“I’m Lee Sa Rang. Nice to meet you too.”

Suho and Ayoung shifted their gaze to Do Han for a moment.

The two, who knew that Do Han avoided saying ‘love’, could not hide their surprised expressions.

In contrast, Do Han calmly sipped his water. They again looked at Sa Rang with awkward smiles.

“We should be having a date on a day like today. We’re sorry for intruding.”

“No, I should be the one apologizing. You were meeting with friends.”

When Sa Rang seemed uncomfortable, Suho jokingly reprimanded Do Han.

“You should have told us you have a girlfriend. Then we would have scheduled to meet another day.”

“The only time I had was today.”

Suho sighed in frustration.

Ayoung, who felt the same way, conversed with Sa Rang instead of the uncommunicative Do Han.

“How did you end up meeting him? If my boyfriend went to meet his friends on his birthday, I think I’d be mad. Didn’t you fight?”

“There wasn’t even time to fight. I found out about the meeting yesterday. And he didn’t even tell me today is his birthday.”

As Sa Rang calmly explained, Suho and Ayoung’s mouths dropped open.

They knew Do Han was strange, but to be like that to his girlfriend…

But Sa Rang, who didn’t seem to mind at all, seemed to match him well.

“Why didn’t you tell her it was your birthday? You made your girlfriend sad.”

Ayoung felt resentment toward Do Han, as a fellow woman.

Even if she seemed okay, she wondered how Sa Rang must feel.

Seeing that she came along, wouldn’t it mean that she wanted to spend her boyfriend’s birthday together?

That would be the natural thought, so Ayoung glared at Do Han.

“Let’s order. I’m hungry.”

“Really? How did you end up with someone like him?”

Ayoung, irritated by the indifferent Do Han looking at the menu, asked Sa Rang.

Having been asked the same question earlier, Sa Rang could only laugh awkwardly.

She too was curious and couldn’t satisfy Ayoung’s curiosity.

She had liked him from the moment she saw him, and it was impossible to explain that in words.

They ordered food, and soon the table was set.

Even after the meal started, Suho could feel Sa Rang’s discomfort at the situation.

“We don’t usually meet at places like this. Ayoung and I work for a company affiliated with this hotel, and this month and next month we get an employee discount. So we made a reservation, otherwise, we would have just gone for pork belly.”

“Ah, then you must have made a reservation for three. I’ll pay for my portion.”

It meant she could comfortably eat, but Sa Rang felt more apologetic. Suho quickly waved his hand, pointing at Do Han with his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. Ask him to pay. He has more money than we do, who work for a living. He made a lot of money investing in stocks from an app he made in high school. Lucky guy.”

Sa Rang also looked at Do Han with envious eyes.

She sighed at the thought of when she would graduate, find a job, and save her salary.

Today, he felt even more distant.

Ayoung’s question of how she ended up with him seemed to be directed at Do Han, not herself.

It was a mystery why he was dating a newcomer like her.

“Right. I have to give you your gift before I forget.”

Ayoung, who had been engrossed in the delicious food, took out a bag from her bag as if she remembered something.

“Happy birthday. I got this with an employee discount, so don’t feel burdened.”

“Why did you even get me a gift? Thanks.”

As Do Han opened the bag, Suho suddenly chimed in.

“This is a hotel voucher. It’s great that you happen to have a girlfriend.”

At Suho’s wicked joke, Sa Rang, who was drinking water, choked on it.

Seeing her coughing with a flushed face, Do Han frowned at Suho.

“She’s only twenty years old. What’s with the hotel?”

Do Han was just as embarrassed.

He appreciated the gift, but why a hotel voucher of all things?

His heart was already pounding because of the unusual Sa Rang.

Despite his will, erotic imaginations were unfolding in Do Han’s head.

A scene where he would push her onto the bed as soon as they entered the hotel room, devouring Sa Rang’s lips.

His face was flushed, his body was hot, and he gulped down the water.

“What? Twenty years old?”

Suho raised his voice with eyes that seemed about to pop out, causing Ayoung next to him to open her mouth in surprise.

“Ms. Sa Rang, are you twenty years old? A firstyear student?”

“Yes.”

Sa Rang nodded her head, swallowing her dry saliva.

She was so embarrassed that the heat on her face wouldn’t subside.

Ayoung finally spoke on behalf of Suho, who couldn’t continue speaking.

“Oh my God. He’s like a total thief.”

Ayoung thought that Sa Rang would be one or two years younger than them.

But after hearing her age and looking closely, she found an innocent face hidden under the heavy makeup.

If Do Han hadn’t spoken, they wouldn’t have known until they said goodbye.

“Why is a sixyear age difference like a thief?”

Do Han agreed with Ayoung’s words, but he wasn’t in a good mood.

As he frowned openly, Suho let out a sigh as if he couldn’t believe it.

“This is really shocking.”

“What’s shocking? She’s twenty, not ten.”

Do Han made a face as if he felt wronged, questioning why it would be shocking.

He was displeased with his friends who were upset about the mere sixyear age difference, not even a year apart.

Suho stole a glance at Sa Rang, who was lowering her head, and erased his surprised face.

“Well, a sixyear difference isn’t much. My brother is seven years apart from his girlfriend.”

Even though he said that, Suho still looked at Do Han as if he were a thief.

It was understandable for his thirtytwoyearold brother and his twentyfiveyearold girlfriend, but it seemed too much no matter how he thought about it for twentysixyearold Do Han to have a twentyyearold girlfriend.

Especially because it was Do Han of all people.

He was worried about how a freshman would handle his blunt and cold personality.

Suho and Ayoung pitied Sa Rang, who still couldn’t raise her head.

They hoped that she wouldn’t get hurt by Do Han.

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

On the way back home, Sa Rang didn’t say a word.

She just stared out into the darkness beyond the car window.

Thinking that she had fallen asleep, Do Han drove quietly.

When the car stopped in front of the house, Sa Rang unbuckled her seat belt.

The two got out of the car and faced each other.

Do Han wanted to spend a little more time with Sa Rang.

He wanted to continue what they had started with the kiss they had shared a few hours ago right here.

Would she follow him if he suggested they eat the birthday cake that Ayoung had prepared together?

Or if he complimented her for looking beautiful today?

Feeling that it was too late to do so now, Do Han sighed.

As he wondered what to say to keep Sa Rang, she opened her mouth first.

“I’ll go in now.”

Do Han felt disappointed and at the same time wondered if Sa Rang was angry.

He felt sorry for not telling her about his birthday and for not telling her beforehand that he had an appointment with friends.

But as she turned around with a blank expression, he couldn’t bring himself to stop her.

In the end, Do Han let Sa Rang go alone and went into the house.

He plopped the cake onto his desk, sat down heavily on his bed, and washed his hands dry.

Should he call Sa Rang now and ask her to meet for a moment?

Do Han picked up his phone, hesitated for a moment, and then threw it onto the bed.

He repeated this action several times when the doorbell rang.

Thinking it might be Hyeri, he frowned and got up.

Do Han opened the door without any expectation.

But it was Sa Rang standing there.

Do Han’s heart raced for a moment.

His heart was beating so fast that he couldn’t say anything and just stood there blankly when Sa Rang came right in.

Pressed by her momentum, Do Han stepped back.

As Sa Rang approached him with a stern expression, he stepped back, one step at a time.

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