The Unplanned Intersection

“Taerin, you’re here? You’re early.” The man welcoming Taerin with a leisurely smile was Se-hyeon.

“I thought it best to arrive before the elders.”

“Shall we walk for a bit? This place looks lovely for a stroll. There’s a birch forest path in the back.”

It was certainly a place for walking, but the weather was anything but suitable. A fierce cold wave had been raging since the day before. Furthermore, she was currently wearing high heels. It was not the kind of attire meant for trekking up a birch forest path on a hill.

However, knowing exactly why he was suggesting a walk, Taerin took the arm he offered without a word. She needed to present a solid front—a relationship unshaken by the rumors of Se-hyeon’s other woman—so she clung close to his arm, looking up at him with a smile.

“…….”

“What is it?”

“No, just… well. Today, especially.”

The tips of Se-hyeon’s ears were reddening as he looked down at her. Sensing a strange reaction, Taerin withdrew her bright smile.

“…You look beautiful.”

“Save those words for your woman.”

“…Right now, you are my woman.”

He spoke with force, despite his embarrassed face. Taerin let out a short, sharp breath—a laugh at Se-hyeon’s absurd attitude.

“Must be nice for you. Having one woman to hide and another to show off.”

“…….”

“That was sarcasm. Only walk as far as that point ahead. Anyone intending to take photos has likely already taken them. It’s cold.”

“Ah… is your coat in the car? Shall I give you my blazer?”

She had left her outerwear in the car, intending to go straight into the restaurant. If he had paid her even a shred of attention, he wouldn’t have suggested a walk in the first place.

It was a suggestion that laid bare the hollow nature of their relationship. Whether his fiancée was shivering in the cold or walking an unpaved winter forest path in high heels didn’t matter. To him, the only thing that mattered was getting the photos taken. There was no affection for her in his words.

She wasn’t hurt by it. Taerin had never expected such things from Se-hyeon anyway.

“Never mind. It’ll be warmer inside.”

Turning back toward the restaurant, Taerin cast a brief glance at the cars continuously filling the parking lot. She felt as though, of all the many people gathered here, she was likely the loneliest.

At the same time, Jae-hwi was standing in a small courtyard inside the Korean restaurant, Goseuljeong.

“Seo Chan-young went to Russia five times last year alone. They claim he’s planning a business expansion there, but Secretary Jeong, you know as well as I do that makes no sense.”

For years, Jae-hwi had been tracking Seo Chan-young, who could be described as Goo Jae-kyung’s closest confidant. His repeated visits to Russia had a clear purpose.

He was either trying to dig up information about Jae-hwi’s biological mother or searching for evidence to prove that he wasn’t the real Goo Jae-hwi.

Five years ago, Goo Yoon-han—who had been promoted to CEO—had died in a helicopter accident while rushing to handle a fire at a GH Electronics factory in Indonesia. Goo Kwang-hyun, shocked by the sudden death of his eldest son, had become bedridden.

Taking advantage of the gap, Goo Yoon-mo, who had always lived in his brother’s shadow, joined forces with Goo Jae-kyung. They decided that since both of them had been eclipsed by the firstborn grandson, it was time for the world to change; they resolved to flip the script.

However, once Goo Kwang-hyun regained his senses, he entered a period of long deliberation regarding the vacant CEO position at GH Electronics. That prolonged hesitation was a humiliation for the second son, Goo Yoon-mo, who had been eyeing his dead brother’s seat with predatory intensity. Unable to contain himself, he demanded to know why he wasn’t being given the opportunity, but Goo Kwang-hyun was firm.

“It is not your seat.”

Having drawn that line, Goo Kwang-hyun appointed an outside manager as CEO. It was a decision made with Jae-hwi in mind—who at the time had just finished his studies in Germany and started working at the GH Electronics European branch.

On the day Taerin had helped him find a new path, Jae-hwi had told Goo Kwang-hyun that he would do his best to prove his worth. He argued that both he and Goo Jae-kyung carried the same blood, and there must be a reason the Chairman had sought him out despite having granddaughters. He demanded to be treated according to the role of the eldest grandson, which he promised to fulfill.

At his grandson’s bold proposal—a boy who had previously acted so naive—Goo Kwang-hyun let out a long smile through his thin lips.

“You’re asking me to wait because you’re confident you can pull it off?” “Yes.” “Jae-kyung says she’s confident, too.” “…….” “One cannot jump into the world with nothing but confidence.” “…….” “But it’s better than a fellow with no confidence at all. Fine. I shall watch.”

To the shrewd old man, it must have been entertaining to see the seemingly useless boy resolve to become ruthless. He couldn’t have been anything but pleased to have one more card to play.

From that day on, Jae-hwi no longer had to rake the damn sand in the garden. He went to Germany and threw himself into his studies, his fitness, and his work, earning a reputation as a madman. As a result, he was finally able to appear in official settings as Goo Jae-hwi.

From Goo Jae-kyung’s perspective, she must have loathed him; she had wanted him to crawl away and die, but instead, he had fought with everything he had. She likely assumed he would never dare return to Korea, but recently, a personnel order had suddenly moved him to the Korean headquarters. It was a decisive move by Goo Kwang-hyun, who had been watching Jae-hwi all along.

Jae-hwi regretted not seeing the expression on Goo Jae-kyung’s face or the tantrum she must have thrown.

He realized that he, who had grown up being called “dim-witted,” actually possessed a fairly sharp mind. He realized that the people in this family carrying the Goo surname viewed each other as rivals rather than family—and that it was perfectly fine to hate your opponent while competing.

So, I should be grateful to her in many ways.

Swallowing a laugh, Jae-hwi’s eyes flashed sharply.

“Seo Chan-young is the only person who has stayed by the side of the notoriously foul-tempered Goo Jae-kyung for over seven years. You know that, right?”

He was so loyal that rumors claimed he even provided sexual favors regularly. Some said he even had a vasectomy for her sake. It was a tear-jerking “true love.”

“So, identify every person he meets with precision. Don’t let a single one slide.”

After ending the call, Jae-hwi turned around. Today, he had a lunch meeting regarding the advertising model contract for GH Electronics for the second half of the year. Both the CEO of the ad production company and the head of the model’s agency were present.

The conversation among the three men, who were relatively close in age, had proceeded smoothly, and the atmosphere throughout the meal was pleasant. In the middle of their discussion, an urgent call had come in, and Jae-hwi had stepped out for a moment after asking for their understanding.

He was crossing the inner courtyard to return to the two men waiting for him when he entered the corridor.

“…….”

At first, he thought it was an illusion. Otherwise, there was no way Won Taerin would suddenly pop out from the middle of the corridor and fall into his arms.

But the fragrance surrounding him, the pale, delicate hand gripping his arm, and the wide eyes looking up at him were no illusion.

“Why are you…!”

The way Taerin’s eyes widened in surprise upon discovering him was a welcome sight. Immediately following that was a look of suspicion—the thought that this encounter might not be a coincidence—which he also found pleasing.

To suspect him meant she had a good grasp of his character. In other words, it meant Won Taerin had observed and thought about Goo Jae-hwi. He enjoyed having his obsessive streak discovered.

We’ve only met twice since I returned to Korea. And you’ve figured me out this much already?

His hands itched with the desire to stroke her cheeks and tell her she’d done well. But Jae-hwi held back. He barely managed to loosen the grip of his hands on her waist, which he had grabbed when she lost her balance bumping into him.

“Don’t look at me like that. Can’t you see I’m surprised too?”

“…….”

As he stepped back with a curving smile, Taerin’s eyes narrowed. She smoothed her clothes, checking for any disarray while glancing at her surroundings. She smelled of soap. It seemed there was an entrance to the restrooms in the middle of the corridor that circled the courtyard.

“What? You think I found out Won Taerin’s schedule and planned this to stalk you?”

“…….”

“Do I look like the type of guy who would follow you, monitor you, and track your every move just to see your face and get some attention? I’m a very busy man.”

When he emphasized that this meeting was unplanned, Taerin lowered her eyes almost coyly, perhaps feeling awkward for doubting him. Jae-hwi’s smile deepened as he looked down at the shadow cast by her thick eyelashes.