Seo Ha’s hand instinctively groped beside her. She felt something long and cold on the table. It was a vase.

Ryu Kyung Joon’s face overlapped with Seung Oh’s, who was now just an inch away. Kyung Joon, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed and a cocky expression, looked at Seo Ha.

Please. Stay out.

With all her strength, Seo Ha swung her arm and knocked down the vase.

Crash!

The vase shattered into pieces as it hit the floor. Almost simultaneously, the tightly closed door flung open.

“What’s going on…!”

There was a moment of silence. Cold eyes scanned Seo Ha’s face, Seung Oh’s hand around her waist, and the shattered vase on the floor.

Seo Ha took the opportunity to push Seung Oh away with all her strength.

“Excuse me. Thank you for catching me, President.”

Having survived the crisis, Seo Ha quickly bowed and ran past Kyung Joon to leave. After standing still for a moment, he glanced at the hallway where Seo Ha had disappeared and reached out to close the door with a thud.

“Bad timing, huh? Or was it good?”

A notsoloud voice with a soft tone. Yet, as soon as Kyung Joon spoke, a strange pressure weighed down on Seung Oh.

“I know it looks like a misunderstanding, but it’s nothing. I just caught Jo Seo Ha when she was about to fall.”

“Caught her when she was about to fall.”

Kyung Joon repeated in a low voice. Seung Oh, trying to appear unfazed, casually swept up the broken vase pieces with his foot.

Crunch.

A piece of the vase that had flown far away crumbled like a snack under Kyung Joon’s foot.

“I’ll take your word for it. But I must remind you that your reputation with women isn’t exactly great right now.”

“That’s why I’m telling you, I.”

“You should also remember that your motherinlaw, President Kang, is missing, and your wife, Yoon Seo Ha, is on oxygen therapy. Reputation is not such a simple matter.”

Kyung Joon slightly nodded his head and turned away. Left alone, Seung Oh stared at the scattered petals and broken vase pieces, then stepped on the petals with the heel of his foot, cursing.

“That arrogant bastard. Who is he to meddle in my love life? I didn’t care about it until now…”

Wait a moment.

Seung Oh’s eyes narrowed.

Until now, Ryu Kyung Joon hadn’t cared about Seung Oh’s love life. Whether he went to a room salon and drank all night with women or flirted with a junior employee in the secretary’s office.

He recalled the points he had casually overlooked. How Kyung Joon had offered his office to Jo Seo Ha. The incident where he suddenly went down to the design room yesterday to pick up Ji Soo, whom he used to despise. Even the cold gaze that had just been on him.

“How interesting.”

Seung Oh’s lips twisted into a frown.

“Yoon Seo Ha and Jo Seo Ha.”

Kyung Joon’s cell phone was still stored deep in a drawer, tucked away in a document envelope. At this point, he couldn’t help but suspect he was creating a Seo Ha collection.

“A Seo Ha collection.”

Suddenly recalling the memory, Seung Oh chuckled, then cursed again and took a drag on his cigarette.

“The decision has been made. The notice will be posted tomorrow, so just keep that in mind.”

Kyung Joon spoke tersely as he visited Hae Sun.

A whole week had passed since the vase was broken. He had completely stopped eating dinner in the rooftop room or lounging around on the floor. Seo Ha was bothered by that.

“What was the decision?”

“A salary cut for six months and a suspension for two months.”

Some would say it was too harsh, while others would say it wasn’t enough. Amidst it all, the twomonth suspension resonated with Seo Ha.

“That’s perfect. Thank you, Secretary Ryu.”

Kyung Joon glanced at the smiling Seo Ha and bowed slightly to Hae Sun.

“I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow, Director.”

“Alright. You’ve worked hard.”

Kyung Joon’s expressionless mouth briefly curved into a slight smile before returning to its original state.

He lifted his head and left the rooftop room. As his impeccably clean shoes passed the yard and stepped down one step on the gray cement stairs, Seo Ha’s voice caught him.

“Secretary Ryu.”

Her voice, having followed him out, held him back.

“Have a beer with me before you go.”

Kyung Joon turned around with a frown.

“Do I look that idle to you? Go drink beer and chat with Jo Seo Ha.”

“I’m not an idle person either. But I still have time to chat and have a beer with Secretary Ryu.”

“You can spend that time chatting to yourself and drinking beer alone.”

“You’re so coldhearted.”

Whether he was coldhearted or annoying, he intended to leave her alone, of course. Obviously.

…But why am I sitting here again?

Kyung Joon opened the can of beer in his hand.

Hisss.

The foam overflowed and ran down his hand. Unconsciously, he raised his hand and swallowed the foam before taking a big gulp of the canned beer. The thick carbonation didn’t feel too bad as it scraped his throat on the way down.

Whoosh, the wind blew. The widely opened bag of potato chips rolled with the wind. Naturally reaching out to catch it, Kyung Joon’s hand grasped not only the bag of potato chips but also the slightly cold and soft fingers of Jo Seo Ha.

“Ah!”

As if she had touched a flame, Jo Seo Ha quickly pulled her hand away.

It was a natural reaction. Though it strangely made him feel irritated.

And Kyung Joon wasn’t the type to tolerate irritation.

“You look like you’ve touched a bug.”

At the blunt remark, Jo Seo Ha furrowed her brow and stared at him.

“I was just surprised. If it were a bug, I would’ve slapped it.”

“If you were that easily surprised,

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