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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: I Almost Died from Suffocation
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“Woosung Card?”
Hee Ra’s voice echoed loudly down the hallway.
“Yeah! They offered me a modeling gig for Woosung Card! The conditions are great, of course.”
“You have to do it, unnie! I’ve wanted that Woosung Card modeling spot so bad!”
Hee Ra’s obsession with Woosung Card wasn’t solely because of Do Hyun. Card company models were usually top-tier celebrities at the peak of their popularity or those with strong influence over the public.
“Do Hyun oppa never pulls strings to get me a Woosung Card modeling job, hmph!”
Hee Ra pouted, looking miffed.
Su Jin stroked Hee Ra’s arm from the side and said,
“I thought Woosung Card was out of reach too! Doesn’t this mean the Vice President is finally warming up to you?”
At Su Jin’s words, Hee Ra’s eyes sparkled.
“You think so too, unnie?”
“Of course! No guy could hold out after you’ve come this far!”
With Su Jin chiming in, Hee Ra became convinced that Do Hyun—her one true love—was finally opening his heart to her.
Hee Ra ignored her soaring elation and let herself bask in the thrill.
Lately, he hadn’t been picking up her calls, and there weren’t even any texts—what was she supposed to do?
She’d been regretting not tracking down his address somehow when this news came.
Had he really gone abroad and realized how precious she was?
She should’ve tried this sooner. Looks like being apart really made him miss her.
“Unnie, does this mean I’m finally going to marry oppa?”
Hee Ra was already brimming with excitement.
In her imagination, she was already married to Do Hyun and moving into their honeymoon home.
Seeing Hee Ra flushed with joy, Su Jin nodded as if to say, exactly.
“Who else but you to become the Vice President’s wife?”
Hee Ra’s elation was now threatening to burst. She figured she should keep Do Hyun on edge a little longer.
Maybe no contact for a week.
Thanks to Do Hyun finally opening his heart, Hee Ra was buzzing with energy, her shoulders bouncing.
* * *
“What?”
“Shh, Assistant Manager, keep your voice down.”
Ji Hu pressed a hand to his mouth to calm Yeon Jeong, who was reacting dramatically to his words.
Her loud voice was already echoing through the lobby, making passing employees pause. Some craned their necks to find the source.
Yeon Jeong hurriedly covered her gaping mouth with her hand.
Too late—several people were already staring at her.
Her exaggerated gestures were only drawing more attention to herself as the source.
A sly smile crept onto Ji Hu’s lips, as if he’d anticipated this, but Yeon Jeong didn’t notice.
“Ji Hu-ssi, where did you see it?”
“Right in front of the Vice President’s office. I was walking slowly, so maybe my footsteps didn’t make a sound. He didn’t seem to notice me...”
It was an unavoidable rumor, even for Yi Yeon. The stars of the scandal were Do Hyun and Yi Yeon.
Do Hyun drew constant attention, making him prime gossip fodder.
Once rumors spread and got embellished, the bloated stories would stick to them like tags, seeming as real as fact.
Even if the two really did get married, it wouldn’t matter.
Even if the truth came out, people who loved dirty gossip would keep it as endless fodder.
Homewrecker. Playboy. Filial impiety who abandons his wife right after marriage.
The scratches Ji Hu wanted to leave on Do Hyun’s image were just about that deep.
Yi Yeon went around in disguise, so she wouldn’t attract much notice— the noise would stay inside the company.
Ji Hu didn’t want Yi Yeon dragged into the mud with Do Hyun either, but it couldn’t be helped.
“You sure you didn’t see wrong, Ji Hu-ssi? It can’t be them— no way! The Vice President cheating on such a beautiful wife with his secretary?”
“Yeah.”
“No way. He’s not that kind of guy. Image management is so crucial for him— for him to openly hold hands with another woman just months after marriage? With that ugly Secretary Yu? This can’t happen. No, it mustn’t! My pride won’t allow it.”
“Huh?”
Ji Hu tilted his head, baffled by Yeon Jeong suddenly bringing up her pride.
“Secretary Yu had that kind of pull?”
Yeon Jeong clamped her mouth shut incongruously and bowed her head to the floor. Then she let out a leaky laugh and waved her hand.
“Getting tangled in nonsense like this could send you straight to rock bottom in Korea in an instant, but the Vice President isn’t the type to spit in his own face. He’s so meticulous.”
Ji Hu was flustered by Yeon Jeong defending Do Hyun like a fan club president. It was even tastier than he’d expected.
He was grateful for the reaction, actually.
With this level of response, Ji Hu could steer the rumors in the direction he wanted.
Because it’s An Do Hyun, it’ll hurt when that pristine image gets scratched.
A paper cut stings more than you’d think. Ji Hu planned to prepare the paper for Do Hyun.
The fastest thing in the company was word of mouth.
And in Ji Hu’s eyes, Yeon Jeong was perfect for the job.
“Now that I think about it, maybe I did see wrong. It could’ve been a misunderstanding on my part.”
He figured he’d have to back off a bit since she wouldn’t believe it without seeing it herself.
‘If only she’d witness something solid right about now.’
For the day Yeon Jeong faithfully played her role, Ji Hu gave her just this hint and left it at that.
* * *
“Walking like this makes it feel like we snuck out from work because it was too tough— it’s fun!”
Yi Yeon trotted ahead of Do Hyun.
Do Hyun gazed at her, entranced, as if she were utterly lovable.
“This is just a 30-minute date.”
“Even 30 minutes of escapade makes me happy.”
Yi Yeon’s eyes curved into crescent moons. Her smile reflected the sunlight, shining even brighter.
Today, Yi Yeon had joined Do Hyun for an external lecture.
Do Hyun occasionally attended lectures, and on those days, Yi Yeon often had to handle the routes and schedules.
On the way back to the company after the lecture, Do Hyun asked the driver to drop them off midway.
“Why get off here?”
They were still quite a distance from the company.
“I felt like walking from here.”
With clear skies overhead, Do Hyun and Yi Yeon strolled side by side.
People really need to breathe this outdoor air like this.
The two only brushed fingertips occasionally, walking in comfortable silence. They yearned to hold hands, but being near the company made it impossible.
Soon they reached the crosswalk adjacent to the office.
Besides Do Hyun and Yi Yeon, a few others waited at the crosswalk for the light to change.
Among them, the man standing next to Yi Yeon kept glancing at his watch and tapping his foot. He looked anxious, as if racing against time— a stark contrast to Yi Yeon’s relaxed demeanor.
The man started crossing the street.
Yi Yeon, who’d been gazing at the clouds, naturally stepped forward following the fast-walking man.
That’s when it happened.
Blaaam—.
A massive horn blared right beside Yi Yeon.
Do Hyun reflexively yanked her toward him.
He pulled her into his arms, hugging her head and waist tightly as if confirming her presence.
The light hadn’t changed— it was jaywalking.
She’d assumed it had since the guy next to her moved.
Yi Yeon, momentarily frozen, calmed her racing heart in Do Hyun’s embrace.
It showed no signs of slowing.
Leaning quietly against him, she could feel Do Hyun’s heart pounding fiercely against her.
He must have been badly shaken too.
He held her tight without a word.
Right now, Do Hyun heard nothing, saw nothing. He only felt Yi Yeon in his arms.
He was just checking that this precious, precious person was safely there, hadn’t vanished anywhere.
When he saw the white sedan barreling toward Yi Yeon as she stepped into the crosswalk, his vision had gone white. It wasn’t extremely fast, but not slow enough to avoid injury either.
In that instant, it felt like someone was choking the breath out of him.
‘No!’
It was reflexive. Pulling Yi Yeon to him.
Even though it wasn’t winter, Do Hyun shivered. The thought of losing her made goosebumps prickle his skin like thorns. He loosened his hand from her head, running his fingers through her hair.
Then he turned and pressed his lips to her temple. Her lips still trembled faintly.
That bastard...
He wanted to grab the jaywalker and tear him apart. Lights exist for a reason— all to save a few minutes?
But Do Hyun shook his head.
No, it was his fault. He’d suggested getting off and walking for no reason.
Do Hyun released his grip on Yi Yeon.
The look in his eyes as he gazed at her afterward was still filled with unease.
“Yu Yi Yeon, you almost killed someone just now.”
Yi Yeon blinked at Do Hyun’s words. She asked back, not understanding.
“I’m not the one who almost died?”
“You were trying to kill me.”
“I almost died too!”
“I almost died from suffocation. And.”
And?
“It wasn’t going fast enough to actually kill anyone.”
If not for that last part, it would’ve been perfect.
Still, she was grateful to Do Hyun for keeping her unharmed.
His reflexive pull, the way he’d held her in shock without a word— every moment was tender. Love seeped from every detail.
“Thank you.”
“Get it together. Don’t scare me like that.”
Having confirmed each other’s safety, the two finally relaxed.
But the two, lost in their love, had overlooked something.
That this was near the company.
That someone by the large roadside tree past the crosswalk was watching them with mouth agape.
Having witnessed the shocking scene, he nearly dropped the shoes in both hands.
