–Just for a moment today. Let me see your face.
“Today?”
Yeon Yiseo had planned to get home early and relax, so the suggestion didn’t sound too appealing.
–I won’t take much of your time. I just want to see you—ten minutes, tops. Please?
It was hard to say no when Seo Eunwoo was asking so earnestly. After he offered to come near his house, Yeon Yiseo agreed to meet him at a café three blocks away, then ended the call.
When Yeon Yiseo arrived, Seo Eunwoo was already waiting. As soon as he raised his hand to signal where he was, his face shifted to one of shock.
“……What the hell, your face! What happened to your face?”
“Oh.”
Yeon Yiseo parted his lips slightly, then quickly brushed it off.
“I just fell.”
“You fell? …You expect me to believe that?”
Seo Eunwoo looked unconvinced. But what else could he do? Yeon Yiseo simply lifted the corners of his mouth, and after staring at him for a moment, Seo Eunwoo frowned in displeasure.
“There wasn’t anything in the original where you had bad relationships with anyone, as far as I remember. Oh, here. Drink this. It just came out.”
“How much should I pay you?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who asked to meet. The one who asks should pay.”
“Hmm. Thanks.”
When Seo Eunwoo made it clear he wasn’t going to accept any money, Yeon Yiseo thanked him and took a sip of the café latte. The sweet, warm drink helped ease both his body and mind.
Noticing that Seo Eunwoo’s eyes were still fixed on his cheek, Yeon Yiseo gave a faint smile.
“Don’t worry. I really did just fall.”
“……Hmm. Fine. How’s the rest of your body?”
“That’s okay too.”
“Don’t people tell you you’re stubborn?”
“Do they?”
Yeon Yiseo replied with a voice just as calm and unchanged as ever.
“You look like you’ve lost some weight.”
“Must’ve dropped some while I was sick.”
“Like it’s someone else’s problem.”
“It’s my problem, which is exactly why it’s like this. I’m really fine. It just looks worse than it is—physically I’m okay.”
Seo Eunwoo let out a low sigh. He must’ve finally realized that Yeon Yiseo wasn’t going to be easy to deal with.
“You look all gentle, but you’re even tougher than you were in the original.”
“Tough? I think I’m just normal.”
“Normal, my ass.”
After taking a sip of the herbal tea in front of him, Seo Eunwoo sighed again.
“I came to see if you were okay, but I’m even more worried now. Drink that and let’s get up. Just looking at your face makes me want to go home and rest.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“You look like it is, that’s why I said it.”
Yeon Yiseo figured Seo Eunwoo was more of a worrier than he let on. Not that he minded—Yeon Yiseo really was fine. He could walk on his own two feet, and he wasn’t even that sick. Most people would just tough this kind of thing out. It wasn’t like he was special or anything.
Still, he was desperate for some rest, so he didn’t resist when Seo Eunwoo insisted.
“Make sure to rest well and don’t forget to use a hot compress, okay?”
“Yeah, I got it.”
Yeon Yiseo nodded without protest, but Seo Eunwoo still looked skeptical. So Yiseo held out his pinky finger.
“Want to pinky swear on it?”
“Oh, come on. What are you doing?”
Seo Eunwoo finally let out a small laugh, the tension easing from his face.
They chatted casually about recent events and finished their drinks not long after.
“Want me to walk you home?”
“Nah, it’s right around the corner.”
Knowing full well that once Yeon Yiseo made up his mind, he wouldn’t budge, Seo Eunwoo just shrugged and nodded.
“Be careful on your way back,” he said before getting into the car that had been waiting for him. Yeon Yiseo waved goodbye, then turned and headed home.
Once back, he dampened a towel and microwaved it for thirty seconds to make a hot compress. Pressing it to his cheek, he stared at the hot dog he planned to eat for dinner.
He didn’t have much of an appetite, but not eating would only make things worse—for himself.
At least he’d gotten paid recently, so he could afford dinner. That was something to be thankful for.
Yeon Yiseo checked the date on his calendar. The party was scheduled for Friday, May 5th. Just an ordinary weekday on the U.S. calendar.
But not for Yeon Yiseo.
He’d wanted to rest that day, but having taken sick leave recently—before even reaching his first work anniversary—it wasn’t an option.
As he stared blankly at his toes, a memory surfaced in his mind.
“Yiseo, in Korea, we have a holiday on May 5th called Children’s Day. It’s something special.”
“Since both Mom and Dad are off that day, should we go on a family trip? You said you wanted to go to an amusement park, remember? Should we go?”
“Really? You mean it?”
“Of course!”
He could barely remember what his parents’ voices sounded like anymore. But he remembered the joy and anticipation. That was still crystal clear.
“Honey, oh no, Yiseo—!”
Then came the deafening crash. The darkness.
Yeon Yiseo flinched, eyes squeezed shut. That eardrum-ripping sound—the impact that had shaken his entire body—still rang in his ears like a phantom echo.
He kept his eyes shut, waiting for the sound to fade, until he noticed the towel on his cheek had gone cold. Letting out a long sigh, he stood up to heat it again in the microwave.
***
Friday evening. The party hosted by Ethan had begun.
They had rented out an entire building covering over 1,000 pyeong (approximately 33,000 square feet)—a massive scale. It was hosted under Dymine’s CEO’s name, so the guest list was no less impressive.
Senators, House representatives, business moguls, and even judges were in attendance. Celebrities from the music and film industries were there too.
Everyone had to be greeted with a smile, no matter how unreasonable their requests might be.
Of course, there were plenty of staff, but if something serious happened, Yeon Yiseo might have to step in to handle it.
Even for someone as well-trained as him, smiling for over five hours straight was enough to make his face twitch.
Hoping to catch a break, he slipped away upstairs to a quiet corner. It wasn’t completely deserted, but compared to the main floor, it was practically empty.
He settled into a chair. The cushioned seat had a perfect backrest. Holding a bottle of ice-cold water—still covered in condensation—he leaned back with a sigh.
“Ugh… this is brutal.”
It seemed the party had doubled as a lobbying event due to upcoming legal changes, with the scale ramped up to near year-end levels.
The staff were the ones suffering, sure, but even Ethan probably wasn’t having an easy time. Then again, Ethan was an extreme-dominant Alpha. Physically, he could handle much more than Yeon Yiseo.
Still, on days like this, being busy was actually better. Even if a lively party couldn’t cure loneliness, at least it kept your mind too occupied to dwell on it.
But the body had its limits.
Running on little sleep, Yeon Yiseo was starting to hit a wall.
“Excuse me. You there, sitting—are you staff?”
A voice called out from behind him.
He’d come all the way up here to avoid people, yet someone had singled him out anyway.
What were the odds? Just his luck.
“Yes? Oh—yes, I am.”
The man who’d spoken seemed to have a sixth sense for who was and wasn’t on the guest list.
Yiseo hadn’t even unscrewed his water bottle yet.
He sighed quietly, stood with the bottle in hand.
The man looked down at the floor and let out a breath. He looked like a dominant Alpha, but completely worn out.
“Could you bring me a drink?”
“Yes. Would you prefer alcohol or juice?”
“Alcohol. On the rocks, please.”
Running a finger along his eyebrow, the man made his request. Yiseo nodded and left.
He seemed like someone who was used to giving orders.
Yiseo considered suggesting juice instead—alcohol wouldn’t help if he was already exhausted—but didn’t say anything.
Whatever the man’s reason, he was a guest at this high-profile party, which meant he had to be someone important.
It wasn’t Yeon Yiseo’s place as a staff member to second-guess his preferences.
He brought the drink as requested. The man took it with a quiet “thanks” without even glancing at Yiseo.
He kept rubbing his forehead, clearly uncomfortable.
Then, just as Yiseo feared, the man pulled out a pill bottle from his pocket and poured two tablets into his palm.
Is he really going to take those with alcohol?
He hesitated. Surely they weren’t just vitamins or breath mints.
After a moment of inner conflict, Yeon Yiseo finally asked,
“Would you like some water, sir?”
“Huh?”
The man turned his head at the question.
Only then did Yiseo get a full look at his face.
And he immediately recognized him. His lips tensed.
He was honestly proud of himself for not screaming. Though he had to bite his tongue to keep the reaction in.
Tamir Ali Muhammad.
An oil tycoon with royal blood.
But that wasn’t why Yiseo had reacted.
The real issue was that he was a targetable character from Don’t Look for the Sickly Villain.
