As the silence stretched, both friends knew what each of them was thinking. They had been as close as brothers for far too many years not to guess what was on the other's mind, or sense what the other was feeling in his heart.
Soon after Ji-Won fell silent, Seo-Jun's voice traveled through the phone, sounding serious.
"Give me an hour."
"Half an hour." Ji-Won demanded curtly.
"Don't be unreasonable!" Seo-Jun snapped, immediately grumbling in irritation. "You were the one who told me to cut off my relationship with those people in the first place."
"And since when do you listen to what I say? Did you really think I wouldn't know that you kept in contact with them?" The sneer in Ji-Won's voice was almost palpable.
A cough was heard from Seo-Jun's side, but the man refrained from making any further comments. Alas, he had been busted by the big boss, so all he could do was beat a retreat. If he got caught, he might have to forfeit his life.
A second later the call ended abruptly.
"Tsk, still sulking and running away like a little kid." Ji-Won mumbled to himself.
Along with saying those words, he leaned back into his seat, letting out a weary sigh.
During this phone conversation Su-Jin had been sitting quietly, barely moving a muscle. Sensing the dark aura swirling around her boss, she didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
When Ji-Won finally said her name, Su-Jin almost jumped out of her seat in fright.
"Miss Park, is everything alright?"
"Ah, y-yes. I'm sorry, Director Kang, I couldn't hear what you were saying."
"That's alright. I was saying that we should return to the company and see what can be done there."
Su-Jin nodded silently. She fastened the seat belt and kept staring straight ahead without speaking.
Ji-Won hesitated for a second longer, but he eventually decided not to prob any further.
~~~
When Su-Jin and Ji-Won finally returned to the company, Seo-Jun was waiting for them outside the Planning Department office.
The man was leaning against the wall, with furrowed eyebrows and a look of impatience engraved on his handsome features. He kept glancing at his watch from time to time, as if by doing that he could somehow make Ji-Won arrive faster.
The moment Seo-Jun's eyes landed on Ji-Won hurrying along the corridor, he jumped from his spot and quickly intercepted him.
"Like I said on the phone, Mr. Ma hired a lawyer and sent the guy over to let us know not to bother his client again."
"Did he say why?"
Seo-Jun shook his head.
"He only said that it's his client's right to refuse negotiations. As long as we haven't signed anything yet, there's no legal basis allowing us to pester the inn owners anymore. That bastard! I felt like punching him in the face when I heard that." Seo-Jun scowled.
"But what about all the meetings you had with them?" Su-Jin suddenly chimed in. "Doesn't that count for anything? They even promised to sign the contract today!"
Seeing her so outraged, Seo-Jun patted her shoulder with a small smile.
"It's alright Miss Park. This sometimes happens in the business world. While verbal promises may count for something, as long as there are no signatures on papers, those promises could end up as nothing more than just that, mere words."
"Where is that person now?" Ji-Won interrupted impatiently.
"He's waiting in your office." Seo-Jun took back his hand from Su-Jin's shoulder and turned towards the Director.
"Alright, let's go."
With that, Ji-Won pushed the door open and walked inside the Planning Department's work space. As he walked along the aisle, several pairs of eyes turned to look at him. They all watched Director Kang advance towards his office, each having a different kind of feeling attached to their gaze.
Some of them were keenly interested in the drama that was happening, gossiping between themselves, while others were simply curious, but without being willing to invest too much effort into finding out.
At this time, there were also a few people who seemed to watch Ji-Won's back with trepidation, looking as though they were seeing off a general who's going into battle.
Their stares were filled with worry and apprehension, as well as anxiety for what would happen if the Director failed to address the matter. If Ji-Won wouldn't be able to resolve the issue without delay, then their entire team will have to suffer.
Needless to say, the people from the latter category were none other than Ji-Won's teammates.
When Su-Jin arrived at her desk she saw Yeon-Ah and Jung Seok sitting behind their desks, their work long forgotten due to the new happenings.
Yeon-Ah appeared quite startled and confused. The papers she had in front of her were left scattered on the desk and, since she hadn't touched the computer for a while, the screen was already black.
Su-Jin wanted to say something to her friend but, just then, she happened to notice Jung Seok's unusual appearance.
The man's face was as white as a sheet of paper, with beads of sweat on his forehead. Although that appearance was worrisome in itself, Su-Jin was particularly worried about the way he kept wringing his hands and how he appeared to have shortness of breath.
Feeling sympathy for a fellow colleague, Su-Jin leaned forward. Her upper body bent slightly over the monitor that separated her from Jung Seok's desk, bringing her closer to the other person.
"Jung Seok, are you feeling alright? You seem a little sick." Su-Jin asked in a low whisper.
The man merely raised his eyes to look at her in silence. His pale lips moved but, even after a few seconds, no sounds came out.
Eventually, Jung Seok gave up on speaking and lowered his head.. He began staring at the surface of his desk so intensely, it almost looked like he wanted to drill a whole in the wood.