Ji Hyun looked at the exterior of the hotel where the party was being held with eyes unable to hide her nervousness.

‘I’ve only seen scenes like this in dramas……’

In the end, the day had come. Ji Hyun put effort into hiding her trembling pupils. The current situation didn’t feel real. Today was the day of the Shin Yang ES party hosted by Myung Ho.

Clearly, she had been carrying an eco-bag up until going to work, but the luxury brand mini clutch bag now in her hand blurred her sense of reality.

While blankly staring at the symbol engraved on the clutch, Seung Ho, who had been behind her, passed her. Then he spun his body around to meet her gaze.

“What are you doing there?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

As Ji Hyun lifted her head, her breath caught. Suddenly her shoulders felt stiff upon seeing him. It was where Seung Ho had wrapped his hands around her while selecting clothes a few days ago. Reproach towards the employees was evident in his eyes as he picked up the black dress.

“With that level of recommendation sense……”

The manager’s eyes trembled as if doused with cold water at his icy voice. The fact that she was a manager famous for discriminating against customers was something Ji Hyun only found out later.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

From the shoes to the clutch she would carry, Seung Ho personally selected everything. The white-gloved employees exchanged glances in discomfort, but none of them could bring themselves to stop him.

“You memorized the information on the party attendees well, right?”

With his hair styled up with pomade and wearing a suit, Seung Ho, who stood slanted while looking at her, seemed like today’s protagonist to anyone.

The suit design that accentuated the lines of his body and made him look sleek, along with the cufflinks of the same brand slightly peeking out from the end of his sleeves, made even his trivial hand movements look elegant.

It was the only suit brand Ji Hyun knew. It was a suit brand rumored that it absolutely doesn’t suit anyone unless their body line is exceptionally good, and she had unwillingly seen photos of it to the point of getting sick because the actor Mi Ri liked wore it.

Therefore, Ji Hyun could assert. That suit, which not just anyone could wear, suited Seung Ho much better than the actor. When the answer he wanted didn’t come back, Seung Ho’s straight brows slightly furrowed as he had been waiting.

“Are you listening to me?”

Ji Hyun’s eyes slightly shook as she was pulled out of her thoughts. Unlike him who looked very relaxed, her own appearance, full of tension, was so contrasting that she felt shabby to the point of comparison.

“Y-yeah. Of course.”

“Doesn’t seem like you were listening?”

“No, I heard everything.”

Though his expression was doubtful, he didn’t add anything else. Seung Ho, who had been walking a few steps ahead, abruptly stopped. His dissatisfied eyes turned towards Ji Hyun.

“Did you commit a sin against me or something?”

“What do you mean by that?”

As Ji Hyun was flustered, he jerked his head towards his side.

“Don’t walk behind me, come next to me.”

“……Huh?”

“You’re not some servant attending to me, so why are you following behind?”

‘If a personal secretary isn’t a servant, then what are they?’

In the moment she was pondering, Seung Ho seemed to decide it wouldn’t do and approached where Ji Hyun was. As he stood next to her, a faint mint scent tickled the tip of her nose.

“Seriously, there’s just something about you that provokes people’s moods……”

Ji Hyun felt like her face kept heating up, so she lightly touched her cheek with the back of her hand.

“The blankly walking ends here too. Once we go in, you need to get it together properly.”

Seung Ho, who had lowered his upper body and muttered as if whispering, straightened his waist. Ji Hyun looked up at the unfamiliar man standing next to her.

The delinquent and slanted appearance he had shown at the hotel entrance had disappeared at some point, and next to her stood a man who was dignified and arrogant to the bone.

The staff checking the invitations one by one at the party entrance immediately opened the door upon seeing Seung Ho.

Ji Hyun repeated the last words he had whispered softly.

“You’re my partner today.”

Everyone’s attention was now focused on the two who had just entered through the entrance. Towards Seung Ho, it was a gaze filled with admiration and delight, and towards Ji Hyun, it was a gaze with the question, ‘Who is she?’

“Hey, who’s this? Isn’t it my younger brother Seung Ho?”

A thick voice welcomed Seung Ho from afar. It was Myung Ho holding a martini glass with an olive.

Unlike his welcoming voice, his face towards Seung Ho was sullen as if seeing an uninvited guest. As people’s gazes dispersed at the meeting between brothers, Myung Ho finally revealed his true nasty face.

“What brings you all the way here? Oh, did I send you an invitation? Or did Manager Yoon take it upon himself to send it?”

It was an outright statement that he was an uninvited guest, but Seung Ho retorted without batting an eye.

“Was an invitation necessary to come here? I thought all major shareholders were told to come, so I came.”

“Ah, then that’s a relief. I almost fired an innocent employee.”

Myung Ho said as he poured the martini into his mouth. It was clear hostility. Seung Ho lifted one corner of his beautiful lips. He knew very well how to provoke his brother. Talking back to him, who had a poor head, was a waste of time.

“I get your intention, but isn’t it a bit obvious?”

“Isn’t it the classics that are eternal?”

Seung Ho’s dry eyes passed the disgustingly smiling Myung Ho and headed towards the chandelier.

“It’s too crude to package obvious tricks as classics.”

“Wh-what?”

Myung Ho, who had been smiling glossily until a moment ago, flared up at the word crude, veins popping on his forehead. Seung Ho took a step back and lowly instructed Ji Hyun.

“A glass of champagne, please.”

Even though there were servers walking around with drinks, there was a hidden intention in having Ji Hyun do it.

It meant that while he was holding Myung Ho back, she should go around the party hall and check on the profiles of the guests attending the party.

Ji Hyun nodded and left her spot. Myung Ho, who instinctively recognized a beauty, whistled while looking at Ji Hyun’s back.

It was as if he had completely forgotten the memory of getting beaten up badly when he tried to mess with her at the mansion before, unable to take his eyes off Ji Hyun as she disappeared.

“Who is she? A new actress? Even you can’t help but pay attention to women, I see.”

Seung Ho swallowed a bitter smile. He was disgusted by the revolting desire scanning women even in this situation.

Ji Hyun, who had walked into the crowd, swallowed a sigh. Just because she had come with Shin Seung Ho, unwanted gazes poured onto her. The gazes that had been somewhat cautious when she was with him became even more blatant when she was alone.

Tension caused sweat to form on her hand gripping the clutch. However, she couldn’t just keep her head down because it was burdensome.

Enduring the unfamiliar gazes directed at her, Ji Hyun slowly looked around at the guests. More people attended the party where major shareholders were invited than expected.

From politicians hoping for political donations to people from the legal circles trying to expand their connections, they were busy introducing themselves to each other with excited faces.

‘Should I go back now?’

Having grasped the fact that most of the important figures had attended, Ji Hyun was concerned about Seung Ho.

What would it feel like to have to point swords at each other as family?

It was something she couldn’t even imagine. The moment she turned around to go back the way she came, Ji Hyun encountered an unexpected person.

“Choi Ji Hyun?”

“Ha Jun? Why are you……”

Ha Jun was looking at Ji Hyun with a surprised face.

The party attended with Min Woo was just as difficult and boring as law school. Anxious that Shin Seung Ho wasn’t showing up early, Ha Jun downed two glasses of champagne in a row.

“Hey, that’s not children’s champagne. Be careful not to get drunk by keeping drinking it because it’s sweet.”

Min Woo snatched the glass from Ha Jun’s hand.

“You act all grown-up by yourself, but you’re a complete novice, aren’t you?”

Ha Jun raised his eyes at Min Woo’s words, smirking and teasing him.

“Novice?”

“What’s the use of just studying hard? It’s so obvious that you’re not used to events like this.”

Ha Jun couldn’t refute Min Woo’s words that there was some truth to them.

Unlike himself who was awkward and uncomfortable, the kids he had seen a few times at peer gatherings were naturally greeting and conversing, enjoying the party.

“You know you need to get used to events like this now, right?”

Of course he knew. It was also an event his father wanted him to attend.

“I’m not sure.”

‘My friends don’t know about events like this……’

Ha Jun thought of Mi Ri and Ji Hyun. Just as he was thinking it was fortunate that a life like a moth mindlessly flocking to anything flashy hadn’t reached them, Min Woo hit Ha Jun’s back, pointing in the direction that had become noisy.

“Looks like Shin Seung Ho finally arrived.”

“How do you know?”

“People start whispering when he comes. Just like that.”

“Ha, what a great protagonist.”

Ha Jun sneered. In contrast, Min Woo, who had been looking somewhere, turned pale and hastened his steps.

“I need to go see what kind of fight Myung Ho hyung is picking. Though it’s not like he’ll be able to get anything out of it anyway. You stay here. Seung Ho might just go home if he’s in a bad mood, regardless of conversation or whatnot.”

“What? What do you mean! Hey, Shin Min Woo!”

Ha Jun called out to Min Woo in bewilderment, but he had already disappeared into the crowd. It was suffocating. The uncomfortable tie that was already bothering him choked his neck.

As he touched the shirt stuck to his neck and took steps towards where Min Woo had left, a familiar silhouette caught his eye.

The white skin that stood out even more in the elegantly flowing black dress, the long, light brown hair, the large eyes looking at him.

Surprisingly, Ji Hyun was there.

“It’s really surprising to see you here. What brings you here?”

At Ji Hyun’s words, clearly delighted, Ha Jun just smiled brightly. The space that felt like it would suffocate him to death loosened up a bit as she appeared.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that?”

“Ah…….”

A look of difficulty arose in Ji Hyun’s eyes.

“I’m here for work.”

Cracks formed on the smiling face.

If it was for work, it meant she had come with Shin Seung Ho.

Ji Hyun poked her head out and looked around, then asked for his understanding.

“Ha Jun, I should get going now. It was nice to see you.”

“Wait a minute, Ji Hyun.”

Ha Jun hurriedly grabbed Ji Hyun’s wrist. It was too regrettable to let her go like this. He wanted to tell her directly. That she was so beautiful today, so shamelessly, he wanted to be with her a bit longer……

The moment he mustered up the courage to open his mouth, a shadow fell behind Ha Jun.

“Let go of that wrist before you talk. You’re not some ruffian.”

The low-pitched voice that was nice to hear was endlessly chilly and threatening.