Start Again

Chapter Thirty

"It's not the tasks I need help with," she said.

Begrudgingly, I asked, "Then what is it that's troubling you?" I already knew where she was heading.

She got out of her seat, walked around the table, and placed her hands on my shoulders. "I like you, Joon Soo-ya."

I slid out of her hold and got to my feet. "Gamsahamnida. I like you too, Jang Eun Young-ssi. You're a very good boss."

"I don't mean that way."

I let out a sigh. "Why?"

She was taken by surprise by my sudden informal tone. "Why what?"

"Why me? Why not the other employees?"

A smile spread across her face. "Because you're my style. You're handsome, you're confident, you dress well, and you're a really kind person."

"And what about all the other deputy-editors before me?"

The smile dropped from her face. "Oh..."

"Oh?"

"You heard about them?"

I nodded.

"Which employee told you?"

"I won't say."

She sighed, walked around her desk and sat back down. "I'm lonely, Joon Soo."

I sat back down in my seat.

"When I was younger, my mother and father started working at this company together. They were two peas in a pod. My mother was above my father as the CEO, and he was her right hand man. I always admired their relationship."

"And what happened?" I asked, knowing that her father was now in her mother's position.

"My dad ended up having an affair with my mother's secretary. So she packed her bags and left, saying he can have the 'stupid company'."

"If it was such a bad turn of events, then why are you trying to follow in their footsteps? Is it not cursed?"

"Because when they were working together, they were great. Also, I'd do it differently. I think my father was jealous that she had the power. I figured, once I find a good deputy-editor, I could give him my position, that way he'd be satisfied with his power and I could still be by him."

I nodded. It made sense why she was behaving this way, not that I condoned it. "I think one day the right person will come along for you, but you shouldn't be looking in the work place, or at least night hiring people for that reason."

"You have a girlfriend don't you?"

"Past deputy-editors were fired for having a partner, weren't they?"

She went quiet.

"If you keep hiring people just to have a relationship with, what if that person you find isn't the best for the job? Remember this is a business. Don't you like journalism?"

She nodded. "I love it."

"Then focus your energy on that and building a good company. One day you will meet the right guy."

She sighed. "But I really do like you. You're not like the last deputy-editors. You're really good at your job and a really nice person. You see me clearly."