In Between the Lines | Completed

Epilogue

Vivian Jones

A clatter comes at the door of the board room and Kar Jin-Ho watches as two men in black suits with matching earpieces enter the room, holding the doors open as someone follows them in. U So-Yong walks into the board room. Rather than the normal casual attire Kar Jin-Ho had gotten used to seeing her dressed in over the last year, she was wearing a classy pencil skirt with a ruffle hitting her mid-calf, a white blouse, and matching white heels dotted with pearls.

Gone was her messy ponytail, replaced by thick waves that flowed down her back. Her lips are pursed as she scans the room and nods at the familiar faces of the board members. She holds out her hand and like magic, one of the men who had accompanied her pulls out a leather portfolio. She accepts it and walks to the empty seat at the conference table and motions for Kar Jin-Ho to continue.

Everyone in the room looks from the woman and over to the President, unsure of the tense connection between the two beautiful young people. Looks of curiosity and the promise of gossip later are exchanged, but no one speaks up with their curious questions.

Kar Jin-Ho stares at her, a slightly pained expression on his face as she accepts an agenda from a nearby secretary and quietly flips through the contents, every now and then looking at the leather portfolio she had been handed. Her bored expression doesn't waver as he swallows and launches into his stream of questions to his board members, reviewing the company's progress over the last year while he had been working at the sanctuary.

Why is she here?

Kar Jin-Ho hadn't seen U So-Yong in 3 months since her grandmother had sent her abroad to meet a few more marriage candidates. It had been a sucker punch in the gut to him as he thought they were making progress in their friendship as they worked side by side, but it seemed that it wasn't a mutual progress.

The meeting continues on, each department reporting updates with little to no significance to him as he sits at the head of the table, tense as he watches U So-Yong follow along from the corner of his eye.

"Now that we are preparing to sign the cooperation agreement between the Song Group for the next two years, we can look at implementing the new product line in their three new hotels in Japan." Vice President Joo adds, finishing his portion of the meeting.

A two-year contract? What are they referring to?

"Vice Chairman U was gracious enough to agree to attend today's meeting after her recent return from her family estate in Tokyo."

She was in Japan? Not America? What about her blind dates? I guess she could have been set-up with people from Japan, but—

"Of course, our cooperation will be dependent on the last few pieces of consideration President Kar and I had discussed, but I have no doubts that we as a pair will figure those out quickly," U So-Yong comments airily, causing Kar Jin-Ho to turn to face her. "After all, this contract wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of your President even while on a leave of absence. An impressive work ethic, by my standards and my family's."

Kar Jin-Ho struggles to keep his facial expression neutral, her words causing confusion.

"Vice Chairman U—"

"If that's the case, we don't have anything else to report President Kar if you want to finalize negotiations before the press conference this weekend?" Vice President Joo adds hopefully, a mild case of panic evident on his face.

Never show you've got something to lose when it comes to negotiations, Vice President Joo, or you'll lose everything you hold dear.

"Excellent. I assume you still have your office in its usual spot? I need to take a call and I'll meet you there." U So-Yong excuses herself and accepts her phone from one of the two towering bodyguards that had escorted her into the room.