Her heart was on edge, she couldn’t stay there any longer.

Se Ah hurriedly left the cafe. She was so absentminded that she didn’t even notice if Kang Woo was following her.

“Se Ah.”
After she had passed several shops, Kang Woo called out from behind. He was the kind of man who would stubbornly follow, even if she pretended not to hear. Especially now.

Pride made her not want to go back, so she just stood still.

The noise of cars passing by, the conversations and laughter of people passing by. Amid all the mixed sounds, only the sound of his footsteps was clearly embedded in her ears. Even without seeing him walking towards her, she could almost visualize it.

A good 8 years. Even his small habits seemed to be etched in her mind.

Could I really live without this man? In my 25 years of life, he was the one who taught me what happiness was. Even if it was a delusion of mine…

Looking back, not all the time I spent waiting was painful and hard. Whenever I thought of him, I found myself smiling, my heart warming.

Even if it’s selfish, if I want to hurt less, I have to start erasing him bit by bit. By this time next year, I won’t be with him.

In no time, Kang Woo blocked her path and looked down at her for quite a while. It was a sign for her to make eye contact.

“Sigh.”
Se Ah sighed as if tired. Then, eventually, she raised her head to look at him due to his persistence.

“Why?”
“Did you read my message wrong? The place I told you to meet was not that cafe.”
“I saw it. I just didn’t feel the need to go.”
“Because you were meeting Kim Do Young?”
“Think whatever you want.”
She saw his arrogant face chewing his lower lip. Nonchalantly, Se Ah smirked.

For some reason, he was tieless, even in this weather, and had taken off his jacket. He definitely had his jacket at the cafe, but he had left it somewhere. He was only wearing a plain white shirt.

“Won’t it be a problem if someone sees you like this near the office? You’re known as a married man. I don’t know who the other party is, but…”
“The same goes for you. A newbie writer, whose marital status is unknown, is standing in the middle of the street with the CEO. It would be interesting for others.”
The corners of Kang Woo’s lips turned up, mockingly. It was a rather dry cynical joke.

“Did you bring your car?”
“I took the subway.”
She decided to quickly give the answer he wanted and get away. She didn’t want to be involved in any bad rumors as soon as she joined the company. Judging from his eyes now, his obsession was crossing the line. She wondered what got into him this time.

“Do you want me to hire a driver for you?”
“I don’t need one. I can’t afford a driver with my salary.”
“I’ll pay for it.”
“I absolutely refuse.”
This sort of backandforth lasted for a few minutes. It was like an unending fight between an impenetrable shield and a relentless sword.

After enduring this meaningless conversation for a few minutes, Kang Woo’s gaze softened. The sharp look in his eyes had calmed down.

“Go home. I’ll be off on time today as well.”
“I’ll take care of myself.”
Whether it was the soft touch of his jacket, or her handbag slipped. While putting her handbag back on her shoulder, Se Ah turned to leave. Kang Woo lightly grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

“Go home.”
His relaxed tone sounded almost like a plea. His dark pupils slowly closed, then immediately opened.

“Stop provoking me. It’s hard enough as it is.”
He let go of her shoulder and signaled with his eyes. As if to say she could go now. As she pretended not to see him forcing a relaxed expression on his face, Se Ah turned her back on him.

Had she taken about ten steps? Suddenly, Se Ah looked back. His large, receding figure seemed… oddly shrunken.

((()))((()))((()))

Kang Woo returned to the cafe. In his haste to chase after Se Ah, he had left his jacket there.

Of course, he thought Do Young would have left by now, but he was still there.

“You’ve been here all this time.”
Kang Woo sat down across from Do Young with a sour voice. Do Young, who had been sketching characters on his tablet, chuckled.

“It’s embarrassing to praise in front of the CEO, but CI software is really excellent. I can work comfortably anywhere.”
“Is it going well?”
He wanted to ask a lot about Se Ah. He was starting a preliminary battle to dig in.

“Yes. I struggled at first after changing the tablet, maybe it’s the grip of the pen. It was unfamiliar… but after I got used to it, it’s much better. Thank you for providing such valuable equipment.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Kang Woo never held back support for capable employees. He compensated them proportional to the effort they put into their work, ensuring that the exceptional talents voluntarily dedicated their passion and effort to his company.

Kang Woo who had gone to the counter returned with a cold glass of iced tea. Despite asking for less syrup than usual, it was still sweet.

“President, you’re having a lot of sweet things today. Did your taste change?”
“Not just taste, I’m remodeling my preferences and personality.”