Chapter 4.6

Su-eon stood frozen, blinking her eyes, then rubbed the corners of her eyes slightly. No matter how many times she looked again, it was indeed Ki Seung-jo.  

The man who had shown up unannounced, dragged her around as he pleased, stolen a kiss with those endlessly frivolous lips, and then left as if nothing had happened. It was him.  

After that day, he had completely disappeared, and she thought that was the end of it. So why was he here now? He had returned from his business trip a long time ago.  

Standing in front of the elevator, Ki Seung-jo’s gaze fixed on her intently, his eyes curving into a smile that seemed to say he was glad to see her.  

“Why are you looking at me so cutely? You’re making my heart skip a beat.”  

His lighthearted laugh snapped her out of her daze, and she quickly regained her composure.  

Right. This was the kind of man he was. A man who tossed out frivolous lines like they were nothing, playing with people. Someone completely devoid of seriousness—it was all just flirting. If it worked, great; if not, oh well.  

He had kissed her without permission and then disappeared for two weeks. Now he reappeared, and the first thing he said was this? What nonsense. She had clearly misjudged him, and badly at that.

With a cold expression, Su-eon opened her mouth.  

“What brings you here again? Another meeting today, I assume? Good work, and goodbye. Now, could you please take your hand off the door?”  

She spat out the words without taking a breath and immediately pressed the close button without waiting for his response.  

A low chuckle brushed past her hardened cheeks.  

Holding the trembling elevator door effortlessly with one hand, Ki Seung-jo bent his tall frame slightly to peer into her face.  

“Why are you angry, Princess?”  

Su-eon glared at him with an expression of pure disgust.  

“I told you not to call me that.”  

Her clenched teeth ground together, and a voice laced with irritation seeped through.  

“Did you? When was that?”  

“At the restaurant last time, I made it very clear.”  

“Ah. Was that before or after the kiss?”  

“……”  

“Well, I’ll try to work on it.”  

Ki Seung-jo smiled brightly at her, who was now rendered speechless and staring at him.  

“Princess.”  

“……”  

She wanted to punch him. 

Where would be the best spot? His head, probably. But then again, would my hand even reach him?  

Forget it. I’m not a child.

To calm herself, Su-eon recalled the service mindset training she had received during her first year in the operations department. 

Stay calm. Mind control.

She reminded herself that the person in front of her was a chaebol heir who could exercise his power at any time, 24/7.  

“How long are you planning to stand there? Either get in or don’t. Make up your mind. The elevator might break.”  

Su-eon glared coldly at Seung-jo as she snapped at him.  

“I thought you wanted to go alone.”  

“I really do want to go alone, so could you please let go of the door?”  

“Alright, then.”  

Seung-jo let out a small chuckle, released his hand, and leisurely stepped into the elevator. Su-eon stared at him in disbelief. His large frame filled the space, and a refreshing scent brushed past her nose.  

That scent…  

Su-eon subtly raised her eyebrows. It was the exact same scent as the amenities provided in the hotel rooms. Her sharp gaze landed on Seung-jo’s hair, which looked as if it had just been freshly dried.  

Now that she thought about it, his style today was quite different from before. Gone was the suit—he was dressed in a slightly loose-knit sweater and slacks. A casual outfit perfect for a light outing on a weekend afternoon.  

Had he used a guest room? On a weekday, at this hour? Or maybe the sauna? But still, on a weekday, at this hour?  

More importantly, why was he here again? 

Assemblywoman Yeo would surely hear about this. Jung Cho-ah had sworn she’d never be involved with K.U., yet this man kept showing up at World Hotel unannounced. Meanwhile, Assemblywoman Yeo was tirelessly working to tie these two together by constantly traveling abroad with the K.U. Group’s madam.  

Her head hurt from the sudden flood of thoughts.  

Forget it. He probably just showered after a meeting or something. Whether it made sense or not, it wasn’t worth caring about. Just ignore him.  

“Just ask.”  

Seung-jo tilted his face toward hers and spoke.  

“It’s written all over your face that you’re dying of curiosity.”  

“You’re mistaken. I’m not curious in the slightest, so don’t bother telling me.”  

“I got a membership here.”  

Su-eon’s head snapped up.  

“…What did you say you got?”  

“A fitness membership. I’m on my way back from working out.”  

“You go to Han Kyung Hotel, don’t you?”  

The fact that Seung-jo had maintained a membership at Han Kyung Hotel for years wasn’t exactly a secret. Han Kyung had chains nationwide, while World Hotel only had three locations: the Yeouido main branch, Gangnam, and Jeju. Buying a membership here would be a waste for someone like Seung-jo. Besides, why would he purchase another one when he already had one?  

“Just thought I’d switch things up for a change of pace.”  

As Seung-jo shrugged lightly and smiled, Su-eon’s gaze turned cold and indifferent again.  

Sure, why not. Spending an enormous amount of money just for a change of pace—of course, someone could do that. The world was big, and there were plenty of eccentrics.  

“The facilities are a bit outdated, though.”  

As if he had just remembered something, Seung-jo smiled and spoke.  

Su-eon looked at him and returned the smile in kind.  

“That’s unfortunate. You should get a refund.”  

“…Your personality, really. Every time I see you, it’s refreshing.”  

Seung-jo burst out laughing.  

“You used to have a bit more of a girlish side when you were younger.”  

“Could you not talk as if you’ve known me for a long time?”  

“I’ve known you since middle school, so it has been a while, hasn’t it?”  

“That’s strange. Today’s only the third time I’m seeing you.”  

“Was it pink stationery with hearts on it?”  

“…”  

“You even used it the most, sending so many letters. The handwriting was in bold hot pink. That’s why I thought you were quite girlish.”  

With a face that seemed to be recalling old memories, Seung-jo muttered to himself.  

“That wasn’t me. I don’t like pink.”  

Su-eon firmly denied it in a resolute voice.  

“That part, I can definitely believe.”  

Seung-jo agreed lightly, his gaze sweeping over Su-eon.  

From the headband holding up her tied-back hair, to her suit and shirt, and even the watchband wrapped around her wrist, everything about Ji Su-eon was monochromatic.  

For a woman in her twenties with a few years of work experience, one might expect at least an accessory or two, but she didn’t even have a single piercing.  

Although she seemed to wear an expression that said she didn’t want to stand out, ironically, the black tones only made her pale complexion shine even more. Not that her appearance could be hidden no matter what she wore.  

“Did you get home safely that day?”  

At Seung-jo’s question, Su-eon didn’t answer and instead pressed the elevator buttons. Only now did she stupidly realize that the elevator had been stopped all this time.  

Really, she found herself pathetic for acting like she’d lost her senses every time Ki Seung-jo appeared.  

“I got back yesterday.”  

“…”  

Watching Su-eon stubbornly fix her gaze on the floor numbers, Seung-jo spoke again.  

“If you waited, I’m sorry.”  

“Don’t apologize. I didn’t wait.”  

“But your face looks like you waited a lot.”  

“Don’t make teasing assumptions like that. It makes you look frivolous.”  

“You’re even cuter when you’re angry.”  

“Oh, seriously…!”  

Su-eon let out an exasperated sigh and glared at Seung-jo.  

Why are you doing this to me? 

She wanted to shout it out loud.  

“You seem better now. Earlier, you looked pale as a sheet.”  

Wondering what nonsensical thing he was about to say next, Su-eon stared at him silently.  

Seung-jo brushed the back of his hand lightly against her cheek.  

“You didn’t even notice someone calling out to you and just kept running.”  

“…”  

“Like someone being chased by something.”  

“…”  

Su-eon didn’t respond and simply bit her lip. This was why she disliked this man. He had a way of effortlessly breaking down the walls she didn’t want anyone to see and casually uncovering parts of her she wanted to keep hidden.  

“Chased? No, you must have seen wrong.”  

Avoiding Ki Seung-jo’s gaze, Su-eon straightened her back and looked straight ahead. Determined not to let herself be swayed any further, she gave him a polite nod before stepping out of the elevator.  

That was when she saw Jung Cho-ah’s face, full of anger. The moment she spotted Su-eon, Jung Cho-ah grabbed her arm and pulled her forward. It was a bad habit of hers—her hands always moved first when she was in a hurry. Su-eon’s body was yanked forward abruptly.