The moment Seung Ho’s eyes met hers, Ji Hyun’s heart plummeted endlessly.

She sometimes had dreams. In those dreams, Ji Hyun briefly returned to the large mansion where she had spent her teenage years.

When she opened the sturdy, solid gate, there was a familiar face. Standing in the garden where flowers spoke and butterflies flew, the young boy gazed at Ji Hyun expressionlessly. In her dreams, Seung Ho was still eighteen years old.

“Long time no see, could it be that you two know each other?”

At Soo Young’s cheerful voice, Ji Hyun came to her senses and looked at Seung Ho standing before her eyes. The cold and beautiful face that suddenly came to mind even while living her life diligently, he was looking down at Ji Hyun.

The eighteen-year-old boy from her dreams had become a twenty-six-year-old man.

The neat eyebrows that seemed to be carefully drawn, the deep and dark eyes, the sharp jawline……

Although the lines had thickened, the handsome features remained the same. The black sweater he wore lightly made his fair and thick neck and broad shoulders stand out even more. The sensitive young master from her faint memories had now become a young man with an irresistible charm, exuding masculinity.

Overwhelmed by the intimidating presence, Ji Hyun could not even open her mouth to ask about his well-being.

The slightly raised corner of his mouth with a hint of ridicule and the coldly flashing eyes were so casual that it showed that their meeting now was not a coincidence.

“……We briefly knew each other in the past.”

Seung Ho answered while keeping his gaze fixed on Ji Hyun.

“I see. That’s great.”

Soo Young smiled broadly and stood up from her seat.

“Were you surprised that the director is so young?”

The startled Ji Hyun turned her stiff neck and saw Soo Young patting her shoulder.

“Director……?”

Soo Young smiled slightly, wrinkling her nose.

“Yes. Despite his appearance, he is the director of the Whale Scholarship Foundation. Well, it’s a formal title though.”

Tsk, her breath caught in her throat.

Considering Shin Seung Ho’s family background, it wasn’t very strange, but the problem was the foundation.

The Whale Foundation, the place that had supported her tuition throughout her school years, was related to him. Ji Hyun was very confused by the current situation. Unaware of their circumstances, Soo Young chattered away happily.

“It’s even better when someone you know does it for you. Anyway, there’s not much to do. Just assist him, no, Director Shin Seung Ho, who is standing here, with his work.”

“Ah, unni, I……”

Although Ji Hyun’s complexion darkened, Soo Young, who did not notice this, continued speaking.

“The conditions mentioned in the official document were too good to miss. Fortunately, Ji Hyun belongs to the Whale Foundation, so it’s really lucky.”

I have to say it here. Otherwise, I will be the one who gets hurt……

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I can do it.”

At the firm refusal, silence fell for a moment. Seeing two gazes simultaneously focused on her, Ji Hyun blushed.

“Why?”

“I have some personal matters to attend to.”

Soo Young reached out and grabbed Ji Hyun’s hands. It was too good an opportunity for Ji Hyun, who was not financially well-off, to miss.

“It’s too good to give up, can’t you think about it again?”

“……I’m sorry.”

At that moment.

“Haha.”

Seung Ho, who had been alternately watching the two without saying a word, could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.

“Hey, why are you laughing? Director?”

Soo Young’s eyes were not kind as she looked at him. Unable to laugh out loud, Seung Ho covered his mouth with his large hand and laughed, his eyes moving from Soo Young to Ji Hyun.

“This is quite a melodrama.”

Ji Hyun felt a sudden chill at the sharp gaze scanning over her. He raised his long fingers and pointed to the envelope on Soo Young’s desk.

“Why are you leaving the documents I brought untouched and rambling on like that? Assistant Professor.”

Only then did Soo Young realize her mistake and hastily took out the envelope and read its contents.

“I didn’t come here to ask for consent.”

A low and chilly voice rang in Ji Hyun’s ears. Soo Young’s expression became strange as she quickly and meticulously read through the documents.

“Ah, this…… Hmm.”

Unable to comprehend the unfolding situation, Ji Hyun fidgeted anxiously. The smile disappeared from Seung Ho’s face as he looked down at her.

“I came to take what’s mine.”

The barely audible words were too clear to Ji Hyun’s ears, who was nearby. Soo Young put down the documents and spoke to Ji Hyun, who was standing with a pale face.

“Ji Hyun, I think you’ll have to do the internship after all.”

“What? I clearly said I wouldn’t do it.”

She picked up the documents. It was the consent form that twenty-year-old Ji Hyun had read and signed herself.

“Here, there’s your signature on this absurd consent form.”

“What? That’s……”

‘Ah……!’

Receiving the contract, Ji Hyun sighed deeply, recalling the day she was twenty and received the documents.

At first, when she received the call from a place called Whale, she wondered if it might be a scam by a suspicious organization. But she hesitated for a moment, as she had no other choice but to pay for her tuition. So she signed it. With a single hope that everything that would unfold before her eyes would go well……

Soo Young pointed to the small print written at the bottom of the document to the dazed Ji Hyun.

[The consenting party, as the contracted individual, shall respond to the calls of the contracting scholarship foundation whenever assistance is requested.]

‘No way.’

Ji Hyun looked at Soo Young in shock.

She was equally perplexed. Soo Young continued, still confused about whether this was good or bad for Ji Hyun.

“Although the content is a bit forceful, it is a written agreement and the consenting party has expressed their intention with a signature, so if you really don’t want to do it, it’s best to resolve the issue through legal proceedings.”

“……Law?”

Everything went dark before her eyes. There was only one person she wanted to avoid, Shin Seung Ho, but there were too many obstacles to overcome.

“It’s better to just do it.”

A voice tinged with laughter shattered Ji Hyun’s last will.

“I’m serious about the work at the scholarship foundation. It means I’m serious about nurturing people.”

Choi Soo Young, a department assistant and a close friend of Ji Hyun, was actually a distant cousin of Seung Ho. Unlike her relatives who had impressive wealth and were at the forefront of corporate management, Soo Young had aspirations for academics and was working as an assistant while writing her thesis with the goal of becoming a university professor.

She was also surprised to learn that Ji Hyun and Seung Ho knew each other. She seemed to have no idea.

“Here it is. Director Shin Seung Ho.”

Soo Young handed over the completed recommendation letter and spoke.

“Please take good care of our Ji Hyun.”

At the word ‘our’, Seung Ho’s eyebrows slightly raised, but he did not answer. Although they were estranged cousins, Soo Young knew his stubborn personality well. A cynical perfectionist like Shin Seung Ho was definitely not a boss you would want to work with.

“Hey, Ji Hyun has to prepare for the teacher certification exam soon. So don’t overwork her and treat her well. Understand?”

“……”

Seung Ho’s gaze turned to Ji Hyun, who had lowered her head to the floor. Her long eyelashes trembled as she lowered them. She was probably regretting the moment she had signed mindlessly 6 years ago.

‘The moment of regret…… I like it.’

A soft line formed on his lips.

“Then, of course.”

[This is the timeline separator]

“Sign here.”

Ji Hyun looked alternately at the employment contract in front of her and Seung Ho with a heavy expression.

Seung Ho, who had taken her to a cafe, was sitting across from her with a much more relaxed face, waiting for her to sign the contract.

As if the 8 years they had been apart were meaningless, their relationship remained unchanged. To be precise, the gap between Seung Ho and Ji Hyun had widened even further during those 8 years.

Seung Ho had easily become the superior, and Ji Hyun had once again become the subordinate. Ji Hyun, who lowered her head to the contract that didn’t even catch her eye, bit her lip hard. She had thought that they might run into each other someday in this small world, but she didn’t want to see him like this.

To her, Shin Seung Ho was like a bookmark carefully placed in a book. A bookmark that she could take out and reminisce about when she thought of it occasionally……

That’s why this reunion was even more unexpected.

Seung Ho, who had been silently observing the hesitating Ji Hyun, opened his mouth.

“Work starts tomorrow, dress neatly, and also……”

At the mechanically recited notices, Ji Hyun raised her head.

“Hey, it’s okay even if it’s not me. It would be better for someone else to do the internship.”

Her eyes became hot and her voice trembled weakly. Getting involved with Shin Seung Ho, becoming a subordinate again. She had no confidence in handling either of those things well. As she pleaded with slightly wet eyes, Seung Ho’s gaze as he met her eyes was only dry.

“If you want to seek legal advice, you can do so anytime. I’ll do my best too.”

“Do you have to go that far?”

“Ha……”

Seung Ho closed his eyes as if in disbelief and raised his fair and smooth fingers to rub the corners of his eyes.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something……”

“……”

“This is work. Not some kind of favor.”

Although his voice was soft and low, it strangely sent a chill.

“If you’re trying to do something with non-existent old ties, tell me. I’ll listen.”

Ji Hyun’s face turned pale as she faced the cold eyes that had sharpened.

What had she been expecting?

The boy she had seen in her dreams was her own fantasy.

The warm gaze of his eighteen-year-old self had become a well-sharpened blade, brutally dissecting Ji Hyun.

“No. It’s not like that.”

“Then sign it.”

As if finding the time spent together increasingly boring, Seung Ho rested his chin with uninterested eyes. Ji Hyun corrected her view of him. Shin Seung Ho was not a beautiful bookmark. He was a hunter. A ruthless and terrifying hunter who never let go once he had his sights on his prey.

Finally, after scanning the contract completed with her signature with an expressionless face, Seung Ho turned his gaze to Ji Hyun.

“Work starts tomorrow, dress neatly, and……”

“……”

His dry eyes that had been staring into the air met Ji Hyun’s.

“During the contract period, the intern will show absolute obedience to the superior.”