“I’ll go greet them, so Jung Hae Jin, eat something.”

As the party livened up, people gathered around Tae Hong. Because of that, Hae Jin was also busy.

Tae Hong continuously introduced Hae Jin, and thanks to that, Hae Jin was busy greeting people. If the business cards she had brought in abundance were running low, that said it all.

Her legs were swollen from standing nervously in high heels.

“I’ll be right back.”

A man Tae Hong had known for a long time said he had someone to introduce him to and took him away. Thanks to that, Hae Jin also had time to rest.

“I was just craving something sweet.”

As Hae Jin reached out to pick up a dessert, someone quickly grabbed it first. It happened so fast that Hae Jin nonchalantly tried to pick up another dessert next to it. But it was snatched away again.

Hae Jin’s gaze turned to the owner of the hand.

“I like this too.”

Park Seo Woo stood there with slyly curved eyes and a relaxed demeanor.

“Can you get one for me?”

He was as impolite now as he was then.

“It’s fine. Executive Director, please eat a lot.”

Hae Jin just wanted to avoid the situation. They weren’t exactly on friendly terms to smile and chat face to face.

“Then excuse me.”

She thought she would go back and find a place to sit for a while, but Seo Woo didn’t seem willing to let her go.

“Aren’t you being too stiff?”

Seo Woo grabbed Hae Jin’s shoulder firmly. Ah, that hurts. Her face reflexively contorted.

“Stop it.”

Just as she was about to say “please,” Seo Woo’s hand fell away first.

“This one still hasn’t come to her senses.”

When did he arrive? Tae Hong’s handsome face had turned fierce. He twisted and held Seo Woo’s wrist, not letting go.

“Hey, hey. Tae Hong, let’s talk it out.”

Seo Woo’s tail drooped to the floor. But instead, Tae Hong gripped Seo Woo’s wrist even tighter.

“You’re one to talk. As if words would work with you.”

Did they know each other? She couldn’t understand why such harsh words were coming from his mouth.

“Team Leader, please stop.”

More importantly, people’s attention was starting to focus on them. They couldn’t be seen as ruining someone else’s party. There shouldn’t be anything tarnishing Tae Hong’s image.

Moreover, violence was even more unacceptable. Hae Jin gently overlapped her hand with Tae Hong’s hand holding Seo Woo’s wrist and loosened it. Only then did Tae Hong’s hand gripping Seo Woo relax willingly.

“There are many eyes watching.”

Hae Jin whispered carefully, just barely audible to Tae Hong. Seo Woo’s gaze looked at the two of them strangely.

“I thought I told you we wouldn’t see each other again.”

“Did you? I don’t think I ever agreed to that.”

Could it be that you’re the one who set the record for my earliest departure on my first day of work? She focused on their conversation with her own imagination and speculation.

“You should know your limits. Seo Woo.”

Even in their brief exchange, there was a power in Tae Hong’s voice that could sway people. Especially that infinitely lowering bass had something that made the other person flinch.

“Tae Hong.”

Seo Woo ran a hand through his hair and leaned slightly towards Tae Hong. Tae Hong didn’t move, but Hae Jin prepared to jump out right away.

However, Seo Woo fixed his gaze on Hae Jin, who was much smaller than Tae Hong.

“Somehow, I keep wanting to linger in front of you.”

It was as if he was saying the reason was because of her at the end of his gaze. Hae Jin unknowingly looked at Tae Hong.

Why is Tae Hong the person she finds herself looking for in this moment?

Tae Hong was still staring intently at Seo Woo. And his hand grabbed Hae Jin’s shoulder. To be precise, it was the exact spot where Seo Woo had gripped tightly.

“There’s a type of person that annoys me the most in this world.”

Unlike the infinitely gentle touch on Hae Jin, the words he spat towards Seo Woo were fierce.

That’s when it happened. Tae Hong patted her shoulder a couple of times. She wanted to interpret it as saying it’s okay, just trust me, at least for this moment.

Tae Hong tapped Seo Woo’s shoulder with his index finger. Seo Woo’s expression was instantly filled with displeasure.

“It’s you.”

Tap tap, this time with a bit more force, causing the shoulder to move back slightly.

“You.”

Tae Hong seemed to have finished speaking as he lightly dusted off Seo Woo’s shoulder. It meant disappear like dust.

Fearing something big might happen if they stayed longer, she pulled on Tae Hong’s arm. If they stayed any longer, it was only a matter of time before they became the subject of gossip.

She knew better than anyone how quickly a rumor unleashed at a gathering could snowball in no time.

“Let’s go somewhere else.”

This was something someone who had experienced it would know well. At gatherings like this, attention tended to lean more towards the negative than the positive.

Having received looks with the nuance of “know your place” several times before, it was best to avoid unnecessary attention.

Just when she thought the war of nerves was over and felt relieved, Seo Woo lacked even basic tact.

“The person who calls Moon Tae Hong ‘Team Leader’? Why don’t you give me your business card before you go?”

The bomb finally self-destructed. Holding back Tae Hong who looked like he was about to lunge forward, Hae Jin approached Seo Woo.

“Executive Director.”

Hae Jin’s eyes looking straight at Seo Woo were more emotionless than ever.

“I am Assistant Manager Jung Hae Jin.”

That was enough for introductions. To prevent any further commotion, she got to the point.

“If you want my business card, you can proceed with official business with Yeonchang Group.”

Of course, she could give it to him, but knowing he was on bad terms with Tae Hong, it would be a waste to give one of the few remaining business cards.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for me to give you my business card right now, Executive Director.”

Most importantly, she could sense from Seo Woo’s eyes that he was only interested in his own gain. Hae Jin politely bowed in greeting. Then she walked back to where she needed to be.

“Let’s go, Team Leader.”

It was by Tae Hong’s side.

**

The party was almost over. The two continued their busy greetings, and eventually Hae Jin ran out of business cards, so towards the end she had to make do with handshakes.

Hae Jin told the still busy Tae Hong that she was going to get some fresh air for a moment. Although he didn’t like it, he eventually allowed it.

Hae Jin sat on an outdoor bench and slightly took off her shoes. Her feet, which had been cramped inside the tight shoes, felt a sense of liberation.

It was certainly a dynamic party. Jun Tae’s phone call and the appearances of Se Young and Seo Woo brought on a rapid increase in emotional and physical fatigue.

Hae Jin tilted her head back as far as it would go. Thinking how pretty the stars in the night sky were, she felt like her blocked heart was opening up.

As Hae Jin was counting the sparsely twinkling stars one by one, a dark shadow covered her face.

“Wh-what is it!”

Hae Jin, who had tilted her head back as far as possible, urgently lifted it up, and Tae Hong stepped back one step.

“What are you doing here? I’ve been looking for you for a while.”

“I told you I was going to get some fresh air for a moment, didn’t I?”

“Then you should answer your phone properly.”

Tae Hong showed her the phone screen with the call log.

“You should think about the person who’s worried.”

Only then did Hae Jin take out the phone she had put in her clutch bag. As he said, there were several missed call records.

“I had it on vibrate so I didn’t know. I’m sorry if you were worried.”

Hae Jin sat up straight again. People coming out could be seen, perhaps the party was over.

“Are you very tired?”

“I think I was more nervous than I thought. I’m realizing anew that this job requires a lot more physical strength than expected.”

Hae Jin put her shoes back on. When she finished putting them on and stood up, her feet disappeared into her skirt.

“That’s why I told you to rest yesterday.”

It was clearly a concerned tone, but why did it suddenly feel full of thorns?

“I did rest well, though?”

Hae Jin tried to act as nonchalant as possible, but she did feel guilty. Although she only had one beer, it was true that she went to the lounge bar alone.

“Really? Why do I feel like I saw Jung Hae Jin at the lounge?”

How do you know that? She wanted to ask, but if she did, her whereabouts from last night would be completely revealed.

Last night, after Tae Hong finished showering, he felt a bit thirsty. He was thinking of ordering room service, but decided to go to the lounge bar for a change of mood and maybe have a drink alone.

He smiled slightly at the employee who seemed to recognize him, and as he was about to move to the seat the employee pointed out, a familiar silhouette caught his eye.

Jung Hae Jin came here too.

He was about to greet her, but thought she might need some time alone. Of course, there was no obligation to report her schedule after work, but he wished she had said something like, “Would you like to have a drink together?”

With half disappointment and half understanding, he pretended not to see her, but when he saw Hae Jin in the morning, she didn’t seem to be in particularly good condition.

Seeing her tired appearance, he suppressed the urge to nag that it would have been better to sleep more instead of going to the lounge.

While Tae Hong was lost in his own thoughts, Hae Jin confessed.

“Actually, I happened to meet Executive Director Park Seo Woo at the lounge.”

Tae Hong clearly saw her alone, so when did she meet Seo Woo? Tae Hong’s mind quickly began to assess the situation.

The probability of Sion and Tosan being connected, none.

The probability of Hae Jin being connected to Seo Woo, questionable.

Why did Park Seo Woo appear at the lounge? Was this a coincidence or not?

Tae Hong’s mind became complicated. Park Seo Woo, an old friend, but not particularly a person he felt affection for. From a young age, Seo Woo had acted as if he was born to take away what Tae Hong had.

Perhaps he knew that even making advances towards his half-sister was an action to provoke him. But he couldn’t keep ignoring it, so an appropriate warning was necessary.

But at this party, the feeling was a bit different. He openly targeted Hae Jin in front of him. Even to his eyes, his own gaze towards Hae Jin must have looked different.

How could he not notice when he had been protectively hovering around her?

While he was lost in thought, Hae Jin began to reveal what had happened with Seo Woo. Tae Hong just listened quietly.

“I’ve already met him several times, but each time it’s uncomfortable.”

“What?”

His tone rose sharply. His upper body, which had been relaxed until now, turned abruptly towards her. The composure gradually disappeared.

“Several times?”

“Yes. To be precise, it’s the third time including the party.”

Hae Jin was even folding her fingers, kindly counting the number of times. The more fingers she bent, the more his face wrinkled.

“The first time was at the hotel, the second time at the lounge, and the third time at the party.”

Tae Hong’s pupils visibly dilated. He didn’t like any of the places they had met.

“Where did you say the first time was?”

“At the hotel.”

Hae Jin was calm. Is this something to be calm about? The first time was at a hotel? A man and woman meeting for the first time at a hotel, how should this be interpreted?

Jung Hae Jin, say something.