Chapter 88
One week later
"What? You want to know about the boy that night?"
I accidentally raised my voice a little.
Yuna was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed neatly, calmly sipping her tea as if my reaction meant nothing to her.
"Yes."
I swallowed hard.
"…May I know why, Chairwoman?"
She set the cup down slowly and lifted her gaze to me.
"I'm just curious about him."
I went speechless.
Since when did Seo Yuna, who never bothered to concern herself with other people, suddenly become interested in a stranger she'd met only once by chance?
"I want a full background check," she continued. "His name, his family background, his education. I want to know where he lives and who he associates with."
Each word landed heavily on my chest, one after another.
"…Chairwoman," I said carefully, forcing my voice to stay calm, "he is just an ordinary civilian. He helped you out of goodwill. Digging into his personal life might be—"
"Unnecessary?" Yuna cut in, her eyes sharpening slightly. "No. It becomes necessary when I decide it is necessary."
She paused for a brief moment, her fingers resting against the rim of the cup.
"And besides," she added, her voice lowering just a fraction, "he makes me—"
She stopped.
For a split second, something unreadable crossed her face.
"Nothing. Just look into him. I want the report on my desk within three days. I do not like waiting."
"But Chairwoman, I think we should not—"
"Is there any problem?"
Her gaze hardened.
I stopped immediately.
"…Nothing," I said, bowing my head slightly. "I understand. I will do as you said."
She gave a small nod and reached for her tea again, already done with the conversation.
I turned and walked toward the door.
Only when it closed behind me did I finally release the breath I had been holding.
Out of all the people in this city… why did it have to be him?
No. No, I shouldn't overthink this.
Maybe it's nothing.
She probably just wanted to thank him properly. That must be it. Yes. That had to be the only reason. There was no way Yuna had any other interest beyond that.
_____
Three days later
The report lay neatly inside a thin black folder.
I stood in front of Yuna's desk, hands clasped behind my back. On the surface, everything looked calm. Inside, my chest felt tight.
Yuna reached for the folder and opened it without a word.
Her eyes moved slowly as she read. One page. Then another.
I watched her closely.
At first, there was nothing.
But then—
Her fingers paused.
Her gaze lingered on one page longer than the others.
And then she—
She… smiled?
Seo Yuna… smiling?
My stomach dropped.
It had been a long time since I last saw that expression on her face. No. More than that. I could not remember the last time she had smiled like this for someone.
What exactly did she see in that file?
An uneasy feeling crept into my chest.
She closed the folder and leaned back in her chair, eyes lifting to the ceiling as if she was thinking through something.
After a brief pause, she reached into her drawer. When she looked at me again, there was an envelope in her hand. She extended it toward me.
"Chairwoman?"
"Deliver this letter to him."
For a second, I thought I misheard her.
"Do not alarm him," she added. "And do not explain anything unnecessary. Just give him the envelope."
I nodded, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Yes, Chairwoman."
She seemed satisfied and dismissed me with a small gesture.
I bowed and left her office.
The moment I reached my own office, I closed the door behind me. I could not bring myself to sit down. I just stood there, staring at nothing, my thoughts running in every possible direction.
Why was Yuna acting like this?
She had never shown this kind of interest in anyone before. There had to be a reason. Or maybe there was not. I tried to convince myself that this was nothing more than a formal gesture.
But what if it was not?
What if, without realizing it, I was about to pull Haemin into something he never asked for?
The thought made my chest tighten.
If anything happened to him because of this… I would never be able to forgive myself.
But what choice did I have now? I still needed to carry out her order. I closed my eyes and took a slow breath, forcing myself to calm down.
No. I could not afford to overreact like this. This was not who I was. I had always been rational and composed.
And yet, whenever it came to Haemin, every certainty I had started to shake. In the end, I straightened my posture, picked up my coat, and left.
.
The moment I stepped into his university building, I could feel the atmosphere shift. Everyone started to turn their eyes toward me.
I ignored all of it.
My eyes searched for only one person.
When I found him inside the lecture hall, my steps slowed.
He looked up in surprise when his name was called.
Our eyes met.
For a brief moment, he seemed caught off guard, clearly not understanding why someone like me was standing there.
I walked toward him, carefully restraining my emotions. But being this close to him, it was harder than I expected.
I smiled gently, hiding everything I felt, and held out the envelope.
"This is for you."
That was all I said.
I turned and left before I allowed myself to do something reckless—
.
A few days later, Haemin came to the building.
I was completely shocked when I heard from Yuna that she had already put Haemin's name on the visitor list and told me to escort him to her.
I led him through the lobby in silence, my steps were calm, but my thoughts were racing. I kept my expression professional, but inside, anxiety continued to tighten its grip on me.
Why did he even agree to come?
I scolded him silently, frustration mixing with worry.
Why would you accept an invitation from someone like her so easily? Do you have any idea who she is?
I stopped in front of the private lounge.
"This is it," I said, forcing my voice to sound neutral.
He nodded politely.
"Thank you for leading me here."
The moment he stepped inside, the door closed behind him.
And I was left outside. But I could not stay still.
I checked the time more times than I could count.
My mind kept spiraling, replaying every possible scenario. Why did Yuna invite him here? What was she trying to confirm? Had Haemin done something that pissed her off?
Not long after, the door finally opened.
Haemin stepped out.
He looked fine, but slightly confused.
I let out a long breath.
So that was it?
Maybe I had overthought everything. Maybe Yuna truly only wanted to thank him properly.
But the relief did not last long.
Later that evening, Yuna had told me that she invited him again two days from now.
Again!?
That word almost slipped out of my mouth when I heard her say it. But I controlled myself and just nodded in understanding. I left her office, my thoughts in complete disarray.
Two days later, Haemin came again.
This time, the meeting lasted much longer than before.
Once again, I waited outside, unable to concentrate on anything else. When he finally came out, his expression was more complicated than before.
That was when I could no longer stand it. I took a deep breath and walked straight toward Yuna's office.
I knocked once and entered.
"Chairwoman—"
My voice stopped.
Yuna was standing by the glass wall, her back partially turned to me, looking out over the city skyline. The light spilled across her face, softening her features.
And she was smiling. It was warm. Gentle. Almost… affectionate.
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
So she was capable of making an expression like that.
Despite being the same gender, I found myself captivated. She had always been beautiful, undeniably so. But right now, with that unguarded expression, she looked breathtaking.
What unsettled me more was that she did not even notice my presence. She was completely lost in her own thoughts.
What had they talked about for her to look like this?
A sudden thought struck me. Hasn't she been different lately?
For the past few weeks, she had barely listened when I explained something to her. In meetings, her focus seemed to drifted, and her responses were always delayed. Even when she sat at her desk, her eyes would sometimes go distant, as if her mind was somewhere else entirely.
And when did all of this start?
My heart sank.
Was it not right after the accident? Right after she met Haemin?
A cold realization crept into my chest.
No.
I immediately pushed the thought away. Out of all possibilities, that could not be it.
There was no way Yuna had developed feelings for Haemin, right?
I refused to imagine it.
But the possibility became reality a few days later.
_____
"I'm already married to him, Harin."
The file slipped from my hand and fell onto the floor. For a second, I thought my ears had betrayed me.
"Chairwoman… you're joking, right?"
She walked to her desk and calmly handed me the document.
I stared at the paper, refusing to process what was printed there.
"Yun—Chairwoman, what is the meaning of this?"
She leaned back against the edge of her desk, completely calm.
"As you can see, this is the marriage document signed by both of us. From today onward, he is my husband."
I nearly lost my footing and had to grip the edge of the table to steady myself.
"Chairwoman… I don't understand. Why would you suddenly—why him?
Yuna sighed softly.
"Because I fell in love with him the first time I saw him."
The words struck me harder than anything else she had said.
"…Chairwoman," I said slowly, forcing myself to stay calm, "have you truly thought this through? My little bro—… that boy is younger than you…"
Yuna's gaze didn't waver.
"I do not care about his age. And he does not care about mine either."
"But you should have consulted me first," I said, unable to stop myself anymore. "Does he truly understand what he has gotten himself into? Does he know what kind of world you live in?"
"Alright, that's enough."
Her voice cut through mine, sharp and absolute.
"I did not ask for your opinion. I'm just informing you."
Silence filled the room. I was really frustrated right now, but I couldn't say anything without it sounding like I was going against her.
"Harin."
Her voice softened.
I looked up instinctively.
She was smiling at me. Gently.
"Don't you think… as my friend, you should be happy for me? That I finally have someone to share my life with…"
"…I'm sorry, Chairwoman." I said immediately, bowing my head. "I spoke out of line. Please forgive me.
I will make sure no one catches a glimpse of any of this. I will ensure his identity is protected, and that no one dares to use him against you."
"I knew I could count on you."
I bowed deeply.
"If there is nothing else, Chairwoman, I will excuse myself."
_____
That night, I sat alone in my apartment.
A glass of wine rested in my hand, untouched for a long time before I finally took a sip.
I let out a quiet sighed.
How did things end up like this?
And Haemin… I never thought he would be fine with someone older than him. If I had known before, for sure I would have—
I stopped myself.
No. That's not right.
Haemin would never look at me that way. He once said he liked me when he was little, but I am certain he only meant it as a sister. Nothing more than that.
I leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes.
[Don't you think… as my friend, you should be happy for me? That I finally have someone to share my life with…]
That was the first time in years Yuna had called me her friend so sincerely. It was also the first time I saw her look genuinely happy. For her to smile like that because of Haemin… it seemed like she truly loved him. Now, I felt guilty for even thinking about taking that happiness away from her.
Throughout her life, people had feared her.
She became like that because she had to.
Because it was the only way to survive at the top.
And now, when there was finally someone who looked at her without fear and did not care about her title, is that not a good thing? Is that not what I always wished for her?
I took another sip of wine.
Even though I was certain Yuna would protect him and fulfill her responsibilities as his wife, still…
I rubbed my forehead tiredly. It seems like I am being hard on myself again. I let out a small, bitter laugh at myself. All these years, every decision I made was only for one reason. To make sure Haemin could live his life happily.
Am I being hypocritical right now? I keep telling myself I care about his happiness, yet this is the happiness he chose on his own.
So why can't I just accept it?
Yuna said Haemin agreed to this willingly, did she not?
I smiled faintly and opened the laptop in front of me.
"Haemin… you've grown up, haven't you?"
[Are you sure you want to delete this document?]
If this is really what you want.
If you walked into this with your own choice.
If you are smiling right now the way she is.
Then I will support you with all my heart and wish you happiness.
Another sigh escaped me as I stared at the screen.
I hope I will not regret not stopping this now.
[Yes]