Yulri, who had been looking out the window, turned her gaze to Hyunjo when he spoke. When their eyes met, Hyunjo brightly smiled and raised a wine bottle.

“I’ve thoroughly investigated Yulri with my father.”

As Hyunjo tried to pour wine into her glass, Yulri lightly shook her head.

“I’m good. Bring the car.”

“Just call a driver.”

“No. I don’t feel like drinking much today.”

“Then, there’s nothing I can do.”

With a shrug, Hyunjo poured wine into his own glass. Then he continued the conversation.
“Honestly, Father wanted to introduce my brother and Yulri instead of me. But I begged him to let me do it instead of my brother. I tried to persuade him, saying, ‘These days, younger guys are the trend. She’ll like me more than my brother.’…”

When Yulri looked at him with interesting eyes, Hyunjo confidently spoke.

“I’m a pretty good guy. I’m young, my skin is smooth, and I’m full of energy. If you want to confirm, you’re welcome anytime.”

“Pfft.”

At the blatant pursuit, Yulri burst into laughter. Maybe because she was still a student who hadn’t experienced social life, she felt a bit younger than her actual age of 4 years. Her innocent expression and sunny smile contributed to that feeling.

“I’m planning to make a lot of progress while having a meal together.”

“I don’t have much time. I need to wrap things up before going back to the U.S. so that I can have a long-distance relationship.”

Accepting the meal proposal casually, it seemed like the other party took it as more than just a suggestion. Yulri felt the need to clarify the misunderstanding before it got worse.

“I don’t know if Dr. Park told you, but I recently went through a breakup. I don’t have the intention to seriously date anyone yet.”

“Did it hurt a lot?”

It wasn’t a deep wound from the breakup with Minwoo, but it was true that the wound was deep.

“Yes. The pain is quite deep, so I haven’t recovered yet.”

“Then, do you not need comfort?”

As if asking what she meant, when Yulri tightened her eyebrows, Hyunjo smiled again and said.

“Rebound relationships are good, so use me for that. There’s a saying, heal from a past love with a new love.”

“Without knowing each other well…”

“You can gradually get to know each other. I can guarantee one thing. Yulri will fall for a guy named ‘Hyunjo’ soon. I really am a good guy. Day or night.”

Whether it was overflowing confidence or an inability to control the vigor of youth.

Strangely, she didn’t dislike that attitude. Perhaps because she considered him like a younger brother, it even felt cute. However, that was as far as it went.

Even if their table was far from hers, the man who made her nervous just by being in the same place was on a different level. If he wasn’t here, she might have finished the meal roughly and hurriedly left. But because Jeho was here, she continued the meal with Hyunjo, showing a kind smile and nodding to stories that she would normally have taken lightly.

Hyunjo’s story wasn’t boring, but it wasn’t particularly interesting either.
When dessert finally arrived, Jeho and Woo Gyeol rose from their seats as if they had finished their meal first. As the two left the restaurant, Yulri also thought it was time to end her interaction with Hyunjo.

“Are you okay, considering the time difference?”

“I’m just going to have this and go to sleep. I already booked a room.”

“Why not go home?”

“Even if I go home, there’s no one there. It’s better to sleep comfortably here.”

Although there was a slight concern that he might suggest going up to the room together, Hyunjo extended his phone to her.

“Can you give me your phone number? Let’s go watch baseball together next time. Do you like baseball?”

“No.”

“Basketball?”

“I’m not particularly fond of watching sports games.”

“…Ah.”

For a moment, a disappointed expression crossed Hyunjo’s face. Yulri smiled wryly and entered her number into the phone he offered.

“I prefer doing something myself. For example, running a marathon.”

“A marathon?”

Surprised, Hyunjo asked with widened eyes.

“Yes, a marathon. Dr. Park occasionally participates in marathon events, and when there’s a chance, let’s do it together.”

Although he always emphasized his overflowing youthful vigor, at the mention of the word “marathon,” Hyunjo seemed a bit taken aback.

The two who left the restaurant parted ways neatly, looking forward to the next meeting without setting a specific date.

As they descended together in the elevator, Hyunjo got off on the floor where his room was, and Yulri continued down to the lobby.

Perhaps due to the late hour, there were few people passing through, except for the front desk and the lobby lounge that operated until dawn. Yulri crossed the lobby and headed for the elevator to the underground parking lot.

The underground parking lot was as desolate as the lobby. The sound of footsteps echoing on the floor and the clicking of high heels were the only sounds reverberating in the empty parking lot.

Approaching the point where she could see her car, Yulri squinted her eyes. Someone was standing next to her car. With a fearful heart, she slowly slowed her steps, but when she realized who the person was, she quickened her pace again.

“You seem to have found the wrong car.”

Leaning against the driver’s seat with his arms crossed, Jeho turned his head toward her. Perhaps he anticipated something like this, as he seemed less surprised than when he approached the table earlier. Yulri approached Jeho with a calm face.

“That’s my car.”

As she approached, Jeho, who had been leaning on the car, stood up from the leaned position and slowly looked around. It seemed like he was looking for Hyunjo.

Once he confirmed that she was alone, Jeho stepped aside so that she could open the car door. Then, as if muttering to himself, he said softly.

“The junior’s manners are not great. It’s late, and he didn’t even offer to drop you off in the underground parking lot.”

“There’s absolutely no need for that. That would be excessive kindness.”

As Yulri, who was opening the car door, glanced at him, she spoke. However, he continued with the next sentence as if he had let her words pass through one ear.
“In the future, try not to park in the underground. It’s dangerous alone.”

Yulri didn’t like Jeho’s commanding tone. His attitude seemed as if he was genuinely concerned about her, which was equally unpleasant.

“I’m not a little kid. I can handle it myself.”

“It’s precisely because you’re not a little kid that it’s dangerous.”

Yulri, who felt cornered by Jeho’s behavior that resembled that of lovers, ended up saying unnecessary words.

“Okay, I got it. From now on, I’ll ask Hyunjo to drop me off. Is that fine?”

“Talking as if you’re dating him?”

“That’s the plan for the future. If he likes it, there’s nothing wrong with it, right? His forceful approach is kind of cute. I didn’t know, but it seems I like younger guys.”

There might not be any chance to meet Hyunjo after today, but Yulri blurted out whatever came to her mind. She wanted to tease him a bit.

“Is that so?”

However, he just smiled casually.

“Did you drink? I saw a wine bottle on the table earlier.”

“No. I have to drive, so I didn’t drink.”

“Still, I’ll be the one driving.”

Taking the car key so naturally from Yulri’s hand, he said with a nonchalant expression.