Tae-hyun stood before a mirror, adjusting his suit with the finesse of a runway model. His reflection smirked back at him as he reached for his cologne.
"Everything...From your pretentious cologne to your existence. Stay away from me if you value your limbs." Soo-ji's fiery words replayed in his mind.
"How dare she?" Tae-hyun scoffed. "What even wrong with my cologne?"
Do-yoon, lounging on a nearby couch, snorted. "To be fair, you're not exactly making her life easy."
"Did she ask you to defend her?" Tae-hyun shot back, tossing his cologne aside.
"Nope. I'm just here for the drama."
"You're not particularly the type to like dramas" Tae-hyun said picking a different cologne from his collection
"Hey! Her life is terrible already," Do-yoon said
"I didn't even do anything, plus i'm not really that bad,am I?" Tae-hyun asked, more to himself than anyone else.
"Absolutely! And to be sincere I don't like that cologne either" Do-yoon said before walking out
"Did he just come to insult me?" Tae-hyun questioned himself and scoffed "and they said I'm the rude one"
---
Words failed Soo-ji, and for a moment, she wished the earth would split open and swallow her, sparing her from the mortifying silence.
"Ms. Kim, you're here..." the unfamiliar man greeted, setting his coffee mug aside with an ominous calmness.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't mean to—" Soo-ji panicked, bowing so fast she looked like a bobblehead in overdrive.
"Han Chul," the man interrupted, sliding a business card toward her with the finesse of a magician. "I assume you were expecting someone else. Please, sit."
"Thank you," she replied, bowing once more before awkwardly perching on the edge of the chair like it might eat her.
"You must be curious why you were summoned," Han began cautiously, his expression unreadable.
"Yes, sir," Soo-ji replied her curiosity peeking through.
"Well, Mr. Tae-hyun instructed—"
Before he could finish, Soo-ji slammed her hand on the table so hard it rattled his coffee mug.
"That bastard again," she muttered through gritted teeth.
Han flinched like a small animal cornered by a predator. "Y-yes, ma'am."
Soo-ji exhaled a short laugh, the kind that could send shivers down spines. Turning back to Han, who now looked like he might cry, she feigned interest. "What did he say this time?"
"Mr. Tae-hyun has officially purchased the hospital. As the new owner of Golden Horizon, he said you have two options: work for him willingly or…" Han hesitated, glancing at her hand still planted firmly on the table. "…he'll change the hospital's policies."
"Oh, so he's playing dictator now," Soo-ji muttered, leaning back in her chair like she had all the time in the world. "Does your boss have a psych evaluation on file?" She stood abruptly, muttering, "Of course he doesn't."
Without another word, she spun on her heel and marched out.
Han, still frozen in place, whispered to himself, "What a terrifying being, jezz!!"
---
Soo-ji wandered through the hospital corridors, every step fueled by the kind of rage that could set alarms off. Then, like a lightning strike, an idea hit her.
She stopped dead in her tracks, calculating.
"If he dies, no one would suspect me. He already has more enemies than a loan shark," she mused, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
"You're smiling like that, yet your fists are clenched. Are you planning to strangle someone?" Professor Jung asked, appearing beside her out of nowhere.
"Yes! And it's going to be glorious," Soo-ji replied without thinking, still lost in her murderous daydream.
"Who is it this time?" he probed, already accustomed to her antics.
"First, that slimy Tae-hyun, and then…" She paused, her grin growing sharper. "…that irritating professor who's always sticking his nose in my business."
"How exactly do you plan to kill me?" Professor Jung asked his voice rising just enough to jolt her back to reality.
"Professor?" Soo-ji blinked rapidly, her fantasy shattered.
"I said, how do you plan to kill me?" he repeated, arms crossed.
"No!" Soo-ji said waving her hands in denial "Uh… I didn't mean you professor, how could I?" Soo-ji laughed hesitantly before fleeing the scene like a guilty suspect.
"This girl's going to be the death of me," Jung muttered, shaking his head as he walked away.
---
Later that evening, thoroughly drained, Soo-ji dragged herself to Grandma Noh's house for some much-needed soup therapy. She noticed a pair of unfamiliar shoes at the doorstep but shrugged it off. Too tired to care, she kicked off her own shoes and stepped inside.
"She's probably hosting one of her tea-drinking old buddies," Soo-ji muttered.
"I'm home!" she called out.
"Oh, look who's here!" Grandma Noh greeted her warmly, patting her granddaughter on the head.
"I'm so exhausted," Soo-ji groaned, practically collapsing into her grandmother's arms—until her gaze fell on a very unwelcome figure lounging on the couch like he owned the place.
"Grandma…" she hissed, taking a cautious step back. "Who is that?"
"Oh, don't be silly, Soo-ji. Isn't that your boss?" Grandma Noh teased with a twinkle in her eye.
"He recently bought the hospital," Soo-ji replied, her voice dripping with irritation.
"He was so nice to visit us," Grandma Noh said with a laugh.
"I'm making soup. Would you like some, or shall I prepare something else?" she asked Tae-hyun, who was fully engrossed in the TV show grandma was watching before he walked in.
"You're too kind, ma'am. Anything will be delightful," Tae-hyun replied with a grin that didn't match his reputation.
"Perfect! I'll check on the soup," Grandma Noh said cheerfully, heading to the kitchen.
As soon as she was out of sight, Soo-ji grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.
"Leave. Now," she ordered, her tone sharp as a knife.
Tae-hyun's smirk widened into something almost diabolical. "What if I don't?"
Soo-ji groaned, pinching the bridge of head. "Why are you even here?"
"I came to visit your grandma," Tae-hyun said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Why?"
"Did I ever ask why you visit my grandfather?" he countered smoothly.
"That's my job!" Soo-ji snapped.
"Then consider this my job too," he said, leaning back comfortably. "By the way, what kind of granddaughter lets her grandma cook alone? Shouldn't you be helping her?"
Soo-ji's temper reached boiling point, and she opened her mouth to unleash fury—only to be cut off by Grandma Noh returning with a tray.
"Let me take that, ma'am," Tae-hyun said, rushing over and lifting the heavy tray effortlessly "you shouldn't be lifting such heavy things at your age".
"Oh, you're so thoughtful," Grandma Noh beamed.
"You have no idea," Soo-ji muttered, stalking into the kitchen to cool down.
---
Over dinner, Grandma Noh asked Tae-hyun to take the first sip of soup.
He bowed politely before tasting it. His expression went blank.
"What's wrong?" Grandma Noh asked, her brow creasing with worry.
"It's perfect. It reminds me of my mother's soup," Tae-hyun finally said, his voice soft.
"Where is she?" Grandma Noh asked gently.
"She's gone. I lost both my parents when I was young," he admitted taking another sip "this is really good"
"Soo-ji also lost her parents" Grandma Noh said, her voice tinged with sadness. "She never even knew her mother."
"Grandma!" Soo-ji protested, glaring daggers at her.
"You never want to talk about it," Grandma Noh said, brushing her off and placing more kimchi on Tae-hyun's plate. "Eat up, you look so healthy!"
"Thank you, ma'am," Tae-hyun said with a bow.
"Oh please give me a break" Soo-ji said with a frustrated eye roll.
---
After dinner, Grandma Noh insisted Soo-ji escort Tae-hyun to his car. The silence between so thick that it could actually be felt by others, but it soon came to an end.
"You must miss your parents a lot," Soo-ji said finally, breaking the thick silence.
"Do you think that's pathetic?" Tae-hyun asked, pausing to look at her.
"Maybe… just a little," she admitted with a smirk.
"Well, your story sounds way more pathetic," Tae-hyun replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"What?" Soo-ji sputtered, surprised by his bluntness.
"I'm terrible at comforting people so just accept it" Tae-hyun admitted causally.
"The only comfort I need is for you to stay far, far away from me," Soo-ji shot back handing the box of home-made cookies Grandma Noh specially made for him.
"I already told you—I don't know how to comfort people," Tae-hyun said as his car arrived. Mr. Jun politely opened the door waiting for Tae-hyun to get in "you'd get used to it" he said before getting into the car leaving Soo-ji seething on the sidewalk.
"This motherf—" Soo-ji muttered, watching his car disappear into the night.