chapter 14.1

An hour ago at the office.

By the time the approval documents, which were not likely to be reduced, came to an end, Secretary Kim knocked on the outside and came in. In his hand held an unwelcome payment document. However Geonwoo was busy viewing the other documents and did not give a glance to Secretary Kim.

“Mr president , it is urgent. Please check this first.”

Finally, a black document file was caught by Geonwoo’s view. And just like that he got caught up in more work. If he stayed late at work again, he would miss another chance to apologize.

“If it was urgent, you should have given it right away.”

At first glance, Secretary Kim noticed that Geonwoo’s voice was mixed with irritation. However, the document could not be postponed. Secretary Kim, who put his hand on the approval board, pushed it to Geonwoo.

“You still have to look at this, Mr president .”

Geonwoo lightly ignored secretary Kim and signed his signature on the front of the document he was looking at. Then he stood up as scheduled and pulled out the jacket hung on the hanger. When Geonwoo had put on his jacket and grabbed a briefcase, Secretary Kim’s small eyes wide open.

“Mr president , where are you going?”

“I am going home.”

Secretary Kim checked the watch on his wrist to see if he was wrong.

“It’s not even 6 o’clock yet?”

Geonwoo, who had straightened the collar of the jacket and lifted a briefcase, spoke.

“I know it’s not 6 o’clock.”

“Are you saying you’re going to go home now?”

It was something Secretary Kim had never experienced while working with Geonwoo who had barely gone home on time, would come home early. Secretary Kim stood in front of Geonwoo trying to block him. Geonwoo became uncomfortable because of secretary Kim who was in his way.

“What are you doing, standing in my way?”

“Did something happen at home?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Even though the voice subsided inadvertently, Secretary Kim did not stand aside.

“Mr president, you are acting strangely. In the morning, you couldn’t focus on work, but after meeting, you worked like crazy. Now you leave work early, but haven’t finished all the work.”

He couldn’t shake the suspicions that something had happened to Geonwoo.

“If you have anything, please tell me. I’ll listen.”

After 3 years of working for Geonwoo, he wanted to share his boss’s burden .

“Secretary Kim. Don’t be weird and get out of the way.”

Geonwoo, who didn’t want to waste any more time, left the office by pushing secretary Kim’s shoulder aside with his hand. Secretary Kim flickered his eyes and followed Geonwoo with the payment board in his hand.

“Mr president, you still need to sign this document!”

Geonwoo already got on the elevator and pressed the button to the underground parking lot. When he heard Secretary Kim’s footsteps running to the elevator, Geonwoo quietly pressed the close button.

“Mr president!”

Secretary Kim’s words were smashed by the elevator door. What was important to Geonwoo right now was not the payment documents but picking up the flowers he had reserved before the flower shop closed, was the most important schedule of the day.

Standing in front of the porch, Geonwoo looked down at the bouquet in his hand. He doubted that this would really relieve Yeonhwa’s anger, but he thought it was important to do something. Geonwoo, who bought a flower bouquet for the first time in his life, was unable to enter the house. He bought a gift, but he couldn’t decide what to say or how to hand it over. And since Ahnseong was still at work, that made it even harder.

Geonwoo was worried that his wife might hate the flowers. Ten minutes had passed while standing at the front door, his sweat oozing out of the hand holding the bouquet, Geonwoo opened the front door. He swept his lower lip with his index finger, took off his shoes and passed the hall. The closer he got to the kitchen, the more clearly he heard their voices.

As he stepped into the kitchen, Yeonhwa, who had her back facing him, burst into laughter. Geonwoo couldn’t go any further at the sound of her laugh. He wondered if Yeonhwa would still smile if he handed her a bouquet. After a little bit of the remaining courage had faded, he tried to hide the bouquet he was holding.

“Boss, are you here already?”

AhnSeong was surprised to see Geonwoo had returned home before 7 o’clock. And before Yeonhwa looked back, Geonwoo pushed the flower he was holding in front of her. The reason he handed the bouquet to Yeonhwa that he was trying to hide was because AhnSeong had already seen the flowers , and because he didn’t want to get caught hiding the bouquet.

Geonwoo took another step and stood next to Yeonhwa. He didn’t care about Ahnseong , who surprised by the flowers

“Oh my God.”

Yeonhwa slowly turned her head toward Geonwoo. Her little lips opened, and her surprised voice flowed out.

“What …is …this?”

“It’s a flower bouquet.”

“Boss, madam is not asking because she doesn’t know that!”

AhnSeong looked at Geonwoo slowly. More than anyone else, she wanted to talk to Yeonhwa quickly. With a puzzled look on her face, Yeonhwa accepted the bouquet.

“Are you giving it to me? “

AhnSeong grinded her teeth and smacked her chest at the nodding of Geonwoo’s head.

“Boss, do not just nod, you should say something!”

Yeonhwa, who was still looking at the bouquet, brought the pink rose to the tip of her nose.The soft scent of flowers spread a smile on Yeonhwa’s lips. However, Geonwoo couldn’t see it because half of her face was covered by the flowers.

“It smells good. Thank you.”

After Yeonhwa said thank you, Geonwoo turned around and said.

“I’ll go wash up now.”

AhnSeong put down the ladle she was holding and felt burning inside. The feeling of frustration came to her when she saw Geonwoo was being blunt to Yeonhwa because of his shyness.

‘’That’s why his wife doesn’t know his heart.”

After Geonwoo left the kitchen , Yeonhwa raised her head which had been buried in a bouquet and smiled widely.

“Aren’t the roses so pretty?”

“Pretty like you, madam.”

“No, the flowers are prettier.”

Yeonhwa stood up from her chair, hummed and pulled a glass vase and put it on the table. After removing the bouquet wrapper, she filled the vase with the roses that Geonwoo gave her.

AhnSeong put the soup in a bowl and served it to Yeonhwa, who had a happy face.

“Do you feel that happy with the flowers?”

“Because it’s the flowers from Geonwoo.”

He must have gone to the flower shop and picked this flower himself. He must have thought about what kind of flower she would like, and imagined how happy she would be. How much did he think of her during this day? She hoped she had been trapped in his head for a long time … Then she was satisfied with it.

Yeonhwa was still smiling happily as she breathed in the fragrance of the flowers in the glass vase. She hoped that Geonwoo’s heart would be pink like a flower, too.