Chapter 15

15. A Demanding Guardian

The hospital Woohyun had booked wasn’t far from the company.

Jiseul would’ve preferred to go alone if possible, but Woohyun had even volunteered to play chauffeur and personally drove her there.

It felt as though she’d somehow acquired a very demanding guardian.

“I can handle the appointment myself. You can go now.”

Jiseul spoke awkwardly, but Woohyun firmly refused and showed no intention of leaving.

“No. I’ll wait until you’re done. I don’t have anything particularly urgent this morning anyway.”

In the end, Jiseul went through the examination process while being watched over by him.

The Psychiatry Clinic felt unfamiliar and solemn.

Guided by a nurse, she first underwent a basic interview and psychological evaluation.

Since there was also a possibility that the issue stemmed from her brain or heart, she underwent various physical examinations as well.

Detailed tests like MRI scans and EEGs.

While she moved from one examination room to another, Woohyun sat on a hospital sofa and worked on his Tablet PC.

He looked extremely busy, yet showed no sign of leaving.

“It’s stress-induced Panic Disorder.”

After countless examinations, that was the diagnosis the doctor finally delivered.

It was the conclusion reached after thoroughly analyzing the test results and charts.

“So in the end, this means it’s a psychological problem?”

Jiseul asked carefully, and the doctor kindly answered.

“That’s right. The MRI and EEG results show no abnormalities in either your brain or your heart. If there’s no physical issue, it means the problem lies elsewhere. You can think of it as panic symptoms that appear suddenly when stress reaches an extreme level.”

“Is my condition severe?”

“Well, it’s difficult to give a definitive answer since I haven’t personally witnessed an episode. However, based on your description, I suspect your condition is quite serious. You’ve even experienced breathing difficulties.”

“Can it actually be treated?”

“Of course. The symptoms are serious, but with consistent medication and counseling, there’s every possibility you’ll improve significantly.”

After a lengthy consultation, the doctor prescribed medication and scheduled her next appointment.

Jiseul left the consultation room feeling somewhat relieved.

The doctor’s assurance that treatment could help brought her comfort.

At the very least, things wouldn’t get worse if she followed through with treatment.

“They said there’s nothing physically wrong. The MRI and EEG both came back normal. My brain and heart are perfectly fine.”

While riding back to the company, Jiseul carefully informed Woohyun.

After all, he was the reason she’d gone to the hospital in the first place.

She felt he deserved to know.

“So it’s entirely psychological?”

“Yes. That’s what they said.”

“Then getting proper rest, eating well, and avoiding stress must be the most important things.”

“Probably.”

As they chatted, the car soon arrived at the company.

Only after escorting Jiseul all the way to the office did Woohyun finally head toward the CEO’s Office.

Jiseul felt oddly as if she’d been treated like a child who needed constant supervision.

Still, one thing was certain.

She didn’t dislike it nearly as much as she thought she would.

* * *

The moment she arrived at work, Jiseul threw herself into her tasks.

She was anxious to settle on a research topic as quickly as possible.

She meticulously analyzed every aspect of the WinCare project, searching for areas where further research might be needed.

But finding flaws in a project that was nearly perfect proved extremely difficult.

Drring.

She was deeply immersed in analyzing the program when a WinChat notification suddenly sounded.

Assuming it was Kangbin, she glanced over.

Unexpectedly, the sender was Woohyun.

[I forgot to ask earlier. When is your next appointment?]

That was the question that appeared without even a customary greeting.

Jiseul felt both flustered and grateful.

After witnessing her panic episodes firsthand, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Honestly, she didn’t dislike the attention.

Though it also reminded her of Junghyeon and left her heart aching.

After staring at the message for a moment, she sent a brief reply.

[Next Monday. I’ll be attending counseling every Monday for about two months.]

[That’s good. Don’t skip your appointments. And if you have a panic attack while you’re alone, don’t forget to shake your wrist five times.]

Woohyun’s reply was completely serious.

The mention of shaking her wrist five times made her laugh.

After all, he was referring to using the WinWatch’s emergency alert function if she found herself unable to handle the situation alone.

Then she remembered something she needed to tell him.

Something related to the Phoenix case.

[I’ll remember. By the way, Mr. CEO. Are you busy tonight?]

After a moment of hesitation, Jiseul carefully asked.

There were limits to what they could discuss over a messenger.

Meeting face-to-face seemed better.

[I’m free after 7 PM. Before that, I’ll be occupied with outside appointments. Is there something you want to discuss?]

The response came with detailed information.

Jiseul immediately replied.

[Yes. There’s something we need to share. The files copied from Prosecutor Shin Junghyeon’s computer. I’ve managed to unlock several more encrypted folders, and I think you should take a look.]

[Now you’ve got me curious. Let’s meet this evening.]

[Okay. I’ll come to the CEO’s Office at 7.]

[Let’s do that. See you later.]

Their conversation ended almost immediately.

Closing the messenger, Jiseul returned to reviewing the WinCare project files.

The project was so well designed that no matter how closely she examined it, she couldn’t identify any areas that needed improvement or new research.

That only made the problem more difficult.

“Senior Jiseul!”

Someone suddenly called her from behind and lightly tapped her shoulder.

Turning around in surprise, she found Kangbin standing there with a cheerful smile.

Team Leader Jung Yuna was beside him.

“Busy? Let’s talk for a minute.”

Kangbin grinned playfully.

“Ah… not really. Just a moment.”

Jiseul quickly replied while gathering the documents scattered across her desk.

Drring.

At that moment, another WinChat notification sounded.

A message appeared in the lower-right corner of her monitor.

It was from Woohyun.

[We’ll need dinner anyway, so let’s meet at a restaurant nearby at 7.]

Drring.

[There’s a French restaurant called Serendipity right next to the company building.]

Drring.

[Let’s meet there. I’ll make a reservation.]

Three consecutive notifications echoed one after another.

Jiseul immediately became flustered.

It was even more embarrassing because Kangbin and Yuna were standing right behind her.

She really should’ve changed the nickname.

Instead, it plainly displayed “CEO Shin Woohyun.”

As soon as she hurriedly sent a simple [Okay.], Team Leader Yuna asked with obvious curiosity.

“It looks like you have dinner plans with the CEO?”

“Ah… yes. There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Discuss? Is it something special?”

Yuna asked so directly that Jiseul found herself in an awkward position.

She quickly came up with a vague answer.

“I’m sorry. It’s a personal matter, so it’s a little difficult to discuss. More importantly, what brings both of you to my desk? Is there something you wanted to talk about?”

As she carefully asked, Yuna gave a meaningful smile and nodded.

“Yes. It’s something very important. I don’t think it’ll be a short conversation, so I’d like to talk in the lounge. Do you have time right now?”

“Yes, that’s fine. But what is it about…?”

“It’s regarding your research topic, Senior Jiseul.”

Her research topic?

Jiseul was curious about what they wanted to discuss, but she didn’t show it.

“Understood. Let’s go.”

While Jiseul gathered her diary and writing materials, Yuna and Kangbin started walking ahead.

She quickly followed behind them.

The company was still unfamiliar.

The people were still unfamiliar.

At the National Intelligence Service, she’d worked almost entirely on her own.

The very act of discussing something with teammates felt strangely unfamiliar.