Chapter 139: Surprisingly, three people who are new to each other, Part 2

Suitcase in hand, Seo Ji-woo navigated Seoul Station’s parking garage.

“From the entrance, turn right at the first corner, then left at the next…”

Min Jungyun, Hayoon’s father, was picking her up. She scanned the area, looking for his car.

“Oh…”

Turning left at the designated corner, she saw a woman standing in the middle of the parking garage.

Tall, well over 5’7”, with a striking figure, flawless features, and porcelain skin.

She wore dark blue jeans and a chestnut brown coat, exuding a cool, chic aura.

“
… amazing…”

This stunning woman was Seo Ji-woo’s friend, whom she had known for almost a year.

A wide smile spread across Seo Ji-woo’s face as she waved excitedly.

“Hayooooon!”

Drawing out Hayoon’s name affectionately, as women often do, Seo Ji-woo ran towards her.

“You’re here?”

Hayoon smiled coolly and took Seo Ji-woo’s suitcase.

“Good work. Must have been a long trip from Ulleungdo.”

“It’s fine! It’s for work, and I get to see my friend, so it’s all good.”

Seo Ji-woo beamed, and Hayoon thought she looked like a rabbit.

‘That, what’s it called… a lop-eared rabbit?’

A brown lop-eared rabbit.

That’s what Seo Ji-woo resembled in Hayoon’s mind.

She had a somewhat timid demeanor, yet there was something endearing about her.

Her husky voice added an unexpected contrast.

Perfect Vtuber material.

“Driver, shall we go?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Hayoon tapped the hood of the car, signaling to Min Jungyun.

He turned on the headlights, preparing to depart.

The engine rumbled as the large van pulled forward, and Hayoon opened the back door for Seo Ji-woo.

“Go ahead.”

“Open the trunk, please. I need to put my suitcase in.”

“Sure.”

Used to taking the lead with her more passive colleagues, Hayoon smoothly took charge.

Seo Ji-woo was already feeling giddy. It wasn’t quite romantic excitement yet, but more like…

‘Whoa… “Driver”…
… crazy…’

She briefly mistook Hayoon for a rich heiress.

She hadn’t clearly seen Min Jungyun’s face in the dimly lit driver’s seat.

Feeling like she was receiving the VIP treatment, she got into the car.

“Let’s go.”

“Alright, alright.”

“…”

As the car started moving, Seo Ji-woo became confused.

Hayoon had called Min Jungyun “Driver,” but he responded casually.

She couldn’t contain her curiosity.

“Hayoon…”

“Yeah? Why?”

“You called him ‘Driver’…”

“I did.”

“But why is he talking to you casually…?”

“Huh…? Oh…? Oh…!”

The question finally clicked for Hayoon.

She burst out laughing.

“Oh, my… this is… Ahaha…”

“Wh-why…?”

It was too absurd.

She hadn’t expected this.

“Wow, I’m really hurt. We’ve met briefly for dinner, we’re practically family.”

“Oh! I-I’m so sorry! I didn’t see your face properly…!”

Min Jungyun’s mock hurt made Seo Ji-woo realize her blunder.

She stammered apologies.

It was too late, though.

Whispering outside the car would have been one thing, but saying that inside the car, during the drive, was clearly rude. However…

“I’m reeeally hurt. So hurt.”

“I’m so sorry!”

Min Jungyun chuckled good-naturedly, brushing it off as a lighthearted joke.

Despite the commotion, the car continued towards Hayoon’s home.

“I’m telling you, I’m hurt! Right?”

Min Jungyun’s easygoing demeanor seemed to have vanished.

In the car, he had pretended to laugh it off, but now he seemed genuinely sulky.

“She’ll be staying at our house whenever she visits Seoul, so let’s get her something really nice to eat. Okay?”

His words seemed like a passive-aggressive way to express his wounded pride.

“Honey, I get it. You’ve said that like five times already.”

“But still…”

Yoon Suhee intervened before he could continue.

Hayoon, tired of the bickering, told them to just order chicken and retreated to her room with Seo Ji-woo.

“Sorry, my dad is more sensitive than I thought.”

“No, it was my fault… Yeah, I messed up… It can’t be helped… I understand why he’d be upset.”

Seo Ji-woo, feeling awkward, scratched the back of her head.

Hayoon, wanting to lighten the mood, considered what to do before the food arrived.

‘Hmm…’

Playing a game felt too obvious an attempt to deflect, and chatting wouldn’t resolve the awkwardness.

They needed something more impactful…

‘Impactful?’

An idea struck Hayoon.

‘It would be impactful…’

She initially hesitated, but it seemed like the best way to cheer Seo Ji-woo up.

“Ji-woo.”

“Yeah?”

“Want to take a bath?”

“Huh?”

Seo Ji-woo’s eyes widened in surprise, as if she misheard.

She hadn’t.

“Let’s take a bath. We have some time before the chicken arrives, so let’s freshen up.”

“Uh, w-well…”

Seo Ji-woo, like last time, seemed hesitant, but Hayoon was rarely dissuaded once she made up her mind.

Seo Ji-woo, with less fuss than before, agreed to the bath. The chicken, enjoyed after a relaxing bath, was delicious.

The next day arrived.

As Hayoon and Seo Ji-woo prepared for their scheduled activities at Hayoon’s home, Baek-seol, who lived in Seoul, was also getting ready.

“Hmm, is this enough?”

Her outfit for today was casual: a cardigan, a white t-shirt, and jeans.

While she usually preferred to be prepared for anything, BGG Company wasn’t a formal environment.

Unlike typical workplaces, casual clothes, similar to what she wore to university lectures, seemed appropriate.

Wearing a suit to a meeting at an arts and entertainment company would be odd.

“Even a semi-formal outfit seems too much…”

She had a blazer she rarely wore, but she decided against it.

Trusting her judgment, she left after triple-checking that she hadn’t forgotten anything.

-Boarding now.

She took the bus, and after a few stops, arrived at the building Hayoon had specified.

The meeting place was a large study cafe with a presentation room.

They were supposed to meet at the entrance. Glancing towards the entrance, she saw…

‘Huh…?’

A woman with unbelievably large breasts stood there, hands clasped politely in front of her.

‘Eh…?’

It was truly a sight to behold.

Could breasts really be that size? Why weren’t hers like that? Were those even physically possible? As she pondered this, something else struck her.

‘Her face looks familiar…?’

The woman’s face resembled the selfie Hayoon had sent for identification purposes. It looked like Jo A-yeong.

“Um, excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“Are you… Jo A-yeong…?”

“Ah…!”

Baek-seol and Jo A-yeong exchanged awkward greetings, like strangers meeting for a secondhand transaction.