chapter 24
There was a rustling sound coming from the supply storage in the back. Kyung-jun set his briefcase down anywhere and quietly crossed the design room toward the storage.
“Ugh. This is killing me.”
Something thumped heavily, followed by groaning, from inside the storage where rolls of fabric stood upright, even out by the door.
“If you don’t go back to how you were, I’m going to use up a whole roll of cloth and mummify you.”
It was a voice he’d heard somewhere before. He was trying to remember where, just as he leaned toward the door—
“Kyaaa!”
The person inside suddenly flung the door open, screamed, and fell backward onto her butt.
“Wh-wh-what the hell!”
Kyung-jun, who almost smashed his head on the door, was just as startled. After a moment of being frozen, he blinked several times and came to his senses.
“…Intern Cho Seo-ha?”
“Why is Secretary Ryu here at this hour?”
Cho Seo-ha looked even more pitiful than usual.
Her hair was tied up any which way, she’d apparently ditched her torn sneakers somewhere and was wearing frayed slippers with loose threads sticking out. Work gloves on her hands, dust all over her—today’s aesthetic was complete.
“I should be asking you that. Why are you here like this?”
“Can’t you see I’m working?”
Seo-ha tried to push herself up from the floor, then let out a groan of pain.
No matter how much physical therapy she’d done, her body was still far weaker than most. She must’ve twisted her back when she fell—or maybe earlier while hauling heavy rolls of fabric.
Heavy… fabric?
A sly thought crossed her mind and she groaned louder.
“Help me up. I can’t stand.”
“Good grief.”
Kyung-jun got down on one knee, lowering himself. Seo-ha grabbed his hand and pretended to carefully lean on his shoulder as she stood.
“Ah—ow!”
“Slowly. I’ll call an ambulance.”
“I’m fine. I just need to rest a bit and finish cleaning up.”
“Did you lose your mind, Intern Cho?”
He stared at her in disbelief. She could barely stand, and she was talking about organizing a fabric storage room?
“You think I want to do this? They told me to.”
“And how are you supposed to finish this alone?”
Her plan was working. Seo-ha raised one eyebrow, leaning on him as they walked out of the storage.
“You can go now. I’ll rest here and finish later.”
Usually when someone injured says this, the other responds with something like ‘No, you’re hurt because of me, let me help.’
That was exactly what she was aiming for.
But Ryu Kyung-jun was not your average bad guy.
“Alright then. Good luck. Fighting.”
He sat her in the nearest chair he could find and picked up his briefcase.
“Wait. Secretary Ryu!!”
He stopped mid-step and looked back.
“You’re really leaving? After dumping me here like this?”
“You said I could go.”
“That’s just lip service! You’re supposed to ask again!”
“And what do you want me to do?”
Even though he sounded annoyed, Seo-ha didn’t back down.
“Help me.”
“With what?”
“This. Organizing all this.”
“And why should I?”
“You barged in suddenly, I fell, and now I’m injured. You do know I was in the hospital until a few months ago?”
“….”
It wasn’t even a lie, so Kyung-jun grimaced, tossed his briefcase aside again, and took off his jacket.
“What goes where?”
“Oww…”
Seo-ha slowly rolled her office chair toward the storage room.
“The fabrics are mixed. Denim here, lining there, summer fabric over there, winter fabric on this side. Anything with fur goes in that corner.”
Fabric rolls are heavy. Denim and winter fabric are practically steel rods.
“You did all this alone?”
“Until you showed up.”
Kyung-jun gave her a once-over. It was hard to picture her tiny body dragging around those heavy rolls.
“…You’re stronger than you look.”
He muttered, rolling up his sleeves.
“This one?”
“Right corner. Thick fabrics go in front of thin ones.”
Like the goblin helping Cinderella, the room cleaned up three times faster than when Seo-ha was struggling alone.
“Damn. This is ridiculously hard.”
The goblin finally stretched his back and complained. Seo-ha looked at the sweat on his forehead and the dust on his shirt and almost felt bad—then shook her head.
Why feel bad?
Ryu Kyung-jun is a spy.
Once she gets the company back, she’s kicking him out without hesitation.
“Thank you. I thought I’d be here all night alone.”
She still had to show basic politeness. He nodded without expression, dusted off his shirt, and held out his hand.
“Here.”
“…?”
“Grab my hand. You need to stand and go.”
He assumed she couldn’t walk, so she played along—groaning dramatically as she took his arm and stood.
“Ow—ow ow ow—”
“Careful.”
The subway and buses had stopped running long ago. Like it or not, he had to drive her home, and she had to ride with him.
The streets were nearly empty. Seo-ha forced her heavy eyelids open and stared outside.
“Sleepy?”
He glanced over.
“Yes.”
“Hold it in. I’m an executive. You’re an intern.”
“……”
Heartless spy.
She cracked the window open, vowing once more that after she regained her position, she would kick him out immediately.
Then—
Screeeeech!!!
A horrible sound, her body thrown forward by the sudden brake.
Seo-ha squeezed her eyes shut. In her mind flashed the image of Cho Seo-ha, holding a red brick and stepping in front of a car.
“You okay?”
“Hah… haah…!”
She opened her eyes at the sound of his voice, realizing she’d forgotten to breathe.
“What was that?”
Kyung-jun removed his hand from where he had held her still.
“Jaywalker.”
A man in dark clothes with a hood bowed apologetically under the headlights and crossed.
“This is an 8-lane road. With a median.”
“Guess he’s got unfinished business in the afterlife. Hard to believe I’ve run into psychos like that twice.”
“Twice?”
He didn’t answer. He just hit the gas again. Something in the brief glance he threw toward the opposite road looked… strangely lonely.
“We’re here. You can get out there.”
She pointed up a steep alley, breaking the awkward silence.
“You live up there?”
“Yes.”
The alley looked like the one he grew up in with his mother. He pulled over.
“Get home safely.”
“Thank you for the ri— OW!”
The moment she twisted her body to get out, a sharp pain shot through her back.
This time it really, truly hurt.
“Ah… ugh…!”
“Hurts?”
She nodded.
“Looks like something went wrong when I braked. Hospital.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have money. Cho Seo-ha is dirt poor.”
He stared at her like she was talking about someone else entirely.
“I’ll pay with my card. File it as a work injury later.”
If she filed workplace injury paperwork, Lee Ji-soo would celebrate.
She pictured it and shook her head vigorously.
“No. I can’t owe you more.”
“You can’t even walk home.”
“I can. Goodbye!”
She half-limped out of the car and grabbed the railing of the alley.
At this rate, she’d get home just in time to go straight back to work.
Whatever.
Kyung-jun got back in the car, ignoring her. After driving barely a few meters, he checked the rear-view mirror—she had managed only two steps.
“Damn it. Why did I look?”
He slammed the brakes, reversed, and stopped where he started.
Seo-ha was just about to take step number four.
“Come here.”
He walked over, turned around, and crouched with his back toward her.
Seo-ha frowned.
“What do you mean ‘come here’?”
“Get on. How else are you getting home?”
“It’s too much.”
“I don’t care. Get on.”
She glanced up the steep alley.
Yeah… walking up that was impossible.
“…Then excuse me.”
She put her arms around his neck and her feet left the ground.
“Hold tight.”
His frame looked slim, but his muscles were solid. His broad shoulders made it easy to ride on his back. Even after sweating in the storage room, he smelled fresh.
Like grass after rain, or the ocean suddenly appearing on a cold winter day.
“Secretary Ryu.”
“Yes.”
Under a flickering streetlamp, their shadows stretched long.
“What cologne do you wear?”
“Soap.”
He answered flatly. Seo-ha recalled that he’d given the same answer once in Eulwang-ri.
“Oh, right. You said that.”
His steps suddenly froze.
“…What did you say?”
She froze.
She couldn’t let him suspect she was Yoon Seo-ha.
He couldn’t learn there was a connection.
A spy in control of the company could fire an intern with a single signature.
“I asked what you said.”
“…I said the soap smell is nice.”
“That’s not what you said.”
What should she say—
Just then, a miracle of timing shook the alley.
“Yap! Yap yap yap!”
“Minji?”
As soon as Seo-ha called, a Chihuahua sprinted over and bit Kyung-jun’s shoe.
“Minji, no!”
Of course, Chihuahua jaws couldn’t pierce sturdy leather dress shoes.
“What is this? Your dog?”
He pointed with his chin at the creature chewing his shoe like a dog toy.
“She’s not mine. My landlord—”
“KIM MINJI!”
Before she could finish, Jae-wook came rushing down the hill and stopped in front of them.
“Cho Seo-ha? What happened to you?”
Seo-ha, still on Kyung-jun’s back, gave an awkward smile.
“I hurt my back. I can’t walk well, so my… supervisor brought me home.”
“Supervisor? From Kangyun Company?”
Jae-wook’s already tough-looking face hardened with suspicion and hostility.
“Intern Cho hurt her back because of me. I carried her. This isn’t the time for introductions, so we’ll be going. Also—please remove this thing from my foot.”
He had zero politeness as he shook his foot. Minji was still gnawing aggressively.
“Kim Minji. Come here.”
Jae-wook called her half-heartedly and turned around.
“Get on, Cho Seo-ha.”
Kyung-jun tightened his hold on her, muscles going rigid.
