Chapter 6
As Yeon Yiseo was contemplating whether to eat one more cookie, he soon set down the cookie he had picked up. Perhaps due to a lack of appetite, he had no desire to eat. While thinking that he should buy something simple to eat on his way home, someone entered the break room.
“Oh? Is Yiseo here? Weren’t you on sick leave today?”
Alex recognized Yeon Yiseo.
“I was, but I came in briefly due to an urgent matter.”
“If it were a situation where you could ask someone else for help, you wouldn’t have come.”
Alex chuckled awkwardly as he spoke.
“I should head back now.”
As Yeon Yiseo finished the conversation and stepped out, his gaze fell on the folder on Natalie's desk. It was a folder he was familiar with.
“Oh my.”
Approaching to check the folder, Yeon Yiseo covered his mouth in shock. It was indeed something he would recognize. These were the materials prepared for the new product launch.
They were documents essential for today’s presentation. It was unlike Natalie to leave something so important behind. It seemed she had been quite busy filling in the gaps left by Yeon Yiseo both yesterday and today.
Without hesitation, Yeon Yiseo called Natalie.
“Natalie?”
Yiseo? How are you feeling? Have you gotten any better?
“I’m fine. But Natalie, did you check the documents related to the new product specs?”
The documents? Just a moment... Oh my God. No way. I left that behind.
“I happened to be at the office. I’ll take it with me right away. Can you wait outside the conference room?”
Oh my... It seems like God hasn’t abandoned me. Okay, thank you, Yiseo.
After ending the call, Yeon Yiseo checked the time and realized the presentation hadn’t started yet. If he hurried, he thought he could make it with some time to spare. Yeon Yiseo grabbed the documents and hailed a taxi without hesitation. It was a mode of transportation he would never normally use, but there was no other choice now.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been in a condition to go to the presentation venue, but could this be what they call the “compulsion of the original work”? It would be a lie to say he had no expectations at all.
However, the situation was not flowing smoothly. As they say, when it rains, it pours. Of all times, there was an accident causing severe traffic congestion. Checking that there were about 3 km left to the presentation venue while anxiously tapping his feet in the car, Yeon Yiseo decided to get out of the taxi and run.
Normally, it would be a distance he could easily jog, but in his current state, which could hardly be called “normal,” it was quite difficult. Although he didn’t have a fever yet, his body felt heavy as if it were sinking. It seemed that one chocolate cookie was definitely insufficient, as his stomach was also starting to hurt.
While running with one hand clutching his abdomen, Yeon Yiseo accidentally bumped into someone on the street.
“Oh...! I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. It’s my fault for not avoiding you while looking at my phone.”
Relieved by that response, Yeon Yiseo hurriedly picked up the documents that had fallen to the ground.
“It seems important?”
The man said as he picked up a piece of paper that had fallen some distance away and handed it to Yeon Yiseo. Nodding, he thanked him and replied.
“Yes, it is. I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’m really sorry for bumping into you. If there’s any discomfort...”
“Oh, no. It’s nothing, so hurry along.”
“Thank you.”
Yeon Yiseo immediately ran off, clutching the documents to his chest. His breath was coming in short gasps, and his vision began to blur. Above all, the damn stomach pain was a problem. It felt like his insides were being rubbed with a thorny towel. Perhaps because of that, he also felt nauseous. He bit hus lower lip hard enough to draw blood.
Only when it became difficult to breathe was he finally able to arrive at the venue, where he saw Natalie waiting outside.
“Oh my. Yiseo, look at you sweating. What happened?”
“I’m, huff, fine. Ha, ha. I’m, I’m just trying to make it on time.”
“Thank you. You saved me. I’ll definitely repay this favor later.”
Seeing her rush up the stairs towards the venue, Yeon Yiseo collapsed right there. He felt the curious gazes of passersby. Among the people in suits, he must have stood out in his training clothes. Especially since he was gasping for breath and sitting on the floor.
He knew it, but he felt too weak to move. It felt like his lungs were about to burst from all the heavy breathing. He thought that if he rested a bit, he would feel better.
He had made it to the presentation venue as per the original work, but it seemed that was all there was to it. In this state, he couldn’t even go inside. He had expected it, but it felt a bit empty.
Yeon Yiseo’s heart raced wildly as he breathed heavily. Perhaps a fish just caught would be flopping like this. With a dazed mind, he thought about it as his vision began to blur.
Thump. Thump. With the sound of his pounding heart, Yeon Yiseo instinctively sensed that something was wrong. If this continued, he would probably collapse. He didn’t have enough spare money to pay for hospital bills.
While he was thinking this, his strength slowly drained away, and the whole world was enveloped in darkness.
**
It was warm and cozy. The sensation of the soft blanket was a kind of softness he had never felt before.
“...Hmm.”
Yeon Yiseo opened his heavy eyes. A strange ceiling welcomed him. What is this situation? Why am I here? As he recalled his last memory of being in front of the new product presentation venue, he finally realized where he was.
As he looked around, his gaze fell on the IV drip, with drops falling steadily. Oh my God. Is this a hospital? Yeon Yiseo immediately sat up. He couldn’t afford to pay for hospitalization; how much would they charge?
Frowning, he tried to call for someone, but this place was far too large to be a hospital, and it didn’t feel like a patient room either. If they were trying to fill a patient room with such luxurious furniture, the costs would be astronomical. It was far too spacious. The bed and the room. His fear of hospitalization costs grew stronger.
Is there anyone to ask? Just as Yeon Yiseo was about to get off the bed, someone entered the room. It was a tall middle-aged man. He was dressed in a comfortable sweater, and perhaps due to his brown horn-rimmed glasses, he had a very gentle appearance.
“Oh, you shouldn’t get up just yet.”
“...Excuse me, where is this?”
Yeon Yiseo asked the man who approached to check his IV. After confirming that his IV was fine, he replied.
“This is the CEO’s private room. I’m Kane, the family doctor of the Scott family.”
“...What?”
Scott? Did he just say Scott? Moreover, the CEO’s private room? Wait, what’s going on here?
Yeon Yiseo frowned in confusion. It was certainly as described in the original work. Was this how he was connected to Ethan? The compulsion of the original work was manifesting in such a way, leaving him feeling both bewildered and creeped out.
“Um, what about the costs?”
“Pardon? Oh, that’s been taken care of by the CEO, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
Seeing Kane smile, Yeon Yiseo felt relieved. He had been extremely tense, worried about having to pay. Still, it was nice to know that being his secretary meant he would treat him kindly in situations like this. It felt like he was being rewarded for working so hard at a large corporation.
“How are you feeling? Is your body heavy or uncomfortable?”
“I’m feeling light.”
“I’ll check your temperature.”
Beep, the electronic thermometer beeped. 37.7 degrees. There was a slight fever, but compared to the day it had gone over 39 degrees, he felt like he could fly.
“It seems your fever has gone down, and your condition is okay. That’s a relief.”
“Where is the CEO?”
He wanted to express his gratitude. Perhaps his thoughts reached the heavens, as the door opened, and someone entered.
Naturally, Yeon Yiseo assumed it would be Ethan and turned his head toward the door, only to freeze in place.
“How is your body?”
“...”
He couldn’t respond and just stared blankly at him, so he turned his gaze back to Kane, who seemed to have quickly realized that he was expected to answer.
“Oh, yes. The fever has gone down, and you seem to be much better.”
Yeon Yiseo wondered if the person in front of him was indeed the one from his memories. He was not the Ethan he had expected. Kane hadn’t said anything wrong. Yes, he was also a member of the Scott family and the CEO.
Alexander A. Scott. Ethan’s older brother. Ethan was in charge of the electronics industry, while Alexander was in charge of the defense industry.
“You certainly seem to be much better.”
Yeon Yiseo snapped back to reality at those words. He realized he had been staring at him rudely.
Alexander was 31 years old, two years older than Ethan, and was also a skilled businessman mentioned in the game.
