Jian, who had expected a bustling restaurant and a drumshaped table as the venue for the gettogether, opened her mouth as if she had been hit on the back of the head.

Having lived so close, she had again forgotten that Kang Hyun was a chaebol from another world.
“It’s the kind of place where they grill right in front of you, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You have gettogethers in places like this?”
“I do.”
Kang Hyun, who handed his jacket naturally to the employee guiding them to the private room, subtly pushed Jian to sit down.
“For drinks.”
“Soju.”
“Soju? You know how to drink it?”
Kang Hyun asked with a displeased face. It seemed as if he wanted to nag about health again.
“I can drink well!”
So, Jian nodded very firmly.
“How about a light glass of champagne? Soju will be hard on your stomach.”
Seo Yoon suffered from chronic inflammation and had a weak stomach, enough to take medicine regularly.

Although it seemed there was no problem now, maybe because of the stress he received from me, I was still worried.
“Then I’ll do somac.”
Jian, who raised her eyebrows as if blaming him for asking, made a compromise on her own.
“What are you going to do?”
“I roll really well. Just right in one gulp.”
Even knowing that she had lived a different life for 4 years, Kang Hyun doubted his ears.

Then, he let out a hollow laugh like a deflated balloon.
“I look forward to it.”
“I’ll serve the appetizers first.”
After the neat table setting was passed, the employee who had been explaining the parts of the prepared beef with dedication, put the meat on the iron plate.

Chiiik, the pleasant sound barely echoed when the savory aroma tickled the nostrils.
“It looks delicious.”
Jian, who had wiped out her share of the appetizers, picked up her chopsticks that were glistening with gloss.

One piece, one piece, the meat that was placed evenly on each individual plate, all went to Jian.

Receiving from the front and also from the side. She felt like a baby bird receiving food.
“Director, aren’t you eating?”
“Ms. Seo Ji An, you eat first.”
Kang Hyun, lost in her cheeks blushing peach color, didn’t care about the meat at all.

He just poured the Somac that Jian confidently rolled into his dry mouth.
“Aren’t you drinking too fast?”
“It’s okay.”
Before the soju bottle Jian tilted to fill his empty glass could go down, Kang Hyun had already downed his drink again.

One glass, two glasses, three glasses.

Even if the thirst wasn’t quenched even after wetting the throat with the tart carbonation, it was because he wanted to press his lips against her wellcooked cheeks.

As he placed his lips where his hand touched, whenever he wanted, in whatever way, he used to engrave his existence into Seo Yoon, so his body, knowing that sensation, made his senses sensitive on its own.

Recalling the fragments of the past that once ruled over Seo Yoon, her throat burned and her vision blurred as if her blood was drying up. Now, even lust.

With her inherent selfishness, it wasn’t easy to shun hypocrisy.
“But wasn’t Director Do also supposed to eat with us?”
Late in realization, Ji An passed the most tender, fatty cut of meat to Kang Hyun, thinking of Seok Won.
“He said he has a promise.”
“Ah, then we should have rescheduled.”
“We can do it together next time.”
After finally swallowing a piece of meat, Kang Hyun called for an employee to order warm water, which he handed to Ji An.

Drinking was one thing, it was a company dinner, so one could turn a blind eye. But one couldn’t ignore drinking icecold water filled half with ice.

Having finished her light meal with refreshing cold noodles, Ji An, with her belly swollen like a tadpole, carefully put on her neatly placed shoes.
“I had a good meal.”
“There’s a good wine bar nearby.”
“Great, round 2!”
Ji An, who was feeling tipsy after having enjoyed a large portion of melting meat leaving only the juice, nodded right away.

Just one more hour, no, two more hours to go.

Kang Hyun, who would normally not eat dessert, carefully prepared it to extend the precious time given to me.
“Don’t drink too much.”
“Don’t worry.”
The hand that wanted to stroke the tightly tied hair twirled in the air.
“Ji An!”
“Myung Ha Jun? What are you doing here?”
“I came to eat.”
“Really?”
Having excused himself from his group, Ha Jun cheerfully came over and put his arm around Ji An’s shoulder.
“You even have company dinners now that you got a job. You’ve grown up, Seo Ji An.”
“Stop talking nonsense and say hello, our company’s executive…….”
Ji An, whose gaze met the wavering eyes of the lost Ha Jun, was momentarily speechless.

He looked perfectly fine earlier. The expression from a while ago, when he was enjoying the meat, was nowhere to be found.
“I’m Tae Kang Hyun.”
“Hello, I’m Myung Ha Jun. Have you been drinking? Your face is red.”
After finishing the greetings, Ha Jun freely played with his fingers and rubbed Ji An’s rosy cheek.

Kang Hyun hurriedly lowered his eyes as if he had forgotten how to breathe.