WWBU - 36

“Your expression is quite something.”

“Huh?”

“What’s worrying you so much?”

“Why are you picking a fight? What did I do?”

Hyun-soo looked up at Han after rubbing her cheeks. Han smirked as he moved closer to her.

“Are you curious about that woman? Who she is?”

Han gestured toward the woman in the red dress. The beautiful figure leaned close to Guk from time to time, whispering something into his ear. What could they possibly be talking about?

“She’s Secretary Jang.”

“Secretary Jang?”

“One of the personal assistants who accompanies Hyung to events like this.”

“Ah... I see. That makes sense.”

For some reason, Hyun-soo felt a wave of relief wash over her. It was an odd sense of reassurance, though she couldn’t quite explain why. The scattered fragments of her emotions, which had been unstable and chaotic, seemed to slowly fall back into place.

“You look so relieved.”

“What do you mean?”

Han poked her cheek with his finger and gave her a playful glare.

“After years of attending events as his partner instead of a lover, most people in the know recognize her as Hyung’s secretary. Only you didn’t.”

“Who said anything?”

“Your eyes were screaming it. Chattering away. Were you cursing under your breath?”

“No, I wasn’t!”

“Whatever you say.”

There was no denying the relief she felt, even if she tried. Hyun-soo avoided his gaze, pretending to look around distractedly. Han silently observed her.

Soon, the soft background music began to fade, and the sound of microphone adjustments filled the air. The event was about to begin.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending the 72nd HK Group Founding Anniversary Ceremony. We will now commence the event.”

Chairman Yoon and other key figures took their seats on stage, while attendees gathered around tables.

The event began with a video showcasing HK Group’s history, from its past to the present. Accompanied by grand music, the footage stirred deep emotions just by watching it. For anyone affiliated with the company, it was a source of pride. The presentation lasted about five minutes.

Finally, the lights came back on as the emcee smiled and announced the next segment. The event proceeded smoothly—until suddenly:

Brrrrring! Brrrrring!

A fire alarm blared unexpectedly. At first, people glanced around quietly, but as the alarm continued, murmurs began to spread.

-Attention, a fire has been detected. Please evacuate promptly through the emergency exits.

As the evacuation announcement echoed, panic erupted. The banquet hall quickly descended into chaos.

“Noona, snap out of it.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

“Let’s get out of here quickly.”

“What about the others?”

Han grabbed Hyun-soo’s hand, pulling her along as she kept glancing around worriedly.

“What others?”

“Well, uh...”

“Don’t tell me you’re looking for Hyung? Seriously, in the middle of all this?”

Hyun-soo looked up at Han with concern in her eyes. He frowned and tightened his grip on her hand.

“Hyung was sitting at the front table, so he probably left already. Right now, we’re the ones in danger. Let’s go, hurry!”

“Alright, alright...!”

Han seemed more agitated than usual due to the situation. His sharp gaze and frosty tone conveyed just how urgent he felt.

Though Hyun-soo wanted to search for Guk, she reluctantly followed Han, hoping he had already exited the space as Han suggested.

Suddenly, Han slowed down. The crowd was thickening, making progress difficult. Following closely behind him, Hyun-soo craned her neck to see what was happening ahead.

And then, their eyes met—Guk’s.

He was moving against the flow of people rushing toward the exit. Grabbing water glasses from nearby tables, he soaked his handkerchief thoroughly.

“If there’s smoke, cover your nose and mouth first.”

Passing Han without hesitation, Guk approached Hyun-soo directly and handed her the damp handkerchief. After a brief pause, she accepted it, following his instructions.

“Let’s go. No time to waste.”

Seeing Guk focus solely on her made Han smirk. Moments ago, it felt like he’d been invisible. Without a second thought, Guk bypassed his younger brother to reach Kim Hyun-soo—and only her.

“Come on, let’s go, Noona.”

“Yeah, I’m coming. I’ll follow.”

Though Hyun-soo resolved not to be a burden during the crisis, the brothers clearly had no intention of leaving her behind. Holding her hands firmly, Guk and Han pushed through the crowd—or were swept along with it—until they finally emerged outside the banquet hall.

“We need to take the stairs.”

“There’s the emergency exit.”

Thankfully, the elevators were still operational, but using them during a disaster would have been suicidal. Most people seemed to realize this, as the stairwell was packed with evacuees.

“Kim Hyun-soo, come here.”

“Noona, hold my hand tightly.”

With their height and build, Guk and Han navigated the crowd relatively easily. The problem was Hyun-soo—slim and of average stature, she struggled to keep up despite her best efforts. Her strength was no match for the desperate thrashing of those fighting to survive.

“Ah!”

Eventually, someone shoved past, pushing Hyun-soo forward. She stumbled, but Guk and Han caught her from both sides just in time.

“Are you okay, Noona?”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, it’s because of me.”

Her heart raced erratically, but Hyun-soo gritted her teeth and steadied herself. It was fire—a real fire. She couldn’t let anyone else get hurt or lost again.

Holding onto Guk and Han’s hands, Hyun-soo hurried down the stairs with their help. Even so, her high heels slowed her pace, and every step felt precarious, making her anxious about tripping.

Despite these struggles, Hyun-soo didn’t utter a word of complaint. There was no time, and she refused to appear weak in such a dire situation.

So it was surprising—not just that someone noticed her silent endurance, but that it was Yoon Guk.

“You’re struggling, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m fine...”

“Hold onto me.”

Without explanation, Guk wrapped one arm around Hyun-soo’s waist and lifted her off the ground. Startled, she instinctively clung to his neck.

“What are you doing?!”

Guk didn’t respond but signaled to Han, who immediately understood. He removed Hyun-soo’s shoes.

After setting her back down, Guk pulled her forward. Dazed, Hyun-soo quickly stepped barefoot onto the cool stairs, feeling an indescribable sense of relief.

In the end, Hyun-soo safely descended to the ground floor, clinging to Guk and Han’s hands like lifelines.

Upon reaching the lobby, they found it crowded with people—not just from the banquet hall but also hotel guests—creating total chaos.

“I need to go back upstairs and check the situation.”

After ushering Han and Hyun-soo outside, Guk dashed back into the hotel. He told them to stay safe somewhere, but there was no way they could simply let him return to the potential fire hazard.

“Wait! It’s dangerous! Yoon Guk!”

Hyun-soo shouted after him, though whether her voice reached him was uncertain.

As Hyun-soo stood beside Han, gazing up at Hotel Onyx, the crowd began buzzing again. A hotel staff member appeared to update everyone on the situation.

“Apologies! The earlier fire alarm was confirmed to be a false alarm!”

Relief, disbelief, laughter, and muttered curses erupted throughout the crowd. Hyun-soo exhaled deeply, letting out a long sigh of relief.

“Did you hear that? It was a false alarm. Thank goodness Guk went back inside.”

“...”

“Han?”

Han had been standing silently beside her. Preoccupied with monitoring the fire situation, Hyun-soo hadn’t paid much attention to him until now. His face was deathly pale.

“Han, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I need to use the restroom for a moment...”

“The restroom?”

Without waiting for a response, Han sprinted back into the hotel. Unable to leave him alone in his condition, Hyun-soo chased after him.

“Han! Yoon Han!”

His pace was so fast that Hyun-soo nearly ran to catch up with him.

“Yoon Han, let me see you. What’s wrong?”

That’s when Han, raising his head, grabbed Hyun-soo’s arm with crushing force.

Wincing in pain, Hyun-soo watched as Han, seemingly out of his mind, dragged her into the men’s restroom.

“This is the men’s restroom! Yoon Han, hey!”

Fortunately, the earlier commotion had emptied the restroom.

Releasing Hyun-soo’s arm, Han turned on the cold water and splashed his face roughly. Droplets fell from his chin as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His bloodshot eyes contrasted sharply with his pale face.

Rubbing her sore arm, Hyun-soo quietly observed him. Han continued to stare at himself in the mirror, breathing heavily.