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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Rebel
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Why the stomach, of all the countless places!
And it was a stomach stuffed full of food, pressed down tight right up until it was about to burst.
Yi Yeon had been diligent about her health management even before turning thirty. Makeup and gym workouts were a hassle with sweat building up under the wig, so she stuck to consistent home training for self-care.
Gaining actual weight might be more effective for obscuring her looks than padding her clothes, but she didn’t want to wreck her health over her trauma.
Still, even a well-maintained body had its moments of vulnerability—right after eating.
Do-hyun’s hand was cradling her exposed stomach.
Her brief worry about him grabbing her belly fat faded as a warm sensation slowly seeped in, putting every nerve on edge.
The spot touching Do-hyun’s hand grew hot. That heat spread to every corner of her body, flushing even her face pink.
No matter that it was her stomach, this was the first time a man’s hand had touched her so directly.
“ Sorry, I was avoiding other spots. ”
Do-hyun pulled his hand away and returned it to his side.
Other spots...?
Yi Yeon lifted her gaze just a bit higher than her stomach. Spotting her modestly protruding chest, she crossed her arms into an X and hugged herself tight.
Then she glared at Do-hyun with every ounce of strength.
Mentioning her chest!
But Yi Yeon soon eased the tension in her glaring eyes.
On second thought, Do-hyun had only caught her to keep her from getting hurt. No ulterior motives.
Sudden as it was, his touch hadn’t felt unpleasant.
He wasn’t the type to touch someone without reason.
“ Young folks, sorry about that. A cat came darting in out of nowhere and startled me. Whew, my apologies. ”
The substitute driver kept apologizing, so Yi Yeon assured him it was fine.
There was no preventing a cat that burst in suddenly—what fault was it of the driver’s?
“ Any injuries? ”
Yi Yeon flinched again at Do-hyun’s low voice aimed her way.
Was it the close proximity? The alcohol buzz? For some reason, her heart—which had sat heavy and still for so long—began to quiver.
Concern seeped through his indifferent tone, burrowing straight into Yi Yeon’s chest. The real problem was how sexy that voice sounded.
A plain sentence landed with a weighty, tender resonance.
Had she ever sensed such pure, affectionate worry from a man?
“ None. I’m okay. ”
“ Your husband’s a real sweetheart, isn’t he? Catching his wife like that so she wouldn’t bump into anything. You’re lucky, ma’am—such a handsome, thoughtful guy. ”
Oblivious, the driver chuckled to himself in hearty amusement.
“ Haha. ”
‘ Uncle, that’s not it. ’
Yi Yeon forced an awkward laugh at the driver’s half-right, half-wrong remark.
Watching her, Do-hyun casually stepped back and turned his head away.
What was this man thinking?
Do-hyun placed great value on personal space. He hated even brushing past someone, much less having them near. Yi Yeon, who attended him, knew this better than anyone.
Normally, the mere hint of someone drawing close made those thick eyebrows twitch.
So why did he seem so lenient only with her?
‘ Last time too, he caught me when I nearly tripped at the front door. ’
Even then, he’d grabbed her without hesitation. Sure, he’d let go right away, but...
Had she grown that comfortable to him?
Or was Do-hyun actually a gentle soul at heart?
No, that didn’t fit.
Yi Yeon covertly touched the spot he’d grabbed. Those words—“Any injuries?”—still lingered in her ears, leaving her all fluttery.
His behavior and speech did seem subtly different.
“ We’ve arrived. ”
The driver’s announcement shook off Yi Yeon’s wandering thoughts.
Thud, thud. On the walk toward the house.
The night had turned quite humid; sweat beaded up after just a short stroll.
In summer, it was the sweat tagging along with the heat that worried her more than the heat itself.
Sweat might smear the freckles and moles she’d painstakingly dotted on her face. Or pool under the thick wig. It wasn’t just one or two concerns.
Yi Yeon dug through her bag for a mirror and checked her face.
Aside from cheeks rosy from the wine, the makeup held steady.
Phew—.
“ Mirror princess? ”
Had Do-hyun been watching her? He spoke up.
“ Pardon? ”
“ You check it so often. ”
“ Gotta keep tabs. Dust on my face? Any changes? ”
To confirm her moles and freckles were safe.
“ What would change? ”
“ Little things. ”
“ Here I thought you’d fallen for your own reflection. ”
“ My face isn’t the type to charm anyone. ”
“ People get drawn to what’s not ordinary. Ordinary’s just dull and boring. ”
What did that mean?
He hadn’t said it outright, but it was clearly calling her face anything but ordinary.
True enough—she couldn’t argue.
“ So you’re beating around the bush that I’ve got appeal? Thanks for the praise. ”
Can’t spit in a smiling face, after all.
Yi Yeon answered with the sunniest smile she’d ever flashed him.
Their aimless banter carried them right to the house. Once inside, Yi Yeon cut across the living room toward the stairs to the second floor.
She wanted a hot shower pronto.
To wash away stray thoughts too.
“ Thanks for the amazing meal! Then... good night, Vice President. ”
“ Next time... ”
Yi Yeon halted her steps up to the second floor at Do-hyun’s words.
His steady gaze pinned her feet in place.
“ Today was a slip-up. Next time, I’ll handle the reservation myself. If you go making a habit of it with Yu Secretary again... then. ”
‘ So that’s what was eating at him. ’
That explained the rough hair-sweep when they’d booked the restaurant—like something irked him.
He must’ve minded that she’d made it.
Yi Yeon waited patiently for the rest.
Yes—and then?
“ Rebel. ”
“ Huh? ”
Rebel?
Yi Yeon burst out laughing at his words.
Why did “rebel” sound so utterly mismatched on him? No—who’d dare rebel against Do-hyun?
“ Can I rebel against you, Vice President? ”
“ What’s stopping you? ”
Who’d dare, with eyes that sharp!
“ You’ll only know if you rebel. Telling a woman to book first comes off a little dumb. ”
Do-hyun calling himself dumb.
Awkward as it was, he was trying to apologize.
“ You seem different from usual today, Vice President. ”
“ How so? ”
“ Softer, maybe... Not the best example, but if you were usually a hedgehog bristling with quills, today you’re like the soft belly of one? ”
But it wasn’t bad. No—it was good.
She couldn’t straight-up say the dinner felt comfy and fun because he wasn’t so rigid.
Do-hyun laughed aloud at her words. His curving eyes and cheerful sound filled the living room. Seeing what looked like genuine mirth from him heated Yi Yeon’s face.
He could laugh out loud like that?
After years at his side, this felt worlds apart from the Do-hyun she knew.
“ Such a cute way to put it. You mean I usually act like a lunatic, but today I’m normal. ”
Don’t close that gap again!
“ N-no! Not a lunatic! As if I’d harbor disloyal thoughts about my boss! ”
Yi Yeon shook her head vigorously. Her painstaking freckles might pop off from sheer absurdity.
They say strong denial betrays strong affirmation.
“ Even if I seem off today, there’s no real reason. Gotta play normal sometimes. Head up and rest. ”
Do-hyun wrapped it up and vanished into his room.
Yi Yeon stumbled into hers and flopped onto the bed’s edge.
“ Ah, wiped out. ”
The wine had metabolized ages ago.
“ So why get all kind for no reason? ”
One offhand remark, and the other person’s mind races.
“ That’s why people gotta watch their words—and their actions. ”
Yi Yeon sprawled flat on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Still...
It had been fun.
He’d shown some real consideration,
Sorry about the reservation flop—next time, rebel if I tell you to.
‘ Budae jjigae. ’
Pfft—.
The restaurant chat with Do-hyun resurfaced, drawing a chuckle from Yi Yeon.
Bit of a risky thought, but that answer was cutely pint-sized.
‘ Family stuff, but we’ve got some scars from it. That’s why. Carrying wounds like that, you end up prickly. ’
Deok-ho’s words from the private study chat suddenly resurfaced.
A wound big enough to pull her aside and mention...
What had happened?
Do-hyun seemed so steely cold, not a drop of blood if pricked—yet some incident had made him prickly like that? Deok-ho’s plea for understanding nagged at her.
Yi Yeon grew curious. What scar had tormented Do-hyun?
⋮
The next day.
Yi Yeon propped her chin on her desk.
“ Gonna die of exhaustion. ”
She’d lain down hoping to sleep last night, but it hadn’t come. Dark circles looked ready to settle under her eyes.
What was keeping her up, anyway?
Probably her lack of dating experience. Or tension from dining alone with a man after so long.
Across from Yi Yeon, Do-hyun was visible through the transparent floor-to-ceiling glass—utterly unfazed. He sat in his usual unflappable posture.
Snapped from her reverie by a blinking company messenger alert on her monitor.
[ Today’s menu: spicy pork stir-fry, soybean sprout soup, rolled egg omelet... ]
From Su Jin. She’d listed the cafeteria offerings in detail.
[ Stomach rumbling hard? ]
[ Clinging to my backbone. ]
[ OK. Cafeteria today. ]
[ Sweet. I’ve got major gossip. ]
What news this time?
Su Jin’s outgoing, no-holds-barred personality meant she had tons of close coworkers. They even called her the Woosung Card whisperer.
Performance bonuses, union deals—she always beat everyone to money-related scoops.
So yeah, she had to know about that Woosung family dust-up.
Yi Yeon resolved to casually probe Su Jin at lunch.
About the incident in the Woosung family.
