“Thank you.”

The door closed with Chae Won’s greeting.

She really only borrowed a chair.

As if she had no business with you other than a chair on a date arranged for romance.

Although Yoo Gun was also being forced to go on a blind date, he couldn’t shake off a feeling of emptiness somehow.

‘Where is there time for dating when I’m busy growing the company?’

This was the phrase he always lived by when people asked.

In fact, after being discharged from the military and finishing school, he immediately devoted himself to business.

He focused on growing the company rather than women, and with his innate luck and discernment, he achieved success after success, with only feelings of accomplishment flooding his life. When Chae Won borrowed just a chair, the first emotion he felt was embarrassment.

“Huh, how funny, Choi Yoo Gun.”

Yoo Gun mocked himself.

He was going to wash up and jump straight into bed because he was tired of everything.

He thought about having tea with her or helping her with something instead of the chair she needed, things like that.

“I’m in a hurry now, that’s all.”

Yes, that’s it. He was going to try to be affectionate with his blind date, forgetting his fatigue, worried that Lady Kim Bok Rye might end up handing over the Seongsu-dong house to Ho Tae.

Fatigue washed over him again. Yoo Gun headed to the bathroom, deciding to wash up and sleep for now.

After showering in the rough water stream, he also wet his throat with cold water and was heading to bed when ding-dong, the doorbell rang again.

Yoo Gun turned his head towards the entrance.

“Thank you, I made good use of the chair.”

He went out in his robe and opened the door to find Chae Won standing there with a smile. As Yoo Gun stared at her with pursed lips, Chae Won’s gaze swept over Yoo Gun’s robe again.

“You need to sleep, I must have disturbed you.”

“It’s alright.”

“Oh, this.”

Chae Won held out a long shopping bag she had on her wrist.

Yoo Gun’s gaze, which had been fixed on Chae Won’s face, dropped to it.

“What is it?”

“It’s wine. It has a bit of alcohol content, but it tastes good, so I had a few in stock. I brought it as a thank you.”

If the intention was to drink together, it was extremely natural.

He was beginning to think that this woman might be an incredibly skilled player when it comes to dating.

“Well then, sleep well.”

Chae Won flashed a pretty smile before turning away.

Yoo Gun, holding the wine shopping bag, stood still until he heard the front door close with a bang.

No, he was frozen in bewilderment.

Just as she had only taken the chair, she really just gave him the wine and left.

“…What’s with this indifference?”

Faced with the cold shoulder for the first time in his life, Yoo Gun tilted his head several times as if broken.

There had been similar situations several times in his life, but at those times there was always obvious seduction, never a night as clear-cut as this.

For the first time in his life, he was going to open the door wide, but she left cleanly. She did.

“Ha.”

He was more willing than ever to be seduced, but facing a blind date who was indifferent to him was a bit bewildering.

“This is troublesome.”

Yoo Gun turned his head in the direction where Chae Won would be.

He looked at the solid wall and soon let out a hollow laugh.

Somehow, it was a night that aroused his competitive spirit.

*

“They said to meet briefly, but I guess not? That man lives right next door.”

Chae Won set her phone on speaker and took out the necessary items from the box.

− I made the contract believing Lady Kim’s words that it was close to your workplace and had good security, Chae Won. I didn’t know it was right next door.

James’s awkward laughter proved it.

There’s no way he really didn’t know.

Whether he really meant to set them up or if it was necessary for business, Chae Won laughed lightly and said,

“Thank you, Dad. It’s a nice place.”

Chae Won was truly grateful to James.

It was a remarriage, so after Chae Won’s mother passed away, there was no particular need to maintain a father-daughter relationship.

Yet he took responsibility to the end as a father and raised Chae Won like this.

− Let me know if there’s anything uncomfortable.

“Okay.”

Rustle, rustle. Chae Won answered plainly while unpacking her moving boxes.

“And, please take care of the blind date too.”

As expected, James doesn’t seem to be in a position of power.

Chae Won chuckled and answered cheerfully.

“Yes, don’t worry.”

I’ll do my best to naturally say goodbye.

After exchanging a few more greetings with James, Chae Won pressed the end call button.

Chae Won took out a lamp from the box, wiped it thoroughly with a dry towel, and headed to the bedroom.

“The new dining table will come the day after tomorrow, and the custom-made chairs will arrive the next day… So I’ll have everything I need by the weekend, roughly.”

But there’s no need to unpack any further.

Now that she knows her blind date lives next door and needs to be dealt with soon, this won’t be a place to stay long.

Chae Won picked up her phone to call the caregiver, but accidentally opened the shopping app with a misplaced touch.

The sudden screen that popped up was an advertisement poster of some male actor, and it looked strangely similar to the man next door, so she fixed her gaze on it for a moment.

“They do look alike.”

If forced to compare, Choi Yoo Gun is better.

If it hadn’t been a blind date through James, she might have considered a private meeting with that quite handsome man…

“Get a grip, Kim Chae Won. Dating at a time like this, what are you thinking?”

Chae Won shook her head and closed the ad screen.

Then she called the caregiver who would be with Hee Joo.

“It’s me. I was wondering if there was any news.”

There’s so much to ask about, so much to hear, so much to do together.

But Kim Hee Joo just won’t wake up.

Chae Won approached the living room window with the phone to her ear, gazing at a particularly dim spot of light among the countless illuminations in the dark night.

“Okay. Please let me know. She’ll definitely wake up.”

She knows because she’s a doctor.

She knows because they were together in their mother’s womb for a long time.

Kim Chae Won, and Kim Hee Joo, can never be dim.

*

The next day at 7 PM.

Yoo Gun finished parking and pressed the car remote with an expressionless face.

Getting off the elevator on the second floor, a spacious restaurant with an elegant atmosphere was revealed.

“Welcome. Could you please tell me the name for your reservation?”

On the way to the table with soft lighting, guided by the manager, women’s gazes followed him as he strode with his long legs.

The shirt clinging to his firm upper body, the well-fitted jacket over it, the long black pants and loafers.

Above all, his long, upturned eyes, high nose bridge, sharp jawline, and handsome face gleamed smoothly in the soft lighting.

“Welcome.”

As Yoo Gun sat down, the restaurant door opened once again.

Once more, people’s gazes began to stick.

A short white mermaid-line dress with a black jacket just draped over the shoulders, a clutch bag held in slender hands under flowing hair, high heels sparkling with every step of her slim legs.

The woman’s elegant steps stopped in front of Yoo Gun.

“I came early on purpose, but you were already here?”

As Chae Won’s graceful voice reached him, a faint smile appeared on Yoo Gun’s previously expressionless face.

“I just arrived. Please, sit down.”

As the two sat facing each other, people’s gazes gradually returned to their own places.

They looked at each other for a moment with closed lips.

Although each had their own circumstances and great resolve, it didn’t show at all in their expressions.

“Let’s order first.”

At Yoo Gun’s suggestion, Chae Won picked up the menu.

“If it’s alright with you, may I order?”

“Go ahead.”

Her consideration score of zero was still well maintained for not using the common phrase exchanged with someone you’re meeting for the first time: ‘Anything is fine. Order whatever you’d like.’

Although it didn’t matter what was ordered for the meal, he became unnecessarily curious about when she might be able to receive even a score of 1 for consideration.

Soon the food was laid out, and the two looked at each other with faint smiles.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Wait a moment.”

Just as Yoo Gun was about to pick up his fork, Chae Won called out in an urgent voice. As Yoo Gun looked at her quietly, Chae Won spoke with a serious expression.

“Actually, I practice a religion.”

He watched her, thinking she might be about to say grace with her hands clasped, but she began to offer an explanation that wasn’t really necessary.

“It’s not Christianity. Actually, it’s a religion that’s quite rare in our country. But I believe in it desperately. A person can’t live without faith, right?”

“That’s right.”

As Yoo Gun responded in a dry voice, Chae Won closed her eyes and began to murmur with her slender hands clasped.

“Oh Yalli god.”

Yoo Gun, who was about to take a drink, paused and looked at Chae Won again.

“Yalli yalli yalliryalli. I believe, and believe again. I believe desperately. Thank you for our daily bread, and I dedicate all of myself to believing in you so that I may quickly reach nirvana.”

After reciting this strange chant that combined Christian and Buddhist ideas, she gracefully opened her eyes.

“Our deity says we can eat now.”

“Ah.”

“Enjoy your meal, Mr. Choi Yoo Gun.”

Chae Won cut into her steak with a satisfied expression and put it in her mouth.

“Actually, I have a story.”

Yoo Gun put down his untouched drink and stared at Chae Won.

“It’s been about a year? Anyway, at some point, I started seeing ghosts.”

Chae Won spoke with a serious expression while massacring her steak.

“So I was receiving treatment, and that’s when I met the Yalli god. Thanks to that, I’m not sick like before. But I still see ghosts occasionally. That’s why I’ve become destined to serve the Yalli god.”

“I see.”

“You know, I offer a lot of cash and valuables to our Yalli deity. As much as I can, from everything I earn.”

“I see.”

Chae Won glanced at Yoo Gun and continued speaking while elegantly cutting her food again.

“And also. If I get married, I plan to offer 50% of what my spouse and I earn to our Yalli deity.”

Chae Won suddenly lifted her head as if she had just thought of something.

“Oh! This is a secret from my father. If he knew I could see ghosts, he’d worry… Please keep this to yourself.”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Mr. Choi Yoo Gun.”

Chae Won flashed a grin and then looked at Yoo Gun’s side with wide eyes.

“Oh my.”

Yoo Gun tilted his head, deciding to respond to her words.

“I told you, right? That I can see ghosts. Behind you… Oh. There’s an ear ghost.”

When Yoo Gun just stared at her without reacting, Chae Won became embarrassed and gradually lowered her gaze.

“Don’t worry, it’s gone now.”

Thinking she shouldn’t have said that, Chae Won once again massacred her steak.

After thinking for a moment, Chae Won wiped her lips aggressively with a tissue and said,

“Do you perhaps like me?”

It was no longer a weak voice, but a bold one.

Yoo Gun, who had no intention of using the word ‘no’ no matter what she said today, answered.

“Yes.”

“I understand. I think even I would like myself. I’ve never met a man who didn’t like me in my life. Ah, this cursed popularity.”

Chae Won, who had switched from being mentally ill to having a princess complex, continued seriously.

“I’ve been popular since I was young. Men lined up after me to the point of annoyance. That’s why I can’t get married. I think if someone like me gets married, it would cause massive damage to society.”

“I see.”

How far should she go to become a crazy woman?

By now, he should have an uncomfortable look or a sour expression thinking ‘This girl isn’t normal’, but Yoo Gun’s lack of reaction while diligently responding made Chae Won feel awkward.

As she was devising ways to become a crazy woman without completely ruining her style, she heard someone approaching.

“Elder sister Hee Joo?”

Chae Won’s eyes widened as she turned her head.

“Elder sister, why are you here?”

It was Jenny, Hee Joo’s sister-in-law.

The gazes of the flustered Chae Won and the expressionless Yoo Gun met.