As soon as she lowered her arms, indicating she was done, Ki Joo pulled down his stiffened shirt and showed her his tie by swinging it from side to side.

“Is it as you imagined?”

He was persistently watching Eun Chae with his eyes wide open.

“You would have chosen thinking about me.”

Eun Chae shrugged nonchalantly at his words.

“I guess. I just picked something randomly.”

Ki Joo responded shamelessly, his face unperturbed.

“I’m disappointed. Can you loosen it again? The watch too.”

He was using the language of request, but his attitude was more of a demand. Eun Chae, who had picked this up with her sharp senses, furrowed her brows and retorted sullenly.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re that disappointed.”

At her words, Ki Joo laughed. He didn’t seem to harbor any ill intent, nor was he being sarcastic, but Eun Chae was strangely uncomfortable.

“It’s because your hands touched it. I can also see it up close.”

She stiffened her neck. She wondered just how thick this man’s face was.

“You said it was bait.”

“……”

“But, it’s true. I’m very disappointed.”

So, that was the problem. How could he hide his disappointed expression?

“It’s your fault for having expectations of me.”

“True.”

When he admitted it so easily, Eun Chae thought he was not completely conscienceless. But a reversal happened almost instantly.

Ki Joo put one hand in his pocket nonchalantly, tilted his neck and met her eyes.

“So, keep giving me expectations.”

Strange. Ki Joo was more overwhelming in the dark, and he came out more calmly in worse conditions.

Eun Chae looked up at him with a somewhat affectionate crossing of her arms. She looked leisurely into his clear eyes.

Even when you keep crushing those expectations? As if to ask.

((())) ((())) ((()))

Kwang Il, who was walking unceremoniously through the wellmaintained landscape, stopped. He was momentarily shocked to see Song Eun Chae walking out of the security team’s accommodation where only men were bustling about.

Why is she here?

Normally, she had no connection with him. They had come across each other occasionally, but he had never acknowledged her.

Song Eun Chae was usually the one who unilaterally received greetings. She had received greetings with gestures such as lowering her gaze slightly or tucking her hair behind her ears, but even that was so passive that the usually oblivious Kwang Il did not notice.

Should I pretend I didn’t see?

Kwang Il thought about that for a moment. Immediately after, he witnessed the curtain of the accommodation being pushed aside. Between them, Kwon Ki Joo was standing firmly.

Kwang Il reached back and wiped his neck once, then plodded on. Song Eun Chae, whose steps and movements were quiet, often showed a surprisingly sensitive reaction to sudden noises. His exaggerated movements were a sort of consideration.

Nevertheless, Song Eun Chae straightened up with a start.

“You’re coming out of our accommodation. Do you have any orders?”

At his words, Eun Chae rolled her eyes as if to avoid him. Kwang Il narrowed his eyes.

“I had a question.”

Normally, she wasn’t so direct with Kwon Ki Joo.

In fact, that wasn’t special. Song Eun Chae had a flashy escape history, although it had been quiet lately. Each time, the security team had promptly dealt with it and she had come along without being able to make any sense of it. It was only natural for her to hold a hostile attitude towards the security team.

But now she suddenly had a question. That too, this night. Even went so far as to find it herself.

Kwang Il briefly watched Eun Chae’s retreating figure plodding away. Afterwards, he reluctantly lifted his foot.

He had been summoned by Chairman Song Myung Hwan. As he entered the main building, Eun Chae sensed his presence and turned around once, then went up the stairs as if uninterested.

Kwang Il also went straight into Chairman Song’s study. Chairman Song, who was quite obsessed with nonsmoking, had just laid his cigarette on the desk and hadn’t lit it yet.

After briefly saluting, Kwang Il began to report simple things. Among them was content related to Song Eun Chae’s security.

Chairman Song Myung Hwan was meticulous in taking care of anything related to Song Eun Chae, no matter how trivial.

“Miss Song Eun Chae’s mother’s anniversary is coming up soon.”

Even though she was his deceased wife, Chairman Song Myung Hwan hated referring to her as his motherinlaw or exwife.

“We plan to reduce the security personnel that day. Ms. Song Eun Chae will go to the tomb, and only Team Leader Kwon will accompany her.”

Chairman Song Myung Hwan, who had been quietly listening, finally responded.

“Give Team Leader Kwon a few days off.”

His master who used to rage long when he suddenly disappeared. After hearing his reason, he became not only mild but also generous.

Kwang Il swallowed the mockery that was about to burst out and said,

“He refused.”

“That kid, even if he doesn’t seem like it, he’s diligent.”

“……”