Chapter 97
Haemin’s POV
Sera was standing there.
I glanced at her, confused.
Why is she here this early?
Before I could even ask, she hurried over and pulled into a hug.
I stiffened instantly.
Her sudden embrace caught completely off guard. I couldn’t even react as she pulled closer.
Since she was taller than , my face ended up brushing lightly against her neck. I could feel the warmth of her skin and the softness of her hair near my cheek.
I didn’t know what to do.
My hands hovered awkwardly at my sides.
“…I missed you,” she murmured softly.
“I was worried sothing happened to you… you didn’t answer my calls last night.”
Her grip tightened slightly for a brief second before she slowly released .
She stepped back just enough to look at , a faint smile forming on her lips as her hand gently moved to my face, brushing softly against my cheek.
Her touch was warm.
I didn’t even realize I was standing still, my eyes fixed on her as her fingers slowly traced along my face.
Fortunately, I managed to snap back to my senses.
Panic returned as I quickly reached up, grabbing her wrist gently and lowering her hand. My fingers wrapped around her hand instinctively, holding it as I pulled my phone out.
Sera seed slightly startled by my sudden reaction.
“…Haemin?”
I quickly unlocked my phone and showed the screen to her.
“…Sera,” I said imdiately, my voice tense, “look at this! The news… Attorney Park! He’s… Is it true? Did you already know about it?”
Her eyes widened slightly.
But she calmly slipped her hand out of my grip with ease and continued caressing my face again, as if the news wasn’t that important at all.
My anxiety grew.
“Sera! This— please! Look at this!”
I pushed the phone slightly closer to her, my voice growing more urgent.
For a second, her expression didn’t change.
Then she slowly lowered her hand, her gaze still calm.
“…Let’s get inside first. We can talk about it over breakfast.”
“But I need to go to work right now.”
Her fingers, which were still wrapped around my hand, tightened slightly.
Her expression didn’t change much, but I could sense the subtle shift in her mood. The faint softness in her eyes slowly hardened, though she still maintained that calm look on her face.
“…You already promised, didn’t you? You said you wouldn’t avoid anymore.”
“I’m not avoiding you,” I replied quickly. “I really need to go to work right now.”
But she didn’t let go. Instead, she held my hand again, her fingers sliding between mine.
“Just keep company for a bit. I’ll send you to work afterward.”
I frowned slightly.
Sothing about her behavior this morning felt… strange.
She looked calm, but there was sothing underneath it. Sothing I couldn’t quite explain.
“…Sera… are you okay? Is there sothing that is bothering you?” I asked carefully, studying her face.
She just faintly smiled, without answering.
“Let’s go.”
I hesitated for a few seconds, unsure what to do. Sothing about her expression made uneasy, but at the sa ti, I didn’t want to push her away either.
I sighed quietly.
“…Alright.”
But just as we were about to move—
A sleek black rcedes pulled up in front of the building, the engine humming smoothly as it ca to a stop.
The driver’s door opened and…
Harin?
She stepped out and walked toward us. Her gaze landed on first, but the mont she saw Sera, her expression cooled noticeably.
“…You again,” Sera muttered, her tone laced with annoyance.
Harin stopped a few steps away from us.
“Harin? What are you doing here this early in the morning?”
She turned her attention back to .
“Good morning, Mr. Kim. I apologize for the sudden visit, but the Chairwoman has asked to co and pick you up.”
Before I could say anything, Sera let out a quiet scoff beside .
“That won’t be necessary.”
Harin’s gaze slowly shifted toward her again.
“…Excuse ?”
“I said it won’t be necessary,” Sera repeated calmly. “He has sothing to discuss with for a while. I’ll take him to work after that. And besides…” she glanced briefly at the ti on her watch, “…it’s still early, isn’t it?”
Harin’s eyes grew noticeably colder.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Ms. Hwang. Mr. Kim has a schedule he needs to follow, and the Chairwoman wants to ensure that he arrives on ti. There are also several matters this morning that require his presence.”
The air between them began to grow tense.
Sera tilted her head slightly, a faint smirk forming at the corner of her lips.
“What a roundabout way of saying she wants to keep him in check.”
Harin remained completely unfazed.
“Feel free to think whatever you want. But Chairwoman still has the right to decide what she expects from her assistant.”
Sera let out a soft chuckle, clearly annoyed.
Then she stepped forward slightly, closing the distance between them.
“And what if I don’t want him to go with you?”
Is Sera… for real?
I glanced between both of them, feeling the tension rising rapidly in the air. The atmosphere had beco noticeably heavier, and neither of them seed willing to back down.
Harin’s expression hardened slightly.
“Ms. Hwang, is it really necessary to do this now? We’re all sensible people here. I’d appreciate it if we didn’t argue over sothing unnecessary in front of his residence. I’m simply doing my job here.”
“And I’m simply taking him with . He’s not going anywhere.”
The silence that followed felt suffocating.
“…Sera,” I called softly from behind her, trying to ease the tension before things escalated further.
Harin ignored her and shifted her gaze to .
“Mr. Kim, shall we go now?”
I hesitated for a brief mont.
Then I nodded slightly and stepped forward, tugging lightly at Sera’s sleeve.
“Sera… I’ll go with Harin—”
“Stay where you are, Haemin.”
I stopped mid-step, startled by the sudden coldness in her voice.
“I said he’s not going anywhere.”
Her gaze remained fixed on Harin, not even glancing at .
Harin’s eyes grew colder in response.
She took one step forward, and so did Sera.
The distance between them narrowed.
The tension between them felt like it could snap at any mont.
“Okay… that’s it.”
I quickly stepped forward and positioned myself between them.
“Harin… please stay there.”
Harin stopped, though her expression clearly showed her annoyance.
I then turned to Sera.
“…It’s okay,” I said softly. “I’ll go with Harin.”
She stared down at , her expression clearly displeased.
“Sera…” I lowered my voice, trying to calm her. “I’ll see you tonight, alright?”
Her eyes widened slightly at my words.
Her gaze lingered on for several seconds.
Slowly, the tension in her eyes began to ease.
She stepped closer again.
Before I could react—
“…Alright.”
Her fingers gently brushed my cheek once more.
I stiffened.
She was doing it again.
And this ti—
Right in front of Harin.
“…See you tonight,” she murmured softly.
I felt slightly embarrassed and instinctively stepped back, caught off guard by her sudden affection.
Then I glanced at Harin.
Her expression had darkened as she watched us silently.
The tension in the air thickened once again.
“…I’ll go first,” I said quietly.
Without waiting further, I turned and quickly walked toward Harin’s car before opening the door and getting inside.
Harin stood outside for a mont, her cold gaze still fixed ahead. I could see them exchange a few words, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying from inside.
Then she walked toward the driver’s side and got in without saying a word.
Through the windshield, I saw Sera walking back toward her car as if nothing had happened.
Harin kept her eyes on her until Sera’s car slowly pulled away from the curb.
Neither of us spoke.
We both watched as her car drove off smoothly, disappearing further down the road.
Only after her car turned the corner and vanished from view that I finally let out a quiet sigh.
“…Can’t you two just… get along when you see each other?” I said lightly, trying to lighten the mood.
Harin’s head snapped toward .
“Does this look funny to you?”
The sudden intensity in her gaze made pause.
“S—Sorry… I don’t an it like that.”
“No, I’m being serious, how many tis do I have to remind you about this, Haemin? How many tis do I have to tell you that you need to be careful about who you involve yourself with?”
I could only stay quiet, not expecting that trying to avoid awkwardness would only end up irritating Harin.
“You knew the Chairwoman hates Ms. Hwang, didn’t you? So why do you keep putting yourself in situations like this? Why do you keep involving yourself with her?”
“Harin, Sera has been helping —“
“I don’t care!”
I went silent, taken aback by her sudden raise of voice.
“Haemin… I’m trying my best here. I’m doing everything I can to protect you. Do you really think you can move around freely without her finding out? Considering how controlling she is when it cos to you? You think she didn’t show up at your door because you’re already divorced? No. It’s because I’ve been the one hiding things from her. Everything you’ve been doing with that woman, I kept it from her.”
“Harin, what are you—“
“If I didn’t care about you and told her everything from the start, do you really think she would still respect the agreent and hesitate to co here? She would’ve been standing right in front of you before you both even had the chance to go out together.”
“I really bla myself for not stepping in before you got into her car.”
“W—What are you talking about, Harin? Are you… following ?”
“You’re lucky I was the one she trusted to watch over you. But what if she had sent soone who didn’t care about you at all? What do you think would’ve happened to you then, Haemin? Don’t you care about yourself? How many tis have you been hurt by her because of this? And yesterday… what did Chairwoman do to you?”
My heart skipped.
“Tell .”
I was montarily at a loss for words, caught completely unprepared for the question. It felt like she already knew… and was just waiting for to confirm it.
“Harin… why are you reacting like this? Yuna… she… she didn’t do anythi—
“DON’T LIE TO !”
I flinched instantly, my shoulders tensing as her voice filled the car.
Before I could react, her hands suddenly grabbed both of my shoulders firmly. Her grip was tight as she shook , her eyes filled with frustration.
“Why is it so hard for you to just tell the truth!?” she demanded, her voice breaking slightly under the weight of her own emotions.
I could only stare at her, startled. This was the first ti I had ever seen Harin get so upset like this.
“Tell now!”
Her voice cracked, her fingers tightening around my shoulders as her eyes glistened with tears.
“H-Harin… please calm down—”
Maybe it was because of the panic and discomfort written all over my face that made her stop for a mont.
A heavy silence followed.
Her grip lingered for a second longer.
Then slowly—
It loosened.
Her shoulders dropped slightly.
And then—
She leaned forward.
Her forehead rested against my shoulder.
I stiffened, not expecting the sudden shift.
“Please…” she whispered, her voice trembling now, so different from just seconds ago. “Just… tell …”
Her hands still clutched my shirt weakly.
“I left you with her yesterday…” she continued, her voice breaking. “Because I believed she wouldn’t hurt you… I believed she wouldn’t do anything that could affect the agreent… and since I never told her Ms. Hwang had been eting up with you, I thought everything would be fine. But I was careless… I didn’t expect a reporter to be following both of you that night…”
Her grip tightened slightly again.
“You don’t know how panicked I was when I saw the news yesterday… because I knew… the Chairwoman would be furious. All the lies I told her… beca aningless the mont that news ca out… I rushed back to the office to check on you… but I was stopped by her before I could even get to you.”
“Harin… you… returned yesterday?”
“I know… you must think I’m all talk… when I said I would protect you. But after I left the building, I tried to call your lawyer and want him to step in… but he didn’t answer. I even went to his house, and he wasn’t there.”
“And this morning… I found out he was dead.”
The silence lingered again.
“I thought I could protect you… I really thought I could keep things under control…”
Her voice lowered even more.
“But I failed.”
“Harin… I… I don’t know what to say… I really, really appreciate everything you’ve been doing for . But please don’t think like that. There’s not even a small part of that blas you for any of this—”
She lifted her head all of a sudden, making stop mid-sentence again.
“Don’t try to comfort .”
Her gaze hardened.
“If you really appreciate what I’ve been doing for you… then tell the truth.”
“…Did she hurt you?”
The dilemma hit all over again.
“Tell …”
I hesitated.
“…Haemin.”
The pressure in her gaze made it hard to breathe. A part of just wanted to forget everything and pretend none of this had happened. But after everything Harin said she had done for , I knew she would be disappointed if I kept it from her, as if I didn’t trust her enough.
In the end, I gave in.
“…If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t do anything… just leave it, okay?”
She didn’t answer and just stared at .
“…Did she?”
I let out a quiet sigh as I closed my eyes briefly.
Then I nodded… slowly.
When I opened my eyes again, Harin’s expression had changed.
Her expression grew tense, despite the tears still in her eyes.
My chest tightened at the look on her face.
Without thinking, I reached out and held her hand.
“Don’t do anything… alright?”
She didn’t respond and just let my hand remain in hers for a brief mont… her fingers tightening slightly around mine.
Then slowly, she pulled her hand away, turned her face forward, and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as if forcing herself back under control.
Without another word, she started driving.
I just sat there in silence, watching her, feeling the unease settle deeper inside with every passing second.
_____
The atmosphere inside the car had turned completely quiet. Harin hadn’t said a single word since earlier.
Her hands rested steadily on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead, but sothing about the way she held herself made it obvious she was thinking deeply about sothing. It felt like her thoughts hadn’t stopped moving since the mont I admitted the truth.
I glanced at her a few tis.
Each ti, I almost opened my mouth to say sothing, but the words never ca out.
So in the end, I stayed quiet too.
The silence stretched all the way until the headquarters building ca into view.
And the mont we pulled closer—
“Huh…? What’s going on?” I muttered under my breath, leaning slightly forward to get a clearer look through the windshield.
Why does the sidewalk near the entrance look so crowded?
There were several figures gathered near the front entrance, so holding caras, others with their phones raised as they tried to push forward.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Wait…
Those jackets—
Hold on… aren’t those dia crews?
Security guards were already there, forming a barrier and trying to hold them back from getting any closer to the building. Flashes from caras went off repeatedly, and the crowd shifted restlessly as voices overlapped in the background.
The whole scene looked chaotic.
“…What just happened here?”
Then I heard Harin let out a quiet sigh beside .
The sound made turn to her.
“…Who do you think those people are here for?” she asked calmly, her eyes still on the scene ahead as she slowly brought the car to a stop near the entrance.
“…Hm?”
I tried to process what she was saying as I looked back at the scene.
Her question lingered in my mind for a second—
Then… it clicked.
My expression stiffened almost imdiately.
“…W-Wait… don’t tell …” I said slowly, turning toward her. “They’re here because of ?”
Is it because of the news about and Sera?
Harin simply shook her head slightly.
“…Now you understand why I was so angry about you going out with her?”
I swallowed, my throat suddenly feeling dry.
“It’s not just because I was worried about how the Chairwoman would react,” she continued, lifting her finger slightly and pointing toward the crowd outside. “It’s also because of that. All of that.”
I shifted my gaze back to the scene.
The reporters were still pushing forward, trying to get closer, their caras constantly flashing.
“Before you went out with her, did you even think about the consequences, Haemin? Did you think about your position in the company? About how this would reflect on you… and on the Chairwoman?”
I could only stay silent, listening to her.
“And it’s not only that, so people inside the company might even start thinking you’re feeding information to Daehan.”
The words struck , leaving stunned.
“H-Harin, that’s an outrageous assumption. How can they even think that far!? There’s no way I would dare to do sothing like that. Aren’t they seriously overestimating ? It’s just too absurd!”
Harin’s expression didn’t change.
“That’s how people in this industry think, Haemin. They don’t take things at face value. Especially not when it involves rival conglorates.“
Her eyes flicked briefly toward the crowd again and let out a small breath.
“Look, this situation with you should have been handled quietly without drawing attention. But since the press got hold of it… it’s only natural they’d fuel it even more. They know the Chairwoman and Ms. Hwang don’t get along, so of course they want to see how she reacts when her own aide is suddenly involved in sothing like this.”
A heavy sense of guilt settled in my chest as I kept my eyes lowered.
“You know, I really should be harder on you right now but at the sa ti, I can’t. It wouldn’t be fair to expect you to fully grasp how all of this works when you were suddenly thrown into this environnt.”
I didn’t say anything and just nodded slightly, feeling the weight of her words sink in.
“Listen, the Chairwoman and I will handle this situation. But until things settle down, I don’t want you engage with anyone unnecessarily, especially the dia.”
“…Harin,” I hesitated before speaking again, “wouldn’t it be better if Yuna just… let go because of this? It wouldn’t look good for her to keep here for too long, would it?”
Harin kept her eyes on . There was a faint hint of sympathy lingering in them.
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know very well she would never do that.”
I just gave a helpless smile while looking down slightly.
“Enough talking,” she said, shifting her attention back to the entrance. “Let’s go in now. Stay close to .”
“…Okay.”
_____
We stepped out of the car together.
The mont our feet touched the ground and we started walking toward the entrance—
The crowd reacted instantly.
“—There! That’s him!”
“Mr. Kim! Mr. Kim!”
The reporters surged forward all at once, their voices overlapping as they tried to break past the security line. Caras were lifted higher, flashes going off repeatedly, almost blinding.
“Is it true you’re in a relationship with Ms. Hwang!?”
“Are you acting as a middleman between Nara Group and Daehan!?”
“Is this collaboration influenced by your personal relationship!?”
The questions ca nonstop, louder and more aggressive with each step we took.
The security team imdiately tightened their formation, pushing back harder this ti as the reporters tried to force their way closer.
“Please step back!”
“Stay behind the line!”
Harin moved imdiately and stepped closely beside , positioning herself as a shield between and the crowd. With her height above mine and the way she angled her body, she blocked most of their view, making it difficult for anyone to get a clear look at .
“Ignore them. Just keep walking,” she said quietly as she guided forward.
“…O—Okay.”
This kind of attention—
I wasn’t used to it at all.
The flashes, the shouting, the way everyone was trying to get closer, it made my heartbeat pick up faster, my hands tensing slightly at my sides.
But I forced myself to look as calm as I could.
I kept my head slightly lowered and focused on walking.
“Mr. Kim! Just one answer!”
“Are the rumors true!?”
“Did Ms. Seo know about this!?”
The noise followed, loud and relentless, but Harin didn’t slow her pace even for a second as she led straight toward the entrance.
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