TGMD 5

Chapter 5

The Great Mad Dog

Tucked away in the shadows of a dark private room, far beyond the reach of the club’s pulsing neon lights, a man and a woman were kissing with desperate, passionate intensity. Entangled in a twisted embrace, they looked less like lovers and more like a pair of intertwined snakes.

Watching them indulge in each other with their bifurcated tongues, Do-kyung let out a cynical, bitter chuckle and slid a cigarette between his lips.

I should have quit this damn crowd a long time ago.

“You’re seeing this shit with your own eyes and you still have nothing to say?”

His voice was a crushed raspy growl as he directed the question to Yoo-ho, who was standing right behind him. Yoo-ho’s dry, emotionless gaze rolled over and settled on Ha-jin—the man set to become his future brother-in-law.

Those lips that would soon touch his little sister’s. Those hands that would touch her. The breath that would tickle her skin. He forced himself to take in every single detail.

Ignoring Do-kyung’s question, Yoo-ho stepped out onto the terrace with a cigarette in hand. Do-kyung followed, taking a seat across from him with an irritated scowl. Yoo-ho muttered under his breath:

“I’m still trying to figure it out today. Between a mad dog and a shameless playboy, which one is actually the lesser of two evils?”

“You crazy bastard.”

Do-kyung let out a low growl, furious that Yoo-ho was just sitting back when he should be grabbing Ha-jin by the collar and bashing his handsome face in.

“Hearing a curse word like that come out of your mouth… how refreshing.”

“Does Chairman Jung still want Prosecutor Go as his son-in-law, even knowing about his filthy private life?”

Sparks flew between Do-kyung and Yoo-ho in a tense standoff. Yoo-ho possessed an aura that refused to yield to Do-kyung’s raw charisma, freezing the surrounding air instantly. Anyone walking past them would have struggled to catch their breath under the suffocating weight of the room.

Breaking the frigid silence, Yoo-ho spoke up first.

“What on earth did you say to our Yoo-joo this time? She’s locked herself in her room and refuses to come out. She’s fragile enough as it is—what are you going to do if something happens to her again?”

The relationship between Do-kyung and Yoo-ho was far from warm. Distant to begin with, the two had completely severed ties nine years ago after ‘that incident.’

Do-kyung had tried to strip away everything Yoo-joo had, and ever since that day, Yoo-joo’s mind and body had remained frozen solid. There was more than enough reason for the two men to harbor absolute hostility toward one another.

Do-kyung, who had been glaring with lethal intent, said nothing. He simply downed his drink in silence.

Our Yoo-joo… what do I do if something goes wrong with her again? I thought she was finally getting better. I’m so scared, son.

His mother’s anxious text message echoed in Yoo-ho’s mind. Dammit all, whenever he recalled the past—back when they had all opposed her relationship with Do-kyung—a strange prickle of guilt would occasionally wash over him.

He couldn’t help but wonder if the decision he had made for his sister’s sake had actually been a terrible mistake.

What if this bastard was the only lifeline she ever had?

“Remember when you asked me that exact same question back then? I told you that a shameless playboy was still better than a mad dog.”

Yoo-joo was currently bedridden, sick and locked in her room, simply because Do-kyung had shown up at her engagement party. Nine years ago, when she believed Do-kyung had abandoned her, she had been on the verge of giving up on life altogether. What would happen to a girl like that if she found out she had actually married a low-life playboy?

He had to protect Yoo-joo from going through a new hell at all costs.

Breaking his silence once more, Yoo-ho spoke up.

“I’ve changed my mind. Maybe the absolute worst option isn’t the mad dog after all—maybe it’s the playboy.”

Only then did Do-kyung’s dark, heavy eyes shift toward Yoo-ho.

“Listen closely. From this moment on, I know absolutely nothing about whatever the hell your bastard does next.”

A sudden, sharp gust of wind blew through, carrying no clear direction. Do-kyung stared blankly at the cigarette ashes scattering into the air, mirroring the state of his own mind.

“However, the one calling off the engagement has to be our Yoo-joo. Go Ha-jin is the one who gets dumped and left looking pathetic. I don’t want Yoo-joo finding out about that scumbag’s little games. I refuse to watch her get humiliated ever again.”

“…”

“I’d rather let foolish Jung Yoo-joo—the girl who still can’t get over you—make the stupid mistake of choosing you all over again.”

Do-kyung’s eyes stung sharply, as if ash had blown right into them.

He could have used the pain as an excuse to let tears fall, but Do-kyung swallowed everything down by knocking back another stiff drink.

Even as the alcohol surged through his system, her face didn’t blur. It only became painfully clear.

If resentment is just another form of love, then nobody in this world loves you as much as I do.

Because I hate you more than you could ever possibly comprehend.

How about you right now? Are you feeling the exact same way?

Do-kyung slumped back against the plush sofa, resting the back of his hand over his closed eyes—like a man trying to hide something from the world.

What a damn miserable day. Just like that day nine years ago, and just like today.

Shall we start our toxic little fate all over again, then?

Whether she was oblivious to her mother’s and brother’s agonizing worry or not, Yoo-joo stayed holed up in her room, trapped in a recurring dream of her high school days.

Specifically, the dreams of her time in the film club with Do-kyung.

Though it was officially named a film appreciation club, it had never actually watched a single movie since its creation. That is, until a certain event caused the club to finally live up to its name for the very first time.

Yoo-joo, the sole reason behind that change, quietly slipped into the club room. The blackout curtains were drawn tight, blocking out every sliver of light. On the massive screen, the opening scene of the movie they were supposed to watch today began to glow.

As Yoo-joo fumbled through the pitch-black room, someone reached out and caught her wrist.

“Careful, you’ll trip.”

Startled, Yoo-joo whipped her head around. Just then, the screen brightened, bringing Do-kyung’s face into clear view. His hair was a messy bedhead, as if he had been sleeping face-down until a second ago.

Yoo-joo, who had intended to sit as far away from him as possible, had no choice but to let him pull her down into the seat right next to his.

“…It’s just the two of us again today,” she murmured, glancing around the dark room.

It was only after joining the club and attending her second session that she realized something was off. It was officially registered with around thirty members, yet strangely enough, the only two people who ever showed up were Do-kyung and herself.

“Looks like it. Lazy bastards, ditching like always,” Do-kyung grumbled nonchalantly, resting his chin in his hand.

Having achieved his initial goal of getting her seated, Yoo-joo pulled her wrist away from Do-kyung’s grasp.

“My brother said…”

“We have to write a review today, so pay attention. We need to submit it to the advisor,” Do-kyung interrupted sternly, steering the conversation away. It was rich coming from someone who didn’t seem to care about club activities at all.

Resigned, Yoo-joo decided she would just ask her brother, Yoo-ho, about it later. She followed Do-kyung’s order and focused on the screen.

It was a romance film with an unfamiliar title, but the production quality was exceptionally high. Letting her guard down around Do-kyung, Yoo-joo gradually found herself pulled into the story—completely unaware of the pair of intense eyes staring intently at her in the dark.

When the female lead shot the male lead with a shotgun, tears even welled up in Yoo-joo’s eyes.

“How come I’ve never heard of a movie like this before?”

It was the kind of story that should have been a massive box-office hit, so it was odd that she hadn’t even heard the title. Plus, the lead actors weren’t total nobodies; they were reasonably well-known faces.

“Of course you haven’t. It hasn’t been released yet.”

Surprised by Do-kyung’s indifferent answer, Yoo-joo turned to look at him, finally meeting the gaze that had been fixed on her all along.

Only then did she realize: this film was co-produced by Doseong Group, and it hadn’t hit theaters yet.

A strange, unfamiliar feeling washed over Yoo-joo. She was the very first person in the country to see this movie—and the person sitting next to her was the eldest son of Doseong Group, someone she never could have pictured herself with.

“How far would you go for the person you love?” the female lead in the movie suddenly asked her past lover on screen.

“I’d willingly become a mad dog for you.”

Right then and there, Yoo-joo wanted nothing more than to tear open the blackout curtains and bolt out of the room. Facing him in this enclosed space, illuminated by nothing more than the faint glow of the screen, was overwhelming.

Whether from sheer tension or something else, her heart began to beat wildly against her ribs.

“Has a nice ring to it. ‘Mad dog.'”

Both Do-kyung’s actions and the way he looked at her felt loaded with unspoken meaning.

Unlike nine years ago, Yoo-joo actually opened her bedroom door and walked out on her own terms.

She hugged her mother, who had spent every single day anxiously pacing outside her room, and apologized.

Then, she headed straight back to the office. Her position was entirely different now compared to nine years ago. She had employees who depended on her.

Her heart was completely shattered on the inside, but on the outside, she acted as if nothing had happened, putting her usual composed facade back on. She threw herself into catching up on all the delayed work without giving herself a single second to rest.

As the peak vacation season approached, the airline naturally grew hectic. With various promotional events running and booking rates higher than last year, the workload was overwhelming.

After staying behind to handle the mountain of remaining tasks, Yoo-joo finally left the office near dawn, her heavy feet dragging across the concrete of the underground parking garage.

At the very least, seeing the success of the promotional campaign she had personally designed brought a quiet sense of accomplishment. She patted herself on the back, telling herself she was doing a good job handling it all.

As she pressed her smart key in the quiet parking lot to locate her car, she spotted a flashy, eye-catching sports car parked right beside it.

She came to a sudden halt, a sudden wave of dread washing over her.

Anxious premonitions always turned into reality. Sure enough, Do-kyung stepped out from the backseat of the sleek sports car. Yoo-joo let out a quiet sigh.

“Does being the chairman’s daughter mean labor laws don’t apply to you? You’re leaving work ridiculously late.”

A surge of irritation flared within her—furious that he had shown up in front of her again after everything she had said.

Deciding to ignore him completely, she reached for her car door handle, but Do-kyung closed the distance in an instant. A heavy stench of strong alcohol radiated off him. Unable to hide her emotions for a second, Yoo-joo shot him a sharp glare.

Do-kyung merely shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t look at me like I’m a monster. A designated driver brought me all the way here.”

“If you’re drunk, you should go home and sleep. I’m sure you’re just as busy as I am.”

“Look at you, worrying about me, my Yoo-joo.”

Don’t engage with him. Shaking her head, Yoo-joo went to climb into the driver’s seat, but Do-kyung extended his long arm and grabbed the car door, holding it open.

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

“Give me a ride.”

“Let go.”

“The driver already left.”

“Executive Director Han.”

“I hate it when you call me that. Sounds like we’re strangers.”

“We are strangers.”

Do-kyung rested his chin on the back of his hand, gazing down at Yoo-joo in silence.

In truth, the person Yoo-joo was most angry at was herself. She wanted nothing more than to rip out her own heart, which traitorously thudded faster every single time he got close. She refused to admit—even if it killed her—that she still had feelings for him.

And more than anything, she was terrified that sharp-witted Do-kyung would notice.

“I can call you a designated driver if you need one. Consider it courtesy for a VIP guest who took the time out of his busy schedule to attend my engagement party.”

“Yoo-joo.”

“Or should I call security instead? Tell them an intruder snuck in.”

“How ruined do I need to get?”

“…What?”

Her tears spilled over with terrifying ease, making her feel foolish for having held them back so hard until now. She didn’t even know what part of it was making her sad. Or if she was even sad at all. The tears just kept falling.

Suddenly, uncontrollably.

“How ruined do I have to become… before you’ll let yourself love me again?”

Do-kyung reached out and gently cupped Yoo-joo’s face. His touch felt as natural as if they had just been caressing each other’s faces and whispering love professions yesterday.

“I’ll do everything I can to hit rock bottom. I’ll make myself completely worthless. I’ll throw away every last drop of my pride and beg at your feet.”

Yoo-joo’s tears soaked into the tips of his fingers. Soft, fragile emotions she thought had withered away completely began to sprout anew, like fresh buds in spring.

“So please… just give me one more chance to stake my life on you.”