episode_0110

Troublesome. And bewildering.

That was Kim Taehyun’s current state of mind. To cry when you’re already lacking, what did he do wrong?

An adult…no, Kim Taehyun himself is an adult, but seeing someone over 10 years older than him crying like that was a sight he had never seen before.

And.

Cute…

Did he really hit his head and see things wrong? Despite the age gap of almost a decade (11 years), to feel this kind of emotion.

This tingling feeling in his chest. Kim Taehyun knows this feeling well.

Yes, we call this feeling love.

He slowly closed his eyes and reminisced about last night.

Right after realizing his feelings, a call came from her as if it were fate. Even in a dazed state like himself.

Of course, it was a dazed state filled with alcohol fumes, not pink.

Nevertheless, once he received the call, he couldn’t help but go see her.

Grabbing his coat and rushing out of the house to catch a taxi…

-Recently, catching a taxi at night is like finding a needle in a haystack. What could be the reason behind this? Our TBC has investigated the cause.

And indeed, after hearing on the news how difficult it was to catch a taxi, not a single taxi was in sight.

“Oh, really! I’m in a hurry!”

What should he do, pacing around in circles.

A shared bicycle caught his eye.

Without a second thought, he immediately rented the bicycle and started pedaling.

“Heuk, heuk.”

Unaware of the speed limit, Kim Taehyun pedaled like a maniac, sweating profusely.

It took him about 20 minutes to reach the location where Jang Doyeon was.

“Huuk, huuk.”

Breathing heavily, he parked the bicycle and descended into the building’s basement.

It didn’t take long for him to find his familiar car in the underground parking lot.

Hurriedly approaching the car and scanning the surroundings, Kim Taehyun. Fortunately or unfortunately, he couldn’t find Jang Doyeon around the car.

Searching the surroundings, he eventually approached the car and looked inside.

“Oh, sir. You’ve tinted the windows really dark.”

Since it was so dark outside that he couldn’t see inside, he finally opened the driver’s seat.

But Jang Doyeon wasn’t there.

“Where did she go? I can smell alcohol.”

If she wasn’t around the car, where should he start looking…

-Saegun, saegun.

He heard rhythmic breathing and leaned further into the back seat.

“Uung….”

She was there.

-Whoa!

In that moment, Kim Taehyun could feel the blood rushing to his face.

Even from the side, he had felt it before, but her face was unbelievably beautiful.

Previously, when he worked at a restaurant, he could see celebrities quite often, but he thought she was more beautiful than any celebrity he had ever seen.

Was this the same person who was almost 100kg just 5 months ago?

In a very short period, she had transformed from Jang Dohyun to Jang Doyeon. In other words, the time when she was a man. Kim Taehyun had seen him in his male form.

But he couldn’t believe that the man and the slender woman in front of him were the same person.

Moreover, at the time he first saw her, she always seemed absent-minded and a bit off…honestly, not someone he could admire. But now, she was a true professional. Meticulous and strict with herself, yet generous to her subordinates. A perfect boss who leads well.

According to his supervisor, Deputy Kwon Sung-yeol, that appearance was supposedly the original form of Jung Do-yeon.

Looking at her, he thought he wanted to grow old like her someday.

Yes, Kim Tae-hyun admired Jung Do-yeon. As a superior, as an adult, as a human being.

She had suffered great pain. About her family history.

Of course, compared to Kim Tae-hyun’s own story, it might not be that remarkable. After all, he even gained the nickname “Pong Pong Man” these days.

But just because his pain seemed lighter than mine doesn’t mean she wasn’t hurting. Kim Tae-hyun realized that too late.

So he missed the woman he loved more than himself, and all he could do was watch as she fell into the arms of another man.

Honestly… if he hadn’t felt despair, that would be a lie.

At that moment, when his emotions were swirling and he didn’t know what to do, it was Jung Do-yeon right in front of him who held him together.

Honestly, she could be considered a mentor, if not a savior.

That mentor. She was always like a solid mountain leading him in front of her.

Now, she was lying defenseless.

Seeing her in such a vulnerable state, Kim Tae-hyun felt strangely relieved.

-Swish

She tossed and turned, lying on her side.

Her slightly disheveled hair cascaded over her face, covering it. And between the strands of hair, her plum-like lips exuded a presence. Her labored breathing was rapid between them.

“Ha, ha.”

She seemed to be in pain, and it seemed like some action was needed.

First, he got out of the driver’s seat, opened the back door, and shook her shoulder to wake her up.

“Chief Jung. Chief Jung!”

But she remained unresponsive, only frowning slightly and pursing her lips.

“Ugh, the smell of alcohol.”

Every time she opened her mouth, the pungent smell of alcohol was so strong that it was impossible to gauge how much she had drunk.

Thinking that he should at least get some hangover medicine, he moved away from the back seat and turned around.

-Thud!

Feeling a sudden resistance, Kim Tae-hyun turned around to see Jung Do-yeon holding onto his arm.

“Ji-yeon….”

She muttered quietly.

Ji-yeon? Who was that?

“Don’t go…. I’ll do better.”

As she shed more tears, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Even just listening, it was clear that this person was in a relationship where they were close enough to cry like that.

Who among those who knew Jung Do-yeon’s circumstances wouldn’t be able to guess this?

Probably his… no, her ex-wife.

She had been so supportive of their children, going about her social life as if nothing was wrong.

How could she not have been hurt? How could she not have been in pain?

Most people would carry a single experience as a lifelong scar, a trauma, but she had gone through two in a row.

Yes, it wasn’t okay, she was just pretending to be okay.

Thinking that way made his chest ache. His heart stung.

As a parent of two children, as a team leader leading a department. She seemed perfect (in Kim Tae-hyun’s eyes), but… once you peeled away that tough exterior, she was so fragile.

“Don’t go….”

As she spoke with more strength, Kim Tae-hyun raised his other hand and gently held her hand.

And quietly.

“Yes, I won’t go.”

“Stay by my side….”

“Yes, I’ll stay by your side.”

With that reply, he sat on the car threshold and watched her for a while.

-Mmm, mmm.

Then suddenly, her phone rang.

Looking for the source of the sound, it seemed to be coming from her side as she lay down.

“Oh, of course it’s on the side I’m lying on.”

Lying on her side, she was facing downwards according to her standards.

In other words.

“I guess I have to turn her over.”

Touching the body of a drunken and defenseless superior was a bit awkward, but Kim Tae-hyun did it anyway.

“Mmm, mmm!”

The phone kept ringing even after the call was disconnected, indicating it was an urgent call or probably a family member. Judging by her usual behavior, it was likely Dayoung.

Anyway, Kim Tae-hyun silently apologized to her as he adjusted the angle of the front seat and carefully placed his hand under her thigh and side.

“Huh? It’s not as firm as I thought.”

Expecting a muscular body due to a recent body profile photoshoot, her body was unexpectedly soft. Well, she must have gained a few kilos from eating this and that for a few days. Although he had heard about it, it seemed that a woman’s body was just like this.

Still, compared to his ex-girlfriend Kim Mi-yeon, she had more elasticity… Huh? No matter what, she was one year younger than him, and a 12-year age gap with Jung Doyeon? She said she rejuvenated, but does that make sense? Moreover, it was a few years ago from now, when she was in her early twenties?

Kim Tae-hyun, who was amazed by Jung Doyeon’s physique after touching it, suddenly felt a sense of reality and turned his head to dispel his distractions and worries.

Anyway, he carefully placed his hand between the seat and her body, gently lifted her up, and laid her down facing upwards.

“Phew!”

It wasn’t heavy, but the confined space made it difficult to adjust her position, causing him to breathe a little roughly as he tried to resume searching for his phone.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, something black approached his face.

“Swish!”

It wrapped around his neck!

“Boing!”