“So I’m thinking about kissing you just like you did to me.”

“What did you say?”

Oh my. Ji Yeon Woo’s cheeks flushed red hot.

Nam Do Hyun’s smoothly rising lips seemed as if they would touch Ji Yeon Woo’s at any moment.

“You forcefully kissed me claiming it was unfair, so there’s no reason I can’t do the same. I can do even more if I want to.”

“I only did that to pay you back for stealing my first kiss, senior.”

“The price needs to be properly paid. You collided with me here twice.”

Do Hyun’s long index finger tapped on his own lips.

Ji Yeon Woo, who was naturally looking at Do Hyun’s lips, quickly pulled her pupils upward.

“So, are you really going to do it?”

Do Hyun, who lifted his lowered eyelids, took in the startled look on Ji Yeon Woo’s face.

In this situation, Do Hyun chuckled.

“I’m joking.”

“……”

“Half joking.”

If it’s a joke, it should be a full joke. What does half mean?

Knowing that he’s not the type to say things he doesn’t mean, Ji Yeon Woo froze solid without even blinking once.

Even after Do Hyun’s hand that was gripping her chin fell away, Ji Yeon Woo couldn’t move an inch.

“Wear the ring.”

Do Hyun’s hand overlapped Ji Yeon Woo’s fingertips that were gripping the desk.

Do Hyun’s fingertip precisely touched Ji Yeon Woo’s fourth finger.

“Don’t turn jokes into reality.”

Only after Do Hyun, who had declared war, leisurely left the meeting room did Ji Yeon Woo exhale the breath she had been holding.

She learned for the first time today that her heart could beat this fast.

As expected, it was no use being stubborn against an opponent she couldn’t win against.

She was bound to lose against Do Hyun, who always had her wrapped around his finger.

“I shouldn’t have paid him back double.”

She shouldn’t have kissed him twice in a row, claiming it was unfair.

Getting greedy had backfired on her.

***

The next evening.

As soon as work ended, Ji Yeon Woo went to Samsung-dong where Nam Seung Hee was.

Getting out of the taxi, Ji Yeon Woo took out her cell phone to check the time.

If she picked up Seo Jin Won’s shoes that Seung Hee had and left, she would arrive at the meeting place roughly on time.

Ji Yeon Woo, who was walking briskly, crossed the wide garden, opened the front door, and went inside.

Looking around the quiet living room, she asked the housekeeper who was waiting next to her.

“Where is elder sister?”

“She’s in the room upstairs.”

Ji Yeon Woo stepped on the stairs connected to the second floor and stood in front of the room where Seung Hee was.

When she knocked on the door, Seung Hee’s voice was heard from inside.

“Who is it?”

“Elder sister, it’s me.”

The sound stopped for a moment, then Seung Hee flung the door open.

Seung Hee, who seemed to have just washed up, had a white towel wrapped around her hair.

Seung Hee, who grabbed the doorframe with her hand, scanned Ji Yeon Woo’s empty hands and asked irritably.

“You got the shoes and boldly showed up in front of me, right?”

“I sent you a message yesterday. Did you perhaps not see it?”

“You sent a message? I was too drunk yesterday to even look at my phone.”

Seung Hee looked around for her cell phone and found it sloppily thrown on the bed.

Sitting at the end of the bed, Seung Hee read the message with an indifferent face, then her eyes widened.

“Eek!”

Screaming a high-pitched sound, Seung Hee ran to Ji Yeon Woo in an instant.

“Oh my god. That man said he would exchange the shoes and wanted to meet?”

“The person whose shoes got exchanged turned out to be the CEO of the company doing the advertising this time.”

“If this isn’t fate, then what is it? They said I have marriage luck next year, I guess it’s true.”

Seung Hee, who was extremely excited, sat in front of the dressing table and busily moved her hands.

Ji Yeon Woo carefully spoke to Seung Hee, who didn’t seem to want to give the shoes.

“There’s not much time left until the appointment, so I think we should leave now. If you give me the shoes, I’ll exchange them with your shoes, elder sister.”

Seung Hee, applying cream to her face with both hands in circular motions, said,

“I’ll go there. You just go home.”

“What? But I made the appointment with the CEO.”

There were only 30 minutes left until the appointed time.

If they kept delaying like this, they might be late for the appointment.

“The purpose is not just to get the shoes back, but I deliberately made a dinner appointment to discuss work. If you suddenly go instead of me, it would be rude to the CEO.”

“You’re talking in a really unpleasant way. Are you saying my existence is rude right now?”

Seung Hee, unable to hide her excitement, threw the cream she was holding onto the dressing table.

Ji Yeon Woo, whose shoulders shrank at the thud, swallowed once and mustered up the courage to speak.

“Elder sister, this isn’t a personal matter, it’s also related to the company’s credibility, so I can’t yield on this.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said earlier?”

“……”

“I said I have marriage luck next year. If I can’t marry this man, are you going to take responsibility? Huh?”

The conversation was going nowhere. When Seung Hee pushed forward with illogic, Ji Yeon Woo’s words got stuck in her throat.

Time was cruelly passing by in this unnecessary fight, and Ji Yeon Woo was only getting more impatient.

“Elder sister.”

When Ji Yeon Woo tried to change Seung Hee’s mind once more, it was then.

“What is this commotion?”

At the noisy sound flowing out of the room, even Park Young Ran ended up coming.

When a reliable reinforcement appeared, Seung Hee took advantage of it and applied cushion to her face leisurely.

“Mom, that girl has no manners at all. She’s glaring at me with triangular eyes and talking back!”

“You, did you talk back to Seung Hee?”

Young Ran’s face hardened, ready to scold at any moment.

“The CEO of an outsourcing company has the shoes that got exchanged at the department store, so I was going to meet him and exchange them, but elder sister said she would go, so I was telling her that it’s not possible.”

“How ill-mannered.”

Young Ran grabbed her aching head and shouted.

“Are you making this fuss because you can’t even accommodate your only sister-in-law? Will the world flip upside down if your sister-in-law goes?”

“We were also going to discuss important work matters at that meeting, so I had no choice.”

“Again. You’re making excuses again. What did your parents teach you that you have no respect for your elders?”

Seung Hee, who glanced at Ji Yeon Woo through the mirror, chimed in while applying lipstick.

“She doesn’t have a father. As expected, you have to filter out those without parents.”

“Elder sister.”

Ji Yeon Woo clenched both fists, unable to bear the insult, and her hands trembled slightly.

Young Ran raised her hand as if tired and interrupted Ji Yeon Woo’s words.

“I’m exhausted, so let’s stop this word fight. Seung Hee will take the shoes, so you can go home.”

“Mother-in-law, this is a company-related issue.”

“Isn’t your mother there too? Is that why you’re acting like a poorly raised child?”

Young Ran knew Ji Yeon Woo’s weakness well.

If she just poked at Lee Jung Hye a little, she could break Ji Yeon Woo’s rising defiance.

“Don’t make me go find your mother. You don’t want that either, right?”

“……”

Seung Hee, who was extremely excited, ran her hand through the clothes tightly hanging in the closet and asked Young Ran.

“Mom, pick out an outfit for me. You have better taste than me.”

“Is he a man good enough for you to pay attention to?”

“His face is to die for. Absolutely stunning.”

“You care about looks at your age?”

Young Ran pinched Seung Hee’s forearm, wondering who she took after to judge by appearance.

“Ouch, that hurts! You heard earlier. She said he’s a CEO. That’s enough, what more do you need?”

Young Ran shook her head and rummaged through the closet.

“First impressions are the most important. A clean and neat navy is the best.”

Young Ran approached Seung Hee and took out a dark navy one-piece dress wedged between bright and flashy colors.

Then Seung Hee responded lukewarmly as if she didn’t like the chosen outfit.

“Navy makes me look dull because I’m a summer cool tone.”

“Wear it. You don’t have any other clothes that look as modest as this.”

Seung Hee stood in front of the full-length mirror, brought the clothes up to her chin, and twisted her body.

“What if that man asks me to marry him? Where should we hold the wedding?”

Leaving Ji Yeon Woo standing at the door like an invisible person, Seung Hee excitedly rambled on.

Ji Yeon Woo couldn’t say anything while watching the excited Seung Hee.

***

Seo Jin Won, who arrived at the meeting place first, rolled up his sleeve and looked down at his watch.

Confirming that there were still a few minutes left until the appointed time, Jin Won looked around the restaurant.

There were a moderate number of customers at the tables, so the jazz music playing inside flowed softly into his ears.

Rrrrr―

When the cell phone placed on the table rang, Jin Won reached out his hand.

Jin Won slightly raised the corners of his mouth at the welcome call and pressed the answer button.

“Hello?”

[CEO, this is Shin Ji Yeon from Sunshine Resort.]

“Where are you? I just arrived.”

Jin Won turned his head towards the entrance of the restaurant.

[…I’m really sorry, but I don’t think I can make it today.]

“Did something happen?”

Worry came before the disappointment.

Ji Yeon Woo’s answer escaped from the other side of the phone.

[Something came up. Instead, my elder sister will go to exchange the shoes.]

“Elder sister?”

Jin Won questioned the word ‘elder sister’.

[The person who bought the shoes that got exchanged with yours is my sister-in-law.]

“Are you married?”

[Pardon? My sister-in-law?]

Jin Won couldn’t hide his startled expression and shook his head.

“No. You, Ji Yeon Woo.”

[Ah, yes. I got married last year.]

“I see. You’re married.”

But then why wasn’t she wearing a ring?

I was too simple-minded to think she didn’t have anyone because she wasn’t wearing a ring.

[Is there any problem with that?]

“Rather than a problem, it’s troublesome.”

I made a dinner appointment on purpose without knowing she was married, and I agonized over choosing the restaurant.

It was unlike me to change clothes several times in the morning.

“Hello.”

Lost in thought, Jin Won didn’t even notice that Seung Hee had approached his table.

“Her elder sister is here now. I’ll contact you later.”

Seung Hee, who stood in front of Jin Won after he ended the call with Ji Yeon Woo, brushed her hair behind her ear.

“I heard you have my exchanged shoes, so I came.”

“Yes. I have them here.”

Jin Won stood up from his seat, holding the shopping bag he had placed under the chair.

Then Seung Hee, who had been about to sit down on the chair, also had to awkwardly straighten her waist.

“Where are you going?”

“Since the business is finished, I’ll get going first.”

Jin Won took the shopping bag Seung Hee brought out and tried to leave right away.

Then Seung Hee blocked the way of Jin Won, who was trying to leave, while emitting a perfume scent that stung the nose.

“Aren’t you going to have dinner before leaving? I like steak.”

“If you haven’t had dinner yet, please eat before you go. The food here is delicious.”

Who said they wanted to eat alone?

Seung Hee swallowed the words that were about to come out of her throat and asked,

“You were going to have dinner with Ji Yeon, so why aren’t you eating with me?”

“I made a dinner appointment with Ji Yeon Woo, not with you, right?”

Seung Hee persistently clung to Jin Won, who was trying to avoid her.

“Wait! You’re not disappointed that I came instead of Ji Yeon, are you?”

“Ah… Disappointed.”

So this is what I’m feeling right now.

“You’re right, I’m disappointed.”

I’m disappointed now.