New Normal - Chapter 47

That day, two years ago, was unusually cool for early September.

In the morning, the sky was gloomy from rain that had started the day before. It was still muggy and sticky from the lingering summer heat, and Jisoo remember thinking, When will autumn actually come?

Then, around noon, the temperature suddenly dropped. So much so that people called it a weather anomaly. By the time the sun began to set, it felt like true autumn.

All around the outdoor area of the ‘UMM’ museum—run by the Hansong Cultural Foundation and designed by a famous European architect—lights started flickering on. It was a closed day for the museum, but ironically, it had never been busier. Everyone was scrambling, checking final details for a big event set to start at 7 p.m.

“That piece number 20 needs to go back to storage. And please turn the spotlight about 10 degrees to the right. It’ll help the piece stand out more.”

Jisoo’s walkie-talkie crackled as she coordinated the lighting and placements with the tech team.

– “Ms. Shin, the exhibit guide sheet for Section 4 is still missing.”

“Ah, okay. I’ll check again.”

She barely got the words out before someone tapped her shoulder.

“Senior, the catering team just arrived.”

“Start setting up right away. The wine isn’t here yet, right?”

The junior staffer nodded with a troubled face, and Jisoo hurried off.

The event was strictly VIP-only, and the director had ordered expensive wine from a trusted vendor. But traffic was brutal, and the delivery kept getting delayed.

Phone pressed to her ear, Jisoo weaved through people and displays. The carts, ladders, and crates that were scattered earlier had disappeared. Staff were now double-checking floral placements and video installations, brushing off their exhaustion and prepping for guests.

Maybe it was because they’d all been on-call since the night before. Unfortunately, this event overlapped with Art Fair, Frieze, Kiaf, Biennale… every major art event in the country. Their workload had exploded. Add the collaboration with other galleries on top of that, and everyone was completely wiped out.

But the hardest part wasn’t the workload. It was tiptoeing around Director Joo Wonkyung’s temper.

Even though this was an indoor event, she’d made everyone obsess over the weather forecast for the past month, checking meteorology sites from all over the world. Whether it was the team’s desperate prayers or just the director’s so-called “natural luck,” the weather had turned out perfect. Too perfect, actually—maybe that’s why traffic was so bad.

The wine delivery guy kept repeating that he was “almost there.” Jisoo sighed and turned her head—only to see Director Joo approaching, fussing with her hair.

“Great job, everyone.”

She gave the staff a light nod. Today, more than ever, she looked like a walking fashion statement. Always a little flamboyant for her age, she’d really gone all out today. Honestly, she looked more like a peacock—or a drag queen.

“Hello, Director. You look amazing today.”

“Oh, stop…”

She trailed off as her eyes landed on Jisoo’s name tag.

“It’s all thanks to you guys.”

Director Joo never bothered to remember staff names or titles. She just called everyone “you.” It was annoying, but Jisoo didn’t let it show. She was too distracted wondering if the glasses the director was wearing were Jacques Marie Mage.

Then—

“Oh no.” Director Joo’s expression suddenly stiffened, and Jisoo instinctively held her breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“My nail’s chipped.”

With a dramatic frown, she wiggled her fingers.

“Hey, can you grab me a nail file real quick?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll be right back.” Jisoo bowed with a polite smile and left.

***

Jisoo had only ever spoken directly to Director Joo twice, including today. Which said a lot.

At this point, it felt like her job might just end up being the director’s errand girl. Forget exhibition planning or academic work—those documents never even made it to her desk anymore. She felt so miserable, it made her stomach hurt.

As she entered the main building, she sensed a few familiar gazes on her.

While waiting for the elevator, a few researchers from a different department gave her a quick glance and a nod before quickly looking away again. She clenched her jaw.

The hallway to the director’s office felt longer than usual. Every step made her feet feel heavier, like she was stuck in molasses.

She tried to calm herself, but the anxiety in her chest wouldn’t go away. As she got closer to the office, her heart was beating faster.

Through the crack of the door, she could hear Director Joo laughing loudly, like nothing had happened. That cheerful, shameless laughter made Jisoo shrink inside.

She gave a nod to the secretary, took a deep breath, and knocked.

“Come in~”

The director’s unusually friendly voice gave her pause. Jisoo tilted her head slightly, confused. But the second she opened the door—she froze.

Her chest felt like it dropped ten degrees.

“Oh? You’re here.”

On the couch were a group of women chatting cheerfully with Director Joo. They all turned to stare at her—Jin Jung-eun, the woman next to her, and another young woman by her side.

***

It was almost six, but the meeting at the joint office was dragging on.

“I already told you, this layout is too damn expensive!”

Department Head Jo Hyunjoong tossed a thick packet of papers on the table with a scowl.

They were in the stage of refining the technical proposal before the actual review, and things were getting intense.

Juwon stared at the documents, then looked up. Jo Hyunjoong, a senior architect from the construction company, was fidgeting with a cigarette box, annoyed.

This project could make or break his promotion to executive level. It wasn’t just RSTA staff who were on edge—Hyunjoong was too. But today, he was worse than usual.

He had a lot of gray hairs and smoked like a chimney, clearly stressed. Even though smoking indoors was banned, he didn’t care. His beer belly stuck out over his belt—your classic old-school type.

Juwon wasn’t in a better mood either.

He tapped his foot, rubbed his eyes. He’d just gotten back from New York after attending a site tour for an international design competition and a global architecture conference.

Less than three hours after landing, he came straight to the office and jumped into work. The jet lag, the fatigue—it wasn’t just that. He was on edge.

[Shin Jisoo: Can we meet tonight?]

For the first time in his life, something felt more urgent than work. He had a reason to get off early.

He was stunned by her message—not because of the words, but because it was her.

[Shin Jisoo: It’s nothing big.]
[Shin Jisoo: I just… want to see you.]

His brain stopped working. He couldn’t focus on anything else after that.

She was the first woman who ever made him feel this way. And the way it all started—

He remembered her pale face, how she suddenly passed out during s3x, the faint trace of bl00d on the condom after he pulled out… all of it. That entire day was a disaster—and a total shock to him.

At first, it was simple.

He just wanted to sleep with her. Kill two birds with one stone—get the house in Myeongnyun-dong, seduce her, get what he wanted, and end things cleanly.

But it didn’t go like that.

After that day, he didn’t know how to face her. He didn’t know what to say. So he kept rambling about kidney stones. That, too, was a shock to himself. Every time he opened his mouth, it felt like he was making things worse.

What the hell’s wrong with me? No matter how hard he tried to move on, his thoughts always came back to her.

[Shin Jisoo: Maybe we can just get a drink somewhere quiet.]

He went to work like usual, but his head wasn’t in it.

[Shin Jisoo: I’m all better now.]

When that last message came in, he just stared at it for a while. Then her reply popped up, asking if he could talk. He called, and she picked up immediately.

— “Yeah? Oh, I only worked in the morning today and left early. Just felt like skipping. I’m fine now. Dinner? I’m good with anything. Or… we could just eat at your place?”