“A wicked act…”

Se Eun repeated exactly what Sun Woo had just said.

Then, a strange heat began to pool on her cheek, which was enveloped by a large hand.

“Yes, something like this.”

His hand caressed her cheek more blatantly than before.

Startled, Se Eun hurriedly lowered her eyes.

She couldn’t bring herself to look directly into Ki Sun Woo’s blazing eyes.

One step, Se Eun carefully took a step back.

But soon Sun Woo took one big step forward, narrowing the gap.

Again, as Se Eun moved slightly backward, Sun Woo once more strode after her.

In the suffocating silence, only the sound of their footsteps quietly echoed through the living room.

Thud, finally Se Eun’s heel signaled its limit.

Now there was nothing behind her but the wall.

Due to the difference in stride, the distance between them had actually become closer.

Ki Sun Woo’s scent mingled with hers as if it were her own.

Unable to raise her lowered eyes, Se Eun stared intently at the floor.

Over her forehead, a fresh breath wafted in.

“Yeon Se Eun. It seems you have nowhere left to run?”

Completely cornered, Se Eun unconsciously raised her heels.

It was to create as much distance as possible and to press her back against the wall as much as she could.

At that action, a light laugh escaped Sun Woo’s lips.

“Nice. This height difference, this angle. It’s perfect.”

“What?”

As the startled Se Eun finally couldn’t help but raise her face, Sun Woo’s head came down diagonally, as if not to miss that moment.

“…!”

Tightly, Se Eun closed her eyes with all her might.

She could no longer bear this situation.

As a last defense, Se Eun chose to clench her lips tightly so they wouldn’t be exposed.

So that Ki Sun Woo would have nowhere to commit his wicked act.

But strangely, she felt a ticklish sensation somewhere other than her lips.

Along with a laugh like a breeze tickling her ear.

“Oh dear, I’m sorry I couldn’t meet our Yeon Se Eun’s expectations.”

“…?”

Gently, Se Eun half-opened her eyes.

Even half-open, Ki Sun Woo’s face full of laughter filled her vision.

He was twirling her disheveled side hair with his finger, tucking it behind her ear.

“I meant it was the perfect angle to tidy up your hair, but you seem to have thought something different?”

His sly lips curved into a pleased smile.

Feeling somewhat annoyed, Se Eun unknowingly raised her voice.

“…I wasn’t thinking anything!”

Se Eun struggled to escape from between the wall.

But before she could run away, she was caught by Sun Woo again.

This time, cupping her cheeks with both hands, he pressed them from both sides.

As a result, her lips, which had been tucked in earlier, began to pout like a chick’s.

Unable to open her mouth due to the sudden pressure, Se Eun just opened her eyes wide.

Ki Sun Woo was staring intently at her pursed lips.

Even though their lips hadn’t touched, it felt as if a hot heat was pooling on her lips.

As the embarrassment reached its peak, Se Eun tapped his chest, signaling him to let go.

He, as if he had been waiting, brought the conversation back to the starting point.

In a very brazen and alluring way.

“Yeon Se Eun, you’ll work at the company, right?”

In the end, Se Eun nodded.

Having never experienced having her lips held like this before, she was just dazed.

Of course, it was fortunate that a real ‘first kiss’ mishap didn’t occur, but after nodding, she felt like she had been played by Ki Sun Woo from the start.

Naturally, that feeling wasn’t a misconception.

The strategy of cornering Se Eun was Sun Woo’s grand plan from the beginning.

Her innocence was sometimes so defenseless, it was quite useful at times like this.

However, Sun Woo also had to test his own patience.

In fact, when he touched Se Eun’s lips earlier, he wanted to press his own lips against hers as well.

It was impulsive at the moment, but he really wanted to take Yeon Se Eun’s first kiss.

*

“…Hello. Nice to meet you. I’m Yeon Se Eun.”

Gulping down a dry swallow, Se Eun bowed her head at a 90-degree angle.

The fact that about twenty people were looking at her simultaneously made her fingertips tremble.

Today was Se Eun’s first day as an intern in the design team.

Although the title of intern was hastily created, it was her first company experience nonetheless.

“Welcome. I’m Jang Ha Yeon, the owner. I’m also your mother’s junior.”

“…Ah.”

Even though she had come knowing this, her body instinctively shrank at those words.

At the edge of her vision, she saw Shin Mo Na with her eyes blazing.

Although she had been pushed into joining the same company, Mo Na obviously wouldn’t welcome Se Eun.

“For now, Mo Na will show you the ropes. I thought it would be better since you’re cousins.”

“Ah, yes…”

Unable to refuse, Se Eun nodded slightly.

Then, as if she had been waiting, Mo Na came forward and ostentatiously linked arms with Se Eun.

She then introduced her to the other employees with a bright smile.

“This is my cousin sister. We’re only a year apart. Please take good care of her~. Oh! And also. Se Eun sister has some difficulty with her legs. Please understand.”

At Mo Na’s words, murmurs leaked out among the employees.

Although it was something they would have found out anyway, the fact coming from Mo Na’s mouth before Se Eun could say it herself made it stand out as a ‘flaw’.

Se Eun had to watch helplessly as sympathy and curiosity instantly mixed into the welcoming atmosphere.

Is this kind of prejudice really unavoidable?

It was then.

Jang Ha Yeon suddenly intervened between them.

“We don’t design with our legs, so what does that matter? Let’s not have unnecessary prejudices, at least not in our company.”

At her firm tone, Mo Na quickly let go of Se Eun’s arm and made an exaggerated gesture.

“Of course! Prejudice? I just said that because I was worried~ my sister might have a hard time!”

“I see. Mo Na, please guide her well. I have to leave for a meeting now.”

“Yes. Leave it to me.”

After nodding lightly and leaving, a strange silence fell.

But Se Eun’s gaze couldn’t leave the back of Jang Ha Yeon who had just left.

Mother’s junior, somehow just those words seemed to tighten her chest.

Similarly, the doctor who was close to her mother always told Se Eun that she didn’t need to feel guilty.

However, actually seeing Jang Ha Yeon made her feel very strange.

Wasn’t she preparing the brand together with her mother?

‘…Does that person also think I should have died instead?’

Somehow, thinking that made being in this space feel stifling.

It was then.

Tap tap, at the insensitive touch hitting her, Se Eun snapped back to reality.

Looking to the side, Mo Na was standing there with a sulky face.

The other employees had already returned to their places.

“Why are you standing there blankly? I said I’d show you to your seat.”

“Ah… Right.”

Glancing, Mo Na looked Se Eun up and down as if examining her.

The ominous atmosphere in that gaze made Se Eun instinctively tense up.

As expected, a voice full of thorns sprang from Mo Na’s mouth.

“What are all these clothes?”

What she was glaring at were the so-called ‘work clothes’ that Ki Sun Woo had bought after Se Eun decided to join the company.

Clothes that were clearly different from the old clothes she had been wearing until now, visibly high-class at a glance.

“Ha, you looked like you were going to your funeral when you got married, but now you’ve hit the jackpot? Wearing clothes like this, the nerve.”

“It’s not like that…”

“Ah. I guess that trash bought them for you?”

For a moment, Se Eun’s heart strangely surged.

Why? It was okay for her to be insulted, but hearing Ki Sun Woo being called trash didn’t sit well with her.

What kind of expression must she have shown Shin Mo Na?

As a clear anger set on Mo Na’s face, her hand inevitably rose.

Tightly, Se Eun habitually shrank and closed her eyes.

However, unlike usual, she wasn’t slapped or grabbed by the hair.

Patting Se Eun’s shoulder lightly, Mo Na whispered kindly.

“Oh my, sister. There’s dust on your clothes. You should take good care of nice clothes.”

“…”

To Se Eun who was blinking in confusion, Mo Na pressed her body close.

Then she whispered ominously into her ear again.

“If you want to work at the company safely, you’d better watch your mouth. Se Eun sister.”

Those words made her shoulders tremble involuntarily.

It was an infinitely savage warning.

Soon, Shin Mo Na, removing her hand from Se Eun, pointed to a seat in the corner.

“There, that’s your seat. Go sit down.”

“…Thank you.”

“What for, you heard earlier. They told me to take care of you.”

“…”

With anxious eyes, Se Eun looked up at Mo Na who was taller than her.

Would she really teach her the work?

Maybe because there were many eyes here, she might at least pretend to teach.

After that accident, she had never dared to think about it, but originally Se Eun’s dream was to make beautiful jewels like her mother.

It was also a dream she naturally had watching her mother when she was alive.

From a young age, when her mother was designing, she would draw colorful jewel shapes beside her.

It was now a distant and faint memory, but the feeling of extreme happiness remained.

The dream she couldn’t bring herself to mention even when Sun Woo asked if there was anything she wanted to learn or do.

That was now before Se Eun’s eyes.

A faint expectation unknowingly welled up in her chest.

However, that expectation was immediately crushed.

Pointing to the boxes of luggage piled around Se Eun, Mo Na sharply gave her first task.

“Take these to the warehouse over there. You heard what the CEO said earlier, right? Let’s work without prejudice. Sister.”