When Your Pain Becomes Mine

57. Determination

In the empty office.

Gyeonhui was left alone and frowned, clutching his c.h.e.s.t in pain.

Her pain was being conveyed, and every single strike hit him hard.

"You're so sick, but why are you pushing me away all the time..."

He came out into the hallway while biting his lower lip, seemingly confounded.

'Bzzz.'

Then, his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He didn't have anything to say.

Her distressed eyes were still etched in his head.

"Huh..."

As he walked down the aisle with a firm expression, he stopped after hearing a faint cry.

The sound of cries was coming out of the women's restroom.

The crying continued.

A faint sobbing would follow whenever she breathed in.

It was her.

When he heard her cries, he tried to enter the women's restroom.

"Gyeonhui."

At that time, he heard Ojae's voice behind him.

After ignoring Ojae, Gyeonhui tried to enter the bathroom again.

"Gyeonhui Woo."

It was the voice of a middle-aged woman, not Ojae.

He slowly turned his head and looked at the owner of the voice.

Behind Ojae, Mrs. Shin, with cold-eyes, was looking at him. When he saw Mrs. Shin's face, his face quickly hardened.

He turned his head and looked at Ojae and was asking him what had happened with his eyes.

'Your phone. I've called you.'

Ojae pointed to his cell phone like he had nothing to do with this situation.

While Gyeonhui could not resist the discomfort he was feeling, Mrs. Shin asked him.

"What are you doing here?"

She looked at him and the women's restroom alternately.

"... It's not a big deal."

"I hope so."

"Hahh…"

Meanwhile, Sun's cries flowed out of the restroom.

Mrs. Shin frowned at Gyeonhui and moved her gaze toward the bathroom.

"Hah."

"What's going on?" Gyeonhui asked.

"The mergers and acquisitions…"

Hearing her response, Gyeonhui furrowed his eyebrows.

Gyeonhui was working on the acquisition of DNBM, but it was still unanswered because he couldn't find the president.

"I wasn't sure why things are being delayed, but now I know why." Mrs. Shin glanced at the bathroom as she spoke.

"It's personal."

"If personal matters interfere with your work, then you should retrain them."

He clenched his molars tightly and could hardly swallow his boiling anger.

"We'll get it done soon."

"Two months."

With her resolute reply, Gyeonhui's face hardened.

"Finish it before the next shareholders meeting."

"Ha." He laughed and seemed indignant.

"It's common sense that everyone knows that it will take at least a half year. It's not like I'm buying a small store."

"Yes, I know. That's why I'm giving you only two months." Mrs. Shin spoke calmly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Anyone can do it in half a year, but that also means that you don't necessarily have to do it."

On her cold and clear words, Gyeonhui's eyes shook.

"Prove that you deserve to be here, or that's going to be your last opportunity."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Ojae bowed deeply by lowering his upper body in a ninety-degree angle while she was moving away.

"Hah…" Gyeonhui closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

The trouble with her, as well as the merger and acquisition with DNB, made his mind more complicated.

"What about the CEO of DNBM?"

"Well, that's…"

Ojae bit his lower lip in embarrassment.

When Gyeonhui looked at Ojae, he violently threw his phone against the wall.

His cell phone scattered in all directions with a loud noise.

'…'

Ojae gulped out loud and only glanced back at him, blinking his eyes, not knowing what to do next.

Gyeonhui put both hands on the wall and tried to catch his breath to calm down.

"Hah...Hah…"

In the calm and quiet hallway, they could hear Sun's wailing again.

He was looking at the bathroom, but soon, he turned his head and watched Mrs. Shin moving away from him.

He exhaled for a long time, and he closed his eyes in desperate pain.

"Hah…"

Ojae looked nervously upon each of Gyeonhui's behaviors.

Gyeonhui finally spoke slowly with a firm expression.

"Call Chaekyeong."

"... huh?"

"I said, contact her."

"Chaekyeong?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'm on it right away."

Ojae didn't know what was going on, but he hurriedly responded and picked up his phone while walking away from Gyeonhui to call.

"Hah..."

With a long sigh toward the ceiling, he stepped forward to leave the restroom.

"Hah…"

Then, her crying resounded throughout the hallway again, so he stopped his footsteps.

However, he finally and forcefully took a step to move away from the bathroom.

His two clenched fists trembled severely out of control.

***

"Ha…"

She exhaled a long breath and struggled to calm herself down. She looked in the mirror and hurriedly cleaned her face.

"Why am I crying like a fool? It's all over."

She murmured to herself, but whenever she remembered him, her emotions started welling up again.

"Stop, stop. Please stop." Sun closed her eyes and tapped on her c.h.e.s.t.

'Bzzz.'

Then her cell phone rang. She fixed her breathing and checked who was calling her.

It was Ari.

She quickly cleared her throat and slowly answered the phone.

"Hmm, hmm. Hello? What's up?"

"What's wrong with your voice? Are you crying?" Ari noticed her voice right away.

"No, what are you talking about? Who's crying?"

"Your voice is all sunken."

"No, it's not. My throat just hurts because of the fine dust in the air."

Sun coughed on purpose and tried to change the conversation around.

"Where are you now?"

Ari pretended that she didn't notice anything and continued asking.

"Me? Why?"

"I'm asking you where you are, and you answered me with a why. Is that right?"

"I told you that I've got a lot of work left. What's going on?"

"Come out. I'm here in front of the company."

"Then why don't you come up?"

"I'll send you the address of where we are now, so hurry up. Eunyoung is here too."

Ari just said what she had to say and hung up the phone.

"Hello, hello? Hey, Ari?"

Sun called Ari again, but she couldn't hear any answer over the phone that had already been disconnected.