Chapter 1

○ Joy ○
“JK Architect to merge with
Highland Builders, now who’s
going to benefit?”
“Claims of Internal Issues Upon
Merge of Two Giant Construction
Companies”
It is no wonder how the merge has
been the talk of the town as they
are ones of the biggest companies
in the construction world not only
in Seoul, but to the whole South
Korean country itself. As an
employee of Highland Builders,
and somehow, a shareholder as
well, I knew how both of the
families who owned each company
have been friends for a lifetime.
Mr. Kim, CEO of the Highland
Builders is someone I can never
repay, even with my life, for what
they have helped me through. And
I can say that the luckiest part of
my life is getting to meet a family
who appreciated and accepted me
for who I am. I don’t think anyone
can be more kind for accepting the
runaway me who’s lost in that big
city just a few dimes left to
survive. In short, they made me
who I am, created the Joy I am
right now, and saved me from who
I was.
Back to reality……..
I was sitting at the far end of a
very long table full of board of
directors on the biggest
conference room of our company
building. We were in a meeting, a
very important one, to discuss
about the new administration
system after the merge. I have no
idea why the merge exactly
happened. For all I know, both
companies have been doing well
for this thing to happen. I can ask,
but I tried my best never to dip my
head into very serious company
matters which doesn’t need my
mere opinions.
Sitting near the front was Kim
Suro, the one who saved the
teenager me, gave me work and
taught me all the basics from
scratch. When I was still
seventeen, with only a few days
left to be of legal age, he had let
me live with him and his wife
where they treated me like their
very own daughter. They became a
real family to me, but they already
gave me too much of what I can
take, so when I turned 23, I
decided to get my own place – just
a small apartment with all the
basic necessities I’ll need – with
the salary I’ve been saving for 5
years since I started working for
them. Now, at 25, they still treated
me as a member of a family I was
lucky to have. I owed them my life
and I’ll continue to work hard for
them no matter what happens.
Currently, the meeting has now
moved to the discussion about the
employee cut-offs –which is very
sad since I knew some of them on
the list and I can’t do anything
about it in my position. Only a few
will remain from each side of the
company since we will all be under
one administration soon.
As the meeting has progressed to a
lot of different discussions, such as
new management systems and all
the other technical stuffs, I started
to get drowsy. Being in a meeting
is not my kind of thing. I preferred
physical tasks, just wanting to
work and work and work, draining
me of my energy enough to give
me a tired, heavy and deep sleep.
I don’t know any of the
technicalities about merges and
administration stuff, which is
probably why my lack of sleep
these past few days is definitely
taking a toll on me. I didn’t want to
listen, I want to leave, I want to go
to the site. In short, I was totally
bored. But I shouldn’t be
complaining –which is a bad habit
of mine.
Good thing is, I keep these little
complaints of mine to me, myself
only. It occupies my mind, which is
very helpful, at least to me, for
keeping my eyes from drooping all
the way down. All I needed is to be
thankful for the life I’ve been
given, and then voila, my mind
goes in different directions,
imagining realities that may have
happened to me in some parallel
universe that may actually exist.
“Miss Joy.”
A distinct high toned but low voice
snapped me out of my thoughts,
just as everyone turned to look at
me.
“Could you tell me your opinion on
this matter?” the JK Architects
main representative, Kim Hanbin,
who was standing at the podium
leading the discussion, directed his
question at me. He was looking all
business-like with his never-
changing poker face matching his
slick-back styled hair. He knows I
was not listening and he did this
on purpose to get me in trouble.
He always did this whenever he
sees a chance that I was almost
very sure of his intentions.
“Pardon me Sir. I am very sorry
but I have not heard the discussion
clearly.” I stood up from my seat,
chose my words carefully and
answered in a slow and calm way,
silently hoping he would just drop
this off.
“Well, Joy-ssi, as I expected, you
were clearly not listening. I hope
this will be the last time you’ll
behave like this, especially in very
important meetings like this.
Understand?” He sternly said as
he emphasized my name and
stared at me without a blink in his
eye. I caught Uncle Suro staring at
me, with a look that’s saying I
should just give way to the guy and
be as understanding as I can ever
be.
I assured Hanbin that I’ll try my
best and bowed at him before I sat
down again. This time, I tried to
listen to the discussion. Just to get
his nerves away from me.
As you can see, Kim Hanbin and I
are in a very hateful situation right
now. There’s no hate in my side
though, it is all on him. I don’t
know what I’ve done to the guy,
but he’s been very distant and
aloof to me ever since I met him. I
bet he’ll even try to find my
mistakes on purpose –just a bet,
okay–, just to rub it off on me. The
guy’s definitely got problems,
something neither I nor anyone I
know knows. I just try to think that
somehow everyone has a reason
for being who they are.
As soon as the meeting ended –
thank God–, Uncle Suro called me
to his office. He rarely called me
over to his office which made me
nervous about what he’s going to
say to me.. We can talk openly at
work, everyone knows how I am
like a daughter to their boss and
his wife, but while some does not
care at all, I can tell that some are
kind of envious –well, I get them. I
do. Nevertheless, Uncle and I still
try our best to keep it professional
at work.
I quickly went to follow my uncle
to the office after a little bathroom
break. Uncle’s office was located
at the fourth floor –the topmost
floor of the very huge building of
Highland Builders– of the
company’s main headquarters here
in Seoul. Knocking on the office
door, I opened the wooden door
and peeked to take a look inside. I
saw Uncle Suro behind his desk
with Hanbin sitting in front of him
at the other side of the huge glass
table of my uncle’s office. Uncle
catches my eye and gestured for
me to sit in front of him which is
across Hanbin’s, who is looking too
serious all by himself.
“Hi Uncle. Hanbin-ssi, you too.” I
greeted as I trudged inside to get
to my seat earning no response
from Hanbin, as expected of the
guy.
“I know all of this merge stuffs has
been keeping us busier with all the
still ongoing projects that we’re
having. But, as I trust my friend
very deeply, I also trust his son as
well. I know you’re still working on
an ongoing project Joy, but we
have decided to transfer you to the
first project Hanbin will be
handling.” Uncle eyed me as I
swallowed all the information, his
eyes looking for some
understanding on my side. I know
it’s never a good idea to put me
and Hanbin together in one
project, I have experienced it all
before –a lot of arguments here
and there. Typical of Hanbin’s BS
even when he’s not yet a manager.
But now that he is, I don’t know
how much more trouble lies ahead
my path– when the merge has still
not happened. I don’t know if
anything will change if he and I
are now under one company’s
supervision but it’s not like I will
ever refuse whatever task my
uncle’s going to give me.
“Sure uncle. It’s no problem for
me.” I smiled and turned to look at
Hanbin, in front of me, who is
glaring at me too hard. I can never
assume or get what his problem
with me is. “I assume you’re okay
with this too, right?”
He then shrugged and spoke for
the first time since I entered the
room. “It’s not like I can do
anything about it. You’re just the
best QA there is, as per Uncle
Suro’s words. And I trust him, so
please don’t break it, Joy-ssi. This
is a very important project.”
It will be the first project after the
merge and they want the best of
the best, as Uncle said in his
explanation. Uncle’s friend Kim
Joohyuk, who is also Hanbin’s
father and the one and only owner
of JK Architects has been sick for
quite a while, which gives Hanbin
quite a huge responsibility of
taking care of some of his work for
the meantime, as well as
continuing his own job, now as a
project manager.
I don’t want to add myself to his
problems, even if he does irritate
me most of the time. I’ve got
problems of my own and I don’t
want to add Hanbin to my list of
enemies, so I have always tried
and succeeded to control my
hidden temper when it comes to
this rude but beautiful guy. If only
he was nice to people, I bet he’ll
get a flock of admirers. I know he
does not have that much of a great
personality but I admire him for
his work ethics. He’s just so
focused and good at his work, so
the more reason not to hate the
guy he is.
“I guess that is all there is to this
meeting. I know that both of you
are quite in a not-so-good
relationship, but I hope you’ll both
try to be more understanding of
each other. Hanbin, you will
always be a son to me no matter
what, and ever since, I have
treated Joy like our very own as
well. I have always wanted you
guys to get along. May this project
go through without any huge
problems.” Uncle Suro said with
sincerity in his voice looking at
both of us through the eyes,
hoping to get it through our head.
I turned to look at Hanbin –who
looked a lot more guarded than
earlier– as he stood up on his feet.
“No worries Uncle Suro. Since
we’re done here, I’ll excuse myself
now.” Hanbin replied before
turning to me, with a blank look on
his face. “The meeting for the
project will be tomorrow. I’ll mail
you about the details. See you
tomorrow, Miss Joy.” His distinctly
unique voice echoed across the
silence of the room as he left
through the door. As soon as the
door was shut close, I was all
ready to announce my leave as
well when I heard my uncle
clearing his throat –I assume was
to get my attention.
“Is there any problem Uncle?” I
asked as I finally saw how worried
his face was as he fumbled with his
hands.
Clearing his throat again, he
finally spoke, “Joy, sweetheart, I
know you’ve been getting
unknown calls these past few days
and it’s starting to worry me. Irene
has told me about it because she
said you wouldn’t say anything to
her.”
I swallowed a huge lump in my
throat searching for what to say.
Goodness, I never expected this
from Irene unni. The calls were
actually really bothering me. And
it kept me awake at night for the
past few days, mulling about the
past I wish I could destroy. I know
it may be a serious problem in the
future, but I don’t want to make a
big deal of it right now. “Don’t
worry about it Uncle. It’s nothing
and I never answer the calls
anyway.” I smiled at him. Thinking
back to the thought of Irene unni –
my best friend, the closest I have–
telling on me to my uncle. She sure
does well being in being a
secretary to Uncle Suro. I never
expected she would do that, but I
guess she’s just worried and I
appreciate it, really.
“Sweetie, you know you could tell
me anything. I know you told me
that you wanted to start anew. But
if there is something from the past
troubling you, you know your aunt
and I are always here to help you.”
Uncle Suro told me his concern.
And I was really feeling guilty
about being the person I was
before.
When they met me, they never
pressured me to tell them
information about myself. They
accepted my very vague
explanation of how I got to where I
am without knowing any
background about who they’re
getting inside their house. Even I,
myself, can’t believe how stupid of
a move it is for them to invite
someone they don’t really know to
start living with them. What if I’m
a criminal, a murderer, a robber? I
know I should be thankful but it
really worries me how they are too
kind for their own good.
“I’m really sorry, Uncle. I know I’m
not that open to anyone, even to
you and Aunt Jessiie. Even Irene
unni doesn’t know anything about
my past. It’s just that I feel like if I
talk about it, it will just make me
remember. You know how I
wanted a clean start, a new life
and I thank both of you and aunt
with all my life for giving me that
opportunity 7 years ago. I really
love you both, but I hope you
understand.” All the words rushed
out of my mouth, getting caught in
my emotions, causing my eyes to
fill with tears wanting to break
free, staying at the edge but not
falling.
My uncle walked over to hug me,
and as I hug him back, my
thoughts wandered again, making
me wish he was my real father –a
father who would be able to guide
me when I was younger, one who’ll
care about me, hug me when I cry
and protect me from harm.
“Thank you, Uncle Suro. Thank
you for giving me the opportunity
to be Joy. I am really really
thankful, I just want you to know” I
hugged Uncle tighter as a single
tear fell from my right eye,
reminding myself to cherish this
life given to me.