Chapter 2
“…No, that’s way too short…! I’m already overwhelmed as it is…!”
Even as she hurried after the man entering the building, Yuri couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
She hadn’t expected him to give her much time. Still, this wasn’t something that could possibly be resolved in a mere ten minutes.
Yet, as if it had nothing to do with him, the man stepped into the elevator that his aides had already opened and turned to face her.
Yuri, who had been about to speak, was forced to close her mouth.
The look on his face made it seem as though if she said even one more word, he might take back the little time he had already granted her.
And truthfully, she was the one who had come all the way here without an appointment, so she didn’t have much ground to stand on.
“Are you not getting on?”
“……”
Attorney Taeshinwoo. That was how the man had introduced himself. But Yuri found it hard to believe.
If he really was a lawyer, then what were those men standing behind him like gangsters?
Moreover, he didn’t even carry a briefcase, let alone wear a lawyer’s badge.
Rather than a lawyer, he gave off the impression of someone who dealt in money.
“Let me make this clear—I hate wasting my time.”
At his warning, Yuri hurriedly stepped into the elevator. The doors closed, reflecting the interior like a mirror.
She felt uncomfortable under the man’s blatant gaze as it stared at her through the reflection.
As if trying to read her intentions, he studied her eyes deeply through the mirrored doors.
She wanted to avoid it, but there was nowhere to look away.
Then, she suddenly felt his gaze slowly drift downward.
His eyes moved from her neck to her chest, lingering over the outline of her bra visible through her thin T-shirt.
Only then did Yuri realize she had come out wearing something too thin.
It was something she always wore when summer began—light and comfortable, which was why she had put it on without much thought.
She instinctively hunched her shoulders and adjusted the bag strap on her shoulder.
But his gaze had already begun to travel lower, toward her flat stomach.
Even though there were others in the cramped space, his bold and unabashed stare left her bewildered.
Only belatedly did she notice that the attendants who had entered with them all had their eyes lowered, as if by unspoken agreement.
And among those men, he stood as if reigning over them, intently scrutinizing her reflection in the door.
Her breathing grew uneven with embarrassment and a faint sense of humiliation. His gaze was persistent—almost disturbingly intimate.
There was no way to avoid it, so she had no choice but to endure.
Her cheeks and ears burned red. No—her entire body felt as if it were heating up.
As she struggled to figure out how to respond to his invasive, unhidden gaze—
Ding.
The doors opened with the arrival signal.
“Good morning, sir.”
Following an employee, Yuri entered Attorney Taeshinwoo’s office and felt slightly awkward at the interior, which was surrounded entirely by glass walls.
On top of that, the bleak view of the Gangnam skyline visible behind his desk unsettled her for some reason.
Enough to shatter the optimism she had held onto before coming here.
Noticing her discomfort, the employee quickly picked up a remote and turned the glass walls opaque in an instant.
Seeing something she had only ever watched in dramas in real life made her eyes widen in amazement.
“My call ran a bit long.”
At that moment, the closed office door clicked open.
Startled, Yuri quickly rose to her feet, her body stiff with tension.
“So, what brings you here? I sent the certified notice—concise and without unnecessary details.”
He acted as though nothing had happened earlier. His indifferent tone made Yuri press her lips together before speaking.
“Well, it’s just… everything was so sudden. Has the land really changed ownership? How can I meet the new owner? I’d like to speak with them and explain the situation…”
“If they were willing to listen, don’t you think they wouldn’t have gone through a lawyer in the first place, Vice Director Song Yuri?”
“……”
At his cold rebuttal, Yuri was momentarily speechless.
“But… finding a new site could take months… This isn’t just about finding a rental room. It could take several months—no, even up to a year—and you’re asking us to wrap everything up so suddenly…”
The man let out a sigh and glanced at his wristwatch.
“Excuse me, are you even listening to me…?”
“I am. I’m just wondering what exactly you expect me to do about it.”
“…What?”
Yuri believed her argument was entirely reasonable.
While she understood the perspective of the land’s new owner, relocating an orphanage was no simple matter.
“…To begin with, it’s in such a remote area that the land doesn’t even hold much value. If anything, we could start paying rent going forward, so if you could be a bit more accommodating—”
At her words, the man let out a short laugh.
“No value?”
“…As you know, it may be considered part of the Seoul outskirts, but it’s quite far and very isolated…”
“Miss Song Yuri.”
He cut her off without hesitation.
“…Yes?”
“When you speak, look at the person you’re addressing. Don’t lower your head.”
“Ah…”
Without realizing it, she had lowered her head in intimidation.
Her face flushed instantly, heat rising to her cheeks. But at his warning, she forced herself to look up at him.
“I-I’m sorry. What I meant was, the area is so underdeveloped that even if the orphanage were vacated right away—”
“You’ve lived there for over twenty years and never once heard about the redevelopment plans?”
“Well…”
“Or have you been running the orphanage without even the sense of responsibility to look into something like that?”
His blatant criticism made Yuri’s face burn red. Watching her, the man let out a mocking chuckle and continued.
“Or perhaps you just weren’t interested. After all, the land belonged to someone else.”
“Redevelopment… even if it does happen, it’s a project that would take at least ten years. And it might not even go through…”
She barely managed to speak, but the man responded firmly.
“No. It will proceed faster than any other region. Because the company in charge is Taehwa Construction.”
“…What? W-what do you mean? Wait a moment.”
Taehwa Construction.
Even someone as indifferent to current affairs as Yuri knew that it was a major company synonymous with redevelopment projects.
Within a year, existing residents would be cleared out, and within two years, buildings would rise.
It was a company famous for making such seemingly impossible feats a reality.
Then who on earth was the new owner who had bought the land from the previous sponsor?
There had been no mention of Taehwa Construction in the certified notice.
If the landowner were Taehwa Construction, then naturally, his client should have been them as well…
Moreover, even if Taehwa Construction was handling the redevelopment, demanding immediate evacuation like this was difficult to accept.
Shouldn’t they at least be given some time?
“No matter what…”
Just as Yuri was about to protest—
“Ten minutes. Time’s up. Well, it seems you understand the situation well enough. Do you have anything else to say?”
“…I want to speak with the landowner. How can I meet them?”
Yuri refused to give up. If there was even the slightest chance she could change the owner’s mind, she was willing to try anything.
“You can talk to me.”
But the man was just as unyielding. His refusal to give her any opening made frustration rise within her.
“No, this is something I need to discuss with them directly.”
“I’m telling you—the landowner is me.”
Yuri’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected revelation.
Why? He already had an office in Gangnam under his own name—what could he possibly lack that made him buy that land?
No.
It was precisely because of his greed. That must be why he had purchased such a large plot—over 5,000 pyeong—with guaranteed redevelopment potential. Money attracted more money, after all.
As her thoughts slowly settled, an uneasy realization began to take hold.
It would be difficult to hold out much longer.
“Now do you understand? Half-baked persuasion won’t work on me.”
