I knew without looking who Se Young’s gaze was directed at over her shoulder. Hae Jin subtly moved one step to the side. It was to block Tae Hong from Se Young’s view.

As Tae Hong’s handsome face was obscured, Se Young’s expression twisted.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

Se Young’s sharp voice pierced Hae Jin’s ears. Se Young jerked her chin to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Tae Hong’s face.

What’s the point of you seeing him? Are you trying to arrange a natural meeting here? Then suddenly, it occurred to her. Is this what Jun Tae meant by “self-introduction”? No, it can’t be.

“He’s my work superior.”

“Work superior? I heard your family went bankrupt, are you working now?”

As she said this, Se Young blatantly looked Hae Jin up and down. Then she glanced around once more. Her face was asking why she was at a hotel with her work superior.

“Yes, we’re on a business trip right now.”

She kindly answered even unasked questions, but Se Young snorted and crossed her arms.

“Introduce me to him. Who knows? He could be from a company related to ours. I’ll put in a good word with my dad.”

Hae Jin knew that was just an excuse. Of course, someone like Se Young’s father might be able to help Yeonchang. But she didn’t want to give in to what Se Young wanted.

Was there any reason to yield to Se Young now? This wasn’t a social gathering hosted by Se Young, and Tae Hong was her superior, not Se Young’s.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

As Se Young kept glancing behind her, Hae Jin firmly blocked her view of Tae Hong. She didn’t want to show even a single thread of his sweater. She didn’t want to introduce Tae Hong to her.

“I don’t attend your social gatherings anymore.”

So I don’t have to be mindful of you, and the rank you used to assign me no longer applies to me.

“Are you crazy?”

“Not crazy, just no longer afraid of anything.”

Unlike the bristling Se Young, Hae Jin was more calm than ever. Se Young sputtered at Hae Jin but couldn’t let go of her lingering interest in Tae Hong sitting behind, unable to move either way.

If it were Se Young, she would have left out of wounded pride from such a rebuke, but she didn’t move. Was there really something she didn’t know?

As she thought this, watching Se Young persistently trying to see Tae Hong, wondering how to send her away, she felt movement behind her.

His long legs stretched out in front of the chair that had turned halfway. Tae Hong, who had fully stood up, naturally positioned himself in front of Hae Jin.

The man who had been behind her back now only showed his broad shoulders with his back to Hae Jin.

“Jung Hae Jin. Who is this?”

Tae Hong tilted his head slightly back and asked gently. Before Hae Jin could answer, a hand reached out in front of Tae Hong.

“Hello. I’m Jo Se Young from Hamin Enterprise.”

But Tae Hong showed no interest in shaking hands, seeming to wait only for Hae Jin’s answer.

“It’s an acquaintance I met at a previous gathering.”

Not a friend, not a senior or junior, not really anything. It was a relationship that couldn’t be easily explained. If I had to define it, should I say it was a relationship formed by money? There was no other way to explain it.

Only then did Tae Hong turn his head toward Se Young. He still seemed uninterested in the outstretched hand for a handshake.

“Hamin Enterprise, huh.”

And instead of a handshake, the name of the company indicating her rank came first from Tae Hong’s lips.

“How is CEO Jo Seok Chan doing?”

Se Young seemed delighted that Tae Hong knew her father. She was still smiling brightly despite her hand being so blatantly ignored.

“You even know my father, as expected of Yeonchang Group.”

Hae Jin’s eyes widened at the words “Yeonchang Group” from Se Young’s mouth. Had she known all along and still persistently asked for an introduction?

“It’s surprising that Jung Hae Jin works for Yeonchang Group.”

He didn’t hide his mockery in the words “surprising.” Se Young, who grew up thinking the world was in the palm of her hand, didn’t know how to hide emotions on her face. If she disliked something, she showed it; if she liked something, she showed it plainly.

Some people said it was more comfortable that way, but would Tae Hong like it?

“I’ll arrange a proper meeting next time.”

Se Young deliberately put on her characteristic eye smile as she held out her business card. Gaining confidence from Tae Hong’s now visible interest, Se Young even waved the hand holding her business card.

But Tae Hong didn’t take the card, instead putting one hand in his pocket.

It was a clear expression that he wouldn’t even accept a business card.

“That won’t be happening.”

Along with the action, a verbal confirmation shot followed. Tae Hong subtly hid Hae Jin more behind himself. It was a perfect demonstration of his unwillingness to show Hae Jin to Se Young right now.

“Isn’t Yeonchang Group above the level of meeting with Hamin Enterprise?”

“W-what did you say?”

Se Young’s pride was instantly shattered. Her body was trembling. But this wasn’t the end.

“I heard there might be a search and seizure soon.”

Now Se Young was trembling for a different reason. This was news to Se Young, who had no interest in company affairs. And now Tae Hong was the first to deliver this news to her.

“You should be more careful.”

The business card in her hand crumpled. And the eye smile she had deliberately put on now glared bitterly at the two of them.

Tae Hong turned away from Se Young. It was perfect dismissal. His only concern was Hae Jin.

“Want to drink more? Or shall we go back?”

Hae Jin had no reason to avoid him. Se Young was the intruder, not her.

“I’ll drink more.”

Tae Hong sat down first. Before Hae Jin sat, she approached Se Young, who was still bristling with anger.

“Let’s not acknowledge each other next time we meet. We were never that close anyway.”

With a wink towards Se Young, she substituted it for a farewell greeting.

Paying no attention to Se Young leaving, Hae Jin and Tae Hong refilled their glasses as if nothing had happened.

“You had a lot of gatherings like that, I guess?”

Tae Hong broke the silence, and thinking about his question, it seemed that way.

“Not a lot, maybe one or two? Just for networking? Something like that.”

Tae Hong probably had even more than her anyway. Even in his tight schedule, he often had private gatherings. Though he didn’t stay long, Tae Hong never missed them.

For them, attending gatherings is also a skill. He must always be at the top level in those gatherings. That’s probably why Se Young was trying so hard to cling to him.

As time passed, people were seen leaving one or two at a time. Yet, Hae Jin and Tae Hong didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

“Team Leader, you don’t like alcohol much?”

The soft lighting illuminated Tae Hong. Shadows fell on his distinct features in the light. So Hae Jin couldn’t see Tae Hong’s expression well. She could only see his profile.

“It’s not that I don’t like alcohol, I just don’t like making mistakes when drunk.”

“Nobody likes that.”

Hae Jin nodded as if understanding. Maybe someone among the employees had made a mistake before, so they don’t have company dinners often, she speculated while trying to figure him out.

“For your information, I don’t have any drinking habits, and I don’t make mistakes like that.”

He probably wasn’t curious, but since he said he disliked making mistakes, it was an appeal that she wasn’t the type to behave that way. Anyway, it was just the heart of a team member wanting to look good to her superior, just to that extent.

“That’s good.”

Not sure what was good, but feeling like she had scored at least one point, a smile formed.

Whether it was the power of alcohol or not, looking at his face properly, his handsomeness suddenly hit her anew.

Starting from his loosened hair, she slowly moved her gaze downward. It took quite some time to scan his entire face.

Tae Hong also moved following Hae Jin’s eyes. While she was slowly moving from left to right, and then from top to bottom, his gaze was already fixed on her.

How could Jung Hae Jin’s eyes be so pitch black?

He saw his own reflection in those black eyes contrasting with her white face. At some point, he had developed a habit of looking at her eyes. Hae Jin had eyes that couldn’t hide emotions even with clumsy acting.

The moment when her eyes seemed even darker as she stood with the dawn light behind her. Tae Hong’s senses instantly returned to that moment.

He felt as if he could feel the sensation of her lips and skin that had burned so hot at his fingertips.

Does she know? The more she avoids that answer all day, the more it makes him impatient.

While thoroughly scanning her face, those lips saying no made him want to feel them again.

“Did you enjoy the view this time too?”

Just as Hae Jin had returned to Tae Hong’s eyes, he asked as if he had been waiting. And Hae Jin saw it. She had already seen that intense look in Tae Hong’s eyes, different from his playful voice.

In the warm dawn light, her eyes were blinded, her skin tingled, and the sensation he had given her lips was vivid.

It was the same look she had seen in that moment that had tormented her all day, impossible to forget.

The two looked at each other. A rapid alarm siren went off in Hae Jin’s head. It was a signal detecting danger. She had to escape. If she stayed like this, that situation would surely repeat itself.

Hae Jin quickly stood up. The sound of the chair scraping back drew Tae Hong’s gaze to the chair.

“Team Leader. Shall we go up now?”

It was dangerous, she needed to quickly change the mood.

“Let’s do that.”

Tae Hong stood up obediently. He must have felt the danger I was feeling too.

She sighed in relief so he couldn’t hear. While Tae Hong was paying, she quickly pressed the elevator button.

It wasn’t over until they returned to the room. The danger signal was still ongoing.

The elevator arrived with perfect timing. Due to the late hour, it was just the two of them. Fortunately, Tae Hong didn’t say anything.

They passed the elevator gate too. Now they just had to walk the hallway to their destination. The distance that should take just a few steps felt unusually long.

Tae Hong stopped in front of the room. It was the final gate. Hae Jin quickly bowed her head saying “Good work,” and was about to turn to enter the room when,

“Jung Hae Jin.”

His voice was heard from above her head. This scene seems familiar.

“I have a lot to receive from Jung Hae Jin.”

It was déjà vu from earlier. It indicated he had no intention of letting her go quietly.

“I haven’t received payment for you admiring my face.”

As he took a step closer, his face was still setting off danger signals. No, it seemed he had no intention of hiding it from the start.

“I haven’t heard the answer to my question either.”

Rather, he revealed it more blatantly. It was enough to remind her of what had happened at dawn.

“Above all, I want to answer whether you liked it or not.”

The room key card in her hand passed to his.

With an unrestrained action, he opened the door to her room.