After barely calming her pounding heart, Ina headed to work and immediately immersed herself in her tasks.

There was a personnel team meeting today, so from the morning, Ina prepared for the meeting together with Sena and Eun Jeong.

Today’s meeting mainly focused on allocating the education budget according to the annual training plan, and also included discussions on handling difficulties in each department.

“Ms. Seo.”

After the meeting ended, as Ina was organizing the meeting notes, Sena approached her.

“Here are the education program materials you mentioned earlier.”

“Oh. Right. Thanks. Good work.”

“Ms. Seo. You didn’t forget about 7 o’clock after work today, right? I made a reservation for 5 people.”

“Of course. I didn’t forget. Let’s work hard thinking about the chicken and beer.”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

Sena returned to her seat with a big smile.

After 6:30 pm, people started getting up one by one here and there to leave work.

Ina also turned off her computer and got up from her seat.

Ina took the elevator with Sena and Eun Jeong and went to the chicken restaurant Sena had reserved.

As Sena said, the popular chicken restaurant was bustling with people.

Lee Daeri and Han Daeri, who had arrived first, greeted the three of them.

“Wow. There are so many types of chicken here, right?”

Eun Jeong said in surprise as she opened the menu.

“Is that so? Then let’s order a variety.”

“Ms. Seo. Can we order a lot? I ate a small lunch to have chicken and beer. Hehe.”

When Sena joked, Ina nodded.

“Of course. Definitely. Order up. I’ll treat you properly today.”

“Yay! As expected, Ms. Seo! You’re the best!”

Excited Sena and Eun Jeong ordered a few sides and beer.

After a while, the staff brought basic side dishes and five glasses of 500cc beer.

“Since it’s the first time we’re getting together like this, shall we make a toast?”

Han Daeri said, raising his glass, and the other four also raised their glasses for a pleasant cheers.

As the cold beer went down their throats, it felt refreshingly clear down to the chest.

The five of them drank while chatting about various topics like company stories, celebrity gossip, news, etc.

During the conversation, the 500cc glasses were continuously replaced with new ones.

“Shall we play a game now?”

After two hours passed and tensions were high, Sena suggested playing a game and the other three nodded in agreement.

Only one person, Ina, who had always been terrible at drinking games since college, was giving an awkward smile. But not wanting to ruin the mood, she soon nodded her head.

Soon, the most basic 369 game began.

1. 2. Clap! 4. 5. Clap! 7. 8.

“9!”

Ina shouted loudly.

The four people looked at Ina with a questioning expression.

Although she clearly knew the correct rules in her head…

Whenever the game started, Ina would get overly nervous, causing her pupils to dilate and her heart to pound, eventually making mistakes.

As if they hadn’t expected her to get caught before even reaching 10, everyone stared at Ina with surprised eyes.

Ina, who had maintained a calm and quiet image at the company, gave an awkward smile as if embarrassed.

“Ahahaha. Ms. Seo must have been nervous! Come on. Since you got caught, drink up a penalty shot.”

Sena poured a glass of somaek and the guilty Seo Ina received the glass and emptied it in one go.

“Alright, let’s start the second round!”

However, in the following 369 game, the nervous Ina made mistakes again and had to drink two more penalty shots.

Sena tried changing the category, but why was the sad premonition never wrong…

As Ina got caught again, the embarrassed people cautiously glanced at her.

“Well, why don’t we just talk instead of playing games?”

“Right. The game isn’t that fun. Let’s just talk.”

Eun Jeong agreed and quickly changed the subject.

Ina’s cheeks flushed red in a daze.

After drinking three 500cc beers and three glasses of somaek, the alcohol was starting to kick in.

As she was touching her flushed cheeks, Sena began lamenting.

“Sigh. It’s Christmas in two months, but when will I escape being single?”

“I know, right? So lonely. Lonely.”

As Eun Jeong agreed with a gloomy expression, Han Daeri laughed.

“Huh? Mr. Han. Are you giving the smile of someone who’s taken right now?”

At Sena’s question, Han Daeri waved his hand and laughed.

“No, that’s not why I laughed. Sena and Eun Jeong could easily find boyfriends if you put your mind to it. Come on.”

“That’s only possible for someone as pretty as Ms. Seo.”

At the sudden remark, Ina was startled.

“Hey, why are you suddenly putting me on the spot when I’m just sitting here? Don’t do this.”

As Ina spoke with an embarrassed face, Sena’s eyes suddenly sparkled.

“Ms. Seo. Do you happen to have any good guy friends or younger brothers?”

“Guys?”

“Yes. I have a feeling you might know some handsome men. Hehe.”

Sena wiggled her eyebrows and gave Ina a curious look.

“Well, let’s see, handsome men… Hmm.”

As Ina was lost in thought, Lee Daeri said to Sena,

“I saw him. The kind of handsome guy Sena is talking about.”

“What?”

Sena looked at Lee Daeri with puzzled eyes.

“Last time, when leaving work with Ms. Seo… I happened to see her guy friend.”

“Oh my. Really? But was he handsome?”

Sena asked with sparkling eyes.

Remembering that day, a bitter taste lingered in her mouth like chewing on a sour persimmon.

“More than just handsome… Well, I became a mere squid in front of that friend.”

“What?”

The three people, excluding Ina, looked surprised.

“No, Mr. Lee. Squ, squid… That can’t be.”

The embarrassed Ina quickly tried to extinguish the topic, but Sena and Eun Jeong, whose hearts were already burning at the mention of a “handsome man,” stared at Lee Daeri with expectant eyes.

“It’s true. I thought I was seeing a celebrity. He was really tall and his face was like a sculpture, and the aura he gave off was really…”

Remembering Juwon’s fierce gaze directed at her that day sent chills down her spine.

“Really? Wow. If he’s being described as a sculpture… Just how handsome is he?”

“Oh, no. Mr. Lee is exaggerating too much.”

Ina’s face turned bright red in embarrassment.

“Exaggerating? He turned me into an instant grilled squid. Come on.”

“Instant grilled squid? Ahahaha.”

Han Daeri laughed loudly as if it was funny.

“Don’t laugh. If you were there, Han Daeri, you wouldn’t even be squid.”

“What?”

As Han Daeri made a dumbfounded expression, Sena asked Ina with a twinkle in her eye,

“Ms. Seo. Does he have a girlfriend?”

“Huh… What?”

Ina asked back in a startled voice.

“Well, if he’s that handsome, he must have a girlfriend, right? He definitely would.”

Han Daeri shook his head and spoke, but Sena stared at Ina with determined eyes as if she would hold onto even a tiny bit of hope.

“Oh. Girl, girlfriend?”

As Ina looked at Sena with confused eyes, her phone suddenly rang.

Looking at the phone, it was Juwon.

As if he knew they were talking about him right now, his timing was impeccable.

“Um, I’m going to take this call. I’ll be right back.”

Ina asked for their understanding and got up from her seat.

Then she carefully opened the door and went outside.

As soon as Ina left, Lee Daeri glared at Sena.

“Sena, don’t get your hopes up. That handsome man already has someone.”

“What? But how do you know that, Mr. Lee?”

“How do I know? It’s obvious at a glance.”

That day, how could he forget the sweet smile that handsome man gave while gazing at Seo Daeri.

Remembering that scene again, Lee Daeri picked up his beer glass and gulped it down.

Then Sena looked at Lee Daeri with an uncomprehending face and asked,

“But Mr. Lee. What do you mean by that? It’s obvious at a glance?”

“Believe me, there is. You’ll find out soon enough.”

Sena narrowed her eyes at Lee Daeri, who kept saying things she couldn’t understand at all.

At that moment, Ina went outside and stood next to the door.

As the cold night air touched her alcohol-flushed cheeks, it felt refreshing.

After taking a deep breath, Ina pressed the answer button and took the call.

“Hello?”

– It’s me.

Juwon’s attractive baritone voice came through the phone.

“…Yeah.”

– When do you think you’ll be done?

Looking at the clock, it was just approaching 10:20.

“Hmm, I should get up soon.”

– Okay. I’ll leave now, so send me the address.

“Where? Home?”

– Office. You said you were drinking, so I worked a bit more.

“You’re at the office now?”

– Yes.

“Then you worked overtime because of me?”

Knowing that Juwon had been working overtime continuously, Ina felt very sorry for a moment.

– No. I had some work left. I’ll rest after dropping you off.

“Still, you must be really tired. I can just take a taxi, so…”

– No.

Juwon said in a firm voice.

– From now on, Seo Ina is forbidden to take taxis alone.

Why did those words make her heart pound so much…

As Ina blushed with a fluttering heart, Juwon spoke.

– Send me the address. I’ll leave now.

“Okay.”

After hanging up, Ina took another deep breath to calm her pounding heart and went back inside.

When she returned to her seat, Sena was staring at Ina with a sullen expression.

“Ms. Seo, I heard he has someone?”

“Huh?”

When Ina looked at Sena with puzzled eyes, Sena let out a short sigh.

“Mr. Lee said so? That he has someone?”

As Ina looked at Lee Daeri, he made an embarrassed but knowing expression.

Unable to say that the ‘someone’ was herself, Sena shook her head.

“Well, of course he would. Who would let a man like that be single? But that woman must be really happy. Having a sculpture-like boyfriend.”

She had to say that the woman was herself, and that the sculpture was coming here now, but strangely the words wouldn’t come out.

However, feeling like she should say something, Ina quietly opened her mouth after a while.

“Actually, that friend said he’s coming to pick me up now…”

“What? Who? Don’t tell me… that sculpture friend?”

Sena asked with wide eyes.

“Oh? Uh…”

“Wow! Really? Oh my, oh my, what a surprise! Then we get to see that sculpture, right?”

“Well, yes, but the sculpture part is a bit…”

Ina replied with an awkward smile, looking embarrassed.

At the mention of a sculpture coming, Sena and Eun Jeong looked excited.

Han Daeri was also curious about how handsome he must be to treat him like squid.

But after a moment, Sena tilted her head and asked Ina,

“But Ms. Seo, if he has someone, why is he coming to pick you up?”

At the question that hit the nail on the head, Ina gulped nervously.