She was still writing when someone knocked on the staff-room door.
The restaurant owner looked inside.
“There's a gentleman asking to speak with you.”
The waitress stiffened.
“Which gentleman?”
“The youngest one from the dinner.”
The waitress thought about the executive who had watched the confrontation in silence.
“What does he want?”
“He says it's important.”
The owner hesitated.
“I told him he could leave a message. He asked whether he could speak to you with me present.”
The waitress considered the request.
“Is he alone?”
“Yes.”
She stood.
“All right.”
They met in a small waiting area near the restaurant's office.
The young Korean executive looked considerably different without the other businessmen surrounding him.
He was in his early thirties, neatly dressed in a navy suit, with short black hair and a face that seemed tense from exhaustion.
He was not carrying a briefcase.
He held only his phone.
When the waitress appeared, he bowed slightly.
“I'm sorry to disturb you.”
The waitress remained near the doorway.
“What can I do for you?”
The executive looked toward the owner.
“May I speak in Korean?”
“You can,” the waitress answered in Korean.
He hesitated.
Then he said, “I'm sorry for what happened at the table.”
“You don't need to apologize for words you didn't say.”
“I should have spoken up.”
The waitress studied him.
“That's a different matter.”
He lowered his eyes.
For several seconds, he seemed unable to continue.
Then he looked directly at her.
“I know about your report.”
The waitress did not respond.
The young executive swallowed.
“I saw the earlier version of the technical annex.”
Her pulse quickened.
“I'm not authorized to discuss the investigation with you privately.”
“I understand.”
“If you have relevant information, you should speak to the independent committee or obtain your own legal advice.”
He nodded.
“I know.”
“Then why did you come here?”
He looked toward the door.
“Because I wanted you to know that not everyone at that table believed what they were saying about you.”
The waitress watched his face.
He looked genuinely ashamed.
The young executive continued.
“I joined the company because I believed we were building something useful. Hospitals need reliable delivery systems. People depend on these products. I thought our expansion would make that work better.”
He paused.