Melting Slow

A few months ago.

Yeo-min looked at herself in the hotel elevator mirror.

The reflection showed the face of a woman, pale and stiff.

Today was a family gathering. A place she least wanted to come to, yet had no choice but to attend.

Clicking her tongue, Yeo-min lightly patted her cheeks, forcing a smile before stepping out of the elevator and entering the private lounge room.

“Oh? Dad. Sister is here.”

“Yeo-min, you’re here.”

Yeo-min took her seat as her younger sister and father greeted her. Inside, the birthday party was already in full swing. She, too, tried her best to blend into the cheerful atmosphere. As she took something out of her bag, her half-sister Chae-Nari spoke.

“Mom,Dad, this is what Seung-jae brought back for me from Switzerland. Try it. It’s so delicious.”

Smiling brightly, Chae-Nari placed a piece of chocolate in their father and stepmother’s mouths.

She then threw the leftover chocolate wrapper toward Yeo-min. With a calm expression, Yeo-min cleaned up the wrapper.

“We’re going to have the cake later, so why don’t you put it away for now?”

Chae-Nari pushed the cake box toward Yeo-min this time. Yeo-min tidied it up as Nari wished before sitting back down. By now, she was used to being treated like her half-sister’s maid. Yeo-min had long realized that going along with things, rather than starting a power struggle that would lead to raised voices, was far more convenient. After all, she wouldn’t be staying for long anyway.

“Yoo-Hwan oppa went to the Aare Gorge Canyon this time. I heard it’s amazing. We couldn’t visit that canyon during our trip to Switzerland because of our schedule.”

Chae-Nari spoke cheerfully, holding her fork. Yeo-min secretly laughed to herself.

‘When did they go to Switzerland again? You’re only bringing it up because you want to get under my skin.”

A family trip. It was a topic she could never be part of. Yeo-min hadn’t joined a single family vacation since she was ten years old. For this family, a vacation meant only her father, stepmother, and half-sister Chae-Nari.

Yeo-min had never been fully included in the ‘family’ as they called it. She was always like a leftover that couldn’t blend in, drifting on the fringes.

Yeo-min drank her water with a straight face.

Chae-Nari, who had been glancing at Yeo-min’s face, spoke up, as if just remembering something.

“By the way, I didn’t tell you we went on a family trip, did I? You seemed so busy. You’re not upset, are you?”

“No, it’s fine.”

“How could I not feel bad? We always go without you….”

“I said it’s fine.”

Chae-Nari’s transparent concern was almost laughable.

Yeo-min had long graduated from being hurt by Nari’s petty provocations, ever since she was twelve.

“I’ll make sure to consider you next time so that you won’t feel left ou—”

“Just a moment, Nari. I’m getting a call.”

Interrupting Chae-Nari, Yeo-min pressed the answer button on her phone. It was her boyfriend, Kim Seung-jae, calling.

“Hey, Seung-jae. I’m in the middle of a family gathering right now. Uh-huh, uh-huh. Let’s talk later, I’m having a meal.”

The call was brief. The content wasn’t anything special—just him saying he’d come pick her up after the family gathering. After ending the call, Yeo-min put her phone back in her bag. She could feel Chae-Nari’s gaze burning into her cheek.

“Sister, you got a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, I did.”

As she answered, her stepmother across from her suddenly interrupted the conversation.

“Seung-jae? Are you talking about Team Leader Kim Seung-jae from Taeju Holdings? It can’t be him, right?”

It seemed she had clearly heard the name “Seung-jae” while Yeo-min was on the call. Yeo-min nodded.

“Yes, that’s right, Team Leader Kim Seung-jae.”

Yeo-min and Kim Seung-jae started dating after his persistent advances.

They’d met at a Taeju Group event one day when Yeo-Min attended instead of Chae-Nari.

Yeo-min hadn’t easily opened her heart, but eventually, his earnest sincerity won her over, and she nodded.

But Yeo-min’s response was certainly not what her stepmother wanted to hear. Judging by her displeased expression, Stepmother’s gaze turned sharp.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Her stepmother Lee Mi-ran knew exactly who Team Leader Kim Seung-jae was.

He was connected to Chairman Yoo of Taeju Group through his maternal family and had recently become the center of everyone’s attention.

Not only was he the head of the Future Strategy Office of Holdings, the parent company of Taeju Group, but he was also set to be promoted to director soon, making his future exceptionally promising.

Considering that Chairman Yoo’s direct grandson, Yoo-Hwan, was only the team leader of the group’s R&D department, Kim Seung-jae’s rapid advancement was nothing short of extraordinary.

“Why in the world would Kim Seung-jae….”

Lee Mi-ran’s eyes twisted in displeasure. Why would that high-and-mighty Kim Seung-jae take an interest in someone as unremarkable as Chae Yeo-min? Other than her somewhat pretty face, she was a gloomy and stubborn girl. Although her father was the vice president of a Taeju Group affiliate, there were plenty of women far superior to Yeo-min around Kim Seung-jae.

“You always said you weren’t interested in dating anyone… and the person I introduced you to last time was really a good match, but you turned him down, didn’t you? Do you know how embarrassing it was for me, after I had already told everyone you’d be there? I’m disappointed in you, really.”

Yeo-min laughed inwardly.

The man Lee Mi-ran had tried to introduce to her was wealthy but thirteen years older than her.

Later, Yeo-min found out that he was a divorced man with a child.

It was the kind of match her stepmother would never have arranged for her own daughter.

“So, you used the excuse of being ‘not interested’ to keep things to yourself and make me look foolish? You’ve always been sneaky, pretending to be innocent but having sly intentions all along.”

Yeo-min ignored her stepmother’s scrutinizing gaze as she looked her over. Instead, she handed over a gift and spoke softly.

“Please call it being capable, Mother.”

***

A little while later, Vice President Chae Joo-chan, who was in the middle of a conversation with the family, excused himself, pointing to his phone.

“Yes, Chairman. No, it’s fine. Yes, yes.”

Yeo-min had already left the lounge room, citing work as her reason. As soon as her father stepped out, Chae-Nari threw her fork, which she had been eating cake with, and shouted at Lee Mi-ran.

“Mom, did you hear that earlier? Chae Yeo-min is dating Kim Seung-jae!”

The idea of Chae Yeo-min with Kim Seung-jae was unbelievable to Chae-Nari, her face filled with irritation. Lee Mi-ran scoffed.

“They’ll date for a while and then break up. How could she possibly marry someone like him? What does she have that’s so special?”

“You know Chae Yeo-min—pretending to be all innocent, but she’s a real fox! Look at her dating Kim Seung-jae now. She saw that he’d be promoted to director of Holdings soon and went after him ahead of time!”

“That’s true. That sly girl, acting like she’s not interested but always having sneaky intentions. See? And I told you to go on those arranged dates I set up for you.”

At her mother’s nagging, Chae-Nari let out a deep sigh.

“At my age, arranged dates? Besides, how was I supposed to know things would turn out like this…? I didn’t expect Kim Seung-jae to do this, not when Yoo-Hwan oppa is around.”

“Following that Yoo-Hwan or whatever everywhere…! Ugh, what a fool. And now Chae Yeomin is seeing Kim Seung-jae!”

Lee Mi-ran’s face, which had maintained its beauty even with age, contorted with anger. She had always struggled to hide her displeasure in situations like this.

It had always been the same.

When Yeo-min had better grades than Chae-Nari, or when she got into a better university than Chae-Nari, Lee Mi-ran couldn’t tolerate it. She couldn’t bear the reality that her husband’s ex-wife’s daughter was outperforming her own biological daughter.

“But how could the chairman support Kim Seung-jae instead of Yoo-Hwan? Hwan oppa is his grandson, and Kim Seung-jae is only his niece’s son.”

“The chairman has always been ruthless. If he decides someone isn’t fit, he’ll discard them without hesitation. Besides, Yoo-Hwan is the child of a mistress. Even though everyone keeps it quiet….”

Lee Mi-ran’s expression looked a bit awkward as she spoke. After all, she herself had pushed aside the first wife to take her place, and it seemed like she was feeling guilty.

“If I had known it would turn out like this, I should’ve tried to get closer to Kim Seung-jae. I did see him several times at parties.”

“How could you, when all your attention was on Yoo-Hwan?”

“But I really like Yoo-Hwan oppa…”

Chae-Nari mumbled, pouting her lips. Ever since she was young, Yoo-Hwan had always been her object of admiration. He was someone she couldn’t even dare to desire openly, so she had admired him secretly from afar, even though she knew it could never be.

The unfulfilled first love always lingered like a sediment in her heart.

“Kim Seung-jae will be coming to this year’s anniversary party too, but since he’s seeing Chae Yeo-min, that train has already left the station.”

Hearing Lee Mi-ran’s dismissive tone, Chae-Nari fell into thought. The anniversary party… and Kim Seung-jae.

“Alright. Why not.”

Chae-Nari stopped nervously tapping her foot and gave a faint smile.

Meanwhile, Yeo-min, who had gotten off the elevator, was walking slowly toward the lobby. It was already 9 PM when she left the family gathering. The sky outside had already been swallowed by pitch-black darkness.

‘Now that I think about it, Mom’s death anniversary is coming up.’

Her mom’s death anniversary—a day that no one but her would remember. The fact that it coincided with her stepmother’s birthday made it all the more painful for Yeo-min every time she thought of it.

Forcing herself, Yeo-min widened her steps, even though her legs felt weak and wanted to shrink into shorter strides.

But as soon as the tension eased, her heart began to crumble rapidly.

Eventually, as Yeo-min turned a corner near the lobby, she couldn’t avoid the large potted plant that appeared suddenly, and she stumbled.

“Ah!”

Her body wobbled as if she would fall at any moment. However, she didn’t end up on the floor. Instead, she was held upright securely.

“Be careful.”

It was a deep, languid male voice that caught her. A voice as calm and quiet as the wind blowing in from the nighttime sea. Before she could even process how strangely familiar that voice sounded, Yeo-min jolted in surprise and pulled away.

“I’m sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment….”

Yeo-min quickly apologized to the man’s chest. Judging by the well-fitted suit enveloping his broad chest, she could tell he was well-off. The suit in front of her looked luxurious at a glance—the material was smooth, and the tailoring was flawlessly precise, fitting without any excess.

Yeo-min rubbed her tingling nose and slowly lifted her head.

“Thank you so much. I almost fell—”

Yeo-min was about to offer some formal words of thanks, like asking if she had stepped on his shoes.

Oh.

She blinked in confusion and stopped mid-sentence.

She had instantly recognized who the man was.

“What’s got you so distracted that you weren’t even looking ahead, Assistant Manager Chae Yeo-min?”

A relaxed expression on a handsome face.

A leisurely smile of someone who knew very well how attractive they were to others.

Yoo-Hwan.

The grandson of the Taeju Group chairman, the team leader of the R&D department where she worked, and, more importantly, her boyfriend’s relative and rival. Yoo-Hwan was standing right in front of her.

Yeo-min immediately bowed her head toward him.

“Hello, Team Leader. Fancy seeing you here. Are you here for dinner?”

“A dinner appointment.”

Yoo-Hwan gestured briefly behind him. It was only then that Yeo-min noticed he had company.

She hadn’t noticed earlier because he was blocking her view with his broad shoulders.

The person with him was a woman, neatly dressed in an elegant dress. The pearl earrings on her earlobes sparkled under the light. Judging by the sharp gaze she shot at Yeo-min, it seemed she was displeased at having her time with Yoo-Hwan interrupted.

‘Ah, so he’s here for a date.’

9 PM. A hotel. A meeting with a woman.

Yeo-Min clicked her tongue inwardly. She felt slightly awkward, as if she had peeked into her superior’s private life.

There were many ways to describe Yoo-Hwan. Beyond the gleaming title of ‘Chairman’s grandson’… words like playboy, womanizer, and philanderer came to mind. In truth, those crude labels seemed to suit him even better.

According to rumors, Yoo-Hwan had been a debauched character during his time living in the US, enjoying numerous social clubs rife with alcohol and drugs, and having promiscuous relationships, even getting two women pregnant at the same time. It was said that this reckless behavior led Chairman Yoo to drag him back to Korea.

‘If all those rumors are true, then he’s just trash….’

Yeo-Min had no way of knowing the truth behind those rumors surrounding him.

The only thing she could tell for sure was that the woman beside him now was not the same date Yeo-Min had seen him with two weeks ago, when she and her team had passed by the lobby.

“I’ve kept you for too long, Team Leader. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

It seemed it was time for the intruder to make her exit.

Just as Yeomin was about to turn away, a familiar voice called out to her from behind.

“Yeo-Min!”

Kim Seung-jae was striding over with a stiff expression on his face. It seemed he had waited in the car, but when Yeo-Min didn’t come out, he came all the way to the lobby to find her.

Kim Seung-jae quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed Yeo-Min’s arm, pulling her toward him.

“Ah…!”

It hurt.

The rough grip on her arm made Yeo-Min furrowed her brow in pain.

Kim Seung-jae gave Yoo-Hwan a begrudging nod of acknowledgement, as if he had no choice, and once Yoo-Hwan returned the nod, he immediately turned away.

He pulled Yeo-Min by the shoulder, and Kim Seung-jae started walking briskly.

“Why were you with that bastard Yoo-Hwan?” Kim Seung-jae asked harshly.

“We just ran into each other.”

“By coincidence?”

“Yes. This is the Taeju Group hotel, after all. The team leader uses it often.”

“But you were talking to him for a while.”

“He’s my boss, I had to greet him.”

“Be careful of that guy. He’s the type who messes around with one woman after another.”

“Hmm. Hard to be cautious when I’ve already been working with him for two years.”

“I’m saying don’t get involved with him personally. Especially in places like this.”

Kim Seung-jae’s frown deepened visibly.

Yeo-Min clicked her tongue internally as she walked alongside him. If anything were to have happened between her and Yoo-Hwan, it would have happened already in the past two years of working together. Still, she didn’t want to provoke Kim Seung-jae’s temper by adding unnecessary comments.

Walking shoulder to shoulder with Yeo-Min, Kim Seung-jae mumbled under his breath.

“Yoo-Hwan, that arrogant bastard-…”