The moment Ha-neul heard Ho-su’s voice, her heart dropped with a thud.
“······Yes, I suppose it has. But did you know it was me?” “Yeah.” “Even at the club?” “Yeah. I recognized you at a glance.”
At Ho-su’s reaction, Ha-neul clenched her fists, then continued speaking with a faint smile, pretending to be calm.
“So you did. Why didn’t you say you recognized me?” “I did. I called you Cha Ha-neul.” “When······?” “In the hotel room. Did you not remember because you were drunk? It’s okay. That happens.”
She had expected it, but he was far more natural and unruffled than she’d imagined. His attitude made Ha-neul feel as though her throat were slowly closing up, leaving her stifled.
“So what did you want to talk about? Was it urgent enough for you to come all the way here at this hour?” “The thing is······.”
Just then, the secretary knocked on the door.
She set the tea on the table, bowed, and was about to leave when Ho-su called out to her.
“You can clock out now. I’ll take care of the rest. It’s late.” “But you have a guest.” “Don’t worry about it. Go home, Secretary Im.” “Then I’ll be leaving first.”
At Ho-su’s firm tone, the secretary gave a deep bow and went outside.
“Now tell me. Why did you come?”
Ho-su looked straight at Ha-neul.
“I have a situation.” “What kind of situation?” “I’ve never revealed my real name or my past while I’ve been active. Even now, only the people at my company know my name.” “······Really?”
At some point, Ho-su had leaned heavily toward her, bringing them quite close. Ha-neul subtly pulled away from him.
“And?” “Excuse me?” “What is it you want? Tell me that.” “I mean······.”
Ha-neul frowned for a moment and rubbed her throat. It felt parched. She could barely force the words out.
Then, as if she’d made up her mind, she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists.
“I’ll do the ad. But I’d like you not to reveal that we know each other—that I’m your senior.” “Ah.”
She studied Ho-su’s expression after he heard her. Unexpectedly, he looked as though it was no big deal.
“I thought it was going to be something serious.”
Ho-su leaned back comfortably into the sofa.
“All right. That’s all?” “Yes.” “Sure. Fine by me.” “Thank you. Then I’ll be going.”
As Ha-neul stood after saying goodbye, Ho-su caught her by the wrist and looked into her eyes.
“If I’m getting something, I should give something in return. There’s one thing I want, too.” “What? Ah······. Go ahead.”
Of course. She’d thought he was answering far too easily.
Ho-su rose from the sofa and approached Ha-neul. His broad shoulders filled her entire field of vision.
He immediately dropped to one knee in front of her. Startled, she grabbed his arm.
“What are you doing?” “Let’s date. We don’t have to start an official relationship right away. If you want, we can just enjoy ourselves.” “What?”
Watching Ha-neul’s expression, Ho-su took her by the wrist.
“Besides, no one will know as long as you and I keep our mouths shut.” “No, what are you······?”
Ha-neul’s mouth fell open at Ho-su’s words. This was a development she never could have expected.
“I was busy for a while after graduation. I was so caught up in work that I barely had time to think. I quit the company and started another one.”
Ho-su continued with a smile at the corner of his mouth.
“So I thought I’d forgotten you. But now that I see you again, I’m starting to think that wasn’t true.” “Senior.” “We had a good time that night. Just like we did ten years ago.”
Ho-su’s low voice sounded quite sexy.
Without realizing it, Ha-neul swallowed hard.
This man was on one knee, looking up at her. If someone else saw him, they might think he was proposing. But what had come out of his mouth was—
She should have rejected him outright, but she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
A brief silence passed.
“······I have a condition.”
Ha-neul’s voice trembled as she broke the silence.
At that moment, a spark lit up in Ho-su’s eyes as he looked at her.
“Anything.” “Your proposal is something I could reject right now, but I still don’t know.” “······.” “I’ve never had anyone say something like that to me so directly before.”
Ho-su thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Then go on a few dates with me before you decide. Eat and drink coffee like normal people.”
Ho-su took Ha-neul’s hand.
His thumb settled on the inside of her wrist, right over the pulse, and stayed there. He didn’t press. He didn’t need to. Ha-neul could feel her own heartbeat drumming against the pad of his finger, fast and treacherous, giving away every answer her mouth refused to give.
“Your heart’s racing,” Ho-su said quietly.
“It’s the tea.”
“You haven’t touched the tea.”
She looked down. The cup sat untouched, steam long gone. When she looked back up, he was closer than before, close enough that she could see a tiny scar at the edge of his eyebrow she had never noticed ten years ago, close enough that his breath brushed her knuckles when he spoke.
“Liar,” he murmured, and the word sounded less like an accusation than a caress.
“But can I ask you one thing?” “What is it?” “Why did you lie ten years ago? Why did you say you didn’t like me?” “That was······.” “It was a lie. Back then, I only let you go because that was what you wanted.”
Ha-neul tried to pull her hand away, but Ho-su tightened his grip.
“Why do you keep trying to run away? You’re the reason I’m going crazy.”
Ha-neul bit her lip. She had buried what happened ten years ago deep in some corner of her heart.
“······Because you and I weren’t right for each other.” “What does that mean?” “And I wasn’t in a position to date anyone back then. I’m sorry I lied.”
Ho-su sighed.
“Fine. But I really liked you back then. A lot.” “What?” “When I met you at the café that day and confessed, it wasn’t simply because I felt responsible.” “What do you mean?” “Even when I asked you to help me with coding, and when I asked you to do research, those were all just excuses to spend time with you.”
Seeing Ha-neul’s startled face, Ho-su continued with a smile in his eyes.
“If you hadn’t called me that day, I would have called you and asked you to come over. I would have asked you to stay with me.”
Ha-neul’s eyes filled with confusion.
“But that’s all in the past. There’s no way those innocent feelings are still there. Now, what I feel for you······.”
Ha-neul frowned at Ho-su’s blatantly appraising gaze as it swept over her. Why was he going this far with her?
Just then, Ho-su’s phone rang. He took it out and looked at the screen.
─ [Mom]
Ho-su’s expression hardened.
“Just a second.”
Ho-su answered the call.
“Yes, Mom.” ─ Ho-su, where are you? “At the office.” ─ Come home. Seo-a’s parents will be here soon.
He looked at Ha-neul while he was on the phone, but she wore an expression that suggested she wasn’t paying attention. The volume was clearly loud enough for her to hear everything.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can make it tonight.” ─ Ho-su, this is an important meeting concerning your engagement. “Then I’m even less able to go.” ─ Come right now. That’s an order.
Click. The call ended. Ho-su sighed as he stared at the darkened screen.
The conversation in the quiet office had reached Ha-neul’s ears as well. She stood and said to Ho-su,
“I’ll get going first. I’m a little tired today.” “······You heard?” “Your engagement has nothing to do with me.” “······That’s true.”
Ha-neul got up and headed toward the office door. Then Ho-su’s voice came from behind her.
“Make time tomorrow. Let’s eat.” “Why?” “You said we’d go on a few dates before deciding. I figured the sooner, the better.”
Ha. A small sigh escaped Ha-neul’s lips.
“Maybe I should’ve just rejected you.” “Do you regret it? But it’s too late now. You should’ve chosen your words more carefully from the start.” “······We’re just having dinner, right?” “Tomorrow at seven p.m. I’ll send you the location by phone. Give me your number.”
Ha-neul hesitated for a moment, then recited her phone number to Ho-su.
“Got it.”
Ho-su walked Ha-neul to the elevator doors.
“Can I ask you one thing?” “What is it?” “Why me?”
Ho-su’s gaze darkened. Ha-neul sensed that no answer would come from his lips.
A moment later, the elevator arrived, and Ha-neul stepped inside. She pressed the button for the first floor and gave Ho-su a slight bow.
“I’ll be going now.” “I liked being with you. That’s all.” “What?”
The elevator doors closed, and it began descending to the first floor.
After making sure Ha-neul had gone down in the elevator, Ho-su returned to his office and stared out at the dark window.
“After ten years······ finally.”
The corners of his mouth lifted.
“······Haa.”
But his eyes hardened again almost immediately.
Ho-su drove up the hill road in Pyeongchang-dong with both hands on the wheel.
It was a dinner his mother had arranged unilaterally.
He didn’t want to go. He wanted to go even less today of all days.
Today was the day Ha-neul had come to him of her own accord. He had been just a little happy at the thought of seeing her again.
But before he could fully savor that happiness, he felt as though he were being dragged to an unwanted gathering, walking straight down the road to hell.
He had clearly told his mother he was busy because of the launch of his new game. It was the most indirect way he could refuse her.
But his mother, Seo Min-hee, had simply sent him a message saying, “Chairman Yoon Jae-hyuk’s family is coming over for dinner tonight,” and unilaterally made the arrangements.
As far as his mother was concerned, Ho-su’s opinion didn’t matter anyway. An engagement, out of nowhere.
Ho-su gave a bitter smile.
The fiancée his mother had chosen for him was Yoon Seo-a. Their families had known each other well since they were children, but they had only exchanged greetings a few times and checked in once or twice a year. And now, suddenly, she was becoming his fiancée.
It was an absurd situation.
Even now, his mind was filled with nothing but Ha-neul.
Cha Ha-neul, did she make it home safely? Will she······ come to the meeting place tomorrow?
For now, he had no choice but to attend the gathering his mother had arranged.
A black luxury sedan that appeared to belong to Chairman Yoon Jae-hyuk was already parked in front of the entrance to the mansion, which stood on a thousand-pyeong lot.
It certainly looked as though tonight’s gathering had been arranged to finalize his engagement.
Ho-su let out a sigh and pressed the doorbell.
“It’s me.” “Welcome home, young master.”
Hearing his voice, a servant opened the garage door for him.
A short while later, after parking the car, Ho-su entered the mansion with a hardened expression. It was the beginning of a hellish evening.