Boss, Our Promise was Different (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9

Jae In was utterly baffled by Do Hyuk’s behavior.

She’d planned to have dinner with Min Woo after a long time, but ended up helplessly outmaneuvered by Do Hyuk doing exactly as he pleased.

Let’s say she could understand Do Hyuk keeping Min Woo at arm’s length for the sake of confidentiality.

But at this hour?

At a hotel restaurant?

Just the two of them?

And all because Jae In had said she was hungry—that made absolutely no sense.

‘Does he dislike eating alone?’

The team leader who’d never once shared even a single lunch with her?

That didn’t seem right.

‘Then why on earth?’

The more she thought about it, the more confused and frustrated she became instead of finding clarity.

Min Woo, left behind on his own, must have been flustered too—he’d called and texted her repeatedly the whole way here.

Stuck in an awkward situation alone in the car with Do Hyuk, Jae In only replied to his messages.

[Senior, I’m sorry. I still have something urgent to handle with the team leader. Let’s have dinner another time.] [Jae In, are you really okay? Nothing else is going on, right?] [Of course! I just forgot the task the team leader assigned me. It’s urgent, so I absolutely have to do it today. I’m really sorry. Next time, my treat!] [Alright, got it. Finish up quickly and head home safely.]

Jae In barely managed to suppress her rising irritation as she covered for herself, hoping Min Woo wouldn’t catch on to anything strange.

Whether Do Hyuk sensed her inner turmoil or not, he hadn’t uttered a single word the entire ride, leaving her breathless with tension.

Then, without warning, he’d brought her here.

‘This self-centered man!’

Just thinking about it again made her blood boil.

If she had to endure this kind of treatment for another two months, she’d either die of dehydration or a heart attack.

She genuinely feared she wouldn’t live out her natural lifespan.

Jae In decided she absolutely had to confront this clearly before it got any later.

“Team Leader, strictly speaking, this is kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping?”

Do Hyuk narrowed his eyes and raised one eyebrow.

“I did sign a contract with you, that’s true—but it was strictly a deal between equals. It didn’t give you the right to treat me however you please.”

Even though the word ‘equals’ stung a bit, she knew she had to say her piece.

Jae In added firmly, “This kind of unreasonable behavior is offensive. Please respect my wishes from now on.”

“Hmm.”

“I have a lot to pack before moving into your place tomorrow, so I’ll head home now.”

Jae In rose confidently from her seat.

“Aren’t you going to eat first? You must be really hungry.”

Hmph!

Jae In snorted at Do Hyuk’s attempt to stop her.

Forget it. I’d rather go home and cook instant noodles than eat with you.

She’d never realized before just how important it was who you shared a meal with.

“I’ve lost my appetite. I’ll be going now.”

Just as Jae In turned sharply to leave,

Do Hyuk quietly murmured while glancing over the menu.

“Today’s mains are lobster and Hanwoo tenderloin steak.”

Wait a minute.

Lobster? Hanwoo tenderloin steak?

Gurgle.

Gurgle.

Her stomach betrayed her shamelessly at the mere mention of dishes that made her mouth water instantly.

Her stomach was, admittedly, very honest.

“They’re even serving Sicilian-style eggplant caponata on the side.”

She had no idea what that was, but it sounded incredibly delicious.

Jae In could already feel her mouth filling with saliva and her stomach churning with acid.

And from deep within, a tiny voice whispered to her.

‘Hmm… maybe just eat before leaving? Since we’re already here.’

Her desire had already inflated far beyond what instant noodles could satisfy.

But after standing up so proudly, sitting back down now felt unbearably awkward.

‘If the team leader insists just once more, I’ll pretend I can’t help it and sit back down. Yeah, I’ll make it look as natural as possible.’

To her surprise, however,

Do Hyuk simply turned his head and stared out the window, showing no intention whatsoever of stopping her.

He really was going too far.

‘Team Leader, seriously? In a country famed for its etiquette, you’re supposed to insist at least three times!’

At that exact moment, as if reading her mind, Do Hyuk turned his head.

Just as their eyes met and Jae In thought he might offer a faint smile, he deliberately looked away and shifted his gaze back to the menu.

“For dessert… Mont Blanc and mango sorbet—doesn’t seem bad.”

‘Ah! I know that—it’s seriously delicious…’

Jae In had already surrendered helplessly to her hunger.

Only then did Do Hyuk let out a quiet chuckle, watching Jae In stand there frozen, unable to decide whether to stay or leave.

“What are you waiting for? Not going?”

“Well, uh…”

*Slurp.*

As Jae In stood there, sweating and hesitating, the private room door opened and a waiter rolled in with a cart full of food—like a savior appearing just in time.

On wide white plates sat neatly arranged tenderloin steak, lobster generously topped with cheese and coconut, and caponata made from sautéed eggplant, olives, and celery. Not a single dish failed to make her mouth water.

“Team Leader, do you know what’s the worst sin a human can commit?”

Jae In, already seated as if it were the most natural thing, spread a napkin over her knees and spoke.

“What’s that?”

“Wasting food. There are so many starving people in the world. And think of all the effort—pastureland, feed—that went into getting this steak onto our table. Lobster? Don’t even get me started. Did you know one-third of all food worldwide just gets thrown away? These days, that waste has become a huge…”

“Just get to the point.”

Cutting off her tiresome monologue, Do Hyuk prompted her dryly, and Jae In immediately beamed as if she’d been waiting for this cue.

“I’m going to enjoy this meal!”

Her pride had long since been tucked away neatly in front of such delicious food.

Jae In cut a large piece of steak and popped it into her mouth.

And in that moment, she realized one profound truth:

Delicious food tastes good no matter who you eat it with.

Even if that someone happened to be Cha Do Hyuk.

Watching Jae In happily munching on lobster, Do Hyuk remarked,

“You really seem to be enjoying it.”

“It’s amazing! Team Leader, you should try some too.”

“Looks like it. You’re eating well even though you’re stuck dining with your kidnapper—must mean you’ve got no appetite issues.”

Jae In’s hand paused mid-reach for food but soon resumed moving.

She could easily handle this level of teasing.

“Yes. You’ll understand once you taste it.”

Jae In flashed Do Hyuk a bright, cheerful smile.

Well then, since I’m hungry, I’ll just let it slide.

Late at night, Jae In was packing for her move.

Her belongings consisted of just a few boxes of books and the immigration suitcase and carry-ons she’d bought back when she planned to study abroad.

After stuffing clothes and essentials into her luggage, the apartment felt empty.

It was an old rooftop unit where, in summer, she sweated buckets without air conditioning, and in winter, drafts were so fierce she thought there were holes in the walls.

Jae In had lived here for four years—from her very first days as a working adult until now.

The thought of leaving this beloved home for good made her throat tighten slightly.

Leaving made it even harder knowing she’d soon be confined to Do Hyuk’s house.

[My secretary will pick you up tomorrow at 10 a.m.]

True to form, Do Hyuk had left after uttering only that single sentence, having stayed completely silent the entire ride back.

Well, he did say one more thing.

[Is your wrist okay?]

Asked awfully quickly, wasn’t it?

Besides, she’d never lived with a man before…

Jae In had attended all-girls middle and high schools, then devoted all her college years to saving for tuition, and since starting work, had focused solely on saving for study abroad.

As a result, she’d never even been on a proper date, let alone had a relationship—so she had no idea what cohabitation would actually be like.

“It’s fine. I’ll just put up with a few uncomfortable things. People are all basically the same—what’s so different anyway? I’ll get used to it and it’ll be livable.”

Jae In spoke aloud to comfort herself.

Just then, her phone rang, shattering the silence.

It was her friend Yu Ra.

“Yu Ra! I’ve missed you!”

A grumpy voice came through the line.

—Why so sudden? We just talked a few days ago.

“Just happy to hear your voice.”

—Yeah, yeah. It’s finally happened.

“What’s happened?”

—Your time’s come. When someone suddenly changes, it means their time to go has arrived.

“Hey!”

Yu Ra giggled softly.

Yu Ra had been Jae In’s closest friend since high school, practically inseparable.

They’d started off distant when first paired as desk mates, but quickly bonded over shared music tastes—and to this day, both remained die-hard fans of ‘BOC.’

—Thought your brain malfunctioned from the regret of missing the oppas’ concert the other day.

“No way! Tickets sold out in under a minute—how could anyone possibly get them? Everyone’s just amazing, seriously.”

—Next time, we’re definitely going. I’ll mobilize all my connections to camp out in front of computers for you.

“Yeah, I’m counting on you!”

—Anyway. Seo Jae In, be honest—something’s up with you, isn’t it?

“Oh, that… What could possibly be going on! Same old routine, nothing special.”

Jae In almost answered carelessly but quickly changed course.

That was close.

Did you forget that if this secret leaks, all your hard work goes down the drain?

Still, it was just like Choi Yu Ra—

her intuition was downright ghostlike.

Thankfully, Yu Ra didn’t press further.

—So boring. Hey, are you free this Saturday?

“Saturday? Why?”

—Mom came up the other day so we couldn’t meet. Thought I’d catch up with you since it’s been a while.

Jae In couldn’t answer right away.

‘From tomorrow, I’ll be living at the team leader’s place—what should I do? If he doesn’t trust me enough to let me go out, he’ll be unhappy if I say I have plans… But I can’t just refuse without good reason either…’

If she declined clumsily, she might accidentally trigger Yu Ra’s sharp instincts and make things worse.

Jae In decided to cross that bridge when she came to it.

“Yeah, okay. Where should we meet?”

—How about Gwanghwamun? There’s this Spanish place there—really good. Around 1 p.m.?

“Sounds great. Gwanghwamun, 1 p.m.”

Right—meeting Yu Ra would help her breathe a little easier.

—By the way, Jae In. You’re not seeing anyone these days, right?

“You know my situation perfectly. I’m leaving for Japan soon—who could I possibly be seeing?”

—True… Still, your twenty-seventh birthday’s less than a month away. Doesn’t it feel like a waste to spend it single?

“Forget it. If I have time for dating, I’d rather pick up another part-time job.”

—That’s exactly why you’re still single—you’ve got ironclad walls up! Could it be… you still haven’t gotten over Han Kyu Min?

Han Kyu Min.

Hearing that name again—long buried in memory—made Jae In let out a small, wry laugh.

Kyu Min, her clubmate back then, had such a gentle personality and radiant looks that not only her female peers but even senior girls had their eyes on him.

The three of them—Yu Ra, Kyu Min, and herself—had grown close while working part-time together, but Kyu Min abruptly left for overseas studies after his freshman year, cutting off all contact.

“Why bring him up now? There’s nothing to forget or remember. Nothing ever happened.”

—But he’s the only guy in your life you’ve ever even sort-of dated!

“Here we go again. It wasn’t dating—it was just friendship.”

—Ugh, fine. You’re hopeless unless you’re completely blind.

Yu Ra, experienced in love, always found Jae In’s high walls toward men exasperating.

“Hey, Yu Ra.”

Since the topic of men had come up, Jae In decided to ask about something that had been bothering her.

“Say there’s someone at our company who, despite having absolutely no relationship with a certain man—and in fact, finding him way too intimidating and uncomfortable—ends up tangled up with him by accident…”

—Isn’t that literally you?