Jae Yi’s heart pounded pleasantly.

“I’ll never get hurt again.”

“Really?”

Jae Yi slowly unwrapped her hands from his neck and met Geon Hak’s gaze.

“Yes.”

She beautifully closed her eyes and nodded.

“I don’t like it when you’re upset because of me either, Director.”

“Ah. Why are you so cute?”

At Geon Hak’s words, Jae Yi’s cheeks began to turn red. Even her small ears turning pink was incredibly adorable.

“Come to think of it, Han Jae Yi is weak to compliments. Even without touching, your face gets so red like this – it drives me crazy.”

“I’m just not used to compliments. When someone compliments me, I feel embarrassed and don’t know how to respond.”

“When someone compliments you, just accept it.”

Jae Yi looked at him.

“Since you’re not used to compliments, I’ll have to praise you even more. What should I start with?”

Geon Hak smiled with his eyes and lightly touched Jae Yi’s red, luscious lips with his index finger.

“Han Jae Yi’s lips are pretty too.”

He kissed her lips deeply enough to crumple them. The ointment on Jae Yi’s lips rubbed off on Geon Hak as well.

“Director, you got ointment on your lips.”

“Wipe it off for me.”

Geon Hak slightly pursed his lips. As his lips glistened, Jae Yi gently rubbed around his mouth with her thumb.

His large hand softly grasped Jae Yi’s slender wrist.

“Not yet—”

“Even your hands are pretty.”

As he lowered his head slightly and kissed the back of Jae Yi’s hand, her heart pounded like it would burst.

He kept acting in a way that seemed to tempt Jae Yi.

Even while kissing the back of Jae Yi’s hand, his languid eyes were fixed directly on her. As his gaze lingered intently, even Jae Yi’s breathing trembled.

He sexily curled up one corner of his mouth and burst into laughter.

After repeatedly kissing the back of Jae Yi’s hand, he lifted his head and looked at her face.

“There’s not a single part of you that isn’t pretty, Han Jae Yi.”

As he wrapped his strong arm around her waist, Jae Yi’s chest pressed against his broad chest.

“You’re even prettier, Director.”

His thick eyebrows twitched and then returned to their original position.

“Then compliment me too.”

Jae Yi looked at Cha Geon Hak in front of her. His brown eyes sparkled colorfully beneath his long, slanted eyes. And his sharp jawline was so handsome.

She was happy just from the fact that such a handsome and wonderful person liked her.

“Director, your eyes are so pretty.”

As he slowly nodded, his hair covering his forehead swayed. It was as if he was saying he already knew that much without being told.

“Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“I’m pretty sure I used my lips, like this.”

As he kissed Jae Yi’s eye area with a smack of his red lips again, her lips parted slightly.

Ah. The gaze they shared was so intense.

The distance closed again as if he was about to kiss her once more. He tilted his head slightly and gently opened his lips.

“Let’s continue at home later. Sleep in my room tonight.”

“What?”

When Jae Yi looked at him with a surprised face, Geon Hak looked back at her as if to say ‘What’s the problem?’

“Why, are you tired?”

She shook her head.

“It’s not that… Ye Na won’t let me go.”

“Ah. That’s right.”

He chuckled as if an unexpected obstacle had come to mind.

* * *

Underground parking lot.

Beep―

With the sound of the car door unlocking, Ga Yeon opened the door of the sedan and got in.

As soon as she sat in the driver’s seat, she threw the handbag she was holding onto the passenger seat and shouted.

“Argh! I’m so annoyed! How dare she act like that to me?!”

Ga Yeon grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and shouted while shaking her body from side to side.

Still not feeling her anger subside, she started pounding the steering wheel with her fists. No matter how much she thought about it, Han Jae Yi’s behavior was so infuriating it felt like she would die.

Ga Yeon turned the rearview mirror and checked her face.

One of her cheeks had turned red. That insignificant Han Jae Yi had marred her face.

I won’t let this slide, Han Jae Yi.

She opened the bag she had thrown on the passenger seat and took out her phone.

Then she started searching for someone in her contacts.

Ga Yeon’s finger moving up and down stopped abruptly.

“Found it.”

She pressed the number saved as [Bedbug].

― The customer you are trying to reach is unavailable at the moment…

When the automated message played, Ga Yeon let out a single scream.

“She blocked me? Argh! So annoying!”

Like mother, like daughter – both women were getting on Ga Yeon’s nerves.

Ga Yeon exhaled roughly and seethed.

‘Follow me.’

But wait.

“Why did Director Cha Geon Hak grab Han Jae Yi’s arm and move?”

Ga Yeon narrowed her eyes.

Ga Yeon, who found Han Jae Yi’s behavior utterly ridiculous no matter how she thought about it, turned around again and walked towards where Han Jae Yi had been.

And she saw that scene.

When she went back, Han Jae Yi was with Cha Geon Hak.

The sight of him grabbing Han Jae Yi’s arm and moving in the company lobby seemed quite suspicious.

Strange.

“Why does that scene feel so familiar, why……”

Suddenly, something began to flash through Ga Yeon’s mind.

“Damn, it was definitely Han Jae Yi. Where on earth did she disappear to?”

The memory of accidentally meeting Han Jae Yi at Chamyeong Department Store came to mind. And the memory of seeing Cha Geon Hak there too.

As she recalled the image of him moving while embracing someone as if protecting a precious treasure, Ga Yeon started chewing on her thumbnail.

“Ha, what is this. Was the person Cha Geon Hak took with him back then Han Jae Yi? No way……”

Brrrring. Ring―

When the phone thrown on the passenger seat rang, she hurriedly checked the caller ID and answered.

It was Tae In’s call.

“What.”

― Why didn’t you tell me? I heard you went to Chamyeong Group today.

“Do I have to report everything to you? I’m about to die of annoyance right now, why are you suddenly calling and making a fuss!”

― Did you perhaps… meet Jae Yi noona?

“This guy keeps going on about Han Jae Yi, Han Jae Yi at every chance. Hey, you spoke well for once. Do you know what I saw today?”

Tae In’s dry voice flowed through the call.

― What did you see?

“Director Cha Geon Hak was dragging Han Jae Yi by the wrist. In the company lobby, no less.”

― They’re not in any kind of relationship.

Park Ga Yeon furrowed her brow at Park Tae In’s calmer-than-expected voice. He wasn’t the type to answer like this.

There’s a man next to Han Jae Yi, and he’s just going to sit still?

“What’s this, did you already know about their relationship?”

― I told you they’re not in any relationship. That man Cha Geon Hak is just playing with kind Jae Yi noona.

“Hey. Why would Cha Geon Hak play with Han Jae Yi? There are so many prettier girls around him than her, how can you say that—”

― To Cha Geon Hak, the only woman is Yoon Su Ah from Han Seo Group.

A short exclamation escaped Ga Yeon’s lips.

“Haa. What? W-who?”

― Yoon Su Ah.

“Wow, this is crazy. What kind of development is this now? Cha Geon Hak likes Yoon Su Ah? That Yoon Su Ah?”

― You know her?

“I know her very well.”

Ga Yeon looked in the rearview mirror and raised one corner of her mouth.

“She’s even crazier than me.”

* * *

Sitting across from Ye Na, Jae Yi put some lotion on her palm and started applying it to Ye Na’s adorable chubby cheeks.

Ye Na’s cheeks that fit perfectly in her palm were soft like tender tofu.

Her cute little nose and big eyes with thick double eyelids. And her plump cheeks too.

Ye Na was so lovely now that she could speak well too.

With her pink dress decorated with princess pictures, she looked like a doll.

“It’s nice to shower together, isn’t it Ye Na?”

“Yes! I wuv it!”

Ye Na was no longer shy with Jae Yi.

She wondered if that was just her personality, but sometimes when Ye Na talked with Mrs. Kim, Jae Yi noticed her becoming subtly stiff.

“Our Ye Na looks so pretty after showering too.”

“You pretty too, unnie.”

‘Han Jae Yi’s lips are pretty too.’

Suddenly, as Geon Hak’s image popped into her mind, Jae Yi’s face instantly turned red.

Seeing this, Ye Na looked up at Jae Yi and blinked.

“Oh, oh? Unnie’s face turned red.”

Whew, what are you thinking about, Han Jae Yi.

She was reminded of the secret meeting she had with him at the company today.

As Ye Na was still blinking her big eyes while looking at her, Jae Yi quickly said:

“I’m just so happy that Ye Na complimented me. Thank you, Ye Na.”

“Mm-hmm!”

Ye Na nodded vigorously and smiled brightly.

How can she be so pretty?

She also felt that Ye Na was tugging at her heartstrings and wanted to treat her even better.

When Ye Na’s mother left this beautiful Ye Na behind, how much must she have missed her.

Leaving behind this small and pretty child, she must not have been able to close her eyes even at the moment of death.

Just thinking about it made her chest feel heavy.

Whenever she looked at Ye Na, she was inevitably reminded of her mother. If someone else’s child who wasn’t even her own was this pretty, why did her mother treat her like that?

Why did she hate and dislike her so much?

As Jae Yi’s expression suddenly darkened, Ye Na put her little hand on Jae Yi’s cheek. Then she stroked her cheek.

I wonder who she learned this from.

“Unnie.”

“Yes?”

“If you think bad thoughts, your nose will have scary dreams when you sleep.”

“You’re right. Unnie won’t think bad thoughts. Thank you for worrying about me, Ye Na.”

“Mm-hmm. Smile like Ye Na, like this.”

As Ye Na smiled brightly, Jae Yi smiled along with her.

“Okay. I got it. I’ll smile like Ye Na.”

When Jae Yi pulled Ye Na in front of her into a hug, Ye Na burrowed into Jae Yi’s embrace.

Our lovely Ye Na.

“Then shall we go to sleep now, Ye Na?”

Ye Na shook her head.

“Unnie. Ye Na not sleepy yet.”

“I see. Then should unnie read Ye Na’s favorite book?”

“Mm-hmm! Ye Na will stay up all night!”

“Oh really?”

Today, Ye Na’s eyes sparkled especially brightly.

Suddenly remembering Geon Hak waiting in the room, a smile spread across Jae Yi’s lips.

Before showering, she had received a text from Geon Hak.

[I prepared wine to drink, so come over soon. I’ll be waiting.]

* * *

Ye Na, who had been chirping like a baby chick in front of Jae Yi, soon became tired and yawned widely.

“Haaaam.”

“Our Ye Na is sleepy now, huh.”

As Ye Na nodded while rubbing her eyes, Jae Yi turned off the room light and turned on the indirect lighting.

“Then let’s go to bed and sleep now, Ye Na.”

She hurried to lie down in bed with Ye Na.

Jae Yi slowly stroked Ye Na’s back as she naturally snuggled into Jae Yi’s arms.

Even Ye Na’s night terrors, which used to cause her to cry and faint in the early mornings, had noticeably improved.

As Jae Yi patted her back slowly in rhythm, Ye Na’s eyelids gradually began to close.

Pat. Pat.

Jae Yi’s hand movement, which had been tapping Ye Na’s back in a regular pattern, stopped.

When she gently lowered her head, Ye Na had already fallen asleep, breathing regularly.

“Good night, Ye Na.”

Jae Yi softly kissed Ye Na’s forehead.

Jae Yi gazed lovingly at Ye Na for a while, then turned her head towards the door.

“I wonder if the Director is going to sleep.”

Just as Jae Yi was about to move her body from the bed, she heard the bedroom door opening quietly.

When she turned her head, her eyes met with Geon Hak, who was quietly entering.

He looked like he couldn’t wait any longer.

Jae Yi suppressed a laugh and looked at him.

“Director.”

“How’s Ye Na?”

When Geon Hak asked in a small voice, Jae Yi nodded.

“She just fell asleep.”

Jae Yi also answered in a soft voice and slowly got up from the bed.

When Ye Na stirred, Jae Yi quickly patted her back.

Fortunately, Ye Na’s movement stopped, and Jae Yi slowly got down from the bed.

Geon Hak looked at the sleeping Ye Na and then stared intently at Jae Yi.

A fragrant body lotion scent wafted faintly from her body.

He reached out his arm and firmly wrapped it around Jae Yi’s waist, startling her. She glanced at Ye Na once before looking at Geon Hak.

“D-Director, what if Ye Na wakes up while you’re doing this?”

“I can’t hold back anymore, just once.”

“No matter what, here— mmph……”

The moment Jae Yi’s lips parted, his breath instantly invaded.

Jae Yi also accepted him in response to his kiss.

As he kissed her deeply, Jae Yi felt breathless yet happy.

Their breaths echoed in the quiet bedroom, and when their overlapping lips separated, both of their eyes shook greatly.

“!”

“Ye Na… need to pee……”