Young In turned around quickly and retraced her steps at a fast pace.

Hae Yoon, flustered, moved her feet along with widened eyes.

“Team leader, what’s wrong?”

What caught Young In’s hesitant gaze was the restroom.

“…I, I urgently need to use the restroom.”

Hae Yoon quickly followed Young In as she entered the restroom.

“Your face suddenly turned pale, I was startled thinking you might be ill.”

Young In reflexively looked in the mirror. As Hae Yoon said, her complexion was pale. Sweat was forming on her palms.

“Go back to the office, Hae Yoon.”

“Yes, have a good meeting.”

Hae Yoon, who was only going to accompany her to the conference room anyway, promptly left the restroom so the team leader could relieve herself comfortably.

Young In entered a stall, locked the door, and let out a long sigh.

The momentary relief of not encountering Sung Hyuk’s mother was soon replaced by self-loathing and nausea at how she had hastily hidden herself like a guilty person.

That day, his mother had not raised her voice at all. She had said what she needed to say very elegantly and left.

Nevertheless, it felt more humiliating than ever because Han In Sook gave the impression of not seeing her as an equal human being.

Enough to make one reflect, “How dare I aspire above my station?”

Suddenly, she became curious.

If she had faced his mother in the hallway just now, would she have been reprimanded for still lingering around her son? If so, could she have retorted that it was his son who was hovering around her, not the other way around?

She couldn’t say for certain. She hadn’t expected to be so taken aback at the sight of Sung Hyuk’s mother.

However, one thing was clear.

While she might be Cha Sung Hyuk’s only deficiency, to everyone else except Cha Sung Hyuk, she was the only flaw. Of course, that ‘everyone’ included herself.

[This is the timeline separator]

Lady Han didn’t see Young In’s face. She only thought she saw two women walking side by side suddenly turn around and disappear.

How could she suspect that Chae Young In was working at SL Entertainment? It was unimaginable.

Opening the door to the CEO’s office, a secretary with a dignified impression stood up from her seat.

“How may I help you?”

“I’m Cha Sung Hyuk’s mother.”

The secretary’s eyes widened round.

“…Ah, hello.”

“Is CEO Cha alone?”

“Yes.”

“Then please tell him his mother is here.”

“Please wait a moment.”

The secretary, who had entered and exited the inner office, politely extended both hands to indicate the office.

“Please go in.”

“Thank you.”

Lady Han entered the office with a smile and beamed at her son.

“Son.”

“Please sit.”

Sung Hyuk indicated the sofa with an expressionless face as he moved away from his desk.

“How did you come without notice? Even the first floor security team didn’t contact us.”

Like other companies, SL Entertainment’s building wasn’t a place just anyone could enter. Visitors had to get an access card from the first floor security team to use the elevator.

It was natural for the secretarial office to be contacted first if someone without an appointment came to see the CEO, but when he asked the secretary, she said she hadn’t received any notice.

“I was curious about how you work, so I stopped by on my way. I told them not to contact you as I’d come up quietly.”

Sung Hyuk waited for Lady Han to sit on the sofa first before sitting across from her.

“I have a meeting at 4 o’clock.”

Lady Han was relaxed even after confirming only 10 minutes remained.

“I’ll leave soon. Instead, let’s have dinner together.”

“Dinner?”

“I’m on my way to get my hair done now. It’ll take about three hours, how about 7 o’clock?”

“Do you have something to discuss?”

Lady Han wrinkled her nose as if displeased.

“Does a mother need a specific reason to have a meal with her son?”

Sung Hyuk realized he hadn’t had a meal alone with his mother since returning to Korea.

In fact, this was only the second time he’d seen his mother’s face. Even for an indifferent son, pretending to be busy until today pricked his conscience.

“Is there anything you’d like to eat?”

A smile returned to Lady Han’s face.

“Let’s meet at the K Hotel restaurant. Make a reservation under your name.”

“Alright.”

“Mother’s leaving now.”

“…”

The son could only watch with bewildered eyes as his mother stood up, surprisingly cool.

[This is the timeline separator]

Young In left the office after finishing her work to meet a drama writer she was close with.

As soon as she arrived at the underground parking lot, her eyes were drawn to the CEO’s reserved parking space.

It was empty.

‘Did he leave work?’

After walking a bit to get in her car, Young In hesitated for a while before picking up her mobile phone. And she called Sung Hyuk.

After a brief ringing, the call connected.

– Oh, Young In.

“…”

It sounded so natural, as if they had talked this morning, that the caller was taken aback.

– Is this the first time you’ve called me in 3 years?

Young In took a small breath and began speaking.

“Is it okay to talk for a moment?”

– It’s fine. I’m driving.

“I called because there’s something I wanted to ask.”

– Ask away.

“What do your parents think is the reason you came to SL Entertainment?”

She had been curious since the day she saw him in SL Entertainment’s CEO office. The question she had forgotten due to various distractions resurfaced after meeting his mother today.

She was asking because she thought knowing how he had explained it to his parents might help her be less flustered if something like today happened again. She didn’t want to act foolishly like today anymore.

– I didn’t tell them about you. Don’t worry.

“…”

Young In was momentarily at a loss for words as he immediately grasped the implied meaning in her question.

– I’ll tell them when you accept me.

He had never been particularly cold to her, but he was much more humble and gentle than 3 years ago. The fact that the great Cha Sung Hyuk had become a gentle lamb wasn’t entirely pleasant because she couldn’t give him the answer he wanted.

“Then you’ll never tell them.”

– No, I’ll be telling them soon.

“That won’t happen.”

– It will. I guarantee it.

“Don’t you remember what you told me? That you can’t know what will happen in life, so don’t make guarantees.”

– This is an exception. I can’t help but guarantee it.

“…”

Young In couldn’t help but laugh at his attitude, which seemed almost shameless in its confidence.

– Want to bet on whose words will come true? The winner gets a wish granted.

“This isn’t like you. Why are you acting like this?”

– Why? Is it childish?

“Yes.”

– I didn’t think I’d ever say things like this either. But it’s not bad. I could become even more childish for you.

“…”

It was quite difficult and painful to not show any reaction after hearing such fluttering and touching words.

– But why are you suddenly curious about that? Did something happen?

“I just suddenly wondered.”

She swallowed the words, “I saw your mother today.”

“I’m going to hang up now.”

– Young In.

Young In, who was about to take the phone away from her ear, paused.

– The first time is hard, but the second time is easier.

“What do you mean?”

– I mean call me first like today again.

“Senior.”

– Yes?

“For some people, the second time is harder than the first.”

That was her.

That’s how it was with her relationship with Cha Sung Hyuk.

The first time was an impulsive decision made in anger, but now she was being overly cautious to avoid getting hurt.

Maybe it was because she could foresee their future, or perhaps because she now knew how painful parting with him could be.

– Alright, don’t force yourself. I’ll do it.

“…”

Young In hung up without saying anything.

Today was a day when she was once again forced to face reality through his mother. On the other hand, it was also a day when she wanted to forget reality more desperately than ever.

[This is the timeline separator]

Sung Hyuk’s expression darkened after ending the call.

“It seems something happened…”

He could tell immediately just from her voice that Young In was in a more sensitive state than usual. Her denials and sharp words were similar to usual, but the atmosphere was different.

He didn’t press further on her vague answer of “just suddenly” because he knew he wouldn’t get an answer even if he probed.

Lost in various thoughts while driving, he suddenly realized he had already arrived at the hotel parking lot.

Sung Hyuk parked and went up to the restaurant.

The time when he got off the elevator was 1 minute before 7 o’clock.

An employee standing at the entrance approached to assist.

“May I have the name for your reservation?”

“Cha Sung Hyuk.”

“This way, please.”

Sung Hyuk followed the employee walking towards the window side. Due to the same-day reservation, all the private rooms were already booked, so he had to reserve in the hall.

As he was unconsciously mulling over Young In’s voice again, a familiar face entered his view.

“Oppa!”

Sung Hyuk cast an indifferent glance at Ah Rim, who jumped up from her seat.

“What a coincidence to see you here.”

He failed to notice that the employee had stopped next to Ah Rim’s table.

“Have dinner before you go.”

The reason Sung Hyuk didn’t even ask Ah Rim who she was meeting as a formality was that he wasn’t curious at all.

If he asked something out of politeness, she would answer, and then he would have to engage in a few lines of bothersome conversation, so he cut it off without giving any opening. However, despite not leaving room for it, an annoying situation arose.

“I’m eating with you, aren’t I?”

“Why would I eat with you? I came to meet my mother.”

“No, you came to meet me.”

“I came to meet you?”

“Yes, you came for a blind date with me.”

Ah Rim smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling. In contrast, Sung Hyuk’s brow furrowed sharply.