Hidden Motives || Chae Hyungwon

[ nine ]

Baek Ha Rim

after lunch was done, i stood up from the table and started to walk out of the cafeteria along with rowoon and his friends. during the last few minutes of our lunch together, the ceo left our table and took his time to roam around the place and check on the other employees instead.

he also gave us all permission to leave anytime we were done with our food.

as i was approaching the glass door out, i stopped by the long table that had clean drinking glasses and pitchers of water where we could grab a drink.

"rowoon-ssi, i'll go get some water first." i told him.

"oh, alright. we'll wait for you outside." he nodded.

i quickly took a glass out of the tray, filled it cold water, and drank. as soon as i was done, i took out my phone and was ready to message changkyun about seeing chae hyungwon at lunch.

"miss baek."

suddenly, i looked up upon hearing my name being called. eventually, i saw that it was the ceo himself who was right infront of me. out of surprise, i accidentally dropped my phone on the floor and didn't get to finish typing my message.

"ah, ceo chae." i spoke, quickly bending down to reach for my phone.

good thing, he just stood and didn't do anything when it dropped. it would have been the end of me if he saw what i was about to send changkyun.

as soon as i got my phone, i stood up, and lifted my head to look at his face.

"i hope you enjoyed your lunch." he spoke.

"thank you, sir. i surely did."

he nodded with a smile and finally walked away from me after i spoke. i turned my phone back on and started walking out of the cafeteria to meet rowoon and his friends.

"yah, ha rim-ssi!" one of rowoon's friends walked up to me as soon as i got out.

"do you know the ceo?" she asked.

i paused and shifted my eyes to rowoon. i thought that he might have told them about my father's relationship with hyungwon's father.

"no, what makes you say that?" i denied.

"nothing, it's just that.. he keeps looking at you when we were having lunch earlier." she pointed out.

my eyebrows raised upon realizing that the others have also caught on.

"sorry, i dont really know why he would do that." i shook my head and started walking.

"you've noticed that too, didn't you?" she asked the other girls.

"yeah! it was obvious! i wish the ceo would look at me the same, too." another spoke.

"maybe it's not that you both know each other but maybe only the ceo knows you?"

upon hearing that statement, i turned to look at the girls with widened eyes.

it definitely can't be. if he actually found out i'm baek myung joon's daughter, i'd be done for. worse if he actually knows how bad the rivalry between his father and mr. baek is.

"b-but how? i've never seen him before.." i asked again.

"not sure. i'm just saying." rowoon's friend shrugged.

now i really have to be very careful to avoid showing traces of suspiciousness. maybe that could be a possible reason why chae hyungwon was keeping an eye on me during lunch.