A Madman in Love

There are all kinds of crazy people in the world.

The reckless, the obstinate, the psychos, the unrestrained, the obsessive, the perverts.

As far as Suin knew, he was all of those things: obsessed, perverted, and psychotic.

And now, that crazy bastard was back.

***

It was just another ordinary day for Suin.

Arriving at work promptly at 9 AM, she completed her morning tasks, had a simple lunch, and prepared Chairwoman Woo Ilhwa's afternoon schedule without any issues. 

Well, except for the neckbow that kept coming undone.

“Again?” 

Suin sighed and finally removed the neckbow from her collar entirely.

Her milky-white neck was exposed, faintly glowing in the bluish light of her computer monitor.

Softly brushing her fingers over the now bare neck, Suin stood up gracefully. Picking up her binder, she moved to leave her office, her motions and stride exuding elegance.

As she opened the door, she heard a voice.

“Wow, our chief secretary should have been a celebrity.”

The admiration came from Oh Daehwi, one of the assistant secretaries. This was immediately followed by a playful remark from the youngest secretary, Hyun Jiye.

“Seriously, her face would put most actresses to shame. She’s just too gorgeous.”

The two of them, chatting at the desk in the secretarial office without realizing Suin was there, belatedly turned to see her.

“Chief Secretary!”

Daehwi lifted the company newsletter high in his hand with an exaggerated flourish.

“Hot off the press!”

“Chief, you said you didn’t want to be photographed, but look how beautifully you graced the cover!” 

Jiye quickly darted forward, tapping the front page of the newsletter.

The cover featured a poised image of Suin, her shoulders slightly turned. Despite her calm expression, the elegance she exuded was nothing short of stunning.

“Spare me the commentary,” Suin replied coolly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Without further reaction to the cover, Suin glanced at it briefly before refocusing on her work.

12:45 PM

Checking her smartwatch, Suin mentally reviewed Chairwoman Woo’s schedule.

The remaining agenda included a 4 PM to 7 PM keynote speech at the Women Entrepreneurs Association seminar, followed by dinner with the seminar attendees.

“Assistant Oh, where’s the chairwoman?”

Confirming she had some free time, Suin looked down the hallway connecting the secretarial office to the chairwoman’s suite. Daehwi craned his neck out dramatically in response to her question.

“She’s taking a break since there’s no scheduled activity until the seminar.”

“Is she sleeping?”

“Yes.”

Since Chairwoman Woo began her day at 5 AM, a brief nap during lunchtime was a crucial part of her routine. Unless the sky fell, it was understood that no one disturbed her.

“Assistant Oh, you should catch some rest in the nap room too. You must be tired.”

“I’m fine.”

“In that case, coffee’s on me. Jiye, a vanilla latte?”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Suin, though known for her strict demeanor, always looked out for her team like family. She left to ensure Daehwi and Jiye could take a proper rest.

“Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon, Chief Secretary.”

The employees she encountered while heading down to the cafeteria on the second floor greeted her first.

“Good afternoon,” Suin replied, her tone polite and professional.

Lee Suin, the chief secretary of Hyesung Group’s Chairwoman Woo Ilhwa.

Her impeccable work ethic, sophisticated urban beauty, and exceptional height of 170 cm made her a paragon of perfection. So much so that the public relations team had fervently pleaded with her to grace the cover of the company newsletter. Her very presence inspired a sense of awe in those who passed her.

Ding—

She was about to reach the cafeteria when her phone rang. Checking the caller, Suin immediately stopped walking and answered the call.

“Yes, Chairwoman.”

[Chief Lee, where are you?]

Chairwoman Woo’s voice sounded languid.

Suin leaned against the glass railing overlooking the open first-floor lobby and replied, “I stepped downstairs for a moment. Didn’t you take a nap?”

[I woke up. I heard there’s a noisy visitor.]

A noisy visitor?

As if responding to her faint laugh, noise began to swell from the lobby below. 

Timing it perfectly, Suin shifted her gaze toward the source of the commotion.

[It won’t take long, will it?]

"Should I come up right now?"  

[No. Not right away... wait about thirty minutes before coming.]

Wait?  

Why?  

"Understood. Chairwoman, is there something going on?"  

Suin noticed how the attention of the employees in the lobby was fixated on one spot.  

A man, flanked by what looked like bodyguards, entered through the main doors.  

Dressed in head-to-toe luxury, his commanding physique drew even Suin's gaze.  

[I’ll explain when you get here.]  

So there *was* something going on.  

"Got it."  

Suin didn’t press further, simply watching the man from a distance.  

The security personnel moved as if they'd been prepped, all bowing politely in unison as they greeted him.  

From the looks of it, he was probably the "noisy guest" Chairwoman Woo had mentioned.  

"Who is he?"  

There was no one with such a striking presence in her mental catalog of people.  

His towering height, broad shoulders, and solid build were one thing, but the confident way he moved and his extraordinary looks made it impossible not to notice him.  

Judging by the expressions of the female staff members watching him, his appeal was evident.  

The only regret was that, from her angle, she could only see the crown of his head.  @@novelbin@@

'Everyone’s enchanted.'  

Suin chuckled softly, amused at their reactions.  

And then—  

The man lifted his chin ever so slightly.  

In that instant,  

"Gasp!"  

Shock and confusion hit Suin like an earthquake.  

Oh my god.  

Before she knew it, she had instinctively ducked behind a nearby column.  

It felt like she’d seen a ghost or was experiencing a hallucination.  

Could it really be?  

Disbelieving, she blinked rapidly and stole another glance at the man.  

There was no doubt about it.  

With those perfectly sculpted features and mesmerizing gray eyes,  

Seo Jaehee.

It was him.  

It was really Seo Jaehee.  

Seo Jaehee, of all people... 

Watching him pass through security with ease, her heart began pounding unexpectedly.  

The heavy thumping felt like the ticking of a time bomb.  

Seo Jaehee didn’t notice her on the second floor and disappeared from view, likely heading straight to the Chairwoman’s office.  

Only after he was out of sight did Suin’s racing heart begin to calm down. She felt relieved it hadn’t exploded.  

“I’m ridiculous.”  

Realizing her own reaction, Suin let out a dry laugh.  

“Why am I…”  

"So, a noisy guest is coming."  

Looking back, Chairwoman Woo had been right—Seo Jaehee *was* a noisy guest.  

Currently the director of Hyesung Group’s New York branch, he was renowned as the most handsome man in the company.  

Naturally, his sudden appearance at headquarters was bound to cause a stir.  

"He’s probably just here for a short visit," Suin muttered to herself.  

She had no desire to run into him.  

The thought of facing him made her uneasy, so she clung to Chairwoman Woo’s instructions and her hope that the thirty-minute wait would be enough to avoid him.  

Unfortunately, it wasn’t.  

***

When Suin finally went to the Chairwoman’s office after the thirty-minute wait, Seo Jaehee was gone, just as she’d hoped.  

But the mark he left behind was monumental.  

"Reassignment?"  

Chairwoman Woo had informed Suin that she was being reassigned to work as the secretary for the new Executive Director of Operations.  

It was a position left vacant after Director Kim Joayoung’s retirement last month, and until that morning, there had been no announcement about a replacement.  

"When was a new director appointed?"  

"It was a sudden decision. The timing felt right."  

"What timing?"  

The cryptic remark left Suin puzzled.  

Chairwoman Woo’s face crinkled with a pleasant smile, her good mood unmistakable.  

That smile set off alarm bells in Suin’s mind, and the words that followed dropped like a bombshell.  

"Our Jaehee."  

"Sorry?"  

"I appointed Jaehee as the new director. This way, he’ll settle down here in Korea for good."  

What? 

When had she orchestrated this?  

"He agreed without hesitation. He arrived today and stopped by just a little while ago."  

And I saw him.  

"Jaehee has been doing an excellent job in New York. But since it’s been so long since he’s been in Korea, I thought it would be good for you to help him adjust."  

"But Chairwoman, as you know..."  

"Jaehee will be more comfortable with you than anyone else."  

"Maybe a little *too* comfortable," Suin muttered under her breath.  

"Exactly. Hahaha!"  

Chairwoman Woo burst into laughter as if thoroughly enjoying herself, oblivious to Suin’s internal turmoil.  

Annoyed by the Chairwoman’s unreserved laughter, Suin clamped her mouth shut.  

No wonder the neckbow had been so bothersome earlier.  

It was a sign.

She suddenly felt as though something was tightening around her neck.