Chapter 1.5

The fact that Ki Seung-jo was the nephew of the chairman of K.U. Group only became known long after he had left for America. Until then, there had been no reason to associate the promising high school basketball player with a conglomerate. Even when a brief news article about the accidental death of the chairman’s son was posted and then disappeared, and even when Ki Seung-jo was removed from the starting lineup right before the finals, no one had connected him to K.U. Group.  

And yet, here was Ki Seung-jo appearing as Jung Cho-ah’s arranged marriage partner. Life certainly had a peculiar way of favoring strange coincidences.  

“I think it’d be good to have the wedding before winter sets in. What do you think?”  

The sudden comment caught Ji Su-eon off guard, and instead of the meat, she bit her tongue. Enduring the sharp pain, she swallowed the food and looked up.  

“Sorry, I was distracted. Could you say that again?”  

“The wedding. I’m talking about the wedding.”  

“Oh, the wedding.”  

“Before December would be nice.”  

“…What?”  

“The fourth quarter is a bit busy for me.”  

“So, you’re saying… the wedding…”  

With Jung Cho-ah, right? That’s what he’s saying, isn’t he?  

Unable to finish her sentence, Su-eon just blinked.  

“Isn’t that why we’re meeting?”

Ki Seung-jo asked with a calm smile, seemingly unaware of her confusion.  

“That’s what I thought this was about.”  

“Yes, of course… this is that kind of meeting.”  

“Do you not like me?”  

“No, it’s not that.”  

Worried about upsetting him, Su-eon quickly denied it. After all, she wasn’t the one who could make that decision.  

“Then there’s no problem.”  

Watching him smile while elegantly holding his fork and knife, Su-eon was at a loss for words. She had expected this, but she hadn’t imagined it would be handled so swiftly. 

Was this his plan from the beginning? 

If so, she wasn’t sure whether confessing the truth now would help the situation.  

“There isn’t a problem, but…”  

Su-eon trailed off.  

[Make sure to say this before dessert: ‘Your face is so annoying that I can’t even bear to stay for dessert.’]  

Recalling Jung Cho-ah’s words, Su-eon’s expression twisted strangely. Ki Seung-jo, noticing this, looked at her with an amused expression and asked again.  

“There isn’t?”  

“Yes, there isn’t, but…”  

[Don’t like that idea? Then just say you’re undergoing treatment for alcoholism. Out of everything I’ve used so far, that one’s the cleanest.]

“…Are you listening?”  

Ki Seung-jo spoke with a thoughtful demeanor. His hands rested calmly, folded together, as he gazed at Ji Su-eon with attentive eyes, as if to validate the sincerity behind his words.

Indeed, he seemed gentler now.

Ji Su-eon studied him with a cool, evaluative gaze. Jung Cho-ah and Ki Seung-jo. Ki Seung-jo and Jung Cho-ah. It wasn’t a bad match. Their circumstances were impeccable, and their visual compatibility was undeniable.

If there was a flaw, it lay in their side’s significant personality defect. However, Ki Seung-jo appeared to have a magnanimous nature, which seemed capable of compensating for it. He gave the impression of being the type of man who could handle someone as unpredictable as Jung Cho-ah, who was like a ball bouncing in every direction.

If Jung Cho-ah got married, I would finally be free.

As that thought crossed her mind, the man sitting before her suddenly seemed perfect.

Yes, you’ll do just fine.

Ji Su-eon shed her lukewarm attitude and met Ki Seung-jo’s gaze with a serious expression.

“I’d like to discuss the wedding plans in more detail.”

Sha had said.

After moistening her lips, she added, 

“Not now, but during the next meeting.”

In truth, she meant that Jung Cho-ah and Ki Seung-jo should discuss it themselves. Leaving this part unsaid, Ji Su-eon delivered her words with deliberate composure.

Ki Seung-jo didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he looked at her with a curious expression for a moment.

“Is that… an invitation for a follow-up meeting?” 

“Yes. It’s my first time doing this, so if you refuse, it would be quite embarrassing for me.”

As her face grew unexpectedly serious, Ki Seung-jo couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, I can’t embarrass you then. I accept.”

“How about a week from now, here, at the same time?” 

Ji Su-eon asked, intending to secure a firm promise on the spot. If Ki Seung-jo agreed, it would perfectly compensate for the mistake she made earlier by letting Jung Cho-ah slip away.

Trying not to reveal her sense of urgency, Ji Su-eon maintained a composed expression as she awaited Ki Seung-jo’s response. Her hand, which held the knife, tightened slightly with anticipation.

Ki Seung-jo smiled and nodded.

“Sure, let’s do that.”

The corners of Ji Su-eon’s lips curved upward slightly. 

It’s done. This was a success.

In her mind, she could hear Jung Cho-ah’s voice screaming, “Are you crazy?” But she ignored it, flashing a bright smile at Ki Seung-jo instead.

First, I need to survive. Worrying about a chaebol is not my concern.

“Shall we have dessert now?” 

Ki Seung-jo asked with a smile, gently wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Relieved of a great burden, Ji Su-eon smiled back and replied, 

“Yes, that sounds good.”

***

“I’ll take my leave here.”

Standing side by side with Ki Seung-jo in front of the elevator, Ji Su-eon spoke as the elevator arrived. Ki Seung-jo turned his curious gaze toward her.

“You’re not coming down with me?”

Ji Su-eon laughed at the absurdity of the suggestion. Walking through the lobby of the Han Kyung Hotel on a Friday evening alongside Ki Seung-jo, Executive Director of K.U. Electronics? Just imagining it gave her chills.

“I still have a bit of business left to attend to. I think it’s best if we part ways here for today.”

“Hmm.”

The elevator doors opened, but Ki Seung-jo showed no intention of getting in. Unaware of Ji Su-eon’s growing concern that the elevator might leave without him, he remained utterly unbothered.

“I have a favor to ask.” 

Ki Seung-jo said abruptly.

Ji Su-eon’s eyes momentarily tensed as she looked at him. The memory of a blind date partner who had acted charming during dinner only to suddenly start pitching investment opportunities in cryptocurrency came to mind.

“Please, go ahead.” 

She replied calmly, like an employee awaiting instructions from her boss.

“Could you give me your phone number?”

For a brief moment, Ji Su-eon froze. She hadn’t expected Ki Seung-jo to make a frivolous remark, but she also hadn’t anticipated that he would follow protocol so perfectly by asking for her contact information from someone he had promised a follow-up meeting with. Ki Seung-jo remained courteous to the end. However, giving out her personal number was an entirely different matter.

She didn’t want to give it. 

Why does he need my number? This is a marriage of convenience; if anything comes up, he can contact me through the secretarial line.

Moreover, the secretaries already knew each other’s numbers, and there was a chance he might discover she had been impersonating Jung Cho-ah. She couldn’t afford for things to get messy. But despite her inner thoughts, the words that came out of Ji Su-eon’s mouth were as polished as a chatbot following a perfect script.

“Of course. One moment, please. Let me get my business card…”

Out of habit, Ji Su-eon reached for her business card holder but paused. Inside were both her own and Jung Cho-ah’s cards, but she couldn’t give him either. Lifting her head, she smiled softly. It was the kind of professional smile that reflexively appeared whenever she dealt with difficult clients.

“I seem to have left it behind. Could you hand me your phone?”

Ki Seung-jo took out his phone, unlocked it in front of her, and handed it over without hesitation. Watching his unexpectedly careless yet trusting behavior, Ji Su-eon scrutinized him with a cool gaze.

He’s smart, polite, and observant, but maybe—contrary to appearances—he’s a bit of an airhead.

She thought. Taking his phone, she entered her number and handed it back to him.

Soon, Ji Su-eon felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Just in case, she had entered her real number, and it turned out to be a huge relief. At this point, she couldn’t tell whether this man was careless or meticulous.

“From now on, don’t go through the secretarial office. Contact me directly.”

After confirming that her phone was ringing, Ki Seung-jo ended the call and spoke.

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

Responding with complete composure, Ji Su-eon decided she would pass the number to Jung Cho-ah and block it immediately afterward. Having the direct line of Ki Seung-jo, Executive Director of K.U. Electronics, was unnecessary for her. Worse, if she lost her phone, it would only cause trouble.

Now that the matter was settled, she hoped he would quickly step into the elevator and leave. But when she looked up, Ki Seung-jo was still staring at her, showing no intention of leaving.

“You’re not planning to run all the way home, are you?”

His gaze shifted to the large shoulder bag Ji Su-eon was carrying, as if he somehow knew there were running shoes inside. Ji Su-eon widened her eyes slightly and shook her head.

“It’s over 30 degrees outside. Running in this weather would leave me passed out from dehydration.”

Ki Seung-jo burst into laughter. Covering his mouth briefly, as though trying to suppress the sudden outburst, he brushed his hand over his lips and looked at her with lingering amusement.

“Are you always like this?”

“…Pardon?”

“Making people laugh with such a serious expression.”

“Me?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No, I’ve never heard that before.”

Ji Su-eon, who had never been told she was funny in her entire life, found his words utterly baffling. Even so, she couldn’t outright ask him if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

“How could I not have known you had this kind of personality?”

Still chuckling to himself, Ki Seung-jo glanced at her sullen expression and let his eyes soften slightly.

“Send me a text when you get home.”

“….”

“Just to let me know you made it back safely.”

Under his gentle gaze, Ji Su-eon found herself momentarily unable to respond. Ki Seung-jo smiled quietly and stepped into the elevator.

“Take care.”

As the doors slid shut, Ji Su-eon belatedly gave a slight nod. Soon, the elevator began to move, and Ki Seung-jo disappeared from sight. The man who had stressed her out all day was finally gone.

And yet, instead of feeling relieved, she felt a heavy, bloated sensation, as if something were stuck. Frowning, Ji Su-eon clenched her right palm and pressed firmly between her thumb and index finger. Ki Seung-jo’s parting words lingered in the silent hallway. His voice had unmistakably carried a trace of laughter.

However, there was no time to dwell on it. Ji Su-eon had to find Jung Cho-ah as quickly as possible and stop her from causing even more trouble. Just then, her phone vibrated. Checking the caller, Ji Su-eon slid her finger across the screen.

<Don’t bother looking for me. I didn’t run away.>

Ji Su-eon’s eyes narrowed as she glared at the screen with intensity.