Chapter 7 ….
“Let’s go.”
She greeted him and held out her hand to get her bag back, but Do-hyun, as if he hadn’t noticed, stepped out of the restaurant first with her bag still in his hand.
“Mr. Nam Do-hyun, my bag…”
“I called a chauffeur service. Where do you live?”
Ignoring Yeon-ha’s voice trailing after his back, he only continued with what he wanted to ask.
“You’re going straight home instead of joining for round two?”
“You’re not going either, are you, Team Leader?”
As he headed toward the parking lot, he glanced sideways at her.
“You and I are in different positions. You’re the star of the night, Mr. Nam Do-hyun.”
“From what I saw, everyone was too drunk to even notice me.”
“Still, it’s your welcome party. Attending would help your future at the company—”
He suddenly stopped and turned, and Yeon-ha, who had been absentmindedly following, almost bumped into him. She caught her breath to calm her startled heart when he spoke softly.
“If you’re worried… will you come with me?”
“…What?”
“If you leave, I’ll go too.”
He added while gazing steadily at her.
What kind of man looks at someone like that…? His eyes sparkle, like starlight scattered across the sky…
Gasp.
Startled by her own train of thought, Yeon-ha quickly stepped back.
Even after washing her face, the alcohol was clearly still in her system. Otherwise, she would never have thought something so absurd.
RRRRR. RRRRR. RRRRR.
While she was drowning in self-reproach, a phone rang.
Do-hyun, who had been watching her, pulled out his phone from his pocket.
“Hello? Yes. Please come inside the restaurant.”
After the brief call, he said calmly,
“Looks like the chauffeur’s here. Let’s go.”
“No, I…”
“Driver, over here.”
Before she could finish, he raised his hand toward the man entering the restaurant.
Handing over his car keys to the quickly approaching driver, he turned to her after opening the backseat door.
“Please get in.”
“I’m fine. I’ll just take a taxi.”
“It’s hard to catch one at this hour.”
How long has he even been in Korea? How does he know things like that?
“Who told you that?”
She asked instinctively.
“Chief Kwon.”
When had he even talked with Jin-young about that? They weren’t sitting together earlier.
“Ahem.”
The chauffeur in the driver’s seat cleared his throat.
Feeling guilty for holding things up, Yeon-ha couldn’t insist any further.
Reluctantly, she climbed into the backseat, expecting Do-hyun to sit in front. But when he sat beside her as if it were natural, unease swept over her.
“Where to?”
At the chauffeur’s question, Do-hyun looked at her.
“Team Leader, please give your address.”
Yeon-ha hesitated—should she lean forward, or should she let him? Caught off guard, she ended up blurting out her address.
The chauffeur entered it into the GPS and immediately started the car. With no chance to switch seats, the vehicle soon pulled away from the restaurant.
In the end, Yeon-ha sat beside Do-hyun in the back.
“Are you feeling okay?”
Staring out the window to ease the awkward silence, she turned when he spoke.
Do-hyun met her eyes as if he had been waiting.
Her heart gave a painful throb. Before she could answer, he added,
“You didn’t look well earlier.”
“I’m fine.”
Though she had gotten dizzy from drinking faster than usual at Manager Jeong’s urging, her stomach wasn’t particularly upset.
“How much can you usually drink?”
“I can hold my liquor, but I hate hangovers, so I usually avoid drinking.”
“Then next time I’ll bring a hangover remedy in advance.”
The way he spoke—as if a next time was only natural—sparked resistance in her.
“Why would you do that, Mr. Nam Do-hyun?”
“You looked like you were struggling.”
“And why does that concern you?”
“Am I not allowed to care?”
His gaze pierced deeply.
Instead of being flustered, he countered more firmly, leaving Yeon-ha momentarily speechless. She finally answered calmly,
“Yes. Don’t concern yourself with me.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s burdensome.”
“But I haven’t done anything yet.”
“And don’t, going forward.”
When she drew the line firmly, a subtle change flickered in his calm eyes. A cold glint passed through.
“You know, saying that just makes someone who wasn’t even thinking about it feel challenged.”
“…”
Not wanting to provoke his contrarian streak, Yeon-ha stayed silent.
In the darkness, their eyes met.
His gaze lingered on her eyes, slid down the small straight line of her nose, and finally rested on her full lips. Suddenly her mouth went dry, as if her lips were burning.
She swallowed the urge to moisten them with her tongue when—
RRRRR. RRRRR. RRRRR.
Her phone rang, shattering the dense silence like glass.
Regaining her composure, Yeon-ha checked the screen. It was Jin-young.
“Hello?”
[Team Leader, I just saw your text! Did you grab your bag?]
“Yeah, I have it.”
[Whew, good. Manager Jeong dragged us to karaoke, so it’s been crazy.]
“Don’t worry about me, just leave when you’ve had enough.”
[Yes, I will.]
Behind Jin-young’s voice, noisy music and chatter spilled through the line.
Just as Yeon-ha was about to hang up, Jin-young spoke again.
[Uh, Team Leader… have you seen Mr. Nam Do-hyun by any chance?]
“What?”
At the sudden mention of his name, Yeon-ha instinctively glanced at him.
He was still looking at her, and their eyes met directly.
[Team Leader Kim Mi-seon’s been looking for him, but no one can find him. Have you seen him?]
“Well, uh…”
Flustered, Yeon-ha stammered. He quietly shook his head, and she decided not to reveal they were together.
“I haven’t. Maybe he already left.”
[Really? Okay! Team Leader, get home safe too!]
“Mm, see you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Yeon-ha let out a quiet breath.
Do-hyun, watching her, frowned slightly.
“Why are you so nervous? It’s not like you’ve committed a crime.”
“Maybe you’re used to things like this, Mr. Nam Do-hyun, but I’m not.”
Feeling indignant that she was the only one flustered while he stayed composed, Yeon-ha sharpened her tone.
His expression darkened slightly at her words.
“What kind of person do I look like to you, Team Leader?”
A man skilled at handling women.
That’s what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t bring herself to voice it.
Instead, she carefully chose her words.
“I… I’m not good at lying.”
Do-hyun gave a bitter smile.
“That’s unfair. Believe it or not, I hate lying too.”
He muttered sourly.
Guilt pricked her—she realized she had made him out to be a liar just because she was upset.
“I didn’t mean it like that…”
She tried to explain carefully, but he cut in.
“I get it. I know how I must look to you. But I’m not as shallow as you think.”
With that, he turned his head toward the window, signaling he didn’t want to talk anymore.
The air in the car cooled noticeably.
She wanted to apologize, but it felt like an invisible wall had gone up, sealing her words inside.
After that, neither of them spoke.
“We’re here.”
The chauffeur announced as he parked in front of her house.
Sitting on pins and needles, Yeon-ha quickly grabbed her bag.
“Thanks for the ride.”
“Get home safely.”
They exchanged only a curt, businesslike farewell.
As soon as she stepped out, the car sped away. Staring blankly at its retreating form, an odd sense of abandonment washed over her.
Yeon-ha pulled her jacket tighter around herself.
Somewhere deep inside, a cold wind blew.
