1979, Manager Kim is Inheriting Dictatorship! - Chapter 46



Only Krnovel

#46. Feeling Disturbed
2023.11.07.

“Where are you planning to go?”

“I’m thinking about volunteering at a daycare center myself.”

“Oh, really?”

Up until now, Lee Hyun had only sponsored daycare centers and never visited them in person.

Since time was money, it wasn’t easy for him to find time in his busy schedule.

Secretary Choi looked surprised at the fact that Lee Hyun was going.

“Are you going alone?”

“No.”

“Then who are you going with?”

Lee Hyun thought for a moment and then slowly opened his mouth.

“It’s a spontaneous promise I made while talking to Secretary Han earlier.”

“So the director is going to volunteer with Secretary Han?”

“Uh. Since CEO Kim Na-ri of Cheto is coming too, I don’t think it’ll be boring.”

Secretary Choi’s ears perked up at the mention of Na-ri.

“Director, what did you just say?”

“I don’t think it’ll be boring.”

“No, before that.”

“CEO Kim Na-ri is coming too?”

“Yes.”

This time, Lee Hyun made a puzzled expression at Secretary Choi’s overreaction.

“Is it true?”

“That’s what they said.”

After confirming several times, Secretary Choi opened his mouth.

“Chief, I’ll join you that day.”

“It’s okay. I can go by myself. Just a little while ago, Secretary Choi said she wanted to rest on the weekend.”

Lee Hyun thought that Secretary Choi had volunteered to go with him because she felt bad about sending him off alone, but that wasn’t true.

Secretary Choi was so eager to go because Na-ri was coming. He

kept thinking about the last time he drove Na-ri to her house and talked to her while drinking beer.

It was a pleasant situation where we could have a good conversation, but since we hadn’t had much contact since then, he just thought about it.

If there was a chance to meet again like this, Secretary Choi would welcome it.

“Come to think of it, there’s no rest more rewarding than doing something like volunteering at a daycare center.”

Lee Hyun also let out a snicker as he looked at Secretary Choi, who was smiling awkwardly while brushing the back of his head.

“Okay, then. Come to my house that day and we’ll leave together.”

“Yes, Chief.”

***

On Saturday morning, Yerin was riding in Na-ri’s car and heading to a daycare center located on the outskirts of Seoul.

A cheerful song filled the car.

“How’s your relationship with your chief these days?”

A faint smile appeared on Yerin’s face after hearing Na-ri’s question.

“Just like that.”

“That day, when we were drinking, your chief came to see you. Did you have a good conversation then?”

“Huh? Oh… … That day.”

It was a day when she had quite a few conversations with Lee Hyun while walking together.

It was also a day when Lee Hyun kept complaining that he kept running away whenever they got close.

Looking at Yerin who was silent, Na-ri threw out another word.

“I can tell just by looking at Chief Cha Hyun coming to volunteer at the daycare today.”

“What?”

“That guy, he’s really serious about you.”

Yes, I knew all too well that Lee Hyun was sincere to me.

But why was it so hard to see my true feelings?

“Nari, it seems so difficult.”

“What’s so difficult? Just do whatever your heart desires.”

When Yerin, who was full of thoughts, looked out the window, Na-ri stared intently at her profile.

“Han Yerin, there is no right answer in love.”

Love.

Yerin’s eyelashes fluttered at the word.

“Is this love?”

It seemed too grand to call it love.

However, it was also ambiguous to define it as not love.

In the meantime, Na-ri’s car arrived at the orphanage.

Na-ri and Yerin got out of the car and frowned at the sight of a man who seemed so different from the place.

“Yerin, is that man Park Heejun?”

“Uh… … I think so.”

“Wow. Why did that guy come here?”

“That’s right.”

Yerin sympathized with Na-ri’s bewildered feelings.

Heejun, who was standing blankly in the playground of the daycare center, found Yerin and waved his arm out as if he was happy to see her.

“Han Yerin, are you here?”

I wish I had told her more harshly on the day she came to my house.

That day, she had clearly seen me with Lee Hyun, but I didn’t know she would show up in front of me like this, so I was very embarrassed.

“Yerin, just ignore me.”

“No. I’m not the type of person to give up just because of that. I’ll talk to you for a bit.”

***

Heejun smiled slyly, showing his teeth as he watched Yerin approach him.

“You look pretty today too, our Yerin.”

“I wish you hadn’t called me so sensibly.”

“Are you a woman who knows how to push people away like this?”

Heejun came closer and tried to pat Yerin’s hair.

Yerin quickly took a step back, so Heejun’s hand stopped in midair.

“Oppa, how did you know where I was?”

Yerin looked at Heejun with great caution.

He smiled a smile that made people uncomfortable, and came closer to her as much as Yerin had moved away.

“When we were dating, you turned me down on a date because you said you’d come here every Saturday.”

“You remembered that?”

Heejun continued, as if he had read Yerin’s mind.

“As you know, I have a pretty good memory. That’s why I memorized all those difficult medical books.”

When he asked her why she came here, she was bragging about herself.

Heejun straightened his shoulders and stared at Yerin.

“I came here because I wanted to volunteer, even if it meant doing weekend clinics. I chose this place because it would be better if people I know would come.”

Heejun waited for Yerin’s answer, as if he was praising her determination.

Yerin let out a short sigh and spoke.

“Yes, if you came here to volunteer with a pure heart, I hope you have a fulfilling day today and go back.”

Yerin wanted to end the conversation quickly because she had no reason to talk to Heejun any longer.

However, Heejun clung to her like a leech and wouldn’t let her go. “Yerin, I think I went crazy

for a moment and was obsessed with a X like Kwak Seo-yoon. It was all a mistake.”

“What, a mistake?”

It was ridiculous to think that he could hurt someone else so badly and then call it a mistake.

“Oh. I was just distracted by that vixen Kwak Seo-yoon and lost my judgment for a moment. You’re the only woman I’ve ever truly loved.”

Hee-jun put his palm on his heart and made a sorrowful expression.

It was just ridiculous to Ye-rin.

“Oppa, I told you before, but I really don’t have any feelings for you left.”

“Han Ye-rin, I won’t believe that lie.”

He really was a stubborn man.

He didn’t want to say that, but if he didn’t make his feelings clearer, he would have to face Hee-jun again and again and say the same thing.

“To be honest, I was never sincere when I was dating you.”

“What?”

“I asked you to meet me and we started dating, but that was it.”

This was absolutely true.

Hee-jun, who she had met through a blind date, had been persistently courting Ye-rin since that day and had been acting like a very affectionate man.

I didn’t feel moved by him, but I thought things might change if we dated, so I met him.

I really didn’t know that he would cheat on me with Seo-yoon after only dating for so long. It

was a story I had kept to myself to be considerate of the other person, but now it seemed like I didn’t need to.

“Han Ye-rin, what did you just say?”

“It’s exactly as it is. We haven’t been together long enough for me to develop feelings for him.”

Hee-jun froze with his mouth wide open, as if he had been hit in the back of the head.

Ye-rin didn’t feel very comfortable looking at Hee-jun’s face, which seemed hurt.

Ye-rin lowered her head and looked at the floor as she continued to speak.

“So, oppa, I’m going to stop coming and I hope you meet someone better. This is my true heart.”

She thought he would understand by now, but that was a mistake.

“That’s better. Let’s get to know each other now.”

“Oppa, there’s a guy I’m seeing.”

“Cha Yi-hyun? Hey, you said it well.”

Hee-jun roughly ran one hand through his hair and took a step closer to Ye-rin.

“Yerin, people should meet each other, right? Do you think you and Chief Chaehyun are a good match?

No way?” Heejun opened his mouth as he added.

“As you may have heard, there is talk of engagement between Seoyoon and Chief Chaehyun’s family. Since you are by Chaehyun’s side, you should know better than anyone.”

“… … .”

“Right now, he’s clinging to you because he likes you and you’re the only one, right? But how long do you think that’ll last?”

At those words, I remembered the change in behavior that Hee-jun had shown me.

“Men are over the moment they lose interest. Of course, I was like that, but I’m deeply reflecting on it now.”

Hee-jun sighed deeply as he looked at Ye-rin, who was silent.

“Of course, Chief Chae-hyun’s family would want to welcome the daughter of the next presidential candidate as their daughter-in-law. Would they want to bring in a daughter from a ruined family like you?”

His heart ached at the words that scratched his pride.

It was something he already knew in his head, but it felt different when he heard it from someone else.

“Han Ye-rin, do you know why that man meets you? Because your body is fresh. He just finds it interesting.”

“… … .”

“If he loses interest? You’ll be abandoned. So make a good decision.”

Hee-jun blurted out words without hesitation, whether they were advice or an attempt to hurt Ye-rin.

Yerin, who had been listening to the story silently, stared at Heejun with both eyes wide open.

“Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t matter.”

“What?”

What she just said was really sincere.

I, too, already knew very well about the huge gap that existed between Lee Hyun and myself.

It was a fake relationship that I started knowingly.

“Thank you for the advice, but even if I break up with Lee Hyun, I won’t see you again.”

“… … .”

“So let’s never see each other like this again.”

Yerin turned around without any regrets, and from behind her, she heard Heejun calling her urgently.

Yerin shut her eyes tightly and took a step forward.

Was it because she heard something that everyone already knew from someone else?

She felt really upset.