“Hey! How dare you!”

Jin Jae Yi’s friends, who had been snickering all along, were about to pounce.

“Um, we’ll handle this.”

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, an employee raised his hand and spoke.

“Deputy, I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s fine. The cleaning crew is already here anyway. Are you hurt?”

“I’m okay. But could you please look after Director Jin Jae Yi?”

With a kind and polite gesture, Park Ra Jin acted coolly as if she had no feelings for Jin Jae Yi.

“Deputy, I have another schedule. Who should I speak to?”

“The general manager is on the first floor. You can talk to him.”

“Ah, I see. Then I’ll go down first. Thank you for your hard work today.”

Anyway, today’s schedule was just to show up and finish the shoot. That was already agreed upon when setting the schedule.

An event where there was no need to enjoy the open party or be enthusiastic about promotion, just faithfully fulfilling what was promised. If it weren’t for the uninvited guests, would she have had a glass of champagne?

Park Ra Jin met Jin Jae Yi’s gaze, which was shooting lasers with her eyes.

“Ha, I’m embarrassed to say that the term ‘elder sister’ feels awkward to me.”

“……”

“Take care on your way home, Director.”

Park Ra Jin bowed politely and turned away without hesitation.

Neither Jin Jae Yi nor her friends mentioned even the ‘Kim’ in Kim Yu Jun. A taboo they all had to keep, perhaps Jin Jae Yi had intended to embarrass her from the start.

Park Ra Jin went down the slippery marble stairs without waiting for the elevator. She could hear Jin Jae Yi’s friends badmouthing her from behind, but that much she could brush off as playful.

‘Why bother someone who’s minding their own business?’

Letting out a held-in sigh, Park Ra Jin came down to the first floor.

The general manager was dressed in a luxury suit fit for a men’s magazine. Park Ra Jin greeted him and said goodbye at the same time.

“General Manager, I’ll see you at the FW fashion show.”

As Park Ra Jin turned to leave, promising to meet again, there was a participant waiting to thrust a phone at her.

A public figure living off fame.

It was Park Ra Jin’s reality to have to stand in front of cameras again after arriving and just taking pictures. As always, Park Ra Jin smiled beautifully while looking at someone else’s phone. Because her current feelings weren’t important to others anyway.

Until she walked out of the spotless luxury store, Park Ra Jin controlled her emotions in front of various phones.

But all her efforts were in vain as Park Ra Jin’s expression crumpled instantly. Because of the phone ringing loudly in her bag.

It’s not like they’re having a buy-one-get-one-free sale. Whenever she got entangled with Jin Jae Yi, Kim Yu Jun would mysteriously make his presence known. As if the shock of facing Kim Yu Jun’s accomplished fiancée hadn’t worn off yet, now a phone call.

She felt like running up to the second floor right now and handing the phone to Jin Jae Yi to talk to Kim Yu Jun. Would Jin Jae Yi then take care of Kim Yu Jun without much effort? This relationship might be resolved in one go.

The happy imagination was short-lived, as she couldn’t ignore the ringing phone. If she didn’t answer, it would go to Oh Jong Hyuk, and Oh Jong Hyuk would tell the manager. Soon the manager would come running like a dog.

Imagining the situation clearly without even seeing it, Park Ra Jin reluctantly pressed the call button.

“Yes.”

[Why so unenthusiastic? Did something happen?]

The words “because of whom” lingered in Park Ra Jin’s mouth before disappearing.

Tattling to Kim Yu Jun about Jin Jae Yi’s childishness would only be an obstacle to their happy marriage, which wasn’t the picture Park Ra Jin wanted.

“I just came out of the event venue.”

[Your schedule is over, right?]

“Yes. I’m about to go home now.”

Praises poured out as if liking home was somehow admirable.

What business could he have to make her listen to this useless chatter? Park Ra Jin looked up at the blue sky and swallowed a sigh.

[I’ll send a car tomorrow.]

“Do you have something planned?”

[Did you forget? I told you to come for a meal.]

To think that the effects of her feigned illness would connect like this again. Was she to have a health-boosting meal side by side with him, the root of all diseases and source of stress, at the Myung Jin main house?

But she couldn’t utter the word ‘refusal’ which didn’t exist in Kim Yu Jun’s dictionary. If she clumsily tried to refuse, Oh Jong Hyuk would personally come to take her.

“I’ll come. What time?”

[I said I’d send a car. Get ready to have lunch together.]

“……”

[Answer.]

“Yes.”

Pleased with her docile attitude, Kim Yu Jun chuckled. Park Ra Jin briefly moved the phone away from her ear, disliking even the sound of his breathing.

[Ra Jin.]

“…Yes.”

[Do you miss me?]

Though she immediately understood the question asked without a subject, Park Ra Jin pretended not to hear and changed the subject.

“I’d like to see the Chairman after a long time, and have tea with the Madam. That’s nice.”

A tsk sound was heard in succession. Regardless, Park Ra Jin smiled at the fact that he was displeased.

[It’s a big problem that you’re pretty even when you’re so infuriating. A big problem.]

To stop hearing this insufferable voice, she should back down here. Park Ra Jin spoke with a sweet attitude.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

[Aren’t you going to call me oppa?]

“Have a good day today too, oppa!”

Even the detestable Oh Jong Hyuk was officially oppa, so what’s the big deal about such a title? Like someone generous, Park Ra Jin didn’t spare the word oppa until she hung up the phone.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Should I meet him?”

The words “even today” followed like a tag.

“Tomorrow, at the Myung Jin main house… Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho.”

Circling the bedroom until her legs felt stiff, Park Ra Jin muttered the important words.

Now that they were on the same side, shouldn’t she inform Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho about this?

Things that would be good to find out at the Myung Jin main house, or words to test Kim Yu Jun. If not that, she wanted to hear even his concerns.

Whether she was getting scared prematurely, Park Ra Jin felt uneasy as she was trembling more than usual.

“If I do well tomorrow, I might have tea with the Chairman. Right, that’s it. Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho should know too.”

Friday evening, 6 o’clock.

It would be quitting time for normal office workers, but for some reason, it felt like he would be in the midst of work.

After taking several deep breaths, Park Ra Jin took out her new phone. Then she stared intently at the only contact number.

“Ugh, I’m nervous.”

Why does she get so nervous every time she calls him? Park Ra Jin shrugged her shoulders up and down as she pressed his number.

After a few rings, the call connected. But Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho remained silent. Was he wondering if someone else had called?

“It’s, it’s me.”

[Yes. Is something wrong?]

Perhaps because it was earlier than expected, there was worry in his voice.

“I have something I want to discuss. In person.”

[Where would be convenient for you?]

He asked for the location instead of the reason.

“I have a residence at the Arc Hotel. I’d like to meet you there.”

[Would two hours from now be okay?]

“Yes. It’s room 2503.”

[I’ll see you then.]

The call ended with his simple response.

As if she had safely completed a difficult report, Park Ra Jin flopped down on the bed.

“I wonder if he’ll feel burdened because it’s a hotel.”

In fact, Park Ra Jin had her reasons for getting a residence.

When her trainer who had been supervising her workouts since her debut moved to a hotel fitness center, she followed. Perhaps due to Park Ra Jin’s fame, troublesome incidents occurred every time she went to exercise.

People’s interest was persistent to the point of being bothersome, whether she was changing clothes or showering. When she realized someone was trying to secretly take photos with their phone, she couldn’t stand it anymore.

But she couldn’t change the trainer she had worked with for a long time, nor could she stop exercising at that time.

Thanks to the trainer’s arrangement and the hotel’s PR team’s proposal, she was able to get a residence at a good price. Of course, a small promotional article was published.

“Oh! This is not the time for that.”

Park Ra Jin jumped up from the bed and changed into her workout clothes first. There was nothing else to pack. Everything was already there as she only used it to shower after working out every day. The only thing to bring was her car key.

“It’ll be okay, right?”

Park Ra Jin muttered, looking down at her car key. Since her manager drove her every day, she had rarely driven her nice car herself, only a handful of times.

Moreover, whether it was Oh Jong Hyuk or Kim Yu Jun, they extremely disliked Park Ra Jin driving, so she rarely took the wheel.

But the hotel fitness center was only 15 minutes away. Even though she had a ‘closet license’, that distance should be fine, right?

Park Ra Jin held the car key tightly and went down to the garage.

After removing the dusty black cover, she waved a “long time no see” greeting to the car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, she gripped the steering wheel with both hands while listening to the engine’s vroom.

“Accelerator on the right, brake in the middle. Is that right?”

Park Ra Jin muttered to herself as she watched the garage door open noisily. The sleek sedan shot out in an instant.

“Oh oh, my driving skills aren’t dead. Good.”

Park Ra Jin exclaimed in admiration as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.

“At this rate, I could go without a manager.”

Parking might be an issue, but driving was no problem at all.

While she’s at it, why not get rid of the annoying watchdog and go to simple schedules alone? Just imagining it made her heart flutter. Park Ra Jin hummed a song and even giggled.

Finally arriving at the hotel parking lot.

Park Ra Jin parked the car in a spacious spot on the top floor and headed straight to the hotel.

‘Let’s just do 40 minutes and go up.’

Ignoring the exercise instructions of the trainer with the golden nameplate, Park Ra Jin lazily walked on the treadmill. After all, she came to the fitness center just to use as an alibi if the manager looked for her. Without breaking a sweat, she just barely filled the time and moved to the room.

“I should order dinner first.”

After ordering the menu she had thought about while walking through room service, she looked around the clean room.

“Even though I didn’t sweat, exercise is exercise. I should wash up quickly.”

The time after washing up for courtesy’s sake was 7:50 PM.

Park Ra Jin flung open the door to bring in the food she had requested to be left in front of the door.

“!”

She ran into Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho, who had his hand awkwardly extended as if he was about to ring the bell.

“Did you come out to greet me?”

The man who now knew how to joke smiled gently.

“Welcome.”

The joy was short-lived as Park Ra Jin looked around the corridor, urging him to come in quickly.

“It smells good.”

“I keep getting treated, so this time I wanted to buy.”

As she pulled the trolley emitting a wonderful aroma, he slightly blocked her.

“Let me pay for the meal. You go in first.”

Park Ra Jin’s face flushed as she looked back at the man pulling the trolley.

“I can do it.”

A warm atmosphere as they argued over who would do it. In contrast, his gaze sharply scanned the corridor.

For a moment, Park Ra Jin was seized by a strange feeling. Like secret partners in a spy movie?

To think she was a colleague with that tall, cool man. While finding this situation amusing, Park Ra Jin’s heart strangely fluttered. However, their relationship was still too ambiguous to be wrapped up as camaraderie.

Bang! The moment the door closed.

“……”

“……”

As if caught at a red light, both of them froze in the same way.