Seeing the big boss approaching them, it wasn't only Hwasa's legs that were soft. Her colleague and the secretaries also felt something was wrong and took a step back.
The assistant colleague's head buzzed and many speculations appeared. Did Hwasa have a problem? Was she a commercial spy? No, Hwasa's identity assessment had been passed and she even had plans to focus on training Hwasa internally. Then why was the big boss reacting so much?
Just as her mind was in a mess, the boss reached them.
"Hwasa Noona."
Hwasa Noona?
The colleague and secretary were people who had seen many things but they were so frightened by the big boss calling out 'Hwasa Noona' that they failed to control their expressions, showing surprise and panic.
The colleague turned to look at Hwasa, her mood very complicated. A coworker who usually rose to work on an electric scooter was actually someone who the big boss called 'sister.' Such a ridiculous thing wouldn't even appear in TV dramas. She should've said it to someone above. Didn't she know how much effort the department put in to check her identity?
The atmosphere seemed to be frozen after Jungkook called out 'Hwasa Noona.'
Hwasa Noona wanted to sit on the ground but once everyone looked at her, she was surprisingly calm. There was only one thought in her chaotic mind. She was Jin's sister and no one could hurt him using status or money.
Her mouth slightly moved and there was no way she could speak. Yes, who would've thought that the legendary big boss dragon would be with her younger brother?
Taehyung realized that something was wrong and told the secretary, "You go back to work first."
The secretary and colleague left the scene in a hurry. In the face of their salary, all curiosity seemed insignificant.
Once the colleague and person from the secretariat left, Hwasa finally spoke. "Does Jin know?"
Jungkook was silent for a moment. "Hwasa Noona, let's go to the office and talk slowly."
After entering the big boss' office, Hwasa found she had calmed down and she even started to doubt Jungkook's purpose behind approaching Jinnie. A big person like Jungkook could get anyone he wanted. What attitude did he have toward Jinnie?
The office, like the man, was full of indifference and alienation. The only thing that seemed out of place in this office was the pillow on the office chair. The chibi doll pillow looked very cute and Hwasa Noona recognized it instantly. It took after Jinnie's image.
"Hwasa Noona, please sit down." Jungkook took the cup of water from Taehyung's hand and placed it in front of Hwasa. "Jinnie won't let me drink coffee and tea so I have to temporarily wrong you to drink boiled water."
"Drinking water is healthy." Hwasa took a deep breath and tried to make her posture more natural.
Taehyung glanced at the two of them and exited the office, helping them by closing the door behind him.
"Boss, although it is working hours now, please forgive me for talking about private matters not related to work." Hwasa took the glass of water and took a sip of water to relieve her tension. "I want to find out if Jinnie knows you are the big boss of Borahae."
Jungkook lowered his eyes to the steaming water in the cup. "I'm sorry, he doesn't know."
"Why are you lying to him?" Hwasa didn't understand. "Are you worried that Jinnie will be greedy for your money after finding out your identity?"
Even the big boss couldn't treat her Jinnie this way!
"If money can keep him close to me then how could I hide it?" Jungkook's hand was very beautiful, slender and clean. Men with such hands could easily arouse women's pity, even if they had no expression.
"Jinnie's first encounter with me was due to a misunderstanding." The water in the cup shook and accidentally spilled onto the back of Jungkook's hands, dripping down the back of his hand like two lines of tears.
"You don't know how good his smiling eyes were, just like a warm little sun." Jungkook glanced at Hwasa. "I want him to stay with me, that's all."
These eyes were too sincere. It was so sincere that Hwasa felt that no matter what Jinnie asked Jungkook to do, Jungkook would agree.
"It is important to be honest in front of a loved one." Hwasa put down the cup. "You should know that lies will always be torn apart."
"Hwasa Noona, I don't dare to gamble." Jungkook took out his handkerchief and slowly wiped the water on the back of his hand. "I can gamble in many things. It is only when it comes to Jinnie that I am a coward who can't lose."
"Do you want to hide it from Jinnie for the rest of your life?" Hwasa couldn't help raising her voice. "How can you hide it all your life?"
Jungkook told her, "I will find an opportunity to tell Jinnie. Hwasa Noona, I hope you can..."
"I can't." Hwasa interrupted Jungkook's words. "Jinnie is my brother, a child I looked out for when growing up. He isn't an object to be deceived by you."
"Jungkook, no matter whether you are being true or false, the most intolerant thing when it comes to feelings is deception." Hwasa shook her head. "I know what you want to say but I won't agree."
Jungkook's eyes were dark, as if there were deep and countless hidden dangers at the bottom.
The woman's screams and the man's shouts suddenly seemed to come from all directions. Jungkook's pupils trembled and his voice became hoarse. "Hwasa Noona, the only thing I care about in my life is Jinnie."
No one could take Jinnie away from him. No one.
"When I first met Jinnie, he was only 10 years old." Hwasa didn't know why she was telling Jungkook these things. Perhaps it was because Jin suffered so much as a child, his life was so bitter that she couldn't bear to see him hurt on the path of feelings.
"A 10 year old child who looked seven or eight years old, carrying old wounds from when he had been abused by his adoptive parents." Hwasa spoke in a heavy tone. "On the first day at the welfare home, the aunt gave him a chicken leg. He was so hungry that he gulped it all down. He was reluctant to spit anything out, even if he choked."
"Do you know why he did this?"
Hwasa's eyes were red. "It was because in his adoptive parents' home, he was often halfway through the meal when he was beaten by his adoptive father, adoptive mother or younger brother. He could never eat enough. Later, the moment he received a meal, he would try his best to cram as much food as possible into his mouth so he would get enough to eat. Even if he was beaten, he would be able to fill his stomach."
"Once he came to the welfare home, well-intentioned people offered to adopt him but he refused." Hwasa held her cup tightly to calm herself. "He said he would wait for his real parents to come and pick him up."
"The national channel had a program for finding relatives. Every time the program came on, Jinnie would finish his homework early and sit in front of the television, not wanting to miss any news about parents searching for their biological child."
"Gradually, he stopped watching the show and stopped mentioning his parents." Hwasa's throat felt a bit choked up. "A young man like him should've studied at university but due to my illness, he gave up his studies and ran to a strange city to save money."
"I'm not saying this to make you sympathize but to make you understand." Hwasa stood up, her legs no longer trembling and her voice firm. "Even if you are the big boss that no one dares to offend, I won't help you hurt him."
"It is me who doesn't want to hurt Jinnie most in the world." Jungkook saw that Hwasa was ready to go and stopped her at the door. "Hwasa Noona, I don't want to hurt Jinnie, please give me a bit of time."
Hwasa watched him and didn't speak.
"Jinnie is my life." Jungkook's voice was calm, as if explaining a simple matter. "Hwasa Noona, I can't bear any possibility of Jinnie leaving me."
Hwasa was shocked. Her intuition told her that Jungkook's words were true. What type of feelings was this that he would regard the other person as important as life? Hwasa admitted that she was a bit soft-hearted. She knew the importance of Jungkook to Jinnie and she didn't want him to be sad, but this shouldn't be based on deception.
"One month." Hwasa sighed helplessly. "Jungkook, I'll give you a month. I hope you can make it clear to Jinnie. In this month, I won't talk about this matter with Jinnie but if he asks me, I will tell him the truth."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I just can't bear for Jinnie to be sad. If it wasn't for the fact Jinnie values you so much that he worries about what you drink, I would've immediately told this matter to Jinnie."