Chapter 378
Chapter 378
It was when he was focused.
The float moved, and she lifted the fishing rod with a snap.
Splash.
Splash splash.
Jeong Da-hye shouted with joy and shrugged her shoulders.
“Wow. Got it.”
Yoo-hyun, who got up from his seat, took her fish with a net.
Then he put it in the fish basket by the water.
Jeong Da-hye ran around, watching the fish flopping on the water.
She even approached Yoo-hyun and reached out her hands.
“Wow. I caught it. I caught…”
Clap.
The moment Yoo-hyun reached out his hand and hit Jeong Da-hye’s hand, she blinked her eyes.
“…it.”
Her eyelashes were so long.
Yoo-hyun smiled, and she turned her head awkwardly.
But she couldn’t hide her ears that turned bright red.
Thump thump.
Yoo-hyun’s lips curled up with the flutter he felt anew.
He thought he came to the fishing spot well.
But Jeong Da-hye had a different mind from Yoo-hyun.
She closed her mouth.
She couldn’t turn her head for a long time because she was embarrassed.
Then she asked a question that came to her mind.
“But why don’t you use bait, Yoo-hyun?”
“Because I can catch them without it.”
“But you can catch them better if you use bait.”
“What are you going to do with catching a lot? I’m going to let them go anyway.”
Jeong Da-hye tilted her head at the strange answer.
“Then why do you catch them?”
“It’s fun to fish for time.”
“You say something fresh.”
“Fresh. That sounds good. I want to live leisurely like that.”
It was a word that Jeong Da-hye, who always valued efficiency, could never understand.
But why did that word bother her so much?
It was different, and it wasn’t the direction she wanted, but it looked good.
It looked relaxed and comfortable.
She even felt envious.
She expressed that thought that shook her values with resentment.
“Living leisurely might be nice. But I want to run faster, achieve what I want. Even if I have to use bait.”
“…”
Yoo-hyun didn’t answer and just smiled.
It felt like he understood everything.
She got angry and threw the fishing rod with bait as if to show him with action.
The float flew far away and floated on the water, and Jeong Da-hye opened her eyes wide.
She was determined to show him how fast and how much she could catch.
But that was only for a moment.
Gurgle gurgle.
As soon as the sound came from her stomach, Yoo-hyun asked casually.
“Do you want some ramen?”
“Huh?”
“Ramen is a must when fishing.”
“No. I’m…”
“If you’re late, I’ll take you to the parking lot.”
As always, Yoo-hyun answered as if he read Jeong Da-hye’s mind.
And he moved first.
Clang clang.
A burner and a pot were placed on the table in front of the tent.
Bubble bubble.
Soon the water boiled, and ramen went in.
The spicy smell that stimulated the nose, the sound of grasshoppers tickling the ears.
The stars in the sky and the cool breeze.
The very cozy scenery naturally led her to the seat.
Before she knew it, chopsticks were in her hand.
Slurp.
Jeong Da-hye lifted her thumb after tasting the ramen.
“Wow. It’s really delicious.”
She then started to eat hastily, forgetting her embarrassment.
Her face was full of smiles, as if it was really delicious.
He had only cooked one ramen for her, but why did his heart feel so warm?
He felt more fulfilled at this moment, when his beloved was eating the ramen deliciously, than when he came to Yeontae-ri and changed the factory and saw the village grow.
Jeong Da-hye’s chopsticks scraped the bottom of the bowl as she filled her hungry stomach.
“Let me know if you need more. I’ll boil some more for you.”
“I ate a lot. It’s enough.”
“Well, you did eat a lot.”
“What?”
Yoo-hyun chuckled as he looked at the flustered Jeong Da-hye.
He pushed a plate towards her, who had walnut wrinkles on her chin.
It was a steamed bun that he had taken out of the steamer that was placed next to the tent.
It was a hearty steamed bun that the restaurant lady had secretly prepared for them.
“Have some of this steamed bun too.”
“I ate too much.”
“Your rice stomach and your bread stomach are different. Just taste it.”
“…”
Jeong Da-hye bit a mouthful without saying a word and turned her head quickly.
Then she took another bite.
She acted as if nothing was wrong, but her shoulders kept twitching.
Her elbows swayed slightly.
Yoo-hyun smiled again as he watched her.
He enjoyed this moment.
A little later.
Yoo-hyun drove out of the reservoir on Baeyong-seok’s scooter along the newly repaired road.
As he sped up on the road, the cold wind blew.
“Hold on tight.”
As Yoo-hyun said that, Jeong Da-hye, who was wearing a helmet, wrapped her arms around his waist.
She was too awkward to put any strength in her arms.
Thud.
The motorcycle wobbled slightly as it stepped on the gravel.
“Kyaa.”
Jeong Da-hye hugged Yoo-hyun’s body tightly at that moment.
Her trembling was transmitted to his back.
Thump thump.
His heart also felt a little bit of love.
He felt a small warmth in his chest that he had never felt before.
Jeong Da-hye, who was embarrassed, changed the subject for no reason.
“Ahem. Is this the only speed you can go?”
“Yes. It’s probably because of the weight.”
“…”
Jeong Da-hye was silent for a while.
Today, Jeong Da-hye looked more comfortable and stable than before.
She also expressed her emotions more than before.
Excitement, embarrassment, shyness, joy.
He was happy to see her colorful appearance.
So he was worried.
What should he say to her before he left?
The parking lot on the hilltop.
Jeong Da-hye, who stood in front of his car, made Yoo-hyun’s worry meaningless.
“I want to succeed in this job. I want to go higher.”
She erased her fresh expression from before and showed a strong will in her eyes.
He knew why she had to say that at this point, so he stepped back a little.
“It’ll be fine. Just like you’ve done so far.”
“Thank you for cheering me up. I hope you have a good time here too, Mr. Yoo-hyun.”
“I’ll be going up soon too. I have to continue my fresh life in Seoul.”
At Yoo-hyun’s words, Jeong Da-hye’s eyes shook briefly.
“You’re going up?”
“Yes. Soon. When you finish your job successfully, I’ll get a cup of coffee from you.”
“If that happens, I’ll buy you dinner. I have to pay back my debt this time.”
“That would be even better.”
“I’ll see you later.”
Yoo-hyun took her hand first.
Jeong Da-hye smiled politely and drove away.
Vroom.
He still felt her warmth on his fingertips, but he didn’t feel the same flutter as when they touched hands at the fishing spot.
He sensed that she had drawn a line again.
He wasn’t impatient.
He knew that there was no room for romantic feelings in her heart right now, but he hoped that someday she would have some spare time for him.
He was satisfied that he had engraved his name in her mind for now.
And he looked forward to the future.
What would her expression be when they met again at the place where they first connected?
“See you soon.”
Yoo-hyun turned around with a bright smile.
Some time had passed since Jeong Da-hye left.
The harsh winter was coming to an end.
In the meantime, Yoo-hyun’s friends and father had visited Yeontae Village.
Yoo-hyun also traveled around here and there.
The factory work was still easy.
Most of the work was done in a day, and the rest was just a holiday.
The company was busy, unlike Yoo-hyun’s leisurely life.
Organizational changes, new factory operations, increased iPhone shipments, etc.
Several issues that erupted simultaneously made the already busy work more hectic.
He could tell how hard everyone was working just by looking at the daily text messages from Jang Joon-sik.
But he didn’t interfere because they were doing well on their own.
He focused on something else.
One afternoon, in the break room of Yeontae Factory.
Sitting on the warm ondol floor, reading a newspaper, Yoo-hyun’s eyes lingered on one place.
-Vice President Hyun Ki Joon
Before: Head of Mobile Phone Business at Hansung Electronics
After: Head of Battery Business at Hansung Chemical
There was a name among the densely packed names that caught Yoo-hyun’s attention.
He put down the paper cup in his mouth and clicked his tongue.
“Vice President Hyun Ki Joon got pushed out.”
He remembered what he had heard from Vice President Yeo Tae-sik a while ago, and something that had never happened before happened.
It was the result of a fight between Vice President Shin Myung Ho and Vice President Shin Cheon Sik in the absence of Director Shin Kyung-wook.
It seemed right to assume that the Group Strategy Office was actively supporting Vice President Shin Cheon Sik.
What would Vice President Shin Myung Ho, who had lost his right arm, choose?
If his guess was right, Director Shin Kyung-wook’s move would be faster.
That meant that Yoo-hyun’s return date could be sooner.
“I don’t mind living like this.”
It was when Yoo-hyun’s inner thoughts popped out.
Jo Ki-jung, who sat down next to him, scratched his long hair furiously.
“Sigh.”
It was a sigh that didn’t match his usual carefree attitude, so Yoo-hyun asked him why.
“What’s wrong?”
“The Mokpo branch guys won’t send any more staff.”
“You said you liked it better when they didn’t come.”
He didn’t need any extra hands, so there was no need to take anyone in.
That was what Jo Ki-jung, who hated socializing with people, wanted more.
But Jo Ki-jung gave a different reason.
“That’s true, but I feel sorry for the villagers.”
“I’ve been telling the restaurant lady nicely.”
“I know. Not that.”
“Then? You know how busy the village head is these days.”
A while ago, the county governor came to visit the village, and recently, some people from the provincial office were dispatched.
They surveyed the status of village tourism development, and Yeontae Village got a good score there.
Thanks to that, the provincial office decided to support them with a budget.
It was such a fast progress that it could be called unprecedented.
Because of the situation, Lee Young Nam, the village leader, had no time to spare for anything else.
Jo Ki-jung shook his head with a frustrated expression at Yoo-hyun’s question.
“No. It’s not that kind of problem. You saw it too. The villagers always thank us whenever they get interviewed.”
“Are you worried that they might close down the factory? Then it would hurt the villagers?”
“Yeah. Me and Kang Team Leader only have a little time left before we go back. Team Leader Han can’t do it alone.”
Did Jo Ki-jung also feel responsible for his senior?
It felt strange to see him worry about something like this when he seemed to have no attachment to the factory.
He felt his sense of responsibility in his answer, and Yoo-hyun reassured him with a smiling face.
“Don’t worry. It’s not easy to close down a branch.”
“I know. I know, but I feel sorry.”
Jo Ki-jung got up from his seat, feeling embarrassed.
Yoo-hyun offered him a plausible solution.
“Then, why don’t you do an interview this time? They said the newspaper reporters are coming again.”
“Are you crazy? If I do that, I have to contact the PR team. I can’t do that.”
“That’s why. Then the PR team might pay more attention to us.”
He didn’t have to tell the company’s internal story, but it was enough to just hint at it.