Jae Yi started screaming like someone half out of their mind.

“Let… go! I said let go!”

Along with the man’s rough breathing, a familiar voice was soon heard.

“Han Jae Yi, get a hold of yourself.”

At the sound of Geon Hak’s voice from behind, Jae Yi’s struggling body suddenly stopped, and she slowly turned her head.

When her eyes met Cha Geon Hak’s, tears flowed endlessly from Jae Yi’s eyes as the tension drained away.

“Hic…”

Geon Hak furrowed his brow at the sight of Jae Yi stained with sweat and tears.

“…Han Jae Yi.”

As tears streamed down Jae Yi’s eyes, Geon Hak’s heart ached.

When he released the arms that had been tightly holding her from behind, Jae Yi quickly turned and threw her arms around Geon Hak’s neck.

Seeming to have been frightened, Jae Yi burst into bitter tears.

“Jae Yi.”

“Hic…”

When she came home late, Geon Hak had waited for Jae Yi outside because he was worried about her.

Feeling that Han Jae Yi’s sudden dash out was strange, Geon Hak had simply run to catch her.

“It’s okay. It’s okay now.”

“Sob… I thought you weren’t the executive director.”

“…”

“S-so…”

“Who did you mistake me for?”

“Park… Tae In…”

Geon Hak furrowed his brow and tightly embraced Jae Yi as she cried bitterly.

In that short time, her back was drenched in sweat from how much she had trembled in fear.

* * *

Los Angeles, USA.

“What is this?”

“Why is this happening. I feel like I’m the only bad guy. Who started preparing for the breakup first? It’s not for someone who made rumors into truth to say.”

“I’ll leave then.”

The man sneered as if dumbfounded.

“Do you know what they call people like you? Emotionally deprived. It means an unstable person who didn’t receive enough affection from their parents as a child.”

Su Ah laughed at the man’s attitude.

“Emotionally deprived? I don’t have anything like that.”

The corners of the man’s mouth curled up unpleasantly.

“Where will you go now? Are you going back to Executive Director Cha?”

“Mind your own business.”

“But what can you do? It seems like it’s already too late.”

Su Ah furrowed her brow.

“There’s a rumor going around that Executive Director Cha has a woman now. Why don’t you stop shaking things up? It’s pitiful.”

“…What did you just say?”

* * *

When Jae Yi entered the house in Geon Hak’s arms, the startled Mrs. Kim made a fuss.

Then she hurriedly brought out the first aid kit.

Geon Hak, who was looking at Jae Yi, also furrowed his brow.

It was too dark to see well, but her condition was serious.

Her knee was torn more than expected, bleeding a lot, and the wound was deep.

“Sigh. Let’s just go to the hospital.”

“What hospital for this much? I’m fine.”

“How is this fine?”

Geon Hak took out the cell phone he had put in his pocket and called somewhere.

Jae Yi’s eyes met Ye Na’s, who was peeking from around the corner.

Ye Na’s large eyes filled with tears, as if Jae Yi looked to be in a lot of pain.

“Sister…”

“Yes, Ye Na. Sister is fine. It doesn’t hurt at all. Can you come blow on it?”

Ye Na moved her body from the corner and approached Jae Yi. Then she started blowing on Jae Yi’s knee.

“Sister. Lots of blood. Must hurt.”

“Sister doesn’t hurt at all.”

“Really?”

Jae Yi nodded.

“Ye Na. Can you bring the first aid kit closer to sister?”

“Yes.”

As Ye Na brought the first aid kit closer to Jae Yi, Jae Yi started slowly wiping away the blood with cotton soaked in alcohol.

“Blow, blow.”

Ye Na stuck close to Jae Yi’s side and blew.

Jae Yi started wiping away the blood with a face that said it didn’t hurt at all.

Geon Hak, who was on the phone, furrowed his brow at the sight of Jae Yi treating herself alone.

“What are you doing now?”

“It’s fine. This much. So hang up the phone, Executive Director.”

“There are other things to be stubborn about. Right now…”

He was about to burst out in anger but held back because of Ye Na next to him and said:

“Don’t do that and wait. I’ll call Dr. Kim.”

“It’s fine. First, I’ll treat it and if it hurts I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow.”

At Jae Yi’s adamant attitude, Geon Hak roughly ruffled his hair and continued his call.

“Dr. Kim, you don’t need to come. Yes. Thank you.”

Geon Hak hung up and strode over to Jae Yi. Then he knelt on one knee and looked at Jae Yi’s wound.

“You didn’t go to the hospital last time until you collapsed, and now you’re doing this again.”

“I’m really fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.”

As Jae Yi kept smiling as if she was fine, Geon Hak let out a deep sigh.

“Okay, so stop forcing yourself to smile.”

Sighs kept escaping from Geon Hak’s mouth.

The two of them stood by Jae Yi’s side as if worried about her. She was grateful that there were people who cared about her this much.

Jae Yi smiled as she looked at the two of them. Rather, the two of them looked like they were in more pain.

Seong Kyung placed warm water and a cloth on the table, and Geon Hak said:

“I’m sorry, but could you put Ye Na to bed tonight, Mrs. Kim?”

“Of course. Ye Na, auntie will tuck you in tonight.”

Even Ye Na, who would normally refuse, nodded obediently after seeing Jae Yi’s condition. Ye Na looked at Jae Yi while holding Seong Kyung’s hand.

“Don’t hurt, sister. Ye Na go sleep.”

“Okay. Have sweet dreams, our Ye Na.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go, Ye Na.”

Even as she climbed the stairs to the second floor holding Mrs. Kim’s hand, Ye Na’s gaze was directed at Jae Yi.

Soon only the two of them were left in the living room, and Geon Hak let out a deep sigh as he looked at Jae Yi’s wound.

“Let’s clean it first and then treat it.”

He rolled up his sleeves and dipped the cloth in the warm water Mrs. Kim had left earlier.

As the white cloth became soaked, he wrung it out tightly.

Geon Hak, who had been wringing out the water so much that the veins in his forearms bulged, folded the cloth in half and slowly began to wipe Jae Yi’s wounded knee.

“Tell me if it hurts. Don’t hold it in.”

“Okay.”

“Sigh, you’re good at answering at least.”

His rough hands began to move slowly.

Jae Yi quietly watched as Geon Hak treated her knee.

Earlier she had felt like she was going to faint from shock.

She had ended up showing her terrified face, screaming loudly in front of him.

At the thought that Park Tae In had followed her all the way here, her mind had simply gone blank. It was a dark night, and she lost her senses thinking that no one would help her.

“You got hurt because of me again.”

Jae Yi, who had been lost in thought for a moment, looked at Geon Hak.

“Why because of you, Executive Director? It was because of me.”

Geon Hak sighed.

“I’m sorry. For hurting you.”

“Executive Director.”

“I’m just sorry for everything. I feel like I’ve done something bad to you, Han Jae Yi.”

Various emotions bloomed in Geon Hak’s eyes as he looked up at Jae Yi.

Throughout the treatment, Geon Hak showed an expression as if he was in more pain than Jae Yi.

* * *

Cha Myeong Group.

Jae Yi looked at her knee.

Fortunately, after a week had passed, a scab had formed on the wound on her knee, and it didn’t hurt much anymore.

It took longer to heal than usual because of how badly she had fallen.

So for the past few days, Jae Yi had been treated like a princess by Geon Hak and Ye Na at home.

When Jae Yi tried to move, the two of them showed fantastic teamwork, becoming Jae Yi’s arms and legs.

When she reached for water to drink, Geon Hak gave her water first, and when Jae Yi tried to climb the stairs, he picked her up and carried her to her room.

Even though her arms weren’t injured, Jae Yi gained a lot of weight during the week because Geon Hak and Ye Na put side dishes on top of her rice every time she ate.

She still wanted to pretend to be sick, but because of the two people who had worked so hard for the past few days, she couldn’t pretend to be sick anymore.

Jae Yi, who had turned her head to the monitor, moved her gaze.

“Ah, I don’t want to!”

Su Bin’s irritated voice was heard from beside her.

“Why me? I told you I’m too busy to move, Manager Im.”

Manager Im’s desperate voice could be heard from the other end of the call. It seemed like something urgent had come up, given how loudly he was speaking for even Jae Yi to hear.

“I have to send an email by 3 o’clock too, so I can’t move. I have my own work to do. If it’s really urgent, I’ll send it by quick service.”

The busy Su Bin quickly pressed the end call button and focused on organizing data.

Ring, ring.

Su Bin’s cell phone rang mercilessly again.

Su Bin flipped the phone over in annoyance.

“Chief, is there some kind of problem?”

Su Bin said, looking at Jae Yi.

“We’re at an advertisement filming location now, but they left behind an important document. I mean, why are they asking me to do this? Really.”

Jae Yi looked around, worried that someone might hear.

“Maybe they asked because you’re on the same team? Which person’s advertisement filming is it?”

“Im Da Na’s advertisement filming.”

“Ah. You mean the advertisement filming in Ilsan?”

“Yes. Anyway, this is why Manager Im is a problem. How can he make so many mistakes?”

“Seeing how he keeps calling, it seems like a really important document. I’ll go.”

Su Bin looked at Jae Yi’s leg.

“What Ilsan for someone with an injured leg? Forget it, just send it by quick service.”

“But it seems like an important matter, so I’ll go. And I’ll go straight home from there.”

“Really, Manager Im is always so careless. Sigh, wait. I’ll talk to him.”

* * *

Ilsan advertisement filming location.

Jae Yi, who got out of the taxi, looked around.

Just then, her cell phone rang and Jae Yi quickly answered.

“Yes, Manager. I’ve just arrived in front, where should I go?”

― Oh, Team Leader Han, you’re already here?

“Yes. I just arrived.”

― Thank you, really.

“It’s nothing. Where should I go?”

― First, come inside the filming set. Then Kim Deputy will be waiting. I’m busy now so I can’t talk long, but I’ll treat you to a big meal later.

As a voice calling for Manager Im was heard over the call, Jae Yi quickly said:

“Yes. You seem busy, so I’ll hang up now.”

As the call with Jin Seop ended, Jae Yi entered the filming set holding the document envelope.

She could see staff moving busily and the actress Im Da Na filming under bright lights. It was Jae Yi’s first time seeing an actual advertisement filming set, so her eyes moved back and forth.

Wow. Amazing.

The set was much bigger than she had thought.

“Jae Yi!”

At Kim Deputy’s voice, Jae Yi raised her hand.

“Deputy.”

“It must have been hard coming here. The traffic must have been bad, you worked hard.”

“It wasn’t hard, it’s fine…”

The smile on Jae Yi’s lips disappeared instantly.

Her whole body froze at the sight of the man standing behind Kim Deputy.

As Jae Yi’s expression quickly darkened, Kim Deputy turned his head. Then he looked at Tae In standing behind him.

“Ah. You were surprised because of Park Tae In. Well, Park Tae In’s real appearance is no joke, right?”

“……”

Jae Yi stiffened without answering.

Kim Deputy laughed, thinking Jae Yi was speechless from being surprised by Tae In’s real appearance.

“Then Jae Yi. I’m busy so I’ll go first, take your time looking around. Tae In, good work.”

“Yes.”

As Kim Deputy disappeared, the two’s gazes clashed.

“…It’s been a while, noona.”