“Here is the… progress report you requested.”

Yura, who had been bowing politely, hesitated when she saw Hyun before continuing. Yura had completely forgotten that she had seen him in the lobby just moments ago.

Surely he had been called on purpose because Hyun had arrived. Ji Ho seemed to find amusement in her encounter with Baek Hyun, but she couldn’t understand what part of it was entertaining.

Yura approached Baek Ji Ho without even glancing at him, as if ignoring his presence. He received the documents and gestured with his chin towards Hyun sitting on the sofa.

“You’re not strangers, so go ahead and greet each other.”

“I already greeted the Vice President in the lobby earlier.”

Yura was treating Hyun as a superior, not as her brother’s friend.

“Why are you two so formal?”

“Because it’s work.”

Ji Ho shook his head.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Ah, Team Leader Jin. Don’t go, let’s have lunch together.”

“Eating with the CEO gives me indigestion.”

At Yura’s words, a chuckle was heard from Hyun. Yura narrowed her eyes at Hyun without realizing it.

What part of that was funny?

“Then would you like to eat with me?”

Yura’s mouth dropped open at Hyun’s suggestion, which was just as absurd as Ji Ho’s.

“What’s the difference between the CEO and Vice President? It’s equally uncomfortable for me. I’ll have to decline.”

“Then think of it as eating with your brother’s friend.”

Yura’s brow furrowed sharply. Since when were they close enough to have lunch together?

“Um, weren’t we on awkward terms since I became the black sheep of the family?”

“We weren’t.”

“We were.”

For a moment, a sharp silence fell over the CEO’s office. Watching the two of them, Ji Ho quickly waved his hands to end the situation.

“Take your bickering outside. I’m not eating with you two.”

“I clearly said I was declining.”

“Can’t be helped then.”

“Well, enjoy your visit, Vice President Baek. Hyun.”

After emphasizing each syllable of his name, Yura stormed out. Hyun raised the corner of his lips slightly at her behavior.

Ji Ho asked Hyun, who showed no change in expression as if used to her consistent reactions.

“It seems like you could be friendlier, so why the bickering?”

“Good question.”

“It’s so obvious you have feelings for her. Why isn’t there any progress?”

There were no memories of them treating each other affectionately. Jin Yura seemed more emotionally reserved than cold.

If she expressed any emotion, it was looking at her brother with disdain. Even that had disappeared now, and they were at the level of maintaining formalities. At least, that’s how Yura appeared to Hyun.

He didn’t know what she was like or how she behaved where he couldn’t see her. Or if she showed emotions at all. But given that she had dated before, he thought perhaps it depended on the person.

He sighed, wondering why that person had to be such a jerk. Hyun put down his teacup and stood up, as if shaking off unnecessary thoughts.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re not having lunch together?”

Hyun looked at Ji Ho’s pitiful gaze before turning away.

“Eat with your wife.”

“Nobody wants to eat with me. Sigh.”

Hyun knew well that Ji Ho had plenty of people around him to eat lunch with if he wanted, despite his complaining. Hyun ignored his inappropriate whining and left the CEO’s office.

Hyun nodded halfheartedly to the secretaries’ greetings and smirked as he saw Yura standing in front of the elevator. It was amusing that this was where she had barely managed to escape to after running away so quickly.

Even though she sensed Hyun’s movement, Yura didn’t look at him and spoke in a dry voice as she stepped into the elevator that had just arrived.

“Are you getting in?”

An unintended confrontation arose between Yura inside the elevator and Hyun outside.

Hyun found it amusing how she kept acting prickly towards him. At some point, she had started showing her teeth at him instead of hiding her emotions and ignoring him.

Like an abandoned cat, she was more cute than scary when she bared her teeth and bristled her fur. Thinking she could throw tantrums too made him want to provoke her more.

“It’s a waste of electricity.”

Hyun ignored her invitation and calmly entered the elevator. A low tongue click echoed in the quiet elevator. She probably made it louder on purpose for him to hear.

Hyun and Yura weren’t close, but they weren’t as cold as they were now either.

It probably started then.

The day he went to check on Yura’s employment.

‘But…!’

Hyun covered Ji Ho’s mouth as he was about to continue speaking. He had heard someone eavesdropping, and when Hyun noticed, there was the sound of hurried footsteps leaving. Hyun frowned at the fleeing figure.

Oh dear, seems she heard.

Soon after, there was a loud slam of the front door closing.

‘Huh? Did someone come?’

‘They left, not came.’

‘Eh?’

With her personality, she surely would have rushed in to confront them, so why did she quietly retreat?

That curiosity was answered later when he encountered Yura. Her choice was to maintain a perfect distance rather than confront him.

Hyun felt a sense of kinship with Yura’s personality that seemed similar to his own, while also feeling pleased.

Leaning against the elevator wall, Hyun’s eyes fell on Yura’s glossy, neatly arranged hair.

Yura, who always kept her hair short saying she wasn’t good at styling it, started growing it out when she entered high school.

By the time she graduated college, it had grown long enough to reach her waist. That hair she had cherished so much suddenly changed to a bob one day, and she had kept that style for several years now.

Even after several years, Hyun wasn’t used to that short hair. As if checking the length that reached her chin, Hyun absent-mindedly touched her hair.

“Your hair… doesn’t suit you.”

Thwack. As soon as he touched her hair, she sharply swatted his hand away. Then she glared at Hyun with a deeply furrowed brow.

“Don’t touch me so carelessly.”

Hyun let out a small laugh, realizing he had touched her without thinking, though it wasn’t intentional.

“Do I still look like an elementary schooler to you? Why are you touching me without permission?”

That’s right. You’ve grown a lot.

Though her lips still chattered away, they had definitely captured men’s attention more than before. Hyun’s gaze lingered on Yura’s lips.

He wanted to kiss those small, cute lips.

“They are small.”

“Tsk. I guess you don’t realize you’re ignoring the average.”

Hyun had simply stated the obvious without any particular meaning, but Yura was on edge as if he had touched on a complex.

He had always thought of her as small since he had known her from such a young age, but as she said, Hyun had never considered that he might be too tall.

In fact, when he first met Yura, he had carelessly blurted out, “I didn’t know people this small existed in the world,” and was perplexed by her wailing.

With that memory suddenly coming to mind, Hyun was just now realizing that height was her complex.

Ding. At the cheerful mechanical sound announcing their arrival, she tilted her head slightly and sneered, still not having cooled down.

“Being too tall is gross too.”

Yura turned her head sharply and exited the elevator. Her swaying hair brushed past the closing elevator doors. Her unusually silky and glossy hair would shine like fine silk when the wind blew.

Male students would often stare at Yura, mesmerized by that sight. Just recalling that time made Hyun slightly furrow his brow with inexplicable displeasure.

“Well, it’s better than long hair.”

At least now there wouldn’t be any men giving her those strange looks.

Yura, heading to the office, paused for a moment. She always tried to stay calm, but maintaining that was difficult when facing Baek Hyun. His inscrutable gaze and cynical tone seemed to increase her combativeness.

She stood still for a moment to catch her breath as the heat refused to subside. If she faced her team members with heightened senses, she might end up nagging unnecessarily.

Not wanting to treat them emotionally, she stood still for a moment, but somehow the office seemed noisy.

“Why is it so rowdy?”

Just as she was about to take a step, wondering what was going on, she ran into Manager Jung.

“Team Leader.”

“What’s going on?”

“Well, the performer for the second half of the year’s concert came to greet the planning team in person.”

Yura tilted her head at the unexpected visitor. It was rare for someone to visit the planning team first for greetings, rather than going to see the CEO. Moreover, it felt even more peculiar since this was for a concert in the latter half of the year that hadn’t been announced yet.

“Alone?”

“No, with their manager.”

As Yura walked towards the office, Manager Jung pointed to a man surrounded by people in response to her question.

“There, look over there. That’s him. Pianist Oh Se Jin.”

“!”

Yura’s feet stopped at Manager Jung’s explanation. Her furrowed eyes locked onto pianist Oh Se Jin, who wore a gentle smile. His naturally curled hair from a light perm gave him an even gentler and softer impression than before.

Yura stood like a statue, looking at Oh Se Jin, who hadn’t changed a bit except for this minor style change. From behind her came Ji Ho’s voice, tinged with bewilderment.

“Jin, Jin Team Leader…”

“CEO.”

Manager Jung, startled by Ji Ho’s appearance, hastily bowed his head, while Yura stared at Ji Ho with sharply furrowed eyes.

Ji Ho, seemingly not having anticipated this situation either, stumbled over his words as he stepped between the two.

“Uh, um. I’ll explain later. Okay?”

Then he strode into the office and extended his hand to Oh Se Jin with an awkward smile.

“Oh Se Jin, how did you come without any notice…”

“It’s been a while, CEO.”

At Oh Se Jin’s greeting, which revealed this wasn’t their first meeting, Yura’s face turned pale. It seemed that after all the secrecy, they had been working behind the scenes to create this situation.

Setting aside company positions, he was still her cousin’s husband, and this felt exactly like being stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. Yura felt her anger rising.

“Why didn’t you come to the CEO’s office, why are you here?”

“I should first meet and greet the people who will be planning my concert. That way they’ll plan the concert well.”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Ji Ho was clearly flustered by this situation and kept glancing at Yura to gauge her reaction.

Yura found it absurd that he would create such a situation while being so conscious of her reaction. If he were her younger cousin instead of her cousin-in-law, she would have slapped him.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Oh Se Jin extended his hand towards Yura with the same clear and gentle smile as before. As if they were meeting for the first time today.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Oh Se Jin.”