Cha Yu Kwon slightly furrowed his brow at the manager’s mumbling words.

The manager, coming to his senses, quickly shook his head.

“Ah, no. I’m sorry. Are you perhaps buying a gift for your lover?”

At the mention of a lover, Yu Kwon thought of Da Eun’s face. If he were to give flowers with that meaning, how would she react?

Yu Kwon became slightly curious.

“Yes.”

When he asked for the prettiest flower, the manager recommended the most colorful ones. Not satisfied, he looked around and his eyes fell on hydrangeas the color of water, reminiscent of Da Eun.

.

.

.

Da Eun, who had arrived at work earlier than Yu Kwon, received the bouquet and blinked her large eyes slowly.

Her face showed surprise rather than joy.

“Are these for me?”

Well, that’s understandable. He had been flustered the entire time buying them too.

“Yes.”

Da Eun tilted her head suspiciously. Her eyes were full of doubt. Yu Kwon’s insides twisted a bit at the unexpected reaction. At the same time, he found it amusing to think what grand reaction he had been expecting.

“If you don’t like them, give them back.”

As Yu Kwon reached out his hand, Da Eun quickly stepped back. Disregarding Yu Kwon’s piercing gaze, she leisurely smelled the flowers.

“Thank you. It’s my first time receiving flowers.”

Her long eyelashes fluttered as she lowered her eyes.

“First time?”

“Yes, from a man.”

She had received a bouquet from Ju Ri before, but it was filled with malice, so she didn’t want to count it as receiving flowers.

Feeling burdened by his gaze that seemed to find her interesting, Da Eun bit her lower lip hard.

Would he think she was an inadequate woman who had never received flowers even from the man she was going to marry? Or would he think she was a pitiful woman? Neither option was welcome.

But strangely, Yu Kwon’s expression seemed to brighten.

“What’s the name of this flower?”

“Hydrangea.”

“Ah, so this is a hydrangea. Did you choose it yourself?”

“Yes, because it resembled you.”

Da Eun, who had been nodding absent-mindedly, looked up at Yu Kwon.

Wondering if she had heard wrong, she was about to ask again when Yu Kwon spoke.

“Shall we have lunch together?”

“I thought you were having lunch with the directors today…”

“I’ll cancel it.”

You’d cancel your plans to have lunch with me? Was Cha Yu Kwon that kind of person? Ah, he must want something.

Da Eun gave a bitter smile before speaking.

“I have prior plans as well.”

“With whom?”

Yu Kwon’s insides twisted again at her face that seemed to ask if she really had to answer that.

“Never mind. Don’t answer. Then how about dinner?”

“My cousin is supposed to come to the company.”

“Gong Hee Ju?”

“Yes.”

“Just the two of you?”

Knowing it was a persistent question, Yu Kwon couldn’t stop himself.

He was secretly curious about Da Eun’s answer.

“No. With senior Jun Won, the three of us.”

At those words, Yu Kwon’s brow immediately furrowed. That Kim Jun Won. And what, senior?

Come to think of it, the three of them used to hang out together in college too, annoyingly.

“What are you doing on the weekend?”

“…Nothing in particular.”

“Meet with me.”

When Yu Kwon wanted to make a deal, he would make it happen no matter what.

That was also the reason why he had a better standing than his aunts.

Yu Kwon waited for an answer after maximizing the persistence he used when making deals. Da Eun, who had been staring blankly at the bouquet, slowly opened her mouth.

“I’ll think about it.”

Yu Kwon’s eyes narrowed at the ambiguous answer. He seemed very displeased.

Feeling the tense atmosphere, Da Eun straightened her back. She seemed to know all too well why his attitude had changed.

As a secretary, she always gave him the answers he wanted, but today, for some reason, she didn’t want to give the answer he desired.

“Ah, don’t we have one more schedule this afternoon?”

“Today?”

“Yes.”

Da Eun took out the notebook from her jacket pocket and checked the schedule again.

Unable to find anything unusual, she looked at Yu Kwon with an uneasy face.

“Why, do you want to leave work early?”

“No, of course not.”

The corners of Da Eun’s mouth trembled as she forced a smile.

“You said you had plans. If you want to leave early, you can.”

An unspoken pressure not to even think about leaving early. Unable to withstand that pressure, Da Eun swallowed a sigh that was about to escape and spoke.

“No. How could I, as your secretary, leave before you?”

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

Only then did Yu Kwon show a satisfied smile.

Cruel Cha Yu Kwon. Not content with meetings all morning and afternoon, he even forcibly added a non-existent schedule.

Since Yu Kwon had never been in a good mood after meetings, Da Eun had been tense all day. Because of that, her legs were trembling by the time work ended.

“Let’s go.”

At Yu Kwon’s words, Da Eun packed her bag and followed him with quick steps. He never told her what the schedule was.

Jung Woo, who was waiting in front of the company, opened the back seat door. As she was about to sit in the front seat as usual, Yu Kwon guided her to the back seat.

“Sit in the back.”

While Da Eun was bewildered, Yu Kwon sat next to her and closed the car door.

Usually, when riding in Jung Woo’s car, Da Eun sat in the front seat and Yu Kwon in the back. Yu Kwon, who was always short on sleep, would often catch a brief nap while moving.

Da Eun became anxious at this unusual behavior.

“I’ll start driving.”

Jung Woo slowly started the car.

“What on earth is this situation?”

Da Eun whispered to Yu Kwon with a displeased face.

“Since money, house, threats, and requests don’t work.”

Yu Kwon leaned his upper body and put his lips close to Da Eun’s ear, then opened his closed lips.

“This time, I’m trying to court you.”

At the languid whispering voice, Da Eun’s earlobes turned red.

Courting? What are you saying with Driver Kim in front?

Flustered, Da Eun blushed and stammered before lowering her head. Yu Kwon, who had been staring at her blankly, turned his gaze to the front.

“I’ve already decided on the clothes I’ll wear for the forum, and I thought you might need clothes too, Secretary Song.”

The schedule was to buy my clothes?

She felt absurd and dejected at the same time.

“…I’m fine.”

“I’m not fine with it.”

Yu Kwon retorted firmly as if it was out of the question, then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

With his arms crossed and eyes closed, he looked like a sculpture.

Da Eun, who had been looking at him, turned her head to the front. Whatever hint he had received, Jung Woo was driving with his usual expression.

It is a bit shabby, I guess.

She would be attending the forum not as a secretary, but as Yu Kwon’s partner.

Da Eun looked herself over. A blouse she couldn’t remember when she bought, a suit that was clean but showed signs of wear – there was no way they would satisfy Yu Kwon’s eyes, who only wore clothes that his personal shopper had difficulty procuring.

How foolish of her not to grasp Yu Kwon’s intentions and act modest.

Just as she let out a self-deprecating sigh, a large hand overlapped her small, white hand.

Da Eun turned her head to look at Yu Kwon, who still had his eyes closed. When she tried to pull her hand away, he instead grasped her hand tightly.

“I can’t sleep, that’s why.”

At his low voice, Da Eun’s fidgeting fingers stopped moving.

You really know how to handle people. Da Eun pursed her lips.

With the newly felt warmth, Da Eun’s heart began to beat rapidly.

The destination shown on the navigation screen was ‘Lumière’. Even at the fastest, it would take 10 minutes. How should she endure those 10 minutes?

This uncomfortable tension. And this quiet silence where even sighing is not allowed.

.

.

.

Exactly 10 minutes later, the car stopped in the Lumière parking lot.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

At Jung Woo’s words, Da Eun hurriedly pulled her hand away from Yu Kwon’s grasp.

“No, you can leave first.”

“Ah, yes. Then I’ll be leaving.”

Driver Kim gets to leave on time. Da Eun enviously watched his retreating figure.

“Let’s go.”

Da Eun stared blankly at the hand Yu Kwon naturally extended, and a question arose.

This doesn’t seem like courting, but dating. Da Eun felt strange at the ticklish feeling rising like a heat haze.

In the car, only Jung Woo was watching. He seemed tight-lipped and serious as Yu Kwon’s confidant, so she had gone along with his sudden behavior, but not here.

Yu Kwon’s aunts, Yong Hee and Yong Ju, were regulars at this store. If they were to run into those two…

Having thought that far, Da Eun shook her head.

“Uh, elevator.”

Da Eun slipped into the conveniently opening elevator doors to avoid the situation.

Yu Kwon laughed as if dumbfounded and followed her.

They got off the elevator and entered the store. Lumière was a store with clothing on the first floor and jewelry on the second floor.

It was a brand that had recently risen rapidly, targeting the upper class with hard-to-obtain fabrics and excellent designs.

Lee Ra, the president of Lumière, greeted Yu Kwon and Da Eun as if she had been waiting.

“Welcome.”

She was an old friend of Yu Kwon’s.

“Hello.”

Da Eun was also acquainted with Lee Ra, as she often came to buy gifts for business partners or run errands for Yong Hee and Yong Ju.

“Did the proposal go well?”

Lee Ra abruptly asked Yu Kwon, who hadn’t even greeted her or pretended to know her. Da Eun was the one who reacted to that question.

The ring Yu Kwon had given as a gift was one she had seen in this store. Da Eun tried to maintain a calm expression while listening intently to their conversation.

“I was rejected.”

“Oh, who would reject Cha Yu Kwon? But your face looks good for someone who was rejected. How annoying.”

Da Eun flinched at the conversation between Lee Ra and Yu Kwon. Because she was the one who had rejected Cha Yu Kwon.

“I have to attend an important gathering, pick out some suitable clothes.”

Yu Kwon grabbed Da Eun’s shoulders, who was standing awkwardly, and pushed her towards Lee Ra. She looked at Da Eun with interest before speaking.

“Can I add my taste?”

“As you like.”

The corners of Lee Ra’s mouth curved upwards. Her expression was excited like a child’s.

She picked out several outfits and then instructed a male employee who had just brought out refreshments.

“Please show our secretary to the fitting room.”

“Yes, understood.”

The man with a friendly impression answered with a bright smile. Lee Ra gave a satisfied smile as she watched Yu Kwon distort one eyebrow.

“I can guess who rejected you.”