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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Ready to Go Crazy
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Yi Yeon felt like someone was wildly stirring up her mind.
All sorts of ingredients got jumbled together, taking time to identify what they even were.
Do Hyun's words right now were just like that. He kept spouting incomprehensible things, and it took her a while to decipher what he meant.
She had never even imagined he would say stuff like this. So Yi Yeon ended up extremely flustered.
On top of that, he was pressed so close against her that she couldn't think straight...
Thanks to Do Hyun taking one more step toward Yi Yeon, who was backed up against the wall, their bodies ended up pressed tightly together.
Close enough that it could be called an embrace.
Yi Yeon's hair swayed gently with Do Hyun's ragged breathing.
So that meant...
“I was hoping that if I got along well with the woman I brought home saying I'd marry her, but then divorced her after two years, Grandpa would finally get it: 'Even the woman I brought ended in disaster after two years—if I force a marriage, how long would that last?'”
“...”
“We're getting along well. Better than I expected.”
He had gone and fallen for her.
What if her heart just gave out right here?
Yi Yeon had no idea how to respond.
“I've already gotten a taste of mango flavor. No plans to go back now.”
Mango flavor?
“I'm even more ready to go crazy.”
“Um...”
In the end, Do Hyun hurled his confession at Yi Yeon.
Her mouth, gaping toward Do Hyun, showed no sign of closing.
Yi Yeon's wide eyes kept darting around frantically.
Do Hyun didn't let her shaky gaze escape as he pressed on relentlessly.
Keeping Yu Yi Yeon from regaining her senses. Keeping her confused.
“I want to shake Yu Yi Yeon up, but I don't know how. It's my first time feeling like this.”
That word—“first”—was so pleasing, so thrilling to hear.
Yi Yeon's face looked like a bomb on the verge of exploding from Do Hyun's unhesitating confession.
“So if you feel shaken, don't hesitate—just come straight to me.”
“...”
“Rip up the contract.”
Only then did Do Hyun finally release Yi Yeon.
The corners of his mouth curved up refreshingly, as if a weight had lifted from his chest.
Do Hyun gave her cheek a light tap and stepped back, heading down to the first floor.
“I didn't say anything...”
No—she hadn't been able to say a word.
Yi Yeon dragged her heavy feet back to the bed.
She hadn't even dreamed that Do Hyun might like her.
Even though she wanted him so badly that, in her dreams, she clung to the Do Hyun she met there, kissing him and refusing to let go. In reality, she had written it off as an impossible one-sided crush.
“You really like this face?”
Yi Yeon lifted her hand and brushed over her own face.
How could anyone? No one ever had, not once.
Yi Yeon even wondered if Do Hyun somehow knew her real appearance. But no, that didn't seem to be it.
It was almost like her true self was visible only to his eyes. Every wild thought crossed her mind.
She was torn—should she be happy about it or not?
Realizing her feelings weren't one-sided after all was incredibly joyful.
But the one Do Hyun liked was her current self—Yi Yeon in disguise.
What would he say if she dropped the act?
Would he hate her for lying?
Would he suspect some hidden agenda for deceiving him?
She knew he was the type who took a long time to build deep trust in people, so she worried how he'd react to her disguise.
She had fooled him perfectly, even while living under the same roof.
Even if she went back to her real Yi Yeon self, she had no confidence he'd still say he liked her.
Lost in an endless whirl of thoughts, Yi Yeon stayed glued to the bed for a long while.
* * *
The meeting room door opened, and as Do Hyun stepped in, the employees already seated there all rose to their feet one by one.
After greeting the entering Do Hyun, they sat back down one by one as he took his seat.
“So we ended up contracting with B Card Company after all.”
Do Hyun's voice rang out amid the employees sitting in utter silence, not even breathing.
Word had come that the influential figure they hadn't seen in a while had contracted with another card company.
“Yes. They offered 1.5 times our signing bonus.”
Kim Team Leader, sitting ramrod straight, spoke up cautiously.
“New card issuances are dropping off sharply too. I'm worried our brand ranking might slip.”
*Ahem.* At the deputy manager's pointed cough, Kim Team Leader hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.
“Design a card packed with benefits that get customers to issue it and keep using it steadily.”
Pens flew across notepads without pause at Do Hyun's words.
What Do Hyun wanted was the number one spot in brand value.
To become the card company customers reached for first.
“They say AI human influencer models are popular with the younger crowd these days.”
Yeon Jeong nodded and chimed in at Do Hyun's remark.
“A bunch of companies are creating new AI humans as their brand models and turning them into mascot characters. They're combining the ideal types people want most. And they're profiting anywhere from tens of billions to hundreds of billions—way more than the investment.”
“Then how about trying an AI human influencer as our model first? I think it could make Woosung feel more approachable to the kids.”
“But way more people are still unfamiliar with AI humans altogether and have a resistance to them.”
Kim Assistant Manager, seated across from her, tossed in his opinion.
“There's this rising young actor I've had my eye on for a while. She'd be perfect as Woosung Card's model. She played the heroine's friend in that blockbuster hit movie recently—the buzz around her is insane right now.”
Do Hyun, who had been listening quietly to the back-and-forth, finally spoke up.
“Use both.”
“Yes?”
“No need to pick just one, right? Let's consider using both. Push forward with an AI human and a real human as models. Who's the actress you're recommending?”
“Yes! The one blowing up right now—Jeong Hee Ra.”
Ah.
A faint sigh nearly slipped from Do Hyun's lips.
“What about everyone else's thoughts?”
“We think Jeong Hee Ra would be great too. She's got recognition across all age groups right now. And the new blockbuster movie she's cast in has a high shot at being a hit.”
If the celebrity blew up after signing, the investor stood to gain even bigger positive effects.
“Yes, go ahead with that. Dig into three more AI humans, compile the data, and report back. Figure out whether it's better to create our own character or go with a model.”
Do Hyun wrapped things up neatly.
He left a comment about ending there and rose from his seat first.
Hee Ra as the model. He never imagined that girl would end up as Woosung Card's model.
Right after Do Hyun had joined Woosung Card, Hee Ra had whined multiple times about using her as a model.
Of course, he'd shot her down flat.
She'd been a total rookie back then, and there was no objective reason to use her.
You really couldn't predict people's paths in life.
After the meeting, Do Hyun wanted to see Yi Yeon.
He needed to ask if she had a lunch appointment.
With his mind made up to invite her to lunch together, Do Hyun quickened his steps.
Had he gotten hooked on messaging or something?
[Got lunch plans today?]
Yi Yeon stared blankly at the message from Do Hyun.
He rarely asked about her lunch plans—why today of all days? She found it odd.
[Yes.]
[With who?]
[With Marketing's Kim Team Leader.]
[Wanted to grab a bite together before you head out.]
With no reply from Yi Yeon, another message arrived shortly after.
[See Yu Yi Yeon too, eat too.]
Do Hyun must have forgotten they were at the office for a second.
[This is... the company?]
[Why? I'm saying I'll eat while looking at you, Secretary Yu.]
Classic Do Hyun—action-oriented team leader with unstoppable momentum. He seemed determined to express his feelings freely, true to his word.
Sigh. A sigh slipped from Yi Yeon's lips.
Deciding it was best not to keep the conversation going, she quietly hit ESC.
Ding.
Now it was a message from the star of today's lunch plans, Marketing's Kim Team Leader.
[Secretary Yu, what do you want for lunch today? Let's go wherever you feel like.]
Thanks to the ever-considerate Kim Team Leader's kindness, Yi Yeon started pondering her menu options.
Tough choice.
She was happily mulling it over—yet feeling down at the same time—when the chat with Kim Team Leader blinked again.
[Today's surprise guests were supposed to be Eom Ji Hu from staff and Kang Yeon Jeong the assistant manager, but Kang said she had bad indigestion yesterday and can't make it today.]
Eek?
Indigestion today of all days!
This was bad. Do Hyun had openly said Ji Hu got on his nerves.
'Somehow, if the Vice President sees this, it'll turn into a total disaster.'
Of all people, Eom Ji Hu had to tag along.
[Got it! I'll think on the menu a bit more and let you know.]
Her stomach churned with anxiety, but she couldn't just cancel on Kim Team Leader last minute.
It was true she was eating with him, after all.
Yi Yeon shot Do Hyun a quick message wishing him a good lunch, then met up with Kim Team Leader and Ji Hu and headed to the braised chicken joint.
Lunch ought to be hearty, so they settled on braised chicken.
“One large braised chicken, please, and add glass noodles.”
After placing the order, Ji Hu poured water from the pitcher on the table and passed glasses around to everyone.
“You two were college classmates, right?”
Yi Yeon's eyes went wide as she sipped her water.
Kim Team Leader spoke up after taking his glass.
“Yes.”
Yi Yeon had never said any such thing—why was there even a rumor they were classmates with Ji Hu? She found it baffling.
Though the source of the rumor seemed to be sitting right next to her.
“Secretary Yu, was Eom staff a big deal back in school?”
Kim Team Leader took a gulp of water and asked Yi Yeon with a kindly smile.
“I was zilch compared to Yi Yeon. She was the real star—way more popular.”
Ji Hu flashed Yi Yeon an irritating grin.
*Eom Ji Hu, why would you say that?*
Yi Yeon shot Ji Hu a glare, grinding her teeth.
She then gave him a careful stink-eye, making sure Kim Team Leader wouldn't notice.
“Oh, really? Secretary Yu was the popular one?”
With Kim Team Leader asking in surprise, Ji Hu replied with his trademark affable smile.
“Especially with the girls. Yi Yeon just had that great personality.”
Kim Team Leader nodded, instantly buying it.
Thankfully, the braised chicken arrived quickly, and the conversation shifted naturally.
“Word is Jeong Hee Ra's the new model for Woosung Card?”
Kim Team Leader, fresh from the meeting, brought up Hee Ra.
“Out of nowhere?”
