Chapter 85: Password to the Heart

When he pressed the cold ice pack against my ankle, I flinched.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a serious injury, so the swelling subsided quickly.

Doyoon wrapped my foot tightly with a compression bandage, his touch full of care.

When I let out an “Ah” in pain, he murmured softly.

“…Reminds me of when we were kids.”

“Hm?”

“You got hurt like this once before. When I was in high school.”

Then he suddenly chuckled and muttered.

“You really haven’t changed at all, hyung, then or now.

You can’t do without me, right?”

But in that moment, a gentle spring breeze scattered the soft streetlamp light, and cherry blossom petals fluttered down.

“……?”

I rubbed my eyes and looked at Doyoon again.

Was it the alcohol? He looked even more handsome than usual.

No, more precisely, he felt unfamiliar.

Doyoon, who shared not a single resemblance with me, suddenly seemed like the male lead.

I slapped my cheek hard.

“What’s wrong?”

I didn’t answer.

After gulping down bottled water, I chanted in my mind like a prayer.

‘Of course we don’t look alike. We’re not blood-related.’

To shake off the pointless sentiment, I focused on the original story.

But that didn’t help much either.

Suddenly, I thought if a slow-tempo OST played right now, it would be perfect.

‘Perfect for what? Have you lost it?’

I screamed inwardly, clutching my head.

But outwardly, I maintained a perfectly dazed, drunk expression.

In my mind, cliché keywords assembled and disassembled rapidly.

‘Night, bus stop, streetlamp, petals, male lead on one knee….’

As much as I hated to admit it… this was straight out of a lovers’ scene.

Moreover, a similar moment had definitely appeared in the original.

Choi Doyoon saves Bae Jian from a near traffic accident, carries her when she twists her ankle, holds her high heel in one hand while taking her home, Jian falls asleep on his back, and then under the alley streetlamp, a kiss follows….

At that moment, Doyoon, having finished bandaging, looked up at me and asked in a gentle voice.

“Can you walk?”

Instantly, my whole body shuddered like I’d been shocked.

His slightly smiling face, his low voice—it ruthlessly attacked my heart.

My chest dropped with a thud.

‘Why… why am I like this?’

That warm gaze on me, the way he tilted his head slightly in confusion, the careful touch on my ankle… everything he did melted six years of resentment and even tickled my heart.

My Adam’s apple bobbed hard.

‘It’s because I’m scared… just scared.’

But deep inside, I vaguely sensed this wasn’t one hundred percent fear.

Yet looking closer terrified me more.

If it wasn’t fear, then what emotion was this?

A moment later, I spoke with a stiff face.

“…Doyoon, I think it’s better if we pretend not to know each other at the company.”

“What? What are you saying all of a sudden?”

Doyoon looked baffled.

I tried not to show my anxiety and lowered my head.

“You keep coming even though you’re not on our team, so people talk.”

His face turned serious for a moment.

“You don’t care about that stuff, hyung.”

“…I do care. It’s uncomfortable to hear. Today too… it was basically our team dinner.”

Doyoon fell silent for a while.

Then he asked in a slightly lower voice.

“Is it really because of what others say that you’re uncomfortable?”

“……”

“Not because of me?”

I should say no, but words wouldn’t come.

Doyoon stayed quiet too, then carefully slipped my shoe onto the bandaged foot.

In a deeply subdued voice, he said.

“…I admit I was only thinking of myself. I’m sorry.”

Silence flowed between us.

All surrounding noise seemed muted; only his voice rang clear.

Doyoon spoke again.

“It sounds like an excuse… but I was impatient.

We were apart for six years, and I thought once you returned, you’d be exactly like before.”

He smiled bitterly.

Somehow, it sounded like a confession.

“But that was my misjudgment and arrogance.”

Suddenly, amid my extreme anxiety, a lightbulb flashed in my mind.

Yes, that’s it!

The six-year gap must be why I felt unfamiliar with my suddenly grown-up younger brother.

And it had to be that.

No other reason was acceptable.

Since he said no more, I slightly raised my head.

And immediately regretted it.

Doyoon, kneeling on one knee before me, was staring intensely.

His jewel-like eyes reflected the streetlamp, glowing golden.

“…Still, I won’t give up.”

Doyoon looked strangely like he might cry.

I wasn’t sure what he wouldn’t give up, but out of old habit, I almost reached to wipe his eyes.

But maybe it was my imagination—he soon smiled beautifully and said.

“I actually thought about carrying you home on my back, but you’d hate that, right?

That’s why I didn’t drink on purpose.”

Are you serious?

As I made a slightly horrified face upon snapping out of it, Doyoon quickly changed his words.

“I’ll call a taxi, so go home comfortably.

Don’t use the leg too much and call your doctor right away.

No, just take tomorrow off.”

“I’ll… handle it.”

“…Alright then.”

We parted in a very awkward atmosphere.

The next day, after taking a taxi home, I used my annual leave.

It wasn’t just because of the ankle.

My face burned all night; I barely slept.

Sure enough, after that day, Doyoon went quiet.

After what I said, he must be trying in his own way.

But paradoxically, experiencing it didn’t feel good at all.

‘…Since when does he listen to me so well?’

I knew I was acting like a hysterical old maid.

But not seeing someone I used to see every day bothered me a lot.

Moreover, Doyoon didn’t even text me.

I started frequenting the company cafe and rooftop more often for no reason.

But still no sign of that large shadow.

If not me, he’d at least chase Bae Jian, but when I asked her, she said she hadn’t seen him either.

Gradually, my nerves frayed.

‘…Is he ghosting again?’

Only two days had passed, but my heart filled with familiar anxiety.

‘I just said see each other less, not ignore completely.’

All sorts of thoughts raced through my mind.

But asking others about Doyoon felt off.

It would invite comments like, ‘You acted close at the team-building event, but don’t even contact each other?’

That would hurt my pride.

But the answer came from elsewhere.

Team Leader Kim Juhyun messaged me on the internal messenger.

[Is the director sick or something?]

[What?]

[He looked really bad yesterday, and suddenly took leave today.

I need urgent approval on something—do you know anything, Seunghyun?]

My hair stood on end.

I hadn’t even considered that.

No, I twisted my ankle—why is he the one sick?

Anxious, I bit my lip hard and texted Doyoon.

[Are you sick?]

But no reply after ten minutes.

I started panicking for real.

I took a deep breath and hit call.

But only ringing; Doyoon didn’t pick up.

I asked Team Leader Kim again.

[Did you try calling?]

[He didn’t answer.]

My mind went blank.

Not just ignoring my calls?

Did he break a bone rolling with me back then?

No, if hurt, he’d go to the hospital himself.

Even if not, Grandfather would send someone.

Or is he hospitalized?

I took a big breath to calm my runaway thoughts.

‘Calm down, Choi Seunghyun.

It could be nothing.

Maybe he’s in a meeting.’

But contrary to my intent to calm, my hand was applying for half-day leave.

Even while submitting, I knew I was overreacting, but staying put wouldn’t let me focus anyway.

Then, suddenly, I realized I’d forgotten something important.

…I don’t know where the guy lives.

Truthfully, I’d consciously avoided finding out Doyoon’s address until now.

But now, I had no choice.

Having taken half-day and made up my mind, I fiddled with my phone a bit before calling.

This time, the other side picked answered quickly.

<What’s up?>

I said in a somewhat resolute tone.

“…Noona, give me Choi Doyoon’s home address.”

Doyoon’s place was an apartment overlooking the Han River, with tight security.

If I hadn’t contacted Seunghee first, entry might have been tough.

The owner hadn’t agreed yet.

To my dilemma, Seunghee said.

‘Back then, I saw he used a super easy password.

0123 or 1230 something.

Ask him.’

Hearing that, my heart started pounding wildly.

A number instantly came to mind.

No way.

But with trembling fingers, I entered 0321.

The massive iron door, boasting thorough security, opened all too easily.

With a cheerful beep, the door truly swung open, and my vision spun.

I need to tell Doyoon to change the password to something harder once I see him.

But separately, my heart tangled like knotted thread.

‘What the hell is he thinking?’

Why use someone else’s birthday as the password?