Even if Lee Hun Tae took his side, Lee Jae Ho had no father to lean on and no maternal family to rely on. It wouldn’t be surprising if his position as successor was taken away at any time.

If there’s no one on his side internally, he needs to bring someone in from the outside.

Setting aside my own feelings of wanting him, there seemed to be countless reasons why Lee Jae Ho needed a political marriage. My heart raced.

“So. What about his relationships with women?”

“Ah.”

“Why. Does he have a lot of women?”

Indeed, with his looks, wealth, and personality, it would be stranger if he didn’t have women. It made sense but still made me feel uncomfortable.

Lee Jae Ho was a kind man at every moment, even on set. He was polite to all staff, considerate of his female co-stars, and respectful to the director and writers. Women who worked with him even once couldn’t help but fall for him helplessly. I was the same.

‘But I’m different from those foolish women.’

Oh Chae Won was cautious. It was because she knew several actresses who mistook his manners for interest, got ahead of themselves, and ended up hurt on their own. He wasn’t a man you could get by approaching that way. Lee Jae Ho was friendly to everyone but never let anyone into his own territory.

He was a man who maintained relationships only up to the line he drew himself. So Oh Chae Won never crossed that line. Thanks to that, the two were able to remain quite close colleagues.

If someone asked Lee Jae Ho who his closest actress friend was, he would be able to easily pick Oh Chae Won. Because she had made constant efforts throughout their past filming to make it that way.

“Lee Jae Ho didn’t have a woman. He was very clean in that regard. But it seems he got one recently. There are a few suspicious signs.”

“Like what?”

“I’ll investigate this part a bit more and let you know. For now, it seems he’s currently enjoying a secret meeting with a woman… The kids I sent to investigate will be back soon.”

Team Leader Kim held back his words. Oh Chae Won slightly raised an eyebrow then nodded in understanding.

“Okay. Let me know when you’re sure.”

She smiled as she fixed her curly hair with her fingers.

“We need to know for sure, to get rid of her for sure.”

“Yes. I’ll contact you soon.”

“Good work.”

**

Why did I come here?

I felt a bit embarrassed at how I had rushed over just because he told me to come. Like a puppy wagging its tail. No. Happy, the dog Da Jung had as a child, never came first even when called. So maybe I was worse than a puppy.

Jae Ho sat next to Da Jung, putting down a glass of water.

“You’re obedient.”

“……”

“Why. Did you agree to listen well?”

“I only came to chat for a bit then go back.”

“It must be really tiring going back and forth.”

Jae Ho said with a bright smile, as if reproaching her. Da Jung finally let out a small chuckle. She had gotten excited at his message and ran over wanting to be with him, but making obvious excuses like this was so ridiculous.

“You’re right. I came because I wanted to see you.”

“Wow.”

Jae Ho moved an inch closer.

“You’ve almost completely fallen for me. Yoon Da Jung.”

That was wrong. I had already fallen from our very first meeting, no, to be more honest, long before meeting him here at this beach. I had barely been holding on, trying not to end up like this.

As his confident smiling face approached defenseless, my heart raced uncontrollably. We had gotten much closer through kissing, but that didn’t mean everything became familiar with just one kiss. Da Jung pulled back a little.

Despite the distance she made, Jae Ho’s long arm wrapped around Da Jung’s shoulder. Da Jung, nestled in his embrace, pressed her lips tightly together. Even the smallest actions made her tremble with excitement and she didn’t want him to notice, so she clenched her fists.

A black ocean unfolded before their gazes. Jae Ho opened his mouth.

“I waited a long time.”

“Ah, that. It couldn’t be helped. Kyung Jun poured one more can of beer at the end…”

“Even before that. I waited a long time. For moments like this.”

Sometimes when he said things that left her speechless, she didn’t know how to respond and felt troubled. Lee Jae Ho had a habit of talking about things that happened mere days ago as if they were distant past. Da Jung just smiled faintly.

“I want to hear. Why you suddenly responded to my kiss after being so cold.”

“!”

“I also want to know the reason you’re showing a rather assertive attitude.”

What should I say?

I couldn’t tell him that I had liked him since his first work, that I followed him everywhere as much as time allowed.

I also couldn’t say that I had tens of thousands of his photos saved on an external hard drive, lacking no data from photoshoots to articles to behind-the-scenes cuts. If I was going to say it, I should have said it much earlier.

Da Jung had clearly drawn a line at their first meeting, saying she didn’t like Lee Jae Ho.

I intended to confess someday, but not now.

“That… well, I decided to acknowledge it too.”

“What?”

“I started to like you, Lee Jae Ho-ssi.”

The man laughed. His sharp eyes curved gently and fine lines formed at the corners of his mouth. Strangely, seeing that smiling face made me cry.

Da Jung turned her head. His voice rang out from behind.

“Say it one more time.”

“…I like you.”

What was I doing? Was this okay? Da Jung said in a trembling voice as she discreetly wiped the corners of her eyes. Everything was a mess. Da Jung’s sturdy world had crumbled.

“Then don’t go. Tonight.”

But that crumbled world looked like a flowery path. No matter how many times she blinked, it looked that way.

“I’ll let you sleep here.”

**

Morning came.

Da Jung, who had returned to her Room 102, sat on the sofa and looked at the dimly brightening sky.

She had thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink trembling in Lee Jae Ho’s arms, but she had passed out without realizing when. The man who had kindly lent his arm as a pillow had a voice as comfortable as a lullaby.

Lee Jae Ho had childishly argued that men and women could never be just friends, then suddenly mentioned his close friend had a younger sister.

He said that younger sister was so kind (da-jung). What was he trying to say? She was a bit disappointed by those words she couldn’t understand, but she still tried to listen happily because his voice was nice.

Before falling asleep, they had also promised to go to a flower exhibition together.

5 AM. He woke Da Jung up.

‘It’s time to get up. If it gets later, it might be troublesome for you, Yoon Da Jung-ssi.’

Da Jung was startled and apologized for falling asleep. Then he said,

‘I really meant to let you sleep. Were you expecting something else? I’m still capable now.’

The man managed to make her face flush. Da Jung, turning completely red as if she had done the deed even though nothing happened, ran out as if escaping. Laughter rang lowly behind her back.

Thinking of such things made a smile hang on her lips. Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since she had fallen into a peaceful sleep without any worries. It felt unfamiliar and amazing that she had slept deeply without sleeping pills.

Kyung Jun came down to the living room with heavy footsteps.

“Hey. What’s with these birds? They’re so loud. My ears are bleeding!”

Kyung Jun asked, frowning. Da Jung laughed, erasing her thoughts.

“They’re seagulls. This happens sometimes. They’re really noisy.”

“Wow. You must not have slept a wink last night. How can anyone sleep through this? Wow. Daebak.”

……Far from not sleeping a wink, she didn’t even know the seagulls were crying. She was momentarily flustered realizing she had fallen asleep more deeply than she thought. Kyung Jun quickly approached the sofa and ruffled Da Jung’s hair.

“What should we do today?”

‘Your friend is also a man. Stop letting him be so touchy-feely with you.’

What was she to do with this man?

The arrogant ruler who had come to dominate Da Jung’s life within less than a week of meeting her exerted a mighty influence at every moment despite not being in front of her eyes. The friend who had been by her side since birth had eventually become a burden. She was confused whether it was okay to distance Kyung Jun this much because of a man she would break up with in a month.

No, could they even break up in the first place…?

Kyung Jun peeled the strands of hair stuck to Da Jung’s cheek, urging an answer. She realized how casually she had been engaging in small physical contact with Kyung Jun. Da Jung said, putting distance between them,

“Kyung Jun-ah. I’m sorry but.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m tired. Shouldn’t you go now?”

“Huh. There’s a flower exhibition nearby. Let’s go together. I’ll drive so you don’t get tired.”

“…The flower exhibition isn’t that close. It’s pretty far.”

I keep speaking defensively.

“And I heard there’s not much to see. Why go to a place like that?”

Her heart had fluttered endlessly last night when she promised to go to the flower exhibition nestled in Jae Ho’s arms. Da Jung just emphasized her fatigue with cold, sunken eyes.

“I want to be alone. Don’t come anymore from now on.”

**

Da Jung wanted to draw a line and distance herself from Lee Kyung Jun. Jae Ho endlessly explained to her so she could view the situation a bit more objectively. That Lee Kyung Jun was clearly a man, and they were maintaining a closeness beyond friends.

Jae Ho smiled bitterly looking at Room 102 where they would be spending a pleasant morning bickering. Lee Kyung Jun might even be under the delusion that they were playing some kind of petty newlywed game. If it were Yoon Da Jung who knew nothing, she would have happily played along with that delusion, laughing.

If Jae Ho hadn’t intervened, it was easy to imagine a future where they would casually live together as friends then naturally end up married. It was likely a plan Lee Kyung Jun had meticulously designed from long ago.

How many times had he put his hands on Da Jung’s hands and shoulders today? If he couldn’t touch directly, his eyes would have done even more.

As he sighed at the end of his dizzying thoughts, a call came. It was Chief Choi, the closest aide to Lee Hun Tae of Taemyung Group. He was also someone Jae Ho had followed like a father when he was in high school.

“Yes. Chief.”

[Young Master. I stopped by Taean for a moment. I think I’ll arrive soon.]

“All of a sudden? Why?”

Jae Ho’s gaze quickly turned to Room 102. Could Chief Choi know about the secret meetings he was having with Da Jung? His mind suddenly became complicated as he did this and that calculation.

[I’m sorry I couldn’t let you know in advance. I hurried because I heard you’re always at the villa, so I forgot. The Chairman has instructions so I came to see you.]

Chief Choi let out a good-natured chuckle and asked if he needed anything. Well. He couldn’t think of anything.

Unlike Team Leader Jung Min Ho who he believed was completely on his side, Chief Choi made him a bit uncomfortable. He was a trustworthy person, but he was Lee Hun Tae’s man after all. Jae Ho thought about the possibility of Da Jung’s existence flowing to Lee Hun Tae.

It wasn’t that he wanted to hide Da Jung, but he wanted to tell his father directly with his own mouth at the right time. It wasn’t time yet.

“I don’t need anything. And please contact me before coming from now on.”

Chief Choi was also the first adult man Jae Ho, without a father, had given his heart to. This was the most grumbling he could do.

For now, he had to hide Da Jung’s existence. Jae Ho picked up his cell phone. His fingers felt heavy as he typed each letter. He resented himself for having to say the worst, but he had no leeway to think of another method.

[Go to the flower exhibition with your friend. Something came up for me today.]