Ye Rin slowly raised her head as she felt the warm sensation on the back of her hand.

Her eyes then met I Hyun’s, who was gazing intently at her.

“Why are you hesitating instead of going in?”

“I was about to go in.”

Taking a deep breath, Ye Rin opened the door with force.

And as soon as she entered, Ye Rin smiled brightly at Chan Sook’s face, which was visible.

“Mom!”

“My daughter!”

Ye Rin quickly rushed over and hugged Chan Sook, who was sitting on the hospital bed.

Chan Sook, also happy to see Ye Rin after a long time, embraced her and patted her back.

“Why has it been so long? I missed you.”

Chan Sook smiled brightly while looking at Ye Rin.

Unable to say that she couldn’t come until now because Pyeong Hun didn’t tell her where she was, Ye Rin made an excuse that she was busy.

“I had more work than expected.”

“Is that why you’ve lost even more weight?”

Chan Sook caressed Ye Rin’s cheek, then belatedly noticed the unfamiliar man who had entered with her.

Seeing his intimidating appearance, Chan Sook widened her eyes.

“Ye Rin, who is that person……”

Before Ye Rin and I Hyun could answer, Pyeong Hun, who was sitting nearby, spoke up.

“Hehe. Our Ye Rin’s boyfriend.”

“Huh? Boyfriend?”

Both Ye Rin and I Hyun looked considerably flustered.

Pyeong Hun, not sensing the atmosphere, laughed heartily as if something was very amusing.

“This man, this hospital room……”

“Mr. Han.”

I Hyun called out to Pyeong Hun softly. He stopped mid-sentence and looked at I Hyun.

“Shall we go outside and talk separately?”

Thinking it was about business talk, Pyeong Hun agreed and followed I Hyun out.

Left alone in the hospital room with Chan Sook, Ye Rin felt utterly mortified.

She had to deal with this bomb Pyeong Hun had dropped all by herself.

No, it was rather fortunate.

If Pyeong Hun had stayed, he would have said even more nonsense.

Ye Rin sat on a chair and held Chan Sook’s hand.

“Ye Rin, your boyfriend is so handsome.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. And it seems he loves you very much.”

Love.

At those absurd words, Ye Rin shook her head, saying it couldn’t be.

“No, that’s not it.”

“What do you mean, it’s not?”

Chan Sook sat up more, leaning against the bed.

“That man, he was looking only at our daughter the whole time?”

“That’s because I’m the only person he knows here.”

She needed to change the topic of conversation about I Hyun.

She asked about Chan Sook’s health condition, which she had been curious about all along.

“How’s your body, Mom?”

“It’s getting better and better. No, more than that, why did you suddenly move me to such a nice place?”

“There was a company welfare program I didn’t know about.”

“Welfare?”

Ye Rin made up the same excuse she had discussed with I Hyun in the car.

Fortunately, Chan Sook seemed to believe it.

“It’s so good to see my daughter after a long time.”

“Me too, Mom.”

Just being together like this could make one’s heart feel so at ease.

“I’ll come often from now on.”

“But you said you’re busy.”

“Still, it’s to see you, Mom.”

The mother and daughter looked at each other and talked for a long time about things they hadn’t been able to share.

It was good just to look at each other’s faces.

Enough to bring tears to their eyes.

[This is the timeline separator]

In the lounge prepared in the VIP ward.

I Hyun sat with his long legs crossed, looking down at Pyeong Hun with a cold gaze.

Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, Pyeong Hun spoke first.

“Hehe. Thank you very much for moving the hospital room. It’s so spacious I could roll around in it. Hehehe”

“Mr. Han.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“I’d like to keep it a secret that I moved her.”

“Pardon?”

“Wouldn’t she feel burdened if she knew?”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Hehehe.”

“Let’s wrap it up as if it was moved as part of the welfare program of the company where Ye Rin works.”

Pyeong Hun nodded.

It didn’t matter who moved the hospital room or who would pay for it in the future.

“By the way, what should I call you?”

In a roundabout way, he was asking what kind of person spends money so freely like this.

I Hyun took out a business card from his wallet and placed it on the table with a thud.

Pyeong Hun picked up the business card as if entranced and read his position.

“Director Cha I Hyun of Jiseok Electronics?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my. I thought you must be a high-ranking person.”

After receiving the business card, Pyeong Hun bowed even more deeply.

Come to think of it, the name and face seemed familiar from somewhere.

“Oh?”

Pyeong Hun finally put the puzzle pieces together and stood up abruptly.

“Could you possibly be that Director Cha I Hyun, one of the heirs to Jiseok Electronics?”

Pyeong Hun’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

Unlike the flustered Pyeong Hun, I Hyun’s face remained expressionless.

Like someone who had met many such people and become immune.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Pyeong Hun covered his mouth with both hands.

He thought he was an impressive person, but to think he could be the future heir to the Jiseok Group.

“Oh my. I didn’t realize.”

To think he had spoken casually to such an extraordinary person, pretending to be the elder.

It was truly a past he wanted to erase.

As he was pondering what other mistakes he might have made,

I Hyun whispered coldly.

“Why didn’t you tell our Ye Rin which hospital Mrs. Park was admitted to all this time?”

Pyeong Hun gulped.

“Well, that’s…”

He quickly thought of an excuse.

“I thought our Ye Rin might feel burdened……”

“I heard Ye Rin paid all the hospital bills.”

“Ah, you’re already talking about such things.”

“Of course. We’re close, aren’t we?”

Pyeong Hun’s face was tensed up.

I Hyun stood up and drove the point home.

“If any attempt to secretly hide Mrs. Park is discovered…”

“Oh, that won’t happen.”

Pyeong Hun waved both hands frantically.

He probably wouldn’t even think of it, but he didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he did.

“I think I would be very disappointed.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

“I can’t just stand by and watch my woman get upset or sad.”

The cold gaze was now directed at Pyeong Hun.

He didn’t need to imagine deeply to know what would happen if he went against this extraordinary man.

Pyeong Hun nodded vigorously, agreeing with I Hyun’s words.

“So, let’s cooperate, Mr. Han.”

“Yes, yes. That will absolutely never happen.”

There was no need to threaten Ye Rin by preventing her from seeing Chan Sook anymore.

Rather, it would be more effective to carefully cater to Ye Rin and I Hyun’s wishes.

“I always want my woman to see only good things and experience only good things.”

Though his tone was gentle, I Hyun’s eyes warning him were so cold.

Pyeong Hun stood frozen in front of him, as if turned to stone.

All he could do was nod vigorously, agreeing that everything I Hyun said was correct.

[This is the timeline separator]

By the time they left Chan Sook’s hospital, quite some time had passed.

I Hyun opened the passenger door, making it convenient for Ye Rin to get in.

As he started the car, I Hyun spoke.

“Our date today was longer than expected.”

As he said, the time spent at the hospital was quite long.

Meeting Chan Sook after a long time and talking about various things, they didn’t realize how much time had passed.

“You must have been bored waiting.”

“Not at all. It was enjoyable listening to your conversation from the side.”

I Hyun had occasionally smiled at the conversation between Chan Sook and Ye Rin in the hospital room earlier.

I Hyun looked at the clock in the car and quickly finished his calculation.

“Since we spent three hours together at the hospital today, it seems we don’t need to date tomorrow and the day after.”

Originally, Ye Rin would have cheered with joy at those words, but not today.

For some reason, she felt regretful.

And today wasn’t really a date in the true sense.

I Hyun had just been listening to the conversation between mother and daughter reuniting.

Ye Rin cautiously asked.

“Is it because you’re busy, Director?”

“We’re still on a date.”

Ye Rin belatedly corrected her form of address.

“Ah, I Hyun……”

“That sounds much better. I can always make time for Han Ye Rin, but it doesn’t seem like you can.”

He meant he would stick strictly to the time specified in the contract, thinking Ye Rin might feel uncomfortable otherwise.

Ye Rin fell into thought for a moment.

At this rate, it didn’t seem like proper dating practice or anything else would work out.

Especially since they could use up the one hour of daily dating time just during the commute after work.

If an hour passes while having a meal, it would be strange to leave in the middle of eating.

Above all, Ye Rin had already received too much through this contract.

After facing Chan Sook, the wall she had put up against I Hyun was slowly crumbling.

It felt like receiving an unexpected gift.

Since she had received so much, it seemed right to properly give I Hyun what he wanted.

It absolutely wasn’t because she was reluctant to part with I Hyun.

Ye Rin glanced at I Hyun’s face as he drove and spoke up.

“I Hyun, shall we modify our contract a little?”

“Was there a clause that bothered you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my. You should have said something.”

I Hyun waited for her to speak, intending to listen to everything Ye Rin had to say.

Just then, I Hyun’s car arrived in front of Ye Rin’s house.

I Hyun looked disappointed.

“It’s a shame to let Han Ye Rin go like this, but a contract is a contract. Let’s discuss the details tomorrow.”

However, Ye Rin didn’t get out.

I Hyun stared at her quizzically.

Ye Rin gripped her seatbelt tightly with both hands and spoke.

“I Hyun, if you have time today.”

“……”

“Would you like to come up to my place for a moment?”

I Hyun’s eyes narrowed sideways.

Ye Rin quickly spoke up, worried that I Hyun might misunderstand.

“I thought it might be better to adjust the contract clauses today.”

Saying there was no other intention at all, Ye Rin looked at I Hyun with an innocent face.

Hiss-

A low sigh escaped I Hyun’s lips.

Then he unfastened his seatbelt with a click.

“Han Ye Rin, this is why I’m crazy about you.”