I don’t know how it passed, but the day was over.

So Yi quickly got up from her seat and grabbed her bag. She wanted to leave the company before questions about who she was meeting could pour in.

She picked up her coat that had been hanging on a coat rack in one corner of the office and hurried out.

Today, she was supposed to meet her ex-boyfriend Park Young Hyun after work.

Recently, he had boldly announced their breakup, saying he liked another woman, but now he said So Yi’s watch was in his car and he wanted to return it while meeting briefly.

She replied to just send it by courier, but Young Hyun insisted on coming to her company, saying he had to pass by So Yi’s workplace on his way home anyway.

Already troubled by Si Heon’s proposal, So Yi left the company slightly dazed after getting Young Hyun’s contact as well.

“So Yi.”

Seeing So Yi come out, Young Hyun approached her with a bright expression.

With that same expression from a year ago when he approached So Yi, who was drinking with her colleagues after work, and asked for her contact information.

“Did you have a good trip?”

So Yi stared at Young Hyun’s smile for a moment and showed a blank expression.

That he liked another woman. That he was sorry but they should break up now.

The one who had shamelessly announced their breakup was now approaching So Yi with a cheerful smile, asking if she had a good trip.

“Get in for now. Let’s have dinner together after a long time.”

“No, that’s fine. Just the watch…”

As she was about to push away Young Hyun’s arm with a serious face, she saw Si Heon coming out of the company’s main entrance.

“Don’t be like that, get in. I contacted you to give you the watch and because I have something to say.”

Though there was no need to hide, So Yi unknowingly turned her body abruptly. As a result, she ended up getting into his car, pushed by Young Hyun’s hand.

“You don’t have any other plans, right?”

Young Hyun asked as he got into the driver’s seat and clicked his seatbelt.

In the side mirror, Si Heon didn’t seem to have seen So Yi and was getting into a car parked behind Young Hyun’s.

So Yi, who had been staring at the side mirror for a moment, quickly came to her senses and answered.

“No. But dinner is not necessary. Just give me the watch.”

“I have something to say, that’s why.”

Young Hyun smiled faintly, looking at So Yi who had suddenly stiffened her expression.

“I got in the car momentarily because I was distracted. But we’re not in a relationship to have meals together anymore. If you have something to say, just send a message.”

As she tried to get out speaking in a sharp voice, Young Hyun started the car with a calm expression.

“What kind of relationship do we have?”

“Elder brother, you broke up with me. Two weeks ago.”

So Yi frowned at Young Hyun, who had already started to speed up, with an incredulous look.

“Is there a law that says you can’t eat with someone you’ve broken up with? Put your seatbelt on first.”

Answering in a soft voice, Young Hyun drove somewhere.

“Stop the car. You said you liked another woman before, and now you’re talking about having a meal?”

“Ah…, that’s right. But…”

Young Hyun hesitated, slightly biting his lower lip.

“No matter how much I thought about it, she wasn’t as good as you. So I ended it.”

Young Hyun finished speaking as he stopped the car at a red light. Then he turned his head and gazed intently into So Yi’s eyes.

“Elder brother was wrong. My thinking was short-sighted.”

So Yi doubted her ears for a moment.

The man who had confidently said he liked another woman and turned his back on her was now trying to piece together the broken glass from two weeks ago with just one word of apology.

Unfortunately, So Yi had already thrown away all the broken glass pieces while traveling lightly through Italy.

Looking back, cracks had already formed in So Yi’s heart too.

Young Hyun had pointed out the gaps they hadn’t noticed because they had become too familiar with each other.

Boring conversations and cooled gazes had been leaking from the cracked glass for a while.

It was a relationship that was going to end anyway.

So Yi, who had laughed dejectedly once, had shaken it all off while traveling in Italy.

Already in the middle of an 8-lane road and unable to get out, So Yi irritably fastened her seatbelt and answered in a low voice.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve already moved on.”

“You’re very angry, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m not angry. I said I’ve moved on from you, elder brother.”

Despite So Yi’s firm voice, Young Hyun paid no heed and rather spoke as if soothing her.

“Elder brother is sorry. So stop being angry now. Let’s eat at a nice place today. So Yi, you said you wanted to go to that hotel fine dining restaurant, right?”

“I don’t want to.”

“You know how hard it is to reserve a window seat there, right? Elder brother managed to reserve that place.”

Young Hyun spoke with a proud expression, raising his chin.

There’s no use talking anymore. I’ll just go home right away when we arrive, watch or whatever.

So Yi, her eyes full of wrinkles, turned her gaze to the window.

“Let’s get out. Elder brother, I even requested valet parking, so we can get out right at the hotel entrance.”

Young Hyun spoke with an excited expression as he slowly stopped the car. As soon as the car stopped, So Yi opened the door with a bang and got out without a word of greeting.

“Jin So Yi!”

So Yi, who had passed through the main entrance after getting out of the car, continued walking while huffing. Young Hyun, who seemed not to have expected this at all, quickly ran over with surprised eyes.

“Why are you really acting like this? Elder brother said he was sorry.”

“So?”

So Yi, whose forearm was suddenly grabbed by Young Hyun, turned her head sharply and asked.

“Elder brother apologized and said he was sorry, but I didn’t accept it. I have no intention of accepting your apology.”

“Hoo… Let’s be reasonable, So Yi.”

Young Hyun was slightly frowning, seemingly getting annoyed.

“What? Reasonable?”

“You, you met any man in Italy because you were having a hard time because of me, right?”

“What?”

So Yi frowned heavily at Young Hyun’s absurd insistence.

She had a hard time because of him so she met any man? How can someone have such a shameless and selfish thought?

“That’s why elder brother came. To say sorry. Sorry for making you go to Italy alone.”

“Haa, what are you saying now…”

“So stop being angry and let’s go eat now.”

“I don’t need it! Let go of this!”

So Yi shouted loudly, shaking off Young Hyun’s hand.

“I didn’t meet any man because I was having a hard time because of you, it was Chairman Cha Si Heon who approached first!?”

Well, it’s true that the Chairman spoke to me first anyway.

“Just throw away the watch. I don’t need it. And don’t ever come looking for me again.”

Having said what she wanted to say, So Yi turned her body confidently and left Young Hyun.

“Damn, this shouldn’t have happened like this. It’s annoying.”

Young Hyun had lost sleep for days at the fact that the woman involved in the scandal with Si Heon was Jin So Yi. He doesn’t know how upset and regretful he was at the fact that she was a woman good enough to catch Cha Si Heon’s eye.

He was sure it was just a fleeting one-night stand, so he tried to seduce Jin So Yi, break up with his current girlfriend, and date her again. But he didn’t know she would be this angry.

Young Hyun quickly caught up with So Yi and grabbed her arm again.

“Jin So Yi! Just listen to elder brother for a moment!”

“Let go of this!”

And at that moment, someone reached out and snatched Young Hyun’s wrist that was holding So Yi’s arm.

“Shouldn’t we talk after letting go of this?”

It was Si Heon.

Young Hyun irritably turned his head towards the man who had grasped his wrist.

A height at least a span taller. Shoulders that looked about three spans wider. Smooth skin and deep eyes.

Although his expression wasn’t particularly threatening, Young Hyun was instinctively intimidated.

“Wh-What?”

The thought that he had seen him somewhere was brief, Young Hyun’s eyes widened.

‘Cha Si Heon?’

Si Heon roughly shook off Young Hyun’s hand that he had been gripping tightly.

“Wa-Wasn’t it a one-night stand?”

Young Hyun blurted out his thoughts because he was too surprised.

“You think I would have left the scandal article untouched until now if it was with a woman I just casually passed by?”

Si Heon, who had a low sneer on the corner of his mouth, gently wrapped one of So Yi’s shoulders.

“And watch your words. Why would elder brother be my boyfriend!? It’s been so long since we broke up, how pathetic!”

Thinking she should send Young Hyun away first, So Yi put her hands on her waist and snapped fiercely.

“What? Pathetic? Ha…!”

He wanted to retort something, but his shoulders involuntarily flinched at Si Heon’s lowered gaze.

“Jin So Yi! You’ll regret this later!”

“It seems like you’re the one regretting right now. The bus has already left, so please go now.”

Young Hyun, who had only been huffing and puffing without even moving his lips towards Si Heon, turned his body abruptly and left.

“Thank you, Chairman.”

So Yi, who had been looking at Young Hyun’s back with an incredulous expression, pushed away Si Heon’s arm and greeted him.

“If you’re grateful, why don’t we have a meal together, Ms. Jin So Yi.”

“Ah, no. A meal is…”

She had lost her appetite due to the recent incident with Young Hyun, and the thought of sitting face to face with Si Heon was already giving her indigestion.

So Yi tried to politely decline and turn away, but Si Heon put his hand on her shoulder again.

“If I just go into the hotel alone from here.”

So Yi’s surprised eyes caught Young Hyun still watching them from a distance.

“Won’t that friend suspect? The words that I approached first.”

Ah…! He heard.

So Yi closed her eyes tightly and opened them again, smiling awkwardly.

“That…”

“It’s okay. I’m glad I can show such an affectionate scene with Ms. Jin So Yi here too.”

“Show an affectionate scene? To whom?”

She turned her head to look up at Si Heon as if asking what he meant.

As their eyes met, with So Yi blinking her round eyes, Si Heon smiled gently.

Thump, her heart pounded.

This is bad. Even his smiling face is perfectly handsome.

So Yi, whose ears suddenly turned red up to the lobes, quickly turned her head away.