Chapter 16
“Min Seon-yeong.”
Yunseo stood up.
Wasn’t she not supposed to come here? She bit her lip, let out a low sigh, and looked Seon-yeong straight in the eye.
“I don’t care what you do, whether it’s art or anything else. But I hope you never call me aside like this again.”
“Oh, why are you acting like this over a small mistake? I said I’m sorry.”
Seon-yeong glared at Yunseo with a face that showed no remorse at all, leaving Yunseo with even less to say.
“Alright. I accept your apology. I’ll take my leave now. I should probably change my clothes quickly.”
“Since it’s already like this, just sit down. I’m lonely, you know? And you know how important this sculpture is. That’s why Seungwoo oppa specifically urged me to make it well.”
That was probably because she was the president’s friend. After all, he was meticulous and thorough by nature.
“Then you should inform the president yourself.”
“Are you really going to leave? That’s mean. I already apologized. You took Seungwoo oppa from me and didn’t say a word, but I—”
Seon-yeong’s true feelings came out.
Yunseo quietly stood and looked at her.
At first, she had felt a little scared, but not anymore. Now, it seemed childish and even laughable.
“I worked so hard on Seungwoo oppa. I tried so much to make him mine, and yet, someone like you—without money, without a proper family, and unattractive—takes him? Huh? Less money, less status, and ugly too!”
Yunseo couldn’t help but snicker at the last words.
“You’re laughing? Do you find me funny?”
“Yes. Less money, less family status, and unattractive… Appearance is subjective, but some might think I’m unattractive too.”
Yunseo spoke calmly to Seon-yeong, who was shouting in anger.
“But so what? Jeong Seungwoo and I are married. Listing all these conditions doesn’t change the result.”
“What did you say?”
“If you called me here just to say things like this, I think you chose poorly. I may not have money or a high-status family, but I have guts. I don’t get intimidated by this kind of thing.”
Deciding it wasn’t worth saying more, Yunseo turned and left.
She ignored Seon-yeong’s shouts from behind asking why she was leaving.
If Yunseo hadn’t been there, could this woman have gotten anywhere with Seungwoo?
No. Yunseo thought the woman Seungwoo wanted was quiet, a girl who could exist in the background, just letting him know they were married.
Seon-yeong failed in every aspect.
Only after leaving the room did Yunseo realize she had been comparing herself to Seon-yeong and feeling superior because Seungwoo would never choose her.
So it’s the same.
A hollow laugh escaped her.
Neither she nor Seon-yeong would gain Seungwoo’s attention. She was simply less bothersome than Seon-yeong. Even knowing that.
Rather than feeling victorious, Yunseo felt miserable.
A strong smell hit her nose.
The harsh scent of whiskey coming from Seon-yeong’s skirt.
‘I can’t go back in right now.’
She couldn’t bring the smell of alcohol into the secretary office. Yunseo went to the far end of the 25th floor, where there was a large terrace garden.
She stepped out onto the terrace, waiting for the whiskey scent to dissipate in the chilly air, her skin prickling.
‘What a mess this turned out to be.’
She sat on a bench, and after checking that the clothes had dried enough, stood up. She could cover the remaining smell with perfume.
But the moment she stepped back into the hallway, she saw a familiar shadow.
It was Director Han Juseok.
He was walking quickly, trying to be quiet, which was slightly unusual. Yunseo instinctively hid around a corner.
‘25th floor? What’s going on here?’
Was he planning something harmful to Seungwoo, or was he just working? She needed to see where he was headed.
Han Juseok’s footsteps grew closer. Yunseo could hear her own heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears, almost fearing it would alert him.
She held her breath as Juseok passed the corner where she was hiding and walked away.
Thankfully, he hadn’t noticed her.
She peeked around and saw him knocking on a room door. Her eyes widened.
‘2503.’
The room Seon-yeong was in just moments ago.
‘Probably a favor for the president,’ she thought.
Even so, she didn’t look away.
The door opened.
“Come in.”
Seon-yeong spoke. She seemed to have known Juseok was coming. Yunseo noticed that she spoke casually, so she wondered if they were close.
“I didn’t tell the president I was coming,” Juseok said.
“Then go ahead.”
Yunseo’s eyes widened.
The door closed, so she couldn’t hear the rest.
Why was Juseok secretly meeting Seon-yeong? Did something happen between them? Was it related to a plan against the president?
But could Min Seon-yeong, who had shown such shallow jealousy toward her, ever agree to harm the president? If so, why?
Her heart pounded again. Yunseo picked up her phone. She debated whether to inform Seungwoo immediately, but just reporting that Juseok had met Seon-yeong wouldn’t help.
Juseok was clever enough to cover his reasons, and Seungwoo might even suspect Yunseo of following him.
‘Who am I doing this for?’
The thought drained her.
So why did I break that pair of glasses? It would have solved everything.
As she turned to leave, exhausted, she suddenly gasped.
“Oh my!”
Two men were standing behind her. Yunseo was so shocked she almost fell over.
She had been tense from Juseok’s sudden appearance, and then, as she relaxed, she saw someone else and panicked.
“What are you doing?”
Seungwoo appeared with the facilities manager and frowned at her rough tumble.
“Ah, no… why… why are you here all of a sudden?”
“And why is Secretary Choi here? Aren’t you on duty?”
“I’m not.”
“Then go back to your post.”
Seungwoo turned to leave but noticed Yunseo struggling to get up and stopped.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing, I’m trying to get up.”
She clutched her swollen ankle, which was beginning to swell badly.
What a ridiculous sight.
Seungwoo looked at the facilities manager.
“You go ahead. We’ll inspect again later.”
“Yes, sir,” the manager said respectfully and walked away.
“I… I’m fine. Really…”
Yunseo felt like crying. Even with Min Seon-yeong, she hadn’t shed a tear. In six years—five as a secretary and one married—this was the first time she’d felt such helplessness.
“Get up.”
Then something unexpected happened.
Seungwoo lowered himself and offered his arm to her.
“What?!”
“Having an employee fall like this—what a sight for the guests,” he said, though she guessed the real reason.
Yunseo gritted her teeth and took his arm, standing up.
She didn’t want to, but her body leaned toward him. She barely managed to straighten up and tried to step away.
Suddenly, he grabbed her shoulder firmly.
“Se… sir?”
“I can’t leave you like this.”
Yunseo could have leaned fully on him for comfort, but she tried to stand on her own, making it hard even for Seungwoo to move while supporting her.
“Let me go, for now.”
He gently set her down.
Good. I wish he’d just ignored me. She thought that for a brief moment.
Seungwoo crouched in front of her.
“Piggyback.”
“Huh?”
Yunseo’s face twisted in real-time.
“Sir, you don’t have to. Please don’t. Really, don’t do this.”
Her voice almost trembling with tears.
But Seungwoo didn’t move.
It wasn’t an easy decision. He couldn’t leave her alone, and she refused support, so he resorted to his final option.
“Piggyback, come on.”
“Sir…”
“Should I carry you?”
At that, Yunseo finally leaned against him.
The moment his solid back touched her, regret surged.
I’m crazy… why am I being carried? I should’ve insisted on going alone.
While she thought all this, Seungwoo lifted her into the air, holding her legs tightly with his arms.
As he started walking, her legs swung in the air.
“Sir, I think I can walk now. Please put me down, I can manage. My legs suddenly feel stronger.”
Her plea was earnest, but his reply was firm.
“Your ankle’s swollen like an elephant’s. What are you talking about?”
“It’s not an elephant,” she muttered softly.
Seungwoo tightened his hold around her legs silently, forcing her to cling to his neck.
