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“Like what?”
“Right now, I need to focus on Yoo Hee-jin.”
“…….”
“I have no intention of neglecting my work at the company, but since time is limited, I'll be away from my desk more often.”
Yuna was speechless. She had attended the same schools as him since high school and had even managed to secure a position as his business partner. Because of that, she prided herself on knowing Go Seok-hyun better than anyone—dare she say, even better than his parents. That was why it was even harder to believe his claim that Yoo Hee-jin took priority over work.
“I—I mean, even if the business is on track, your absence is bound to be noticeable. Think about how many fields we've expanded into recently; what happens if you're not around?”
“I didn't say I'd be gone.”
“There's a difference between being present and being fully focused. That's what I'm talking about.”
“Sometimes there are things more important than work. Don't you have any?”
“…….”
To think she would hear such words from Go Seok-hyun. To Yuna, it sounded as if he were saying, ‘There is nothing more important than love,’ and she grit her teeth.
Seok-hyun stopped the car in front of Yuna's house and turned his head. In the dark of the night, the dim outdoor lighting spilled softly over Yuna's face. Meeting Seok-hyun's gaze, Yuna hurriedly turned her head toward the window. She didn't want him to see her face, which had become hideous with jealousy.
“Since you're doing so well, I'm not worried about the offline side of things, but I'd still like you to look after my share as well. I'm counting on you.”
*I'm counting on you.* Go Seok-hyun's voice, uttering words he had never once said even during the startup phase, was as kind and gentle as always, but it held nothing more than that.
✾ ✾ ✾
- Are you enjoying your vacation?
The next day, Hee-jin's mood became complicated upon receiving a message from a colleague in the symphony orchestra. If it had just been a friend, she would have been glad, but unfortunately, it was a colleague from the same violin section. Being four years older, he was also the Seonbae who had guided her since she first joined.
Before coming to Korea, Hee-jin had secretly confided in him alone that she was seeking sponsorship. While wanting to be sponsored to act as a soloist is a dream for any violinist, telling a colleague in the orchestra carried a high risk.
If it appeared that she was dissatisfied with her current position, her reputation could easily be tarnished. In that regard, Hee-jin had decided she could trust him.
Though he mentioned her vacation, his question was essentially asking if things were going as planned—whether she had successfully secured sponsorship. Hee-jin pondered for a long time about how to answer.
The key was how much she could trust Go Seok-hyun. Through the time spent in Japan, Hee-jin had confirmed that Go Seok-hyun wasn't simply playing her. However, things like the Lord Wilton violin or having her own management agency still didn't feel real.
“Um… I'll have to wait and see, but it's looking positive.”
Hee-jin spoke with a sigh-like laugh. Her heart was already leaning toward accepting the sponsorship. She was standing at a crossroads where a single step could change her entire life.
But she still couldn't fully trust Go Seok-hyun. The actions he had shown were clearly sincere, yet they had a clear purpose, and the words he spoke were kind yet chilling. Beyond that, it was possible he was simply overlooking practical issues due to excessive passion. No matter how smart he seemed, twenty-five was still quite young.
- Good luck.
He also kept his words brief, simply wishing her luck.
“Thank you. I'll let you know first once it's certain.”
- Of course. Oh, I don't know if you've heard, but Christina is returning to her hometown. I think she was offered the position of director for a new orchestra she's founding.
“Christina is?”
Hearing news from inside the orchestra made Hee-jin's cluttered mind feel a bit clearer. Even though she had come prepared to leave, hearing about 'home' made her feel at peace. Christina was the principal second violin. In her late forties, she had ample experience and skill, so it wasn't strange for her to be offered a director's position.
“Please tell her congratulations for me. I'll contact her myself as well.”
- Will do. Let's talk again.
“Yeah.”
Thanks to talking about her orchestra family, she was able to end the call feeling much better. Lightly tapping her cheeks to wake herself up, Hee-jin finished her simple preparations and headed down to the lobby.
Go Seok-hyun didn't just have a great face; he had broad shoulders and was tall and lean. He possessed an appearance that would draw attention and admiration anywhere in the world.
With his long legs crossed and his chin resting on his hand, Go Seok-hyun looked like a painting. He was simply sitting on a sofa in the lounge cafe, yet it was enough to make one mistake that he was in the middle of a pictorial shoot. He drew the gaze of not only Hee-jin but other guests as well, but he didn't seem to mind at all, as if he were accustomed to the attention. Even though he was sitting comfortably and casually, he was flawlessly elegant.
Looking as if he were lost in thought, he eventually noticed Hee-jin's presence. She hadn't approached him closely nor entered his direct line of sight, so it was a mystery how he knew she had arrived. Hee-jin approached him, thinking it was fascinating.
“You're early.”
“Of course. I'm good at waiting.”
With a grin, Seok-hyun asked if she wanted coffee, and Hee-jin nodded. As they each took a cup of coffee and got back into Seok-hyun's car, a sense of déjà vu washed over her. Since they had gone to Japan this way before, she felt a mixture of dread and anticipation about where they would go today.
“Are you going to tell me the destination today?”
“Did you learn Korean from a book?”
“What?”
“You maintained your accent so well that I thought you used Korean often, but I guess you studied it separately?”
“…….”
Caught off guard by the sudden personal question, Hee-jin reflexively recoiled but then composed herself. She took a sip of coffee and nodded.
“I listened to a lot of audiobooks. I used them instead of sleeping pills at night.”
In the early days of her studies abroad, she had struggled a lot to master English. Since there was no one to speak Korean with besides her mother, it was an environment where it was easy to lose her Korean accent. However, that wasn't her intention; she just needed something to block out her mother's drunken ramblings to fall into a deep sleep. That's when she found audiobooks and Korean documentary videos.
“I like the way you sound. Your way of speaking is very soft. Did you know that?”
A soft way of speaking. Since she had never really perceived how her Korean sounded, Hee-jin didn't know how to react. She didn't even know what a 'soft way of speaking' was. Feeling awkward, she fidgeted with her hair. Seok-hyun burst into laughter at her reaction.
“What's with that reaction? Is this the first time you've heard that?”
“It's the first time. I don't really use Korean that much to begin with.”
“Then do you mostly speak in English?”
“Yes. And Italian.”
“The current conductor is Italian, right? And you studied under an Italian professor. Then you must be proficient in Italian as well.”
“…I wouldn't say proficient. I mix it with English.”
Hee-jin was slightly surprised that Seok-hyun even knew her teacher's nationality. It was understandable for the orchestra's conductor since they were famous, but knowing who she had studied under was not common knowledge.
“How did you know?”
“It's easy to find out what route you took to enter the orchestra since you first moved to the States. But there's no way to know what Yoo Hee-jin was thinking during that process.”
“…….”
“Unless Noona tells me herself.”
Seok-hyun grinned. Understanding the meaning behind those words, Hee-jin nodded. It was a declaration that she would no longer build walls and a resolve to tell him everything about herself.
“…So, where are we going?”
“Today, I'm going to appeal myself to Noona a bit.”
Hee-jin looked at Seok-hyun with slightly surprised eyes. His gaze, as he told her she'd find out once they arrived, was somehow very confident.
With a sweet smile as always, Seok-hyun led her by the hand. He asked if it wasn't an irresistible choice anyway. As if enchanted, Hee-jin took his hand.
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