Chapter 20
“Yeonhee”
“You seem to have a lot of close friends.”
Jaeha said this to Hayul.
Thinking it was some kind of jab, Hayul’s brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out again.
“Right?
Imagine that I have two close friends!”
Jaeha flinched at Hayul’s booming voice, then turned his gaze toward Lee Yeon.
“So, may I ask your name?”
He sounded determined to hear it.
The sheer awkwardness of the situation made Lee Yeon’s head go blank.
What was she supposed to say?
“Yeon… Yeon.”
“Yeon?
Did you just say nyeon?”
“No, no.
Yeon.
As in Yeonhee.”
“Ah, Yeonhee.
Of course.
Even your name is beautiful.
When you were walking over here just now, I nearly lost my sight.
For a moment, I thought Are you a celebrity?
Though I don’t recall any star named Yeonhee.”
Fine.
Call me whatever you want, Yeonhee, it is.
“I’m not a celebrity.
And please don’t say things like that I’ll get in trouble.”
“Trouble?
For telling the truth?”
Lee Yeon darted a glance at Do-hyun.
“Oh, don’t worry about him.
He’s quiet and disinterested in everything.
He only came here because his grandfather is close with the Yeongsin family…”
As Jaeha casually patted Do-hyun on the shoulder, Do-hyun turned his head toward him.
For a fleeting moment, Do-hyun and Lee Yeon’s eyes collided midair.
Her chest tightened.
This was their first meeting without her disguise, and it made her nervous.
And yet, for some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to look away.
Dohyun’s brow furrowed slightly then he turned away.
He even shifted a step aside, as though trying to put distance between them.
And just like that, their brief staring contest ended in Yeon’s victory.
He hadn’t recognised her.
Thank goodness.
But then… why did he frown?
Convincing herself it was meaningless, Lee Yeon was about to suggest to Hayul that they move to another table when suddenly Hayul slapped his hand down on the table.
“I only have two friends, so I don’t have many people I can ask.
And this guy here?
He may look strong, but he’s actually softhearted.
I worry he’ll get tangled up with bad people.
I need to step away for a while… could you watch over him for me?”
“What are you talking about?
I’ll be fine on my own!”
Lee Yeon was thoroughly confused.
Had he really dragged her here because he was afraid?
And if he was lying, what would happen if Do-hyun discovered it?
Would he demand their marriage end right then and there?
Please, just stop.
“How can you just leave your ‘softie’ with us?
How do you know we can be trusted?”
Thanks to Im Hayul, everything was falling apart.
And what was with Softie?
Even her image was starting to crumble.
Jaeha, playing along all too well, suddenly seemed equally irritating.
The two of them had an infuriating rhythm together.
“Sorry, but I trust the Vice President more than I trust you.
Anyway, I’ve really got to go…”
With that, Hayul gave Jaeha a shove, then pushed Lee Yeon’s back as well.
Jaeha stumbled backward.
Lee Yeon’s body tilted forward straight toward Do-hyun.
Dohyun’s eyes widened as she stumbled into him.
Both she and Jaeha let out startled cries.
By the time they looked back, Hayul was already far across the room, waving goodbye.
Instinctively, Lee Yeon clutched at Dohyun’s forearm with both hands to keep from falling.
Once she regained her balance, Do-hyun briskly shook her off and fixed her with a cold stare.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
His eyes, looking at her as though she were a stranger, were icy.
So this was him being friendly by his standards?
“ I-I’m sorry.”
“She didn’t do it on purpose,” Jaeha said quickly.
“Your friend pushed her.”
Then he tilted his head, half serious, half teasing.
“But honestly, don’t you think your friend has some personality issues?
I mean, who shoves me aside just to throw her at you?”
“…Sometimes I wonder the same thing.”
Still annoyed that Hayul had literally tossed her at Do-hyun, Lee Yeon agreed.
“You two shouldn’t be standing so close,” Jaeha said, grinning.
“This guy’s married.
Whereas I’m single and available.”
With a cheerful smile, he stepped between them.
They hadn’t really been that close, but perhaps Jaeha was making it clear to her: Do-hyun is taken.
Not that she heard any of it.
She was too busy trembling, terrified he’d recognise her.
Her fingers fidgeted restlessly.
She stole nervous glances at him, but Do-hyun didn’t spare her so much as a glance.
He really hadn’t realised.
Thank goodness.
It was a relief… but then why did a strange emptiness stir in her chest?
She had disguised herself because she didn’t want attention so why, of all people, did she crave it from him?
It was ridiculous.
Even if he knew, what would that change?
Yet, without meaning to, her eyes kept drifting back to him.
Maybe now she understood why women always wanted to look their best in front of the man they liked.
With a heavy sigh, Lee Yeon dropped her gaze to the floor.
You’re pathetic, Yoo Lee Yeon.
“Jaeha.
Aren’t you leaving?
You said we’d eat after this.”
“Why so stiff?
That personality-problem friend of yours asked me to watch over Softie here.
We should stay until she gets back.”
Softie.
Was he really going to keep calling her that?
Jaeha flashed her another warm smile, as though reassuring her.
But she could tell it wasn’t out of attraction.
This was simply his nature his easy manner with people.
Even when she had visited Dohyun’s office a few times, Jaeha had spoken to her just as casually.
So no, it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Perhaps it was because he was Dohyun’s friend that she instinctively trusted him.
Suddenly, Jaeha leaned closer, sniffing lightly.
“Excuse me, Yeonhee what perfume are you wearing?
It’s not a common scent, and it suits you perfectly.”
“Oh… I mix a few together, so maybe that’s why it seems uncommon.”
“Ah, I see.
Well, first I was struck by your looks, and now your scent has won me over a second time.
Honestly, leaving you alone would be dangerous.
Maybe that’s why Personality-Issues Girl entrusted you to us.
Just stay close by us.
Especially next to Dohyun people don’t usually dare approach him so casually.
She was actually pretty smart.”
Personality-Issues Girl.
Lee Yeon burst out laughing at the nickname for Hayul.
“But Softie, why do you look so familiar?
Have we met somewhere before?”
She should have instantly denied it.
But lying wasn’t her strength, so all she could do was mumble.
“Don’t you think so too, Do-hyun?”
Jaeha asked, turning toward him.
At the words familiar face, Lee Yeon’s cheeks tightened, her smile freezing.
“I never forget a face.
That’s why this is so strange… You look familiar.
Even your voice sounds like I’ve heard it somewhere…”
The moment she felt Dohyun’s face turning toward her, her lips went dry.
Hayul, where are you?
She looked around frantically until she spotted him at a distance, deep in conversation with people he called “family.”
He seemed to be making introductions.
Checking the time on her phone, she saw it was nearly ten.
And there was a message from Hayul:
[Iyeon, unexpected situation!
Not sure when I’ll get out they’re not letting me go.]
It was already late.
Maybe it was time for her Cinderella act to end earlier than planned.
[Then I’ll head out first.
Don’t worry about me finish up comfortably.]
After sending the text, she quickly grabbed her clutch.
Just then, Do-hyun put down his phone and told Jaeha, “I’m heading home.
As for her… wait until Personality-Issues Girl comes back.”
Wait no!
Panic struck her.
All her disguise supplies were in Hayul’s car.
If Do-hyun left first, she couldn’t possibly walk into the house looking like this.
Wigs and makeup she could replace at home, but walking through the front door like this?
Impossible.
“Wait!”
She stopped him in his tracks.
With a blank, unreadable face, Do-hyun turned.
“…Me?”
“Yes please, let me go first!
I want to leave before you!”
He must think she was insane.
But she didn’t care.
She just needed to escape.
“What are you?”
“Thank you for today!
Personality-Issues Girl will thank you too!
Now, please, have a safe trip home!”
Without waiting for a reply, she bolted from the building.
Thankfully, there was a taxi stand right in front, and she managed to hop in immediately.
She would reach home before Do-hyun.
Leaning back against the seat, she exhaled.
That dry, chilly gaze he’d turned on her was how starkly different it was from the shallow grins of other men.
Even if a famous actress walked by, Do-hyun wouldn’t so much as blink.
Of course.
He even kept that kind of distance from Jeonghee.
It had startled her when he’d brushed her hand away but now, thinking back, she felt oddly relieved.
At least he disliked other women touching him.
Really, was there another man like him?
Her heartbeat quickened as she closed her eyes.
“Vice President, there’s been a board meeting called for ten o’clock this morning.
I think we’ll need to postpone the weekly meeting.
What time should I reschedule it for?”
Early Monday morning, Lee Yeon hurried into Dohyun’s office with the news.
His eyes travelled slowly over her, from the crown of her head down to her toes.
As always, she had carefully hidden her body beneath loose clothing.
But Do-hyun had already seen the silhouette she kept concealed.
And now, whenever he looked at her, he couldn’t help but imagine the slender limbs tucked away beneath
that fabric.
“Vice President?
Should we push the weekly meeting to this afternoon, or to tomorrow?”
“Move it to two o’clock.”
“Yes, understood.”
But something else unsettled him.
The woman from last week’s event, Softie, or Yeonhee, or whatever her name was, he couldn’t shake how much she reminded him of Lee Yeon.
It was absurd.
And yet, the question kept surfacing in his mind.
