Chapter 19: Slowly Revealing Desire

Just past midnight, Seo-Rin, alone on her bed, jolted awake at the sound of the doorbell ringing late at night.

“What now?” she muttered, annoyed. She loved the upscale mansion Ji-Han got her—but every so often, a drunk neighbor, like tonight, would ring the bell and ruin her peace.

“It’s annoying enough already!”

She’d been anxious all night, unable to sleep after losing contact with Ji‑Han post-shareholders’ meeting. Tossing her phone aside, she jumped out of bed again at the persistent bell.

“I’m coming—go away! Maybe move?”

In the living room, she checked the intercom and froze in shock. Without thinking, she rushed to the door in just a slip.

As it opened—

“Oppa!”

The person on the other side was Ji-Han himself.

“Why didn’t you answer earlier?”

“…Just a sec, step aside.”

He stood in front of her, contact lost all day, reeking of alcohol when he bent close.

“You’ve been drinking?”

“A little.”

He glanced at her, then stepped inside and sat down on the sofa. Even at a distance, his odor filled the air.

“Tch. That’s more than a little,” Seo-Rin hissed.

His posture said he’d clearly had a rough shareholders’ meeting. Yet he remained still, even as his tone saw no warmth.

“You should’ve told me. We could’ve had a drink together.”

She placed a bottle of water in front of him. He raised it and took a long swig—then angrily tossed the empty bottle to the floor.

With a loud thud, the bottle hit. The room froze in place.

“She already knows.”

“…What?”

“She knows about us. Between me and you.”

Seo-Rin pressed her trembling hand to her mouth.

“Wha–? She knows? But… who told her?”

Ji-Han didn’t reply. Instead, he dumped the same envelope of photos on the table—photos thoroughly capturing their affair.

“What is this?”

Seo-Rin held up a photo with shaking fingers—proof of their secret relationship, perfectly reflecting what Yeo-Jin had shown Ji-Han.

“At the shareholders’ meeting, Yeo‑Jin proposed Seo Jae‑Ha as professional CEO.”

“But… that’s your… older half-brother?”

Ji-Han nodded curtly.

“Yes. The Hojin Group’s eldest son and my half-brother.”

Seo-Rin dropped into a chair, flipping through the photos with tears she couldn’t hold back.

Even Ji-han’s composed denial shattered in her eyes—his arrogance transformed into something far more frightening.

“She… she knew, and she pretended not to know. That’s just chilling.”

After a tense silence, Seo-Rin’s trembling voice broke the stillness.

“She is not the person I knew. From the hotel to everything—she has changed.”

Her body shook as she pressed herself against Ji-Han, desperate for an explanation.

“How could Yeo‑Jin give CEO rights to Jae‑Ha instead of her fiancé… she’s so unfair!”

He closed his eyes, pain twisting his expression. “She called off the engagement… today.”

Seo-Rin gasped, stunned—“C—called off the engagement?”

“She said she wanted to end things.”

Her trembling voice stopped altogether. The engagement was broken off; the two of them broke off their engagement. If Jihan hadn’t been in front of her, she might have let out a cheer of joy.

In that brief moment, she even thought that becoming the owner of Hojin Group, which she had only dreamed of, was not completely impossible. However, she soon shook her head. It wasn’t the time yet. Despite the joy that was welling up in her body, she wiped the smile that had formed on her lips.

“But… she signed up for the anchor audition.”

“I had called to talk about these, but when I saw you, you were so indifferent. You must have had a hard time.”

She placed her hand on Ji-Han’s shoulder and hugged his neck. He had been listening to Seo-Rin’s even breathing with his eyes closed and suddenly pulled her arm away.

“So she’s actually going to challenge the anchor position publicly?”

“Yes… she already submitted her form.”

His eyes snapped wide with resolve. He couldn’t let Seo Jae-Ha swallow up the broadcast station like that.

He stared at her and asked, Do you think you can win if I give you the stage?”

Seo-Rin’s eyes, still fogged with emotion, suddenly sparked with ambition.

****

Monday followed a chaotic weekend shadowed by the meeting’s fallout.

I returned to studying business—the kind I’d neglected for years.

It’s tiring to relearn what I didn’t do for so long…

But having refreshed the basics, it was easier to digest the materials given by Mr. Hyeon-Ik.

As I study bits at a time, I’ll map out what comes next.

This shareholder meeting was just the beginning of my revenge.

Later, on my way back to the newsroom after the afternoon show, I ran into Senior Yeong-Jun.

“Announcer Yoon, heading to programming?”

“Yes, they said they needed something added urgently.”

“I just wrapped the broadcast. You want to walk together?”

“Ah, then let’s go together.”

We headed to the office together.

Senior Yeong-Jun threw out some light, small talk along the way, and just before we reached the office, he asked me quietly, “By the way, how’s the radio news going?”

“Hmm… I’m still getting used to it. I’ve done occasional weekend broadcasts before, but this is my first time doing regular programming.”

It still felt too early to say I’d gotten the hang of it.

When I gave him a slight smile, he nodded as if he understood and patted my shoulder gently.

“Right? It’s a bit tough at first—especially since it’s all audio.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Before becoming a prime-time anchor on News 9, he had been on radio news for quite a while.

“But you’re doing great. You’re preparing well for the audition, right?”

He paused at the Programming Department’s glass door, turned to me, and asked.

“I’m working hard.”

“Good! I hope you rejoin our news team soon.”

We returned to our desks, chatting about the audition. Then I overheard the cheerful chatter of some juniors sitting in the break area.

Seo-Rin, sitting among them with a bright smile, met my eyes.

“So, what time’s the get-together tonight?”

“It starts at eight.”

I looked toward the junior who mentioned the gathering.

Yeong-Jun, who’d been sitting next to me, must have overheard too and stood up.

“Eight? I don’t think I’ll make it—I’ve got the news shift.”

“Seo-Rin, you can come after your broadcast.”

The other juniors reassured her kindly. She had a sociable personality and got along like a peer with even younger announcers.

Senior Yeong-Jun walked over and asked them with mild curiosity, “There’s a Programming Department dinner today?”

“No, just a small hangout with us juniors.”

It wasn’t an official team dinner—just something among a younger batch.

One of the announcers jokingly asked Yeong-Jun, “Senior, do you want to come too?”

He chuckled, waving it off.

“I’ve got tact, you know. But still—Yoon Yeo-Jin’s back now. She returned without even a farewell party, and no one’s done anything for her since. I was thinking maybe we could hold a welcome dinner or something.”

The room froze. Laughter from just a moment ago disappeared.

“…Why?”

The shift in atmosphere was so abrupt that even Yeong-Jun seemed taken aback.

“Ah… haha, let us know if anything gets planned.”

“Yeah, I’ll see how things are by then.”

The juniors exchanged glances and replied awkwardly with forced smiles.

Their warm tone from earlier was completely gone.

“The director will probably take care of that himself. She’s the favored announcer, after all.”

One of the juniors sitting next to Seo-Rin made the jab with thinly veiled spite.

Seo-Rin reached out and tugged her sleeve, whispering for her to stop.

“Still, isn’t it true? The director will handle it.”

“Oh wow, look at the time—I should get back to the studio.”

As the atmosphere chilled, the juniors in the break room got up one by one and scattered.

Even Yeong-Jun looked stunned at the sudden dispersal.

He leaned toward my desk and whispered so only I could hear, “What was that? Did I say something wrong?”

“I don’t think so.”

I glanced sideways and locked eyes with Seo-Rin. She was staring at me but quickly turned her face away toward her monitor.

Figures. Chae Seo-Rin— You’ve stirred up something again, haven’t you?

Some of the others’ changed attitudes seemed to confirm it. A sharp ache pinched the back of my neck.

Guess I’ve already been ostracized by the juniors.

I rubbed my temple, trying to ease the tension building there.

She must’ve spread something behind my back again.

“Yeah? It just felt like the mood dropped the second I brought up your name.”

“…”

“Well, I’m sure the director will organize something when the time’s right.”

He looked genuinely sorry—probably because he hadn’t done anything for me since I returned.

“Senior, it’s fine. A welcome party can come later.”

“Right. You’re working late today, yeah? Let’s get dinner after work.”

I used to grab late dinners with him often when we worked the closing news shift. The thought was a bit nostalgic, but I had somewhere I needed to be tonight.

“I really appreciate it, but I’ve got somewhere to be after work.”

“You’ve got plans at that hour?”

“Yes. I have to meet someone very important.”

As I finished speaking, Seo-Rin turned in her seat, and our eyes met again.

Curious, are we?

The sharp glint between her brows practically screamed that she was dying to know who.

She didn’t look away until I did.