Even just looking at the faded sign, you can see the passage of time in this old snack shop.

“Are you inviting me to a restaurant that’s about to collapse?”

Hwa Young frowned and grumbled with a bowl of tteokbokki and udon in front of her.

Ji Wan, who had called him here, calmly replied as she placed chopsticks in front of Hwa Young.

“You shouldn’t say such things with the owner grandmother right next to us.”

But Hwa Young, far from lowering her voice, expressed her dissatisfaction even more sharply.

“You should take another good look at who’s right in front of you. Do you think you can get your bag back by just feeding me this kind of thing?”

This was close to a threat to immediately provide a different meal, but Ji Wan had no choice.

A restaurant in this area full of companies that no one visits.

That was only this snack shop.

“As long as it tastes good, what’s the problem?”

“Have you tried the tteokbokki?”

“It just came out. I was about to eat…”

“It’s really bad.”

Hwa Young put down her chopsticks with a clatter.

This was a protest that she wouldn’t eat anymore.

Looking at him, Ji Wan sighed deeply and said, putting the chopsticks back in his hand:

“I wanted to come to a place with as few people as possible because Hwa Young is too famous. What if we run into work colleagues while we’re together? A completely different crisis would unfold, right?”

“Ha, are you saying you had to choose a place like this because I’m too famous, popular, with perfect looks that catch everyone’s eye at once, and great style to boot, making me an irresistible charmer?”

“I never mentioned anything from popularity to being a charmer.”

“Okay, if that’s the case, I’ll put up with it. Come to think of it, how many times have you had lunch appointments with someone like me?”

He was really someone who didn’t listen to others.

Still, it was fortunate that his firm self-world made him start using chopsticks again obediently. Should I be grateful that his personality is like that?

Ji Wan pushed the somewhat better-tasting udon towards Hwa Young and said:

“Alright. Right now, this is all I could prepare for a suddenly made appointment, but next time I’ll treat you big at a restaurant that suits Hwa Young.”

“By big, you mean…?”

“Would you be satisfied if I treat you to wild red-spotted grouper?”

Of course, she had no real intention of treating him. She didn’t have the money either.

But hearing those words, Hwa Young momentarily looked surprised, then burst into a big, childlike laugh.

“Is red-spotted grouper the most expensive food in your head?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“My goodness! You have an unexpectedly cute side! Hahaha, to think red-spotted grouper is the most expensive food. Your spending habits are so adorable.”

“Adorable… what?”

“Never mind. Forget it. I momentarily overlooked the difference between you and me and made demands. I’m satisfied with this much if it’s coming from you.”

The more they conversed, the more her temples throbbed, feeling like she might burst out in anger if just a few more minutes passed here.

Then the atmosphere would turn into a fight, and Do Hwa Young would probably leave this place without returning my bag.

Ji Wan, who had to prevent that at all costs, decided to hurriedly bring up the main point.

“Give me the bag first. You know that’s the most important thing.”

She worried he might be difficult about it, but surprisingly, Hwa Young picked up her bag that she had placed beside her seat.

“Here you go.”

And then handed it to Ji Wan without any fuss.

Finally reunited with the bag, Ji Wan quickly hugged it to her chest, fearing he might take it back.

“Ah, it’s still intact. Why did you leave this behind yesterday…”

“Check it carefully. Is everything important there?”

Hwa Young said casually while fishing out fried tofu from the udon.

The most important things were the divorce papers and the contract termination agreement, but it was a bit risky to check them here.

While the divorce papers were already exposed, the contract termination agreement absolutely must not come to Hwa Young’s attention.

“Everything seems to be here.”

Ji Wan said while firmly closing the bag’s buckle in her arms.

Hwa Young glanced at her and chided:

“You didn’t check properly. I swung it around on my way here.”

“You wouldn’t have spun it around like a fire play. You said you didn’t even open it.”

“Hmm… did I say that?”

At the somehow meaningful response, Ji Wan’s eyes turned to Hwa Young.

Leisurely resting his chin and looking at Ji Wan, he wore a suspicious smile that anyone could see.

“…Did you open it?”

Anxiously, Ji Wan asked with a trembling voice, hoping it wasn’t true.

Hwa Young answered, curving his fox-like eye corners even more roundly:

“At least I didn’t take or steal anything.”

“No, did you open it or not?”

“I didn’t open it, but it did open.”

“What do you mean it did open…”

“Something like an agreement to end the contract marriage popped out. But I put it back in, so don’t worry.”

The moment ‘what if’ becomes reality.

Ji Wan, too shocked to even show surprise, dropped the chopsticks she was holding with a clatter.

This was exactly the worst-case scenario she had imagined when losing the bag, but to actually face it in reality…

Her mind went blank and she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

But since she couldn’t faint here, Ji Wan asked a grave question while trying her best to keep her wits about her.

“…What do you want?”

As if this was the reaction he wanted, the corners of Hwa Young’s mouth turned up in satisfaction.

“I thought this case was quite big, so I considered various options. But I haven’t decided yet. There are too many things I want to do.”

“Ha, too many even?”

“Yeah. Since you have to listen to me, want to choose?”

It seemed like he was giving Ji Wan options, but there must be a definite correct answer within them.

Ji Wan waited nervously for the threats that would start from his mouth.

“First, I extract a windfall from you.”

No way. I don’t have a windfall.

“Second, I use this opportunity to make you my errand runner.”

That’s not happening either. It’s bad enough that my secret was exposed…

“Third, I threaten Joo Tae Sung by saying I’ll reveal the fake marriage to the family.”

That’s absolutely not happening!

If Joo Tae Sung finds out that you discovered the contract marriage, I’ll be the one who suffers the most!

“None of these?”

Hwa Young asked Ji Wan after saying that much.

Ji Wan shook her head vigorously, meaning absolutely not.

Seeing her adamant reaction, Hwa Young shrugged and brought up the most unsettling words.

“Then I guess I’ll have to force you to do the last one.”

“The last one…?”

“Yeah, since you have to do one anyway.”

What on earth is he trying to say…

Hwa Young picked up his water glass as if deliberately trying to create suspense.

The short time it took for him to take a sip of water felt longer than an hour to Ji Wan.

After building up such tension, the final option he quietly presented was completely different from the previous ones.

“Play with me.”

“Play… what?”

“I said play with me. I’ll pretend I didn’t see that it’s a contract marriage.”

A suddenly childish proposal after being continuously intimidating.

Unable to understand the simple words at all, Ji Wan looked at Hwa Young with a bewildered expression.

Hwa Young, meeting her slowly blinking eyes, continued in an excited voice:

“You see, there are many people who like me, but there’s no one I like. So I was getting bored playing with anyone when you appeared.”

“…”

“You’re not a person but a honey badger, but luckily you can speak human language so there’s no problem playing together. Our drinking capacity matches quite well too.”

Seeing this, it seems ‘play with me’ doesn’t have a strange meaning but really means to have fun together…

“Why… me?”

Unable to resolve the fundamental question, Ji Wan cautiously asked.

Hwa Young answered immediately as if there was no need to think about it.

“Because it’s fun.”

“I don’t think I’ve particularly made things fun for you…”

Still unable to understand the intention, Ji Wan frowned and expressed her reluctance.

It was a blatant display of dislike, but seeing it made Hwa Young’s face break into a bright smile.

“See? The great Do Hwa Young asks to be friends and you immediately make a sour face.”

Hwa Young’s upper body leaned towards Ji Wan.

His eyes, which had come noticeably closer, were glowing subtly like bewitching will-o’-the-wisps.

“You always exceed my expectations. That’s what I find so fun.”

This statement must be full of purely innocent intentions.

But the reason for the strange tension is probably due to those seductive features.

Ji Wan unconsciously swallowed hard.

Somehow, the strange tension throughout her body… made her think this might be a more dangerous option than the three choices that came before.

Since this is the correct answer, there’s probably no way to refuse.

* * *

In what state of mind did she arrive?

Ji Wan, who had returned to the apartment complex with the bag she had barely found, had a vacant expression.

These past few days, there have been many complicated events.

First, Joo Tae Sung demanded a divorce, and although it was the divorce she had been waiting for, her heart felt strangely sorrowful. The newspaper company was pestering her to plan an in-depth interview with Joo Tae Sung, and she even fought with Joo Tae Sung who frowned at the word ‘lingering attachment’.

Ji Wan’s life was already in turmoil because of this…

And on top of that, she ended up having Do Hwa Young discover the fact of the contract marriage.

In exchange for turning a blind eye to that, it looks like she’s going to become his secret friend.

“Sigh… what is my life trying to do to me?”

Ji Wan’s steps were heavy, laden with an armful of worries.

Even an office worker returning from hard labor wouldn’t be this drained.

But these were all problems Ji Wan couldn’t ignore, and it was Ji Wan’s responsibility to solve them one by one.

When she first started this contract marriage, she wondered why they would give as much as 1 billion won just for putting a name on a marriage registration for 3 years…

Now it seems like it should have been not 1 billion but 10 billion won.

No, given the current situation, even receiving hundreds of billions of won wouldn’t be enough.

“Should I just run away far? Somewhere neither Joo Tae Sung nor Do Hwa Young can find me…”

Ji Wan considered it for a moment but soon realized it wasn’t feasible.

Not only because of her father who needed intensive care at the hospital, but somehow she felt Joo Tae Sung would be able to find her no matter where she hid.

‘Since Joo Tae Sung is a prosecutor, he could find out where I’m hiding if he wanted to. Even if he wasn’t a prosecutor, I feel like he would have found out somehow.’

But then she thought:

‘Wait. But would Joo Tae Sung look for me before that? Once the contract ends, he probably wouldn’t even notice if I disappeared?’

Suddenly realizing the cold reality.

‘That guy wouldn’t look for me even if he knew I disappeared. He always pretends to be considerate but has a cold side. Like during the Do Yi Young incident too. How could he hand a knife to someone who’s crying…!’

And getting angry at that reality.

By that point, it was Ji Wan’s heart that sank heavily.

The train of thought leading up to here seemed to be dripping with lingering attachment for anyone to see, making Ji Wan feel creeped out by herself.

“I must be crazy. Stop. Ji Wan, stop…!”

Ji Wan stopped walking and slapped her forehead.

Her poor forehead turned bright red, but the unsettled emotions seemed to return to normal.

She should use this method often in the future.

Before her forehead wears away, the strange thought process should be fixed too.

As she was having such idle thoughts and approaching the entrance of the building.

“Ji Wan…?”

A voice that made even her reddened forehead useless was heard from behind.

Because what that voice called out was her name.

Ji Wan froze in place like a statue.

Thump― Thump―

That person’s footsteps, slower than usual, gradually came closer to her.