Episode 56
Smi-le! Click!
The host threw a playful line at Heera, who couldn’t focus on the conversation with a smile.
It looked like he was trying to brush it off lightly.
“Was it like that? The competition for reservations must be intense.”
Heera let out a short, awkward laugh.
At her hurried follow-up question, Lee Yeon nodded and answered.
“Yes, the company runs an app, and you can make a reservation there, or you can book in advance on the company portal and then use it.”
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.
.
“Good work, everyone.”
“Thanks for all your hard work!”
“Lee Yeon, today was great. You explained everything so well. Thanks to you, it wrapped up nicely.”
“Not at all. The staff worked really hard. It was a fun shoot. Thank you for looking after me!”
Everyone gathered around Lee Yeon, praising her and asking the questions they had been curious about during filming.
Some of them were even curious about her love story with Dohyun.
After politely finishing her goodbyes until the very end, Lee Yeon moved to head back up to the office.
Then, she unconsciously slowed down when she overheard the staff chatting while cleaning up equipment.
“I heard Jung Heera was late because she got scolded by an employee after smoking in the bathroom.”
“What?
That delicate Heera?
That doesn’t fit her image at all.”
“Right?
Guess she was trying to protect that image by secretly smoking in the bathroom.
It was an e-cigarette, but still.
Apparently, she got caught by a pregnant employee.”
“If she’s pregnant, even an e-cigarette would make her sensitive.
But still, Heera’s human, she can smoke.
The problem is where she smoked.”
“Oh, right.
Didn’t Heera change into that short, flashy outfit halfway through?
Even then, she couldn’t compare with the secretary.
Guess clothes really are just wings.
In the end, the finishing touch is the face.”
“The secretary is prettier.
Honestly, if she were in entertainment, she’d be top tier.”
Ah… so that’s why she was late?
No wonder changing clothes took longer than expected.
Lee Yeon shook her head and went toward the office.
Her body felt sluggish.
As soon as she entered, she stretched her shoulders to ease the stiffness, then checked her phone.
There was a new message from Dohyun.
[When are you coming, I miss you.]
“Doesn’t he usually end his texts with ‘I miss you’?
Not ‘I miss you.’ but ‘I miss you.’ Like this.”
Lee Yeon looked at the empty office.
“Tch, asking when I’ll come when he’s not even here?”
Still, she felt happy to get a message from Dohyun saying he missed her right away.
She typed what was on her mind and sent it to him.
[Where are you? I miss you.]
After hitting send, she smiled silently, picturing Dohyun who wanted to see her, and set her phone on the desk.
“Excuse me.”
Oh, what a scare.
The one who had approached without a sound was Heera.
Startled by her sudden presence, Lee Yeon flinched.
“Ah, yes. You haven’t left yet?”
It meant why are you here?
Heera narrowed her eyes and glanced around the office.
“I came to say goodbye to Dohyun oppa. Is no one here?”
Folding her arms and tilting her chin upward, Heera took a step closer.
“Yes. It’s just me right now.
The Vice President hasn’t returned from outside yet.
I’m waiting for him too.”
Hearing Heera say she came to see Dohyun made Lee Yeon feel unpleasant.
Hadn’t she already seen in the news that Dohyun was married?
And yet she still couldn’t let go.
“Actually, this is perfect. I had something I wanted to say to you without oppa around.”
Something to say? Were they close enough to exchange words like that?
Lee Yeon answered with a sour look.
“Something to say?”
Heera’s heels clicked sharply as she stepped closer.
No matter how high her heels, Lee Yeon’s height made it impossible for her to be intimidated.
But Heera looked determined to at least test her in a battle of wills.
“How did you seduce Dohyun oppa? He’s not the kind of man to fall for just anyone.”
To ask so bluntly, without any filter.
But her tone was quite arrogant.
“Whether I seduced him or not, do I have any reason to explain it to you?”
“To me?”
Heera let out a scoffing laugh.
“Oh, did my tone offend you? Sorry, I’m in such a crappy mood today that my filter is broken.”
So, was she trying to be polite or not?
Being alone with Lee Yeon, she had clearly decided to just talk however she wanted.
Proof again that the image celebrities show on screen couldn’t be trusted.
“It’s been crappy since I read the news that oppa was married, but today it’s downright filthy.
That handsome face?
That body?
He’s not the kind to fall for that.
I know because I tried.
So, what, you put on some weird disguise to hook the chaebol heir’s curiosity?
Why did you suddenly show up to be in my way?”
Was she trying to say Lee Yeon was the one in the way?
The audacity!
Crossing her arms and standing stiff, Heera looked so absurd that Lee Yeon couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re laughing?
That time you poured water twice—wasn’t that on purpose?
People say a celebrity like me is a better match for Dohyun oppa, so were you jealous?
Why make trouble for someone who did nothing to you? You ruined my mood.”
Listening to her nonsense only made Lee Yeon more dumbfounded.
With a dry laugh, she looked straight at Heera.
“The more I hear, the more annoying your words get.
You really know how to piss someone off.
The Vice President wasn’t dating you, so why paint me as some cheap woman stealing someone else’s man?
Like the way you look right now?”
Heera flinched, startled by the sudden retort.
“Maybe he only opened up his heart to you, but he and I have shared our hearts.
So stop touching my man.
I don’t know why you wanted me cast on this program, but since it’s not going your way, you can’t control your temper.
That cup earlier—you dropped it yourself.
Don’t come here lashing out after falling into a hole you dug yourself.
Unless you want to humiliate yourself more.”
Lee Yeon’s voice grew sharper.
“Dohyun oppa told me just days ago he wanted to meet!
He said he didn’t want to do anything that would bother you.
He warned me that if I kept acting out, he’d cut me off!
Why does our relationship have to be ruined because of you?
Isn’t that what you told him to say?”
Lee Yeon’s eyes widened at the revelation that Dohyun had warned Heera himself.
So he had been trying to keep his distance from her all along.
It made Lee Yeon ache to see how much Dohyun had been considering her feelings.
Heera grimaced and rummaged through her bag.
She looked frustrated, as if angry at losing the argument.
“I couldn’t hold back from smoking today because of you!
I’ve never pulled out my e-cigarette during filming, but you made me so pissed off I did!
And of course, I got caught! All your fault.”
“How is that my fault? You’re the one who smoked.”
“I can’t sleep because I’m so anxious you’ll steal Dohyun oppa from me.
I picked you during filming to mess with you, but now you’re getting more attention than me.
Ha, if you were in my place, wouldn’t you be smoking too?”
“I don’t smoke, so I wouldn’t know.”
Heera glared, annoyed by Lee Yeon’s every calm reply, and lit up again.
Each deep inhale and exhale sent smoke swirling around.
“Why are you acting like this, are you going through puberty?”
Why was she only doing what she was told not to?
Hadn’t she always guarded her image carefully?
Why act like this in front of Lee Yeon?
Lee Yeon couldn’t understand it at all.
“It’s just that everything about you pisses me off.”
I see.
Lee Yeon’s patience snapped.
Click!
A cheerful sound, completely out of place with the atmosphere, echoed.
It was Lee Yeon snapping a picture with her phone.
“What… are you doing?”
Heera stammered, startled.
It seemed Lee Yeon had captured the moment: Heera holding an e-cigarette, smoke spilling from her lips.
“Catching some leverage.
Jung Heera, smoking in the middle of the office. Touch Dohyun again, and I’ll spread this.”
“You bit—! Delete it! Hand it over!”
Heera lunged at her, roughly grabbing to snatch the phone.
Click—
At that moment, the pantry door beside them swung open.
“Jung Heera, stop right there.”
“O… Oppa?”
“Take your hand off her.”
Stepping out from the pantry, Dohyun glared at Heera with icy eyes.
His look brimmed with a murderous edge, promising not to forgive even the slightest move.
It was a side of him Heera had never seen.
Terrified, she trembled, and Lee Yeon could feel it faintly through her.
In a few long strides, Dohyun reached them and pulled Lee Yeon firmly into his arms.
She landed squarely against his chest.
“I was waiting desperately for my wife who was out filming… only to find she was being harassed here.”
He brushed her hair back and scanned her up and down for injuries.
“You said you were alone. You even lied?”
Ah, this was perfect.
Lee Yeon wanted to dance with him in relief.
It was too good that Heera had been caught red-handed.
She wanted to hug Dohyun and shower him with praise.
“Oppa…”
Heera’s voice shook as she tried to speak.
Dohyun cut her off with a curt glare.
“You’re out of my life now.”
