It was around the time dawn was breaking dimly. Opening her eyes in the narrow room dyed deep blue, Hyunseo held her breath at the sight of his large back wrapped in a shirt. Gyeom, who’d already finished dressing, turned to look at her.

“I’m leaving.”

“…Yes.”

“Just stay there, don’t get up.”

She could see everything clearly from the bed to the front door anyway. Knowing this but wanting to see him off, she deliberately sat up. 

Though her n*ked body was embarrassing, she had no time to grab clothes and just roughly covered herself with the blanket.

Gyeom, who’d slipped on his shoes, looked down at her.

Even if it was just a few steps of seeing him off, he couldn’t dislike her for doing it without fail each time he left. He gently stroked her hair.

“Do Hyunseo is so kind. But.”

The hand that had swept back her disheveled hair moved down to cup her round shoulder. Even just lightly holding it, the hot warmth transmitted completely.

“I wish you’d be kind only to me. Not to just anyone, only to me.”

The low voice wasn’t a suggestion. It didn’t sound like a take-it-or-leave-it statement.

So she nodded. Understanding, agreeing—he watched her obediently nodding a bit longer before finally turning and leaving through the front door. She kept her eyes on the firmly closing door for a long time.

No matter how late they mixed bodies, even if she dozed off afterward, he always left her place at the crack of dawn.

It was unavoidable if he needed to prepare for work. While she understood, she also felt disappointed.

It wasn’t just loneliness stemming from being alone again. The problem was that his lingering presence lasted too long. Now her room didn’t feel like her own room. It felt unfamiliar. Because he wasn’t there.

‘This place is full of Do Hyunseo’s scent everywhere.’

‘What…?’

‘That’s why I keep coming. I keep losing my mind.’

Hyunseo slowly lay back down on the bed. The pillow where she buried her face carried Gyeom’s scent.

The spot where he’d lain was still warm. Her eyes, slowly sweeping it with her hand, stared into the distant air.

She vaguely realized why a corner of her heart, which should have been fine, felt cold.

Gyeom always came to her. She’d never once set foot in his space. It felt like he was telling her this was as far as it went. It was practically the same as already hearing the answer.

How far could they go? Perhaps Gyeom had kindly told her in advance. Yes, maybe.

She tried to sleep. She thought her feelings trying to sleep while knowing it wouldn’t come were exactly like this.

It was troubling. How long could this continue? How much more would she come to like him?

“Is there a Do Hyunseo here?”

Having ultimately wasted several hours with her eyes open before going to work, someone came looking for Hyunseo early in the morning.

“That’s me.”

“Please sign here.”

She signed first at the courier’s request. Seeing the unfamiliar logo drawn on the box she received, she tilted her head in confusion, but Miae and Deputy Manager Jeong beside her went wild with their eyes wide.

“Oh my, jackpot!”

“Hyunseo, what is it? Did you get a gift?”

“What is it? Oh my! Oh my my, what’s the occasion!”

Even Deputy Manager Oh, who approached late, had his mouth hanging open, but Hyunseo still couldn’t grasp the situation. Assistant Manager Hwang, sensing the unusual atmosphere, carefully drew her attention.

“Open it first.”

“What? Oh… yes.”

“It can’t be, right? This is from the new seasonal collection. It came out targeting VVIPs, so it must be incredibly expensive.”

While Miae, knowledgeable about luxury goods, chattered about limited editions and whatnot, Hyunseo calmly opened the box.

It was a luxurious handbag. At the prediction coming true, Miae made an even bigger fuss, and Deputy Manager Jeong and Deputy Manager Oh also kept exclaiming with surprised faces. 

Deputy Manager Oh examined Hyunseo with curious eyes.

“Hyunseo, did you have a boyfriend?”

“Oh, well…”

“No way. This is no joke right now. It was already expensive, but as soon as it came out, a huge premium was added!”

“Right. Who has such outstanding ability and is so devoted?”

“Hmm, I think I know who it might be.”

Deputy Manager Jeong smiled with a meaningful expression. Before the troubled Hyunseo could explain, Miae and Deputy Manager Oh started interrogating Deputy Manager Jeong about who it was. Assistant Manager Hwang tactfully took control of the situation.

“Whoever she got it from is Hyunseo’s personal matter. I don’t think there’s any need to pry.”

“We’re curious, that’s all. It’s not like it’s pocket change.”

“That’s right. We asked because we’re envious, but Assistant Manager Hwang is being too sensitive.”

“Am I being sensitive, or is Miae being nosy for wanting to know who it is?”

“Oh my, I’m not the only one asking?”

“But you’re the one who’s been driving the atmosphere by mentioning the price since earlier, aren’t you, Miae?”

“Everyone, the general manager is coming!”

At Manager Kim’s tip-off from a distance, the female employees quickly scattered. Though Miae pouted her lips like she was upset at being called out, Assistant Manager Hwang ignored her and just patted Hyunseo’s shoulder before heading to his seat.

Hyunseo carefully placed the re-wrapped box under her desk. No matter how she thought about it, there was only one person who would give her such an expensive gift—Gyeom. 

As for why he suddenly sent it, probably.

‘Did it hurt?’

‘You cried a lot.’

‘Don’t cry, I won’t be angry anymore.’

He was apologizing. For thrusting much more mercilessly than usual. For getting angry with his body. She thought he was trying to soothe it this way.

The fact that there wasn’t even a hint felt somehow like him.

Hesitating, Hyunseo took out her phone. She felt she should at least say thank you. Even thinking that, actually typing the words wasn’t easy. She couldn’t be certain at all whether she should accept it.

It must be more than pocket change, like she’d heard earlier. It felt somehow excessive to readily accept, and she kept feeling uncomfortable.

Recalling that he was someone great enough to send something like this without a second thought, even her mood sank.

She thought repeatedly. What kind of relationship she and Gyeom had. What feelings he’d sent this to her with.

Would it have been better if she’d just been excited without overthinking? 

Hyunseo, who ultimately put down her phone, let out a suppressed sigh. Her v*lva, remembering last night’s intercourse, throbbed severely. She forced herself to straighten her back.

“Um, I’m Do Hyunseo from the Business Planning Department.”

“Sorry, just a moment.”

Around the time morning work was ending, Hyunseo went down to the lobby after hearing an outside visitor was looking for her.

The female employee at the desk was busy answering phone calls. 

Finding the wait tedious and intending to look around herself, Hyunseo turned her head at the sound of someone calling out, “Excuse me.”

“Could you help me?”

The woman in a fancy dress leaning awkwardly against the wall near the entrance looked very uncomfortable. Without time to hesitate, the woman grabbed Hyunseo’s arm as she approached and explained the situation.

“My feet hurt so much I can’t walk anymore.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Is there somewhere to sit?”

Hyunseo guided the woman to a bench nearby. The woman, who barely made it there limping, sat on the bench and took off her shoes. Surprised by the high heels for just a moment, she saw the woman’s heels scraped raw with blood beading up.

“Are you okay?”

“No, it hurts so much. What should I do?”

The woman, who’d become tearful, made Hyunseo feel sorry for her. Walking more truly seemed impossible.

“It’s an important occasion, so I deliberately paid attention. I didn’t know these new shoes would hurt this much.”

Now that she looked, the woman appeared very dressed up. Thinking she’d suffered alone to the point of light cold sweat forming on her beautifully made-up forehead, Hyunseo felt concerned for no reason.

“Should I go to a pharmacy and buy you some bandages?”

“Really? Would you do that?”

At the woman’s eyes sparkling like she’d been waiting for this, Hyunseo hurried outside the building. After stopping by a pharmacy to buy bandages and disinfectant and returning, the woman first said thank you to Hyunseo.

That wasn’t the end. 

Noticing the woman having difficulty bending down due to her uncomfortable outfit, Hyunseo, at the request for help, knelt on one knee on the floor without hesitation and personally treated the injured heel. 

The woman’s voice reached Hyunseo’s ears as she carefully applied the bandage.

“You must have done this a lot.”

“What…?”

“You’re so natural at it. I’ve only ever been on the receiving end of someone doing it for me.”

Hyunseo, who’d paused, raised her head. The woman continued with an expression whose intentions were hard to read.

“The shoes.”

“What?”

“You need to put them on for me.”

“Oh… yes.”

She felt somehow unpleasant. It was the moment when help offered in good faith suddenly degraded to mere servitude.

“Be careful not to let the decorations fall off. I just had them done.”

The woman mentioning the pedicure decorations was too nonchalant. Hyunseo suppressed her bitter feelings and finished putting on the woman’s shoes. 

She must be someone used to ordering people around—that was all there was to it.

“Jihee.”

That must have been it. A situation that could have been dismissed as unpleasant but not a big deal became something else because of an unexpected encounter.

“Mother!”

Hyunseo’s eyes widened as she looked in the direction the woman was running. The moment she saw the woman standing with an elegant posture—Director Seong Sujeong, and Gyeom positioned beside her—her heart dropped with a thud.

His coldly hardened expression seemed to say it. What the h*ll was she doing here?

“When did you arrive?”

“Not long ago.”

“You didn’t get lost?”

“Thanks to your concern, I arrived comfortably.”

“What are you doing?”

Gyeom, who’d been watching only Hyunseo with sharp eyes, spat out words like chewing toward his mother, Sujeong.

“Everyone say hello. This is my son, Executive Director Sunwoo Gyeom, and this is Ms. Jeong Jihee, the second daughter of Jungjin Group.”

“I asked what you’re doing.”

“You two haven’t even seen each other’s faces. You need to get close quickly since you’ll be holding a ceremony soon. Right, Jihee?”

The woman called Jihee blushed and answered, “Of course.” 

The shy appearance only stirred annoyance, so Gyeom refrained from speaking. Looking at Hyunseo again, she’d already stood up straight.

She must have heard. Because she’d spoken clearly and very loudly. Like telling her to understand for certain.

Gyeom’s gaze, watching her not knowing what to do, turned to Sujeong. Only after receiving a prompt look asking what he was doing and not greeting did Gyeom realize. That all of this was a situation Sujeong had deliberately created.

“Let’s go, to eat.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Gyeom?”

Perhaps because it was lunchtime, there were quite a few employees coming and going in the lobby. Gyeom couldn’t take his eyes off Hyunseo’s back as she quietly disappeared among them. Sujeong urged him in a low voice.

“What are you standing there for when I said let’s go?”

“I’m not interested.”

“Gyeom.”

“I told you, I have no intention.”

“Don’t do something you’ll regret. Many eyes are watching.”

Even without many words, Sujeong knew how to handle Gyeom. Gyeom furrowed his brow, glaring at Sujeong’s expression that said just try following her. He wasn’t unaware of his calculating and cunning mother.

‘If you move as you please now, I’ll have no choice but to make an even bigger scene. If that’s fine with you, then go ahead and do as you like.’

The imagination wasn’t difficult. Swallowing a sigh, he reluctantly moved his feet.

His head was a complete mess. He had no idea how to handle the suddenly unfolding situation. 

When had she found out? No, how had she discovered it?

Gyeom, who’d been sorting through the confusing things, pulled down his tie in frustration. He couldn’t forget Hyunseo’s expression. How she’d seemed to make every effort to stay calm despite being shocked.

Even irritation surged up. Just recalling Hyunseo kneeling on the floor twisted his insides.

He muttered a curse under his breath. He barely suppressed the impulse to turn around and run back right away.