Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Drip.

Drip.

Jaehee’s blood dripped onto the construction site’s dirt floor, blooming like red flowers.

“……”

Suin stood frozen, her mind blank as she processed the scene unfolding before her.

It was as though time had stopped. All she could see was Jaehee, gritting his teeth to endure the pain, the bulging blue veins on the back of his hand, and the drops of blood sinking into the dirt one by one.

“Seo Jae—”

Just as she reached out to grab him—

“Executive Director!”

A crowd of people rushed to surround him.

The site supervisor, pale as a ghost, grabbed Jaehee’s wrist with both hands and shouted urgently.

“Executive Director, don’t unclench your fist! We need to get you to the hospital immediately.”

“Towels! Does anyone have a towel?”

“Bring the car around!”

Startled into action by the commotion, Baek Ihyeon ran off, and Suin snapped back to her senses, pushing Kwon Jongin toward the parking lot.

“Get the car inside. We need to get to the emergency room.”

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

Jongin, previously frozen in shock, stammered before sprinting to the lot.

Meanwhile, Suin worked to calm the chaotic scene, halting the frantic movements around Jaehee.

“I’ll escort the Executive Director myself.”

“No, Senior Secretary Lee. I’ll take him,” said the head of the Civil Engineering Division, brushing Suin’s hand aside as he grabbed Jaehee’s arm.

But Jaehee straightened his posture, his clenched jaw loosening as he exhaled and waved them off.

“……I’m fine. I’ll take my own car.”

“Executive Director…”

“Don’t worry about me. It’s not a serious injury.”@@novelbin@@

Despite his pale and darkening complexion, Jaehee remained composed, pulling out a handkerchief to wrap around his bloodied fist. He took the lead, walking steadily toward the exit.

“Executive Director, here…”

Baek Ihyeon reappeared, pushing through the crowd to hand over a towel. Jaehee acknowledged him with a brief nod before Jongin arrived, pulling up in a company sedan.

The department head quickly opened the back door for Jaehee.

“Executive Director, we’ll follow you.”

“There’s no need. It’s just my hand. Everyone else can disperse now.”

Before getting into the car, Jaehee glanced at the visibly distraught site supervisor and spoke firmly.

“This was an unavoidable accident. Don’t hold the site supervisor responsible for this.”

“But, Executive Director, you’re injured…”

“It’s fortunate no one else was hurt. This isn’t a major accident, so don’t escalate the issue unnecessarily. Keep it quiet.”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

The words “no one else” clearly referred to Suin.

Though he didn’t look at her directly, it was evident that Jaehee was relieved she hadn’t been injured.

“Thank you for your hard work today,” Jaehee said, maintaining his authoritative demeanor before climbing into the back seat.

Suin quickly got into the front passenger seat, and Jongin drove off immediately.

***

The sedan sped out of the site, kicking up clouds of dirt in its wake.

Despite Jaehee’s warnings, the department head berated the site supervisor, while the rest of the team began dispersing, murmuring amongst themselves.

“What if the Executive Director’s injury is serious?”

“Right? Why did he even try to catch it with his hand?”

“If he hadn’t caught it, Senior Secretary Lee could’ve been seriously hurt.”

“Exactly. If it hit her in the face, she might’ve been disfigured—or worse, blinded.”

Listening to the chatter, Baek Ihyeon followed silently, his gaze fixed downward, watching his own feet.

He had moved. He had reacted.

But Seo Jaehee had been faster.

“By the way, did the Executive Director play baseball or something? How could he catch flying debris like that? It was moving so fast it was hard to even see.”

“His visual tracking and reflexes must be exceptional. Like a built-in sensor.”

As the conversation carried on, Ihyeon’s expression grew heavier.

He had been watching Suin throughout the inspection. He saw the debris flying toward her and had instinctively moved.

But Jaehee’s long arm had reached out faster, intercepting the shard with an almost inhuman reflex.

“Didn’t even do anything, and it’s already one loss,” Ihyeon muttered, sighing deeply as frustration gnawed at him.

“Assistant Manager Baek!”

The department heads called out, noticing how far behind he had fallen.

“Yes!”

Ihyeon suppressed his conflicted emotions and jogged to catch up, mindful of his subordinate position.

Despite his feelings of defeat, a part of him felt grateful.

He didn’t even want to imagine what could’ve happened if Suin had been hurt.

Upon arriving at the emergency room, Jaehee followed the doctor’s and nurse’s instructions, slowly unclenching his fist. Shards of sharp, broken stone, deeply embedded in his palm, revealed the mess of torn skin beneath.

Due to the risk of tetanus and infection, he was given a shot before the 2-centimeter laceration was disinfected and treated to stop the bleeding.

“The feeling in your fingers is normal, which is good. We’ll take an X-ray to check for any damage to the bones or tendons. If everything looks fine, we’ll move straight to sutures,” the doctor explained.

“Yes,” Jaehee replied calmly.

After the initial treatment, Jaehee was escorted to radiology, with Kwon Jongin diligently by his side.

Suin followed quietly, keeping her distance. Whenever Jaehee turned toward her, she instinctively shifted aside, avoiding his gaze. She couldn’t bear to look at him in this condition.

Noticing her avoidance, Jaehee’s expression grew sour. As soon as he stepped out of radiology, he barked an order.

“Kwon Jongin, go home.”

“Excuse me?”

“This is nothing. You two following me around like I’m a critical case is ridiculous. Look around—everyone’s staring at me.”

“Well, that’s because you’re impressive, Executive Director…”

“Quiet. It’s embarrassing. Just leave.”

“But Senior Secretary Lee can leave, and I’ll stay to assist—”

Before Jongin could finish, Suin cut him off.

“I’ll handle this. Jongin, you can go home. Don’t worry.”

“I could at least bring dinner…”

“Ah, for crying out loud!” Jaehee exclaimed, his patience snapping.

Suin quickly shoved Jongin’s back to move him along before Jaehee could unleash further frustration.

“Go. Now.”

“…Understood,” Jongin muttered, dragging his feet reluctantly. He kept glancing back, taking his time until Jaehee took a single threatening step forward, making him flee at last.

***

Fortunately, the X-ray confirmed no damage to Jaehee’s bones or tendons, and the doctor proceeded with sutures. To minimize movement, his wrist was immobilized in a cast. By the time they left the hospital, the sky had already darkened.

“We can’t go to the Hyesung residence,” Jaehee said from the back seat as Suin navigated the GPS toward the estate.

“Why not?”

“Find a hotel.”

Suin’s finger paused on the screen. She kept her eyes on the road ahead as she asked, “A hotel?”

“My grandmother will be worried sick. The cast comes off in a week. Until then, I’ll stay at a hotel.”

“Yes, sir.”

For Kim Myung-rye, her treasured grandson wearing a cast would be nothing short of a disaster. And it wouldn’t stop there—Professor Seo at Hyesung University would undoubtedly be equally shocked.

“Should I book Hyesung Hotel?”

“No. If the staff recognize me, rumors will start. Somewhere else.”

“Understood.”

Suin stepped out of the car to make calls, booking a residential suite at a discreet hotel under her name.

She then called Chairwoman Woo Ilhwa to update her. Thankfully, Ilhwa had already been informed by the department head, and Suin’s explanation of the injury’s extent reassured her.

[It was a good decision to stay at a hotel. His grandmother would have been beside herself.]

“I’ll take him to W Hotel. I’ll stop by the house later to pick up a change of clothes for him.”

[No need to trouble yourself with all that driving. I’ll have Butler Kim leave his things at the hotel front desk for you to pick up.]

“Yes, ma’am.”

[Be careful on your way back. This must’ve been a shock for you too, Senior Secretary Lee.]

“I’m sorry for causing concern.”

[What are you apologizing for? It wasn’t your fault.]

But it was because of me.

“I still feel responsible. His right hand is injured; it’ll be inconvenient for him to manage daily tasks.”

Suin swallowed the words lodged in her throat.

[He has a left hand, doesn’t he? He’ll figure it out. And if he tries to use this as an excuse to bother you, let me know. I’ll set him straight.]

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ilhwa’s light-hearted reassurance lifted some of the weight from Suin’s chest.

But once she returned to the car and started driving again, her expression hardened once more.

***

After checking Jaehee into W Hotel and retrieving his luggage from the front desk, Suin accompanied him to the suite. She immediately ordered room service for his dinner and began unpacking his things.

“Leave it. I can do it myself,” Jaehee said.

“No, it’s fine,” she replied curtly, refusing to stop.

“Lee Suin.”

She pretended not to hear him.

“Lee Suin.”

Unable to take it anymore, Jaehee grabbed her wrist as she placed his skincare products on the vanity.

“What’s wrong with you?”

The sudden movement made her sway slightly, but she bit her lip and remained silent.

“Why are you acting like you did something wrong? You won’t even look me in the eye.”

In the mirror, Suin saw his reflection: his broad shoulders slightly hunched, the blue cast on his arm a painful reminder of the day’s events.

Her chest tightened.

Unable to suppress the rising heat in her throat, Suin finally snapped, her eyes filled with reproach.

“Why did you catch it with your hand?!”

“I don’t know.”

Jaehee shrugged nonchalantly and smiled, as though it were nothing.

“My hand just moved.”