The kiss, which started as carefully as the first kiss, quickly became intense. Heated breaths intertwined stickily.

The two desperately explored each other.

As longingly and earnestly as the time they had missed each other from their respective places.

Sung Hyuk pushed Young In hard, not giving her time to catch her breath.

Young In’s mind went completely blank, unable to feel the pain from her back pressed against the hard wall.

Each time their lips parted, rough breaths and moist moans flowed out.

The entrance sensor light, repeatedly turning on and off, heightened the passion.

Young In’s eyes suddenly flew open when she realized her blouse buttons were being undone.

Young In quickly grabbed Sung Hyuk’s hand, breathing heavily.

He stopped moving and slowly raised his gaze. His eyes, filled with passion, stared directly at her.

Sung Hyuk, barely regaining his senses, rested his forehead on Young In’s shoulder and steadied his breathing. After calming his excitement, he took a step back, and Young In hurriedly straightened her disheveled clothes and left his house.

Her face was flushed red as she walked quickly towards the elevator. Her fingertips were urgent as she pressed the elevator button.

“I’m crazy……”

Young In touched her swollen lips as she stepped into the elevator.

[This is the timeline separator]

Sung Hyuk came out of the bedroom with a heavy body.

His head felt heavy after tossing and turning all night. After Young In had left like she was running away last night, he had taken another cold shower but still couldn’t fall asleep easily.

After drinking some water in the kitchen, his foggy mind cleared a bit. Only then did he remember that his jacket was still at the entrance.

He went straight to the entrance and picked up the jacket that had fallen on the floor. His eyes lingered for a moment on the wall where Young In had been leaning last night.

He took out his cell phone from the jacket pocket and saw that there was a message from Young In. The received time was 20 minutes ago.

He regretted giving the unnecessary information that he knew Chae Young In was not someone who would do things long after she should, but right away.

“If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have told her……”

Sung Hyuk grumbled as he called Young In. But Young In didn’t answer the phone.

[This is the timeline separator]

Sung Hyuk began to feel frustrated and his mood started to sour.

It was because he clearly realized that Young In had decided to ignore his contact.

She wouldn’t answer when he called, and there was no reply when he sent messages.

He understood that she regretted what happened last night and had resolved not to give him any more chances, but he felt annoyed.

Was I the only one who liked it? Was I the only one who felt like going crazy?

Childish thoughts shook his immature composure.

The lewd and wild desires that had been suppressed by yesterday’s events began to boil. It felt like every cell in his body had awakened.

Although he had clearly confirmed last night that Young In wanted him too, he felt hurt and displeased that she was openly pretending not to know today.

While he was contemplating calling Young In to the CEO’s office under the pretext of work, Ji Sang visited the CEO’s office.

“You said you don’t have lunch plans. Let’s go eat.”

Sung Hyuk shook his head without lifting his back from the sofa.

“I don’t feel like it.”

Ji Sang narrowed his eyes and plopped down on the sofa.

“Don’t tell me you’ve lost your appetite because you can’t see Young In for a few days or something like that?”

“Why wouldn’t I see Young In for a few days?”

“I guess you don’t know Young In went on a business trip to Jeju Island.”

“Business trip?”

“Seo Jin Gyo and Baek Hee Ran went with her too. It’s a photo shoot for a fashion brand where the two are models. It’s a one-night, two-day trip, and they left on this morning’s flight. They’ll return on tomorrow evening’s flight, so she’ll probably come to work on Monday after the weekend.”

Sung Hyuk frowned in displeasure.

“Why do you know things that I don’t?”

Of course, he didn’t know that Young In had come at dawn to leave his car, that she had gone straight to the company to get her own car to pick up Jin Gyo, and that she had gone straight to the airport from Jin Gyo’s house.

“Who reports to the CEO every time a team leader goes on a business trip? I heard it from An Hae Yoon this morning.”

“……”

Sung Hyuk closed his mouth, having nothing to refute.

Not only was he bothered by not being able to see Young In for a few days, but he was equally bothered by the fact that Seo Jin Gyo and Baek Hee Ran had gone with her.

[This is the timeline separator]

The shooting team that left Seoul on the morning flight and arrived in Jeju Island unpacked at the hotel and immediately moved to the shooting location.

Today’s shoot was scheduled at a horse ranch, and tomorrow’s at a recreational forest.

While the staff was setting up the equipment and the actors were getting their hair and makeup done in the car, Young In stepped out of the car to enjoy the warm sunshine and gentle breeze.

Blue sky, green fields, and horses leisurely grazing.

She thought that if peace were to be visualized, it might look like this scene. Being in the fresh nature made her complicated mind feel a bit more at ease.

However, the peaceful time didn’t last long. Despite trying not to think about it, Sung Hyuk’s face flickered before her eyes again.

“Haa……”

Although she knew she couldn’t avoid his contact forever, she didn’t have the courage today. If he mentioned what happened last night, she had nothing to say.

She had managed to hold out precariously until now, but to think she would completely crumble last night.

Young In tightly closed her eyes as she recalled her desperate behavior towards him.

[This is the timeline separator]

The shooting began.

Thanks to Jin Gyo’s consideration, they decided to proceed in the order of Hee Ran’s individual shoot, couple shoot, and then Jin Gyo’s individual shoot.

Hee Ran, who finished her shoot first, sat in a folding chair placed under a large tree and gave instructions to her stylist.

“Call Chae Young In.”

“Yes, unni.”

The stylist brought Young In, who had been watching Jin Gyo’s shoot, to Hee Ran.

“Chae Young In.”

Hee Ran frowned and pressed her temples.

“I have a severe headache, could you get me some medicine? It’s so inconvenient without Hyun Shim unni.”

Hyun Shim couldn’t come to Jeju Island because she had to go to her hometown this morning after receiving news that her maternal grandmother had passed away. So today, only the stylist and on-site manager had come with Hee Ran.

Of course, Hyun Shim’s absence was just an excuse to harass Young In; Hee Ran didn’t have a headache at all right now.

She was just upset after seeing another article today about Min Sa Hee’s recitation of a memorial poem at the Memorial Day ceremony held the day before yesterday. Knowing that the highly praised article was also Young In’s work made her feel bitter.

“I have a headache medicine. I’ll give it to you.”

“What is it?”

“TyXXnol.”

“I only take PanXXin.”

“PanXXin? You mean the liquid in the small bottle?”

Hee Ran smiled, narrowing her eyes.

“Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.”

“Not many people carry that as a portable medicine. And I don’t think there’s a pharmacy nearby.”

This place was a ranch located in such a remote area that even locals might not know about it, let alone it being a tourist spot.

“One of the staff members might have it. Could you ask around?”

Young In wasn’t angry. She just found it petty and laughable.

“Sure.”

Planning to just ask a couple of people for the sake of courtesy, Young In was walking leisurely towards the staff when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes, filled with bewilderment, fixed on the man approaching her with long strides.

Why was someone who should be in Seoul here?

Young In looked up at Sung Hyuk, who had stopped in front of her, with a dazed expression.

“Why aren’t you answering my calls? Why aren’t you replying to my messages?”

A mirthless laugh escaped from between Young In’s lips as she gathered her scattered thoughts.

“Did you come all the way to Jeju Island just to ask about that?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are you following me around like this?”

“I’m starting to wonder if I’m a kid or a dog myself.”

“……”

Young In was at a loss for words as she watched him actively agree rather than getting upset.

“I came because I was anxious about what thoughts you might have if I left you alone.”

“……”

Young In lowered her gaze to the ground, noticing that Sung Hyuk was about to mention yesterday’s events.

“Whether you’re regretting it now or whatever, you’ve already taken a step forward. You can’t retreat now.”

Sung Hyuk then drove the point home.

“If you had at least been drunk, you could have used alcohol as an excuse, but you were sober yesterday.”

Young In had to somehow convey that he shouldn’t attach meaning to yesterday’s events. So she desperately squeezed out an excuse.

“I guess I missed having a man.”

“You must have missed me.”

“……”

Of course, it was just a last-ditch effort, and she knew it wouldn’t work on him.

“Try again.”

“……”

There was nothing more to try.

Young In bit her lower lip hard and took dejected steps away from him, who was smiling with an annoyingly relaxed expression.

[This is the timeline separator]

There were mixed reactions to Sung Hyuk’s appearance.

“Oh my, CEO!”

Hee Ran brightened up, thinking he might have come to see her,

“How did you come here?”

Jin Gyo didn’t hide his displeasure.

Sung Hyuk changed the subject naturally without any particular response.

“Let’s go to the hotel in my car.”

It was decided that the others would move in the chartered bus as they did when coming to the shooting location, and only Jin Gyo, Hee Ran, and Young In would leave first in the car Sung Hyuk had rented.

As Jin Gyo sat in the passenger seat first, Young In had no choice but to sit in the back seat with Hee Ran.

The four arrived at the hotel in a quiet atmosphere.

Jin Gyo, who had been silent, finally spoke.

“Young In, let’s talk in my room.”

“Now?”

“Yeah, now.”

“Okay.”

Sung Hyuk felt a momentary surge of anger. He didn’t like Jin Gyo deliberately provoking him, nor Young In readily agreeing.

It was then that Hee Ran made an enticing proposal.

“CEO, I also have something urgent to tell you. Let’s have dinner together today.”

“Let’s hear it now.”

“Now?”

“Would it be alright to listen in Baek Hee Ran’s room?”

“Yes, of course.”

The four people who took the elevator to the 6th floor split into pairs and entered rooms 602 and 603.