AVSH 4

Chapter 4

Golden Time

The wedding of Jang Hyun-woo, Vice President of Taesan Trading, was held in a luxurious wedding hall with a view of the Han River through floor-to-ceiling windows.

As it was the wedding between the eldest son of the Taesan Trading chairman—ranked within the top 20 of the business world—and the youngest daughter of a leading financial group’s chairman, the venue was packed to overflowing with an enormous crowd of guests and reporters from before the ceremony even began.

As he parked the car and confirmed the bustling crowd outside the window, Geon-woo raised an eyebrow.

” > Don’t tell me we have to push through that crowd to get in? ”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Team Leader Choi, serving as Geon-woo’s secretary for today only, turned off the engine, got out, and opened the back door.

“Please get out, Young Master.”

The title “Young Master”—as if trying to acknowledge him as the chairman of Taesan Trading’s son—felt awkward. In his heart, he wanted to turn the car right around and head to the airport, but he held back for Hyun-woo’s sake.

Before getting out, Geon-woo pulled a black mask from his pocket and covered his face.

“Wouldn’t it be better to take the mask off? Once you go in, there will be a lot of photos taken.”

” > That’s exactly why I’m wearing it. No one will recognize me anyway, but I’d rather not show my face. ”

Geon-woo, having stepped out of the car, lightly brushed off the hem of his coat and straightened his clothes. Then he opened the trunk and took out his backpack.

“You’re going to bring that in with you?”

“Yes. I plan to leave right after the ceremony.”

“I’ll drive you to the airport. You should leave your luggage in the car…….”

“No. I’ll get there on my own, so don’t worry about it.”

Geon-woo shut the trunk with a snap and walked with his backpack slung carelessly over one shoulder. Team Leader Choi followed behind him.

“Is that person over there a celebrity? Or a model?”

“Right? His presence is no joke. But the person next to him looks like Team Leader Choi.”

“If it’s Team Leader Choi, then the Taesan Vice President’s secretary? That’s right! Then who’s that man?”

Jang Geon-woo, dressed head to toe in an all-black suit, stood out even with a mask on.

Ignoring the blatant stares directed at him, Geon-woo entered the building and headed for the ceremony hall entrance.

Hyun-woo, who had been greeting guests, spotted Geon-woo first and spoke with a delighted expression.

“Why are you so late? I nearly wore my neck out waiting. Wow, dressed up like this, you look like a completely different person.”

As if finding the styling he’d reluctantly accepted at Team Leader Choi’s urging awkward, Geon-woo fiddled with his stiffly fixed hair.

“Hey, hey, don’t touch it! It looks good as is. Anyone who saw you would think you were a celebrity, Jang Geon-woo.”

“Celebrity, my foot.”

“Oh my, did the Vice President just call him Jang Geon-woo?”

“That half-brother who supposedly lives abroad…… I guess that’s him.”

Hearing Hyun-woo’s words, the surrounding guests whispered among themselves, stealing glances. Their eyes, hushing the word “illegitimate,” were full of curiosity.

Meanwhile, Geon-woo offered a light silent bow toward Dong-wan and Myung-hee. They busily greeted other guests, as if trying to hide their uncomfortable expressions.

“Why did you bring your backpack? Team Leader Choi, take Geon-woo’s bag.”

“Yes. Please give me the bag. I’ll leave it at the reception desk.”

There were too many eyes watching to decline. Reluctantly handing his backpack to Team Leader Choi, Geon-woo asked:

“Where’s the bride’s waiting room?”

“Just go around that way. Luna’s been waiting for you anyway. Hurry and go say hello.”

Nodding, Geon-woo smoothly slipped a prepared envelope into Hyun-woo’s tuxedo pocket.

” > It’s the wedding gift. I put the card you gave me in there too. Well then, congratulations! ”

Geon-woo turned quickly and disappeared into the crowd. Hyun-woo, sneaking a peek at the hefty envelope, went wide-eyed.

“You little—what is this. A Mansur, or what?”

Inside the envelope were no fewer than 100 hundred-dollar bills.

Unlike the ceremony hall entrance, the area in front of the bride’s waiting room was crowded with female guests. The high-spirited chatter of the women cut off abruptly at the appearance of a large, pitch-black man wearing a mask.

Just as all eyes converged on one spot, Luna—who had been tilting her head at Geon-woo—went wide-eyed.

“Don’t tell me—Jang Geon-woo?”

She covered her mouth in surprise, but only for a moment—Luna shot to her feet and ran toward Geon-woo.

“Uh, uh, Bride! Please don’t run!”

The voluminous skirt of her dress rippled. Waving off those worried she might fall, Luna stood face-to-face with Geon-woo and reached out to whisk off his mask.

“Wow, it really is Jang Geon-woo!”

Geon-woo bent his upper body slightly to meet the eye level of Luna, who was gazing at him as if fascinated.

“You haven’t grown a bit.”

“And you—what did you eat to grow this much?”

“Ha, ‘you’? Anyone would think we were friends. Give me back my mask?”

“I don’t wanna?”

At her childish response, Geon-woo let out a soft, resigned laugh.

Come to think of it, he never imagined Kim Luna would end up marrying his brother. The Hyun-woo in Geon-woo’s memory had only ever seen Luna—ten years his junior, who toddled after him—as a cute little sister.

He’d heard there was opposition from both families at first. Even so, Luna, who had overcome the age gap and won her love, seemed remarkable anew.

Geon-woo felt that his relationship with Luna—five years his junior, yet with whom he’d been like friends—needed to change. So he straightened his posture and offered a formal greeting.

” > Congratulations on your marriage. Sister-in-law. ”

“What’s with you, all of a sudden?”

“I have to call you that now, don’t I, Sister-in-law.”

The unfamiliar title from Geon-woo’s mouth seemed to tickle her, and Luna burst into giggles.

“Sister-in-law? Could you be Vice President Jang Hyun-woo’s younger brother?”

“Really? The Vice President had a brother like that?”

At the murmurs of the surrounding people unable to contain their curiosity, Geon-woo scratched his cheek, feeling awkward, and lowered his gaze. Seeing his confiscated mask crumpled in Luna’s hand, he gave up on getting it back and took a step backward.

“Greeting’s done, so I’ll be going now.”

“What? You can’t just leave! We have to take a photo together!”

“I’ve seen your face, so that’s enough. It was good to see you. Live happily with hyung, Sister-in-law.”

“Hey, Jang Geon-woo!”

Geon-woo coolly waved his hand and left the bride’s waiting room.

— The ceremony will begin shortly. Guests in the lobby, please enter the hall and……-

An announcement rang out. Mingling among the guests and entering the ceremony hall, Geon-woo took a spot in the back corner, far from the family seats in the front row, and stood.

Soon the lighting changed and the main ceremony began.

— Please welcome them with a big round of applause. The groom and bride, entering!

The groom and bride who appeared amid the blessings of many were handsome and beautiful. Watching the couple, who suited each other like a painting, Geon-woo offered generous applause.

— Now it is time for the groom and bride to bow to the parents of both families.

Having watched the ceremony proceed calmly in an elegant atmosphere, Geon-woo quietly slipped out of the hall.

He had completed the task of attending the wedding of the only brother who had treated him as family; now it was time to return to where he belonged.

Geon-woo, having retrieved his backpack, left the lobby without regret.

The cold air hit him sharply the moment he stepped outside. The wedding hall’s location was somewhat set apart from the road, so he’d have to walk quite a distance to catch a taxi.

” > Should I have asked Team Leader Choi to drive me……. ”

The only inconvenience of not having a phone was not being able to check navigation or call a taxi.

With no other choice, Geon-woo adjusted his backpack and, after glancing around, headed toward the road leading to the bridge. That was when it happened.

Kyaaaa!!!

“……?!”

Screams and commotion filled the air. Startled, wondering what was happening, Geon-woo heard people’s shouts reach his ears.

“Kyaa! Someone fell from the bridge!”

“Someone fell into the Han River! 119, hurry!!!”

People who had witnessed the accident in real time were in an uproar.

“Look over there! I can see a hand flailing!”

Days of extreme cold had formed thin sheets of ice in places along the river. But where people were pointing, the ice surface was completely broken, and a person who had fallen into the water was flailing.

Catching the subtle slowing of those movements, Geon-woo’s eyes narrowed. Roughly estimating the location, he began running quickly toward somewhere.

A person who falls into a low-temperature river in this cold winter can only be saved if pulled out as quickly as possible. If even a few minutes are lost and the golden time is missed, one might end up retrieving a lifeless body.

“119, right? Someone fell into the water under XX Bridge! A suicide attempt? I don’t know about that—just please come quickly!”

“Hello? 112? Someone fell into the river!”

Calls to emergency services poured in from everywhere. Just as the confused, murmuring sounds were growing louder, another scream burst out from the crowd.

Splash—!

“Kyaa! S-s-someone else fell in!”

Something pitch-black dove into the water. As people’s faces filled with shock at the unbelievable sight, sirens began to sound in the distance.

Geon-woo barely managed to grab hold of the woman who was sinking unconscious deep underwater. He pulled off the mask covering her face, pinched her nose, and without hesitation pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment, Da-hee’s eyes flickered open, then she lost consciousness completely.

Having shared breath through their parted lips, he paddled with all his might toward the surface.

Until they safely emerged from the water with the help of the rescue workers who arrived just in time, Da-hee remained unconscious.

“This patient’s pulse is irregular and breathing is unstable. Signs of rapid hypothermia are also appearing—we need to get her to a hospital quickly.”

“Are you all right, sir?”

“I’m fine, so see to this patient first!”

Under Geon-woo’s calm assessment of Da-hee’s condition and his direction, the rescue workers moved in perfect coordination.

As they hurried to load the woman into the ambulance, her unconscious hand was clutching tightly onto the hem of Geon-woo’s coat. He tried to pry her hand off by force, but it was no use.

“Ha, this is…….”

“Sir, please get in with us for now!”

He couldn’t exactly go to the airport soaking wet like this anyway.

With no choice, Geon-woo climbed into the ambulance and took off his soaked coat, which the woman was still clutching tightly.

No matter how healthy a man might be, the winter Han River’s water temperature was lower than expected—soaked through, Geon-woo found himself shivering involuntarily.

“Sir, please cover yourself with this at least.”

“But Team Leader, this patient looks like that celebrity……-”

Beeeeep—!

“Team Leader! The patient’s breathing……!!”

Geon-woo pushed in among the busily moving rescue workers and shook Da-hee slightly. Then he quickly checked her breathing and shouted:

” > She’s going into cardiac arrest! Defibrillator! Quickly! Hurry! ”