It was no longer surprising.

“Have you had lunch, Team Leader Jin?”

“Did you have a good meal with the CEO, Pianist Oh Se Jin?”

“Please call me comfortably.”

Looking at Se Jin’s more relaxed face, Yu Ra suddenly thought of the word ‘bastard’.

If this wasn’t the company, she would have really wanted to call him that. If their meeting hadn’t been tied to work, perhaps Yu Ra could have exchanged simple greetings.

Although he had no courtesy for their breakup, not even a speck, she considered that to be the extent of this man’s capacity, and concluded it was his character. So she had no lingering attachment to Se Jin.

The reason Yu Ra was sharp towards Se Jin was one. It was the displeasure stemming from his pathetic desire to reconnect this already ended relationship that was entangled with her.

“No. I cannot be so rude to an artist who deserves respect.”

“I’m fine with it.”

Yu Ra spat out a rigid tone, trying to treat him strictly professionally, as if building a solid wall. At Yu Ra’s words and actions, he smiled awkwardly with a face full of lingering attachment.

She never dreamed there would come a moment when that face would become disgusting. Yu Ra carefully scrutinized Oh Se Jin’s face.

Clearly, not much had changed, but the disgust that wasn’t there then now hit her strongly enough to make her want to vomit. Hiding this unpleasant and abhorrent emotion behind a gloomy shadow, Yu Ra gently smiled.

“What brings you here?”

“I have something to say about the practice room.”

“We’re coordinating the closest practice room and time. It might be inconvenient, but I hope you can use the piano in the hotel room for now.”

“Is it possible to cancel that practice room?”

As things that seemed to be going well kept getting hindered, Yu Ra unconsciously held back a sigh that was about to escape.

The practice room wasn’t a big problem to cancel as it was still in verbal agreement. It was just unsettling as it felt like he was deliberately raising issues.

“Is there a problem, perhaps?”

Standing in the middle of the office continuing the conversation, he glanced around briefly. Yu Ra knew well the meaning of that action.

She should have guided him to a meeting room or her office when she encountered him. However, Yu Ra wanted to avoid being alone with him as much as possible and didn’t leave this awkward place. Knowing full well why he wasn’t easily speaking up, she pretended not to know until the last moment.

“It’s okay, please speak comfortably.”

“I’d like to have a conversation in a quiet place.”

Realizing she could no longer resist, Yu Ra slowly nodded and then led Se Jin to her office.

Knowing the subtle gazes of employees watching the two of them, Yu Ra deliberately didn’t lower the blinds. Gesturing for him to sit in a comfortable seat, she walked to the coffee machine set up by the window.

“What kind of tea would you like?”

“It’s fine.”

Yu Ra put the capsule she would drink into the coffee machine and turned to look at Se Jin.

He was still standing beside the sofa, just looking at Yu Ra without sitting down. The slow stroking of his finger joints was one of his habits when he had something to say.

She wanted to ask what he wanted to say, but not wanting to reveal that she still remembered his small habits, she said something else.

“Please sit down.”

“Could you lower the blinds?”

“Ah, yes.”

Yu Ra belatedly answered to the sound of the coffee machine stopping and approached the desk. She took out the remote control from the pencil holder and lowered the blinds of the window overlooking the office.

“Now, then…!”

“Why did you cut your hair?”

Se Jin’s hand brushed Yu Ra’s short hair as he suddenly came closer.

Thwack. Yu Ra tilted her upper body sideways to create distance and sharply swatted away that hand.

Why do they touch other people’s body parts so casually, this guy or that guy? Yu Ra’s face twisted horribly.

Se Jin’s movement reminded her of Hyun, whom she had encountered a few days ago. Along with that, their casual actions were unbearably unpleasant. If possible, she felt the urge to report it.

Yu Ra turned her steps back to where the coffee machine was, brushing past Se Jin’s shoulder as if pushing him. And in a cynical voice, she sharply pointed out his behavior.

“Pianist Oh Se Jin. I ask you to maintain your manners.”

“Well, short hair looks pretty too.”

“Haa.”

Yu Ra, who was picking up the coffee cup, let out a low sigh. He was like this in the car last time too, revealing his shallow intentions when they were alone.

“Did you cut it because of me?”

“Are you not satisfied with the practice room?”

Ignoring the question not worth answering, she tried to continue the conversation they had earlier.

Se Jin’s eyes looking at Yu Ra revealed disappointment and hurt. As if it wasn’t even worth mocking, Yu Ra just stared at him blankly with an unchanged face.

“Hmm, right. This is a company after all.”

Se Jin changed his attitude, raising his hand.

“I want to use the practice room I used to go to before.”

Se Jin didn’t add an explanation of exactly where and what kind of practice room it was. As he expected, Yu Ra clearly remembered the place he mentioned.

She couldn’t not know, having taken him there countless times. Although it had been 5 years since she stopped going there, she could still find it in one go if asked to go now.

“It’s far from downtown, but I’m comfortable with a familiar place.”

A performance planner should cater to the artist’s whims as much as possible. It has been so until now, and will be so in the future. So even this sudden whim of his should be accommodated with broad-mindedness.

“First, with the manager…”

“I am the owner. I was lucky to have the opportunity to buy it.”

She thought if this was the case, he could just say he would use his private practice room, why speak in such a complicated way.

Se Jin’s behavior didn’t seem meaningless, but she couldn’t quite grasp what he was trying to say.

“I understand. I will arrange for the necessary vehicle and driver to move there.”

“You.”

At the sudden disrespectful speech, Yu Ra frowned, and he added as if correcting himself with a smile.

“No, Team Leader Jin, please do it.”

Yu Ra had forgotten to drink her coffee as the conversation kept seeming to lead to bickering. She looked down at the lukewarm coffee distastefully and put it down by the window.

Soon, Yu Ra, who had modestly placed both hands on the center of her lower abdomen and assumed a polite posture, stared at Se Jin.

This was a gesture that was like a warning to show courtesy and consideration. Then, in a dry voice, she spoke firmly, emphasizing certain words.

“Pianist Oh Se Jin. I’m in charge of overseeing various performance plans. I will prepare so that there is no inconvenience in your movement. Please understand my position.”

Se Jin, who had hesitated for a moment, straightened his back and retorted to Yu Ra’s words in a seemingly stern voice.

“Isn’t it Team Leader Jin’s job to take care of me too?”

It wasn’t wrong. It was true that she was in a position to do anything for the artist’s convenience. She belatedly realized that Se Jin had changed as much as she had changed from before.

He was no longer the Oh Se Jin of those days who always apologized and worried about Yu Ra’s position. He had changed into a rather cunning man who clearly knew the rights he could receive and could demand them.

Yu Ra was silent for a moment, taking a deep breath to assess the situation. If he doesn’t want the performance to be canceled at this rate, she must agree to his request even if it’s distasteful.

She also considered changing the person in charge, but that was also impossible as one of the conditions for performing at Songlim was herself. If neither cancellation nor change was possible, there was only one way.

“Alright. Then, please let me know your practice schedule later.”

Reminding herself that bowing down was the best solution, Yu Ra accepted Se Jin’s request.

As Yu Ra, who had bowed her head respectfully, raised her gaze, a sneer flashed across his face. Yu Ra firmly believed she hadn’t seen wrong. And she sensed that Oh Se Jin was thoroughly wearing a mask towards her.

Only, she couldn’t gauge what that mask was for. She saw his movement coming one step closer as she lowered her gaze as if hiding her chilly gaze.

“Now.”

Soon, the moist breath brushing her ear made her hair stand on end.

“I need to go now, is the time okay?”

Yu Ra clenched her fist tightly and pushed Se Jin’s shoulder.

Se Jin, who stepped back willingly, raised both hands with a smile on his lips. It was no longer exciting at all, just an extremely lewd smile.

“It’s not far from the Art Center here, although it’s far from the hotel, isn’t it?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Yu Ra nodded calmly as she passed by Se Jin.

Se Jin, who had been staring at Yu Ra as she left the office seemingly to give instructions to an employee, quickly scanned her office.

“It feels even more barren. Not even a common potted plant.”

In Se Jin’s memory, Yu Ra was a woman who felt a bit dry.

Although they whispered love and dated like any other couple, she was a woman who lacked affectionate tenderness. Even the ‘I love you’ she occasionally uttered felt indifferent several times.

He had dismissed it as just her blunt nature, but now after time has passed, she seemed even more desolate than then.

A moment later, Yu Ra returned to the office, picked up her bag, and calmly suggested they move.

“Shall we go?”

Se Jin followed Yu Ra’s guidance, still wearing a gentle expression.

The employees watching the two people leaving the office gathered in small groups.

“What could it be?”

“I know. The team leader’s expression didn’t look good.”

Manager Jung, recalling Yu Ra’s unusually dark face, said with a worried look. As the two people who didn’t know what was going on stared at the door where Yu Ra had disappeared, Ji Hye fidgeted among the employees, watching for their reactions.

“Um, you know.”

Sung Hoon moved his eyebrows as if telling her to speak if she had something to say, looking at Ji Hye. As the employees’ gazes focused on her, Ji Hye glanced around and lowered her voice.

“My friend majored in piano. She says she knows that person, Pianist Oh Se Jin.”

“Oh~ Unexpected connections.”

“But, my friend said, the person Oh Se Jin dated before going to study abroad…”

The employees swallowed dry saliva as they watched Ji Hye, who had paused for a moment. Ji Hye made a gesture of covering her mouth with her hand as if whispering a tremendous secret.

“Would you believe it, she says it was our team leader.”

Silence suddenly fell over the office. As if an unimaginable development had stopped everyone’s thinking, no one readily opened their mouth.

The office began to stir again with Manager Jung’s single word, who frowned as if it was hard to believe.