Chapter 20. A Night of Worrying for Each Other  

Lee Hyun couldn’t bear to see Yerin shaken, especially since he had already put her in turmoil by suggesting a fake relationship or a contractual romance.  

He couldn’t stand the sight of her father, Byeonghun, showing up and rattling Yerin even further.  

It wasn’t his intention to eavesdrop on their conversation.  

When Yerin didn’t return for a long time after stepping out to meet Byeonghun, Lee Hyun had walked outside, only to overhear Byeonghun talking about his business idea.  

“A woman who’s already distressed…”  

Lee Hyun was willing to invest an astronomical amount in the name of a business deal, as long as Byeonghun promised not to bother Yerin.  

After all, Lee Hyun had more money than he could ever spend.  

As he drove, his mind was filled entirely with thoughts of Yerin.  

“Even after being rejected…”  

Once again, his thoughts returned to her.  

Anyone who knew Lee Hyun would have been utterly shocked.  

A man who had never shown even a shred of interest in women was now obsessing over Yerin.  

Just thinking about her face made an involuntary smile creep across his lips, leaving him dumbfounded.  

It was a serious case, indeed.  

At that moment, Yerin’s name flashed on the Bluetooth screen connected to the car.  

Lee Hyun composed himself and pressed the call button.  

“Yes, Secretary Han.”  

– Director, are you okay?  

“Me? Or are you asking about your father?”  

– You’re not still with him, are you? 

“I dropped him off a little while ago.”  

– You really didn’t have to go out of your way like that… Thank you, and I’m sorry.  

Yerin’s soft voice filled the car, more pleasant to Lee Hyun than any music.  

“Secretary Han, you’ve apologized to me a lot today.”  

– …  

“I didn’t mean to make you feel burdened. I’m not very good with women.”  

– I didn’t reject you because I dislike you, Director.  

“I hope so.”  

– Are you on your way home?  

“I’m almost there.”  

– I was just wondering… You didn’t say anything strange to my father, did you?  

It seemed that this was the real reason Yerin had called him so late.  

“What if I did?”  

– What?  

“Secretary Han, do you distrust me that much?”  

– No, it’s not that I don’t trust you, Director. I just worry about what strange questions my father might have asked.  

“I didn’t make up anything that didn’t happen.”  

– …  

“Even though I was rejected by you earlier, I thought it would be better to pretend to be your boyfriend than to say we broke up after just one day.”  

– You did the right thing.  

As Yerin’s voice echoed through the quiet car, Lee Hyun couldn’t help but smile.  

– Why did you even bother driving my father home?  

“It didn’t feel right to leave an elder standing outside for too long. It seemed proper to escort him.”  

The real reason was different.  

Lee Hyun had a clear vision of Byeonghun calling Yerin back out to bother her if he left first.  

He didn’t want to share such trivial thoughts with her, though.  

“I also thought you might be tired from thinking all day about the proposal I made, Secretary Han.”  

– Thank you for your consideration.  

By then, Lee Hyun had almost arrived at the villa where he lived.  

As he parked the car, he spoke in a gentle tone.  

“Secretary Han, you know we have a breakfast meeting tomorrow, right?”  

– Yes, I’ll visit your house on time.  

“Good. Sleep well.”  

Ending the call, Lee Hyun stepped out of the car.  

The thought of Yerin entering his space in just a few hours left him feeling strangely unsettled.  

***

Near Nari’s house, Secretary Choi got out of the car first.  

Nari also stepped out from the passenger seat and began walking toward a nearby pub.  

To break the awkward silence, Secretary Choi spoke first.  

“Normally, I’d have to wake up early tomorrow to get Director Lee ready. But since Secretary Han will be there, I’m free from that duty.”  

“You sound really happy about it.”  

“Yes, I am. That task is much harder than you’d think.”  

Hearing this, Nari silently worried about Yerin.  

But knowing Yerin’s positive attitude and resilience, she concluded that Yerin would handle it well.  

When they arrived at the pub, they ordered some simple dried snacks and two glasses of draft beer, sitting across from each other.  

“While serving Director Lee, I was forced to abstain from drinking. Now, I can finally enjoy evenings again.”  

“Secretaries are really impressive. Even when I tell my secretary to leave early, they always stay until the very end.”  

“Oh, of course. If something happens while we’re away…”  

Secretary Choi shook his head, as if the mere thought was terrifying.  

Sipping her cold beer, Nari began asking about Lee Hyun.  

She intended to gather information to share with Yerin.  

“You said you’ve known Director Cha Lee Hyun since childhood, right?”  

“Yes. Chairman Cha helped me a lot.”  

Secretary Choi explained how Chairman Cha’s support had allowed him to graduate from university without issue, and Nari listened intently.  

“I’ve hardly ever been apart from Director Lee. That’s why this situation feels so strange and surprising to me.”  

“By ‘this situation,’ do you mean Director Cha Lee Hyun desperately looking for that woman?”  

“Yes.”  

Until now, Secretary Choi had observed Lee Hyun remain indifferent, no matter how many attractive women tried to approach him.  

“He used to think that relationships, love, and marriage were unnecessary acts.”  

Even as he spoke, Secretary Choi shook his head repeatedly, as if he couldn’t believe it himself.  

“For Director Cha Lee Hyun to change so drastically because of one person… she must be incredibly beautiful.”  

Nari, feeling oddly tense, emptied her beer in one gulp.  

“CEO, are you overdoing it?”  

“No, this much is fine.”  

“Aren’t you curious about who that woman is?”  

Unable to admit that she already knew who the woman was, Nari could only smile awkwardly.  

“Yes, I’m very curious.”  

“I really hope Secretary Han can help him find her.”  

Secretary Choi, filled with determination, expressed his wish to help his boss, who was in love.  

“What if the woman keeps hiding? Wouldn’t Secretary Han have no choice in that case?”  

Wanting to take Yerin’s side, Nari cautiously voiced her opinion, but Secretary Choi looked as heartbroken as though he were the one rejected.  

“Sigh. If that happens, the atmosphere in the director’s office will be terrible.”  

“Really?”  

It was truly a frustrating situation where nothing could be done.  

***  

Early morning.  

Under the faint blue light of dawn, Yerin stood in front of Lee Hyun’s house.  

Ding-dong—  

She pressed the doorbell, but there was no response.  

“Sigh.”  

The night before, Secretary Choi had insisted over the phone that she must wake Lee Hyun up in person.  

He had warned her that Lee Hyun wouldn’t answer calls in the morning and slept so soundly that he wouldn’t notice even if someone carried him away.  

Today was the day of an early breakfast meeting with the Jiseok Group family members.  

It was a gathering that absolutely couldn’t be missed, as everyone would be present. Secretary Choi had emphasized this repeatedly.  

Yerin pressed the doorbell once more, took a deep breath, and searched through her messages for the door lock code that Secretary Choi had sent her in advance.  

Entering the code, Yerin cautiously opened the penthouse door.  

As she stepped into the foyer, she noticed Lee Hyun’s neatly arranged shoes.  

She took off her high heels, placed them neatly, and stepped into his home.  

“Director?”  

She called out his name as she passed through the spacious living room, but there was no response.  

In the hallway, a few paintings by unknown artists were hanging. Though she didn’t recognize them, it was clear they were masterpieces worth millions.  

Recalling what Secretary Choi had told her the night before, Yerin headed toward the room at the very end of the villa.  

Through the slightly open door, she could see the bed. With no reaction from inside, Yerin called out again from outside the bedroom.  

“Director Cha Lee Hyun.”  

She thought calling his name might wake him, but there was still no movement.  

“You’re still not awake, are you?”  

She hoped he’d surprise her by being awake, but no such luck.  

“I’m coming in.”  

Although he was sound asleep and wouldn’t hear her, she said it out of courtesy.  

Opening the bedroom door, Yerin quickly shut her eyes.  

What she saw on the bed was a peach-colored spectacle.  

‘Surely he’s not sleeping completely n*ked.’  

Yerin cautiously opened her eyes.  

Unfortunately, Lee Hyun wasn’t wearing anything on his upper body.  

The only relief was that he was lying on his side, with a blanket barely covering his waist.  

“Phew.”  

Yerin approached the bed.  

Seeing his broad back covered in muscles reminded her of the time she had been in his arms.  

‘You’re not the only one who remembers that night, Director.’  

She swallowed the thought, unable to say it out loud.  

She, too, hadn’t forgotten the joyful time she had spent with Lee Hyun.  

Yerin quietly looked at Lee Hyun’s sleeping face.  

His sharp nose immediately caught her attention.  

It was truly a flawless, perfect face.  

Looking at his slightly parted lips, Yerin quickly snapped back to her senses. She reminded herself of the reason she was here.  

Checking the time, she realized they had only 30 minutes to get ready and leave.  

Reaching out, she grabbed the blanket with her thumb and index finger and carefully pulled it up, covering Lee Hyun’s exposed body.  

Phew.  

Now that his muscles were covered, her heart finally returned to its normal rhythm.  

“Director, you need to wake up.”  

Even though she raised her voice, Lee Hyun didn’t stir.  

‘If the Director doesn’t wake up, you can shake his body or poke him with something.’  

This was the tip Secretary Choi had given her, but…  

She couldn’t bring herself to touch those firm arms with her hands, so Yerin quickly scanned the room.  

A tumbler filled with water, some documents, a tablet PC, and books.  

Everything she could find was hard and seemed like it would hurt if she used it to poke him.  

Lowering her gaze to the floor, Yerin noticed something.  

“This will do.”