𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗺?✓

episode 8

Chairman Kim and his wife always invited their son over to dinner on the second Wednesday of every month. Sometimes, Jisoo was also invited along as thanks for her long service in the care of their son.

After a jovial meal, father and son moved to the second-floor study to talk about the company, as was customary.

Before the conversation began in earnest, Chairman Kim poured some tea from his seat on the sofa and studied Taehyung's red silk tie.

The tie knot was perfect, as always, and Jisoo had tightened it up for him again as he got up from the dinner table.

Jisoo's protocol habits died hard; it was not the first time he had seen her tidy up Taehyung's attire for him. On this day, however, the sight had grated on him.

Perhaps it was because of the news that had reached him earlier that day.

“Does jisoo always help you with your tie like that?”

It was an unexpected question, but Taehyung replied calmly,

“Secretary Kim takes care of it most of the time.”

“I see. Since when?”

“Since...”

Huh? Come to think of it, when had she begun doing that?

Taehyung’s eyes widened, and he put down his tea, taken aback.

As the surface of the green tea began to settle down, he was reminded of an incident from long ago.

***

Everyone has days when their intuition seems to be in top form. Today was that day for Taehyung.

The female employee, just turned twenty and still with some baby fat around her cheeks, had a face that still glowed faintly from her forcible introduction to two jugs of beer prior. What caught his eye was her left dimple, oddly deeper than the one on her right.

“What is your name?”

“It’s Kim jisoo.”

He had thought this would be all the interaction they would ever have, but they'd met before. The coincidence intrigued him.

But the welcoming emotions were brief.

“Kim Jisoo. You know me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Oh? Who am I, then?”

“You’re the chairman’s son.”

Jisoo was brightly smiling, but she was extremely frightened. Her pale countenance, frozen lips, tightened fists, and trembling body showed this far too clearly.

It didn’t seem to be because she was speaking to the chairman’s son. She kept throwing sidelong glances toward the bathroom entrance, where a spider could be faintly seen, assiduously building a web. The spider dangled downward from a single thread; she shuddered and turned her head away awkwardly.

Spiders, huh.

He felt a bit hurt that she didn't remember, but perhaps that was for the better.

“Huh? You’re not...”

“Yes, that was me.”

Jisoo’s lips quivered. Her forced smile made her look very uncomfortable indeed.

“How do you like your work?”

“Uh...yes, it’s good. I need to quit this month, though. My job was a temporary position.”

“Do you have anywhere to go?”

“Well, uh, I have family to support, and I’ll have to find a way...”