“Oppa, why do you have a Doraemon bag? You keep taking things out endlessly.”

“It’s for our A Rin, of course I have to prepare it.”

A Rin always playfully brushed off Yu Hyun’s words, but whenever he blatantly expressed his feelings, she felt uncomfortable.

A Rin knew that the reason Yu Hyun heavily carried around carbonated water and rejected women who confessed to him was all because of his love for her.

A Rin recalled a conversation she had with Ji Yun not long ago.

[I think Oppa is serious about you.] [Ji Yun… I’m not qualified.]

At A Rin’s words, Ji Yun held her hands tightly as if to say it’s okay.

[A Rin, if the reason you’re hesitating is because of your past, don’t think like that. I don’t want you to hesitate because of the pain of losing your child after being married. What’s most important is your feelings. To be honest, I’d welcome you becoming my sister-in-law. Our mom feels the same way.] […Ji Yun.] [So, if you have feelings for Oppa as a man, don’t hesitate because of your past. If you can’t like Oppa as a man, we can’t force you.]

Recalling Ji Yun’s words, A Rin looked at Yu Hyun.

Of course, A Rin knew Yu Hyun was a good person and her heart felt at ease when she met him.

Yu Hyun would definitely become a good husband and a good father.

But to A Rin, that’s all he was. A kind elder brother, nothing more, nothing less.

Her heart didn’t ache at all when Yu Hyun met other women. In fact, when she happened to meet Yu Hyun’s ex-girlfriend through work, she felt nothing.

The probability of Seo Yu Hyun becoming a man to Choi A Rin was close to zero.

‘How can I get Oppa to give up his feelings? We work together so we can’t have an awkward relationship…’

A Rin and Yu Hyun were business partners. A Rin spent more time with Yu Hyun than anyone else.

That’s why A Rin couldn’t find a way to make Yu Hyun give up his feelings.

“What are you thinking about?”

Yu Hyun woke A Rin from her thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, no. Just thinking about the shoot earlier.”

“You did great. A Rin was the prettiest.”

“…Ah.”

A Rin turned away from Yu Hyun who once again expressed his feelings and changed the subject.

“Let’s go to the meeting together.”

“I told you I can go alone.”

Yu Hyun’s smiling face from earlier hardened at A Rin’s words.

“It’s in Seoul, not Jeju Island, so of course I should go. I heard Managing Director Min is coming too.”

“…”

“I should express my gratitude since I won’t see her again.”

“…A Rin.”

“Oppa.”

Min Ha Yeon was Yu Hyun’s girlfriend during his study abroad in France and the older sister of Min Yu Jin, known to be the remarriage partner of A Rin’s ex-husband Jae Hyuk.

Yu Hyun disliked seeing A Rin being reminded of Jae Hyuk when seeing Ha Yeon.

Yu Hyun and Ha Yeon met in France and dreamed of becoming pâtissiers together. One day before graduation, Ha Yeon suddenly bid farewell and left for Korea. Their romantic relationship was forcibly put to an end.

When Yu Hyun met Ha Yeon, he didn’t know she was the eldest daughter of Chairman Min, who owned numerous leading brands in the bakery and dessert industry at LW Group, one of the top food companies in Korea.

Yu Hyun had been living in France for a long time, so he was unfamiliar with the situation in Korea, and Ha Yeon was also very plain and modest.

Yu Hyun reunited with Ha Yeon half a year ago.

LW Group had been steadily proposing a limited-time collaboration since two years ago. It was suspicious for a large corporation to reach out first to a small store that was only slightly famous on social media.

Even if they were sincere, neither A Rin nor Yu Hyun wanted to work with a large corporation, so they declined the offer.

However, they continued to contact them even after being rejected. It was truly questionable.

But the team leader in charge of the project at LW Group came to Jeju Island, and A Rin and Yu Hyun eventually accepted the proposal.

They asked why they persistently proposed a collaboration with a small store in Jeju Island, but the team leader gave a formulaic response, saying, “We just want to promote delicious desserts to many people.” However, Yu Hyun was able to find out the reason at the first meeting he attended with suspicion.

[Yu Hyun… It’s been a while… How have you been?]

The real person in charge who actively proposed the collaboration turned out to be Ha Yeon.

Ha Yeon officially came to the forefront starting this year, and Yu Hyun didn’t know Ha Yeon was at LW Group.

If he had known, Yu Hyun would never have accepted this proposal, he regretted.

Because Ha Yeon was looking at him with a crazed expression of lingering attachment and bitter regret.

Yu Hyun had imagined reuniting with her after she left without a word.

How would he feel if he met Ha Yeon again?

Would he be swayed again by the woman he loved fiercely but who inflicted an indelible wound?

But when Yu Hyun actually saw Ha Yeon in front of him, he felt nothing.

It was strange to the point that he didn’t feel anything even after seeing the woman he had loved and hated so much.

Yu Hyun realized that Ha Yeon, whom he had loved to the point of going crazy, no longer had a place in his heart.

Not even a trace of their love remained. His attention was solely on A Rin who was standing next to him, looking at Ha Yeon.

‘I love A Rin much more than I thought.’

That day, Yu Hyun realized his feelings once again.

LW Group’s first daughter Min Ha Yeon, second daughter Min Yu Jin.

Since then, it became even more awkward for Yu Hyun to meet Ha Yeon. Not because he had lingering feelings for her, but because he hated seeing A Rin being reminded of Yu Jin and in turn Jae Hyuk when seeing Ha Yeon.

Recalling those emotions, Yu Hyun looked at A Rin.

“Oppa.”

“A Rin.”

Unable to refuse A Rin’s request, Yu Hyun made a wry smile. He hated reminding her of her ex-husband with his own hands, but collaborating with LW Group would be a good opportunity for Memoria, which A Rin loved more than anyone else.

Yu Hyun was conflicted, but in the end, he concluded to do as A Rin wished. However, he set a condition. Let’s avoid having A Rin meet Ha Yeon as much as possible.

‘This time too, she was trying to go meet Min Ha Yeon alone.’

Until now, Yu Hyun had scheduled meetings on days the store was closed and came to Seoul alone. But now that A Rin had come to Seoul with him for a broadcast, it seemed he could no longer refuse her request.

“Let’s go together, okay? It’s about Memoria.”

“…Okay.”

Yu Hyun had to remind himself once again that he loved her to the point of following what she wanted, even if it was something he fiercely disliked.

“Really?”

Yu Hyun spoke in a cracked voice.

“Thank you. Oppa.”

Seeing A Rin’s joyful expression, Yu Hyun felt complicated.

He had no confidence in calmly watching Ha Yeon expressing her lingering attachment to him in front of A Rin.

Yu Hyun bit the inside of his mouth hard at the truth he couldn’t speak of.

[This is the timeline separator]

A Rin and Yu Hyun arrived at the LW Group headquarters and went up to the 16th floor conference room as directed by the information desk.

At the sound of the door opening, Ha Yeon, who was sitting in the corner, jumped up.

“Hello, Managing Director.”

A Rin greeted her in a friendly manner and approached Ha Yeon.

“Welcome.”

Ha Yeon also approached A Rin and offered a handshake.

“It’s been a while. CEO Choi.”

“It has. I’ve been in Jeju Island all this time.”

Ha Yeon’s gaze fell on Yu Hyun who was guarding behind A Rin.

“…Have you been well?”

Ha Yeon spoke in a trembling voice. Yu Hyun avoided her gaze and answered in a blunt tone.

“Yes.”

Ha Yeon spoke casually while Yu Hyun replied politely.

Seeing Yu Hyun clearly drawing a line, a bitter emotion shadowed Ha Yeon’s face.

However, Ha Yeon was a woman who had received the harshest education as a chaebol family member. She quickly composed herself and smiled at A Rin.

“Shall we sit?”

A Rin smiled awkwardly at Ha Yeon’s words. It was a very brief moment, but A Rin had already witnessed their situation earlier.

“What would you like to drink?”

Ha Yeon asked A Rin with a smile.

“Lemon tea, please.”

Yu Hyun spoke bluntly. Ha Yeon’s eyes wavered again.

“Would you like lemon tea too, CEO Choi?”

A Rin looked back and forth between Ha Yeon and Yu Hyun.

“Ah, yes. Lemon tea, please.”

Only the parties involved were calm. Even when he felt Ha Yeon’s shaking gaze, Yu Hyun acted as if he didn’t care at all.

Yu Hyun’s gaze was only directed at A Rin, and his lips spoke only to her.

While Ha Yeon ordered the tea through her secretary, Yu Hyun reached out his hand in front of A Rin and spoke.

“A Rin, give me the bag.”

“Huh?”

Yu Hyun shook the hand he had stretched out towards A Rin again.

It was something Yu Hyun always did, but A Rin was more conscious of others than ever.

Because Ha Yeon was watching them.

“Give it. There’s no space there. Quickly.”

In the end, A Rin handed the bag to Yu Hyun.

“Oh, okay. Thanks Oppa…”

Yu Hyun placed the two bags side by side on the chair next to him and only then seemed satisfied. Ha Yeon’s face, who had been watching him, finally revealed an emotion she couldn’t hide.

A Rin was bothered by Ha Yeon’s gaze. The fist clenched tightly under the desk to the point of turning white was pitiful.

‘Sigh. Oppa knows Managing Director has feelings for him and is intentionally doing that.’

It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand Yu Hyun’s feelings.

Whenever A Rin saw Ha Yeon’s hurt face, she was reminded of her past self and felt uncomfortable.

Yu Hyun was kind to everyone and smiled amiably even in front of people he disliked.

Of course, she knew through Chul Yong, who had studied abroad in France with Yu Hyun and now works at Memoria Yeonnam branch, that the two had been lovers in the past and had broken up on bad terms.

A Rin also thought that if an ex-lover had feelings for her, she should clearly draw a line.

But this wasn’t a private meeting with Ha Yeon. Yu Hyun was someone who clearly distinguished between public and private matters, so it was unexpected for him to consistently show a cold attitude towards Ha Yeon, whom he met for work, even if they were ex-lovers.

A Rin unknowingly watched Ha Yeon. When their eyes met, she tidied up her expression and tried to smile. A Rin felt even more uncomfortable.

But she wasn’t in a position to step up and say anything to Yu Hyun.

‘Besides, today is the last meeting.’

A Rin awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth while facing Ha Yeon.

Ha Yeon broke the silence first.

“It’s a pity that today is the last time I’m meeting CEO Choi.”

“Me too. I won’t have a chance to see you again, Managing Director Min.”

“But it’s fortunate we’re wrapping up well. Have you been to the pop-up store?”

“Yes. I went with Oppa yesterday. The atmosphere was just like the store, it was so nice. It must have been hard to create it.”

Ha Yeon tried to act like she was fine, as if her gaze had never wavered, and looked at Yu Hyun with her eyes.

“Yes. Our team leader Yoon said that Mr. Yu Hyun helped a lot to capture the store’s atmosphere.”

Ha Yeon’s gaze fell on Yu Hyun once more. He turned his head away as soon as their eyes met.

Once again, a bitter emotion passed over Ha Yeon’s face as she looked at Yu Hyun.

In the end, it was A Rin who was conscious of others this time too.