What Ji-Won failed to understand despite his high intelligence was that, when it came to Su-Jin, his own heart had begun to change. Even though it was subtle, this small change triggered in him a desire to be acknowledged. He didn't want to be pitied, but liked by that person.
Too bad, though, that Ji-Won's resolution of not thinking further over the matter kept his mind in the dark. Later, when he would finally realize all of this, Ji-Won will definitely scorn himself for being stupid.
For now, Ji-Won bathed in a pool of ignorance, blissfully enjoying the kids' attention.
Shortly after the children greeted them, the other four members of Team 2 arrived at the orphanage as well.
"We apologize for being late. The traffic was horrible." One of the men said, offering Ji-Won a sheepish smile.
"Director Kwon offers his apologies for not being able to make it. He had a family situation and is currently out of town." Another young man said.
"Are there going to be more colleagues coming from other departments as well?" Su-Jin asked, suddenly remembering her thoughts from that morning.
"No." Ji-Won replied simply.
"But I thought it was compulsory for employees to participate in these activities." Su-Jin said, a small pout appearing on her face. "Why aren't the rest joining us as well?"
Hearing her question, Ji-Won shot Su-Jin a glance from the corner of his eye. When he finally replied, his tone sounded a tad bit impatient.
"They are going to different locations. The activities may be compulsory for newly hired interns." He said pointedly, now looking directly at Su-Jin. "But the rest of the employees can take part on a volunteer basis. That also means each team can choose from different orphanages or nursing homes."
"Ji-Won just prefers this place because it's special to him." Seo-Jun suddenly piped up, giving Su-Jin a quick wink.
"Shut up." Ji-Won snapped.
He gave his friend a warning look which immediately rendered Seo-Jun mute.
Then, Ji-Won clapped his hands together, gaining everyone's attention.
"Alright, let's split into teams and get started."
Su-Jin felt disappointed, for she wanted to see Ji-Su again. However, there was nothing to be done under the current situation. She could only bury her miffed disposition under a polite smile and follow the others.
While Team 2 was given cooking and cleaning chores, Team 1 gathered all the children and formed groups based on different activities.
Thus, Jung Seok, who was in charge of drawing activities, ended up taking with him a small group of five children. Su-Jin was asked to read a storybook for another group made of ten timid little girls.
Meanwhile, Ji-Won and the remaining two people went outside, followed by the rest of the children. Once there, they split into two teams and began playing with a ball, while Yeon-Ah remained in the middle as a referee.
Despite not playing proper soccer, they all ran around, giggling and laughing cheerfully. Ji-Won and Seo-Jun were on opposing teams and had fun while competing with each other.
Everyone was brimming with positive energy and happiness.
The atmosphere was so infectious that soon even the orphanage employees began laughing with delight. And how could they not feel that way at the sight of the children's happy smiles?
Considering how bland their lives usually were, the time spent with Ji-Won and his team was something like a gift sent from heaven for all the children.
Almost an hour later, they were still at it.
Wanting to take a short break from reading, Su-Jin got up and walked towards the window.
The large, floor-to-ceiling window overlooked a portion of the backyard, while the rest of the open space continued around the corner of the building.
Thus, Su-Jin couldn't see further than the playground. But she didn't mind, because looking from that angle allowed her to witness something very interesting. She could see Ji-Won and Seo-Jun going at each other, as they both tried to score goals against the opposing team.
Su-Jin could easily spot Ji-Won in the crowd of little children. Surrounded by such small kids, the man stood out just like Gulliver in a crowd of munchkins. Thinking of this comparison, Su-Jin inadvertently let out a small laugh.
She was fascinated by Ji-Won's current image and her eyes instinctively followed him across the field.
Ji-Won's appearance while running around was rather unruly and completely different from his usually poised self. His sleeves were rolled up and, because of the constant sprinting around the field, his hair was ruffled in all directions.
The way he looked as he dashed left and right, with the wind ruffling his pitch-black hair and with his clothes fluttering around him, reminded her of a wild mustang, running across the prairies, free and untamed.
Due to the effort, his face had now gained a lively blush and his eyes seemed to gleam with excitement. It was as if his entire face radiated with glee.
Even from that distance Su-Jin could easily see that his face was devoid of any shadows. There was no trace of sourness on his features and his beautiful black eyes looked even more mesmerizing as they shone brightly, looking just like a beautiful pair of gemstones.
'Why do I think that this comparison is very familiar?' Su-Jin wondered silently. Then, her mind suddenly took a different turn.
'Director Kang looks so handsome today. His entire being is brimming with an aura of wild freedom. And his hair looks so soft, swaying like that under the sun, fluttering gracefully like black silk. I wonder how it would feel to the touch.'
For some inexplicable reason, as soon as she thought that, Su-Jin's cheeks began to burn. Her face was blushing furiously and, before she got a chance to understand what was happening to her, Su-Jin unexpectedly felt a scorching sensation that went from her head, all the way down to her toes.
Like a soldering iron pressing onto Su-Jin's skin, Ji-Won's very appearance seared her brain, imprinting the man's image in her mind.
Even if she closed her eyes, Su-Jin simply couldn't get Ji-Won's face out of her head.
Feeling completely astounded by her own thoughts and reactions, Su-Jin raised both hands to her face. She cupped her cheeks, trying to calm down the burning sensation.
But it was futile, because the more she continued to look at Ji-Won, the more unsettled she became.
At that time, Su-Jin felt very grateful that she could stare at Ji-Won without being seen by him. She didn't even want to think what would happen if he were to witness her current flustered state.
Nevertheless, something did happen that caused Su-Jin's mind to go blank for a second.