Espresso bar located right below L Theater.

A man strode in through the heavy doors.

In the exceptionally dry and chilly atmosphere, the surrounding air began to freeze white.

His gaze moved slowly.

He carefully scanned each of the many customers filling the cafe, and found just one person among them.

“Oh, Mr. Joo Tae Sung!”

Ji Wan, sitting by the window, raised her hand and greeted him.

Tae Sung consciously lifted the corners of his mouth as he moved his steps.

Ji Wan apologized first to him, whom she had finally met, with an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry. Things got complicated. I could say for sure whose fault it is, but I won’t reveal it in case it gets noisy here. But because of someone, I couldn’t go to the meeting place and even lost my phone.”

Though she said she wouldn’t tell, Ji Wan’s finger was boldly pointing at Hwa Young.

Hwa Young, sitting at the same table, gave an incredulous laugh, while Secretary Yang next to him let out a resigned sigh.

Tae Sung’s gaze turned to the tip of Ji Wan’s finger.

Only then did Hwa Young’s face fill his pitch-black pupils.

“Ah, Hwa Young was here too.”

It was as if he had just noticed.

If he had talked to Secretary Yang, he would obviously know who she was with. Just trying to stir things up unnecessarily…

Hwa Young shot Tae Sung a sharp glare.

“Did you come looking for your wife? Since when did Joo Tae Sung chase after women?”

“Let’s see. Since three years ago?”

“A grown adult can be a bit late after work. Not being able to handle that and rushing here…”

“I have severe separation anxiety from my wife.”

Tae Sung was clearly smiling as he countered each of Hwa Young’s mocking words.

Hwa Young was greatly irritated by that relaxed attitude, but Secretary Yang, whose sense was about a hundred times sharper than Hwa Young’s, knew.

That this man’s eyes were not smiling at all.

“Ha, the great Joo Tae Sung acting like someone else’s dog… oof!”

Secretary Yang quickly covered Hwa Young’s mouth as he continued to provoke Tae Sung.

Hwa Young glared at Secretary Yang with a look that said ‘How dare you do this!’, but Secretary Yang only pressed harder the more he struggled.

“I apologize for the inconvenience. The director said he spotted Ji Wan on his way home from work and wanted to treat her to coffee out of joy at seeing her.”

“It wasn’t coffee, he brought me to a musical!”

“Let me correct that. He said he was so happy to see her that he wanted to casually treat her to a musical.”

Secretary Yang explained on Hwa Young’s behalf. It wasn’t credible at all.

Tae Sung quietly looked down at Secretary Yang, then just lifted the corners of his mouth in a smirk.

“My wife isn’t someone to be happy to see, is she? You would know that best, Secretary Yang.”

At the end of his biting words, Tae Sung’s gaze shifted to Hwa Young.

In contrast to his sharp eyes, his voice that followed was relaxed, as if bestowing mercy.

“It’s fine to live like Peter Pan, but why don’t you stay in line? That would be safer for you too.”

At the statement that clearly established which of the two was dominant, Hwa Young’s eyes suddenly turned fierce.

If he didn’t react at all here, it would really seem like he was keeping quiet out of fear of Joo Tae Sung.

Unable to tolerate that, Hwa Young pushed away Secretary Yang’s hand covering his mouth.

Then, mixing in plenty of mockery, he retorted with a seemingly ridiculous attitude.

“I find your reaction when I cross the line thrilling though.”

“…”

“You know I’m a pervert.”

The sparks flying between the two looked savage even to Ji Wan, who didn’t know their relationship well.

If left like this, who knew what kind of fight would break out like last time.

Unable to draw attention to Tae Sung in the crowded cafe, Ji Wan quickly grabbed one of his arms.

“Enough. Now that I can retrieve my phone, let’s go get it and head home quickly.”

“Phone?”

“Ah yes, I left it at the theater but they said I could go in during intermission… There’s not much time left for intermission. Let’s hurry.”

Fortunately, it was a good excuse to leave this place quickly.

As Ji Wan pulled his body towards her, Tae Sung let out a light sigh as if he had no choice.

Still, before taking a step, he didn’t forget to give a final warning.

“I’ll apologize in advance. Next time won’t end with just a warning.”

“What if you can’t end it? Are you going to throw punches?”

“Even without physical punishment, there are many ways to deal with it. Especially against those who have a lot, I’m an expert.”

“Ah, so this is how the prosecutor who catches conglomerates makes threats.”

Hwa Young knew Tae Sung’s words were sincere, but he didn’t care at all.

It was clearly an act of bravado because he didn’t want to lose miserably this time.

Tae Sung smiled even more deeply, as if he understood even that feeling of his.

“Threats are beautiful when they’re threats. If you want to keep laughing at me in the future, it’s best to stop here. You shouldn’t lose your only hobby, right?”

After finishing his words, Tae Sung patted Hwa Young’s shoulder with a gentle smile.

Hwa Young’s eyebrows twitched again at his attitude, which was like treating a subordinate.

Seeing this, Ji Wan quickly moved to settle the situation, lest sparks fly between the two once more.

“Well then, shall we wrap up here for today? We haven’t eaten yet, so we’ll be off!”

She deliberately didn’t add even a formal greeting to meet again next time.

It was because if words became seeds, facing each other like this again might really cause big trouble.

Tae Sung, who obediently took his steps at her words, didn’t look back once until he left the cafe.

“That annoying bastard. That bastard will be annoying until right before the end of the world. That’s why he meets honey badgers…”

In contrast, Hwa Young didn’t take his eyes off him until he completely disappeared from sight.

After a storm-like battle of nerves had swept through.

Secretary Yang only opened his mouth after Ji Wan and Tae Sung had disappeared.

“It seems you chose the wrong opponent.”

At his statement that seemed to confirm his own defeat, Hwa Young’s sharp gaze turned to Secretary Yang.

“What? Are you saying I’m no match for Joo Tae Sung?”

“No. I mean Mr. Joo’s wife. Isn’t she the type the director can’t handle at will?”

“What do you mean by a type I can’t handle at will.”

“The type who doesn’t cower in front of you and says whatever she wants to say.”

“…Like you, Yang?”

“Well, similar.”

Though his pride was hurt, Hwa Young couldn’t argue a single word.

Until now, Hwa Young had cut off secretaries who supported him like strings whenever he didn’t like them, but for some reason he couldn’t cut off Secretary Yang, who didn’t cower at all in front of him.

It was the same with Lee Ji Wan today.

He could act like a wild horse with women who were proud of his existence and wanted him, but for some reason he couldn’t get the upper hand with Lee Ji Wan, who treated him as insignificant.

‘Perhaps I’m weak to power?’

Hwa Young thought for a moment, but soon let out a hollow laugh.

Among Secretary Yang, Lee Ji Wan, and Do Hwa Young, the one with the most power was undoubtedly Do Hwa Young himself.

“It’s because I’m benevolent. I’m originally the righteous type who’s strong against the strong and weak against the weak.”

“I told your uncle you’d be about an hour late due to an important meeting with overseas buyers. If we leave now, we’ll arrive just in time.”

“Yang, aren’t you ignoring me too much?”

“The car is already waiting. Shall we depart?”

After an annoying incident came a tedious one.

It really was a day where nothing went as he wanted.

But it was always like this whenever he got involved with Joo Tae Sung.

* * *

Tae Sung hadn’t said a word since leaving after finding Ji Wan’s phone.

Though he wasn’t being stern, Ji Wan also couldn’t easily open her mouth due to his somehow chilly attitude.

Thanks to that, Tae Sung’s car became quieter than a reading room for high school seniors preparing for college entrance exams.

Looking at the night sky that had already darkened, Ji Wan mustered up the courage to break the silence.

“Um… Tae Sung, aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten anything since lunch, right?”

Though the atmosphere suggested she might be ignored a few times, his answer came unexpectedly quickly.

“I haven’t eaten since lunch.”

“Why did you skip lunch?”

“Because I was told to look forward to dinner.”

It was a response that made her feel guilty, wishing it hadn’t come out.

Feeling like she would become a sinner if things continued like this, Ji Wan began to offer the explanation she couldn’t give properly earlier.

“Earlier, I thought you had sent Do Hwa Young. The arrival time was similar to our appointment time, and he was waiting at the place you said you’d wait.”

“I wouldn’t send Hwa Young.”

“I thought so too, but he was urging me to get in the car so insistently. It was quite a scene. Tae Sung, if you were in my situation, wouldn’t you have gotten in first?”

Ji Wan earnestly explained the situation at the time, but Tae Sung just held the steering wheel.

This was evidence that Ji Wan’s explanation wasn’t getting through at all.

Ji Wan looked at him closely and then let out a deep sigh.

Then, as if resolved, she spoke in a solemn voice.

“Alright. Then I’ll buy you something expensive.”

“Huh?”

“I was originally planning to let you choose something under 50,000 won, but there’s no limit now. Tell me whatever you want.”

It was a tremendous decision for Ji Wan, who was always struggling with her salary.

Hearing those words, Tae Sung let out a chuckle.

“You’re trying to get off too easily…”

A meaningful mutter to himself.

Even more meaningful words followed.

“What I lost today wasn’t money, but time.”

“What? Ah… right. I’m sorry. I made you waste an entire afternoon when you must be busy.”

“Then I should receive time in return too.”

“Time? How?”

Just then, the car stopped at a red light.

Tae Sung’s gaze slowly settled on Ji Wan.

There it was. Joo Tae Sung’s signature inscrutable gaze.

Ji Wan, who tensed up every time at that gaze, unconsciously gripped the strap of her bag on her lap tightly.

Soon, Joo Tae Sung’s lips parted.

“I should receive a day.”

“A day…?”

“Yes, spending Lee Ji Wan’s entire day solely on me.”

Tae Sung’s words weren’t complicated, but it took a moment to properly understand.

Slowly chewing over his proposal, Ji Wan asked back with a bewildered expression.

“You mean not just a dinner, but treating you for a whole day?”

“Treating? That’s too grand…”

The corners of Tae Sung’s eyes curved upwards slightly.

The word that came out next was certainly grander than ‘treating’.

“Think of it comfortably as a date. Wouldn’t that suit our relationship better?”