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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: I've Already Paid for It All
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Yi Yeon focused solely on serving the coffee and cookies before greeting them and quietly leaving.
She had been so wary of Do Hyun that she even forgot to return his card.
‘She’s definitely waiting to give me the card back.’
Given Yi Yeon’s personality, she wouldn’t just leave. She was surely waiting for Do Hyun to come out.
It had turned out for the better.
He wanted to face her again, just the two of them.
A strong wish welled up in Do Hyun’s heart that Yi Yeon wouldn’t go anywhere and would wait for him.
It was at that moment, as he resolved to end the meeting as quickly as possible.
Yi Yeon had previously told him why she had to hide herself.
Only now, seeing her face, did it make sense.
Do Hyun liked Yi Yeon no matter what she looked like, but the current Yi Yeon was such an alluring flower that bees and butterflies alike would swarm her, stirring a bit more impatience in him.
Drawing that much attention wouldn’t do her any good.
After the meeting ended, Do Hyun came out and spotted Yi Yeon waiting for him.
He knew it. That was the Yi Yeon he knew.
“I figured you wouldn’t have left yet.”
Yi Yeon seemed to think Do Hyun still hadn’t recognized her.
He had no intention of pretending not to know forever, but for now, he decided to play along moderately.
Since she hadn’t said anything first, he wanted to act like he didn’t know.
But then.
Ji Hu told her to take off her glasses and spoke as if he knew her true appearance, making it impossible for Do Hyun not to react.
‘That guy knows too?’
The thought made his insides boil.
Trying to hold back and pretend not to know felt like a thousand worms were gnawing at him.
If that fox knew as well.
‘Ha.’
His patience worn thin, Do Hyun finally inserted himself between the two.
And he ended up asking the question he’d been debating whether to voice.
He was prepared to accept his woman no matter what she looked like, and he had every intention of protecting her.
So there was no sense of betrayal or anger.
“I’m sorry for not telling you first. I wasn’t trying to deceive you on purpose.”
Yi Yeon looked at Do Hyun, who was cupping her cheek, as if to say he wasn’t angry.
“It didn’t bother you?”
Yi Yeon gazed at Do Hyun with eyes full of anxiety.
Do Hyun kept his hand on her cheek for a long while, as if wanting to soothe her unease.
“Not at all. You already told me the reason. It was because of that uncle guy or whatever. I just didn’t know it involved a full disguise.”
Seeing Do Hyun smile so widely eased Yi Yeon’s mind.
She was relieved he hadn’t misunderstood.
“I didn’t realize the scars ran this deep. That guy... I can’t let him get away with it.”
Do Hyun’s eyes darkened.
If he got his hands on him, it looked like Do Hyun could tear him apart with his bare hands.
“I’m trying to forget that man. I won’t let him bind me anymore.”
Yi Yeon nodded firmly, as if making a vow.
“Ji Hu recognized me and said he’d keep my secret if we ate together, so that’s why we went out for mandu jeongol after work last time.”
No sooner had Yi Yeon finished speaking than Do Hyun’s eyes sharpened.
“That bastard blackmailed you?”
“It wasn’t quite blackmail. He was just curious about how I’d been doing.”
It was blackmail in a way, but Yi Yeon softened her words so Do Hyun wouldn’t worry.
Looking at the still-transparent office interior, Yi Yeon took a step back from Do Hyun.
“Where are you going?”
“We have to be careful. It’d be a big problem if someone saw.”
At Yi Yeon’s words, Do Hyun glanced at the office glass.
“No matter what Yu Yi Yeon looks like, I don’t care. But if you’re trapped in those scars and can’t drop the disguise, I wish you’d stop. Nothing can hold you back.”
It meant he didn’t want Yi Yeon struggling because of her wounds.
“That’s why I mustered up the courage this time to ditch the wig and go out with Ha Yul to take pictures.”
“When you’re by my side, you can be comfortable. Vermin like that won’t dare try anything.”
Tears welled up in Yi Yeon’s eyes at his words that his side would always be safe.
He’d waited for her to speak, tried to understand.
Do Hyun, who first considered why she’d started disguising herself before saying her place by his side was fine, felt so reliable.
Yi Yeon, barely composing herself, smiled as if everything was okay.
Then she shyly made a suggestion.
“Let’s go on a date this weekend.”
* * *
Yi Yeon had been bustling about since morning.
As soon as she woke up, she showered and sat at her vanity to dry her hair with a blow dryer.
She applied essence to her thickly waved hair to add shine. Then she did light makeup and opened her closet.
“What should I wear?”
Today was the day she and Do Hyun were going shopping at the department store.
When Do Hyun asked what kind of date she wanted, Yi Yeon had said she wanted to go buy clothes.
She’d resolved to go out in her true Yi Yeon form whenever she was with Do Hyun from now on.
There was nothing left to hide.
Showing everything to Do Hyun made her feel utterly liberated.
Her closet had no clothes suitable for a date.
Yi Yeon stared at the closet full of oversized garments.
Rummaging through her few options didn’t offer much variety.
“Alright, I’ll go with this.”
Yi Yeon changed and checked herself in the full-length mirror.
It was a sky-blue dress that fell to mid-thigh.
With a skirt that would flutter gently in the breeze and the cardigan she’d worn for a studio shoot draped over it, her waist looked unnaturally prominent.
She found a waist belt and cinched it, accentuating her slender waist.
Their first date—the real first date of Yu Yi Yeon and An Do Hyun.
Yi Yeon had been so excited she’d barely slept the night before.
Humming a tune, Yi Yeon slung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door.
Just then, Do Hyun was stepping out of his room.
“Let’s go now.”
Do Hyun paused at the sight of Yi Yeon walking out with a beaming smile.
“What’s with that expression? Does it mean you don’t want to go?”
Yi Yeon crossed her arms and spoke.
She hadn’t missed Do Hyun frowning the moment he saw her.
“I don’t like it.”
“I didn’t like that expression on you either.”
“What part of you besides your torso is actually covered?”
She’d even draped the cardigan properly.
Do Hyun pulled Yi Yeon, who was looking over her outfit wondering what the problem was, into his arms.
“This doesn’t work either. You’d be better off disguising yourself again.”
Yi Yeon wrapped her arms around the waist of the man brimming with worry.
“Everyone’s just going to stare at Yu Yi Yeon.”
“Now you know how I feel? I’ve always been anxious because the Vice President stands out too much.”
As soon as they stepped outside, Do Hyun’s arm wrapped around Yi Yeon’s shoulders.
As if marking her as his woman. Do Hyun was already glaring at the surroundings.
Yi Yeon found his jealousy so cute she couldn’t help laughing.
“Other guys aren’t looking at me. And I’m not interested anyway. If I’d known it’d be like this, I would’ve gone on more dates in disguise. Would he be this anxious about an ugly Yu Yi Yeon?”
“I’d be just as anxious. I just hate other guys eyeing you right now. Put on a mask and wear long sleeves and long pants from now on.”
Yi Yeon’s lips curved up again at Do Hyun’s jealousy.
The two stuck close together as they went outside.
Do Hyun didn’t once drop his hand from Yi Yeon’s shoulder, even on the way to the parked car.
“Today, I’m buying you nothing but long-sleeved tops and long pants.”
“Is your jealousy not over yet?”
“No plans to end it today. Not until I get that outfit off you. Ah, there is a way to end it.”
“What is it?”
Do Hyun opened the passenger door for her. As Yi Yeon moved to get in, he whispered in her ear.
“Take it off now.”
“Huh?”
Yi Yeon plopped into the passenger seat, her eyes wide as saucers, wondering if she’d heard right.
Do Hyun burst out laughing at her reaction, then closed the passenger door.
“Pervert.”
“Yu Yi Yeon’s reactions are just too good.”
Do Hyun pinched Yi Yeon’s cheek affectionately.
At his words that teasing her was fun, Yi Yeon briefly wondered if she should squirm a bit herself.
Should she have said okay and boldly slipped off one side of the cardigan?
How would he have reacted then?
He definitely wouldn’t have laughed so leisurely.
Realizing what she was thinking, Yi Yeon snapped out of it and covered her flushing cheeks with her hands.
Her cheeks didn’t cool down until they arrived at the department store.
“It suits you perfectly. It’s totally Yu Yi Yeon.”
Do Hyun said as Yi Yeon emerged from the fitting room in a dress.
It was a modest dress that covered her shoulders entirely and fell to her knees.
As expected from a luxury brand, the unique design felt sophisticated.
‘How much is it?’
Yi Yeon checked the tag on the dress as she took it off in the fitting room.
‘Huh?’
Startled, Yi Yeon examined the tags on the other outfits she’d tried on.
Even a single scrap of fabric started at tens of thousands of won, going up to hundreds of thousands.
After changing back, Yi Yeon quietly approached Do Hyun.
“It’s too expensive.”
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah, let’s go somewhere else...”
Do Hyun held out a shopping bag in front of Yi Yeon.
She’d meant to suggest shopping elsewhere, but it looked like Yi Yeon’s clothes had already been paid for and bagged.
No way.
“You’ve already paid for everything?”
Do Hyun nodded.
These situations were still unfamiliar to Yi Yeon.
Buying clothes this expensive.
“While we’re here, a bag too.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I already picked one out.”
Just how much had he spent?
“Are you wearing the clothes you have on now, or should we package them?”
“No, please package them.”
The staff was neatly wrapping them at Yi Yeon’s words.
“I bought them so you could wear them out of the store.”
“I’ll look at what we bought first, then wear them when I’m mentally prepared. Thank you so much. I’ll... treasure them. Wear them well.”
“Anything else you need?”
“No.”
Feeling sorry, Yi Yeon answered in a tiny voice like an ant crawling.
“Isn’t the glutton’s stomach hungry?”
“A little.”
“Let’s go fill it up.”
Behind the laughing pair walked a woman who had been snapping photos with her phone since earlier.
The click-click sounds rang out nonstop. The woman captured multiple shots with quick fingers, determined not to miss even their backs as they walked away.
“I never expected to see the Vice President here. Can’t miss a scoop like this.”
As if she were a real reporter, she kept pressing the button on her phone until the two disappeared from sight.
