Chapter 46: Bonds, Suspicions, and Reunions

I thought Do Yoon’s eyes would pop out.

“N-no?! I’ve never thought that. Never… imagined it.”

“…Okay, if you say so.”

I hesitated, then added.

“After what your friend said, I wondered if you felt distant… or something.”

His face flushed red.

“Distant? With you?”

“Yeah.”

If he’s fine, let’s keep it that way. The conversation stalled, and we silently ate our cotton candy. After a while, he glanced at me.

“But… if I spoke casually, how’d you feel?”

“I’d just think, ‘Oh, okay.’”

Honestly, I wouldn’t love it. He’s seven years younger—eleven, counting my real age. To me, he’s a kid, practically raised by me. Feeling playful, I grinned.

“Try it if you want.”

“…N-no… uh, okay.”

He barely managed it, neck red, then whispered a tiny “…yo.” I nearly burst out laughing but bit my lip to spare his embarrassment.

The festival campus buzzed with youth and energy. We wandered the sprawling grounds, dodging endless pub and game invites, finally heading home.

By late August, the sweltering heat had eased. Do Yoon’s first-semester grades were all A+, earning him a full scholarship. Monster brain. Not just smart—persistent and driven. Truly a main character.

Grandfather, thrilled, added an extra zero to his scholarship as pocket money. Do Yoon, claiming he’d earned it “legally,” dragged me to fancy restaurants and shows, insisting on premium couple sofa or bed seats for movies, ignoring my staff discounts. When I told him to stop acting like a third-gen chaebol, he sulked but relented.

I’d expected him to reject Grandfather’s money, like in the novel where he funded himself through tutoring despite scholarships, stubborn in his defiance.

Maybe his feelings toward the Haewon family are softening.

That was good. I tidied my desk and rushed out at quitting time for a musical with Do Yoon. Musicals don’t allow late entry, so timing was critical.

As I hurried out of the office, a shabbily dressed middle-aged man blocked my path.

“Hey…!”

I nearly collided, startled.

“…Me?”

“Yeah. Don’t you know me?”

“What?”

I frowned, wary of cult recruiters. Ignoring him, I tried to pass, but he kept stepping closer, eyes expectant, as if I should know him.

His eyes were long and narrow, brows thick, corners slightly downturned. Untrimmed bangs poked his eyes, and unshaven stubble marked his face. Deep smile lines framed his mouth. Tall and lanky, he wore an oversized black short-sleeve shirt and gray pants, looking disheveled. With glasses, he’d pass for a tired intellectual.

Still, a stranger. I smiled awkwardly, sidestepping.

“Sorry, you’ve got the wrong person.”

Worried about the musical, I grew anxious. He looked disappointed, pressing.

“You… don’t remember me?”

My feet froze. A connection to the novel’s Choi Seung Hyun?

I scanned him again. He didn’t seem like someone Seung Hyun, born in the U.S., educated at elite private schools, would know. His worn appearance didn’t fit. But his dark eyes held a weary, almost venomous edge. His earlier smile now felt forced.

Chills ran through me. Did Seung Hyun’s arrogance cost him his job? Harm his family? Was he here for revenge, tracking me to my workplace? I glanced at his hands—nothing dangerous. People milled around at quitting time; witnesses were plentiful. Tensing, I forced a polite smile.

“Have we… met somewhere?”

He closed his mouth, sighed, and shook his head, visibly disappointed.

“No, never mind…”

He turned and left, his earlier urgency gone. Only then did I notice my clenched fists, palms sweaty. I stared at his retreating figure, then checked my watch and bolted.

Traffic delayed me, but I reached the musical five minutes before it started. Do Yoon, pacing at the entrance, waved frantically.

“Hurry!”

“Sorry!”

He grabbed my hand, practically flying to our front-row VIP seats. The stage darkened just as we sat. The musical was worth the rush. On the way back, Do Yoon sighed in relief.

“Glad we made it.”

“Thanks to my smart, rich brother, I’m living the cultured life.”

“You wanted to see it. I was worried you wouldn’t make it. Busy day? Who made you stay late?”

“No, not work…”

Driving, I recalled the man. Something felt off.

“Some guy kept acting like he knew me outside the office… It was creepy.”

Do Yoon’s eyes widened, nearly jumping from the passenger seat.

“Did you call the police? A stalker? Organ trafficker?”

Our main character’s imagination runs wild. I chuckled.

“No, he left when I said I didn’t know him. But his insistence bugs me.”

What bugged me was not knowing his tie to the novel’s Seung Hyun, who made too many enemies. Do Yoon looked worried.

“Maybe a scammer. Be careful. What if he comes back? Get security.”

“…Nah, didn’t seem like that.”

I recalled his disappointed eyes.

But I’d see him again sooner than expected.

At Haewon Gallery for a chairman’s granddaughter’s exhibition, I arrived with a huge bouquet per Mother’s request. Entering the director’s office, I froze. Father sat on a single sofa, Mother on another.

“You’re… together?”

I spoke like I’d seen an abstract painting. Father said.

“It’s Chairman Joo’s first public outing since his discharge. Of course, we’re here.”

Must be someone vital to our business, or Father wouldn’t care. Mother looked displeased but didn’t object, so it seemed legit. Father’s tone turned stern.

“When Ria arrives, be friendly. Don’t forget the bouquet.”