The next day, Yeo Reum’s complexion wasn’t good after just waking up. It seemed she was still tired from not being able to sleep well.

Cha Hye Su, why was that woman here?

Because that woman conveyed strange words, she had to hear unpleasant things from the chairman. In the end, there was a time when she said things she didn’t mean and caused his misunderstanding.

Whenever she was in the same space as that woman, she never had a good time, so without even realizing it, she ran away to the annex without looking back.

Rrrr…… Rrrr……

A call came in. Even after checking the caller ID, Yeo Reum couldn’t smile like usual.

After hesitating for a moment, Yeo Reum carefully answered.

“Yes, Representative……”

“You’re awake.”

“Yes.”

She thought he would say something about her strange behavior yesterday. However, he spoke in a voice no different from usual.

“Then wash up and come to the gallery.”

* * *

Yeo Reum pushed open the glass door and entered the gallery. Director Park was immediately visible.

“Yeo Reum, you’re here?”

“Yes. Hello, Director.”

Unlike usual, Director Park didn’t hold Yeo Reum for long, engaging in various conversations. He just greeted her and glanced upstairs, saying:

“The representative called for you. He’s been waiting for a while, so go on up.”

“Yes.”

Yeo Reum took the elevator and reached the office door without delay.

From a certain point, due to him eliminating all the cumbersome processes, Yeo Reum just exchanged smiles close to greetings with the secretary in front of the door and passed by.

Knock knock. Still, Yeo Reum knocked on the door to announce her presence and slowly entered. As she pushed open the door and entered, he abruptly stood up from where he was seated at the desk looking down at a tablet.

In just a few steps, Gi Tae approached Yeo Reum and asked in his usual tone.

“Why did you just leave yesterday?”

“It was late. I was going to leave anyway.”

“You said you would escort me to the car first.”

“I didn’t know I would suddenly run into a guest…… I was a bit startled…… So, I just forgot.”

He was the same as usual, but Yeo Reum’s mood was a bit low because of Hye Su. So the conversation with him felt awkward today. Yeo Reum gave a mechanical answer.

After sighing briefly, Gi Tae was the first to mention Hye Su.

“It was a family dinner yesterday. I went thinking that, but grandfather had invited a guest.”

“Ah, yes.”

So that guest was Ms. Cha Hye Su.

Yeo Reum nodded. She knew Chairman Han liked Cha Hye Su. So it wasn’t surprising that he invited her to the dinner. It was obvious even without seeing that Gi Tae didn’t know either. He was that kind of person.

After furrowing his brow for a moment, Gi Tae continued.

“I told him not to invite anyone. Why did he include an outsider at a family dinner?”

Hearing Gi Tae’s words, Yeo Reum tried hard to pull up the corners of her mouth. She didn’t want to ruin their time together because of her mood.

She also wanted to stop talking about that woman. To change the subject, Yeo Reum asked a different question.

“Why did you call me to the office? Did you call me to talk about this?”

As Yeo Reum smiled as if nothing happened, Gi Tae’s eyes met hers. He relaxed his frowning expression and raised the corners of his mouth, pulling Yeo Reum into an embrace.

“No, to see Yoon Yeo Reum’s face.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Gi Tae released Yeo Reum from his arms and peppered small kisses all over her face.

“Hehe…… It tickles, Representative.”

Yeo Reum squirmed in Gi Tae’s arms as he kept kissing her here and there, tickling her, and finally burst into laughter.

Unlike a moment ago, he swiftly scanned Yeo Reum’s face as she smiled brightly. He let go of Yeo Reum and asked with a smile.

“Shall we go eat? I made a reservation at a nice place to take Yoon Yeo Reum.”

.

.

.

Yeo Reum got in the car with Gi Tae.

When it was just the two of them, he always dismissed the chauffeur and drove himself. Yeo Reum, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced up at him focused on driving, then turned her head. Then, she buried her face while feeling the wind coming through the window crack.

Before she knew it, her mood had greatly improved.

Come to think of it, it was different from before. There was no longer a need to be anxious about him when it came to Cha Hye Su.

Because he loves me.

It’s just that my position of not being able to openly reveal our relationship was difficult and disheartening.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of the red light, Gi Tae glanced down at Yeo Reum leaning against the window frame.

Yeo Reum was lost in thought, not even knowing Gi Tae was looking at her.

Recalling yesterday, Gi Tae’s brow slowly furrowed. Yesterday, he was momentarily at a loss for words because Yeo Reum suddenly let go of his hand as if shaking it off. So he couldn’t even hold onto her.

It seemed to be a shock since it was the first time Yeo Reum let go of his hand in that way.

Thinking Yeo Reum might have been upset that Cha Hye Su was there, he immediately called her and explained what happened yesterday. Then she gradually relaxed her stiff expression and gave him a shallow smile at least.

Gi Tae looked down at Yeo Reum, who still wasn’t aware of his gaze, draping his arm over the passenger seat headrest.

Was it because of what grandfather said strangely last time that she shook off his hand?

Gi Tae’s thoughts didn’t last long. As the light turned green, Gi Tae gently pressed the accelerator.

He, who had never considered others’ feelings, was rarely checking on Yeo Reum’s mood.

My Yoon Yeo Reum. I need to feed you delicious food and lift your spirits. Gi Tae drove in a hurry because he wanted to see Yeo Reum smiling brightly without a care like usual.

* * *

Hye Su laughed in disbelief, close to a sneer.

‘What? So…… the person of his own that the chairman mentioned wasn’t just referring to a gallery employee?’

Hye Su was furious for a moment at the sight she witnessed last night. It was because she saw him with some woman. At his residence at that.

As she approached the other party obscured by the darkness to get a closer look, the woman’s identity was none other than Yoon Yeo Reum.

‘Why is Yoon Yeo Reum here?’

The surprised Hye Su had asked.

−What is this? Why is Ms. Yoon Yeo Reum here?

However, Yoon Yeo Reum disappeared without even answering her question. He also got in the car and drove away as if ignoring her question.

What was absurd to Hye Su wasn’t just that.

The place Yoon Yeo Reum headed to was a small building next to the main house that she hadn’t paid much attention to or even knew existed. Upon investigation, it turned out that Yoon Yeo Reum and her mother were staying in the small annex next to the main house.

‘She was a freeloader in that household? My goodness.’

Once she learned that fact, the anger that had risen, who knows when, dissipated as easily as it was surprising.

She probably wanted to maintain her pride in her own way. Hye Su, momentarily thinking of Yeo Reum, scoffed.

She didn’t tell Hye Su about that kind of relationship. To Hye Su, she only pretended to be connected as employees of the gallery.

She must have wanted to hide her circumstances in the meantime.

“Ridiculous.”

Hye Su greatly ridiculed the worthless woman.

* * *

President Shin’s residence.

Yeon Woo, with slightly damp hair, walked to the dressing room and picked up a navy shirt. A bit more energized than last time, he had a slightly softened face.

Today, he planned to go see Yeo Reum for the first time in a while. Yeon Woo’s hands moved busily.

As Yeon Woo put his arms through the blue shirt, he caught sight of himself in the mirror and let out a sneer. When he was trying to forget her by turning away, his face that had lost its vibrancy regained its liveliness as soon as he gave up on erasing her.

Yoon Yeo Reum.

Yeon Woo thought of her. From the first time they met in the hallway of his house with tears in her eyes to her brightly smiling at him without wariness.

The sight of her laughing brightly with her hair blowing in the wind was already firmly etched in his mind as if imprinted, not fading away.

To begin with, she wasn’t a woman who could be forgotten after seeing her briefly. He only just realized that fact. It was his first time falling for someone at first sight and yearning for them so much that he couldn’t come to terms with it himself.

Yeon Woo, fully dressed, picked up the car keys.

A friend…… a friend…….

Yeon Woo scoffed as he recalled that day.

It was a word he had uttered himself.

Yeon Woo shook his head as his mind tried to become complicated again. If he couldn’t forget, he would stay by her side. By being there, if she was forgotten, he would be able to let go of this longing heart then.

If he still couldn’t forget her even then.

Yeon Woo’s eyes deepened for a moment.

He was just a boyfriend.

Then, there might still be a chance for him.

* * *

The place Gi Tae took Yeo Reum to lift her spirits wasn’t an expensive restaurant like usual.

The sedan that had been traversing the center of Seoul drove into an alley and stopped in front of a cute two-story building that looked like a cafe.

The store that appeared to be a cafe from the outside was an establishment mainly serving Western cuisine.

The store was so pretty, like a doll’s house, that Yeo Reum paused for a moment.

Gi Tae, about to push open the door and enter, leaned against the wall when he saw Yeo Reum still standing at a distance. Smiling as he looked at her, Gi Tae soon nodded at Yeo Reum, whose eyes met his.

Yeo Reum, who had been lost in thought for a moment at the picturesque sight, smiled bashfully and followed him inside. After briefly talking with a woman who seemed to be the store owner, he approached her side.

Gi Tae led Yeo Reum to the seat with a smile.

Even before sitting down, Yeo Reum, filled with curiosity, asked Gi Tae as she took a seat.

“Representative. How did you know about a place like this?”

The store was a direct hit to Yeo Reum’s taste. The interior of the store was as stylish and cutely decorated as the exterior. Pop art illustrations with a unique flair hung here and there, and small light bulbs were placed on each table, making it adorable.

When Yeo Reum asked while looking around the colorful store, Gi Tae tapped her cheek and answered.

“It was worth asking around. I heard it’s a popular place among secretaries these days.”

“Oh, really? Did you ask them directly?”

“Yeah.”

At Gi Tae’s words, Yeo Reum let out a small laugh. He wasn’t the type to ask such questions, but she vaguely pictured him directly asking the secretaries.

As Yeo Reum was chuckling, the owner approached the table with the food.

Steak with a side salad and tomato pasta were served.

Yeo Reum twirled the pasta and put a mouthful in. The tomato sauce seemed to be homemade, as it had a slightly unfamiliar taste different from what she usually ate. The freshness could be felt between the whole tomatoes, making her brow furrow in a pleasant way.

“It’s delicious.”

“Is it? Eat a lot.”

The amount of food was just right for Yeo Reum, who couldn’t eat much, and Gi Tae, who had a small appetite. Just as Yeo Reum thought she had finished the meal satisfactorily, the store owner approached with dessert.

It was a fresh cream cake generously studded with shine muscat grapes. The cake, pretty even in appearance, was too good to eat, just like yesterday’s cookies.

Gi Tae pushed the cake more towards Yeo Reum to make it easier for her to eat. In fact, since he didn’t like sweets, he had no intention of eating it himself. Today’s store reservation was solely to create a good time for Yeo Reum.

“So, have you thought about where you want to go?”

At Gi Tae’s question, Yeo Reum poked at the cake with her fork for a moment. Then, she answered after a while.

“I just want to go somewhere we can be alone together. Like camping or a tourist spot……”

She wanted to go somewhere they could spend time together without being conscious of others’ gazes.

A place where they could hold hands tightly all day long without being mindful.

With that thought, when Yeo Reum emphasized being alone together in her answer, Gi Tae, after briefly humming “Hmm,” said with a grin.

“Yeah. As long as I’m alone with Yoon Yeo Reum, anywhere is fine with me too.”

Yeo Reum, who had been staring blankly at his handsome smile for a moment, gently pushed the cake plate towards Gi Tae.

He hadn’t even touched it, so it seemed like she would end up eating it all by herself, but he was just looking at her with a dashing smile.

“I can’t eat it all by myself. Representative, you should try some too.”

She knew well that he didn’t eat sweets. She just said it to change the subject because she felt like she might get indigestion if she ate cake while meeting his gaze.

Gi Tae’s gaze shifted to the table for a moment due to Yeo Reum offering the cake. Raising his head again, Gi Tae looked at Yeo Reum’s face and answered with a smile.

“Shall I?”

“Really?”

Yeo Reum’s eyes widened. It was because he readily agreed to eat it.

However, he, who said he would eat the cake, abruptly put down the fork. Yeo Reum blankly stared at Gi Tae.

Gi Tae, who had put down the fork, reached out and wiped away the whipped cream on the corner of Yeo Reum’s mouth. Then, he brought it to his own mouth.

Tasting the whipped cream, Gi Tae furrowed his brow.

Sweet.

As expected, sweets didn’t suit his taste.

“Representative……”

“What?”

However, seeing the cute face that widened her eyes in surprise and gradually turned red, it seemed bearable to eat it.

Gi Tae smiled leisurely again and even got up, lightly kissing Yeo Reum’s lips, who was still dazed, before pulling away.

Yeo Reum, her ears turning bright red, continuously grumbled.

“Th-this is outside.”

Looking down at Yeo Reum, who was stuttering in embarrassment, with satisfaction, Gi Tae leaned back in his chair and spoke again.

“So what? There’s no one around.”

At Gi Tae’s words, Yeo Reum looked around.

There was absolutely no one, from the store owner to someone who could be called a customer, who had left at some point.

Yeo Reum, only now feeling the strangeness, finally couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.

“What’s going on……? Why is there no one?”

Gi Tae looked down at the puzzled Yeo Reum with