"What are you going to do about this?"

Sang-jong Lee held the receiver and shouted into it.

"What? When it falls buying interest will come in, and you throw the volume into that? Where is the buying interest? Eh? Say it. Where is this buying interest that's supposed to come in?"

—How should I know?

From the other end of the receiver Chang-jong Lee shouted too, as though exasperated.

Sang-jong Lee thought there was no use talking with Chang-jong Lee.

"Enough. Never mind you — Representative Won. Put Representative Won on. Representative Won will know how matters stand."

—He isn't here.

"He isn't there? Where has he gone?"

—How am I to know where he's gone?

"Then when is he coming?"

—That's what I'm saying — how would I know?

"Then what is it you do know!"

Sang-jong Lee burst out shouting.

And he realized there was no use in talking further.

"Enough. I'll come there, so don't stir a step and wait."

—You're coming here?

"Yes."

At Chang-jong Lee's tone of distaste at his saying he would come to the Cheongdam boutique, Sang-jong Lee felt something odd.

"What's this? You lot aren't cooking up something strange behind my back, are you?"

—Cooking up what? Come. Come, then, and be done.

"I'll be there directly, so the lot of you stay put and don't stir."

Without so much as saying he was hanging up, Sang-jong Lee put the telephone down as though smashing it.

A clunk.

Just then the door opened and Min-yeong Oh came in.

Min-yeong Oh, a cloth-wrapped lunch box in her hand, looked at the Sang-jong Lee who had hung up the telephone and was hurriedly gathering his clothes, and asked,

"Where are you going?"

"It's no concern of yours."

"I've brought food, so eat before you go."

"Eat it yourself."

"Spare a thought for the goodwill of the person who went to the trouble of packing it, and take one spoonful. I've something to say to you as well."

Having set the lunch box on the table, Min-yeong Oh made to take hold of Sang-jong Lee.