Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
[How fast are you going right now?]
Joo-Eun’s strained voice flowed through the car speakers.
“I’m driving slowly. Don’t worry.”
Min-Hyuk kept his tone gentle despite the sharp focus in his eyes locked on the road ahead.
The speedometer needle had already surpassed 100 km/h.
[It’s fine, so just take your time. If it looks quiet, I’ll carefully come out.]
“No. Absolutely not. Stay where you are. I’ll find you.”
They were only about 15 minutes away by location.
Of course, waiting on the cold building floor for 15 minutes wasn’t short, but it was safer than her stepping outside and risking danger.
“Don’t come out no matter what. Do you understand?”
[Yes… I won’t. But you’re not breaking any traffic rules, right?]
He thought he’d seen the flash of a speed check camera at least twice.
His sharp gaze darted to the side mirror as he clenched his teeth.
“I’m following all the rules.”
[Good. I can wait, so please drive carefully.]
How scared she must be, hiding in an unfamiliar building.
Even while trembling with fear, she was still worrying about him. Min-Hyuk gritted his teeth so hard his jaw muscles bulged.
The veins in his hand gripping the steering wheel twitched ferociously.
[But… Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here…?]
“That’s not important right now.”
He heard her small laugh on the other end.
Her laughter, though bitter, brought him some relief—but all he could think about was how desperately he wanted to hurry and hold her.
Unlike Min-Hyuk, whose chest felt like it was burning, Joo-Eun seemed to have regained some composure and spoke slowly.
[You’re right. If you’d asked earlier, I probably wouldn’t have been able to answer. I’ve calmed down a bit now. Actually… I think I saw something I shouldn’t have. I even recorded it…]
Min-Hyuk’s eyes flickered violently.
“What do you mean?”
[I saw President Hong upstairs from Seo-Young’s chicken shop. He was exchanging something with Chairman Lee of GB Group.]
Min-Hyuk nearly slammed on the brakes in shock.
It wasn’t just the fact that President Hong and Chairman Lee had met and made a deal—it was the fact that she had filmed it.
Why did she record it?!
What if something had happened to her because of it?!
He swallowed the words he wanted to shout and roughly ran his fingers through his hair.
[At first, I thought recording it might help President Hong if there was a fight or something… But as I kept filming, I realized it wasn’t that kind of situation.]
“Haa…”
[If their meeting was meant to harm you, Director, I couldn’t let that happen. I wanted to gather evidence somehow and help you. I know how much you’ve struggled because of me…]
“It’s not your fault that we ended things with GB Group. And ultimately, cutting ties with them benefited the company. Why are you blaming yourself? Stop it. Do you hear me?”
[I know. I know… But please understand that I just wanted to help.]
He understood. Understanding didn’t stop him from being angry.
“Wait for me. I need to call Jang-Wook.”
He pulled out another phone he carried for emergencies and dialed Jang-Wook.
His expression darkened further, weighed down with unbearable tension.
The person he cherished most had thrown herself into danger for his sake. How could he feel anything but anguish?
His face said it all.
If even a single hair on Song Joo-Eun’s head was harmed, he would make sure everyone involved paid dearly.
________________________________________
In normal circumstances, Min-Hyuk would never tolerate such reckless parking, but tonight he stepped out of the car in a rush.
The residential area was deserted.
Just thinking about how terrified she must have been running this far from Seo-Young’s chicken shop filled him with boiling anger.
But he had to stay calm.
Getting excited would only ruin things.
Clenching his teeth, Min-Hyuk headed toward the mini-building marked on the map she had sent him.
As he walked, he spotted men in black suits who clearly didn’t belong in this quiet neighborhood.
They moved in pairs, obviously searching for Joo-Eun.
‘Please… I’m begging you.’
Min-Hyuk repeated the plea silently in his mind, bowing his head slightly as he pressed forward.
________________________________________
Suddenly, this whole situation made no sense.
He came when called, but nothing about it clicked.
Something about the atmosphere instinctively made him lower his head.
A stranger approached, pretending to recognize him.
“Director Jung Min-Hyuk?”
Caught off guard, Min-Hyuk hesitated, unsure how to respond, as the man advanced more aggressively.
Thinking things were going smoothly, the man leaned in threateningly.
“What brings you here? Look up, please.”
“You’ve got the wrong person.”
Turning abruptly, Min-Hyuk strode away, but the man followed closely, now certain of his identity.
“The woman you’re looking for secretly filmed a video. You know that’s illegal, right? Let’s talk before we hand it over to the police.”
“I told you, you’ve got the wrong person!”
Yanking off his hat,
“……!”
The man’s mouth dropped open.
It wasn’t Director Jung Min-Hyuk standing before him but his secretary—Jang-Wook.
Blinking rapidly, the man looked utterly baffled.
Jang-Wook smirked softly.
Talk about unexpected twists. Min-Hyuk had called out of the blue, instructing him to dress as similarly as possible and meet him.
Joo-Eun was hiding alone in some building, he’d said.
Startled, Jang-Wook had followed orders without question, rushing over without a plan—but now he realized exactly what Min-Hyuk had intended.
Once again, he marveled at Min-Hyuk’s cleverness.
‘Alright. Now it’s my turn to play my part. Time to show off the acting skills I honed in high school drama club, Byeon Jang-Wook!’
Staring down each approaching man, Jang-Wook raised his voice.
“No. What scene involving President Hong did you film? If you hand this over to the police, it’ll cause trouble for him too. Do you really want to stir up trouble for the company? Think carefully before making a move.”
“W-What is this…?”
“That’s my question. What’s going on here? Why are you looking for my boss? Is President Hong up to something suspicious? Is that it?”
Deliberately dragging out his words to buy time, Jang-Wook watched the man’s face contort in frustration.
Clearly, they’d stepped in something messy.
Finding the situation amusing, Jang-Wook unleashed a torrent of words.
“You should focus on saving the company instead of scheming nonsense. If you can’t handle it, maybe it’s time to step down gracefully…”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Excuse me?”
Jang-Wook widened his eyes dramatically, cutting the man off.
“Ah, sorry. I must have mistaken you for someone else. Carry on…”
Massaging his temples, the man turned away, likely dreading the lecture he’d get from his own boss.
‘Why now, of all times!’
Eyes blazing, Jang-Wook grabbed the man’s arms firmly.
“S-So Director Min-Hyuk was here? What’s he doing in this neighborhood?”
While asking, his gaze was fixed on Min-Hyuk slipping quietly into the building.
“Let go of me and then we’ll talk.”
“Oh. S-Sorry.”
Only after confirming that Min-Hyuk had fully entered the building did Jang-Wook release his grip.
‘Phew… At least I bought some time.’
Despite not doing much, Jang-Wook felt drained and sighed deeply.
Just then,
“There he is! The director went inside there!”
Someone suddenly shouted, and Jang-Wook’s eyes bulged.
“These guys planned this together…!”
“Planned? Who planned anything!”
“Move!”
Shoving Jang-Wook aside, the man sprinted toward the building Min-Hyuk had entered.
“Director! Watch out! They’ve figured it out!”
Jang-Wook’s loud warning echoed through the dim alleyway.
________________________________________
Jang-Wook, that clever guy, had come dressed almost identically to Min-Hyuk.
Sure enough, the men in black suits mistook him for Min-Hyuk and approached him.
Thanks to that, Min-Hyuk was able to walk calmly and inconspicuously down the now-empty street.
As much as he wanted to rush straight to her, he forced himself to move slowly until he entered the building.
Once inside, he maintained his pace until reaching the second floor—then bolted upward like a madman.
From above, he heard Joo-Eun’s frightened voice calling out to confirm his identity.
“Director…?”
“It’s me. Don’t worry anymore.”
His voice reassured her before he reached her.
“Director!”
Her footsteps thundered down the narrow staircase.
“Careful—you’ll fall.”
“Huk…!”
She threw herself into his arms halfway down the stairs, causing him to brace against the wall as he pulled her tightly against him.
“Ha… I’m sorry. I wanted to get here faster.”
“I told you to take your time. Did you break any traffic rules or not?”
“Do you really expect me to follow every rule perfectly?”
“In my heart, I hoped you would… but honestly, I was so scared.”
Joo-Eun clung to him again, her tear-filled eyes seeking comfort.
She was like a baby bird returning to its mother’s nest. Her body was ice-cold. How much had she trembled?
Min-Hyuk gently rubbed her back, soothing her.
“It’s okay now. I’m here, so everything will be fine.”
“Thank you… Thank you so much…”
The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over. His comforting presence felt so solid, so warm.
For the first time, she truly believed everything would be alright.
“Director! Watch out! They’ve figured it out!”
Jang-Wook’s shout filtered through the open window, and Joo-Eun’s expression hardened.
“Wasn’t that Secretary Byeon’s voice…?”
“For now, go back upstairs. Don’t come down.”
“What are you planning to do?”
The sound of men’s shoes pounding up the stairs grew dangerously close.
“Go up. Close your eyes and stay there.”
Google Sites
Report abuse