Deal Breaker - Chapter 56

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A hundred billion won.

Yes, Baekeok-ee would be a good nickname.

One hundred million (Ireok) is too small, and one billion (Shibeok) sounds like a curse. One hundred billion, Baekeok, feels just right.

After settling on a prenatal nickname for the baby, Hyeji was about to press the power button to turn off her phone screen but stopped.

Ah, just one more look.

The screen displayed a heavily zoomed-in ultrasound photo she’d received yesterday at the OBGYN, at 12 weeks. The baby’s nose bridge was already prominent. Hyeji took a mirror out of her drawer and held it up to her own nose.

“Hm…”

Our Baekeok-ee’s nose doesn’t seem like it came from me.

She hoped the baby wouldn’t resemble the Director.

Ah, but if the baby didn’t resemble him, would they even be pretty?

In a world obsessed with appearances, she found herself worrying about the looks of a child who wasn’t even born yet. Maybe it was because the baby was healthy and there was nothing else to worry about that she was inventing things to fret over.

Hyeji folded the mirror and slipped it back into the drawer, her gaze resting on the firmly closed office door. Kanghyeon seemed completely oblivious. The bodyguards who always followed her had come to the OBGYN as well, but since they’d only waited outside, they couldn’t have known it was a prenatal ultrasound. The chances of getting caught were low, but if he ever found out…

Secretary Noh Hyeji, this contract is terminated.

“Terminate the contract, Hyeji…”

“What?!”

Startled by those words, she yelped. Standing at her desk was a middle-aged section chief with a protruding belly, who clutched his chest in surprise.

“Good grief, you nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Hyeji quickly switched off her phone and flipped it over.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was lost in thought. What is it you needed?”

“Could you ask the Director about the contract with the National Defense Science Institute?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll ask him and give you a call.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

Once the section chief left, Hyeji looked nervously toward the Director’s office door, then stood. She might as well ask him directly since she had something else to bring up.

At the door to his office, Hyeji did something she never usually did. She adjusted her clothes.

She tugged at the hem of her loose, long blouse, spreading it flat and wide. It wasn’t to look neat or pretty.

She was just entering her fourth month, and her belly was starting to show. In a little while, it would be noticeable to others.

“Director, may I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

The conversation she planned to have with Kanghyeon today couldn’t be delayed any longer, not with her belly starting to show.

When she entered, Kanghyeon was seated at his desk, rubbing his temple with his index finger as he read something. A pen was tucked between his long fingers, and judging by the stack of approval files piled in the corner of his desk, he seemed to be catching up on overdue sign-offs.

Normally, she would’ve been itching to get out of there quickly, but instead she sat down in the chair across from him. Kanghyeon kept his head down, lifting only his eyes to look at her. That sharp nose looked familiar.

No, Baekeok-ee. Mommy will trust you for the remaining 28 weeks.

“What is it?”

She’d only sat in a way that hid her stomach, but maybe that was enough to make her look like she had something serious to discuss. Kanghyeon set his pen down and straightened his posture to face her.

When she first asked about the contract with the National Defense Science Institute, he looked slightly deflated, but as she moved on to the real reason for her visit, he leaned forward as if he’d been waiting.

“Director, I have a request.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’d like to… take about a year off.”

“A year?”

His smooth brow furrowed so deeply it seemed the crease might become permanent.

“…Is this like a sabbatical?”

“…Yes, something like that.”

“You’re not a professor, Secretary Noh. What’s gotten into you?”

Her round belly tensed at his words.

“You know how packed this year’s schedule is. And you know we have to go to Libya at the end of this month.”

“I can handle that mission, and then… ah… it’ll be difficult…”

“Have you even found someone to replace you yet?”

“I wanted to ask you first before I started looking for a replacement secretary and Guide…”

“You know how hard they are to find. Why all of a sudden…”

When he noticed Hyeji’s expression growing increasingly grim, Kanghyeon stopped his barrage of questions. He’d been too harsh, shocked by the out-of-character request from Noh Hyeji, who was asking for a full year off out of nowhere.

Still, granting a year-long leave right before such important work wasn’t feasible. If she wanted a break next year, he could simply stop accepting new contracts starting now. The ones already signed, however, were unavoidable.