12. Dopamine Going Boom
In the private showroom, Seorin looked at herself in the mirror.
Her fair skin, long hair, and elegant features immediately caught the eye.
“Wow. You’re absolutely beautiful.”
“My goodness, it suits you perfectly.”
“This outfit was practically born for you, ma’am.”
The stylist, personal shopper, and assistants all said in unison.
Of course they would.
When had they ever said anything different?
They only knew how to say things like that.
Ihun’s fiancée, Seorin, forced herself to smile.
“Really? Then I’ll take this one.”
She was bored.
A life in which she had been unable to do anything as she pleased because of her illness, and had been raised like a princess.
She had suffered from severe anemia since she was young.
She was so sick that she couldn’t even attend school, so she barely managed to graduate from high school by taking the qualification examination.
Even when she attended university, she would frequently collapse, eventually forcing her to drop out.
She was much better now, but she still had to go for regular checkups.
For the rest of her life.
Was being sick really something to be so ashamed of?
Her illness had been kept a strict secret from the world, and her father had ordered her to marry as though he were simply getting rid of her.
Go quietly while there is still somewhere willing to take someone as deficient as you.
Even knowing that she was this kind of burden, SaJa Group had chosen her.
They said they didn’t care about her illness, but in truth, it also meant that who their partner was didn’t matter.
Because, after all, they were merely becoming business partners.
Seorin calmly entered the luxurious private room where they were supposed to meet.
Then, as if he had arrived some time ago, Ihun stood up from his seat.
Rai Heon.
My marriage partner.
Even after becoming engaged, they had only met twice.
If there was any consolation in a loveless marriage, it was that the man who would become her husband was incredibly handsome.
His face was the kind that she could look at over and over without ever getting tired of it, and the more she looked at him, the more admiration it inspired.
As long as it wasn’t boring.
In this tiresome world.
After all, it was too late for her to experience something called love in this lifetime.
“You’re already here? I’m a little late.”
Seorin approached and greeted him with perfect posture.
“I arrived early.”
A boring man except for his face.
He was about to get married, yet he was still so rigid.
Then again, this man wasn’t marrying her because he loved her either.
No, love?
He probably didn’t even know what such a thing was.
If he had someone he loved, it would undoubtedly be an AI robot that was good at nothing but work.
A man obsessed with work.
A cold-blooded businessman who would even use marriage as a means if it were for the sake of SaJa Group.
That was how Rai Heon was rumored to be in this world.
“Was there any inconvenience on your way here?”
“No. My driver brought me right to the entrance.”
“Let’s sit.”
An awkward silence passed between the two after they sat down.
Seorin spoke first.
“The wedding date has been set. Did you hear?”
“As it happens, I think we need to discuss that.”
“Right? Even if we set aside the wedding date and ceremony, we should at least decide on matters concerning our marriage after the wedding…….”
“Ms. Baek Seorin.”
“Yes, Mr. Rai Heon.”
“How much interest do you have in me?”
Seorin hadn’t expected him to ask such a personal question, so she couldn’t immediately answer.
“Other than the fact that my family is SaJa Group, how much interest do you have in Rai Heon the person?”
There was something strange about the question.
She had no interest in Rai Heon the person, but neither did she have any interest in SaJa Group.
“Why are you asking me this…….”
“I intend to cancel this marriage.”
“……Pardon?”
At those completely unexpected words, Seorin opened her mouth in surprise.
The composure, expressions, and manner of speech she had been taught all her life collapsed in an instant, and she could no longer control her expression.
“What do you mean by that…….”
“I mean that I am going to call off this marriage.”
Her heart began pounding, and color returned to her cheeks.
“But the wedding date has already been set.”
“That is irrelevant.”
“If o…… our marriage is called off, it will deal a major blow to the company.”
“Rather, I should be asking you. Would you be all right with that?”
“With wh…… what?”
“I’m suggesting that we break off the engagement, yet your first concern is the company.”
“…….”
“Is a marriage like this really all right for us?”
“Why are you suddenly doing this…… Is it because I’m ill?”
“……Have you been feeling unwell? Then I apologize for that.”
From the beginning, he hadn’t cared about her illness at all.
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
When she could do nothing but stare at him, unable to figure out what to say, Ihun stood up and fastened the buttons of his suit.
“I have conveyed my intentions. I would like you to sort out your thoughts as well, Ms. Seorin.”
He wants to break off his engagement with me?
A man who knows nothing but work has become disillusioned with a marriage arranged between companies and is calling it off……?
Rai Heon.
I thought you were a boring man who was married to his work.
But things are…… getting interesting?
“……Is there a woman.”
Watching Ihun turn and walk away, Seorin wore an intrigued expression.
***
As he pressed the elevator button, Dohyun hummed to himself.
Wasn’t a secretary free to do whatever he wanted when the boss was away?
How many hours would the date last?
He didn’t even dream of something like five or six hours.
The man couldn’t bear to take his hands off work, after all.
Still, they would eat, have some tea, and spend about two hours together, right?
It wasn’t even as long as a movie’s running time, but it was better than nothing.
Get married already.
So I can resign with a lighter heart.
While waiting for the elevator to come down, Dohyun turned his head and spotted Ihun coming out of the café.
Oh-ho.
Are they already moving to another date location?
Dohyun watched, expecting Seorin to emerge behind Ihun, but strangely, Ihun alone was walking toward him.
Good grief.
Is it because the man is so huge?
Did he block Ms. Baek Seorin from view?
It can’t already be over.
It’s a date, of all things!
Right?
Isn’t that right, Boss?
But they say when you least expect something, it can really happen.
Ihun passed right in front of him alone and stepped into the elevator that had just arrived.
“Aren’t you getting in?
“Oh, I-I am.”
Dohyun quickly followed him inside.
“Why did you come out so quickly?”
“I’m done here. Get the car ready. We’re going back to the company.”
“What? What do you mean? What about the date?”
“I’m not going on a date. I called off the engagement.”
Called off the engagement…… What does that mean?
“The engagement? Did you just say you called off the engagement? You mean you’re not getting married to Dongyeon Group?”
“Yes. Why? Are you going to report it to the Chairman?”
Flinch.
H-How did he…….
“W-Why would I report it to the Chairman?”
“How would I know? Secretary Kang would know.”
At Ihun’s calm yet sharp expression, Dohyun swallowed hard.
“You…… knew?”
Ihun silently stared straight at Dohyun.
Dohyun lowered his head.
“But why didn’t you say anything…….”
“Because there are no flaws in my life.”
Annoying, but true.
There really hadn’t been anything worth reporting until now.
I suppose there’s finally something.
“They’ll find out eventually anyway. Secretary Kang, give them one piece of information for once. Show them you’re trustworthy.”
Ihun gave a faint chuckle, but his eyes weren’t smiling.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Dohyun’s body began to shake.
“B-Boss, the thing is, what happened was…….”
He stepped out of the elevator.
Dohyun quickly followed behind him.
“Boss! But why! Why on earth did you call off the engagement!”
***
SaJa Group–Dongyeon Group ‘Marriage Alliance’ Shakes Up the Industrial Landscape
SaJa Group President Rai Heon and Dongyeon Group heiress Baek Seorin are getting married.
With this as the catalyst, the two companies are expected to strengthen their cooperation across the nation’s transportation, logistics, and aviation markets.
‘SaJa Pay’ is expected to be integrated with the Hi-Pass, railway, and airport payment systems operated by Dongyeon Group.
In that case, integrated payments through SaJa Pay would become possible across highways, railways, and airports nationwide.
…[Omitted]…
An industry insider analyzed, “Through this merger, SaJa Group will expand its influence into the nationwide transportation and aviation payment markets, and the scale of new revenue it secures is expected to reach several trillion won.”
“Wow. That’s incredible. A marriage between conglomerates.”
Assistant Manager Kim shook his head as he read the article.
Yoonseo, sitting across from him, glared at him and scolded him.
“Assistant Manager, do you really have to read that out loud?”
“What are you talking about? I’m briefing everyone on the promotional effects of the boss’s marriage.”
“Then read it silently and just give us your opinion. Someone gets hurt by the articles you read so casually.”
“Ms. Yoonseo, did you eat something wrong? Who would get hurt by this article? Unless you mean Chairman Ko of Bear Group, who’s always been eyeing Dongyeon Group.”
“Good grief, that’s not what I mean…… You really have no sense.”
“What? What did you just say?”
“Nothing.”
Yoonseo glanced at Dana.
It was pitiful to see her looking so utterly dejected.
How did she end up falling for the boss?
Why would she refuse a blind date when it was going to hurt her this much?
Ever since Yoonseo had told her that the boss’s wedding date had been set, she had seemed completely out of her mind.
Yoonseo’s assumption was correct.
Dana had been mentally falling apart for days.
Just not for the reason Yoonseo thought.
‘I don’t want to be the second woman!’
Dana messed up her hair in anguish.
Why did I say that?
Even I have ten question marks over it.
I panicked and said whatever came to mind, and it turned out to be absolute nonsense.
Even if I grew old and lay dying someday, I might spring up the moment I remembered what I had said that day.
‘Th…! Everything… your mouth… is yours.’
For a moment, she almost remembered something a fortune-teller had said when she and her friends visited one for fun at the age of twenty.
Please, let the boss get married safely without me running into him.
I keep getting into trouble whenever I meet him.
Please, please, let me never meet him again……
Rrrrrrrr.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
As she clasped both hands together and prayed, the office telephone suddenly began ringing.
The employees in the conference room looked at one another in surprise.
The manager came rushing into the conference room.
“Hey, don’t just sit around like this. Everyone, start defending the company against the articles.”
“What happened, Manager?”
“I don’t know. They say the boss called off his engagement. Nobody answer the phones. Call every reporter you know and stop the articles!”
“Oh, really? The boss called off his engagemen…….”
Dana shot to her feet.
“What? What did you say? Who did what?”
“They said President Rai Heon called off his engagement. He broke things off with Dongyeon Group!”
