Chapter 3.2

“Well, it’s just that…”  

Instead of pressing Su-eon, who couldn’t easily come up with a reason, he confessed honestly.  

“I have to go on a business trip tomorrow.”  

“…What?”  

This time, Su-eon couldn’t help but make a truly dumbfounded expression.  

“It’ll take a few days. I’ll contact you when I get back.”  

“Oh, I see…”  

“You said you were busy, right? Go ahead.”

Ki Seung-jo checked his watch again as if confirming the time. He was about to leave. Su-eon, who had been standing frozen as if time had stopped, urgently opened her mouth.  

“Wait a moment.”  

Ki Seung-jo stopped and looked at her with a leisurely gaze, meeting her eyes.  

“When exactly will you return?”  

“Around next Tuesday?”  

“Oh, then… in that case…”  

Su-eon trailed off. Despite her calm expression, her mind was spinning in chaos, as if wandering through a maze. This was a disaster. She had ignored the lingering unease in her heart, thinking it would all be resolved tomorrow. But now, everything was back to square one. She would have to endure this unease for over another week. She couldn’t allow that. Determined, Su-eon lifted her head.  

“Have dinner with me.”  

She realized she had spoken in a forceful tone again, but since she thought of today as the last chance, she no longer cared.  

Ki Seung-jo stared at her quietly with a smile.  

“Didn’t you just say it wasn’t possible?”  

“I did, but I reconsidered, and it seems I can make time.”  

She was aware she was being unreasonable, but it didn’t matter. Su-eon wanted to resolve this matter today. Pretending to go to dinner with Ki Seung-jo, she could simply call Jung Cho-ah to join them there.  

Jung Cho-ah was still at the office. She had gone upstairs, saying she’d take a short break before the final inspection of the banquet hall, so she was probably busy playing games by now. The plan was to seat the two of them at the same table and then leave. Just like Jung Cho-ah had done to her, she would make her escape. It was a perfect plan.  

While Su-eon firmly pressed her lips together, waiting for his answer, Ki Seung-jo finally gave his approval.  

“Alright, let’s do that. But…”

Despite Su-eon’s strange behavior, Ki Seung-jo only offered a faint smile before lowering his gaze with a subtle expression. Curious about what had caught his attention, Su-eon followed his line of sight and discovered her own hand gripping his arm tightly.  

“I’m sorry, I acted impulsively because I was in a hurry.”  

Su-eon quickly let go and apologized, her face turning slightly red.  

“It’s alright. It happens.”  

Unlike Su-eon, who felt sweat trickling down her back, Ki Seung-jo maintained his usual composed demeanor, his face carrying a relaxed smile. He naturally extended his hand.  

“Shall we go, then?”  

“Yes, there’s a restaurant I frequent just up ahead. We can…”  

As Su-eon was about to guide him, her eyes dropped to her smartwatch vibrating on her wrist. The name “Chief Jung Cho-ah” flashed across the screen. She instinctively covered it with her hand and continued, “Let’s go,” addressing Ki Seung-jo.  

“What’s this? Did you just ignore my call? I saw it all, Unnie…!”  

Jung Cho-ah’s sharp voice struck Su-eon like a blow to the back of her head. Turning around, she spotted Jung Cho-ah storming toward her, fuming. Su-eon wasn’t sure whether to call this good timing or bad timing.  

Well, she had planned to call her anyway. Maybe this could end here without having to go all the way to the restaurant. With that thought, Su-eon smiled at Jung Cho-ah as she approached.  

Jung Cho-ah, who had been striding forward briskly, slowed her steps as her eyes landed on the man standing next to Su-eon. Her eyes widened in surprise.  

“Executive Director, let me introduce you. This is…”  

Just as Su-eon was about to say, “This is Chief Jung Cho-ah,” Jung Cho-ah dashed forward in a flurry and clung to Su-eon’s arm as if hanging onto her.  

“Oh my, Chief! So this is where you’ve been! And you have company, too!”  

‘Chief’? 

Su-eon staggered under the weight of Jung Cho-ah, who clung to her unreasonably. She wondered what on earth this girl was up to now. Ki Seung-jo grabbed Su-eon’s arm to steady her as she swayed.  

“Careful.”  

“Ah, thank you. I’m fine now, so you can let go…”  

As Su-eon, her arms awkwardly held by both sides, formally expressed her gratitude, she caught sight of Jung Cho-ah’s mischievous, gleaming eyes. 

No way. 

The ominous feeling struck Su-eon like lightning, and at that moment, Jung Cho-ah beamed brightly at Ki Seung-jo.  

“You’re Executive Director Ki Seung-jo, right? Hello! I’m the Chief’s secretary, uh… Secretary Kim. You could say we’re like sisters who grew up together—practically best friends!”  

“What is this…?”  

As Su-eon began to question this absurdity, Jung Cho-ah yanked her arm with all her might again. The only reason Su-eon didn’t fall over was that Ki Seung-jo, holding her other arm, kept her balanced.  

“Wait, hold on a second.”  

Su-eon’s vision swayed back and forth. She felt dizzy and squinted her eyes.  

“Oh my, Chief, are you alright? This is all because you didn’t eat on time. Hurry and go have dinner. Oh, there’s no need to come back—just head home after that. Executive Director, why don’t you take our Chief with you? She’s been complaining about a stomachache since morning, so make sure she eats something warm.”  

Watching Jung Cho-ah ramble on, beating her own drum, Su-eon felt like a person who couldn’t understand a single word of Korean. Her head spun.  

“You’ll do that, right, Executive Director?”  

Jung Cho-ah asked with a bright smile, looking at Ki Seung-jo. Su-eon closed her eyes as a sharp pain throbbed in her head.  

Ki Seung-jo chuckled softly, as if he found the two of them amusing.  

* * *  

[You were the one who set up this after-work meeting in the first place, Unnie, so you should deal with the aftermath, too. Go on a few dates, and if you don’t like him, just dump him. Remember the tips I gave you before, right?]  

After whispering these explosive words into Su-eon’s ear, Jung Cho-ah quickly ran off, leaving Su-eon in a daze. She couldn’t even recall how she managed to leave the hotel. Without giving her a chance to speak, Jung Cho-ah had pushed her through the revolving doors, and by the time she stepped outside, the entire city was bathed in the pink glow of the sunset.  

“Are you alright?”  

Ki Seung-jo, who had been silently watching her, asked. Su-eon focused her blurry vision and looked at him standing in front of her.  

Unlike Su-eon, who was already gasping for air in the suffocating heat, Ki Seung-jo stood tall and composed, his face calm as he gazed at her. The city, heated by the scorching sun, felt like a sauna, suffocating her. Yet, the man in his suit appeared completely unaffected.  

All she had to do was go to a nearby restaurant, have a meal with him, and part ways. Since Jung Cho-ah was so adamant about not liking K.U., the easiest way would be to meet him a few more times as she wished and then naturally drift apart.  

If that wasn’t acceptable, she could simply end things right here by saying there was someone else, cutting off any possibility of further development. It might hurt his pride, but he would accept it. Just as Jung Cho-ah had said, he would probably glare arrogantly in silence before disappearing.  

But Su-eon didn’t want to do that. Though it wasn’t something particularly difficult for her, she didn’t feel like doing it. Her body refused to move.  

“Is it very hot for you?”  

“……”  

“You look like you’re struggling.”  

Ki Seung-jo, who had been silently watching Su-eon, pulled out a handkerchief and gently pressed it against the right side of her forehead.  

“……”  

After pressing it once more against her cheek and near her ear, he removed the handkerchief and tilted his elegant face slightly as he examined hers. Su-eon’s eyes followed his hand as it moved away.  

It seemed that his only intention from the start was to wipe her sweat. The rough texture of linen was all that touched her skin—there was no contact with his hand. Su-eon stared blankly at the handkerchief now stained with dark patches. A bead of cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck, intensifying her thirst.  

What a truly strange man.  

Surely, he must know how odd this situation is, yet he wasn’t asking her anything. Perhaps he was naturally clueless or deliberately pretending not to notice. She dismissed the possibility of him being an understanding person—she had never seen a chaebol like that before.  

But why? Why would Ki Seung-jo, of all people, do this? What for?  

Many people had approached her with ulterior motives, but this was the first time she had encountered someone like Ki Seung-jo, whose intentions were unreadable. It was also her first time dealing with someone of his caliber. Su-eon couldn’t understand him. Surely, he must have realized by now that she found him bothersome.  

Yet, Su-eon knew that such things didn’t matter right now. She was the one pretending not to notice, even though she was fully aware. He wasn’t someone who deserved to be treated this way. He wasn’t a person to be deceived and discarded.  

The broad and sturdy shoulders wrapped in his business suit spoke volumes about his position in the world he belonged to. He was someone who didn’t have to endure this kind of rudeness.  

No, no one deserved to endure such treatment.