“You don’t seem to be facing reality.”

“What did you say?”

“Why does the family background of the woman I’m meeting matter so much?”

I Hyun let out a snicker, as if finding it more amusing the more he thought about it.

“No matter what her background is, if she has me, she’ll soon have Jiseok Group.”

At those words, Seo Yun’s lips began to tremble.

“There’s no background more impressive than Jiseok Group in Korea.”

I Hyun seemed intent on pointing out each of the nonsensical things Seo Yun had said.

“And from head to toe. You cannot be compared to Han Ye Rin. Don’t you really know?”

How could someone like you be compared to that beautiful woman.

Still, out of consideration for the other person, he swallowed those words.

“And I place a lot of importance on personality.”

“Then Ye Rin is even more unsuitable.”

This time, I Hyun gazed at Seo Yun with deep eyes, as if curious to hear what she would say next.

“Han Ye Rin has been coveting what’s mine since high school. Well. I suppose everything I carried must have looked pretty to her.”

“Is that so.”

I Hyun slowly rubbed his eyebrow with his index finger as he continued.

“Isn’t it the opposite?”

“……”

“I heard you’ve stolen so many of our Ye Rin’s men.”

“W-what are you talking about!”

I Hyun had no reason to listen to any more nonsense in this place.

He stood up, buttoned his jacket, and coldly stared at Seo Yun.

“I deeply detest people who don’t know their place and are consumed by greed.”

“……”

“I wonder if this is enough for you to understand why I’m rejecting you.”

Even if she didn’t understand, he had no intention of trying to persuade her further.

If he had spent these wasted ten minutes with Ye Rin. The laughter would have been endless.

I Hyun turned around with a face devoid of any lingering attachment and left the cafe.

Seo Yun clenched her fists tightly as she glared at the door through which I Hyun had disappeared.

“Han Ye Rin, just how much have you been badmouthing me?”

Without even thinking about her own past actions.

She only thought it was because Ye Rin had manipulated I Hyun to her side.

However, she couldn’t give up here.

Men easily obtained are easily lost interest in.

That’s how it had been with all the men Ye Rin had dated.

They would fall so easily after she smiled sweetly and acted cute a few times in front of them.

Hui Jun, whom Ye Rin had dated recently, was the same.

To Seo Yun, who had only seen such men, I Hyun was even more attractive.

Even his sharp words, uttered out of disinterest in her, sounded wonderful.

Perhaps it was due to I Hyun’s outstanding looks and brilliant background.

It was an undeniable fact that I Hyun was the most exceptional man Seo Yun had ever met in her life, in all aspects.

Seo Yun slightly curled up the corners of her mouth as she picked up her phone.

“Since I Hyun is so steadfast, I’ll have to make Han Ye Rin tire of him first and leave his side.”

It had been too easy until now.

Thinking this, Seo Yun busily fiddled with her phone.

A bar filled with the sound of boisterous music and surrounding conversations.

Na Ri and Ye Rin sat in a corner, taking a sip of freshly poured draft beer.

“How are things going with the director?”

At that question, Ye Rin hesitated for a moment.

She couldn’t say that she was making a lot of effort to ensure that I Hyun could date without any issues when the woman he had been so desperately searching for appeared.

Moreover, how could she possibly say the nonsensical thing about becoming I Hyun’s fake dating partner?

“Just the same as always.”

“I heard your director is also under quite a bit of pressure from his family to get married. Isn’t that why he went to Kwak Seo Yun’s recital today?”

Ye Rin agreed with Na Ri’s words.

Especially since Seo Yun was the top priority among the women Lady Yun had chosen as potential marriage partners for I Hyun.

She really disliked the two of them meeting, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She wasn’t I Hyun’s real girlfriend, and even if the two of them started dating, she had never harbored any vain hope that it could lead to marriage.

The world I Hyun lived in and where she was were just too different.

She knew well that even Lady Yun’s kindness towards her was only because she was a secretary who helped I Hyun work easily.

If she were to start coveting the position of Jiseok Group’s mistress as a woman by I Hyun’s side…

It was obvious that she would see the true face of Lady Yun, who always smiled kindly at her.

There are things you can desire and things you can’t.

Ye Rin shook her head briefly to erase the hollow feeling that kept creeping up.

“You’re kind of worried too, aren’t you?”

At Na Ri’s sharp question, Ye Rin couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“Of course I’m worried. It’s not just anyone, it’s Kwak Seo Yun.”

“Exactly. Why her of all people?”

Na Ri pouted her lips as if just thinking of Seo Yun’s face made her feel bad.

“What if that foxy girl tries to seduce your director?”

“Huh?”

“You have feelings for Director Cha I Hyun, don’t you?”

She thought she hadn’t shown it, but it seems she couldn’t fool Na Ri, who had been close to her for a long time.

“That’s why you, who never does unplanned things, even had a one-night stand.”

“……”

“I can tell just by looking at how you stubbornly keep working at the company, when you don’t even like going to company dinners because you hate things that interfere with work.”

Since everything she said was true, Ye Rin could only laugh.

“Don’t you want to seriously develop things with Director Cha I Hyun?”

“No.”

Na Ri widened her eyes in bewilderment at Ye Rin’s behavior, admitting she had feelings but rejecting a serious relationship.

“As I said before, we live in different worlds.”

“Hey, that kind of thing can be overcome with love.”

At those words, Ye Rin shook her head.

Overcome, right. Let’s say it’s possible.

But would that process really be smooth?

She couldn’t easily answer that question.

If he didn’t get involved with her, he could meet a much better marriage partner and receive help for Jiseok Group’s future.

It was too reckless to throw away such an enormous thing in exchange for mere interest.

“You know well. I don’t covet things that aren’t mine.”

“Ugh, I know too well. Sometimes I wish you’d be a bit more greedy.”

The beer glasses clinked in the air once again.

As if trying to forget the bitter feeling, Ye Rin slowly drank her beer.

“Oh? This is crazy.”

“What’s wrong?”

Na Ri, who had been briefly checking her phone, spoke as if in disbelief and showed the screen to Ye Rin.

“Ah……”

What Na Ri had discovered was a photo uploaded to Seo Yun’s SNS.

“No way, they’ve already become this close?”

Ye Rin couldn’t take her eyes off the photo Seo Yun had posted.

Her gaze kept lingering on Seo Yun’s face, smiling brightly while leaning on I Hyun’s arm, dressed in hanbok.

And a little longer on I Hyun, who was staring at the camera with an expressionless face beside her.

“Shouldn’t you tell your director about Kwak Seo Yun’s true nature?”

No sooner had Na Ri’s question ended than Ye Rin’s phone, placed on the table, began to ring.

The caller was I Hyun.

As Ye Rin hesitated, holding the unexpected call, Na Ri urged her.

“Hurry and answer it.”

Since it was quite noisy inside the bar, Ye Rin stood up and went out to the street.

“Yes, Director.”

−Why has your way of addressing me become so formal again? It’s not even work hours now.

“Ah, I’m sorry.”

−I didn’t mean to rebuke you. What were you doing?

Perhaps because she had just seen the intimate photo with Seo Yun.

She felt strangely mixed emotions.

She was glad that I Hyun had called her before it was too late.

However, feeling the need to give herself a wake-up call for feeling this way, Ye Rin calmly replied.

“I was having a simple beer with a friend near home.”

Upon hearing that Ye Rin was drinking, I Hyun quickly spoke.

−Where are you?

“Are you coming here?”

−Yes. It’s very dangerous to let Han Ye Rin drink alone.

Those words naturally brought back memories of the day she drank wine with I Hyun.

Perhaps that’s why Ye Rin’s cheeks quickly turned red.

“I won’t drink as much as that day today.”

−Then all the more welcome. I’m coming to where you are, so tell me the address.

And the call ended.

A gentle smile spread across Ye Rin’s lips at the news that I Hyun was coming to see her.

She even felt relieved that he hadn’t spent a long time with Seo Yun.

‘Why am I like this?’

I Hyun was probably just coming to practice dating that he couldn’t do today.

Why was she getting excited all by herself for no reason?

After sending a message to I Hyun and going back inside, Na Ri had a very curious look on her face.

“What did he say? Why did he call?”

“I’m not sure of the reason, but it seems he’s coming here.”

“What?”

At those words, Na Ri quickly stood up from her seat.

“Then I shouldn’t be here.”

I Hyun probably thought that Na Ri and Ye Rin had only met for work to find the missing woman.

Na Ri let out a deep sigh.

“It’s really hard to lie, isn’t it? To think that even spending time with you would be restricted like this.”

Ye Rin agreed with those words.

Since high school, she and Na Ri had met almost every day to chat, spending a lot of time together.

“I’ll casually mention it later. That while talking with CEO Cheto Na Ri, we got along well and decided to become close friends.”

“Oh, that would be good. Then we can act like we always do without being cautious.”

Na Ri quickly gathered her belongings and left the bar first, saying she didn’t know when I Hyun would arrive.

Perhaps the distance was quite far, as even after Na Ri left, Ye Rin was sitting alone.

“Should I go out and wait instead?”

Just as Ye Rin was about to get up.

A man with dyed blonde hair appeared and plopped down in front of Ye Rin’s table.

Then, with a sly smile, he spoke to her.

“I’ve been watching, and it seems your companion left earlier. Aren’t you bored?”

“No. Someone is coming soon.”

“Come on. That’s such a common lie. Want to leave with me? I’ll give you a wonderful night.”

Just as she was about to reject the man’s proposal.

A warm sensation was felt on Ye Rin’s shoulder.

And a familiar woody scent tickled Ye Rin’s nose.