CHAPTER 60: ASSISTANT CHO, WHAT HAPPENED?

"Hurry, help me hold his right side!"

A taxi screeched to a stop at the roadside. Cho Rin staggered under Kim Suho’s weight—his entire body sagged against her like a sack of rice. She was about to collapse when Jo Hee darted over.

"Got him. Let’s go," Jo Hee said, propping me up from the other side.

Cho Rin checked her phone. "This way. Elder Brother Choku sent me his address."

As they half-dragged, half-carried him along, Jo Hee muttered, "Seriously, why’d you insist on drinking?"

"I didn’t know two bottles of fruit beer would take him down! Who collapses after juice with bubbles?" Cho Rin hissed, her voice a mix of panic and disbelief.

"Clearly, your boss." Jo Hee sighed. "I wanted to test him, not kill him. Those meat rolls were still in the pot, too. Such a waste."

At the Stairs

"Assistant Cho, what happened?" Son Choku rushed over, grocery bag swinging from one hand. He froze at the sight of his boss slumped between two young women.

"Elder Brother Choku, Mr. Kim... drank too much," Cho Rin admitted, cheeks red with guilt.

Son Choku exhaled in relief. "Ah, just drunk. Here, let me." He shifted Suho onto his own shoulder. "You two will never get him up the stairs."

By the time they reached the third floor, Son Choku was pounding on a door. "Old woman, open up!"

Inside, Su Bin’s muffled voice replied, "Didn’t I send you for groceries? Why are you back already?"

"Boss Kim’s drunk. Make some hangover soup!"

The door creaked open. Su Bin peered at me, groaned, and muttered, "This child again? Can’t handle liquor and still drinks. Put him upstairs; I’ll make soup." Clattering echoed from the kitchen as she vanished.

Cho Rin’s face burned hotter. This is my fault.

Inside Suho’s Apartment

Son Choku grunted as he dragged me up another flight. "Assistant Cho, check his pockets for the key."

Cho Rin blinked, mortified, then fumbled through Suho’s jacket. Keys clinked. She unlocked the door, and they hauled him to the bed.

"Alright. You take care of him; I’ll fetch the soup." Son Choku nodded and slipped out.

Jo Hee immediately began snooping. "So this is where the big boss lives? Huh. Ordinary. Very ordinary."

"Stop wandering!" Cho Rin hissed, pulling her back. "This isn’t our place."

Jo Hee waved at the worn-out sofa and faded curtains. "Weird. You say he’s loaded, but he lives like this? Looks more like my grandma’s house than a millionaire’s."

Cho Rin hesitated, then defended, "Mr. Kim always spends money on employees, never himself. He’s... selfless."

Jo Hee raised an eyebrow. "Selfless, or stingy? You and he sound alike—all your money goes to that orphanage, and you barely buy yourself socks. Maybe he’s the same. Too generous with others, stingy with himself."

Cho Rin looked at me sleeping soundly, admiration softening her face. "Mr. Kim... is great."

Downstairs – The Kitchen

Su Bin chopped vegetables furiously. Son Choku stood awkwardly nearby. "I left Assistant Cho with him. She’ll take care until the soup’s ready."

"You fool," Su Bin snapped. "You basically gift-wrapped the girl to him. What if sparks fly?"

Son Choku blinked. "Isn’t that good? They look well-matched."

Su Bin slammed her knife. "I was going to introduce Nami to him! My daughter would’ve been perfect."

Son Choku scratched his head. "Nami hasn’t come home in months. What can we do? Let the young people figure it out. If something happens, it’s fate."

"You talk about fairness? When you chased me, you broke half your rivals’ legs!" Su Bin shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.

Son Choku coughed sheepishly. "Ah, different times. Romance was war back then."

Upstairs – The Bedroom

Cho Rin adjusted Suho’s blanket, sitting on the edge of the bed. Jo Hee leaned against the dresser, arms crossed. "You really admire him, don’t you?"

Cho Rin flinched. "I just... respect him. He’s kind, generous—"

"Generins? He works you like a shadow. Every time I see you, you’re running on no sleep."

"That’s different," Cho Rin insisted. "Working for him feels... lighter. He trusts me."

Jo Hee’s lips curved in a knowing smirk. "Uh-huh. And that trust makes your face turn red whenever I mention him."

Cho Rin looked away, tugging at her sleeves. "...It’s not like that."

Suho stirred, mumbling incoherently: "No... no overtime... burn the money... buy... more chairs..."

The two women turned to stare. Cho Rin clutched her chest in worry. Jo Hee burst out laughing.

"See? Even drunk, he’s still thinking about wasting money. Your boss really is one of a kind."

Cho Rin sighed softly. "That’s what makes him... different."

"You know this!"

Son Choku paused and smiled awkwardly.

"I know; the guy you beat up came whining to me."

"I still hit him lightly. Dared to complain? Tch."

Son Choku snorted coldly, then tilted his head at Su Bin. "But if you already knew, why’d you still choose me back then?"

"I won’t tell you."

"C’mon, tell me."

"You really want to know?"

"Mm!"

"I picked you because of that fight. I thought you looked manly... and honestly, I liked it." Su Bin lowered her head, embarrassed.

Son Choku’s grin widened. "If I’d known that, I would’ve beaten him earlier."

"Idiot." Su Bin rolled her eyes and kept chopping vegetables.

Before long, the hangover soup was ready. Son Choku carried it upstairs, still chuckling.

Suho’s Apartment

"Jo Hee, don’t you have to work tomorrow? Leave this to me. Go rest." Cho Rin set the soup aside, brushing hair out of her tired face.

"Are you sure you can handle it? I can stay—"

"There’s nothing to handle. Go."

"Fine, fine. Don’t blame me if you two get too cozy!" Jo Hee smirked and slipped out before Cho Rin could throw a pillow at her.

Cho Rin sighed, dragged a chair beside Suho’s bed, and kept watch.

Early morning

Kim Suho rubbed his throbbing head. When he tried to sit up, something tugged at the blanket. He turned his head and froze.