serious atmosphere surrounding Kim Eun-ha.
As Secretary Yoon tilted her head in confusion, Kim Eun-ha spoke with a bitter smile on her lips.
"After all, I’m human too. Even if it's just a game of hormones, I might end up liking someone. Right now, that someone is Woo-ju ssi."
"......."
"But I know myself well. I’m someone who can’t fully love or be loved by someone else."
"...CEO-nim."
Having spent a long time with her, Secretary Yoon could feel the sincerity in her words.
Since the passing of her parents, Kim Eun-ha had been forced to confront the cruel realities of Mirae Group.
Her competitors never bothered to show her half-hearted sympathy. They merely saw her as easy prey.
The reason Kim Eun-ha was able to survive in such circumstances was simply because the fight over 'who gets what' had dragged on too long.
‘...CEO-nim grew up too fast.’
Only a few years.
At the mere age of a middle schooler, she had already negotiated directly with Chairman Kim Seok-ho. As a result, she had succeeded in shaking off the clutches of her relatives.
But in that process, the things she had lost or had to give up were truly beyond count.
Not only her school days, including family, romance, and friends, but also her basic trust in people and compassion.
That’s why Kim Eun-ha doesn’t trust people. Because in the space she worked so hard to empty out, distrust and hatred took their place.
‘...If only it stopped there, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.’
Even if she had become the perfect sociopath fit to be the next Chairman of Mirae Group, she probably wouldn’t be suffering this much.
But she was lonely.
She longed for the embrace of her departed parents.
The love they had given her was so immense that she couldn’t bring herself to completely erase its trace.
Though she craved love more than anyone, she couldn’t believe in it. That’s why Kim Eun-ha would spend her whole life struggling within that gap.
"...I’ve been unusually excited lately, not my usual self. But don’t worry too much. I’ll be fine soon."
What exactly did Kim Eun-ha mean by ‘my usual self’? Was it her true feelings? Or the mask she had created?
Whatever it was, the answer Secretary Yoon had to give was already set. A simple bow of her head and a quiet “understood” would suffice.
Then this awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere would vanish without a trace, and Kim Eun-ha, just as she said, would quickly return to her usual self.
But what was this?
This heavy emotion.
"...What exactly is going to be fine?"
"Hm?"
"Are you really planning to live the rest of your life all alone until you become a wrinkled old grandma? Even with those precious genes?"
"Secretary Yoon. Why are you suddenly so worked up..."
"I’m not worked up. It just doesn’t make sense logically."
"Logic?"
Kim Eun-ha’s eyebrows twitched.
To her, who always pursued rationality, that was a word that touched a nerve. Secretary Yoon knew this perfectly well and still bared her teeth.
"Humans are biologically designed from the DNA level to fall in love with the opposite sex and form bonds. Is there really a need to reject that?"
"That’s such a one-dimensional thought. Modern society has far more important values than reproduction."
"Calling it one-dimensional means it’s that important. Self-fulfillment is important too, but there’s no reason you have to go through that process alone, right?"
"You’re not wrong."
"Then...."
"But."
Kim Eun-ha firmly cut off Secretary Yoon’s words. With a gaze that had turned cold, she continued.
"A person ruled by instinct is no different from an animal. Besides, when two people come together, it’s not just a simple matter of 1+1."
"......."
"It’s about the values each person has built up over decades clashing with one another. If even one side isn’t whole, the other will inevitably be harmed too."
"There’s no such thing as a perfect person in this world. Even if, as you say, someone is whole, it’s impossible to find a matching piece that fits perfectly like a puzzle from the start."
"Right. That’s why I don’t do relationships."
Clink-
Kim Eun-ha calmly lifted the teacup from the table, as if at ease. It was because Secretary Yoon’s words ended up supporting her own argument.
Confident in her victory, Kim Eun-ha thought the debate would end there.
"But in truth, you’re scared, aren’t you?"
"...What?"
Kim Eun-ha couldn’t help but set down the teacup again at Secretary Yoon’s next words. A crease formed on her forehead, showing her discomfort.
"...Scared?"
"You’re afraid that Woo-ju ssi might come to hate you. If you were to confess first and get rejected, you wouldn’t be able to maintain the current relationship."
"That’s a ridiculous assumption."
"Maybe so. Or perhaps your grand ‘plan’ is so dangerous that you don’t want to drag Woo-ju ssi any deeper into it."
"Secretary Yoon."
Swoosh-
Kim Eun-ha’s voice suddenly carried a warning tone. Because no matter who it was, there were certain things one should not say.
However, Secretary Yoon’s expression remained calm. In fact, she looked even more relaxed than before.
"If you really don’t want to hear more, you can fire me. Honestly, with everything you’ve been dumping on me lately, I’ve been feeling like I’m going to die anyway, so maybe it’s for the best."
"You think I won’t do it?"
"No. I know better than anyone just how sharp and decisive you are, CEO-nim. That’s exactly why I’m saying this. I want you to know this, even if it costs me my job."
"......."
Though Secretary Yoon had often joked about being fired, this time, the weight of her words was entirely different.
Realizing this, Kim Eun-ha did not speak hastily. She merely stared at Secretary Yoon in silence.
An unspoken pressure, as if daring her to say more. Secretary Yoon accepted it with a smile.
"You described yourself as ‘not whole’, CEO-nim, but I think that’s precisely why you hold more potential."
"......?"
Kim Eun-ha tilted her head, seemingly not understanding. Seeing this, Secretary Yoon picked up the teacup from the table.
"A completed vessel can’t change shape. Depending on its use, it might serve as a flower vase or a trash bin, but its form doesn’t change."
"......."
"On the other hand, when it’s still in clay form, it can take any shape. What form it ends up in depends entirely on the artisan’s hands."
"...So?"
"It means that depending on your mindset, you can absolutely form a bond with Woo-ju ssi. Like this teacup and saucer sitting here together."
Kim Eun-ha remained silent for a moment.
She moved her lips slightly as if mulling over Secretary Yoon’s words, then gazed down at the elegant tea set on the table.
Watching her quietly, Secretary Yoon added in a soft and gentle voice.
"A broken vessel can’t be put back together, but people are different. The places where we’ve been wounded can heal and become even stronger than before."
"......."
Secretary Yoon thought that this might be the last chance to change Kim Eun-ha’s heart.
She hadn’t crossed the line yet. Perhaps she wouldn’t wield her sword for revenge, but instead raise a shield to protect someone else.
‘The only one who can make that possible...’
Is none other than Kang Woo-ju.
Kim Eun-ha, who once seemed like an emotionless robot, had begun to show a richer array of expressions ever since meeting him.
One day, she complained about having too much work, and on another, she smiled bashfully like a young girl.
Even for someone like herself who had spent more than a dozen years with Kim Eun-ha, it was a side she had never seen before.
‘It’s honestly terrible how late my workdays are getting...’
Since Kim Eun-ha had started passing off some of her workload to secure time for theater practice or dates, Secretary Yoon's workload had significantly increased.
Even so, Secretary Yoon found herself liking this version of Kim Eun-ha more than the one before.
‘...Would she get mad if I said she’s like a younger sister?’
At first.
No, up until Kang Woo-ju appeared, their relationship had been strictly business.
Kim Eun-ha had never let anyone get close to her, and there had been no exceptions to that rule.
Of course, after years of working together, one couldn’t help but grow fond of someone, whether they liked it or not. Thanks to that, they appeared to be quite friendly on the surface, but there had always been a wall between them.
-...No matter how much I think about it, I’m pissed off.
-What happened?
-I mean, Secretary Yoon! Just hear me out. I made a bet with that guy on pistol shooting today, but in the middle of it, there was a misfire due to a malfunction...
Secretary Yoon didn’t know exactly when the change began, but at some point, Kim Eun-ha started bringing up Kang Woo-ju more often.
Most of the time, it was to complain about how she didn’t like him or how his pranks were too much. That kind of talk.
-Um.... Secretary Yoon.... I’m really sorry, but could you maybe get his autograph for me? I mean, it’s not because I have any other motive or anything!
-Go get it yourself.
-I’ll give you a bonus.
-It’s not about money....
-Plus a three-day, two-night vacation.
-I’ll be back shortly.
Before she knew it, she was even accepting such extremely personal requests.
She didn’t hate it.
In fact, she was glad.
Because it felt like the always-businesslike Kim Eun-ha had finally opened her heart to her, even if just a little.
The image of Kim Eun-ha looking like a child after getting Kang Woo-ju’s autograph was still vivid in her mind. She hoped Kim Eun-ha would keep smiling like that.
“CEO-nim.”
“...Mm?”
At the sound of someone calling her, Kim Eun-ha lifted her head. Her expression was difficult to define with a single word, as if her thoughts were tangled.
Yes, this was exactly it.
In the past, sentimental words like these would never have gotten through to her. She would’ve dismissed them in a second, telling her to stop saying nonsense.
‘But now she’s different.’
Once a chronic narcissist born out of her inability to trust others, Kim Eun-ha had finally begun to listen to what others had to say.
Whether such change was good for the future heir of Mirae Group, Secretary Yoon couldn’t say, but for the human being Kim Eun-ha, she was sure it was a positive thing.
“A CEO who has money, ability, and even looks shouldn’t be struggling like this. You should claim everything you can.”
“...Claim?”
Having spent so much time with her, Secretary Yoon knew which words Kim Eun-ha preferred.
With someone as prone to resistance as her, it was more effective to guide her subtly rather than pushing her forward head-on.
“Now that I think about it, confessing first might not be fitting for someone of your dignity. Unless Woo-ju ssi made the first move.”
“...Woo-ju ssi making the first move?”
Of course, the fastest route would be for Kim Eun-ha to confess herself, but that was easier said than done.
‘...Honestly, even I’m not sure how Woo-ju ssi feels.’
She had a feeling he wouldn’t reject her, but based on his past behavior, there were too many unclear parts to be 100 percent certain.
So the best method was for Kim Eun-ha to charm Kang Woo-ju and get him to confess first.
“I have a plan.”
“......!!”
Gulp-
Kim Eun-ha swallowed dryly and perked up her ears.
*****
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