Please be nice to me_

Episode 39. The One Who Will Pick Up Fallen Petals

김태현

Either way, it can't be a better choice for either of them.

김태현

… … As if it was destined to break up from the beginning.

"Please Love Me_" _Episode 39

A year has passed.

So many things have happened in the meantime…

Surprisingly, it hasn't changed and is the same as before.

Kim Tae-hyun constantly checks on my safety, my tedious work life seems to never end, and I still don't date people.

The fact that I don't date or try to build relationships with people is largely due to his traces gradually fading away.

I think that one day all human relationships will end, so I don't even try.

If anything, the company my father runs is growing by the day. And it's just that the company employees have discovered that I, Baek Yeo-ju, am the daughter of the company's chairman.

Of course, after the revelation, the reactions of employees in the same department varied. Some said they vaguely knew, some said they had no idea, and some suddenly started using honorifics towards me...

Let's put that aside for now. Today is the day my father's company gathers shareholders for a ceremony to commemorate the start of a new construction project.

Since it was a family event, I dressed up early in the morning and stopped by the office before heading to the reception. I wanted to at least report to Kim Tae-hyun that I was alive.

김태현

What, are you dating? Going on a date?

Since I was dressed from head to toe in a completely different outfit than usual, I figured I might feel a little awkward. I kind of expected this question to come up.

백여주

Would I ever date?

김태현

Well, there's no way Baek Yeo-ju would do that.

As we spent more time together over the past year, we began to naturally let go of our differences. Of course, in terms of years lived, Kim Tae-hyun is much older than me.

김태현

Still… I don’t feel like wasting this passing time.

김태현

You should date too.

김태현

It's already been a year since I broke up with Kim Taehyung.

백여주

… Well, Baek Yeo-ju doesn’t plan on dating even after 10 years.

When Taehyun shook his head as if he was frustrated with me, I said something to him. "You do it."

김태현

I want to do it too.

백여주

Would you like me to introduce you?

김태현

it's okay.

백여주

Oh right, I'm going to the congratulatory party today and then I won't be going back to work.

김태현

…? Who cares?

백여주

I got permission from the chairman.

김태현

…….

김태현

… … Okay, take care.

Why was it so funny to see him keep his mouth shut as if he had nothing to say when I mentioned his father? I swallowed my laughter and said a brief greeting before turning away.

백여주

Good work, manager~

10:54 AM

It was almost time for the celebration to start, but the car was stuck and Yeoju was just stamping her feet anxiously.

As I heard the bell ringing in the car, which was connected to my phone via Bluetooth, I pressed the call button behind the steering wheel.

백 회장

-Hey, heroine- Is it far to come?

백여주

Dad, I'm sorry - I left late and there's traffic now so I'm going to be a little late.

As I spoke, I glanced at the bouquet of red roses on the passenger seat. I'd bought them at a nearby flower shop that morning, intending to give them to my dad.

백 회장

- Oh, really?

백 회장

- How long do you think it will take?

백여주

Uh... the estimated arrival time is in 20 minutes.

백 회장

- Oh, okay. Got it. Drive carefully.

I thought the call would end like that… but then I heard my dad’s voice again.

백 회장

- But our daughter... why did you leave so late? -ㅎ

백여주

Oh, it's nothing special... just for a moment,

백 회장

- Are you sure you're in love?!

This was already the second time I'd been asked a question about relationships today. The surprise question made the female protagonist burst out laughing.

백여주

Those eyes are really high, Dad. Haha

I don't just date anyone. Even I find it funny that I'm saying this now.

백 회장

- Yeah, it's good to have high standards.

백 회장

- My father also has no intention of giving our daughter to just any man.

백 회장

-Don't date again in the future-ㅎ

백여주

Yes-haha you don't have to say that

백여주

I have no intention of dating in the future, absolutely not.

백 회장

- Okay, haha. Take care. See you soon.

“Yes,” he replied in a raised voice, and the call ended.

백여주

Who made my standards so high?

A smile appeared on Yeo-ju's face as she remembered Chairman Baek's words last time when he asked her to introduce him to Tae-hyung.

Since Taehyung disappeared, he disappeared from the memories of his coworkers and even from the memories of Chairman Baek, the female lead's father, so only the female lead remembered him.

"How are you?" The female protagonist asked Taehyung, who was watching over her from somewhere, as always, in her heart.

About 20 minutes later, Yeoju arrived at the Art Hall parking lot where the celebration was being held. Because she was late, she had a hard time finding an empty spot, so she wandered around...

The only remaining spot that caught my eye.

백여주

okay-.

As I was turning the car around, thinking it was a relief... oh no! I noticed an expensive foreign sedan parked next to me.

백여주

……?

Why did it stand out?

백여주

What kind of guy parked his car like this…?

Because my car was parked encroaching on the empty space where I was supposed to park.

First, I parked the car as carefully as I could, thinking I could somehow park it. … And then, I, Baek Yeo-ju, decided I couldn’t just pass by, so I turned off the engine and got out of the driver’s seat.

I parked my car, but I thought it would be difficult to get out of here later.

This sedan seemed familiar. I pushed aside my doubts and called the number posted on the car window.

A low-pitched voice is heard after a few ringing tones.

- "hello."

백여주

hello-.

백여주

Are you the owner of the black sedan parked in front of the art hall?

- "Oh, yes. That's right."

백여주

Um... so,

I thought about how to say it so that it would sound kind, and then I came to a conclusion.

백여주

I was wondering if you could re-park the car.

백여주

Come over to another area...

I was worried that I might have been mistaken for the owner of this expensive foreign car, so I trailed off…

"Oh, I understand. I'll be there soon."

Hearing his kind words, I felt a sense of relief, thinking that he wasn't the eccentric rich kid you see in dramas.

First, I put that aside and, fearing that it would be even later since it was already late, I quickly went to the passenger seat and grabbed a bouquet of flowers.

I was wondering what the problem was because my arms felt empty, and then I saw someone get out of the back seat without picking up their bag, so I stretched out my arm and grabbed my bag.

I wondered if I'd left anything behind... I wondered if he was pondering it, looking around the car. Just then, I saw a man outside the window, getting into the driver's seat of a foreign car and starting the engine. He arrived so quickly.

I felt like I had to go now, so I closed the passenger door and got out of the car, smelling the fragrance of the red roses in the bouquet.

Looking at the foreign car again, it seemed like it was parked properly now.

Okay. I was secretly looking at the roses in the bouquet, feeling satisfied, and walking lightly toward the entrance of the hall.

"Are you the person who called?"

I turned around at the sound of the voice on the phone from behind me. To be exact, the moment I turned around, he approached me.

백여주

Oh, that's right.

백여주

I don't know if you called me while you were busy.

Even after turning around, the heroine's gaze, which had been fixed on the bouquet for a while, finally landed on the man in front of her.

김태형

No, I'm sorry.

"I felt like I was holding someone back," he said, offering a polite apology. Upon seeing his face, the woman couldn't help but freeze in place.

백여주

…….

Before long, tears began to well up in the heroine's eyes... and soon, the tears flowed down her cheeks, drop by drop.

Meanwhile, Taehyung is flustered when a woman he doesn't know suddenly starts crying at the sight of him. He doesn't know why, but he feels compelled to comfort her.

김태형

…are you okay?

Finally, as the strength in his hands gave out, the bouquet fell limply to the asphalt, and a few of the bright red rose petals fell to pieces.

Taehyung bent down to his knees and picked it up again without saying anything.

김태형

…don't cry. today looks like a good day.

백여주

…….

After shedding tears for a moment, Yeoju wiped her eyes with her sleeve and accepted the bouquet of flowers that Taehyung had given her.

백여주

…….

백여주

… … You never appeared even in my dreams,

백여주

You don't even remember me.

This is a bit disappointing. The female protagonist, her nose reddened, forced a smile to hide the trembling corners of her lips. She tried to swallow what she wanted to say, afraid that if she said even a little more, she would burst into tears.

The heroine, who had been silently gazing at the traces of a few fallen petals, soon turned around. Then, slowly walking away, she mulled over the words she had been unable to say.

Long time no see. I missed you.

···

On the other hand, Taehyung, who was left there alone, looks helplessly at the flower petals fluttering in the wind.

When he turned his gaze to the back of the female lead who was walking away, tears began to well up in his eyes, regardless of his will.

He was the one who felt particularly unfamiliar with himself.

+Additional series. Ppeui.