TUW | CHAPTER 43

Chapter 43

I Almost Died Because I Couldn’t Breathe

“Wuseong Card?”

Heera’s voice boomed down the corridor.

“Yeah! They said an offer came to model for the Wuseong Card! Of course, the conditions are good too.”

“Of course you should take it, unnie! Do you know how badly I’ve wanted the Wuseong Card model spot?”

Heera’s obsession with the Wuseong Card wasn’t just because of Do-hyun.

Card company models were usually top-tier celebrities of the time or entertainers with major national influence.

“Do-hyun oppa didn’t make me the Wuseong Card model when I begged him, hmph!”

Heera pouted as if she felt wronged.

Jisoo, standing beside her, stroked her arm and spoke.

“I thought Wuseong Card was impossible too! Doesn’t this mean even the Vice President is opening his heart to you?”

At Jisoo’s words, Heera’s eyes sparkled.

“Unnie, you thought so too?”

“Of course! With everything you’ve done, what man could resist?”

At Jisoo’s agreement, Heera became convinced that Do-hyun was finally opening his heart to her.

Her smiling cheeks soared upward, and she let herself fully enjoy her excitement.

Lately, even when she called, he rarely answered, and he didn’t reply to texts either, leaving her worrying over what to do.

She regretted not at least finding out his home address.

But just then, news like this had arrived.

Maybe when he went abroad, he realised how precious she was?

She should have tried this method earlier.

Clearly, being apart was the only way for him to feel longing.

“Unnie, I’m finally going to marry oppa, right?”

Heera was already brimming with anticipation.

In her imagination, she was already married to Do-hyun and moving into their newlywed home.

Seeing her so thrilled, Jisoo nodded as if to confirm.

“Of course. Who else but you could be the Vice President’s wife?”

Heera’s cheeks felt ready to burst from happiness.

She decided she should make Do-hyun stew a little longer.

Maybe she’d stop contacting him for a week.

Thanks to the certainty that Do-hyun was opening his heart to her, Heera’s shoulders bounced with joy.

***

“What did you say?”

“Shh, deputy manager, you’d better keep your voice down.”

Jihoo lifted his hand to his lips to calm Yeonjung, who reacted with loud shock.

Her raised voice carried through the lobby, making passing employees pause.

Some even looked around to find the source.

Yeonjung hurriedly clapped her hand over her mouth.

But it was too late—several people were already staring.

Her exaggerated gesture only made it clearer she was the source of the noise.

Just as Jihoo expected, a sly smile tugged at his lips, though Yeonjung didn’t notice.

“Jihoo, where did you see them?”

“In front of the Vice President’s office.

I must’ve been walking too quietly, so they didn’t hear my footsteps… maybe that’s why they didn’t notice.”

This was a rumour Lee Yeon couldn’t avoid.

Because the targets were Do-hyun and Lee Yeon.

Do-hyun drew everyone’s attention, which made him an easy subject for gossip.

Once rumours spread and became exaggerated, they would grow so large they’d cling like a label.

It didn’t matter even if the two really got married.

People would only remember the ugly rumours because that’s what they liked to share.

The scratch Jihoo wanted to leave on Do-hyun’s image was just enough for that.

Lee Yeon always went around in disguise, so she wouldn’t attract attention.

The noise would only be inside the company.

Jihoo hadn’t intended for Lee Yeon to be dragged down too, but with Do-hyun in the mix, it was unavoidable.

“Jihoo, are you sure you didn’t see wrong?

No way.

It can’t be.

The Vice President?

There’s no way he’d cheat on such a beautiful wife with his secretary.”

“Maybe…”

“No way, it can’t be true.

He’s not that kind of man.

His image management is too important.

And just months after getting married, to shamelessly hold hands with another woman?

And with that ugly Secretary Yu?

That’s impossible.

No, it mustn’t happen.

My pride won’t allow it.”

“…Sorry?”

Jihoo tilted his head, not understanding why Yeonjung suddenly brought up her own pride.

“So Secretary Yu had that kind of charm?”

Yeonjung pressed her lips together, bowed her head, then gave a leaky laugh and waved her hand.

“Getting involved in something like that could ruin you in Korea in a moment.

The Vice President isn’t someone who’d spit on his own face.

He’s too thorough for that.”

With Yeonjung defending Do-hyun like a fan club president, Jihoo was both surprised and delighted.

Her reaction was more entertaining than he expected.

And it was useful.

With this much, Jihoo could let the rumour grow in the direction he wanted.

Because it was Do-hyun, a blemish on his flawless image would hurt more.

Paper cuts always sting sharply.

Jihoo intended to hand Do-hyun just such a piece of paper.

The fastest way in a company was word of mouth.

And the person most suited for the job was Yeonjung.

“Actually… now that I think about it, maybe I misunderstood.

Could’ve been nothing.”

For now, Jihoo decided to step back until he had something concrete.

If only I could catch them in the act… that’d be perfect.

For that day, he’d only left Yeonjung with this hint.

***

“Walking like this feels like sneaking out of work.

It’s fun!”

Lee Yeon skipped ahead of Do-hyun in little steps.

He watched her with dazed affection.

“It’s only a thirty-minute date.”

“Even so, a thirty-minute escape.

I’m happy.”

Her eyes folded into crescent moons, her smile shining in the sunlight.

Today, she’d accompanied him to an external lecture.

Do-hyun sometimes attended lectures, and on those days, Lee Yeon often had to manage schedules and logistics.

On their way back to the company, Do-hyun had asked the driver to drop them off early.

“Why did we get off here?”

There was still quite a distance left to the office.

“Because I thought it’d be nice to walk.”

With the clear sky above them, they strolled side by side.

People really did need fresh air now and then.

Their fingertips brushed occasionally, but they didn’t speak much.

He longed to hold her hand properly, but being near the office made it impossible.

Soon, they reached the crosswalk near the company.

Others were waiting for the light to change as well.

One man beside Lee Yeon kept glancing at his watch and tapping his foot, looking anxious.

Compared to his restlessness, Lee Yeon’s calm stood out.

The man stepped onto the crosswalk.

Focused on the clouds above, Lee Yeon followed without thinking.

Then—

Hooonk!

A loud horn blared right beside her.

Do-hyun yanked her into his arms.

He pulled her close, holding her head and waist tight.

The signal hadn’t changed.

It was jaywalking.

Since someone beside her had moved, she assumed the light was green.

Frozen, Lee Yeon steadied her racing heart in his arms.

Her heartbeat wouldn’t calm.

Leaning against him, she could hear his heart pounding just as hard.

He had been just as shaken.

Without a word, he held her even tighter.

At that moment, Do-hyun couldn’t hear or see anything else.

Only Lee Yeon’s presence in his arms mattered.

He just needed to know she was safe, that she hadn’t vanished.

When he saw the white sedan rushing toward her, his vision had gone blank.

It wasn’t speeding recklessly, but it wasn’t slow enough to be harmless either.

His chest clenched as if strangled.

No!

His reflexes had saved her.

But the thought of losing her made his skin prickle with goosebumps.

He ran his hand through her hair and pressed a trembling kiss to her temple.

He still felt his lips shaking.

That bastard…

He wanted to rip apart the jaywalker who’d caused this.

Signals existed for a reason, yet some fool risked lives to save minutes.

But then he shook his head.

No, the blame was his.

He was the one who asked to get out and walk.

Loosening his grip, he still looked at her with anxious eyes.

“Yu Lee Yeon, you nearly killed me just now.”

She blinked.

“Aren’t you saying I nearly died?”

“You tried to kill me.”

“I almost died too, you know?”

“I nearly suffocated to death.

And also—”

Also?

“The car wasn’t even going that fast.”

If only he hadn’t added that last line.

Still, she was grateful.

His reflex, the way he had held her silently in shock—each moment overflowed with love.

“Thank you.”

“Get a grip.

Don’t scare me like that.”

Only after confirming each other’s safety did they finally relax.

But in their love-dazed state, they forgot one thing.

This was right outside the company.

And someone standing by a tree had seen everything, mouth agape.

The sight was so shocking that he nearly dropped the shoes he was holding.