Seo Yun entered the waiting room and immediately looked for a mirror.

“Ah, I need to look pretty.”

Assemblyman Kwak simply laughed as he watched his daughter, finding everything she did delightful.

“Are you that nervous?”

“Of course. I need to make a proper impression. On I Hyun, and of course on I Hyun’s parents.”

“They can’t help but like you.”

Just then. There was a knock, and the waiting room door swung open.

Chairman Cha appeared, followed by I Hyun, Su Hyun, and Lady Yun.

Assemblyman Kwak approached with a bright smile and greeted them.

“Chairman Cha, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule.”

Chairman Cha responded to Assemblyman Kwak’s greeting with a handshake.

“This is my one and only daughter, Seo Yun. Hahaha.”

“I enjoyed your performance.”

As Chairman Cha responded favorably, Seo Yun narrowed her eyes prettily and put on an exaggerated act.

“I was quite nervous knowing you would be here, Chairman. I’m embarrassed by my lacking performance skills.”

Though she meant it as false modesty, I Hyun didn’t miss the chance to respond with facts.

“If your skills were lacking, shouldn’t you have postponed the recital?”

His words instantly chilled the atmosphere in the waiting room.

Seo Yun also failed to maintain her expression, looking at I Hyun in disbelief before quickly smiling again. So much that her lips twitched.

“I was very nervous. If I have another chance, I’d like to give I Hyun a much better performance…”

“That’s alright. I’m not particularly interested in hearing it.”

He rejected her offer without even properly listening, causing her face to awkwardly stiffen.

Chairman Cha stepped in again, as if he had expected this.

“Our son tends to be quite direct. I’m sure he meant no harm.”

“Hahaha. One needs such candor to lead a large company. He is indeed your son, Chairman Cha.”

I Hyun lifted his wrist to check the time.

If he left now, he might be a bit late but could still have dinner with Ye Rin.

At that moment.

Someone gently grasped I Hyun’s arm.

As soon as that hand touched him, I Hyun shook it off so abruptly that the other person was embarrassed.

It was a reflexive action due to his extreme dislike of others touching his body.

When he turned his head, he saw Seo Yun’s bewildered face.

“What is it?”

“I’m grateful you came to my recital, but how about taking a picture together?”

“A picture?”

He wondered what kind of picture she meant.

Without properly hearing I Hyun’s opinion, Seo Yun took out her phone and moved closer to him.

“I’ll take it. Please look here.”

I Hyun glared at the phone in disbelief, and just before pressing the shutter button, Seo Yun leaned her shoulder against his arm and smiled brightly.

It was truly a sight to behold.

Click-

As soon as he heard that sound, I Hyun broke away from Seo Yun and frowned deeply.

Seo Yun forced a smile as she met I Hyun’s cold gaze.

“We looked too awkward in the photo.”

That’s why she had leaned on his arm.

I Hyun slightly raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “Is that supposed to be a problem?”

“We’re awkward acquaintances, so of course it would appear that way.”

Despite hearing his cold voice, Seo Yun didn’t lose heart and pretended to be cheerful.

However, Lady Yun, standing nearby, didn’t miss Seo Yun’s momentarily crumpled expression.

Seo Yun looked only at I Hyun, her eyes curving into crescents.

“Well, that’s true. We’ll just have to meet often and become close.”

“I don’t think I’ll be seeing you again.”

As I Hyun flatly refused, Assemblyman Kwak cleared his throat and interjected.

“I thought it wouldn’t be bad to form a connection with Jiseok Group on this occasion, so I asked Chairman Cha.”

Chairman Cha also nodded in agreement with Assemblyman Kwak’s words.

“It’s a great honor for our Jiseok Group to build a relationship with Assemblyman Kwak, who has the people’s support.”

“Now that we’ve made introductions like this, how about setting up a formal meeting next time, Chairman Cha?”

The answer to that proposal came from I Hyun.

“I’m seeing someone, so my elder brother can go on the matchmaking meeting.”

“Ah, no…”

“If you wanted to form a connection with Jiseok Group anyway, it shouldn’t matter, right?”

As Seo Yun’s face slightly crumpled.

Su Hyun, who had been silently observing the situation from behind, spoke with an expressionless face.

“Let’s do that.”

Since Chairman Cha had declared he would hand over Jiseok Group to the son who married first, this matchmaking was quite a good deal for Su Hyun.

Su Hyun approached Seo Yun, handed her his business card, and spoke.

“How about having dinner together tomorrow evening?”

“Ah…”

“It’s efficient to talk and part ways if we’re not compatible, to find other partners.”

Unlike I Hyun, Su Hyun was friendly towards Seo Yun, but his attitude was clearly that of seeking a marriage partner as a business associate.

‘This isn’t right.’

Seo Yun bit her lip and reluctantly accepted Su Hyun’s business card for now.

‘I wanted Cha I Hyun, why did things get so tangled?’

The thought flashed through her mind that if she didn’t make things clear here, she might end up being sold off to a man she never wanted.

So Seo Yun hurriedly called out to I Hyun.

“Director Cha I Hyun.”

“Yes.”

“Actually, I wanted to have a serious conversation with you.”

As if trying to help Seo Yun who had gathered her courage, Assemblyman Kwak also added from the side.

“That’s right. Our daughter said she fell in love at first sight after seeing Director Cha I Hyun from afar. Hahaha.”

In the chilly atmosphere, I Hyun thought for a moment and then nodded once willingly.

“Alright, let’s have that serious conversation.”

“Really?”

Seo Yun, who had been wearing a modest hanbok for her gayageum performance, disappeared for a moment, saying she would change into a dress for easier movement.

Not long after, Seo Yun appeared before I Hyun in a dress that clearly revealed her figure, smiling shyly.

“Shall we go then?”

Showing off her voluptuous figure, Seo Yun spoke kindly towards I Hyun.

“Let’s.”

I Hyun and Seo Yun moved to a nearby cafe.

“I’ll have chamomile tea. I can’t sleep well if I drink coffee in the evening.”

Seo Yun listed information that he wasn’t particularly curious about.

“And an espresso as well, please.”

The man who wanted to end this conversation quickly and leave ordered a menu item he could gulp down in one go.

In contrast, the woman who wanted to prolong this meeting as much as possible requested a hot tea that needed to cool down before drinking.

Though sitting in the same space facing each other, their reasons for menu selection were vastly different.

Before the ordered items arrived, Seo Yun tucked her fallen hair behind her ear and opened her mouth.

“It seems Chairman Cha views me favorably.”

Seeing Seo Yun cover her mouth and laugh with one hand, I Hyun only sent a cold expression.

“So.”

“Pardon?”

“What do you intend to do with my father?”

“Ah, no…”

Seo Yun widened her eyes roundly as if very flustered.

She had intended to say that our marriage seemed to be discussed quite positively between the elders of both families.

With I Hyun’s cold voice, Seo Yun could only laugh awkwardly, as if her whole body had stiffened.

“What should I do? The men in the Cha family only look at one woman.”

“…”

“I clearly said earlier. I’m seeing someone.”

I Hyun raised one corner of his mouth and drove the point home.

“So it’s better to give up any foolish thoughts you might have had.”

The person who had been constantly pouring out affectionate words when with Ye Rin was nowhere to be seen.

By this point, he thought she would understand and leave her seat.

But Seo Yun proved to be quite a formidable opponent.

Taking a deep breath, she looked straight at I Hyun and continued speaking.

“Whether Director Cha I Hyun is seeing someone or not, is that really such an important factor?”

This time, it was I Hyun who was taken aback by the brazen question.

“I’m hitting on you right now, Director Cha I Hyun. You know that, right?”

I Hyun chuckled as if finding it quite amusing.

“I know. That’s why I’m rejecting you in various ways right now.”

“…”

“I don’t know if you really don’t understand, or if you’re pretending not to understand and just trying anyway.”

I Hyun’s face wore an expression as if he found her pathetic.

“Either way, it doesn’t look good. I absolutely detest clingy women like you.”

Seo Yun’s lips parted slightly at the blunt evaluation.

For a moment, I Hyun thought of Ye Rin.

‘I wonder if Han Ye Rin felt this uncomfortable when I was persistent for a while.’

Thinking about it made him feel somewhat apologetic.

Though they’ve grown a bit closer now, he regretted the past days when he had blindly imposed and demanded only his own feelings.

What brought I Hyun, who was lost in thoughts of Ye Rin, back to reality was a sharp voice.

“Don’t tell me I’m losing to Han Ye Rin right now?”

He almost asked why she was bringing up Ye Rin’s name.

Seeing I Hyun not answering, Seo Yun let out a mirthless laugh.

“No, I’m asking because I really don’t understand. Were you two really dating?”

“That’s correct.”

Because he admitted it without excuse or denial, without a second of hesitation, she felt deflated.

“Director Cha I Hyun, I’m not lacking in any way compared to that woman, am I?”

Seo Yun straightened her shoulders, emphasizing her voluptuous figure.

Her skirt was so short that her thighs were clearly visible as she sat with her legs crossed.

However, I Hyun had never shown even a moment of interest.

“The most important difference is our backgrounds. I’m the daughter of a congressman mentioned as a potential presidential candidate. Han Ye Rin is completely bankrupt with nothing but debt, right?”

After saying those words, Seo Yun belatedly made an “Ah-” sound.

“You didn’t know by any chance? She has quite a strong sense of pride, so she doesn’t usually tell others about such sensitive matters.”

It was also a minus point that she was freely divulging what she knew to be sensitive personal information in front of I Hyun.

I Hyun, who had been silently listening to Seo Yun’s words, slowly opened his mouth.

“You seem to be quite seriously mistaken.”