When the young twenty-six-year-old director said he wanted to see the representative of Baek Jang Mi, she was sure this deal would undoubtedly be her victory. There were already rumors circulating that the next-generation executive of Shin Yang Group was not the eldest son Shin Myung Ho, but Shin Seung Ho.

Information that he was studying business administration at a prestigious university in England also supported the basis for the rumors. However, it was not important information for her.

Representative Baek, who had started from the bottom and climbed up to this position, trusted her own intuition more than people’s gossip.

No matter how big a name he had, wasn’t he just a young one who hadn’t even taken a step into society?

Dealing with the awkward man who had only studied hard was no big deal.

He was surely a rookie full of enthusiasm pretending to do business. With such a complacent attitude, the moment Representative Baek first met Seung Ho face to face, she burst into hollow laughter.

‘Baek Jang Mi, your intuition has dulled a lot.’

The rookie’s inexperience she had been expecting was nowhere to be found in his appearance.

Recalling the rumors that Shin Seung Ho was already receiving many arranged dates from distinguished families, Representative Baek nodded in agreement. Even to her eyes, which had seen models and influencers to the point of being sick of them in business, he was a handsome face.

His straight forehead, horizontally long eyes without double eyelids below, and a high nose harmonized amazingly well, giving off an extraordinary atmosphere.

The moment his red and plump lips, no less than those of an ordinary woman, moved, Representative Baek flinched and realized that she was unconsciously focusing on him.

‘He’s not ordinary.’

He was a man with the charm to attract people.

Every time his lips curved into an arc, every time he spoke politely in a low voice, it seemed like Representative Baek’s heart was melting softly. The more she talked with Shin Seung Ho, the more tempted she was by him.

The pathetic wariness she had felt at first had already completely disappeared. Representative Baek wanted to connect him with her acquaintances no matter what. She was confident in her connections.

A young, handsome man with a solid future ahead of him would be a commodity anyone would want…

If she succeeded in playing the role of a middleman, Baek Jang Mi’s name would also be mentioned together with the fantastic commodity.

The sake she had been drinking continuously warmed her body. She was quite confident in her alcohol tolerance, but the drink Shin Seung Ho poured for her was unusually sweet.

“Shall I introduce you to a good person?”

Feeling pleasantly tipsy, she unconsciously revealed her inner thoughts. But that was it.

Snicker.

The corner of Seung Ho’s mouth, which she thought would agree given the atmosphere, rose crookedly. It was a clear sneer.

Representative Baek’s gaze, feeling embarrassed for a moment, naturally turned towards the back of his shoulder. The forlorn face that had been quietly standing throughout the meal caught her eye. It was an impressive face with white skin and quietly downcast eyes. Her resentment at his sneer naturally flowed in that direction.

Slowly scanning Ji Hyun up and down, the representative clicked her tongue. Her appearance was passable, but her attire was too shabby.

‘She’s wearing clothes that wouldn’t even sell in an underground shopping mall.’

The clothes she was wearing, like a new employee just starting out in society, were ridiculously clumsy. Representative Baek’s eyes narrowed as she brought the sake glass to her lips, not taking her eyes off Ji Hyun. It was a common scandal in this field, an innocent beauty who knew nothing and a capable man.

‘Girls like that always seduce men.’

Somehow she felt impatient. She couldn’t bear the thought of the value of the commodity she had picked out dropping just because of a girl like that. She thought she should seriously give him some advice.

No matter how experienced Shin Seung Ho was, his body was that of a young man with boiling blood. There was no guarantee that nothing would happen if they continued to be together.

With a determined mind, Representative Baek stared at him with a resolute face.

As a rule, there should be no subpar obstacles next to a remarkable man from the beginning.

“Boring.”

Seung Ho, who downed the cold sake in one gulp, muttered in a low voice. Representative Baek, who turned pale, barely signed with a pen that wasn’t gripping well and left the seat as if running away.

Of course, she also apologized as requested. To Shin Seung Ho, not Ji Hyun…

“If I made you uncomfortable, I’m really sorry. I sincerely apologize.”

It was unclear whether her face was red because she was drunk or because she was embarrassed as she mumbled. Because she left as soon as she finished speaking.

“I should spread rumors in the securities industry tabloids that Representative Baek has vulgar drinking habits.”

Seung Ho, who had been grumbling for a while as if he was still upset, got up roughly from his seat and approached Ji Hyun.

And he held out the card he had taken out of his pocket to her.

“Take it.”

“What is this?”

Seung Ho, who she thought would rebuke her for not knowing by looking, said something completely different.

“Buy yourself some clothes.”

Ji Hyun pushed away his hand holding out the card and strongly declined.

“No, I’m fine. This is enough.”

“…Enough?”

His gaze looking at the small hand pushing him away while echoing her words was fierce.

“Choi Ji Hyun, I won’t say anything about you living miserably, but at least when you accompany me, make sure to dress properly. Not all neat attire is the same, you know?”

His gently persuasive voice sounded quite nice to hear, but the content was extremely brutal. Ji Hyun’s mouth tasted bitter. She hated to admit it, but he was right. Seung Ho’s words continued.

“The people I deal with are vulgar ones who put a price on first impressions. Your world will be no less, if not more so. I’m telling you not to let them look down on you from the first gateway into society. You can do that much. It’s because your clothes are like that that the representative looked down on you.”

Ji Hyun couldn’t understand why Seung Ho was getting so fiercely worked up over something that wasn’t even his business. She couldn’t figure out why he was getting angry as if he had been insulted when he looked down on and ridiculed her more often and more than anyone else.

“Ah, I got it. I’ll keep that in mind. But I don’t need the card. I’ll take care of it myself…”

He grabbed the wrist of Ji Hyun, who was trying to brush it off, and forcibly placed the card in her hand.

“Just take it quietly. If you don’t want the hassle of going to buy clothes twice…”

Ji Hyun, who knew well that she could never win against him, nodded her head with a sigh. Only then did Seung Ho’s lips relax languidly as if satisfied.

“I’m hungry after eating something so tasteless.”

“Huh?”

Seung Ho, who had lost all traces of his polite and upright demeanor and was now in a delinquent posture with his hands stuck in his suit pockets, jerked his head toward the exit.

“Let’s go eat.”

“Okay.”

Suddenly his appearance looked cool.

“You’re paying, right?”

But the words he spat out weren’t so much…

“Why would I?”

“Ha, would you look at that.”

Seung Ho, who had been watching her startled and questioning back, gave a hollow laugh as if it was absurd.

“Shouldn’t you buy me a meal to celebrate your employment? Thanks to whom did you get a job…”

His eyebrows rose as he read the doubt on Ji Hyun’s face asking if she really had to do that.

“You’re ungrateful. You ate and drank well with other people… Or do you want to buy me a drink? For reference, I like hard liquor.”

At the mention of hard liquor, Ji Hyun, who turned pale, pushed Seung Ho’s back.

“Ah, no. Let’s eat. Food.”

Seung Ho’s lips curved softly as if he couldn’t resist Ji Hyun’s urging in startled surprise.

Ji Hyun’s complexion grew darker and darker as she looked at the menu.

Although she had prepared herself to some extent as the exterior was grand, the menu without even a lunch special had five zeros attached to every item. Seung Ho, who had been watching Ji Hyun unable to take her eyes off the menu while checking the prices several times, spoke as usual.

“This is a place I often come to when I want to eat sushi.”

He looked truly comfortable as he leisurely wiped his hands with a wet tissue. Ji Hyun, the only one feeling uncomfortable, narrowed her eyes sharply.

‘Yeah, you with a lot of money would come here often.’

She resented him for taking her, the intern he employed, to a high-end Japanese restaurant when he clearly knew her financial situation.

“By the way, I didn’t say anything because you were looking at the menu so intently…”

Seung Ho, who brought the teapot and two teacups in front of him, opened his mouth.

“Huh?”

“I already ordered. Something not on the menu…”

Her vision darkened. She could hear the sound of the salary she hadn’t even received yet passing by.

‘A bad guy with no consideration even if you wash your eyes and look.’

“You didn’t think I would lower myself to your level and eat snacks or something, did you?”

Seung Ho, who had been savoring the steaming tea, had his eyes prettily curved at the disappointment and resentment reflected in her eyes.

Ji Hyun wanted to slap herself for thinking he was cool even for a moment while looking at him.

Soon, the food Seung Ho said he had ordered arrived.

On the wide plate, only sushi and ginger were visible, no other side dishes.

The high-quality raw fish, which looked luxurious at a glance, was placed on top of small balls of rice. Ji Hyun picked up her chopsticks and put the most familiar halibut sushi into her mouth. The chewy raw fish and grainy rice grains went down her throat before she could even chew.

It tasted distinctly different from the sushi she occasionally bought at a discount near closing time at the supermarket. Seung Ho, who had put several pieces into his mouth in succession, nodded his head in satisfaction.

“As expected, this place has a good balance of sushi.”

In front of Ji Hyun, who was worrying about how much the bill would be while tasting the melting sushi, a large prawn was placed. Seung Ho, who gave her his portion, had a leisurely attitude as if he was the one paying.

Ji Hyun, who found his appearance somehow despicable, accepted the prawn without refusing and put it into her mouth in one bite. A deflating laughter was heard in front of her as she chewed intently.

“Eat a lot. It seems like we’ll have to work late today.”