“Director, I think it would be better if you heard my decision when it’s time to leave work.”

“Are you saying that’s better for me, or that the secretary Han thinks that’s better?”

Strictly speaking, it was both.

She was planning to tell I Hyun that she wouldn’t engage in fake dating.

It was better for both I Hyun and herself to hear that story as late as possible.

“Director, first of all, I’ve come to work and it’s now business hours.”

I Hyun stared intently at Ye Rin as if telling her to go on.

“So I think it’s right to talk about work now.”

I Hyun smirked as if taken aback by Ye Rin’s bold words.

“That’s right. Unfortunately, it’s work hours now.”

“Yes.”

Right, who could say anything if she just wanted to work at the company?

Ye Rin greatly praised her own quick thinking.

Not knowing that it would soon bring about tremendous repercussions.

I Hyun began to carefully examine the schedule Ye Rin had delivered again.

It seems he finally felt like working.

“I understand Secretary Han’s opinion.”

Ye Rin inwardly rejoiced.

The problem is that joy didn’t even last for 1 second.

“Just work at the company. Let’s talk about our personal matters after work. Right?”

“Pardon?”

I Hyun smiled slightly, having drawn his own conclusion.

“I really hired a good secretary. Now then, start briefing me on the schedule.”

This time it was Ye Rin who hesitated.

“Just a moment, Director.”

I Hyun took his eyes off the paper again and slowly raised his head.

“Are you saying we’ll see each other after work?”

“You said so, Secretary Han.”

“Pardon? When did I?”

“You just said it earlier. That you only want to talk about work at the company.”

That was…

She had said that because she felt awkward about expressing her refusal to fake date right now!

She wanted to shout that but held it in.

It seemed she had once again been thoroughly caught up in I Hyun’s pace today.

Ye Rin let out a short breath and corrected the true meaning of what she had said.

“I didn’t mean to say we should meet separately after work.”

“That’s how I heard it though.”

“I didn’t mean that…”

“There are a lot of meetings today.”

I Hyun seemed to really only want to talk about work as he changed the subject to the schedule.

Since she couldn’t keep bringing up other topics as his secretary, Ye Rin had no choice but to start explaining the schedule.

“Your schedule ends with attending the planning team meeting at 5 PM.”

“Secretary Han, there’s one schedule you’ve missed.”

Missed?

She had checked several times before coming in.

Wondering if a schedule had been added in the meantime, Ye Rin cautiously asked.

“If there’s a schedule I don’t know about, I’d appreciate if you could let me know. I’ll update it right away.”

“It’s something Secretary Han knows too.”

‘Something I know?’

Though she hadn’t intentionally left it out, sweat trickled down her back at the thought that I Hyun might think she had.

Secretary Choi had said that I Hyun absolutely hated secretaries who couldn’t do their job.

Not wanting to be such a person, Ye Rin quickly spoke up.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t intentionally fail to update it.”

I Hyun smiled dizzily while tapping his desk with his index finger.

“A very important dinner appointment is missing.”

Ye Rin tilted her head.

There were no separate dinner meetings scheduled for I Hyun today.

“You didn’t have any separate dinner appointments scheduled for today, Director…”

“One came up. Earlier.”

“Pardon?”

“Why are you pretending not to know? Secretary Han, didn’t we agree to have dinner together after work?”

“…”

Ye Rin tightly gripped the diary she was holding.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“When… I never said I’d have dinner, I just said we’d talk when it’s time to leave work.”

I Hyun’s brow furrowed slightly.

“So you’ll have that conversation with me.”

“Yes.”

“You said you didn’t want to at the company. Then should we do it at home?”

“No?”

“So.”

Ye Rin now understood I Hyun’s last words.

So he meant it would be best to talk over a meal.

“Director, I’m sorry but I have prior plans this evening.”

I Hyun’s eyebrows twitched upwards.

“Ah, please know that I’m absolutely not making excuses because I don’t want to have dinner with you.”

She had plans to meet Na Ri in the evening.

Na Ri had insisted on meeting right away, dying of curiosity about what happened at the party that day for I Hyun to be looking for a woman resembling Ye Rin, and that appointment was for tonight.

“Who are you meeting?”

“A friend…”

“A man?”

“No! A female friend.”

At the word ‘female’, I Hyun’s expression softened more than before.

“I see. Secretary Han needs to socialize too. I can’t monopolize you.”

“Are you understanding?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you.”

Though she wasn’t sure why she had to express gratitude to I Hyun for guaranteeing her own evening time.

Anyway, she was grateful that he didn’t forcibly tell her to cancel that appointment.

“Where are you meeting?”

“At the S Hotel restaurant…”

Before she knew it, Ye Rin had answered I Hyun’s question straightforwardly, then promptly shut her lips.

“I see.”

‘Surely he wouldn’t come there? He’s a busy person.’

As if to show that Ye Rin’s thoughts were unfounded, I Hyun straightened his back and sat upright in his chair, seeming unattached.

Ye Rin had put stars next to the important schedules I Hyun absolutely mustn’t forget, and also left sticky note memos on top.

I Hyun’s gaze fixed on those memos.

“If you’re done briefing the schedule, you can go now, Secretary Han. I think I can grasp everything from looking at this.”

“Yes, Director.”

After sending Ye Rin out, I Hyun couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“Even the handwriting is so like Secretary Han.”

I Hyun peeled off the sticky note and held it up close to his face.

Then he opened his desk drawer and took out the memo he had been preciously keeping.

It was the memo left behind by the woman who disappeared that day.

“The handwriting is the same.”

Laughter kept spilling out.

“It’s not just the handwriting that’s the same.”

Whether his eyes were closed or open, lately all his thoughts were of Ye Rin.

When he went to ask the Cheto brand CEO about that woman, Ye Rin’s figure was reflected in the glass conference room.

Ye Rin kept shaking her head while making an X with her hands in front of her chest.

She was probably telling him not to reveal the important information that Kim Na Ri, the Cheto brand CEO, knew.

Seeing that, he barely held back the laughter that was about to burst out.

How long could Ye Rin hide that she was that woman?

That was also an interesting factor.

He was also curious why Ye Rin wasn’t revealing that she was that woman.

Until now, I Hyun had only seen women who tried to get on his good side.

Because of that, Ye Rin, who didn’t mention that day’s events first until the end, was enough to pique I Hyun’s interest.

That’s why he had proposed the absurd fake dating.

And in fact, he really couldn’t forget that night more than that.

To be precise, the woman who disappeared, Ye Rin.

He wanted to keep her by his side and get to know her more.

What that nonsensical feeling he felt for that woman was.

To keep her close and see her often, it seemed he had to do this fake dating or whatever it was, no matter what.

The more private entanglements, the better after all.

I Hyun carefully stored away the memo left by the disappeared woman and the sticky note Ye Rin had given him, pulling up the corners of his mouth.

“This will soon be evidence.”

Even when Ye Rin reported that she was leaving work, I Hyun showed a kind smile and let her go.

Though it made her uneasy, she was glad to be able to get away for now.

‘I still haven’t told the Director I won’t do the fake dating.’

Thinking I Hyun had roughly understood by intuition, Ye Rin headed to S Hotel with light steps.

Thanks to Na Ri’s reservation, she was guided to a private room upon entering the restaurant.

“Hey, Han Ye Rin!”

“Na Ri.”

Na Ri spread her arms wide in welcome as Ye Rin opened the door and came inside.

Ye Rin also hugged her and sat down.

“I really have so much I want to ask you.”

“Let’s eat first.”

The two ordered pasta and waited for it to come out.

“Why on earth is Director Cha I Hyun looking for a woman who resembles you?”

“Sigh.”

Just thinking about it made her head throb again.

“Na Ri, listen and don’t be surprised.”

“Seems like it’ll be shocking. Okay. I’m mentally prepared.”

“Actually, with our Director…”

Ye Rin spilled everything that had happened that day.

And how she unintentionally came face to face with I Hyun again when her original boss was disciplined.

Na Ri’s mouth gaped open and couldn’t close.

“That’s crazy. So he’s telling you to find that woman?”

“Yeah.”

“But that woman is you.”

“Of course I can’t say that.”

“Why? Tell him proudly!”

“I can’t.”

Ye Rin explained again in detail why she couldn’t do that.

Adding that I Hyun had said he would hold her accountable for all the damage caused by not doing her work properly if that woman showed up.

“That’s the situation?”

“Yeah.”

“It is troublesome.”

Na Ri ran a hand through her hair, seeming to sympathize with Ye Rin’s predicament.

“But I thought of a good solution.”

“What is it?”

Na Ri told her to come closer and whispered in Ye Rin’s ear.

“No way. You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious.”

There wasn’t a hint of humor on Na Ri’s face.

“How about it, don’t you think you won’t have to look for the disappeared woman if you use the method I suggested?”

“No way. How could we do such a thing?”

“If you properly seduce the Director, the situation will change, I’m telling you.”

“You want me to make him forget that woman by doing that?”

“Exactly.”

Ye Rin shook her head with a resolute face.

“I can’t do that.”

The more she got entangled with I Hyun, the more the situation was flowing in unexpected directions.

That’s why it was best to avoid creating contact points with him as much as possible.

“I really just want to run away.”

Ye Rin let out a deep sigh, thinking of her position where she could neither do this nor that.

Though no one had set a trap, she felt like she had unknowingly fallen into one.