Sung Hyuk regretted stepping into Hee Ran’s room as soon as he entered.

Although he was still irritated by Seo Jin Gyo’s provocation, Young In knew he had no choice. After all, it would be stranger for a manager to refuse to enter an actor’s room than to enter it.

“Please sit down.”

He suppressed his urge to turn around and leave, sitting in the rattan chair Hee Ran offered.

He decided to quickly get to the point and leave, not being crazy enough to change his mind and refuse to listen after asking to hear it himself.

“Please tell me what you urgently need to say.”

“Actually… this isn’t really something I should say like this…”

Hee Ran trailed off as she sat in the chair opposite him.

“Then how would you prefer to tell me?”

“Would you like a glass of wine?”

“I’ll listen like this.”

Hee Ran, now accustomed to him, didn’t blush at his blunt response that might have embarrassed others. She wasn’t flustered or displeased. It might even feel awkward now if Cha Sung Hyuk acted warmly towards her.

A shy smile played on her face as she lowered her eyelashes slightly before raising them again.

“I’d like to get a bit closer to you, sir.”

“Ah, is that so.”

Is that a yes or a no?

While Hee Ran pondered how to interpret Sung Hyuk’s words, she concluded it wasn’t a situation where she needed to immediately back down.

“We could meet officially or unofficially, whichever you prefer.”

Sung Hyuk, who had been staring at Hee Ran, slowly opened his mouth.

“I have a woman I’m going to marry.”

“Ah… I see…”

After a moment of surprise, Hee Ran quickly accepted it.

Being the second son of the SL Group, how many families must be desperate to form a marriage alliance with him?

Misinterpreting his mention of marriage as implying it was a strategic union and regrettably predetermined, she casually threw out some bait.

“It doesn’t matter to me if you’re getting married.”

“You’d be willing to be the other woman?”

“I’m saying I’ll accommodate your circumstances as much as possible.”

Sung Hyuk let out a low laugh at Hee Ran’s demure attitude.

“You’re very understanding and straightforward.”

Hee Ran curled up the corners of her mouth, responding with a smile.

“I hear that a lot.”

“What about being told you lack awareness?”

“Pardon?”

“Seeing as you can’t even distinguish between praise and ridicule, you seem to lack a lot of awareness.”

“…”

Hee Ran’s face hardened.

“I heard you completely lack self-awareness, and that seems true as well.”

Sung Hyuk decided to stop beating around the bush for her sake, as she couldn’t take a hint.

“Did you think I would naturally accept your proposal? Did you think there was no way you’d be rejected after saying you’d accommodate my circumstances as much as possible?”

“…”

Hee Ran had indeed thought he would naturally accept her proposal. She thought there was no way she’d be rejected. If he wasn’t the second son of the SL Group, she wouldn’t have made such a bold proposal in the first place.

“Are you usually this overconfident?”

Sung Hyuk tilted his head sideways as he continued speaking.

“Or were you desperate after being rejected by Oh Chang Geun?”

“…”

She never expected Oh Chang Geun’s name to come out of his mouth.

Hee Ran’s pupils trembled slightly.

“If you thought I wouldn’t know, you’ve underestimated me too much. Did you think I wouldn’t have assessed the risks of my agency’s actors while serving as the CEO of an entertainment company?”

Hee Ran tried to maintain her composure as she began to speak.

“Who says I was rejected by Oh Chang Geun?”

“What do you think it means that Oh Chang Geun used Chae Young In as an excuse not to renew the advertising contract? Didn’t you realize at all that his purpose was to get rid of you?”

“…”

“Work on your awareness. From now on, be more selective about who you approach.”

Sung Hyuk got up from his seat and left the room, leaving behind Hee Ran whose face had turned red with shame.

While Sung Hyuk was receiving Hee Ran’s confession, Young In was in the exact same position, sitting in the exact same chair, receiving Jin Gyo’s confession.

“After careful consideration, I concluded it would be better to confess and be rejected.”

Young In, who had been pondering something for a moment, calmly nodded.

“If that’s what you think, senior, I won’t try to stop you anymore.”

She also thought it might be better to clearly wrap things up rather than continue in this lukewarm relationship.

“Let’s date seriously. I’ll do well.”

“You know what answer I’ll give. That’s why you must have been hesitating.”

“I know.”

Jin Gyo also guessed Young In’s intention not to dissuade him further.

“I’m not ready to date someone else yet. I’m sorry, senior.”

“How about getting ready while we date? I can wait.”

“I don’t want to make efforts to completely forget that person, nor do I want to try to like someone else again.”

It was because she realized there were things that couldn’t be helped no matter how hard she tried. If it could be done through effort, she wouldn’t still be struggling because of a man named Cha Sung Hyuk.

“I hope that one day, as I live my life going with the flow, I’ll look beside me and someone will be there. Well, if not, that can’t be helped either.”

“You mean that someone beside you won’t be me?”

“Your place is in front of me, senior. I’m the one behind you, watching and cheering you on.”

Jin Gyo’s gaze, which had been wandering somewhere on the table, turned back to Young In.

“If I say I’ll wait anyway, will I look really pathetic?”

“You might even look obsessive.”

“You’re unusually firm today.”

Young In burst out laughing as she watched him grumble.

At last, she felt at ease. She could sense that he felt at ease as well.

“Because nothing’s worse than giving false hope.”

“Why does that sound like self-reflection?”

A self-deprecating smile spread across Young In’s face.

“You’re unusually perceptive today, senior.”

Her heart felt heavy because she couldn’t be like this with one person. She thought that if she had shown a clearer attitude to Sung Hyuk as well, they might not have come to this situation.

Just as Young In was feeling regretful and reflective, the doorbell of the room rang.

“Who could it be?”

Jin Gyo tilted his head curiously as he got up and went to the door.

A moment later, a gruff voice was heard from the direction of the door.

“What’s the matter?”

A dry reply followed.

“I’m here to take Young In.”

Recognizing Sung Hyuk’s voice, Young In’s eyes widened in surprise.

She thought it was odd that he had gone to Baek Hee Ran’s room so pointedly, only to change his mind after just a few minutes.

“How rude of you.”

No sooner had Jin Gyo finished speaking than Sung Hyuk’s face came into view.

“Come out.”

“What’s this all of a sudden?”

“I don’t like you being alone in a hotel room with a man other than me. So let’s go.”

“…”

Seeing the determination to take her away in Sung Hyuk’s eyes, Young In realized it was pointless to resist and stood up. She didn’t want to argue with him in front of Jin Gyo either.

But before she could walk out on her own, her wrist was grabbed. By the time they were outside the room, it had somehow changed to hand-holding.

Sung Hyuk turned to look at Young In while standing in the middle of the corridor.

“Where’s your room?”

“…”

Young In pressed her lips together even more tightly, as if in protest.

“Shall we keep standing here like this?”

It was a threat implying that he had no intention of letting go of her hand, so if she wanted to be caught by others, she could do as she pleased. That threat worked very well on Young In.

“…The room at the end of the corridor.”

Sung Hyuk walked straight to the room at the end of the corridor and positioned Young In in front of the door.

“Open the door.”

Young In let out a heavy sigh and searched her pocket for the card key to unlock the door. A hand that had stretched out between their sides pushed the door open, and she was also pushed into the room.

The two of them stood facing each other near the foot of the bed.

“Don’t be alone with Seo Jin Gyo in an enclosed space.”

Young In wrinkled her nose and snapped back.

“Why are you treating an innocent person like a potential criminal?”

“Because he’s not an innocent person. He’s a man who sees you as a woman.”

“…”

Young In wanted to ask what right he had to say such things to her when he had been in an enclosed space with Baek Hee Ran, but she couldn’t. It was because she knew that would also be giving false hope.

“What do you think a man would think when he’s alone with a woman he likes in a space where no one else is around?”

“Not all men in the world would think like that.”

“Not all men in the world would, but I always do.”

“…”

The moment Young In detected the heat flickering in Sung Hyuk’s eyes, she found herself lying on the bed in the blink of an eye. Her two hands were bound, leaving her unable to move.

The intense gaze looking down at her from above made all the hair on her body stand on end. She felt a sense of threat and pressure as if she was about to be devoured at any moment.

“Actually, I don’t just have impure thoughts when we’re alone in a space with no one else around.”

Sung Hyuk’s voice became even lower.

“During meetings, when we accidentally meet in the hallway or cafeteria, when we ride the elevator together, I constantly imagine undressing you. Like a madman.”

“…”

Young In bit her lower lip firmly as a strange thrill ran through her at the sultry voice enveloping her ears.

“I feel like a dog in heat.”

“…”

His face slowly approached.

Her head was telling her to avoid it, but her body wouldn’t move. Maybe she didn’t want to refuse.

Just before their lips met, Young In managed to turn her head away.

“I want to do as I please…”

Sung Hyuk muttered under his breath with a sigh as he got up. Young In quickly got up too and smoothed her disheveled hair and clothes.

An awkward atmosphere enveloped the two of them.

“I’m going.”

Young In’s lips moved while keeping her gaze fixed on her feet.

“Did you… get a room…?”

“No, I’m heading to the airport.”

Young In looked up with a surprised expression.

“You’re going back to Seoul today?”

“Yeah, I have an important dinner appointment with an investor.”

“You came all the way to Jeju even though you had an important appointment?”

“Because seeing you was more important.”

“…”

“Don’t avoid my calls. If you keep avoiding them, I’ll come down on the first flight tomorrow.”

“…Okay, so hurry up and go.”

“I’m going.”

Sung Hyuk lightly caressed Young In’s cheek as she mumbled, then turned around.