Sung Hyuk was only seeing Hee Ran for the first time now because she had just returned to the country a month after finishing an overseas location shoot.

As he was pondering why a guest was occupying a room without the owner present, a somewhat cold voice pierced his ears.

“Please come back later.”

What was she saying?

After a moment of puzzlement, he instantly realized that Hee Ran had mistaken him for a repairman or laborer based on his attire.

He thought it was understandable. Though understanding didn’t mean he wasn’t displeased.

Cha Sung Hyuk was not generous to everyone.

“Would you please come back later?”

His retort made Hee Ran chuckle in disbelief.

“Excuse me?”

“As you can see, I’m not dressed to attend to guests right now.”

“What are you talking about?”

It was at that moment that a woman’s voice came from behind Sung Hyuk.

“Director…sir…?”

Sung Hyuk turned around while taking off his mask.

His eyes went to the tray the secretary was holding. On the tray sat a steaming hot cup of coffee. It seemed she had left her post to brew coffee in the pantry next to the director’s office.

He answered the questioning look on his secretary’s face.

“I came straight here after exercising.”

“Ah…”

The secretary nodded, still eyeing her boss with round eyes.

After always seeing him perfectly put together, his casual appearance was quite unfamiliar. But it suited him very well. In fact, she thought he could probably pull off any look.

Just then, a soft voice echoed through the office.

“Are you Director Cha Sung Hyuk?”

Sung Hyuk turned his gaze back to Hee Ran.

“Yes, I am.”

“I didn’t recognize you. I thought you were someone here to do repairs.”

His prediction was accurate. Even his prediction that Baek Hee Ran would change her attitude once she knew his identity.

Having heard things about Baek Hee Ran before, he wasn’t surprised.

“I apologize for the confusion caused by my unbecoming attire as a director.”

Hee Ran gave a seductive smile.

“I just got back yesterday and came to greet the new director. I’m a bit on edge from jet lag. Please understand.”

“It wouldn’t be proper to receive your greeting like this. Let’s meet again formally another time.”

“But you look good, why not? Come sit down.”

Hee Ran sincerely thought so. Now that she knew he was the director, even his casual outfit looked quite stylish. His healthy image wasn’t bad either.

Sung Hyuk didn’t want to repeat himself, so he went to sit in the chair opposite Hee Ran.

The secretary hurriedly approached and placed a coffee cup in front of Hee Ran, then turned to Sung Hyuk.

“I’ll prepare your coffee right away, Director.”

“I’ll have mine later.”

“Understood.”

“You can go now.”

As the secretary left the office, Sung Hyuk took off his hat and casually opened the conversation.

“I hear the shoot was tough. Good work.”

He’s even more handsome up close.

Hiding her true thoughts, Hee Ran pouted her lower lip.

“If you knew it was tough, you could have at least called to encourage me.”

“I didn’t think that far ahead.”

“I was disappointed, thinking you’d already lost interest since my contract is almost up.”

“How could that be?”

“Thankfully, I’ve had a few contract offers from other companies, so I was considering reaching out to them.”

Sung Hyuk was well aware that she was feigning humility while actually boasting.

Her intention was clear – my contract is almost up, I might not renew and go to another company, so treat me well.

Though he wasn’t skilled at flattering others, he decided to make an effort.

“I hope we can continue working together in the future.”

“I’d like that too, if possible.”

After exchanging a few more formalities, Hee Ran left the office saying they should have a meal together soon. The secretary then entered.

“From now on, don’t let anyone into the office when I’m not here.”

“I’ll be more careful. I’m sorry, Director.”

The secretary swallowed the words that she had tried to guide Baek Hee Ran to the reception room, but had no choice due to her insistence.

Nodding silently, Sung Hyuk went into the inner room of his office to change clothes.

“Young In.”

Her unfocused eyes suddenly regained their focus.

“…Oh, senior.”

Young In realized that she was currently sitting across from Jin Gyo in the 5th floor lounge drinking coffee, and had been replaying the events from earlier while he was briefly checking his messages.

The fresh scent, firm chest, and warm temperature were still vivid in her memory.

To borrow Sung Hyuk’s words, it was puzzling why her heart was fluttering like someone who had just started dating, when they had already done everything there was to do.

Was it because she had never disliked physical contact with him? Because from their first night together to their last, there had never been a time she didn’t enjoy it?

She had never been sexually attracted to anyone, but Cha Sung Hyuk was the exception.

“What are you thinking about so deeply? I called you several times.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you feeling sick?”

“No. I think it’s because I didn’t sleep well.”

Jin Gyo was completely unaware of what had happened between Young In and Sung Hyuk this morning, but he sensed that the reason for Young In’s unusual absent-mindedness was because of Cha Sung Hyuk. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Why couldn’t you sleep well? You didn’t lie to me about going home and go out somewhere, did you?”

Though he said it jokingly, Young In wasn’t one to miss the real intent behind his words.

“Why would I lie to you like that? I really did go home and call you.”

If Sung Hyuk had heard, he would have had plenty to say about it being a call for one person and just a message for another.

“I’m just kidding.”

Young In felt she might blush if she argued seriously, so she changed the subject.

“Why are you at the company so early when you don’t have a schedule today?”

“I woke up early and had nothing to do, so I came to hang out.”

“I have a meeting in 20 minutes.”

“Alright. I’ll let you go in 15 minutes.”

Young In nodded and lowered her gaze to the table.

She thought the coffee in the cup looked as black as someone’s eyes.

“Young In.”

Young In raised her eyes again to look at Jin Gyo.

It was so strange. How could the same name sound so different depending on who was calling it?

On the other hand, she wondered. Why did her heart only skip a beat when Cha Sung Hyuk called her name?

Realizing she had thought of him again without meaning to, Young In laughed internally at the absurdity.

This was becoming ‘all roads lead to Cha Sung Hyuk’.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes?”

“In your eyes, am I a person with deficiencies, or without?”

“You have everything, senior. Looks, wealth, even personality.”

Regardless of how uncomfortable Jin Gyo’s question made her, she truly thought so.

“You said you liked Director Cha because he was a man without deficiencies. You said you liked him because he was perfect, so why don’t you like me?”

“I do like you.”

“You know that’s not what I mean.”

“I said I liked him because he was a man without deficiencies, but I also disliked him for the same reason.”

“Even that contradictory feeling makes me envious.”

“…”

Young In quietly gazed at him as he laughed bitterly.

“Do you still like Cha Sung Hyuk a lot?”

“Yes.”

A wry smile spread across Jin Gyo’s face. Even if Young In had said no, he wouldn’t have believed her, but hearing her answer without hesitation deflated him.

“Then why don’t you accept him?”

“Because I don’t have the courage.”

“What kind of courage?”

“The courage to handle such an accomplished man.”

Jin Gyo sighed exaggeratedly.

“Do you know how it feels to be rejected before even confessing?”

“…”

“It feels pretty terrible.”

“…”

“Would it be better to confess and then be rejected?”

“No.”

Young In quickly interjected to cut off his self-questioning.

She certainly didn’t want Jin Gyo to join in earnest when Cha Sung Hyuk alone was already overwhelming.

After leaving the director’s office, Hee Ran went to Management Team 2, exchanged brief greetings with the team members, and left the office.

A woman with no makeup and shoulder-length hair tied tightly back followed behind Hee Ran. It was Hyun Shim, the Team 2 leader and Hee Ran’s manager.

The two walked side by side down the hallway.

“How’s the director?”

“Haughty. Stiff.”

Hee Ran didn’t add that she quite liked everything else about him.

“How could he not be? He’s the second son of the SL Group, after all.”

Another haughty and stiff person came to Hee Ran’s mind.

“Oh right, I saw that kid on my way to the office.”

“Who?”

“The one who came from Hyesung.”

“Chae Young In?”

“Ah, right. Chae Young In. She was with Jin Gyo oppa.”

“She’s got skills too. How did she manage to make Seo Jin Gyo come on his own?”

Both of them roughly knew the process of how Jin Gyo had come to contract with SL Entertainment.

“She’s quite pretty, isn’t she?”

“I wonder if there’s anyone prettier than her around Seo Jin Gyo. Seeing how he shows no interest in you at all, looks must not be everything.”

“Then I guess her man-catching skills must be impressive.”

Hee Ran had only briefly exchanged greetings with Young In a few times on set and didn’t know much about her.

Nevertheless, the reason she disliked Young In was purely because of Hyun Shim. She had heard many negative things from Hyun Shim – that the kid was arrogant, rude.

Young In had worked in the field for a few months right after joining Hyesung Entertainment to understand how the industry operated. She first met Hyun Shim as the manager of an actor starring in the same movie. At that time, Hyun Shim was a manager with 6 years of experience.

At the time, Young In’s educational background was revealed by chance. Everyone’s reaction was, ‘Why would someone from such a good university become a field manager?’

Even knowing it wasn’t something she went around bragging about herself, Hyun Shim was secretly annoyed. While telling herself that nothing was as meaningless as academic background in this field, she was inwardly ashamed of her own high school graduate status. It was because she had always had an inferiority complex about her education. Young In’s personality, which wasn’t exactly sweet, also came across as arrogant.

What was even more irritating was that while it took her 7 years to become a team leader, this newcomer had immediately gotten the title.

“Unni, she’s 27, right?”

“Yeah, same age as you.”

It was just as the two got into the elevator that Hee Ran’s phone vibrated.

As if they hadn’t just been gossiping about others, Hee Ran answered the phone in a sweet voice.

“Yes, oppa.”

The screen of her phone displayed four characters: ‘Chang Geun oppa’.