After that, Cha Geon Hak, whom she had bumped into accidentally and seen frequently, was not seen again.

I heard he went to the United States on an overseas business trip.

After that, Jae Yi tried hard to give up her feelings for him, but they remained unchanged. Rather, she felt her feelings for him growing.

The memories of the days spent with him haunted Jae Yi even in her dreams.

She doesn’t know how many times she dreamed of being in bed with him. Some days, she woke up to find herself unconsciously making embarrassing sounds.

At those times, an intense sense of self-loathing would wash over her.

She even felt pathetic for still not being able to forget the touch of the Executive Director.

“Sigh.”

She needed to send an email to the department head before leaving work today, but she couldn’t focus on her work.

Han Jae Yi. What’s wrong with you, really.

Noticing that Jae Yi had been unable to concentrate lately, Su Bin, sitting next to her, placed a chocolate on Jae Yi’s desk.

“Eating something sweet makes you feel good. Have one.”

“Thank you, Assistant Manager.”

“Isn’t there one for me, Assistant Manager Han?”

As Im Jin Seop suddenly approached their desks, Su Bin pretended to rummage through her drawer and acted as if there was nothing.

“Sorry, but I don’t have anything for you, Manager.”

“That’s disappointing.”

As Manager Im approached Jae Yi, his face clearly showed an apologetic expression. The quick-witted Jae Yi asked first.

“Manager. Do you have something to say?”

“Jae Yi, if you’re not busy, could you do me a favor?”

“If it’s a favor I can do, I’ll do it. What is it?”

“Could you buy coffee from the first floor and set it up in the seminar room? I asked Ye Won to do it, but she’s late coming back from her business trip. The meeting is about to start soon.”

“It’s not a difficult favor, so I’ll do it. I wanted to clear my head a bit anyway.”

Manager Im handed over the corporate card from his pocket. On the note attached to the card were written the number of people and their coffee preferences.

“Just buy what’s written on the paper. You can buy one for yourself too.”

As Jae Yi nodded, Su Bin glanced at her. Seeing that seven cups of coffee were written on the note, she asked Jae Yi.

“Jae Yi. It’ll be heavy, should I go with you?”

“It’s okay. Oh, I’ll buy one for you too while I’m at it. What would you like?”

“Really? Then totally thank you. I’ll have an Avvocado please.”

“Okay.”

* * *

Jae Yi came to the cafe in the building’s first floor and ordered one by one according to the note the manager had given her.

“Then the total for 8 cups is 44,000 won.”

As Jae Yi handed over the corporate card, the cafe employee gave her the card, receipt, and a buzzer.

“Thank you.”

Seeing an empty seat by the window, Jae Yi went and sat there. Come to think of it, I’ve never been able to buy a coffee while working.

As Jae Yi turned her gaze to the window, she could see people moving busily. Looking at the gloomy weather, it seemed like it would pour rain at any moment, according to the weather forecast.

Sure enough, people passing by could be seen running helter-skelter one by one. Raindrops started falling one by one on the concrete floor, then began pouring down with a fearsome momentum.

Swoosh―

‘What food were you thinking of that made your face so red?’

As it rained, she naturally thought of the Executive Director.

She recalled how she had pondered what to eat in the car, and how her face had flushed while looking at the Executive Director. The sound of rain they had heard together in his car suddenly came to mind, as if it had sounded so pleasant.

Again and again, he comes to mind.

Although she had resolved to sort out her unrequited feelings.

She wanted to see his face, even if by chance, and wanted to talk with him again, even if by chance.

She hadn’t been able to sort out her feelings for him at all.

A large black umbrella appeared in front of Jae Yi, who was staring blankly out the window.

Beyond the window, some man was standing, covering his face.

Who is it?

As the umbrella that had been covering his face gradually rose, the face of the man holding the umbrella was revealed. It was Assistant Manager Kang Seung Woo.

Though his voice couldn’t be heard through the glass, Seung Woo called Jae Yi’s name and waved cheerfully.

Is he returning from a business trip or something?

As he waved his hand left and right to the point of embarrassment, Jae Yi also slowly waved back. Grateful that Jae Yi had joined in, a smile slowly spread across his face.

“Let’s go in together.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll come over there!”

Ah. Is he saying he’ll come here? Seeing Seung Woo’s gestures, Jae Yi nodded.

Buzz―.

Just then, as the buzzer on the table vibrated, Jae Yi got up from where she had been sitting on the sofa. Jae Yi’s gaze turned to Seung Woo, who was just entering the company lobby.

“Whew, even with an umbrella, I’m all wet.”

Seung Woo brushed off his jacket and trudged over to Jae Yi.

“Are you returning from somewhere?”

“I was just coming back after taking care of some business. Whew, I was so surprised when it suddenly started pouring. The umbrella I brought just in case saved me.”

As Jae Yi handed the buzzer to the cafe employee, Seung Woo looked at the coffee placed in front of her.

“What’s all that?”

“Manager Im asked me to set up the conference room. So I came to buy it myself.”

“You came alone with all that?”

“Yes. It’s not that heavy.”

As Jae Yi tried to pick up the carriers tied in sets of four in each hand, he stopped her.

“I’ll carry one for you.”

“Thank you.”

She had thought it wouldn’t be that heavy, but when she picked up 4 at once, it was difficult. Jae Yi kept switching hands back and forth as she carried them.

“See? It’s heavy, right? This is surprisingly difficult. How did you think you could carry it alone?”

“I just… thought I could do it, I guess.”

As Seung Woo hurriedly pressed the elevator button, Jae Yi smiled.

“If Assistant Manager Kang wasn’t here, I think I would have barely managed to press the elevator button and get on. Thank you for helping.”

“No need to thank me. It’s nothing.”

As the elevator arrived, Jae Yi and Seung Woo got on. As Jae Yi pressed the 8th floor, Seung Woo also nodded.

“Seeing that you’re going to the seminar room, I guess U-Yeon Entertainment is coming for the advertising model contract this time?”

“U-Yeon Entertainment?”

“Yes. I heard they’re an agency with a super hot actor these days. What was his name again―”

Just as the elevator doors were about to close, a black wingtip shoe blocked them.

As the elevator doors opened again, Seung Woo, who had been chatting comfortably with Jae Yi, corrected his posture.

He bowed his head to the man in front.

“Hello, Executive Director.”

Ah. Jae Yi’s heart started pounding as if it would burst.

It felt like she could even hear her own heartbeat in her ears.

The Executive Director Cha Geon Hak, whom she had wanted to see so badly, was right in front of her like this. After a whole 3 weeks.

She could see his jawline that had become sharper in the time they hadn’t met, and his brown eyes shining seductively within his long, slanted eyes. The blue shirt suited him well with his fair skin tone.

As always, Geon Hak in a suit looked magnificent. By now, Jae Yi had also bowed her head in greeting.

“Hello, Executive Director.”

Although she tried not to tremble, Jae Yi’s voice shook slightly, perhaps because it had been a while since she had greeted him.

With his hands in his pockets, Geon Hak looked back and forth between the two of them and stepped inside.

As the two moved to either side to let Geon Hak enter, he walked between them and stood at the very back.

Click, the elevator doors closed. The atmosphere suddenly turned chilly, as if the air had frozen.

Seung Woo looked at Jae Yi. Perhaps because she was riding the elevator with the Executive Director, her hands holding the coffee were trembling slightly.

Seung Woo continued speaking to try to ease Jae Yi’s tension.

“I don’t watch dramas much either, so I don’t know, but I heard this actor is super hot these days. So our team members are really looking forward to it too.”

She couldn’t hear a word of what Seung Woo was saying.

She could only feel Cha Geon Hak’s gaze behind her back.

Once again, Jae Yi felt sweat trickling down the nape of her neck. The Executive Director’s aura seemed different somehow after meeting him again after 3 weeks. She couldn’t see the kind smile he used to give employees before.

I wonder if something happened.

As Jae Yi turned slightly to glance at Geon Hak, she saw him leaning against the wall with his eyes closed tight. As if tired, he pressed his fingertips firmly against his eyelids.

“Assistant Manager Han, are you not interested in celebrities?”

“Huh? What?”

Only then did she look at him, and Seung Woo laughed softly.

“What were you thinking about that you didn’t hear me even when I asked? Be honest. You didn’t hear a word I said, right?”

Yes. I didn’t hear anything.

Right now all my attention is on the man named Cha Geon Hak.

My only interest is the Executive Director.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been out of it lately.”

“It’s okay. Well, it happens.”

Geon Hak’s eyelids slowly opened.

His gaze lingered on Han Jae Yi in front, then turned to Kang Seung Woo, who was smiling brightly at her.

It’s been quite annoying since earlier.

He had been wondering why he felt so irritated, and now he saw the reason.

It had been grating on Geon Hak’s nerves since the company lobby.

He hadn’t actually intended to interfere this much. When he saw the two of them looking friendly from the company lobby, Secretary Kim left him alone and rushed ahead to block the elevator doors first.

This is really messed up, Cha Geon Hak.

“Then, what does Assistant Manager Han like? Do you like movies?”

“I don’t particularly like them that much.”

“Looking at it now, it might be faster to find what Assistant Manager Han likes. Then what are your interests?”

My interest has always been you, Executive Director.

Jae Yi’s head turned back once again. As her eyes met directly with Cha Geon Hak’s, Jae Yi flinched.

She was so startled she almost dropped the coffee in her hand.

Just moments ago he had his eyes closed, but now as he stared intently at Jae Yi, her mind went completely blank.

I need to act nonchalant.

Geon Hak’s gaze was so intense that she couldn’t move.

“Assistant Manager Han?”

At Seung Woo’s voice, Jae Yi barely managed to turn her head and clutched tightly at the carrier in her hand. She was trembling so much her heart felt like it would leap out of her chest.

Just from making eye contact with the Executive Director once.

“Hah.”

Geon Hak’s sigh could be heard from behind.

Ding, as the elevator stopped on the 8th floor, Geon Hak took a step and snatched the carrier from Han Jae Yi’s hand.

As the surprised Jae Yi looked at him, Geon Hak handed the carrier to Assistant Manager Kang. When Seung Woo just stared without taking it, Geon Hak’s thick eyebrows twitched.

“Aren’t you going to take it?”

“Ah, yes.”

As Seung Woo hurriedly took the carrier and stood there blankly, Geon Hak frowned in annoyance.

“Aren’t you getting off?”

“Ah, with Assistant Manager Han―”

“Han Jae Yi has something to discuss with me, so she can’t get off.”

“Pardon?”

It wasn’t just Seung Woo who was surprised. Jae Yi also let out a startled voice.

As Seung Woo still didn’t move, Geon Hak grabbed his tie in irritation and shook it. Then he looked at him with cold eyes.

“Why does everyone have such a hard time understanding?”

Geon Hak pushed Seung Woo’s back and pressed the close button.

As the elevator doors closed in an instant, Jae Yi looked at Geon Hak, who had grabbed her wrist. She couldn’t understand his actions.

Jae Yi took a deep breath and gently opened her lips.

“Executive Director. What on earth is this―mmph.”

He grabbed Jae Yi’s chin and kissed her lips in an instant.