“Where are you planning to go?”

“I’m thinking of going to volunteer at an orphanage in person.”

“Oh, really?”

Until now, I Hyun had only donated to orphanages, not personally visiting and giving his time.

For someone whose time was money, it wasn’t easy to make room in a busy schedule.

The fact that I Hyun was going in person made Secretary Choi show an expression of surprise.

“Are you going alone?”

“No.”

“Then who are you going with?”

I Hyun pondered for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“I made an impromptu plan while talking with Secretary Han earlier.”

“So you decided to join the volunteer activity Secretary Han is going to?”

“Yeah. Kim Na Ri from Cheto is also coming, so it shouldn’t be boring.”

At the mention of Na Ri, Secretary Choi’s ears perked up.

“Sir, what did you just say?”

“That it shouldn’t be boring.”

“No, before that.”

“That Kim Na Ri is coming too?”

“Yes.”

I Hyun now looked puzzled at Secretary Choi’s excessive reaction.

“Really?”

“That’s what I was told.”

After confirming several times, Secretary Choi spoke.

“Sir, I’d like to join you that day.”

“It’s fine. I can go by myself. You just said you wanted to rest on the weekend.”

I Hyun thought Secretary Choi was offering to go along out of guilt for letting him go alone, but that wasn’t the case.

Secretary Choi was so eager to go because Na Ri was coming.

He kept thinking about the time they had talked over beers after he had personally driven Na Ri’s car to take her home last time.

It had been quite a pleasant conversation, but there hadn’t been many opportunities to meet since then, so he could only think about it.

If there was a natural chance to meet again like this, Secretary Choi would very much welcome it.

“Come to think of it, there’s probably no more rewarding rest than doing something as fulfilling as volunteering at an orphanage, right?”

Watching Secretary Choi awkwardly smile while running his hand through the back of his hair, I Hyun also let out a chuckle.

“Alright then. Come to my house that day and we’ll leave together.”

“Yes, sir.”

Saturday morning, Ye Rin was heading to an orphanage on the outskirts of Seoul in Na Ri’s car.

A cheerful song was playing in the car.

“How are things with your director these days?”

A faint smile appeared on Ye Rin’s face at Na Ri’s question.

“Just the same.”

“That day, when we were drinking, your director came to see you, right? Did you talk well then?”

“Huh? Ah… that day.”

It was a day when she had quite a long conversation while walking with I Hyun.

It was also the day when I Hyun had complained that just when they seemed to be getting closer, she kept running away.

Seeing Ye Rin silent, Na Ri added another comment.

“Just the fact that Cha I Hyun is coming to volunteer at the orphanage together today tells me everything I need to know.”

“What?”

“That man, he’s really sincere about you.”

Yes, the fact that I Hyun was sincere about her was something she knew all too well.

But why was it so hard to look into her own sincerity?

“Na Ri, it seems so difficult.”

“What’s difficult? You just need to follow where your heart leads.”

As Ye Rin, lost in thought, turned her gaze out the window, Na Ri stared intently at her profile.

“Han Ye Rin, there’s no right answer when it comes to love.”

Love.

At that word, Ye Rin’s eyelashes fluttered.

‘Is this love?’

It seemed too grand to call it love.

But it was also quite ambiguous to define it as not love.

Meanwhile, Na Ri’s car arrived at the orphanage.

As Na Ri and Ye Rin got out of the car, they frowned upon seeing a man who seemed completely out of place here.

“Ye Rin, is that Park Hee Jun?”

“Um… I think so.”

“Wow. Why is that jerk here?”

“Yeah, really.”

Ye Rin sympathized with Na Ri’s incredulous feelings.

Hee Jun, who had been standing idly in the orphanage’s playground, spotted Ye Rin and waved his arms wildly in greeting, as if pleased to see her.

“Han Ye Rin, you’re here?”

She should have spoken more sternly to him that day he came to her house.

She was quite taken aback, not expecting him to show up in front of her again like this, even though he had clearly seen her with I Hyun that day.

“Ye Rin, just ignore him.”

“No. He’s not the type to give up just because of that. I’ll talk to him for a moment.”

Hee Jun smiled cunningly, baring his teeth, as he watched Ye Rin approach him.

“You’re pretty today too, our Ye Rin.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call me that in such a greasy way.”

“I didn’t know you could push people away so sharply.”

Hee Jun came close and tried to brush Ye Rin’s hair aside.

Ye Rin quickly took a step back, causing Hee Jun’s hand to stop in mid-air.

“Elder brother, how did you know to come here?”

Ye Rin looked at Hee Jun with full caution.

He smiled in a way that made people uncomfortable as he closed the distance again, coming as close as Ye Rin had moved away.

“When we were dating, you used to reject our dates on Saturdays saying you came here, remember?”

‘He remembered that?’

As if reading Ye Rin’s thoughts, Hee Jun continued.

“As you know, I have quite a good memory. That’s why I can memorize all those difficult medical textbooks.”

She had asked why he came here, but it all came back to boasting about himself.

Hee Jun looked intently at Ye Rin with his shoulders squared.

“I skipped weekend clinic duty because I wanted to volunteer. I chose this place because it’s even better if someone I know comes here too.”

Hee Jun seemed to be waiting for a response from Ye Rin, as if expecting praise for this decision of his.

Ye Rin let out a short sigh and spoke.

“Well, if you came to volunteer with pure intentions, I hope you have a fulfilling day and go back.”

Ye Rin wanted to end the conversation quickly as there was no reason to talk more with Hee Jun.

However, Hee Jun clung to her like a leech, not letting her go.

“Ye Rin, I think I was temporarily crazy to be captivated by someone like Kwak Seo Yun. It was all a mistake.”

“What, a mistake?”

It was absurd that he would dismiss causing so much hurt to others as merely a mistake.

“Yeah. That fox-like Kwak Seo Yun bewitched me and my judgment was clouded for a moment. You’re the only woman I’ve truly loved.”

Hee Jun put his palm on his heart and even made a sorrowful expression.

To Ye Rin, it was just ridiculous.

“Elder brother, as I said before, I really don’t have any feelings left for you at all.”

“Han Ye Rin, such lies won’t work.”

He was truly a stubborn man.

She didn’t want to say this, but if she didn’t express her feelings more strongly, it seemed she would have to face Hee Jun again and repeat the same words many times in the future.

“Actually, I was never sincere while dating you.”

“What did you say?”

“I did start dating because you begged me to, but that was it.”

This was truly the truth, I swear.

Hee Jun, whom she met through a blind date, had persistently courted Ye Rin from that day on, pretending to be a very affectionate man.

Although her heart wasn’t moved by him, she thought things might change if they dated, but…

She really didn’t expect him to suddenly cheat with Seo Yun after dating for such a short time.

She had kept these words inside until now out of consideration for the other person, but now it seemed unnecessary.

“Han Ye Rin, what did you just say?”

“It’s exactly as I said. We didn’t date long enough for feelings to develop, did we?”

Hee Jun stood frozen with his mouth hanging open, like someone who had been hit on the back of the head.

Seeing Hee Jun’s hurt expression, Ye Rin didn’t feel completely comfortable either.

Looking down at the ground, Ye Rin continued speaking.

“So, elder brother, I hope you’ll stop coming to see me and find someone better. This is my sincere wish.”

She thought he would understand by now, but that was Ye Rin’s miscalculation.

“If that’s the case, it’s even better. Let’s get to know each other from now on.”

“Elder brother, I’m seeing someone.”

“Cha I Hyun? Well, you spoke well.”

Hee Jun roughly ran his hand through his hair and took another step closer to Ye Rin.

“Ye Rin, people should be with their own kind, you know? You don’t really think you and Director Cha I Hyun are a suitable match, do you?”

Adding “right?”, Hee Jun opened his mouth.

“You must have heard too, but there’s talk of an engagement between Seo Yun and Director Cha I Hyun’s family. You must know better than anyone since you work closely with Cha I Hyun.”

“…”

“Right now, that man is probably clinging to you, saying he likes you and there’s only you, right? But how long do you think that will last?”

Those words reminded her of the change in behavior Hee Jun had shown her.

“Men are done the moment they lose interest. Of course, I was like that too, but I’m deeply regretting it now.”

Hee Jun let out a deep sigh as he looked at the silent Ye Rin.

“Director Cha I Hyun’s family would naturally want to welcome the daughter of a potential presidential candidate as their daughter-in-law. Do you think they’d want to bring in the daughter of a ruined family like you?”

The words that scratched at her self-esteem made her heart ache.

It was something she already knew in her head, but hearing it from someone else’s mouth was different.

“Han Ye Rin, do you know why that man is seeing you? Because your body is fresh. He’s just curious.”

“…”

“And when he loses that curiosity? You’ll be discarded. So judge carefully.”

Hee Jun spewed out words fluently, unclear whether it was advice or an attempt to hurt Ye Rin.

Ye Rin, who had been silently listening to those words, stared at Hee Jun with her eyes wide open.

“Even if that happens, it doesn’t matter.”

“What?”

Those words just now were truly sincere.

She too was already well aware of the huge gap that existed between I Hyun and herself.

It was a fake relationship that she started knowing this.

“Thanks for the advice, but even if I break up with I Hyun, I won’t be seeing you.”

“…”

“So let’s not meet like this ever again.”

Ye Rin turned around without hesitation, and she could hear Hee Jun urgently calling her from behind.

Ye Rin tightly closed her eyes and took a step forward.

Was it because she heard from someone else about facts she already knew?

Her feelings were truly unsettled.