"So lucky..."
His voice was a caress around her nervous heart. She curled her fingers around his and let out the breath that she had been holding. Despite the flurry of preparation, their hands kept finding one another just like this. She lifted herself up onto her toes to whisper.
"You didn't need luck that day."
Ji-pyeong smiled. And then he scrunched his nose playfully.
"Ready to go ask for $120 billion won?"
Nervous laughter burst from her lips. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle it. Her husband was accustomed to this — asking for absurd sums of money as if it were nothing. But as an attorney, Mi-rae had only safeguarded what belonged to others. She felt slightly nauseous even as excitement coursed down her spine.
Her gold stiletto heels echoed loudly as they crossed the atrium. She was wearing a bold red pantsuit with gold buttons. Mi-rae had purchased it during a frantic last minute run to the IFC mall. She had packed for a vacation in Paris, not a meeting to propose selling a two billion dollar company. The moment that she saw the asymmetrical jacket in the store window, Mi-rae was a moth to a crimson flame. It tucked in sharply at her waist. In no way did it look like a suit that a corporate lawyer would wear to visit a client. And that was thrilling.
Mi-rae's legs slowed as they passed a wall bursting with colorful circles layered on top of one another like the scales of a rainbow fish. She stepped towards it, curious. Ji-pyeong followed her closely.
"What is this?"
"It's where batch entrants write down their dreams at the start of each session."
She trailed her fingers along the pink, blue, yellow, purple and green wisps of dreams tacked to the wall in the hopes that they would be realized.
"'I want to help others' ... 'I want to be my own boss'... "To make my dream come true'... "To support my family.' Oh my love, it's beautiful seeing them all here like this! We should do something like this at Atlas. Maybe as part of the mural that we were talking about?"
"I like that idea a lot. You know, I left one here too long ago."
Mi-rae whipped her head around.
"You did?"
Ji-pyeong's dimples deepened as his lips folded into one another. He nodded as he peeked over at her before continuing.
"Yes, the first time that I was a mentor. I wrote that I wanted to repay my debt."
She squeezed his hand.
"My love, you have. In so many ways. You have done so much good. And Atlas will do even more!"
Ji-pyeong let out a breath as he ducked his head shyly. No one would ever guess from his determined gait and sharp jaw that Han Ji-pyeong was capable of blushing. Mi-rae knew better. He began tugging on her hand towards the elevator. For a moment, Mi-rae forgot what they were about to do because of the way he was looking at her. The heady dreamworld of Paris still lingered.
Ji-pyeong pressed the elevator button. He smiled before turning to face the doors adorned with the vibrant block letters of Sandbox's logo. They sprung open. Mr. Park was waiting inside, grinning from ear to ear.
"CEO Han! It's so wonderful to see you! I rushed down as soon as I heard from reception that you were in the building!"
Mi-rae tried not to giggle as her husband stoically absorbed his former assistant's enthusiasm. She knew that Ji-pyeong was secretly pleased. Mr. Park turned his beaming smile on her next.
June 18, 2024
Depuis le début
