Jung Hae Jin came down, wheezing as she pulled her carrier. Moon Tae Hong, who had come out at some point, easily picked up the carrier that looked burdensome.

He glanced slightly at her high-heeled shoes, then turned to look at Jung Hae Jin, who was embarrassed by her now-lightened hands.

“Aren’t you strong?”

Without giving Jung Hae Jin a chance to say anything, he picked up her carrier and walked to the car.

As Jung Hae Jin, who had been watching him load the luggage into the trunk, was about to open the driver’s door, Moon Tae Hong, who should have sat in the passenger seat, stuck close to her side.

“I’ll drive.”

“I’ll do it.”

Jung Hae Jin tried to gently push Moon Tae Hong’s body, but it wasn’t a body that would budge from her push in the first place. There was no way she could overcome Moon Tae Hong standing firm.

“At this point, isn’t it on purpose?”

“On purpose?”

His head tilted sideways towards Jung Hae Jin’s shoes, and only then did Jung Hae Jin wave her hands in front of her, saying it wasn’t.

“Ah, no. It’s just that I was in a hurry to come out.”

“Alright, so get in the passenger seat.”

Jung Hae Jin stood there hesitantly, then reluctantly moved to the passenger seat. She had only thought about getting ready as quickly as possible, thinking about waiting outside.

If she had been thinking about driving, she would have obviously worn low-heeled shoes, but she was distracted. As expected, his sharp eyes wouldn’t miss it.

Although it was a business trip, it was also a moment when Jung Hae Jin was leaving the city for the first time in a long while. Unable to take her eyes off the window, Jung Hae Jin was absorbed in watching the scenery.

“Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin. Did you check about the company we’re meeting today?”

Jung Hae Jin quickly took her eyes off the window. She opened a page of a neatly organized notebook.

“Ah, yes, yes. I checked. Fortunately, Manager Lee sent me some company-related materials as a reference before the business trip, just in case.”

“That’s fortunate.”

With those words, Jung Hae Jin turned her head back to the window. Moon Tae Hong was rather more concerned because of the quiet Jung Hae Jin beside him.

“Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin. You seem to be enjoying being outside.”

“Pardon?”

Jung Hae Jin turned her gaze to Moon Tae Hong as the passenger window was slightly lowered, then looked back at the window. The wind coming through the open window flowed pleasantly.

“It’s a business trip, but it’s good that the weather is nice.”

Jung Hae Jin muttered as if talking to herself, but Moon Tae Hong didn’t miss it.

“It would have been better if it wasn’t a business trip.”

Jung Hae Jin pressed her face closer to the window out of embarrassment. Her long hair fluttered in the blowing wind.

The scent spread to Moon Tae Hong as well. It felt as if heat was rushing from somewhere in his body at her scent that kept tickling his nose.

Hastily, Moon Tae Hong closed the window. The car interior, which had been full of wind noise, suddenly became quiet. Jung Hae Jin was disappointed by the raised window, but it was the driver’s choice, so there was nothing she could do.

The navigation system informed that a rest area would be coming up soon. Jung Hae Jin glanced at Moon Tae Hong’s expression and asked.

“Team Leader, should we go to the rest area? We have plenty of time.”

“Rest area?”

From his tone of questioning, it was immediately evident. He had no intention of going to the rest area at all.

“It’s almost lunchtime, I think we could eat at the rest area.”

Jung Hae Jin looked at the time and tried to persuade Moon Tae Hong. After a moment’s consideration, the car veered to the right. Perhaps because it was a weekday, there weren’t many people at the rest area.

Jung Hae Jin stretched her arms high above her head. Moon Tae Hong looked at her indifferently for a moment before walking ahead. Jung Hae Jin quickly lowered her embarrassed arms and followed him.

“What do you eat when you come to a rest area?”

“Well, this and that.”

Jung Hae Jin first looked around and identified where most people were lining up. Then she paid in advance and waited for the order. Her actions were as smooth as a well-rehearsed script.

Moon Tae Hong just stood indifferently next to Jung Hae Jin, who had the most excited expression in the world. After receiving the ordered food, Jung Hae Jin found a seat and spread the food on the table.

“Are you going to eat all this?”

“Of course. Don’t you eat this much?”

“Well. I understand one menu per person, but isn’t three menus per person a bit much?”

Even though the portions were small, Moon Tae Hong still seemed not to understand.

“The charm of a rest area is eating a variety of things in small portions.”

“Just say you eat a lot. Why are you trying to package it?”

Moon Tae Hong criticized, but he picked up one of the foods and ate it. Jung Hae Jin just watched his chewing mouth, waiting for his reaction as if it were some kind of ordeal.

“Well, how is it?”

Moon Tae Hong, knowing that Jung Hae Jin was watching, silently picked up another item and ate it.

Jung Hae Jin continued to examine his mouth and face as if that moment was a torment. Only after drinking the coffee he had brought with him did Moon Tae Hong open his mouth.

“It’s delicious.”

To hear just that one word, she had been staring at someone else’s eating mouth the whole time. Still, the generous evaluation gave her confidence. Jung Hae Jin’s face naturally broke into a happy expression at the taste of the rest area that she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin seems to be enjoying it too.”

“Of course. Isn’t this why we stop at rest areas?”

She was just starting to savor one or two of the foods. But she felt a piercing gaze from somewhere. When she raised her head to identify the cause, wasn’t Moon Tae Hong staring intently with only coffee touching his lips?

“Team Leader, are you done eating?”

“Yes.”

“You’re not going to eat more?”

“No.”

Is he telling me not to ask, or to focus on eating? If he’s done, I might as well eat it all.

Only after a few more chopsticks went back and forth did Jung Hae Jin’s meal come to an end.

“I’m full.”

She leaned back as far as she could to show how full she was. Moon Tae Hong’s gaze as he looked at her was not ordinary. He alternated between looking at the food and Jung Hae Jin, but she could only guess the reason as she couldn’t understand.

Did I eat too much? Or is he urging me to get up quickly and be considerate?

“Sh-should we go now?”

Her choice was the latter. As she quickly got up to clean up the remaining food, Moon Tae Hong slightly pulled the container that was still left.

“Are you done eating?”

Yes, Jung Hae Jin nodded quietly. She had eaten enough and had no lingering desire for the food.

“You call this done eating?”

He scanned the remaining food that hadn’t been cleaned up yet. Once again, not knowing what his intention was, she stood awkwardly waiting for his next words.

“There’s not a single dish that’s been emptied?”

Well, she had ordered a bit extra thinking they would eat together. Of course, she knew from their meals together that he had a small appetite, but she thought this amount would be easily digestible.

She swallowed the words that were coming up to her throat with difficulty.

“That’s why you can’t use your strength.”

Clicking his tongue, Moon Tae Hong started cleaning up the food instead of her.

“Don’t go around saying you’re strong anymore.”

Huh? When did I say I was strong? Thinking about it, she remembered when she came out carrying the carrier in the morning. Saying she was strong then was just a temporary measure to prevent him from coming up to her house.

Of course, she had struggled because of the high heels, but she didn’t think he had been listening so carefully.

“I-I’ll do it.”

Moon Tae Hong lightly ignored her and moved with the cleaned dishes.

Jung Hae Jin quickly returned to the car and changed into sneakers. She felt uncomfortable letting him drive continuously, and she didn’t want to blush her face with high heels anymore.

Things that kept not going her way were emerging. It felt awkward in a way.

“Team Leader. I’ll drive.”

“You should pay for your meal, Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin.”

Grabbing the steering wheel made her feel at ease. Just as she was thinking this must be what paying for a meal means, he opened the passenger window. The cool breeze flowed to Jung Hae Jin as well.

“So this is how it felt.”

When Jung Hae Jin was about to ask what he meant, Moon Tae Hong’s voice was heard again.

“You were staring blankly, so I wondered what it felt like.”

“Now that you’ve tried it, doesn’t it make you feel good?”

Agreeing with his words, feeling the gently blowing wind, everything in the world seemed happy. At that moment, Jung Hae Jin and Moon Tae Hong were feeling the same emotion.

“You’re right. It’s good to cool down too.”

“Are you running a fever?”

Concern filled her voice at the mention of fever. Even while driving, she kept glancing at him out of worry, but he just kept looking out the window.

“Focus on driving.”

This was just the beginning of the business trip. The health and stamina of a superior were of utmost importance.

Especially since this business trip had been scheduled months in advance, it was difficult to change or cancel. Isn’t that why she came instead of Lee Byung Soo?

“If you feel chilly, should I close the window?”

But there was no answer. Until they reached a long tunnel, Moon Tae Hong felt and felt the wind again. If this was the way to cool down his fever, she had to wait until he stopped.

**

They visited the first company at the appointed time. Jung Hae Jin handled the tasks that Lee Byung Soo should have done one by one. Of course, she had to look up materials occasionally, but Moon Tae Hong didn’t rush her.

Thanks to his consideration, although the pace was slower, the work was handled neatly. She organized and recorded the meetings, filling in everything systematically.

They exchanged business cards and words of “looking forward to working together” followed. Since she had to share with Lee Byung Soo after the trip, she carefully recorded even the appearances. As the first meeting ended smoothly, Jung Hae Jin gained confidence.

Only after the third meeting ended did the day’s schedule come to an end. Having been tense since morning, Jung Hae Jin felt like all the energy was draining from her body.

“It’s not as easy as I thought.”

A self-mumble flowed out amidst the relaxed tension. Nothing in life is easy, and it wasn’t her first business trip, but these meetings had been particularly nerve-wracking.

It was partly because she was substituting for Lee Byung Soo, but thinking that it was an important trip for Yeon Chang and Moon Tae Hong, she tried even harder not to make mistakes.

“You did well.”

Moon Tae Hong, walking beside her, said casually while looking at his phone, as if it was no big deal.

“It’s not an easy meeting, but Jung Hae Jin is doing well.”

It was clearly just a general encouragement from a superior to an employee, but why couldn’t her heart accept it that way?

It was just words spoken casually, so why was she attaching meaning to them?

“Now we just go back to the accommodation, right?”

Jung Hae Jin asked, trying to act nonchalant. Just as she was reaching out to set the navigation to the reserved accommodation, Moon Tae Hong was a little faster. And Jung Hae Jin’s hand landed on top of Moon Tae Hong’s hand.

In an instant, the small hand was covered by the large hand. A hot palm touched the cold back of her hand. He grasped her finger that was about to press the screen.

It was just holding a finger, but her heart was beating uncontrollably. It was too much to dismiss as nothing, as her heart was doing its own thing.