By Zephyria Thump. Thump. My heart started beating uncontrollably fast. The fear that I believed I would never experience again washed over my entire body, making it difficult to come to my senses.
“Get out.”
As the elevator doors opened, the large man looked back. I tried to avoid the man’s hand, but I was grabbed by the back of my neck in an instant and had to be dragged away again.
Looking around, it seemed we had come down to the underground parking lot. Even though I rolled my eyes busily, there was no sign of anyone in the quiet parking lot, so I couldn’t ask for help anywhere.
I gripped the phone in my jacket pocket tightly with trembling hands. If I had a chance, even for a moment, I had to shake off the man and run in the opposite direction. And while running, I had to use my phone to….
“Get in.”
Without a chance to escape, I was dragged to a black sedan. I couldn’t resist the violent force that pushed my body into the back seat, and I had to get into the sedan against my will.
As the back seat door closed, I was trapped in pitch-black silence. After identifying the figure in the darkness, I froze in place.
“We meet again, Tae-kyung.”
Samjeong Construction Director Min Hyo-jeong looked at me with one leg crossed.
Director Min Hyo-jeong, wearing a white suit that stood out in the dim lighting, had such a pale face that she seemed like a ghost.
“What is the meaning of this.”
I was glad that my voice didn’t tremble pathetically. I asked Director Min Hyo-jeong with my fists clenched tightly on my lap.
“What reason do I have to be forcibly dragged here by you? Why are you doing this to me?”
I repeated to myself that I had to keep my head cool, but the sound of my heartbeat echoed loudly in my ears. Director Min Hyo-jeong looked at me with pitiful eyes, as if looking at a cornered mouse.
“Don’t be so nervous, Tae-kyung.”
“Tell me what you want from me first.”
I asked with my teeth clenched and my voice lowered, but I knew that it wouldn’t be threatening. Director Min Hyo-jeong, with a smile on her red lips, let out a small exclamation.
“Tae-kyung, you look really great when you’re all dressed up. It’s amazing. To think that someone who fits my taste like this would appear.”
I felt like I had been covered in filth by the gaze that swept over me from head to toe. I covered my mouth with the back of my hand and tried to control my churning stomach.
“I have nothing to say to you, so I’ll get out now.”
Director Min Hyo-jeong’s face, which had been wearing a gentle smile, hardened coldly.
“What are you relying on to act so cocky? I can’t understand it.”
My heart turned cold at the voice that seemed to lack emotion.
“Director Min, why are you and I…”
“Tae-kyung, I had an amazing experience recently.”
Director Min Hyo-jeong, who had swept back her long hair, smiled at me.
“Well, someone told me that if I touched you one more time, they wouldn’t let me get away with it.”
My eyes, which had been wide open, widened even more at once. Sung Se-han, Se-han, had said that. That he wouldn’t let anyone get away with touching me.
“That kid is really audacious for being so young. The things he does have gone beyond the level of being able to be seen as cute.”
I could see the animosity towards Sung Se-han in Director Min Hyo-jeong’s eyes and tone. I swallowed hard, and Director Min Hyo-jeong sent me a look.
“Sung Se-han and you, you both need to gain some social experience.”
My head, which had been hot since getting in the car, turned cold in an instant. It felt like the blood in my veins was cooling down.
I could tolerate being seen as a toy to play with or a lump of meat, but I couldn’t stand her putting Sung Se-han on her disgusting lips. I was so disgusted that my vision blurred.
“Director Min, if you touch Sung Se-han, I will make you regret it.”
“Oh my.”
Through my widened vision, I saw Director Min Hyo-jeong shaking her head.
“Kang Robin is backing Sung Se-han, so does that make him seem great? If I want to make you come to your senses, I’ll have to break Kang Robin first.”
Something snapped in my head. I didn’t know what was happening, and I couldn’t see anything because it was so dark.
“Why are you doing this? What did I do wrong…”
“You don’t know what you did wrong?”
Director Min Hyo-jeong was looking at her nails in a leisurely manner.
“Tae-kyung, you need to develop your perspective on the world. I can pull out all the survival show’s production costs right now. And I can make Baengnyeon Entertainment, which Kang Robin founded, close down tomorrow.”
Each word that Director Min Hyo-jeong spat out felt like it was hitting my body.
“Think carefully. What should Tae-kyung do to not upset me?”
“Are you threatening me now?”
“You really don’t understand? I’m giving you one last chance right now.”
I needed to keep my head cool right now, but it wasn’t easy. Only negative thoughts kept coming to mind, making it hard to breathe.
Then, with a bang! There was an impact from the ceiling, and the car shook violently.
Not only me, but Director Min Hyo-jeong also froze in surprise. Even in the midst of all this, I didn’t miss the clear striking sound coming from outside.
Without thinking any further, I opened the car door and quickly got out of the car.
“……!”
I found Sung Se-han before I even got out of the car. I completely lost my mind at the sight of Sung Se-han in black training clothes wrestling with a huge man.
“Sung Se-han!”
As I called out Sung Se-han’s name at the top of my lungs, Sung Se-han, who was sitting on top of the large man, began to punch him in the face.
I had to run to Sung Se-han, but my trembling legs wouldn’t listen to me. Then, I saw the man who had fallen and was writhing. The man, clutching his bloodied face, staggered to his feet and started walking towards Sung Se-han.
I immediately kicked off the ground and ran out. And before the man could turn around, I planted my foot on his back.
“Heok!”
The moment the clear impact pierced the soles of my feet, I landed on the ground. Thud! Sung Se-han coldly shouted at the sight of the bloodied man falling forward.
“Lee Tae-kyung, stay still!”
“Se-han!”
The large man, taking advantage of the gap, grabbed Sung Se-han’s neck tightly. The large man slammed Sung Se-han, who was staggering from being strangled, to the side. The large man quickly approached the moment Sung Se-han, who had rolled once, got up.
I couldn’t believe the man’s movements, which were so agile despite his huge size.
The large man, with tremendous force, lifted Sung Se-han up and threw him straight onto the parking lot floor.
Se-han! I couldn’t move a single step from the shock that felt like my heart was stopping. Only after confirming that Sung Se-han had used a breakfall to roll lightly on the ground was I able to breathe again.
“Se-han…!”
Sung Se-han was no less quick. Sung Se-han, who had lowered his body close to the ground, threw himself at the large man.
Before the large man could subdue Sung Se-han, who had wrapped his legs around him, his body, pushed by the force, fell backward.
Thud! The eerie sound of a person falling echoed fearfully through the parking lot. I cringed and unconsciously covered my ears.
“Se, Se-han…!”
Sung Se-han, who had quickly climbed on top of the large man, struck the man’s face with his elbow. Crack, something went wrong, and red blood splattered.
“Sung Se-han!”
A scream burst out unintentionally because I was overcome with fear. I barely managed to run with my staggering legs, and Sung Se-han lightly got up.
The moment I saw Sung Se-han’s cold eyes glancing at me, the legs that had been running stopped.
“Tae-kyung, I’m sorry.”
Sung Se-han, who wiped the bloodstained cheek with the back of his hand, raised the corner of his lips.
“I didn’t tell you to come to the aboveground parking lot.”
The voice that echoed through the parking lot was colder than his eyes. Even while looking at me, who couldn’t answer anything, Sung Se-han didn’t come to me.
“Se-han…”
Sung Se-han, who had taken a step back from the large man, lifted one foot and slammed his heel down on the floor. Crack, my shoulders trembled at the dull impact.
Sung Se-han’s sneakers were aimed not at the floor but at the large man’s wrist.
“Se-han…”
My lips trembled so much that I couldn’t speak properly. I unconsciously clutched my chest and looked at the large man who was lying down. The man, who was bleeding, was unconscious and didn’t move at all.
I searched for my phone with trembling hands. Quickly, quickly, an ambulance….
Thud. Thud. I snapped back to my senses at the sound of footsteps echoing through the parking lot. Sung Se-han was walking towards the sedan that Director Min Hyo-jeong was in.
“Sung Se-han!”
Without hesitation, I ran and blocked Sung Se-han’s path.
“Se-han! Stop, let’s stop and go! Huh?”
Sung Se-han smiled with his eyes and patted my shoulder.
“Just wait a little, Tae-kyung. I have something to say to that woman.”
“Se-han, please…”
Click, I heard the sound of the car door opening from behind. When I turned my head sharply, Director Min Hyo-jeong, who had gotten out of the sedan, was smiling.
“I’ve been lenient so far because of CEO Lim’s face. You’re really hopeless.”