After the Silence

“I’m really sorry I couldn’t contact you.”

“It’s fine. I’m the one who should apologize. In the end, I couldn’t even attend your wedding….”

Only people with permission and approval could be invited.

That’s why she couldn’t keep her promise to invite them to the wedding, and it had weighed on her mind ever since.

“I thought you must’ve had your reasons, Team Leader.”

“That’s why I couldn’t call. It felt like we had drifted apart somehow.”

“…Does that mean you’re reaching out again because you got divorced?”

News of Jae-kyung’s divorce had already made headlines and trended online.

Just as her marriage had been flashy, her divorce was unavoidably noisy as well.

Reporters wrote endless speculations, and NI Company distributed articles that highlighted Park Jae-kyung’s name more than Han Tae-seok’s, making it seem like the divorce was entirely her fault.

So of course, these people must already know about it.

Perhaps she had struck too close to the truth, because silence suddenly filled the air.

“Ah, sorry. I was just joking.”

“Team Leader… honestly, I can’t say that’s not why. When I heard you’d divorced, I wanted to contact you right away… but I felt guilty, and like it would look insincere, so I kept holding back… But I really wanted to talk to you. Today, I just couldn’t hold it in any longer. I’m sorry if it upset you.”

“No, no! Not at all. You have no idea how happy I am that you reached out.”

It had been a long time since she’d spoken with anyone other than convenience store customers or the store owner.

She still talked with her mother, but that was over the phone.

And every time she spoke, her mother would start to cry, making long conversations impossible.

When Jae-kyung said she was fine, everyone sighed in relief and smiled softly.

Soon, the door opened, and a table full of delicious food was set before them.

They raised their glasses high and shared a joyful toast after so long.

“What?”

As they ate and chatted about how life was going, Jae-kyung’s chopsticks froze at Yeong-eun’s words.

“You started a company?”

“Yes, two months ago. Our whole team quit and opened an office in Hongdae. It’s an advertising agency.”

“Ah…”

“The four of us are co-CEOs.”

“Oh… congratulations! If I’d known, I would’ve sent flowers. Can I visit sometime?”

“Of course! Please come by and give us some advice.”

“We really need someone like you, Team Leader. We keep arguing because our opinions don’t match. Haha.”

Min-ji spoke shyly, and the others nodded in agreement.

Right — all four of them had strong personalities.

Jae-kyung laughed, remembering how heated their meetings used to be.

“Team Leader, where are you working now?”

“Ah… a convenience store?”

“What?”

Everyone looked at her with wide eyes.

Thinking they must’ve misheard, they asked again, but her answer didn’t change.

“Oh… you mean like at a company that manages convenience stores? Like Sejin or…?”

“No. Just a small neighborhood convenience store. I work the night shift part-time.”

“Ah, but why? Someone like you could get hired anywhere… or even go back to Jaewang if you wanted….”

Jae-kyung stirred her soy sauce with her chopsticks and smiled faintly.

There were too many things she couldn’t tell them — things pressing heavily on her chest — but she couldn’t let them out.

No matter how good-hearted her old colleagues were, one could never know how far a story might spread.

“Mm… just to clear up any misunderstanding, I’m really content right now. I actually wanted to try working at a convenience store.”

“Still…”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. Don’t pity me either. I’m truly fine. This was my choice.”

“Team Leader…”

“It’s really not the time to feel gloomy. I didn’t say this to ruin the mood.”

She spoke cheerfully while picking at the lobster from the next course.

“Team Leader! Let’s go for round two after this! My treat!”

Yeong-eun suddenly raised her lobster claw like a toast.

She explained she could go in late tomorrow since she’d closed a big deal today.

Jae-kyung could already imagine what that office was like — chaotic but lively.

Still, there was no reason to refuse.

After a luxurious meal, they chose a small gopchang bar for their second round.

Sitting around a round steel table, watching Ha-seong grill the meat, Jae-kyung realized how long it had been since she’d been in a place like this.

Gopchang, of all things… she used to sneak off to eat even a simple bowl of soup in secret.

“Here, Team Leader, have a drink!”

“Okay.”

Yeong-eun filled her glass to the brim with soju.

Ah, it’s been a while since I’ve had this.

She raised the glass, toasted, and took a shot.

The sharp alcohol burned down her throat — and it felt good.

“So after the divorce, you moved, started working at the convenience store… and that’s it?”

As the drinks kept flowing, everyone became more relaxed and began asking freely.

Jae-kyung answered each question carefully, choosing her words.

As long as it wasn’t something forbidden, she didn’t mind sharing.

“I suppose so.”

“Hmm… didn’t you think about traveling? Or shopping? My friend went on a world tour right after her divorce.”

“Ah… no, I never really thought about that.”

That wasn’t true.

She had wanted to travel.

She thought freedom was best felt through solo travel.

But the moment she signed the divorce papers, that freedom was postponed.

Was it the third clause? The fourth? She couldn’t remember.

One of the conditions was that she wouldn’t leave the country for a year.

She’d asked why that clause existed.

Not working in a related industry for five years — and not taking any job at all for three of them — was already absurd, but this was even worse.

When she protested in anger, what had he said again?

She couldn’t remember.

All she could recall now was the image of his tightly shut lips.

“Team Leader. Team Leader.”

Completely drunk, Yeong-eun, Min-ji, and Ha-seong clung to her as they left the restaurant.

But she didn’t dislike it.

She was grateful that they hadn’t forgotten her and had reached out first.

She hailed taxis for each of them, sending them off one by one.

Only Gwak Hae-shin remained.

He hadn’t said much all night, but his gaze had been fixed on her.

“Hae-shin, aren’t you going?”

“I’ll leave after you, Team Leader.”

He stepped closer to her.

“I’m sorry the team was rude earlier.”

Still so diligent, so responsible.

Even though they’d said earlier they didn’t have a leader, Jae-kyung could tell he was the one holding things together.

“It’s okay. I wanted to talk too. Just normal conversation, like anyone else. If they ever feel bad about it later, tell them I was fine.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

He hailed a taxi and opened the door for her.

“Thanks,” she said, getting inside.

“Team Leader Park Jae-kyung.”

It had been a long time since she’d heard that.

“I’m not a team leader anymore…”

“To me, you’ll always be the only one who was. Can I contact you again sometime?”

“Of course. Thanks for inviting me. I’m free now, so let’s see each other often.”

Jae-kyung smiled and closed the door.

After telling the driver her destination, she leaned back and closed her eyes.

Though her alcohol tolerance was high, she’d had quite a lot tonight.

A warm buzz filled her chest.

It had been such a long time since she’d felt this happy — laughing freely, surrounded by people.

This is living.

This is what it means to be alive….

“The place you live in isn’t where people live.”

That place is a prison.

Jae-kyung slowly closed her eyes.

◆

The wide living room was filled with expensive furniture — and suffocating silence.

The only sound reminding her that people actually lived there was the faint clink of teacups.

“Yes.”

Ji Gwan-jang, the reason Jae-kyung could barely breathe, placed her teacup down and finally spoke.

It had been over twenty minutes since she’d sat down and begun drinking tea.

For Jae-kyung, those twenty minutes had felt like an eternity.

“It’s been nearly a month since the wedding. Time to start making formal visits, don’t you think?”

“Yes….”

A month already?

Had it really been that long?

She didn’t know how she’d spent the days — or rather, she knew too well.

She’d been trapped in this house, unable to move.

Even the housekeeper had begged her to go out for some fresh air.

And she had wanted to — but she couldn’t.

She never knew where or how she was being watched, so she couldn’t step outside carelessly.

The thing she feared most was facing Ji Gwan-jang herself.

As long as Jae-kyung stayed quiet at home, Ji Gwan-jang left her alone.

She’d hoped things would stay that way forever.

But it had only been a month.

Ji Gwan-jang handed her a small notebook.

“This contains the names, birthdays, and contact information of the elders and important family acquaintances.

Back in my day, we only had notebooks like this, but now you can add everything to your phone calendar.

Make sure to remember and send greetings regularly. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Jae-kyung flipped through the notebook.

It was packed full of names.

She had assumed that since Han Tae-seok was both the eldest and the only son, there wouldn’t be many relatives — but she’d been wrong.

“And starting next week, come to the gallery.

Before you forget everything you learned.”

“Yes.”

As soon as she replied, Ji Gwan-jang sighed deeply and clicked her tongue.

Jae-kyung couldn’t meet her eyes and kept her head lowered.

Still, she could feel that sharp, piercing gaze bearing down on her.