Do Hyun, who had taken Joo home, returned to the company.

As he got into the empty elevator, Do Hyun suddenly burst out laughing as if something had occurred to him.

Rubbing his lower lip with his finger, Do Hyun couldn’t hide the smile that kept escaping.

‘Ah. What should I do.’

He wanted to see Joo again.

He couldn’t forget Joo, who had bumped her head against the window while being wary of him trying to fasten her seatbelt.

If she had rabbit ears, they would have surely perked up.

Joo, with her wide eyes and both hands over her mouth, couldn’t have been more adorable.

‘I should have just pounced on her.’

I wonder how much bigger her eyes would have gotten.

Right now, Do Hyun felt like he was nurturing a beast of desire inside him.

He thought it might be better to keep his shell confined to the company, not knowing when this beast might run wild.

Rrrrr―

Amidst the impure thoughts filling his mind, the sound of a bell intruded into his ears.

As Do Hyun stepped out of the open elevator, he checked his phone.

―Bae Ji Eun

Confirming the name on the screen, he answered the call.

“Hello.”

[So you’re alive?]

Ji Eun’s voice, sounding very pleased, came through the phone.

Pushing open the door to the CEO’s office, Do Hyun replied.

“I’m alive, that’s why I answered the phone.”

[If you’re alive, you should call me. I’ve been waiting desperately for your call.]

“I was busy. That’s why I couldn’t reply to your messages.”

[Didn’t you miss me all this time? I thought about you a lot in England.]

Her voice was filled with a distant longing.

If he denied missing her, she would likely start crying.

“Say things like that to your boyfriend. Not to me.”

[I’m calling you and doing this because I don’t have a boyfriend.]

Ji Eun retorted cheerfully, as if she had never been depressed.

Sitting in the leather chair, Do Hyun scanned the reports piled up by Director Kang with his eyes.

“I’m busy. Let’s hang up.”

[I’m in Korea right now.]

At Ji Eun’s unexpected words, Do Hyun lifted his head that had been bent towards the desk.

“In Korea? Are you here for a short visit?”

[No. I’ve come back for good. I’m going to stay in Korea now.]

Ji Eun exhaled the overwhelming breath that had been filling her chest.

[So spend some time with lonely me, elder brother.]

***

Seated at her vanity, Joo applied the carefully chosen lipstick to her lips. Leaning towards the mirror at the deeper color than expected, she said,

“Is this too much?”

Although she was just going to work, Joo was putting more effort into her makeup than usual.

Looking in the mirror, she wiped off the red lipstick with a tissue and applied a subtle pink lip gloss.

At the sound of knocking from outside, Joo stood up.

Moving away from the vanity and checking her appearance one more time, she opened the door.

Do Hyun, who had already finished preparing for work, was standing in front of Joo’s room.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes. It took a bit longer doing this and that.”

Even though Do Hyun hadn’t even asked why she was late, Joo felt guilty and made excuses on her own.

Do Hyun, who had been gazing intently at Joo, smiled softly.

“Did you put on lipstick?”

She had applied it carefully, but was it noticeable?

Or was he indirectly saying it didn’t suit her?

Unable to hide her flushing cheeks, Joo bit her lower lip inwards.

“It’s lip gloss. Does it look bad?”

“No. I asked because it suits you well.”

“We’re late. Let’s go to work, let’s go.”

With her face turning apple-red at the pleasant compliment, Joo hurriedly left the house.

Do Hyun couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of Joo fumbling to put on her shoes at the entrance after just one compliment.

Catching up to Joo with his long strides, Do Hyun got into the elevator.

The two of them, having descended to the underground parking lot, got into the car amicably.

“Senior, what time did you come home yesterday?”

“I came in before 3 o’clock.”

“Is there that much work?”

“Yeah. Somehow it seems even busier than at Clark.”

As if he had more to say, Do Hyun quietly studied Joo.

For a very brief moment, Joo’s eyes wavered.

Like last evening, Do Hyun’s body leaned over towards Joo.

The difference from last time was that Joo had already fastened her seatbelt herself.

Do Hyun, with his eyelids lowered, was blatantly staring at Joo’s lips.

“You’re not avoiding it today.”

In turn, Joo’s gaze became fixed on Do Hyun’s moving lips.

“I’m going to do something different from yesterday.”

The gentle voice spread to Joo’s ears.

It was hard to breathe comfortably, as if her chest was tightly pressed by the seatbelt.

Without blinking once, Joo met Do Hyun’s eyes.

“I know.”

“……”

“What you’re going to do, senior.”

As soon as the words ended, their lips overlapped in an instant.

The moist breath that made her head dizzy rummaged through her mouth.

The tip of her tongue was hot from the smoldering heat, and her shoulders tensed where Do Hyun’s hands touched.

Joo’s steady breathing quickly became rapid, and her restless fingertips curled inwards.

As she was invaded to her depths, Joo’s head kept falling back, and Do Hyun gently cupped the nape of her neck, devouring her lips.

Every time Do Hyun’s attached lips parted, her chest felt chilly as if falling from the top of a roller coaster to the bottom.

Although there was not a hint of force in the kiss, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of being devoured by Do Hyun.

The heated air entangled in the enclosed car, causing misty vapor to cling to the windows.

Time, fair to everyone, seemed to flow faster only for Do Hyun.

If it weren’t for work, he wanted to go back home with Joo.

What’s the use of suppressing the beast inside him when it jumps out at every kiss?

Joo’s warm hand on his chest pushed Do Hyun away with moderate force.

“We have to go now, senior.”

Reluctant to part lips, Do Hyun stroked Joo’s flushed cheek with his thumb. Even though he knew everything, he didn’t want to let go of Joo in his arms.

Was it always this good?

To the point of not wanting to be apart for even a moment. To the point of wanting to just look at you without doing anything else.

“When I was young, I never threw tantrums about not wanting to go to school, but now as an adult, I want to throw a tantrum about not wanting to go to work.”

“So you’re not going?”

“I don’t really need permission since I’m the CEO.”

“I’m different, just an ordinary employee. If I don’t want to get fired, I need to go now.”

“Don’t worry about that. There won’t be any boss who fires you.”

Joo said with quite a proud face.

“You must like me a lot.”

“I like you very much.”

Seeing Joo burst into laughter, Do Hyun smiled along.

Ending his pointless blame on whoever made the work start time 9 o’clock, Do Hyun grabbed the steering wheel.

It had been a while since Joo greeted the day in such a refreshing condition. Thanks to that, she was so focused on work that she didn’t even realize it was lunchtime.

Yang Mi, who stood up stretching her stiff body, spoke to her.

“Joo, shall we go eat some jeyuk-bokkeum today? What do you think?”

“Ah, it’s already lunchtime.”

Joo checked the time at the corner of her monitor.

“I like meat. Let’s go eat jeyuk-bokkeum.”

“Let’s go now. I only had a glass of milk this morning while taking care of the kids, so my stomach is rumbling, rumbling.”

Yang Mi, who picked up her wallet from the desk, also brought along the new employee sitting behind.

Yang Mi, who had passed through the office glass door first, stopped after a few steps.

Joo, who was walking behind with the new employee, stuck close to Yang Mi. Wondering what was happening, Joo poked her head out beside Yang Mi and met eyes with Do Hyun.

“CEO.”

Surprised by Do Hyun’s sudden appearance in the office, she almost blurted out “Senior.”

“It looks like you’re going to lunch together.”

“That’s what we were planning to do… but we should step aside, right?”

Before Joo could say anything, Yang Mi left with the new employee.

Thanks to Yang Mi’s help, Do Hyun was able to easily get Joo.

“I was thinking of having dinner together, but I really can’t find the time. Is it okay if you have lunch with me?”

Although she felt sorry for her colleagues, Joo was too happy to see Do Hyun.

She couldn’t remember if she had properly hidden her joyful face.

“Hmm. Let me hear what we’re eating first.”

“Director Kang recommended a sushi place nearby. Is sushi okay?”

Actually, anything would have been fine, but she wanted to play hard to get for a moment.

Joo nodded vigorously as if she had been waiting.

“It’s good. Everything’s good.”

“Let’s go.”

She had to make the most of the one-hour lunch break.

Joo’s goal was to quickly eat lunch and have a cup of coffee with Do Hyun.

Joo, who had come down in the elevator, left the building through the lobby with Do Hyun.

There was no need to take the car since the sushi place recommended by Director Kang was only a 10-minute walk away.

“How late will you be today?”

“Not as late as yesterday. But go to sleep first anyway.”

“I’ll wait at home……”

Before Joo could finish her sentence.

“Surprise!”

At the booming voice, Joo and Do Hyun, who had been looking at each other, turned their heads forward.

The woman blocking their way was wearing a yellow party hat and sunglasses.

The unusual appearance on the street drew the attention of employees who had come out for lunch.

Unlike Joo, Do Hyun seemed to recognize the woman.

Just as Joo was looking back and forth between Do Hyun and the woman.

As the woman took off her sunglasses, her hidden eyes were revealed. At the same time, Joo’s face hardened.

“Elder brother, were you surprised? You didn’t know I was coming, right?”

“I’m not surprised. It’s not the first time you’ve done this.”

“What? All for nothing, even wearing this funny party hat.”

The woman took off her bright yellow party hat and roughly fixed her messy hair with her hand.

As if she could only see Do Hyun, the woman belatedly noticed Joo.

“Joo. It’s been so long. You remember me, right? Bae Ji Eun.”

“It’s been a while, Senior Ji Eun.”

It had been almost 7 years since she last saw Bae Ji Eun after graduating from university.

Ji Eun spread her arms wide and hugged Joo.

It was such a warm and affectionate embrace that Joo felt sorry for her unwelcoming feelings.

“How come you haven’t changed at all? I’m so glad to see you. Right?”

“……Yes.”

The wicked me let out a lie.

I wasn’t glad. Of course. I couldn’t be happy to see my husband’s ex-girlfriend.