“What happened?”

Hyun Jun explained the whole story in response to Na Ri’s question.

“I was running to quickly go play soccer and almost tripped. So I spilled the food tray on Aunt Ye Rin’s back.”

“Oh my, is that what happened?”

Na Ri belatedly pulled out some tissues and started wiping the food off Ye Rin’s back.

Then Na Ri first noticed the food stains on I Hyun’s white shirt and pointed with her finger.

“Oh my, it splashed on the Director’s clothes too.”

At those words, Ye Rin turned her head to check belatedly.

“You’re right. What should we do?”

It wasn’t as much food as what had soaked Ye Rin’s clothes, but since it was a white shirt, the kimchi broth stains stood out quite noticeably.

Seeing this, Hyun Jun put his hands together in front of his chest and made a gesture of apology.

“Hing. Aunt and Uncle, I’m really sorry.”

“It’s okay. Hyun Jun, hurry and go change your clothes.”

“I will.”

Hyun Jun pouted his lips and made a sad face as he left the cafeteria.

The smell of food was wafting from the clothes.

Na Ri carefully spoke up.

“How about asking the orphanage director if there are any spare clothes?”

“That… would be good, right?”

In front of I Hyun and Secretary Choi, Na Ri and Ye Rin couldn’t talk as familiarly as they usually did.

They would still think of them as just the CEO and secretary of a company who met through work.

Ye Rin awkwardly smiled and started walking.

“Then everyone please wait here for a moment.”

She planned to go find the orphanage director alone to ask if there were any spare clothes.

However, I Hyun moved to follow her.

“Secretary Choi, there should be spare t-shirts in my car.”

“Yes, Director.”

“Bring two of them to the changing room. I’ll be waiting there.”

“Understood.”

After confirming that Secretary Choi was hurrying towards the car, I Hyun turned to Ye Rin with a worried expression.

“It must feel quite uncomfortable. Why don’t you go to the changing room first?”

“I will.”

Once again, instead of letting Ye Rin go alone, I Hyun moved to walk with her.

“Director, why…”

She was about to ask why he was coming with her, but then closed her mouth.

Ye Rin realized that I Hyun was also heading to the changing room to change out of his kimchi-stained white shirt.

Since she had entered the changing room with I Hyun, Ye Rin stood still, unable to take off the blouse she was wearing.

I Hyun turned his body around and spoke.

“I noticed earlier there’s no lock inside the changing room. In case someone suddenly barges in, I’ll stand guard here.”

He could have stood guard outside instead.

The reason she couldn’t say that out loud was because I Hyun had turned his back and started unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

“Director? What are you doing?”

“Ah, this.”

I Hyun turned around with his shirt half unbuttoned.

As a result, his well-defined chest muscles were slightly visible.

“So I can quickly change clothes when Secretary Choi arrives.”

“What?”

“Shouldn’t we minimize the time spent here so we can help with other things?”

Everything he said made sense, leaving no room for argument.

“Yes, that’s right.”

I Hyun smiled at Ye Rin, who was hunching her shoulders in tension.

“By the way, why are you so tense, Han Ye Rin?”

“Me? I’m not.”

When Ye Rin smiled awkwardly, I Hyun also let out a chuckle.

“Don’t worry. As if I’d do anything inappropriate here.”

“Yes, of course not.”

“Quite a lot of food got on your clothes, it must be uncomfortable. I’ll turn my back, so at least unbutton it a bit. Like me.”

It was very uncomfortable to keep wearing the blouse covered in food.

Even without I Hyun saying so, she wanted to take off the clothes she was wearing right away.

“I will. But you absolutely must not turn around.”

“I promise.”

After confirming that I Hyun had turned his back again, Ye Rin slowly began unbuttoning her blouse one by one.

She was wearing an inner tank top underneath anyway, so unbuttoning a few buttons wasn’t a big problem.

The sound of the thin chiffon blouse rustling could be heard in the narrow changing room.

I Hyun had to desperately try to think of something else to prevent himself from focusing on that sound.

‘Maybe I should have just said I’d wait outside.’

Though not as much food had spilled on him as on Ye Rin, the kimchi smell kept rising unpleasantly, making I Hyun want to change clothes quickly too.

He had said he’d wait inside since there was no lock, but who knew this would be more troublesome.

As I Hyun let out a big sigh.

The sound of high heels could be heard from afar, then Secretary Choi’s voice rang out.

“Director, I’m here.”

And then suddenly the door flung open without even a knock.

“Did you wait long?”

I Hyun quickly turned around and hugged Ye Rin who was standing behind him.

Fortunately, she hadn’t properly unbuttoned her blouse yet.

Before I Hyun could even confirm that, Secretary Choi burst into the changing room.

Thud-

The sound of clothes wrapped in plastic falling to the floor was heard, then

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

Secretary Choi’s belated apology was heard.

I Hyun continued speaking while still hugging Ye Rin from behind.

“Secretary Choi, you usually knock so well, what are you doing?”

“I’m sorry.”

Secretary Choi felt a bit wronged too.

Although he didn’t knock, hadn’t he shouted loudly that he was coming from afar?

“I’ll make sure to knock from now on.”

As he said that, Secretary Choi quickly picked up the clothes he had dropped on the floor.

Secretary Choi froze in place upon discovering Ye Rin and I Hyun embracing.

“I had no idea you two would be like this…”

He was very flustered because he didn’t expect them to be in the changing room with I Hyun’s shirt completely unbuttoned, let alone embracing Ye Rin.

‘What in the world is going on here?’

I Hyun spoke in a low voice towards the motionless Secretary Choi.

“Secretary Choi, aren’t you going to leave?”

“I’m, I’m going. Should I unwrap the clothes for you first?”

“No, just leave them there and hurry up and close the door.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Finally, the door slammed shut.

The startled Ye Rin could only blink her eyes while still in I Hyun’s arms.

Earlier she had been busy covering the front of her blouse that she had unbuttoned a couple buttons in surprise, but now that Secretary Choi had left, she came to her senses belatedly.

In the meantime, I Hyun must have unbuttoned his shirt completely, as his very hot body temperature was fully transmitted from behind.

Ye Rin’s cheeks flushed red as she felt like she could sense the contours of his firm muscles through just the thin chiffon blouse between them.

‘This was an accident.’

Secretary Choi hadn’t opened the door on purpose either, and I Hyun had hugged her from behind to shield her using his quick reflexes.

But why was her heart beating so fast?

‘It’s because I’m surprised, that’s why.’

After some time had passed, Ye Rin squirmed and moved in his arms.

“I Hyun, I think you can let go of me now.”

“Ahem.”

Only then did I Hyun step back and stare into space.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that I didn’t rush to hug Han Ye Rin because I wanted to.”

“Yes, I know that.”

“I was worried Secretary Choi might see your body…”

I Hyun frowned deeply as he said those words.

Though it hadn’t happened, he wanted to punish Secretary Choi just for imagining it.

“Hah.”

I Hyun moved to grab the two t-shirts Secretary Choi had brought.

He first opened the plastic on one and handed it to Ye Rin.

“These are clothes I had set aside to change into after working out. It’s a new item, but I’m worried it’ll be quite big on Han Ye Rin.”

Ye Rin held her blouse closed with one hand while taking the t-shirt with her other hand.

“Having this clothes is better than nothing. Thank you.”

After confirming Ye Rin had taken the shirt, I Hyun turned around.

He unwrapped his own clothes too and roughly took off the shirt he had already unbuttoned completely.

“He usually knocks so well.”

Why did he barge in without warning today of all days?

He felt upset at Secretary Choi in that moment.

Ye Rin, who had already finished changing, approached I Hyun who was still turned around and called out to him.

“I Hyun, I’m done changing clothes.”

Only then did I Hyun slowly turn around.

The two of them were wearing similar t-shirts, just in slightly different sizes.

They matched so well that anyone who saw them might think they were wearing couple t-shirts on purpose.

“I’m really sorry for suddenly hugging you earlier without permission.”

Ye Rin waved both arms and smiled brightly.

“It’s fine. Thanks to the Director shielding me with your body, I was able to avoid an embarrassing situation.”

“I need to go out right now and have a word with Secretary Choi.”

Ye Rin gently grabbed I Hyun’s arm as he said that.

“I’m sure Secretary Choi didn’t do it on purpose.”

“Still…”

“So please don’t scold him, just clarify the situation from earlier instead.”

“Clarify?”

“He might misunderstand that we were hugging from the beginning.”

I Hyun chuckled briefly at Ye Rin’s request.

“I suppose that’s possible.”

“Yes, if our relationship is misunderstood… it could become troublesome.”

She wanted to hide the fact that they were in a fake relationship as much as possible.

There was nothing good that could come from rumors spreading.

As if reading Ye Rin’s mind, I Hyun slowly nodded his head.

“Alright then.”

Secretary Choi returned to the cafeteria in a daze.

Na Ri, who was sitting at the table waiting for him, asked Secretary Choi curiously.

“Why are you alone? Where are Ye Rin and Director Cha I Hyun?”

“Um, CEO Kim Na Ri.”

“Yes, Secretary Choi.”

“Could you slap me across the face?”

“What?”

When Na Ri just stayed still, Secretary Choi lightly slapped his own cheek.

As if feeling a stinging sensation spread across his cheek, he cupped his cheek with one hand and mumbled like someone in a trance.

“It’s not… a dream…”

“What dream? Why? What happened?”

Na Ri was very curious about what could have happened to make the man who had rushed off with clothes return like this.

Secretary Choi slowly turned his head to look at Na Ri.

“Director Cha I Hyun and Secretary Han…”

“What about the two of them?”

“They were… hugging…”