Before he dated her, Jeong Yoon Jae had liked Sa Rang and even confessed.

He assumed Yoon Jae had been there for her after she broke up with her boyfriend.

That they would have naturally become a couple.

“There was never anything more than friendship between Yoon Jae and me. Ji Woo knew that, so she dated him. Really.”

Sa Rang was anxious about how to make Do Han believe her.

She had lied so much that even the truth felt like a lie now.

She nervously awaited his reaction.

His tightly shut mouth indicated he was really angry.

The darkening surroundings added to the heavy atmosphere.

She would have been incredulous too.

Frustrated that she had been deceived for so long, he seemed unwilling to even talk.

Should she apologize and ask for forgiveness? Sa Rang’s face fell, and finally, he spoke.

“That’s good to hear.”

“…What?”

Sa Rang’s eyes wavered, puzzled by what he meant by ‘good.’

“It’s good that you won’t get hurt by those two.”

“…”

“Really, I’m relieved.”

Do Han was most relieved about that.

That Jeong Yoon Jae and Kang Ji Woo weren’t secretly meeting behind Sa Rang’s back.

It was better that it was a lie.

Although being deceived was absurd, it was indeed fortunate for Sa Rang.

“Go back inside. Your friends are waiting.”
The provided Korean text has been translated verbatim into English, maintaining the same number of lines as the original:

As Do Han turned away with a stern face, Sa Rang grabbed his arm.

“Are you angry with me?”

Sa Rang suddenly feared becoming distant from him.

Just when they had started to close the gap, it felt like going back to when they first met in the office.

“No.”

“Disappointed?”

“No.”

Sa Rang slowly released her grip from his arm.

Now it was time to ask her most pressing question, but she was afraid to hear the answer.

After hesitating, she bit her lip and gathered her courage.

“So, have you… given up on me?”

Sa Rang hoped his answer would be no.

He had said it was a relief that her feelings weren’t hurt even after knowing the truth.

That meant he still cared, so she hoped he hadn’t given up on approaching her.

Only then could she move towards him.

“Well…”

But Do Han’s answer was not what she had hoped for.

“I was thinking maybe I should.”

Of course. He must feel wronged by the lies.

Realizing she had intentionally lied would naturally make him lose interest.

Feeling that it was truly over, Sa Rang’s head drooped.

Then he added something more.

“Because it seemed like that’s what you wanted.”

“…What?”

“That’s why you lied. Because you disliked me that much.”

Sa Rang was speechless, barely able to mutter a word.

Indeed, that was why she started lying in the first place.

Not wanting to get entangled with him again.

But now she was restless, fearing he might give up on her.

Sa Rang felt hypocritical and couldn’t hold on to him anymore.

“It’s natural to dislike. If I were you, I would feel the same. You don’t need to apologize.”

Do Han felt like a fool for being deceived by the three of them, but knew he had no right to be angry.

How could he be disappointed in Sa Rang?

But giving up was a different matter.

If she lied about marrying Jeong Yoon Jae, it meant she despised Do Han that much.

Knowing how terrible he was, she must despise him even more.

Wouldn’t it be unbearable to face him like this?

Do Han had confirmed Sa Rang’s feelings today.

That she had no lingering affection for him.

But continuing to stay around her would only cause her more distress.

“I should go. See you at work tomorrow.”

Do Han didn’t want to trouble Sa Rang.

He had to return her to her friends waiting inside the restaurant.

His presence had already ruined her birthday party.

He got into his car and drove out of the parking lot. Sa Rang watched him leave with resentful eyes.

“You said you wouldn’t leave me first.”

Lies. He had left her alone again.

Realizing, or rather admitting, she still liked Do Han, Sa Rang was left feeling confused.

A week had passed.

During that week, Sa Rang hadn’t engaged in any personal conversations with Do Han.

She hadn’t ridden in his car after work, nor had lunch with him.
The provided Korean text has been translated verbatim into English, maintaining the same number of lines as the original:

Since Yoon Jae’s birthday, he had only treated her as a coworker.

Even when they were the only two left in the office, they didn’t speak.

Sa Rang waited.

Hoping he would start a conversation first.

Asking her to have dinner after work or what she was doing on the weekend.

She wanted to meet him outside of work, but the opportunity never came.

Had he really given up?

Decided to let go of her?

With a feeling of disappointment, Sa Rang glanced at Do Han sitting next to her.

It seemed he had decided to stop approaching her, thinking she disliked him.

So, it was up to her to express her feelings first.

But Sa Rang no longer had the courage to do so.

Nor the confidence to start over with him.

She was no longer the brave twenty-year-old freshman in love.

“It’s April, but the weather is already this hot.”

Near the end of lunchtime, Dong Sik entered the office.

His face was sweaty from smoking on the hot rooftop.

“Hey, juniors.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

Sa Rang and Do Han responded simultaneously and stood up.

“Go to the convenience store and buy some ice cream. I’ll pay for it.”

Dong Sik handed his card to Sa Rang, and from the opposite side, Na Young squinted her eyes.

“Team Leader, you’re not just trying to get by with ice cream, are you?”

“What do you mean ‘get by’?”

“You said at the company picnic that you’d treat us grandly soon to celebrate our win in soccer. Don’t tell me you’re ending it with ice cream.”

“Of course not. I’m saving up for a grand treat, so wait a little longer.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize your grand intentions.”

“Think about what you want to eat. It will be the greatest dinner party since Oh joined.”

Na Young clapped loudly, making the office erupt in cheers.

“You two, go get the ice cream.”

“I can go alone, Team Leader.”

Sa Rang gathered Dong Sik’s card and her phone.

It was manageable for one person since the team had thirteen members.

“It’s boring to go alone. Both of you go down together.”

Unable to refuse the team leader twice, Sa Rang reluctantly left the office with Do Han.

Na Young, who had sensed their tense atmosphere recently, saw Dong Sik also felt something was off and immediately asked him.

“Those two seem suspicious, don’t they?”

“You mean Sa Rang and Ji?”

Na Young tensed, wondering if Dong Sik knew about Sa Rang being the woman Ji longed for.

She had kept this secret firmly, but now it seemed exposed.

“Yeah. They don’t seem to get along. Maybe because their personalities are so different, they clash at work. What do you think, Oh?”

“So you sent them together on purpose? For them to get along?”

Dong Sik nodded seriously.

“They have to work together, but how can they if they don’t get along? It’s a real concern.”

He sighed deeply and returned to his seat, leaving Na Young frowning.

She was relieved the secret was still safe, but worried about Dong Sik’s obliviousness.