Chapter 96
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 me into a hug.
I stiffened instantly.
Her sudden embrace caught me completely off guard. I couldn't even react as she pulled me closer.
Since she was taller than me, 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 something happened to you… you didn't answer my calls last night."
Her grip tightened slightly for a brief second before she slowly released me.
She stepped back just enough to look at me, 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 seemed slightly startled by my sudden reaction.
"…Haemin?"
I quickly unlocked my phone and showed the screen to her.
"…Sera," I said immediately, 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 me 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 me company for a bit. I'll send you to work afterward."
I frowned slightly.
Something about her behavior this morning felt… strange.
She looked calm, but there was something underneath it. Something I couldn't quite explain.
"…Sera… are you okay? Is there something 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. Something about her expression made me uneasy, but at the same time, I didn't want to push her away either.
I sighed quietly.
"…Alright."
But just as we were about to move—
A sleek black Mercedes pulled up in front of the building, the engine humming smoothly as it came to a stop.
The driver's door opened and…
Harin?
She stepped out and walked toward us. Her gaze landed on me first, but the moment 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 me.
"Good morning, Mr. Kim. I apologize for the sudden visit, but the Chairwoman has asked me to come and pick you up."
Before I could say anything, Sera let out a quiet scoff beside me.
"That won't be necessary."
Harin's gaze slowly shifted toward her again.
"…Excuse me?"
"I said it won't be necessary," Sera repeated calmly. "He has something to discuss with me for a while. I'll take him to work after that. And besides…" she glanced briefly at the time 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 me to ensure that he arrives on time. 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 become noticeably heavier, and neither of them seemed 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 something unnecessary in front of his residence. I'm simply doing my job here."
"And I'm simply taking him with me. 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 me.
"Mr. Kim, shall we go now?"
I hesitated for a brief moment.
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 me.
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 moment.
"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 me, 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 me 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 time—
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 moment, 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 me.
"Does this look funny to you?"
The sudden intensity in her gaze made me pause.
"S—Sorry… I don't mean it like that."
"No, I'm being serious, how many times do I have to remind you about this, Haemin? How many times 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 me—"
"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 comes 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 agreement and hesitate to come here? She would've been standing right in front of you before you both even had the chance to go out together."
"I really blame myself for not stepping in before you got into her car."
"W—What are you talking about, Harin? Are you… following me?"
"You're lucky I was the one she trusted to watch over you. But what if she had sent someone 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 times have you been hurt by her because of this? And yesterday… what did Chairwoman do to you?"
My heart skipped.
"Tell me."
I was momentarily at a loss for words, caught completely unprepared for the question. It felt like she already knew… and was just waiting for me to confirm it.
"Harin… why are you reacting like this? Yuna… she… she didn't do anythi—
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
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 me, her eyes filled with frustration.
"Why is it so hard for you to just tell me 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 time I had ever seen Harin get so upset like this.
"Tell me 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 moment.
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 me…"
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 agreement… and since I never told her Ms. Hwang had been meeting 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… became meaningless the moment that news came 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 me. But please don't think like that. There's not even a small part of me that blames you for any of this—"
She lifted her head all of a sudden, making me stop mid-sentence again.
"Don't try to comfort me."
Her gaze hardened.
"If you really appreciate what I've been doing for you… then tell me the truth."
"…Did she hurt you?"
The dilemma hit me all over again.
"Tell me…"
I hesitated.
"…Haemin."
The pressure in her gaze made it hard to breathe. A part of me just wanted to forget everything and pretend none of this had happened. But after everything Harin said she had done for me, 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 me you won't do anything… just leave it, okay?"
She didn't answer and just stared at me.
"…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 moment… 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 me 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 something about the way she held herself made it obvious she was thinking deeply about something. It felt like her thoughts hadn't stopped moving since the moment I admitted the truth.
I glanced at her a few times.
Each time, I almost opened my mouth to say something, but the words never came out.
So in the end, I stayed quiet too.
The silence stretched all the way until the headquarters building came into view.
And the moment 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, some holding cameras, others with their phones raised as they tried to push forward.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Wait…
Those jackets—
Hold on… aren't those media crews?
Security guards were already there, forming a barrier and trying to hold them back from getting any closer to the building. Flashes from cameras 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 me.
The sound made me 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 immediately.
"…W-Wait… don't tell me…" I said slowly, turning toward her. "They're here because of me?"
Is it because of the news about me 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 cameras 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, some people inside the company might even start thinking you're feeding information to Daehan."
The words struck me, leaving me stunned.
"H-Harin, that's an outrageous assumption. How can they even think that far!? There's no way I would dare to do something like that. Aren't they seriously overestimating me? 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 conglomerates."
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 something 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 same time, 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 environment."
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 media."
"…Harin," I hesitated before speaking again, "wouldn't it be better if Yuna just… let me go because of this? It wouldn't look good for her to keep me here for too long, would it?"
Harin kept her eyes on me. 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 me."
"…Okay."
_____
We stepped out of the car together.
The moment 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. Cameras 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 came nonstop, louder and more aggressive with each step we took.
The security team immediately tightened their formation, pushing back harder this time as the reporters tried to force their way closer.
"Please step back!"
"Stay behind the line!"
Harin moved immediately and stepped closely beside me, positioning herself as a shield between me 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 me.
"Ignore them. Just keep walking," she said quietly as she guided me 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 me straight toward the entrance.