Returning to her seat, Yoo In realized that the effects of alcohol had completely worn off.

Instead, her heart was racing as if she had just done something bad behind her friends’ backs, and she couldn’t stop her face from flushing like a ripe apple, so she deliberately acted even more stiffly.

Her friends, who had thoroughly misunderstood that her behavior was because of them, quietly focused on their meal, and after finishing the food, they chatted a bit more about trivial things before leaving the restaurant.

While Ji Han went to retrieve the car from valet parking, Jae Hee suddenly said she had something to do and left, so the car ride back with just the two of them was filled with an awkward silence.

“Looks like Jae Hee went out drinking, huh?”

“Leave her be. It’s better that she’s not asking us to drink with her.”

The pale face staring straight ahead showed discomfort, as if displeased with the topic Yoo In had brought up.

Judging by the reaction, it seems he hadn’t properly made up with Jae Hee earlier.

Though they usually get along well even after fights like this, Yoo In felt it wasn’t the right atmosphere to say more and turned her gaze out the window.

As she was trying to remember what they had fought about while looking at the scenery outside, vaguely recalling the man who had suddenly appeared at the restaurant, Ji Han called out.

“Yoo In.”

Hearing his voice sound much heavier and more serious than usual, Yoo In slowly turned her gaze.

The car had just stopped at a red light, and as their eyes met, she noticed something strange about her friend’s state.

The corners of his mouth that were usually turned up had dropped down as if caught in a sudden shower, and the lively corners of his eyes had also drooped. Looking gloomy, Ji Han stared at Yoo In for a moment before asking.

“Earlier… did I upset you?”

“About what?”

“When I asked about that director.”

Ah, so that’s what it was. Yoo In immediately relaxed.

It seems her evasive response, unable to explain everything that had happened with that director so far, had made Ji Han think she disliked being asked about it at all.

“No. I wasn’t upset.”

“…Was it really okay?”

“Yeah. But when did you start drinking with women? How come I didn’t know about this?”

Trying to confirm the facts while on the subject, Ji Han made the same disgusted expression he had shown to Jae Hee.

“You believe that? After knowing me for so many years, you still don’t get it. Han Jae Hee is the real problem here.”

“It’s not true?”

“Of course not.”

Come to think of it, even though he had countless female fans following him around since high school and became famous as an idol in the entertainment department in college, Ji Han had never shown any signs of dating for some reason.

No, forget dating – she had never even seen him with a woman.

Since he was perfect in every way, Jae Hee had once jokingly said that Yoon Ji Han might like men.

Instead of asking her friend who was now focusing on driving again, Yoo In decided to brush it off insensitively as she usually did.

She didn’t know much about romance herself, and if meddling would have helped, the great Yoon Ji Han wouldn’t still be single.

The conversation ended with Yoo In turning her gaze back out the window, and the two remained quiet, lost in their own thoughts until they arrived in front of Yoo In’s house, where they exchanged a rather lengthy farewell.

“Make up with Jae Hee tomorrow. Got it?”

“I don’t think there’s any need for that.”

“But you’ll still show up at the cafe together tomorrow, I know.”

“Not at all. I can’t be friends with a compulsive liar anymore.”

“You’ve said you can’t be friends so many times that you sound like a compulsive liar yourself.”

“…Yoo In. No matter what, Jae Hee and I aren’t on the same level, right?”

Ji Han complained with a face that looked like he would die of injustice, but Yoo In got out of the car without budging.

Then Ji Han lowered the passenger window and called out “Nam Yoo In” with his pale, delicate face scrunched up in gloom.

But no matter how well-groomed a face he used as a weapon, Yoo In’s heart didn’t change.

“You both look the same to me. Make sure to apologize. Get home safely!”

After reluctantly sending off Ji Han, who was clearly leaving regrets behind, Yoo In went up to her house and as soon as she entered her room, she threw off her uncomfortable clothes and took a shower.

Lying down on the bed with a refreshed body, she finally felt a bit of peace settling in.

“Hah. I’m really tired…”

At the same time, the fatigue from struggling with ill-fitting clothes and unexpectedly meeting someone she hadn’t thought she’d see crept up from her toes.

Her body was too tired to even lift a finger, but why was her mind becoming more active? The circuits of memory were already replaying the scene from the hotel where she had met that man a few hours ago.

It was strange how she, who rarely went out, always seemed to run into that man whenever she did go somewhere.

It had been like that every time, from the first club until today. Now she wondered if she should check if that man was around before going anywhere.

It’s hard to believe this could all be coincidence, but since it’s happening right before her eyes, she can’t not believe it either.

And the biggest problem was that the man so easily crossed the boundary line Yoo In had drawn to keep everyone out.

Ziiing-

As she barely opened her eyelids at the vibration from beside her pillow, she saw a message had arrived from Director Do Ki Yeon, as if summoned by her thoughts.

[Did you get home?]

This is exactly what she meant.

Why was he curious if she had gotten home? Why was it so easy for him to contact her now when there had been no contact all day?

Moreover, how did he know so precisely that Yoo In only knew how to wait, never even thinking of initiating contact herself?

They say he even picks blockbuster works himself – could this man really be born with that kind of talent?

The vibration of the device interrupted her ridiculous imagination. It was Director Do Ki Yeon again.

[Don’t be upset that I couldn’t contact you today because I was busy. Make sure to reply tomorrow. Sleep well.]

“Who’s upset! Seriously.”

Yoo In pushed the phone aside and buried her face in the pillow.

Then she slowly reached out to read the message that was still open.

It feels strange. She never expected to receive a goodnight message from someone she had found scary, anxious, and uncomfortable.

And those words keep tickling and stirring up something inside her chest.

“Haah…”

Where does this person stand now? Outside the line I’ve drawn? Or has he smudged and erased the white boundary, standing on top of it? Or perhaps…

Has he already leaped over everything and jumped inside?

She couldn’t come to a conclusion, but one thing was certain – his actions and words towards her were no longer unpleasant or disliked.

****

Was there a forecast for rain today?

On his way back from a drama reading he had decided to invest in, Ki Yeon took his eyes off the tablet he was holding and looked at the sky outside the car window.

It seemed like the weather was clear and sunny until just this morning, but now it was completely covered in dark gray clouds, looking like it would pour down any moment.

“Secretary Kim, was rain in the forecast for today?”

The young secretary at the wheel flinched at the sudden question.

“Oh, that, no. It wasn’t… but looking at the current situation, it seems like it might rain soon.”

The new secretary who had recently joined Ki Yeon’s secretarial team fumbled even while giving this simple answer.

Knowing the boss’s style of disliking hesitation, he blinked nervously, expecting a sharp reprimand to speak clearly any moment. But the back seat was oddly quiet.

Quickly glancing at the rearview mirror, he saw the sculpture-like face just staring out the window indifferently.

While the rookie was realizing the new fact that a boss who says nothing could be even more frightening than one who’s hard to get close to or adapt to, Ki Yeon’s mind was occupied with just one thing.

It shouldn’t rain. That kid who already hates rain will be in a lot of trouble going home.

Ki Yeon, who had never cared about or given meaning to the weather before, had changed enough to instantly alter the style he had maintained all his life with just one word from Yoo In. It wasn’t a conscious decision, but rather his heart deciding on its own.

Ki Yeon, still looking out at the streets that had grown dark from the blocked sunlight, asked:

“There’s nothing much on the schedule for this afternoon, right?”

“Huh? Yes. There’s just one secretary team meeting scheduled for 3 PM.”

The new secretary answered stiffly, straining his neck.

Ki Yeon rested his elbow on the window, propping his chin, and hummed. Mm.

Ki Yeon decided to fully acknowledge Nam Yoo In, who had slipped into the cracks without a chance for refusal, boldly claimed her share, and demanded even more.

To be precise, he had been like this since a week ago, when he saw her being held and walking away with the man presumed to be the one frantically calling the lost phone’s owner in the SJ Hotel lobby.

The moment he saw that with his own eyes, he wanted to stride over and tear her away from those arms and embrace, but he barely held back after seeing that they weren’t alone, with more companions in front of the elevator.

As a result of holding back, he had followed them up to the restaurant and made his presence strongly felt, but still.

“Director… do you have other business?”

A hesitant voice asked.

Ki Yeon ended the contemplation he had been engaged in until just now at the clumsy words of the new secretary, and took out his phone from his inside jacket pocket.

He smiled briefly at the messages they had exchanged in the morning, then typed briefly.

[Do you have an umbrella?]

The reply was a bit slower, and short.

[No. Why?]

What day of the week was it today?

After thinking for a moment, Ki Yeon quickly filled in the answer and sent it.

[Your lecture ends at 3, right?]

As he sent the message, the new secretary asked Ki Yeon again.

“Director?… Do you perhaps have a personal schedule?”

From the secretary’s perspective, he was trying to gauge if there were any schedules of his boss that he didn’t know about, but Ki Yeon’s cool gaze stared into the rearview mirror, annoyed by the repeated question.

“Secretary Kim Young Hyun. Since you still don’t seem to understand, I’ll explain just once.”

“Yes, yes sir!”

“You can ask questions, but if there’s no answer, don’t ask again. If there’s something the secretarial team needs to know, I’ll tell you later. My personal schedule is managed by Secretary Team Leader Lee Jin Seok, so don’t worry about it. If you really want to know, ask Secretary Lee.”

“Ah… yes, yes sir. I understand. I’m sorry, Director.”

As he nodded repeatedly with his neck turning bright red, unable to turn around while driving, Ki Yeon’s face grew even colder.

It seems like that one was a bad hire. Feeling deeply irritated at Jin Seok who had recruited this rookie, Ki Yeon only calmed down when he felt the vibration in his hand.

[Yes. 3 is correct, but… why are you asking?]

It was then, as he was reading the sentence that seemed to carry a thin voice.

Rain drops began to form one by one on the spotlessly clean window, making tok- tok tok- sounds.

“Oh…”

A small sound of surprise was heard from the front, followed by the sound of wipers pushing away the rain marks.

Ki Yeon found himself caught in strange mixed feelings as he watched the sky that had finally begun to rain.

He felt good that a suitable excuse to go see her had arisen, but also worried about the pretty face that would frown at encountering the damp air.

It’s still ridiculous to think about. He had seen countless beautiful, talented women with wealth, careers, and personalities all intact, but none of them had ever made him feel this way.

But the fact that a mere 23-year-old girl had accomplished this, and that Nam Yoo In herself was completely unaware of this fact, was both fascinating and absurd.

Ki Yeon put on a self-deprecating smile and pressed a familiar number on his phone screen. The other party picked up before the second ring tone.

-Yes, Director.

Ki Yeon, who had now reached the point where even just seeing the dark clouds spreading across the sky reminded him of one person, reaffirmed his goal once more.

“Let’s cancel the secretarial team meeting today.”

That he would make Nam Yoo In his.