Seomsseomginja.

A traditional Japanese restaurant with distinctive Western-style interior.

Sensual pendant lights hung from the arched wooden ceiling, while white wood seats arranged at regular intervals blended harmoniously with the marble floor.

The full-length windows of the L Tower’s royal floor framed the neatly arranged Seoul cityscape.

Guided to the seat reserved under Bae Jung Soon’s name, Da Hae checked the time upon seeing the empty space.

PM. 18:55.

She had barely avoided being late. Though she had no desire to impress her blind date, keeping appointments was a separate matter.

Although she would ultimately reject this meeting, being late would be shameless even for someone known as the “rejection doll”.

It was also clear that a summons from Lady Bae Jung Soon would arrive.

Perhaps due to her meager lunch, the sweet soy sauce aroma stimulated her appetite.

While waiting for her unattended counterpart, Da Hae glanced at other tables already dining, then turned her gaze to the window.

As she killed time staring dispassionately at the familiar scenery, a faint citrus scent carried on the winter wind wafted in.

A large silhouette was reflected in the transparently clean window.

Recognizing her blind date’s arrival, Da Hae put on a calculated smile.

She lifted the corners of her eyes just enough. It was an uncomfortable moment when she had to offer the first greeting.

As she withdrew her gaze from the window, Da Hae’s head turned towards the man standing beside her.

“…”

“I told you, didn’t I? That we’d have business to discuss.”

A face smiling leisurely with slightly stretched lips. A tone both rude and polite. An impeccably fitted suit.

“Kang…?”

“Jae Kyung.”

As her eyes widened in surprise, the man seated himself without invitation.

After scanning her surroundings, Da Hae skipped the greetings and went straight to the point.

“I have company.”

“So do I.”

“How convenient.”

Her eyes crescent-shaped, she smiled freshly and tilted her chin towards the hallway.

It was a gesture telling him to return to his own seat.

The man, resting his elbows on the table and smirking similarly, leaned back and slowly stroked his chin.

“Seems you came without knowing anything about your blind date.”

“I have that much courtesy.”

“What does he do? His name?”

“He’s in the entertainment business…”

Her honest reply suddenly faltered.

“Is it written on my face that I’m here for a blind date?”

“If you’re alone in a place like this at this hour, it’s obvious. Ah, I’m here for a blind date too. Obviously.”

Responding with a disinterested “Ah, I see,” Da Hae peered towards the entrance.

Fifteen minutes had passed since the appointed time.

At this point, it was fair to assume she had been stood up. Still, she couldn’t leave first.

For some unknown pride, she didn’t want Kang Jae Kyung to know she’d been stood up.

“Is my coat still there? My wallet’s in the pocket too.”

Da Hae finally turned to him, her face clearly showing disbelief at the strange implication about the wallet.

“I didn’t touch it.”

“Not the curious type, are you?”

“More like the moral type. I’m not in a position to be curious about other people’s wallets.”

Morals?

The man’s lips curled into a smirk as he mulled over the word.

She thought he was mocking her for preaching about morals when she engaged in one-night stands.

Da Hae let out a hollow laugh. He had the nerve, after fleeing without even saying goodbye.

From what she’d seen, Kang Jae Kyung’s morals were about as big as half a palm-sized Post-it note. Just about that much.

The man calmly met the woman’s sharp gaze, then slowly rose.

“I wish you had touched it. I thought you might contact me using the business card inside.”

His long fingers extended a business card towards Da Hae.

Kang Jae Kyung, CEO of Samyeong Entertainment.

“I’ll come to retrieve my coat soon.”

She was about to add that there was no need, that she’d send it to his office, but decided against it.

With the business card, she could just send it by courier after going to work tomorrow.

As the heavy footsteps faded away, her bottom, which had lifted to leave, settled back into the chair.

“Ms. Kye Da Hae?”

Approaching with slow steps, he lifted the corners of his mouth leisurely.

Meeting her gaze that seemed to ask “What now?”, the man lightly pressed down and offered a handshake.

“For someone with manners and morals, you should have known your blind date’s name before coming.”

Her dark brown eyes shifted unsteadily to the large hand suddenly extended.

As her unadorned fingers reflexively grasped his hand, the man continued his introduction as if confirming her thoughts.

“I’m Kang Jae Kyung, in the entertainment business.”

“…”

Lady Bae Jung Soon’s moral granddaughter, faced with the handsome, still-unmarried grandson of the phone-selling old man in the entertainment business, struggled to maintain composure.

Even as Jae Kyung, seated across from her, ordered meals as he pleased, Da Hae remained silent.

“Do you like sushi? Chairman Bae recommended this place.”

“I like raw things.”

“Have you been working long? What do you do on weekends?”

“Are you really thinking of this as a blind date? Sharing preferences, then what, hobbies, skills, childhood?”

“You don’t like the typical approach. I prefer the classic style.”

“Let’s not waste each other’s time and just leave.”

Jae Kyung straightened his reclined posture and placed his clasped hands on the table.

“Let’s get married.”

Despite his casual tone, his face was quite serious.

Even the playful smile that had been there was completely erased.

Da Hae rubbed her eyes and chuckled. It wasn’t so much a sneer as a laugh of disbelief that escaped involuntarily.

“What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you say not to waste time?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Aren’t you tired of coming to these meaningless meetings?”

It was tiresome. She was used to the tediousness.

Repeating like a parrot about hobbies, special skills, vacation plans, and listening to those trying not to lose to her, using Chairman Bae Jung Soon as their background.

There wasn’t a single part of the same old repertoire that wasn’t tedious.

From ambitious schemers to mama’s boys bragging endlessly about their parents to monsters with inferiority complexes.

She knew what people around her called her.

She didn’t know whose mind had come up with such a childish naming, but because of that damned “rejection doll” nickname, her blind dates had actually increased.

It was like some kind of challenge mentality.

Although Bae Jung Soon filtered the dates, Kye Da Hae was one step ahead in spotting losers.

Just look at Kim Chang Sik this time.

It was certainly a waste of time to go on blind dates with no intention of getting married, but it wasn’t because she didn’t know this that she had been doing it all along.

There was no clever way to escape, so she was just getting through it like a social obligation.

Unable to clearly deny or affirm, silence lingered.

Intelligent eyes took in the expressionless woman’s face.

Jae Kyung tapped the table to draw her attention.

“Use me.”

Before he finished speaking, he continued his explanation to the woman who looked at him as if he were a con artist.

“I need to get married. If you want, I can even divorce you at an appropriate time.”

The man offering himself as a means seemed far from joking in his expression, voice, and even his eyes.

They say it’s scarier when someone is subtly off, and that’s exactly how Jae Kyung appeared to Da Hae.

The conversation naturally paused as their ordered food was served.

After the waiter finished a brief explanation and walked away, Da Hae loosely crossed her arms.

“What’s your reason?”

“Let’s say it’s an inheritance issue.”

“Purely for money?”

“There’s also a woman involved.”

For a company CEO, his reasons seemed rather colorless. Somehow, she felt sorry for the phone-selling grandfather she’d never met.

How heartbroken would he be if he knew his grandson was trying to take advantage for inheritance?

Although it wasn’t her concern what such a two-faced person did, she felt an inexplicable disappointment.

He wasn’t some great Gatsby. Was this about inheriting wealth and living a dissipated life? While his actions were despicable, she hadn’t seen him as a pathetic character until now.

Yet, the fact that she was tempted by this absurd proposal showed that Kye Da Hae wasn’t a noble character either.

Catching a hint of hesitation on her face, the man moved a piece of sushi topped with a large slice of bright red tuna onto Da Hae’s plate.

“Since Ms. Kye Da Hae, who has no curiosity about others’ wallets, seems well-off, I don’t think alimony would be an issue.”

“You haven’t heard that those who have are even greedier? If a dispute arises, the losses could be substantial.”

“Even a mud fight, if it’s with Ms. Kye Da Hae, I’d gladly engage in.”

“My, I was thinking of a dogfight.”

Their eyes, which had been firmly locked on each other, smiled in similar fashion.