“You’re leaving work late today?”

Instead of answering the question, Yuri silently glared at the large hand overlapping hers. Though it was meant to help, it was quite embarrassing.

“Why did you come here at this hour?”

She hadn’t meant to ask so sharply. But the unfamiliar sensation of his hand enveloping hers made her tone irritable. She didn’t know why she kept slipping up in front of this man.

Fortunately, Jeho didn’t seem to take it badly, releasing her hand and leisurely checking his wristwatch.

“It’s exactly 8:27.”

She hadn’t even asked for the time, yet he checked it first. As he opened his mouth to continue speaking…

Ring ring―. A phone rang out. It must be a call from Hyunkyung. As Yuri opened her bag to take out her phone, she saw Jeho pressing the answer button.

“Oh, senior. I just arrived at the office.”

[Already? Oh no, I feel so bad!]

Kim Sojang’s husky voice flowed from the phone.

[My second child suddenly got a fever, so we’re heading to the ER. We’ll have to postpone what we planned to look at in the office today.]

Though it wasn’t on speaker mode, Kim Sojang’s voice was so loud that the content could be understood. Yuri realized her mistake and gently bit her lower lip. Their eyes met.

“That’s alright. Let’s meet tomorrow.”

[Thanks.]

Jeho pressed the end call button, looking at Yuri as if to say “now you understand.”

“I guess that answers it…”

“I suppose so.”

Yuri said calmly while pressing her fingerprint on the pad. Click, with a cheerful sound the office door locked, and she bowed her head to him before walking towards the elevator.

“Are you not going to answer my question?”

He called out, following behind her.

Wondering what he meant, Yuri slowed her pace.

“I clearly…”

As Jeho paused, Yuri turned around as if entranced.

“…asked ‘You’re leaving work late today?'”

Seeing her expression asking what he meant, Jeho leaned his upper body towards her as if trying to match her eye level.

For a moment her heart dropped and everything went white. She startled and stepped back, but soon her back hit the wall due to the narrow hallway. Jeho leaned against the wall at an angle, his gaze fixed on Yuri.

“I was asking if you usually leave work late. Your senior said you usually leave on time.”

“It’s just late today.”

Though they were close enough to touch if either moved slightly, Yuri didn’t budge. She’d already shown herself backing away, so she didn’t want to run anymore. But it wasn’t easy to calmly meet Jeho’s steady gaze. Her face kept flushing hot, forcing her to lower her eyes at an angle.

“It’s true I usually leave on time. I took a day off yesterday so work piled up.”

“Isn’t it dangerous to stay and work alone?”

He asked in a gentle, whispering voice. His tone was sincerely concerned for her. Hiding her fluttering heart, Yuri answered gruffly.

“What’s dangerous about it?”

At those words, Jeho slowly looked around. Trying to find a place with cheap rent, Bauhaus was located in a shabby 5-story building a bit away from the busy areas.

“It seems anyone can enter the building. For a design office, the door doesn’t even close properly. …Hmm, maybe we need to change the office location.”

It was more of a mutter to himself than a question. He was already talking as if it were his own company. When his puzzled gaze met Yuri’s, he asked with curved eyes.

“You haven’t eaten yet, right? If you don’t have plans, shall we have dinner together?”

“I already have plans…”

The moment Yuri began to refuse, ding, the elevator doors opened. At the same time, Hyunkyung jumped out from inside with a bright face.

“Yuri!”

Before she could be surprised, Hyunkyung spread her arms wide and hugged Yuri tightly. Then speaking in a childish voice as if talking to a kid, she patted Yuri’s back.

“Our baby, are you hungry? Big sister will buy you something yummy.”

“Stop it.”

When Yuri pushed her away, Hyunkyung looked bewildered. Then noticing Jeho standing behind, she tilted her head.

“A new person? I know all the employees’ faces here…”

At those words, Jeho emerged from the dark hallway into the bright light.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kwon Jeho.”

Kwon Jeho… Huh! Yuri’s first love?

Hyunkyung’s eyes widened to the point of popping out. As Hyunkyung just gaped without saying anything, Yuri quickly linked arms with her.

“We’ll be going now.”

Rather than awkwardly waiting for the elevator, she planned to take the stairs. But before she could take a step, Hyunkyung created a troublesome situation. She gently shook off Yuri’s arm and asked Jeho:

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Then would you like to join us for dinner?”

At Hyunkyung’s suggestion, Yuri nearly jumped out of her skin. Yuri met Hyunkyung’s eyes, giving her a look that said not to do this. Hyunkyung just grinned and turned back to Jeho.

“You like paella, right? Let’s go together.”

Hey, that’s not it!

Yuri glared fiercely at Hyunkyung who was acting like a troublemaker. Ah, if only she could smack her one.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ding―.

Though the food they ordered had arrived, Hyunkyung who said she’d be back after a call hadn’t returned. As Yuri was about to check what was going on, a text message arrived.

What?

Yuri doubted her own eyes for a moment.

Is she crazy?

She quickly sent a text, but Hyunkyung didn’t even check it. When she tried calling, it went straight to voicemail after one ring as if the power was off.

“Your sangria is here.”

As she was about to leave a message, the wine cocktail they ordered arrived. As the waiter set down the decanter, Yuri hung up instead of leaving a message and filled her empty glass with alcohol. Her throat was parched, so she needed a drink first.

Emptying the glass in one go, Yuri gathered her scattered thoughts and focused her eyes. Though the sudden situation was embarrassing, she tried to reassure herself that it would be fine.

Right, what’s the big deal about eating alone with him?

I should treat him to a meal anyway since he helped me, right?

“It seems Hyunkyung had something come up and had to leave first.”

When Yuri explained the situation, Jeho nodded lightly with an unbothered expression.

Ring ring―.

Just then, the phone placed on the table rang. Thinking it was Hyunkyung, Yuri pressed the answer button without checking the caller ID.

“Hello.”

[It sounds noisy there? Aren’t you home?]

Instead of Hyunkyung, Minwoo’s voice flowed from the phone.

“…Oh, Minwoo.”

Though she hadn’t done anything wrong, she tensed up for a moment. Yuri gripped the phone tightly and furrowed her brow.

“I’m having dinner at a restaurant.”

She spoke calmly as usual, but her voice trembled faintly. Fortunately, Minwoo didn’t seem to notice the subtle tremor.

[What time is it now, you’re just having dinner?]

“I worked overtime. Work piled up since I took yesterday off.”

[Are you with Hyunkyung?]

“Ah, Hyunkyung had something come up so she left first…”

As she was about to say she was with Jeho, Minwoo cut her off mid-sentence.

[Where are you? Send me the address. I’ll come there now.]

“You’re coming here now?”

Yuri’s voice inadvertently grew louder. Jeho, who had been silently looking down at the decanter, briefly lifted his gaze to look at Yuri. For an instant, their eyes met in midair.

Her chest stung as if caught doing something bad in secret.

It’s not like that at all, why am I like this?

Unlike her, Jeho smiled leisurely and held out his hand as if asking for the phone. Yuri quietly handed over the phone.

“Can you get here within 30 minutes?”

Surprised by Jeho’s sudden voice, there was a few seconds of silence.

[…Hyung?]

After a moment, Minwoo asked in a voice of disbelief.

“If you come in 30 minutes, we won’t be here, so hurry.”

Jeho ended the call after saying just that. Receiving the phone back, Yuri quickly texted the restaurant address to Minwoo.

It was a 20-minute drive from KG Group headquarters to the restaurant, but factoring in parking time, 30 minutes would be tight. Surely he didn’t really mean to wait only 30 minutes?

“He might not be able to make it in 30 minutes.”

“I know.”

“Then why…”

“It’s none of my business.”

Jeho answered with a smirk. That seemed like a somewhat rude response…

Judging by his attitude at yesterday’s dinner, there was clearly some hostility between Jeho and Minwoo. But it was hard to tell exactly what kind of hostility it was.

“Eat before it gets cold.”

Jeho scooped some paella onto a plate and placed it in front of Yuri. But in this atmosphere, it seemed impossible for food to go down her throat. Eating alone with him was burdensome enough, and the fact that Minwoo was on his way here also made her uneasy.

Yuri sipped from her glass, barely eating. Before she knew it, the bottom of the decanter was starting to show.

Even though sangria has a low alcohol content, drinking on an empty stomach made her tipsy. As she felt hot, Yuri took off her jacket and hung it on the back of her chair.

Jeho, who had been watching silently, smiled faintly and leaned his upper body towards Yuri. Then he whispered softly.

“Oh my, I forgot something.”

Though it seemed like an innocent comment, Yuri reflexively tensed up. The eyes looking at her flickered mischievously for a moment.

“What did you do with the clothes I put on you that day?”

By clothes he put on, does he mean the jacket?

“That…”

Just as she was about to answer, suddenly Minwoo’s excited voice was heard from behind.

“What are you saying? What do you mean clothes you put on?”

As Yuri turned around, Minwoo was standing there with a flushed face, panting as if he had run.

“You’re earlier than expected. Sit down.”

Instead of answering, Jeho checked the time on his wristwatch and nodded towards the opposite seat.

“What was that just now?!”

As Minwoo asked again while sitting down, Yuri looked at Jeho with troubled eyes. She wanted to say ‘because my clothes were wet and see-through,’ but it felt somehow suggestive. Yet the one who dropped the bombshell was just staring at the decanter with an uninterested face.

Jeho’s seat would have had a clear view of Minwoo approaching… Asking about ‘clothes he put on’ was clearly intended to provoke Minwoo.

“I had the jacket dry cleaned. I’ll return it as soon as I pick it up.”

Yuri first answered Jeho’s question, then briefly explained yesterday’s events to Minwoo.

“I almost got hurt at the mall yesterday, but thanks to him I was fine. …The clothes were borrowed then.”

“Oh, I see.”

Only then did Minwoo’s expression soften, and he smiled slightly as if he had imagined something unnecessary.

“So you got hurt helping Yuri? That’s unexpected, hyung?”

“What’s unexpected?”

Jeho asked, tilting his head.

“Then should I have just watched Yuri get hurt?”

His voice was gentle, but there was an edge to his eyes as he looked at Minwoo.

“What? Yuri?”

Minwoo frowned as if the familiar form of address was unpleasant. But Jeho just stared straight at Minwoo without saying anything.

A tense air enveloped the two of them and an awkward silence flowed for a moment…

“Why? Does it bother you?”

Eventually Jeho asked bluntly. Though the question was directed at Minwoo, his gaze was on Yuri sitting beside him. For a moment Yuri’s expression hardened, as if he was asking her.

“Should I call her sister-in-law since you’re not married yet?”

Jeho raised one corner of his mouth while keeping his gaze fixed on Yuri.