‘When did you see that again.’

Ye Rin tried to pretend to be calm.

“I was just thinking of leaving because the place was boring.”

“Is that so?”

The man took a sip of champagne.

Yet he did not take his eyes off Ye Rin.

“Strange. It seemed like you were trying to run away as soon as our eyes met.”

Ye Rin gulped at his words that hit the mark.

He was right.

Their eyes had met and she had immediately tried to leave.

She was completely flustered as she had no idea he would ask so persistently.

“You must have seen wrong. That didn’t happen.”

“I see.”

“Yes, why would I specifically look at you and run away?”

It was a statement made to give certainty.

The man swirled the glass of champagne and agreed with what Ye Rin said.

“Exactly. That’s why it’s even stranger.”

“……”

“Have we met somewhere before?”

Ye Rin’s eyelashes fluttered.

Have we met before? Of course.

The man is Cha I Hyun, the head of the Display Business Division at Jiseok Electronics where Ye Rin works.

Although he wasn’t her direct superior, she had seen him a few times around the company.

Even if one wasn’t working at Jiseok Electronics, there probably wouldn’t be a single Korean citizen who didn’t know I Hyun.

His looks were outstanding enough to surpass most celebrities by far.

Every business I Hyun touched quickly turned from deficit to surplus and soon dominated the domestic market.

In other words, I Hyun was an unrealistic man.

Unlike I Hyun, she was just an employee at Jiseok Electronics who he didn’t even know existed.

She had no connection with I Hyun and had never been involved with him for work.

‘Ah, there was one time though.’

Last year at Jiseok Electronics’ foundation day, I Hyun had spilled wine on Ye Rin’s dress.

Apologizing, I Hyun had come to find her the next day, telling her to claim dry cleaning costs and giving her the jacket he was wearing.

She hadn’t returned that jacket and hadn’t claimed the dry cleaning costs either.

There was no need to go that far after all.

Ye Rin asserted that a man who moves on a minute-by-minute schedule would absolutely never remember such a trivial incident.

So she answered with a soft smile on her lips.

“We haven’t.”

“Is that so? Why do I feel like we’ve met before?”

Moreover, today she had put on much heavier makeup than usual and was wearing a wig.

She could assert that he would never recognize her.

“You don’t seem to be one of the women I’ve had a matchmaking meeting with.”

I Hyun tapped the table as if trying hard to remember.

But still unable to recall, he smiled brightly.

Round light bulbs were shining brilliantly behind I Hyun’s face.

As if he was emanating a halo.

She must have been staring at I Hyun’s face too intently without realizing it.

The corners of I Hyun’s lips curved upwards.

“You seem to like what you see.”

“Pardon?”

“You keep looking as if you’ve fallen for me.”

As she had felt earlier, he was a very straightforward man.

Ye Rin smiled softly without realizing it.

Would there be any woman who wouldn’t fall for that handsome face up close?

She had that thought for a brief moment.

“It seems I’m to your liking.”

Taking her smile as favorable, I Hyun smiled in return.

Ye Rin nodded slightly.

“Not bad.”

It seemed she had gained courage because I Hyun didn’t recognize her.

The ridiculously elaborate makeup Na Ri had done for her and the wig she had suddenly put on also supported her courage.

And she wanted to stop recalling the impossible scenes that kept coming to mind when she was alone.

The desire to meet a wonderful man, even if just for tonight, rather than a pathetic man falling for friend Seo Yun’s malicious temptation, was slowly raising its head.

Ye Rin usually never touched alcohol.

Perhaps because of the champagne she had been sipping, feeling awkward being alone on this wide rooftop, she was slowly getting tipsy.

‘What would it feel like to spend the night with such a wonderful man.’

So she had thoughts she wouldn’t normally have and harbored desires.

A question that hadn’t passed through her brain popped out from Ye Rin’s red lips.

“What if I say I like you?”

I Hyun raised his eyebrows as if finding it interesting.

“I’d willingly give.”

“Give what……”

“Myself.”

“What?”

“It means I’ll properly serve you tonight, as payment for helping me drive away that annoying woman earlier.”

Ye Rin’s lips slowly parted.

“You said you were going to leave here.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go together.”

“What?”

I Hyun took a step closer and slowly scanned Ye Rin’s face.

Surprisingly, that intensely lingering gaze wasn’t unpleasant.

“If it weren’t for you, I would still be stuck with that woodpecker-like woman.”

“Ah, that’s fine. I was helped earlier too, and I helped you because you looked very troubled.”

“Are you usually this kind?”

“Well, if someone needs a partner?”

At those words, I Hyun’s eyes grew even more intense.

“I still need you.”

“What?”

“I think I’ve fallen for you at first sight.”

I Hyun was a man who blurted out such honest words without hesitation.

“I want to spend the night with you.”

“……”

I Hyun gently pulled the champagne glass that Ye Rin was still holding tightly.

Her grip loosened and Ye Rin let go of the glass.

After putting the champagne glass on the table, I Hyun stared at Ye Rin’s hand still floating in the air for a moment.

Then he asked in a polite voice.

“I’m going to hold your hand.”

I Hyun grabbed Ye Rin’s hand and pulled her towards him.

Before she could refuse, Ye Rin found herself leaving the rooftop with him.

I Hyun got on the elevator, tagged the key, and pressed the floor with the suite rooms.

Then he handed the key to Ye Rin.

“The final choice is yours.”

Ye Rin took the key with a dazed expression.

Right on cue, the elevator stopped.

I Hyun asked with a relaxed face what she was going to do.

Ye Rin looked at the key in her hand once, then at I Hyun’s handsome face once.

Then she quickly made a decision.

Ye Rin got off the elevator before I Hyun.

I Hyun followed behind her and stretched out his long arm.

She thought he was going to take the hotel room key, but I Hyun’s hand reached for Ye Rin’s waist.

Due to I Hyun pulling with force, Ye Rin lost her balance for a moment and fell into his arms.

Ye Rin looked up at I Hyun with a nervous face.

I Hyun slowly moved his hand holding Ye Rin’s waist.

It was a rhythmic movement, as if playing the piano.

“Um……”

“Now……”

I Hyun and Ye Rin spoke at the same time.

There was a brief gap in the intensely heated atmosphere.

“Go ahead.”

“No, you speak first.”

“Not ‘you’, it’s Cha I Hyun.”

“Ah, yes.”

Although it was a name she knew, Ye Rin nodded as if hearing it for the first time and engraved it in her mind.

“I’m curious about your name.”

“I’m……”

Hesitating, Ye Rin bit her lip slightly as she broke away from I Hyun’s embrace.

“Do we really need to know names?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to exchange unnecessary information.”

It was said out of concern for any possible consequences.

But that seemed to have stimulated I Hyun.

“Interesting.”

I Hyun took Ye Rin’s hand again and strode towards his hotel room.

As soon as he tagged the key and the door opened, I Hyun pulled her into his arms again.

Soon after, I Hyun’s hot breath poured over Ye Rin’s face.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“……”

“I feel like it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”

I Hyun’s words were just the preview.

[This is the timeline separator]

I Hyun slowly lifted his eyelids to the sound of rain incessantly tapping on the window.

Perhaps because it was raining, it was still dark and gloomy outside.

They had said there would be a shower, and that weather forecast had been exactly right.

Whether it rained a lot or not.

I Hyun turned his head, naturally expecting the woman he had spent the night with to be lying next to him.

However, only an empty space greeted I Hyun.

“Did she go to wash up?”

Looking at the clock, it wasn’t even five in the morning yet.

Thinking that surely the woman wouldn’t have left at such an early hour, I Hyun pulled himself out of bed.

Usually when at home, he preferred not wearing anything, but now he wasn’t alone.

Thinking of the woman who might be surprised to see him, I Hyun, though annoyed, took out and put on a robe.

All the while admiring his own thoughtfulness.

“Since I don’t know her name, I can’t call out to her.”

Last night, that woman hadn’t revealed her name or any personal information.

That made her even more mysteriously charming.

“I’ll have to ask today.”

With such grand thoughts, I Hyun opened the bedroom door and glanced at the living room.

“She’s not here.”

Well.

It would be strange for her to be sitting on the living room sofa waiting for him at this early hour.

Then the last remaining option was the bathroom.

He searched all the numerous bathrooms in the spacious suite, but couldn’t find the woman.

“Did she run off?”

Even after opening every single door, there was still no trace of her.

“Huh.”

A soft sigh escaped involuntarily out of disbelief.

The very reason he had bothered to put on a robe and come out had become completely useless.

I Hyun roughly ran his hand through his bangs as he faced the unbelievable scene.

“Why.”

There was only one question.

I Hyun had let the woman go at almost three in the morning.

When she pleaded that she really couldn’t go on anymore, I Hyun still had energy left but exercised some gentlemanly consideration.

And then he had fallen asleep for a bit.

In those two hours, the woman had disappeared.

Ah, rather than disappeared, it would be more accurate to say she had run off.

I Hyun took out a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and gulped it down.

Yet his thirst wouldn’t subside.

Right on cue, thunder rumbled and crashed outside.

The gloomy weather matched I Hyun’s current mood perfectly.

I Hyun made his way back to the bedroom.

When he turned on the light, something shiny on the bed caught his eye.

“What’s this?”

Upon closer inspection, it was a gold ring.

Recalling, it was the ring that had been on the index finger of that woman who had disappeared, no, who had devoured him and run off.

“Did she leave it on purpose?”

Asking to be found?

Another version of Cinderella leaving her shoe behind?

With that thought, I Hyun slowly scanned the bedroom again.

Come to think of it, there was something placed on the table in the corner of the bedroom.

I Hyun approached and picked up the note.

Something was written in delicate handwriting resembling the woman.

“Did she leave her contact information because she was busy?”

However, what was written was different from I Hyun’s expectation.

[It was enjoyable.]