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Chapter 37
The meeting ended sooner than expected.
Everyone was busy, and since filming wasn’t finished, there wasn’t much time to spare. Most of the key points seemed to have already been wrapped up. Shaking hands with the person in charge, Yoon-jae said:
“Next time, the person in charge will come.”
Everyone understood that he meant Eun-se.
With that, the short schedule ended, and the two of them left the studio.
“Should I just take you home?”
She was already standing in front of the driver’s seat, clearly intending to see things through to the end.
But Yoon-jae checked the time and gave a different answer.
“To the airport.”
“The airport? Why?”
“I have another engagement out of town.”
It was a more considerate answer than expected, enough to glean quite a bit.
So from here, he’s going to do his own work?
His real work, which only came after cleaning up Eun-se’s matters. It didn’t seem right to call it overwork—maybe just unnecessary meddling.
Yeah, meddling.
Shaking off the thought of her own nosy curiosity, she added a word before climbing into the car.
“If you’re coming back today, I’ll come to meet you.”
Then, as his doubtful gaze turned her way, she quickly added:
“Since I’m your secretary for the day.”
A one-day secretary—somehow it had become her perfect excuse.
Once inside, as she entered the destination into the navigation, Yoon-jae studied her silently before asking:
“What do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you’d do it cheap.”
He was echoing her words from a few hours ago. Realizing what he meant, she blinked in surprise.
“Are you actually planning to give me something?”
“Depends what it is.”
The invisible line he always kept so firmly seemed almost visible in front of them.
But her mind was already spinning greedily.
Money? A car? A house?
She wet her lips as if weighing the most material, worldly desires. Of course, Ha Yoon-jae would never agree to any of that.
After a brief pause, she lifted her hand from the navigation and gripped the wheel instead. After a guilty little hesitation, she finally spoke.
“Just say thank you.”
“…What?”
“A thank-you.”
When Yoon-jae looked puzzled, she continued more seriously than expected.
“Tell me I did well. That I was helpful. That I was someone you needed.”
For a fleeting moment, a soft breeze passed between them. She caught the natural flow of air and brightened.
Perhaps, in some way, she wanted to hear that she had value. Maybe if she had value, her shallow roots could finally reach deeper into the ground.
But the man who kept his mouth sealed too tightly wasn’t one to grant such a wish so easily. She gave a small laugh and shrugged her shoulders.
“Forget it. I was just—”
“Thank you.”
Before her shrug even settled, his plain voice cut in.
“I mean it.”
It was far more sincere than a hundred or a thousand fancy words could have been. Her chest ached faintly at the sound. Maybe it was just her desperate need for recognition being satisfied, but her heart felt oddly soft and warm.
She bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too wide, then straightened and started the car.
“Just relax a bit. Take a nap if you want.”
It felt like the right thing to say.
He could hear the slight tremor in her voice, but Yoon-jae didn’t call her out. Instead, he slipped back into his usual indifferent tone.
“I’m fine.”
“Relax, I’m not going to bite. Don’t you know staying up late and waking up early makes you age faster?”
It was half-joke, half-serious. She eased the car smoothly onto the road.
“I’ll get you there safely, Executive Director.”
As if she really were his secretary. Though in truth, no real secretary of Ha Yoon-jae had ever dared to say such a thing.
Naturally, he had no intention of sleeping. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d dozed outside his home.
He didn’t answer, just turned his gaze to the window. She didn’t push, focusing instead on the road.
“……”
An unusual silence stretched between them.
The road to the airport was longer than expected, with little traffic. The cabin filled only with their faint breaths and the settled hush of the air.
Come to think of it, this was the first time he hadn’t been working while riding in a car.
For someone always drowning in work, every minute mattered—even during transit, he was usually buried in documents or phone calls.
But now, the passenger seat gave him a wider view than the back ever did. The passing scenery spread out before him, strangely soothing.
The steady hum of the car wasn’t true silence, but it was more calming than quiet itself.
The inevitable vibrations of the moving vehicle offered comfort.
And most of all, there was the inexplicable sense of trust in the person beside him.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that this was what comfort felt like.
The wide view blurred, dimmed, and turned black.
“……”
While focusing on the drive, she glanced sideways and lifted the corner of her lips.
Yoon-jae had closed his eyes. Whether he was just resting or truly asleep, she could tell he felt at ease.
[Thank you.]
His words replayed in her mind.
[I mean it.]
Zzt.
A sharp, inexplicable tremor ran through her. She shivered, but thankfully the car didn’t sway.
Yoon-jae woke only as the car neared the airport, when the jolts of the road grew stronger.
Seeing his furrowed brows, she guessed he was awake.
“We’re almost here.”
But he didn’t open his eyes, answering nothing. His frown, then, was part of his dream.
Even asleep, he frowns…
Who was he scolding in that dream? The thought bothered her.
She stole a few more glances. Then his lips moved.
“Not yet…”
The voice was soft but clear in the small car.
A dream he spoke out loud must have been vivid. Her curiosity piqued; she listened closer.
“…Don’t go.”
Her eyes widened at the tender, pained tone.
And then, unbidden, she remembered:
[No matter how hard you try, being second will always mean just that.]
Hye-won’s words echoed, shattering the calm. The car sped up abruptly.
Flash.
The jolt woke Yoon-jae. He straightened himself, startled.
“Did I—”
Was he really about to admit he’d slept? She answered before he could.
“You were out cold. Dreaming and everything.”
“What?”
“We’ve arrived.”
His reply came low, clipped.
She didn’t know why he sounded so curt, but by then the car was already rolling into the airport parking lot.
She parked near the terminal and spoke first before he could ask.
“I’ll walk you in.”
She could have just dropped him at the entrance, but coming all the way here meant she wanted to see him off.
Even turning off the engine and unbuckling her belt made it look serious.
“As your secretary?”
She seemed determined to see her role through to the end.
“No.”
Her voice was firm as she shook her head.
“Let’s just say—as your wife.”
The words carried sharp thorns.
Whether the real wife existed or not remained uncertain. But just thinking about it angered her—herself, for caring; the situation, for reminding her of it.
She flung the door open.
Cool air rushed in, soothing her heated thoughts.
Outside, the airport came alive in full view.
Planes in the sky, travelers wheeling suitcases, the buzz of excitement everywhere.
To her, though, the noise only made her heart pound faster.
Thump, thump.
So hard it felt like others could hear it too.
Am I really this upset?
Embarrassed by the strange rhythm, she rubbed her neck—then noticed sweat pooling in her palm.
Confused by this unfamiliar state, she didn’t notice Yoon-jae had walked over until he spoke.
“Joo Ae-jung.”
He must have noticed her pale face since the car.
Not wanting him to see her discomfort, she hid her damp hand behind her back and shrugged.
“Let’s go.”
Luckily, the bright sunlight gave her pale face some color again.
Without further words, they headed toward the terminal. She, usually so talkative, stayed quiet. Yoon-jae, of course, wasn’t one to chatter.
Inside, the airport atmosphere thickened.
Flight attendants passing by, announcements overhead, crowds of travelers—it all made her stomach churn.
The strange reaction ran down her spine, but she did her best not to show it.
Can’t look weak.
Useless pride.
After finishing check-in, they stood at the domestic departure gate.
“Will you be back today?” she asked.
Trying her best to sound as lively as usual. Yoon-jae raised his ticket.
“I’ll be back on the 9 p.m. flight. No need to meet me.”
“That’s asking a lot. My secretary shift ends by then.”
Her usual spark was back, and for some reason, that reassured him.
He let out a faint, deflating laugh. She forced herself to smile back, easing the knot in her chest.
“Have a safe trip.”
A simple phrase, but not simple for them.
An unfamiliar line formed on his tongue—a phrase he’d mouthed politely before but never really meant.
“You’ll be late. Go on.”
But the next words never came. She nodded and let him go first.
Without even a “good work,” their conversation ended as he walked away.
She watched until he disappeared into the crowd, then slowly turned.
“……”
Her face had gone ghostly pale. Her body swayed, unsteady.
<…This flight is now boarding at Gate 3…>
The familiar airport announcement pierced her ears.
Her symptoms, held back until now, burst forth. Cold sweat drenched her back, her limbs tingled, her legs shook.
“…Ah!”
Her knees buckled. Just before she collapsed, someone caught her arm.
“Are you okay?”
A man in a neat suit, his voice polite, steadying her.
“Th-thank y—”
She tried to thank him, but the words stuck in her throat.
Because in that moment, it felt like an invisible hand was gripping her neck.
[This damn woman dares to ignore me?]
A lie. Fake. Hallucination.
She knew that. Yet the moment she touched the stranger, she couldn’t move at all.
Thud.
“Hey! Excuse me! Somebody—someone’s fainted over here!”
