Chapter 20

“I am just trying to assess the depth of your relationship.”

As Na-Yool did not respond to him no matter how long he waited, Si-Jin repeated his question. His face was expressionless, but his tone did not fool her. It was a sharp interrogative tone, somewhere between annoyance and discomfort.

“So what exactly are you trying to figure out here?”

“Like I said, the relationship between you and that…”

He shortly looked down at the phone as he pondered on what the right word was to qualify Sang-Hoon.

“… that brainless loser.”

“…There is no need to call him that…”

As the woman who had dated Sang-Hoon for 200 days, she wanted to deny what he was, but she could not really do that either. Anyone would come to that conclusion just by reading his messages.

“Hm, I wonder what I should call him then.”

“……”

“I don’t know his name, after all.”

“You can just address him as my ‘ex-boyfriend’.”

“Ah, that’s right. Ms. Na-Yool’s dumb jerk of an ex-boyfriend.”

“I told you I did not want to hear any further, Mr. President.”

“You do not need to enjoy it. As long as I do.”

As if we were close enough to speak about it.

“Thanks for the entertainment.” mumbled Si-Jin cynically as he handed over her phone.

Na-Yool took it back, hid it behind her back and held it tight just in case he got tempted to snatch it again. Now that she had her phone, there was no need for further conversation –  if she was to face him any longer, he would only put her patience to the test.

In any case, he truly was a wicked man. One who considered other people’s sad (or in fact, shameful) private issues as a source of his personal amusement.

“I asked because he did not seem like the kind of guy you would be serious about.”

“……”

Na-Yool was just about to throw a vague greeting and turn around, but her intention disappeared in an instant. Stunned that he so easily read her mind, she flinched and felt compelled to answer.

“Am I wrong?”

“Whatever the case, it is between him and I.”

“Still…”

He felt skeptical about her answer. A bright smile passed over his cold expression. “You are not denying it.”

“Mr. President. Since that time, you keep interpreting my words as you want to hear it, but—”

“Are you sure it’s specifically from ‘that time’?”

“… What the hell do you want from me?” Na-Yool snapped with a sigh.

As working late overtime was common, most employees would report to duty in the morning at the nick of the moment. Consequently, right now at this early hour, only a few employees passed by. But either way, it was hard not to mind them.

“Let’s start with the easy answer first.”

She sighed deeply, as if she finally gave up. Taking it as a sign of consent, Si-Jin asked once more, “So, did you have marriage in mind?”

“No, I never did.”

“How much did you love this dumb jerk then?”

“If a certain someone had witnessed his pitiful side…”

“ ‘If a certain someone had’…?”

Did his tender voice which repeated her words, sound almost intimidating, or was it in her head?

“… How should I say… I would not want to kill them for that.”

“Do you mean me?”

“No, I wouldn’t dare… you know just… people. So to say, in fact, maybe I did not like him very much.”

“Are you the kind of person who finds evidence of her love from the intensity of her intent to murder a unrelated someone?”

“If that someone provoked it, then it is not my responsibility. Doing that means that they are at least prepared to get either hit, insulted, or killed… isn’t it? But of course, I am not targeting anyone here.”

“Personally, I have never expected you to pick from any of these three choices.”

“It is obviously because you have no common sense nor understanding. Some basic traits that anyone should have.” For the first time since this morning, Na-Yool lashed out with no filter.

Looking down— the phone screen displaying Sang-Hoon’s messages (emphasize on the ‘mess’). Looking up — the man showing off his blatant lack of common sense. Wherever she looked, she had no room to breathe.