“What are you doing here, Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin?”

Tae Hong’s eyes twisted fiercely, lightly ignoring Hae Jin’s question.

“I thought I clearly told you to go home.”

“Well, that’s…”

I couldn’t say that although I had wanted to leave early more than anyone, I couldn’t bring myself to go. I couldn’t even say I had waited, wrapped up in loyalty, responsibility, and lingering affection.

“Perhaps I waited to see this spectacle.”

Even after saying it, I was surprised by my own words that came out unexpectedly, but Tae Hong just quietly looked down at her.

“With people watching, it seems unwise to keep standing here. I’ve parked the car in front, so it might be best to go to the car first.”

Returning to her role as dedicated assistant, Hae Jin tugged on the arm she was still holding.

Tae Hong, much larger than Hae Jin, moved as she pulled. Obediently following Hae Jin’s hand that seemed less than half the size of his own palm.

Even at that moment, Hae Jin surveyed the surroundings. There were no pedestrians due to the late hour, just a few CCTVs.

Wondering how to handle this, her eyes examined Tae Hong’s hand. His hand, larger than hers, was stained with dried blood and blood that had not yet clotted.

“I’ll go buy some medicine at the nearby convenience store.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I’m worried about you.”

Was it because of seeing the blood? Hae Jin’s nerves were on edge. When buying new clothes, no, when trying to make him leave early, she should have been suspicious. This was beyond just ‘moderate’.

“I’ll be right back, so please don’t cause any more trouble today.”

She tried to suppress her heightened nerves as much as possible. Was someone hurt? And it was her superior she was serving. She was assigned to prevent accidents, yet there was blood on the very first day.

Hae Jin ran to the hotel lobby. Tae Hong’s gaze followed Hae Jin as she ran gracefully in her well-fitted suit.

This really isn’t necessary.

He glanced at the blood slowly drying on his hand, then fixed his gaze back on Hae Jin. As her figure disappeared into the hotel, only then did he feel a stinging sensation on the back of his hand.

Tae Hong has a half-sister about 8 years younger. Though they didn’t grow up together, he knew his father had provided a lot of material support.

It’s like covering your eyes and saying you can’t see. Though she wasn’t officially registered, rumors had already spread far and wide.

He kept a moderate distance and didn’t pay much attention. He thought his father would surely manage things well enough without his involvement.

The dirty rumors that reached his ears were commonplace in this field, so he didn’t think much of them. However, if someone had deliberately approached with Yeonchang Group as their target, that was a different story.

Especially Park Seo Woo, known for his bad habits. He was the type to throw things when he couldn’t control his emotions. He seemed ready to charge in angrily from the start, but the power of Yeonchang as a brand was formidable before him.

Unable to do anything, he couldn’t control his momentary anger and threw what he was holding. Unfortunately, some debris flew and scratched my hand, but in the end, I managed to pacify him well. At least by my standards.

But why make such a pitiful face over this small injury? In the end, as Jung Hae Jin came to mind again at the end of his thoughts, he felt irritated.

Jung Hae Jin, an annoying presence from the morning.

At some point, the driver’s door opened. A fresh scent unsuited to the dim dawn stimulated his nostrils.

Is it going to rain? The fresh scent softened his mood considerably.

“Team Leader, are you sleeping?”

Unable to see his face because of his arm, Hae Jin debated whether to wake him or not. Looking closely, she could see drops of blood that hadn’t fallen still hanging from his hand.

“If you’re sleeping, I’ll take care of the treatment myself.”

She spoke louder than usual in case her voice might wake him, but Tae Hong didn’t move at all. Judging that he was fast asleep, she quickly moved her hands.

At the hotel, she had managed to obtain first aid supplies by making some excuses.

Hae Jin carefully began disinfecting Tae Hong’s wound. It must surely hurt, even the observer’s brow furrowed involuntarily, so it must be worse for the injured person.

Without realizing it, she blew gently on the area where she had applied the disinfectant. After wiping with the disinfectant, the exact location of the wound became visible. Hae Jin quickly applied a bandage.

“I wonder if we should go to the hospital.”

She muttered to herself while checking for wounds elsewhere. It was at that moment.

“Going to the hospital for this much would be embarrassing.”

“Ahh! You scared me.”

Hae Jin seemed genuinely startled as her body swayed and was about to fall backwards. His long arm, awake at some point, wrapped around Hae Jin’s waist and pulled her. Their chests pressed together in the narrow car.

“You, you weren’t asleep?”

His firm chest collided with hers. Their breaths could be felt clearly, they were so close. Too close, she needed to pull away, but she felt a subtle force on her captured waist.

A heat rose, perhaps due to their close breaths or the warming air in the car. A moment of silence passed. The breaths of the one looking down and the one avoiding his gaze intertwined.

In the hot air, it felt like they would ignite if they got any closer. She wished someone would cool down this situation quickly. She didn’t want him to see her embarrassment as well.

“I might have fallen asleep, or I might not have.”

Tae Hong gave an ambiguous answer as he released her waist. Hae Jin quickly sat in the driver’s seat, pressing her back firmly against the door. It was a perfect defensive posture, just short of crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“If, if you were awake, you should have said something!”

Even as she spoke sharply, her eyes kept checking Tae Hong’s wound. Sensing her gaze, Tae Hong waved his hand with the character bandage on it.

“You were blowing on it so well, hoo-hoo.”

This jerk, he was awake the whole time. The image of herself blowing on his hand just minutes ago flashed through her mind. The warming air became burdensome and she wanted to escape quickly.

“Where, where’s your home?”

Her stumbling words betrayed her flustered state. A chuckle was heard, but she vowed once again not to turn her head in that direction.

Tae Hong didn’t give his home address. Instead, he manipulated the navigation a few times and entered an address saved under “Home”.

“I really ended up being a designated driver after all.”

“It’s fine. I’m supposed to act as your assistant as well, Team Leader.”

Robot-like, stiff formal words burst out. Wanting to hide her reddened face, wanting to erase his lingering hot touch from her mind, she drew a line herself.

This emotional deviation that suddenly occurred had to end here.

“Alright. Work hard.”

Tae Hong spoke gently yet nonchalantly as he turned his head towards the window reflecting the night view.

“Fortunately, no reporters or police entered separately, I’m told.”

She had discreetly checked earlier while borrowing emergency supplies at the lobby. An employee who had seen her leave with Tae Hong had tipped her off. There were no separate measures taken by the other party, they said.

“I’m telling you there’s no need to worry.”

“Reporters and police. A well-matched pair, maybe I should have made the news while I was at it.”

What a thing to say. Those words of yours endanger my high-paying job. Hae Jin gripped the steering wheel tightly, glancing at Tae Hong before trying to focus on driving again.

“Your thorough professionalism even found out unnecessary things.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Do you have separate connections with reporters and police after all? This is Yeonchang Group, after all. Even when working at her father’s company, a certain level of lobbying and connections were essential. If anything, it would be more, not less.

Just as she was indulging in her own imagination, Tae Hong slightly lowered the window. Cold air swept through the car.

“Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin, how do you think it would be if you had an older brother?”

From earlier, he keeps asking personal questions, and now he’s telling me to imagine a non-existent brother. His questions were strange.

“It would be reassuring, I guess?”

Looking at friends with older brothers, some had someone to pick them up late at night, and she had heard stories of brothers who gave pocket money from time to time.

“Reassuring, huh.”

“Wouldn’t they call at times like this asking where you are?”

It was past midnight. The now-empty roads spoke for themselves.

“Sounds like you’re indirectly saying I couldn’t leave work.”

He chuckled. The atmosphere that seemed rigid and without a single crack began to soften a bit.

“I’ll say it again, I told you to go home. It was Assistant Manager Jung who waited.”

That was true, so she couldn’t argue. He had urged her to leave with teasing words, but it was her who chose a different direction.

The scenes of the day floated haphazardly in her mind, but in the end, they all converged on one point – she had chosen to wait.

“I’m not complaining about not being able to leave work.”

“Of course you shouldn’t.”

The atmosphere, once loosened, relaxed a bit more. His more comfortable posture was telling, and his more leisurely voice was informing.

A human side of him that was unlike his usual rigid and unpredictable self was showing.

“It would be unconscionable to complain.”

In one second, her thoughts changed. Human? She had misjudged him, and badly at that. She wondered if she had waited for nothing. Aish, maybe she should have just gone home and slept.

“But why did you get hurt?”

A primal curiosity arose. Only his hand was injured, everywhere else was fine. His clothes weren’t wrinkled or wet anywhere.

“Well…”

Uncharacteristically, he was being sparing with his words. She wondered if she had asked something she shouldn’t have.

It could be entirely personal. She was about to decide not to ask any more questions as it felt like crossing a line, but Tae Hong was quicker.

“Let’s say I was playing the role of an older brother.”

The role of an older brother. Was this related to what he said earlier about a younger sister? His odd questions from before came to mind. Thinking this too must be personal, Hae Jin refrained from saying more.

The air outside the window further loosened the already relaxed atmosphere. Tae Hong’s gaze slowly moved from the bandage on his hand to Hae Jin, who was focused on driving.

The blood that had now stopped would be hardened. But unlike the hardened blood, his nerves kept moving towards her, not at all rigid.

The fresh dawn breeze coming through the open window ruffled Hae Jin’s hair. A fresh scent from her tousled hair caressed his nose.

It was that scent he had smelled in that moment when they were close earlier. An illusion of growing interest, of his gaze constantly drawn to her, arose.

He quickly opened the car window. Trying to let go of unnecessary illusions.