“Haah.”

The first woman I Hyun had to meet was Kwak Seo Yun, daughter of a three-term congressman. She was truly a person entangled with Ye Rin in a terrible relationship.

To think that Seo Yun was the number one woman I Hyun had to meet.

It was undoubtedly a terrible connection.

“Why is this happening to me these days……”

Looking at the brightly smiling photo of Seo Yun, tears welled up in his eyes.

Seo Yun was someone who coveted everything that belonged to Ye Rin, no matter what it was.

How many years had they spent together under the pretext of being friends, yet Seo Yun didn’t seem to see Ye Rin as a friend at all.

Seo Yun was someone who intentionally approached Ye Rin’s ex-boyfriends, seduced them, and caused breakups.

At first, he thought it was a coincidence, but as those coincidences continued, he realized it was Seo Yun’s deliberate actions, and from then on, he couldn’t look at Seo Yun kindly.

Recently, Seo Yun had also snatched away the man Ye Rin was seeing.

Since it wasn’t the first time, he could only laugh, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hurt.

It wasn’t particularly pleasant to be looking at Seo Yun’s face in a photo like this.

Thinking about Seo Yun, who would meet a wonderful man like I Hyun and live well after stealing her man, anger boiled up inside Ye Rin.

Of course, she wanted to keep her distance from I Hyun too. That’s why she couldn’t reveal herself as that woman from that night.

However, she didn’t want to have I Hyun and Seo Yun meet at a matchmaking meeting either.

She was too annoyed with Seo Yun, who had been stealing what was hers and enjoying herself alone all this time, to want her to stand beside I Hyun even more.

Some might point fingers and ask why she’s mixing personal feelings into such a public matter, but even a worm will writhe when stepped on.

Thinking of the days she had endured until now, she could only sigh even now.

Though she hadn’t watched over him for days, I Hyun was a very good person.

A woman with as many tricks as Seo Yun was even less suited for such a wonderful man.

‘I don’t want to let the two of them, Director and her, meet.’

Just as she was thinking that, Ye Rin’s desk phone rang.

“Yes, Director.”

−Secretary Han, I have something to discuss, so come in.

Ye Rin knocked and entered I Hyun’s office.

“I heard you met with Madam Yun this afternoon.”

“Yes, I had a meal with the madam.”

“Mother must have told Secretary Han to set up my matchmaking appointments.”

“That’s correct.”

I Hyun rested one hand on the desk and propped his chin.

“You must have seen the list of potential matches. What do you think, Secretary Han?”

The first thought that came to mind when she saw that list was just one thing.

That she didn’t want to let I Hyun meet the woman mentioned as the top priority.

However, she couldn’t ruin I Hyun’s important matchmaking business because of her personal feelings.

Ye Rin put on a soft smile on her face.

“It seems the madam has selected some fine women.”

“So that’s how Secretary Han sees it.”

I Hyun tapped his index finger on the desk, tap− tap−.

As she was hesitating on how to answer if I Hyun asked about what kind of women were mentioned as his potential matches.

A completely different statement was heard.

“But I don’t have any desire to go on these matchmaking meetings.”

She didn’t think it would be easy to send I Hyun to matchmaking meetings.

That’s probably why Madam Yun had called her separately to make earnest requests.

Still, she hadn’t expected I Hyun to be this adamant, so a slight bewilderment clouded Ye Rin’s face.

“I heard the Chairman said he would give the position of Jiseok Group’s successor to whoever gets married first.”

“I said I won’t go to matchmaking meetings, not that I won’t get married.”

Isn’t that the same thing?

Ye Rin carefully went over the conversation again, wondering if she had missed something.

Meanwhile, I Hyun raised his head and gazed intently at Ye Rin’s face.

Ye Rin slightly raised her eyelids at the hot gaze falling on her face.

“I want to have a love marriage. Not some boring political marriage entangled with interests.”

She recalled what Madam Yun had said.

“Especially if you fall in love first and have a love marriage, you can live happily ever after.”

Ye Rin agreed with that to some extent as well.

Rather than meeting based on conditions alone and having a political marriage, if I Hyun could date and marry someone he’s compatible with, wouldn’t he be a bit happier?

Ye Rin pulled up the corners of her mouth.

“You’ve thought well.”

And she carefully added a question.

“By any chance, is there someone you’re seeing now?”

“No.”

At the immediate response, Ye Rin couldn’t hide her bewilderment once again.

A man who said he wanted a love marriage boldly says he’s not seeing anyone.

“Then who do you want to date?”

“You know, Secretary Han.”

“……”

Ye Rin swallowed hard at the cool gaze trying to see through her inner thoughts.

“I’m sorry. I must not have received the full message from Secretary Choi……”

“That woman, Secretary Han knows her too.”

A chill ran down her spine at those words.

It was as if he was saying he knew Ye Rin was hiding everything.

Every time I Hyun mentioned ‘that woman’, her heart would flutter and race.

Trying hard to fix her trembling pupils, Ye Rin asked innocently.

“I know her?”

“The woman I’m desperately looking for right now.”

The ‘that woman’ I Hyun was talking about was herself.

That’s why this situation made even less sense.

“Do you mean you want to date that woman?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I Hyun had a face like he was talking about an extremely simple matter, and in contrast, Ye Rin wore an expression of utter bewilderment.

“Why?”

Ye Rin was truly curious.

Why she was suddenly designated as I Hyun’s romantic interest.

I Hyun tilted his head slightly as if recalling that day.

“She was an unforgettable woman.”

“……”

“I can’t forget her.”

She was so curious about what exactly that reason was.

At last, I Hyun’s mouth slowly opened.

“Because she took my first time.”

“Ahem.”

Though she wasn’t drinking anything, Ye Rin was so shocked that she unconsciously coughed.

“Secretary Han, are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Ye Rin forcefully cleared her throat.

Her fingertips trembled from hearing too many shocking things.

He clearly said it was his first time.

First time, he said.

How could that night have been the first time for a man who was so skilled?

Ye Rin’s dark brown pupils shook rapidly.

No, there was something else surprising.

He was thinking of dating that woman because she took his first time.

Ye Rin felt dizzy, not knowing where to start pointing out all of this.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened her mouth.

“Director, I may be overstepping, but I’d like to say something.”

I Hyun leaned his upper body forward as if curious.

“From what I’ve heard, that night you two agreed to spend just one night……”

“We never agreed to that.”

“Pardon?”

What in the world was he saying?

She clearly said she wanted to spend just one night and didn’t want to give him any information.

That was the mindset of wanting a one-night stand, after all.

I Hyun looked rather dumbfounded, as if he was the one who couldn’t believe it.

“I’m saying we never promised it would be just that one day.”

At his shameless and confident face, Ye Rin was at a loss for words.

She almost foolishly asked ‘Pardon?’ again.

Ye Rin barely held onto her escaping mind and opened her mouth to persuade I Hyun.

“Ah, with a one-night stand, even if it’s not explicitly stated beforehand, it’s implicitly……”

“Secretary Han, how do you know so well?”

“Pardon?”

I Hyun abruptly stood up from his seat, circled around the desk, and approached Ye Rin one step at a time.

“You’re talking as if you were there.”

“Me? No. I’ve never done that.”

“Is that so? Well, Secretary Han wouldn’t be that woman anyway.”

Having approached right in front of Ye Rin, I Hyun gazed at her with his hands deep in his suit pants pockets.

“So. Continue what you were saying.”

“From what I heard from a friend……”

“A friend?”

“Yes. It’s absolutely not that I enjoy or frequently have one-night stands.”

“That’s fortunate.”

“Fortunate, yes, fortunate.”

She wasn’t sure what was fortunate, but she decided to think it was fortunate for now.

I Hyun patiently waited as if telling her to say more.

“So I heard that after that night passes, it’s a bit uncomfortable to face and meet the other person again.”

At those words, I Hyun’s brows furrowed sharply.

“Uncomfortable, you say.”

I Hyun asked while fixing his gaze on Ye Rin.

“So was Secretary Han uncomfortable?”

A chilling voice pierced Ye Rin’s ears.

“Pardon?”

Ye Rin’s eyelashes trembled finely.

‘What? Why is he asking such a question?’

Towards Ye Rin who couldn’t hide her bewilderment, I Hyun grinned.

“I’m sorry. I misspoke.”

I Hyun laughed pleasantly while correcting his previous question.

“I meant to ask if Secretary Han thinks she would have been uncomfortable, if it were her.”

“Ah, yes.”

Ye Rin looked at I Hyun, unable to erase her suspicious gaze.

I Hyun smiled kindly as if he really had no other intention besides that.

When she heard that earlier, she truly felt like her heart had dropped to the floor.

She felt dizzy at the thought that I Hyun might know something and said those words.

Fortunately, it seemed I Hyun had really just misspoken, and he apologized repeatedly afterwards.

“If it were me, I probably would have been.”

At Ye Rin’s honest answer, a crack formed between I Hyun’s brows.

‘Ah, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.’

But what could she do when that was the truth?

It was such a blissful night, and even now, looking at I Hyun’s face brought back detailed memories of that time.

However, it was something to be left as just one night’s deviation, as a memory.

Getting personally entangled beyond that was out of the question.

I Hyun nodded his head slightly.

“I see.”

For some reason, I Hyun seemed to look a bit hurt.

His eyes, usually brimming with confidence, seemed to hold a hint of regret.

‘Now that I’ve said this much, he probably won’t look for that woman anymore.’

With that thought, Ye Rin praised herself for speaking honestly.

“I’ve heard Secretary Han’s opinion well.”

However, Ye Rin knew far too little about I Hyun.

“I’ll take it into consideration, but Secretary Han isn’t that woman, right?”

I Hyun’s deep eyes were staring intently at Ye Rin.

Feeling like she had to answer, Ye Rin nodded her head vigorously.

“Yes, of course. I’m not that woman.”

“I see. Then I think it’s right to meet her and ask directly.”

“Director, surely you don’t mean you’ll continue looking for that woman?”

“Yes. That’s what I intend to do.”

“Why……”

“I think I said it before. That I want to date her.”

Somehow it all came down to dating in the end.