Episode 7
There are many people in the world, and each person has their own secret.
In relationships, those secrets can affect things in many ways.
Sometimes they help keep the relationship strong, and sometimes they ruin it.
Sometimes, sharing a secret can actually bring two people closer together.
Most of the time, secrets become weaknesses.
That’s why sharing a secret often means you’ve become really close to someone.
But not all relationships work that way.
Sometimes, keeping the secret actually makes things smoother.
Still, there is one type of relationship where that doesn’t always work.
Romantic relationships.
When there’s some distance between two people, it’s easy to keep secrets.
But when you start dating, it becomes harder.
You contact each other every day. You spend more and more time together.
Especially in Korea, couples often get involved in each other’s private lives.
So naturally, secrets start to come out.
“I really worked hard to get these concert tickets. You’ll love it too, Yusia.”
“Oh! I like ballads too! I like that singer!”
The first few days of dating were just like any normal couple.
We went around trying small foods.
Bought four cans of imported beer and drank by the Han River.
Drove down Freedom Road (Jayuro) together.
Had chicken and beer at a pub nearby.
But as we kept dating, I started noticing some strange things.
“You’ve never been to a concert before?”
“Actually… it’s my first time in the 3rd-floor seats. You can’t really see the singer from here… It’s more like listening to a live album on a screen.”
She said she’d only ever gone to concerts or musicals in front-row seats.
But when I asked more questions:
“Ticketing? Oh… I don’t know how to do that… Someone always gets them for me.”
“Oh, maybe your friend is really good at getting tickets?”
“… Yeah, I guess you could say that.”
This wasn’t the first time. She seemed to have many capable friends.
But that wasn’t the only strange thing.
“Did you hear Director Yoo got divorced? The news said it was ‘personality differences,’ but actually, his wife had an affair with her trainer.”
She knew private details that weren’t in the news.
Even during work meetings, she’d say things out of nowhere.
“It’s a weird time to launch ads right now. Maybe we should wait a bit?”
“You’re right. HR Motors hasn’t announced their new car launch date.”
“Isn’t it next week?”
“Next week?”
“That’s what I heard.”
“Really? Was that official?”
“I’m searching now… nothing online.”
“Where’d you hear it, Yusia?”
“Uh… maybe from a rumor online?”
And then the new car actually did get released the next week.
It felt like she knew way too much about HR Group.
But that wasn’t the real problem.
About 10 days after we officially started dating—
“Hey, Assistant Manager Song! What the hell is this American bio-ad project?!”
“I thought that was already approved. Both sides agreed and the profits looked good. Did something happen?”
“You really don’t know?! Director Yoo blew up over this!”
“I’m sorry. I’ll redo it.”
Suddenly, work got really tough.
Not just from my direct manager—
“Assistant Manager Song, go to the Executive Director’s office.”
“Huh? Why? I’ve never been called there in six years.”
“I don’t know, but he wants to see you. Now.”
There, I got scolded for an old project that was already over.
“Are you kidding me, Song?!”
“…Sorry?”
“Why’d you do this last year?!”
“That was Director Yoo’s direction…”
“Oh, so you’re blaming him now?! You wanna get fired?!”
“What?”
“I said, do you want to get fired?!”
“No, sir.”
“Then shape up. I’ll be watching you.”
Then there was this strange suggestion.
“Director Yoo, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes. I heard you’re the ace of Planning Team 2.”
“That’s too kind of you.”
“No, really. Your results are great. Didn’t you once apply for an overseas post?”
“Yes, about 3 years ago. A mentor invited me to apply…”
I didn’t get selected that time, even though I hoped it would help my career.
“How about going now?”
“…What?”
“I heard your English is good. We’ve got a spot open in L.A. Interested?”
“I’m okay, thank you.”
“Why not? It’s warm all year round. Great place to live. Good housing too.”
“I’m well adjusted here in Korea. I’d rather help HR Group from here.”
“Just go.”
“Excuse me?”
“If you don’t, things will get difficult.”
“…?”
Just ten days.
And everything changed at work.
I used to be the top guy in Planning Team 2.
Now, I felt like a burden.
‘Ever since I started dating Yusia… things at work suddenly became hard.’
Maybe… it’s just in my head?
***
“Sigh…”
I let out a deep breath as I left work.
“You seem really tired, Assistant Manager.”
“The past few days have been rough.”
Yusia was holding my right hand.
She was tall, had a great figure—but oddly, her hands were really small and cute.
“Still, I get through it thanks to you, Yusia.”
No matter how stressful work was, just seeing her face on the way home made me feel at peace.
At first, I was really worried.
Office relationships are always tricky.
If people find out, it could cause problems between teams.
Even if we got married, we’d argue over money, right?
But after we started dating, it wasn’t that bad.
Maybe because I hate luxury spending—she never brought expensive bags or wanted fancy dates.
We were happy just doing simple things.
I really felt like I could imagine a future with her.
“Hehe.”
She gave me a shy smile.
We reached the subway transfer station.
We both had plans today, so we said goodbye here.
“Take care, Yusia.”
“Okay, I’ll text you later.”
She waved and smiled sweetly. Then she said something that melted my heart:
“Bye, oppa~♥”
“…!”
I hiccupped.
She always called me “Assistant Manager,” but now she called me oppa?
My smile reached the sky.
Some guy walking by gave me a jealous look.
His wife, holding a Chanel bag, had clearly had cosmetic surgery.
I gave him a small nod of support.
***
“Long time no see.”
“Yeah. It’s been about a year, right?”
I met my friend over pork belly and soju.
We’d been busy, so it was our first face-to-face in a while.
His name was Baek Sang-hyun.
He’s one of my closest friends—like a brother.
We were in the same high school baseball team, same college team, and even served in the military together.
We had no secrets between us.
Sadly, he quit baseball after an injury too, like me.
But he made it to the pros for a year, so he had connections.
Now, he works as a sports reporter.
“Work okay these days?”
“It’s hell.”
“Really? Among all the baseball guys who quit, you’re doing the best. Everyone says they envy you.”
“Things were good until recently… but suddenly the higher-ups started snapping at me. It’s like everyone got cranky at once.”
“Yeah, that’s office life. Cheers.”
“Cheers.”
We drank more and talked about our college days and friends.
Soon, we’d gone through 3 bottles.
“Got any fun news?”
“Remember Taehyun?”
“Kim Taehyun? Our college buddy?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course I do.”
He was a backup, but made it to the pro league.
“He messed up. Slept with a fan. Got her pregnant.”
“…What?! Legendary.”
“People are saying he might get kicked out, but he’s marrying her.”
“Well, marriage can solve things.”
“Yeah. He wants to keep playing.”
I always heard fun stories from this guy.
“Anything else? Got any inside info from the station?”
“Hmm. Not sure if I should tell you…”
“Come on, I’m good at keeping secrets.”
“That’s not the problem. I’m a reporter, remember?”
“Ugh, fine.”
“Wait… actually, there is one thing.”
He looked like he remembered something.
“It’s about HR Group. We covered it recently. Not my story, but I saw it through the news desk.”
“Is it embargoed?”
“Not that serious, just not newsworthy enough to publish.”
“What is it?”
Since it was about my company, I got curious.
“You know there’s only one girl in the HR Group family, right?”
“The chairman’s youngest granddaughter?”
“Yeah. It’s all guys except her.”
“Of course I know.”
The chairman has five sons and thirteen grandsons.
Only one granddaughter, and they hide her identity.
No name or photo has been revealed.
“I heard she’s already working at HR.”
“Well, duh.”
“Not as a special hire. Just as a regular employee.”
“Through public hiring?”
“Don’t know.”
“Why?”
“No clue. Maybe she wants to experience the company like a normal person?”
“So even the people around her don’t know?”
“Exactly. Like in the army—some top-ranked guys pretend to be regular privates.”
“She’s really playing undercover heiress, huh?”
“Maybe. Or maybe the family sent her to learn how the company really runs.”
“Either way, she must be special.”
I envied her. If I were a chaebol, I wouldn’t be suffering like this.
“They say she’s really beautiful.”
“I saw one photo. She’s crazy pretty. Even has a model body.”
“Well, she’s from a rich family.”
They probably had arranged marriages with good-looking people.
So their genes must be amazing.
“But here’s the kicker—she’s in your company.”
“…My company? HR Media?”
“Yep.”
Now that got my attention.
“Which department?”
I wanted to at least catch a glimpse.
“Not sure. I knew her name, but I forgot. Maybe it’s the alcohol…”
“Try to remember.”
“Something like ‘Yu’…”
“Of course her surname is Yu.”
“Yu… Ah! Got it!”
“What is it?”
“Yusia!”
“…?”
Blink.
Did I hear that right?
“Yusia, really?”
“Yeah. Like that celebrity’s name. Easy to remember.”
“You’re sure?”
“Definitely. Even drunk, I’d remember that name.”
He chuckled.
“Why? You know her?”
“….”
No way.
No freaking way.
Suddenly, everything clicked in my mind.
Those designer bags…
Her weird ideas about money…
How she always knew about HR Group…
But most of all—
Right after I started dating her, my bosses all started treating me badly…
And those bosses?
They were all Yusia’s uncles… or brothers…
Holy crap.
My head was spinning.
“What? Why so quiet? Don’t tell me… she’s in your department?”
“…Wait.”
I quickly opened the employee search and typed in her name.
[Search Results: 1]
- Yu Sia: Planning Team 2
No one else had the same name.
There was only one Yusia in the company.
My friend’s eyes went wide.
“Whoa, she’s really in your team?”
He started laughing.
“Did you screw up or something?”
“No…”
“Then no problem.”
“It’s not a mistake…”
Because Yusia—
The only granddaughter of Chairman Yu Jin-gap, the only girl in the Yu family—
“…is my girlfriend.”
