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Chapter 9
“…Huh? What’s going on?”
A startled woman’s voice echoed in the darkness.
Dohyun spoke calmly so she wouldn’t panic.
“Looks like a power outage. Are you alright?”
“Huh? Oh… yes. But… why isn’t the light turning on…?”
He heard her fumbling along the wall, as if trying to find the emergency button. But it didn’t seem to be working, and her trembling voice betrayed her unease.
“Let me try.”
Dohyun slowly approached, careful not to alarm her.
At that moment, her breathing grew ragged.
Hoo—hoo—hoo—
The short, rapid breaths made him ask gently,
“Are you… afraid of the dark?”
“…I have… claustrophobia.”
Her low, shaking voice carried unmistakable fear.
“Just a moment.”
Dohyun quickly ran his hand along the wall until he found the emergency call button and pressed it.
Soon, a voice came through the speaker.
“There are people trapped in the elevator.”
[Yes, the power’s out right now. The system is being restored.]
“There’s someone with claustrophobia in here. Please hurry!”
[Understood. Please hang on just a little longer.]
Moments later, the faint glow of emergency lighting flickered on overhead.
But it was so dim that only vague silhouettes could be made out—faces and expressions remained indistinguishable.
Even with the light on, her breathing was still fast and unstable.
Realizing this wasn’t enough, he spoke gently again.
“Try sitting down for a bit. If you lean your back against the floor, it might help you breathe easier.”
Before he even finished, she dropped to the floor. He placed his phone’s flashlight on the ground, casting a soft glow.
Her face was now barely visible—tension etched deeply into her features. Sweat beaded across her forehead, and her trembling shoulders revealed just how frightened she was.
Dohyun kept his voice steady, trying to soothe her.
“I’m right here with you. You’re not alone.”
She nodded, but her ragged breathing didn’t ease.
“It’ll be fixed soon. We’ll both be fine. If your breathing feels too hard, would you like to follow me slowly?”
She gave a faint nod.
“One… two… breathe in slowly… three… four… breathe out.”
His calm voice set the rhythm.
As she matched her breaths to his, her breathing gradually steadied.
A little while later, her stiff shoulders began to loosen, like a taut string finally easing.
“Feeling better now?”
“…Yes. Better than before.”
She gave a small nod.
Her breathing had calmed, though traces of tension still lingered in her body.
Then—
Ding.
The ceiling lights flicked on.
Dohyun instinctively turned to her, but she had her eyes tightly shut against the sudden brightness.
The elevator shuddered, then stopped, and the doors slid open.
“Over here!”
Staff and emergency responders rushed in.
“Are you alright?”
One of them quickly approached the woman seated on the floor.
The sudden brightness kept her eyes shut tight, her head bowed.
“She doesn’t look well. Miss, please get on my back.”
“No, I’m oka—”
She tried to insist, but her pale, sweat-drenched face left no room for argument.
Within moments, she was carried away on someone’s back, disappearing from sight.
Left alone, Dohyun stared blankly after her.
He wanted to follow, to make sure she was okay.
But the power outage had delayed him, and he was already cutting it close for his next scheduled interview.
Even so, he couldn’t bring himself to leave quickly.
Though they hadn’t even exchanged names, the short time together had left a hollow space inside him.
A security guard approached cautiously.
“Are you alright?”
“Oh, yes.”
He answered curtly, then turned toward the parking garage, leaving behind the guard’s apologies.
From that day on, her image refused to leave his mind.
Was it worry for her wellbeing?
Or the undeniable pull of her beauty in that fleeting moment?
Or perhaps… the vague regret of being forgotten by someone who hadn’t even noticed his presence?
Though it had been less than thirty minutes, Dohyun realized for the first time that such a short moment could leave a lasting memory of someone.
That night, after finishing his interviews, Dohyun politely declined offers from two companies and expressed his intention to join LS Fashion.
It wasn’t simply because he wanted to see her again. Among all the brands he’d experienced, LS Fashion had left the strongest impression, and the atmosphere during the interview felt like the ideal environment for him.
But above all—she was there.
“…Mr. Dohyun?”
His thoughts were broken by Suji, who had approached as if they were close, though they’d hardly met before.
Suppressing the irritation bubbling up, he turned his head. Suji glanced toward the direction of his gaze.
“Is someone there?”
“No. Go ahead.”
Looking around the empty corridor, she blinked her fake lashes and asked carefully,
“It’s just… do you have time today?”
“What for?”
“How about a beer after work? I know a really good place.”
She wrinkled her nose playfully, clearly knowing it made her look cute.
“I have to visit a realtor, so it’ll be difficult.”
“A realtor? Are you looking for a place to live?”
Her eyes widened in delight.
“Then move to my neighborhood! It’s quiet, really nice for living.”
“I’ve already decided.”
“Already? Where?”
Her lips pouted in disappointment. Dohyun answered firmly,
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why not? Afraid I’ll come find you?”
“I like to keep work and personal life separate.”
The clear boundary in his tone left Suji briefly flustered, but she quickly forced a smile.
“You never know. Maybe we’ll get closer personally.”
Just as he was about to say That won’t happen, his phone rang.
The screen flashed: Cheongun Detective Agency.
His grip tightened.
“I’ll be going now.”
Before Suji could reply, he turned and left swiftly.
Still longing to make a connection, Suji stared at his retreating figure until he disappeared down the hallway, then reluctantly returned to her seat.
Dohyun slipped into a quiet emergency stairwell, away from prying eyes.
After making sure no one was around, he answered the call.
“Hello.”
[This is Kim Ki-chul. I’m calling because I found something.]
“…Did you… find her?”
His voice trembled ever so slightly.
A few days later.
On her way back from lunch, Yeonha found herself face-to-face with Nam Dohyun at the elevator.
Having gone out of her way to avoid him until now, she couldn’t hide her flustered reaction.
“Team Leader.”
“What is it?”
She was about to greet him lightly and pass by when he suddenly stopped her.
Her heart raced, but she kept her voice as professional as possible.
“Do you have a moment?”
“Go ahead.”
Their departments were on different floors, and most communications went through her manager or Jinyoung, so she rarely interacted with Dohyun directly.
“Let’s talk in the meeting room.”
“You can just say it here.”
“It might be troublesome if others hear.”
“Is this about me?”
“Yes.”
What could it be that required privacy?
She wanted to avoid being alone with him, but since it concerned her, Yeonha couldn’t refuse.
“Go ahead. I’ll just drop this off first.”
After setting her bag down at her desk, she headed to the meeting room, where Dohyun stood up as she entered.
Once she closed the door and sat across from him, silence settled—only their breaths filled the quiet space.
