Chapter 102: Misunderstandings and Midnight Tears

“Han Won-joo sent it, right?”

His eyes bulged as if to pop out. He hadn’t expected me to know this at all. I could feel him trembling slightly through our clasped hands. His reaction suggested he’d planned to hide it to the end. Do Yoon took a few breaths, swallowed hard, and spoke.

“Hyung… I had a reason for that…”

“…Yeah, you had reasons. He was probably trying to do something bad to me. At the wedding venue, he even said he’d come find me directly.”

Do Yoon nodded furiously like a child seeking parental defense. But I sighed with a somewhat resigned face.

“But you doing this to me is overstepping.”

“……!”

“You keep forgetting I’m much older. I don’t know what Han Won-joo was planning, but I’m the one involved. I should see it and judge for myself.”

I hadn’t meant to say this. But Do Yoon—always wanting to be with me yet hiding so much—was honestly uncomfortable.

I knew from the original that Do Yoon had controlling traits, but wasn’t this crossing the line? I still carried deep scars from his silent six-year disappearance and reappearance. In the original, similar events happened for plot progression, so I consoled myself it was unavoidable. But his constant arbitrary behavior was hard to tolerate.

I tried to speak as calmly as possible.

“You hide too much from me. So, will you show me the letter you intercepted?”

“…I threw it away.”

“Do Yoon-ah, I can’t keep living with someone who hides things. Especially if it concerns me.”

Do Yoon bit his lip hard. Moisture welled in his beautiful eyes. Standing under the soft streetlight glow in the darkness, Do Yoon looked angelic. But this time, he seemed merely an immature child. I looked at him, sighed quietly, and added,

“I… wish you wouldn’t do things you can’t tell others. Like this Han Won-joo incident, for example.”

“Hyung…”

Suddenly, glass-bead tears rolled down from Do Yoon’s uplifted eyes. He grabbed me with both hands and pleaded,

“That… was because that bastard tormented hyung.”

“What?”

I was horrified. So Han Won-joo becoming half-vegetable was because of me? At my wide-eyed shock, Do Yoon explained urgently,

“That bastard hit hyung, harassed, threatened… yet paid no price and lived fine. So I handled it for you.”

Goosebumps rose. I yanked my hand away and shouted,

“But calling yakuza to half-kill someone—what then! If violence for dislike, how are you different from him?!”

Do Yoon’s face went blank. He seemed bewildered, unable to comprehend my words. His clueless expression fueled my anger.

“Who asked you to do that?”

Silence fell between us. He appeared deeply shocked. After a moment, Do Yoon spoke in a trembling voice.

“I… called the yakuza?”

“As if not?”

Do Yoon exhaled a disbelieving “ha,” wiping his eyes. But tears kept gushing like a broken faucet. He bit his lip and said,

“Everything hyung said is right. That morning after we drank and woke, I got a strange letter. A disguised delivery guy left it—content luring hyung to that casino where trouble happened. So I hid it.”

“Why? Think I’m still too dumb to handle alone? Or still chasing their tails? Were you worried like noona?”

Do Yoon seemed speechless at my sarcasm. He took deep breaths, calming, and continued.

“…So I sent a reporter.”

…What?

“It was a casino, but with luck, drugs could be caught on-site. That kind of guy. Caught by reporter—no denial. Evidence means prosecution or police can’t overlook. Wanted to expose Han Won-joo’s crimes big, ruin him. But the yakuza fight was pure coincidence. My reporter contact called after escaping the chaos.”

Unexpected words silenced me. So what he told Seung Hee was true…? He said media contact—I assumed excuse.

Do Yoon saw my reaction and continued more calmly.

“I did want Han Won-joo’s life ruined. But yakuza… I’ve been in the US—how would I know yakuza? Even if, I wouldn’t want to.”

I froze completely. Made sense.

But as the male lead… he could make connections, so I assumed…

Do Yoon wiped tears, looked at me with bloodshot eyes. He barely swallowed sobs and said,

“So hyung… was acting awkward lately. Thought I orchestrated behind.”

“No, I…”

“…Scared of me since Han Won-joo.”

Vision darkened instantly.

My mouth opened and closed vainly. His words were true—I had no reply. Do Yoon dropped his gaze, stepped aside slightly, and said,

“Sorry. I’ll go.”

Before fully turning, he added,

“…I don’t know what kind of person I’ve become to hyung.”

I could only watch Do Yoon’s back fade endlessly. Couldn’t speak, barely breathe.

Do Yoon vanished, but I stood under the streetlamp long, like a broken robot. His tear-streaked face kept flashing vividly.

The sensation was far worse than expected.

‘Shouldn’t have said that.’

Such regrets are what fools make after disasters. And I was that fool.

No one felt this more painfully than me now. Next day at work, Do Yoon was nowhere. Not even usual lunch gatherings.

Sent several “let’s talk” texts—all ignored. Calls too. Mustered courage to planning team director’s office—secretary only said “Director is absent.”

Choi Do Yoon was avoiding me.

Others asked where Do Yoon went—I couldn’t answer. My mind kept rewinding last night, erasing the mistake.

Meanwhile, Kwak Sun-woo saw my death-pale face and asked flippantly,

“You two fought?”

“…No.”

If you notice a fight, notice not to mention it too. Ji An naturally took over.

“Director seems busy. Heard from his team—tons of meetings lately.”

Heroine queen of consideration… Thanks. I nodded vaguely.

“Yeah. Seemed overtime yesterday too.”

“Whatever it is, hope it resolves. Director really likes Seung Hyun-ssi.”

I glared at chattering Kwak Sun-woo. He raised hands in surrender.

“Hey, who swaps all sandwiches for hyung’s dislikes? If my brother, I’d stuff my mouth.”

“……”

Do Yoon definitely treated me well—even others saw. I knew too. But because I was within his boundary. In the original, he was merciless to all who obstructed. Original Do Yoon could’ve sent worse than yakuza to Han Won-joo.

Was I too trapped in the original?

‘But this novel follows the original plenty.’

Do Yoon followed Bae Ji An to this company; Ji An brought Hwang Yeon-seok from France to help. From my view, true terror was them entangling unknowingly in fate. Now their marriage wouldn’t surprise.

Yet he kept saying live together, managing my relationships arbitrarily… So my misunderstanding yesterday was inevitable.

“Sigh.”

But despite all reasons, I felt terribly sorry to Do Yoon. With shallow deduction, I treated an innocent kid as criminal, distanced arbitrarily—then all exposed.

Embarrassed, ashamed, want to die…

I kept sighing unconsciously. Then Ah-young glanced and said,

“Um, Seung Hyun-ssi. About the director—he didn’t seem to overtime yesterday.”

“Huh?”

“We… left together.”

My face went blank momentarily.

Then what was he doing near my house past 10 without work? Naturally assumed company. I forced a smile.

“Ah, he said work—so thought company.”

“Could… be external meeting.”

Ah-young consoled. But I only grew sadder.

Didn’t know anything properly…