Quiet Cracks Beneath the Surface

I was late because I was thinking about what to reply.

“Work’s been busy lately, so I couldn’t come. Maybe I’ll visit at the end of the year.”

As soon as I sent the message, my phone began to vibrate continuously.

I had just replied, so I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t seen it.

Still lying down, I cleared my throat and answered the call.

“Hey, noona.”

— “More than visiting, what about your regular checkup?”

“Yeah… I haven’t gone yet.”

— “You know the checkup voucher expires at the end of this year, right?”

“I know. I’ll definitely go before then.”

— “Let me know how it goes when you do.”

Maybe it was because our father passed away early, and our mother had been unwell for so long.

My sister always worried about my health.

I couldn’t just brush it off, because I understood where that concern came from.

There were times when I had missed school as a child due to being sick.

And I worried about her too.

Switching the phone to my left hand, I shifted and lay on my side.

“How about you? Did you go?”

— “Yeah, I took the kids.”

“How are they?”

— “They’re fine. The youngest has a bit of asthma, though. It’s not severe, but sometimes her breathing sounds off.”

“Should I get her a mask as a gift?”

— “Yeah, she’d love that. She already likes you a lot.”

“Me?”

Of course, I liked my nieces too.

But didn’t you have to see someone often to like them that much?

Especially the youngest, who had just started kindergarten—

it was surprising she even remembered me.

— “She does. She had a hard time adjusting at kindergarten, crying and wanting to come home. The teacher even carried her during lunch once.”

“Is she still like that?”

— “She’s better now. But she’s comfortable with you. Doesn’t even go to her uncles like that.”

“That’s surprising. I should hug her when I visit.”

— “Then actually come first.”

“Yes.”

I answered obediently, and she laughed softly.

— “But your checkup comes first.”

“I was already thinking of going.”

— “Is something wrong?”

Her voice turned serious instantly.

It wasn’t exactly that I felt unwell—

just… something felt off.

Not wanting to worry her, I brushed it aside.

“I said I’ll go, didn’t I?”

— “If anything’s wrong, you have to tell me.”

“I will. I promise.”

— “Alright.”

She hung up when someone called her.

The voice sounded polite and calm,

which reassured me a little.

That entire weekend, I felt drowsy.

I couldn’t understand why I was so sleepy lately.

Was I preparing for hibernation or something?

With that pointless thought, I headed to work.

The early morning subway wasn’t too crowded.

After one transfer station, quite a few people got off.

Fewer boarded.

Through the heads of seated passengers, I could see outside.

As the train curved above ground, sunlight flashed in and out between buildings.

The hum of the train and the presence of people created a steady background noise.

I reviewed the day’s schedule in my head,

then glanced at my vibrating phone.

The group chat from my department was unusually active.

It had been quiet for days,

but suddenly messages were flooding in.

Scrolling through, something caught my eye.

“Just to clarify, I didn’t spread this rumor. I got it from somewhere else.”

“What are you even saying?”

“Hurry up and send it.”

After that dramatic disclaimer, someone uploaded a file.

The title suggested it was just another celebrity rumor.

I opened it casually, intending to close it—

but a few lines in the middle caught my attention.

I ended up reading it carefully.

“Even H Group, which looks stable on the surface, has internal issues due to their children…”

As I reread the lines,

my heartbeat slowed and grew heavy.

I had expected baseless gossip,

but parts of it… were true.

At least from what I knew.

The mention of the eldest,

the second child—

those aligned with what I had heard.

I didn’t know anything about the youngest daughter.

I recalled his expression from the weekend.

The sharp lines of his face,

his steady composure—

there had been no sign of disturbance.

Not everything in rumors was true anyway.

Even as I tried to read other parts,

my eyes kept returning to that section.

Eventually, I closed the file.

The chat was now filled with messages directed at me.

“Yoon Seokyung, did you see this?”

“Come on, confirm if it’s true.”

“I heard the Hwaseong factory might separate R&D and production. You heard anything?”

“This must be uncomfortable for him.”

Someone tried to ease the situation,

but the questions kept coming.

Jang Hyunseok—

not from my department,

but someone I knew from a club.

He worked in production,

so this mattered to him.

“The factory 분위기 is bad. If they separate R&D, won’t production get cut?”

My mind grew more unsettled.

I wanted to say something,

but I couldn’t.

Sharing anything about his work was unthinkable.

And Hyunseok probably knew that too.

He was just frustrated.

After hesitating, I put my phone away.

More than anything,

I didn’t want anyone nearby seeing the conversation.

I glanced at the people sitting beside me,

then stood up.

The crowd poured out together at the next station.

I followed them up the escalator and headed straight to the office.

It wasn’t busy yet,

so I caught the elevator immediately.

The office was still empty when I arrived.

I turned on my computer and began preparing reports.

Gradually, others arrived.

As I checked the meeting schedule,

I heard familiar footsteps.

I stood up instinctively.

He entered.

His three-piece suit fit perfectly,

his tall frame unmistakable.

Before our eyes met,

I lowered my head in greeting.

He passed by and entered his office.

After a moment, I followed with the report.

He had taken off his jacket

and was rolling up his sleeves.

When he saw me, he smiled lightly.

“Did you have a good weekend?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

“That’s good.”

Flipping through the documents,

he spoke again.

“I figured you were fine since you didn’t contact me.”

“What contact?”

“I was worried you might not be feeling well.”

“I fell asleep during the day and replied late. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. You were late both day and night.”

“That’s…”

Because I slept both times.

Sensing my hesitation, he asked,

“You napped and still slept at night?”

“…Yes. Sorry.”

“I said you don’t need to apologize. Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine after resting.”

“Still…”

Even while working,

he spoke with a personal tone,

as if it didn’t bother him at all.

I had gotten used to it enough to answer simply.

As I watched him,

I found it strange—

seeing someone like him,

who appeared in rumors,

right in front of me.

“What’s today’s schedule?”

“10 AM LIS division meeting. At 4, the legal team will come regarding the corporate split.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ll go prepare.”

“Seokyung.”

“Yes?”

“Is something wrong?”

“No.”

“Just checking. If not, then it’s fine.”

He glanced at me briefly,

then returned to his work.

I bowed slightly and left.

That was exactly why Hyunseok’s question bothered me.

Because it wasn’t just a rumor—

it was something already in motion.

To clear my mind,

I went to the meeting room downstairs.

Among secretaries, there was an unspoken rule—

the assistant of the highest-ranking person handled preparations.

Since I worked under him,

most meetings naturally fell to me.

Opening the seminar room,

a wave of warm air greeted me.

I greeted another secretary arranging documents and asked,

“What’s the temperature set to?”

“23 degrees, but we heated it first, so it might feel warm.”

“Please adjust the airflow.”

“Of course.”