Chapter 18. Cha In, Cha Lee Hyun 

“Don’t feel pressured. Won’t you feel more motivated after taking a proper rest?”

Lee Hyun probably wouldn’t realize that saying that actually added more pressure.

Even if she refused, he was someone who would somehow insist on giving her a day off.

With no choice, Yerin nodded.

“Then, since you’re offering, can I accept it?”

“Yes.”

Thus, Yerin reluctantly took one day of paid leave.

It was a truly joyous occasion to have an extra precious day off, but it didn’t feel that way.

It felt like receiving a boulder instead of a vacation.

Something heavy and unsettling filled her heart.

As Lee Hyun drove slowly, he gradually reduced the car’s speed due to the changed traffic light.

“Is that all you have to say to me?”

He knew very well why he was taking the time to drive her home.

As Yerin, nervous, fidgeted with her fingers on her lap, Lee Hyun chuckled softly.

“You always seem so tense when you’re with me.”

Lee Hyun placed both hands on the steering wheel and buried his face in them.

It was a trap that even his half-covered face was stunningly handsome.

“Just speak comfortably.”

Telling her to speak comfortably in such an uncomfortable atmosphere was absurd.

Yerin glanced at the navigation.

There were still about five minutes left until they reached her home.

If she expressed her refusal now, she would feel like she was sitting on pins and needles for the remaining time.

‘For now, I should just say something to buy time.’

Yerin quickly racked her brain.

No matter how much she thought about what to ask, she couldn’t figure it out.

“Secretary Han?”

Finally, Yerin’s mouth slowly opened.

“I’ve been curious about something for a while.”

“What could it be?”

“What’s your favorite food, Director?”

Upon hearing that, Lee Hyun chuckled.

Yerin squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassed by her spontaneous question.

Among countless questions, she had asked about his favorite food right away.

Seeing Yerin in shock, Lee Hyun smiled brightly, his lips curling up.

“Were you really that curious about it?”

Yerin slowly opened her eyes and spoke in a composed voice.

She didn’t want to admit that it was a random question thrown out while trying to say something.

So she continued speaking as if she had intended to ask that from the start.

“Yes, actually, it hasn’t been long since I started working for you.”

“True.”

“If your schedule is tight in the future, I might need to prepare lunch boxes for you…”

“I eat anything well.”

Lee Hyun answered very seriously.

“When choosing a restaurant, I tend to focus more on how pleasant it is for meetings rather than the taste.”

Yerin listened to what Lee Hyun was saying, captivated.

“Don’t you have anything else you’re curious about?”

There were many things she could ask, but fortunately, Lee Hyun’s car stopped right in front of Yerin’s house.

Yerin quickly replied.

“No, I don’t.”

The abruptness of her response made Lee Hyun’s eyebrows raise slightly.

Yerin unbuckled her seatbelt with a click and finally managed to voice the words she had been putting off all day.

“I’ve thought seriously about the proposal you made.”

Not having the courage to look Lee Hyun in the eye while expressing her refusal, Yerin continued to gaze at her hands resting on her lap.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to accept that proposal.”

“…”

Silence fell again.

When the atmosphere became unbearably heavy, Lee Hyun’s deep voice broke the stillness.

“So right now. You’re rejecting me, aren’t you?”

“Sorry?”

How dare she reject Cha Lee Hyun?

Yerin waved her hands frantically.

“No, technically speaking, Director, you never confessed to me.”

“I did.”

“When?”

“When I said we should date. Isn’t that a confession?”

“That was a proposal.”

Lee Hyun’s lips curled up as if he found it amusing.

His gaze landed on her elegant face.

Whenever they were together, she always wore such a tense expression.

However, that didn’t mean she would always be dragged along to do as he wished.

In really important moments like today, she clearly expressed her own will.

That made her even more unpredictable.

Lee Hyun tapped the steering wheel with his index finger and spoke.

“So, it wasn’t a confession but a proposal.”

“Exactly. That means I didn’t reject or dump you, Director.”

Yerin forced a crescent-shaped smile.

“Well, that does seem to be the case.”

Thinking their conversation had come to an end, Yerin expected him to tell her to get out of the car, but Lee Hyun unbuckled his seatbelt.

Then, without warning, he got out of the car first.

As the door closed with a thud, Yerin muttered to herself.

“Why? Where is he going…”

Before she could even wonder, the passenger door swung open.

“Get out, Secretary Han.”

“Yes, Director.”

He was a man kind enough to personally open the car door for the secretary who had just rejected—no, declined—his proposal.

Or perhaps he just had excellent business manners.

Whatever it was, Lee Hyun was looking down at Yerin with a warm gaze rather than a cold one.

“Well then, I’ll go inside.”

“Sure.”

As Yerin took a step, Lee Hyun moved in the same direction.

“Director?”

Yerin bit her lip, pondering what to say next.

She was about to ask why he was following her instead of getting back in the car when Lee Hyun spoke first.

“Let’s go up.”

“You’re not seriously suggesting we go together, are you?”

“I am. I’ll escort you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“You said the stairs are dark.”

That was exactly what she had told Lee Hyun last night.

It wasn’t like the stairs could have brightened up in just one day.

“No, I can manage alone…”

“I’m not escorting you as a rejected boyfriend.”

Yerin’s brown pupils trembled slightly.

“I’m accompanying you as a superior concerned about his subordinate’s safety.”

What’s the difference?

Before she could think deeply, Lee Hyun took a big step forward.

With no choice, Yerin followed behind him.

“Secretary Han, I thought I’d be fine, but…”

“……”

“This is the first time I’ve ever pursued a woman like this.”

That seemed likely.

With someone like Lee Hyun, women who wanted to meet him would line up even if he didn’t take the initiative.

Taking another step, Lee Hyun sighed as if he were frustrated.

“It’s also my first time being rejected like this.”

“…”

“It’s more unsettling than I thought.”

Yerin didn’t know what to say to provide comfort, so she simply kept her mouth shut.

As if reading her thoughts, Lee Hyun spoke.

“Oh, this is just me talking to myself.”

“Yes…”

“I’m not trying to put pressure on you.”

It was a new kind of conversation that made the listener feel guilty.

As Yerin carefully spoke while following Lee Hyun up the stairs.

“Director, I’ve never rejected you.”

“That’s comforting.”

No, it wasn’t comforting.

It was merely a correction of facts.

The situation was strangely unfolding as if she had actually rejected Lee Hyun after receiving his confession.

“Director…”

Just as Yerin was about to say something more.

Lee Hyun, having arrived at the rooftop floor where she lived, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Direct…”

Lee Hyun reached back, waving his hand in the air, and miraculously grabbed Yerin’s hand.

‘What? Is he holding my hand for comfort?’

The thought was interrupted by a familiar, gruff voice coming from ahead.

“Ho ho ho. Have you been here this late again today?”

As Yerin finally reached the top of the stairs, she saw Byeonghun squatting in front of her house.

“Dad?”

“My daughter, you’re back.”

To anyone else, Byeonghun looked like a father who truly loved his daughter, greeting Yerin with a broad smile.

Lee Hyun didn’t find Byeonghun welcoming at all.

Tilting his head slightly, he shot Byeonghun a cold glare just like last night.

“Hello, Mr. Han.”

“Ho ho ho. My daughter today…”

“Are you here because you were worried about her?”

“Well, yes, of course.”

Byeonghun awkwardly swung his arms back and forth, as if he were someone visiting a mountain spring.

Lee Hyun tightened his grip on Yerin’s hand and pulled her closer to him.

And, as if to show off, he intertwined his fingers with hers in front of Byeonghun.

“As it happens, the security around Yerin’s house isn’t great, so I’ve made a habit of escorting her home every night.”

“Oh, really?”

A slight crack appeared on Byeonghun’s face.

He had come here intending to speak privately with Yerin, but judging by how things were unfolding, it seemed tonight would be another failure.

And it wasn’t as though he could say he would come back tomorrow, especially after what Lee Hyun had just said.

As expected, Lee Hyun raised the corners of his mouth into a sly smile and spoke in a low voice.

“I make sure Yerin gets home safely every night, so there’s no need to worry. You can head back now.”

On the surface, it sounded like a kind remark, but the underlying meaning was sharp.

It was a signal to drop the silly excuses and leave.

Byeonghun could only laugh awkwardly, unable to reveal his true nature.

As Byeonghun didn’t move, Lee Hyun changed his approach.

Turning his body, he directed a warm gaze at Yerin.

“Yerin, hurry and go inside.”

“Yes…”

As Yerin stood stiffly, Lee Hyun opened his arms wide.

“Give me a goodnight hug.”

“…”

When did we ever exchange such greetings?

As Yerin hesitated, Byeonghun watched with a strange expression.

Lee Hyun soon chuckled and lowered his arms.

“Sorry. It must have been embarrassing in front of your father. Hurry and go in.”

“Yes, I’ll go in first.”

Thinking that if she stayed any longer, she might end up in Lee Hyun’s arms, Yerin hurried toward the entrance.

“Dad, be careful going home too.”

Byeonghun’s gaze instinctively shifted to the door lock.

Just moving his head a little more would probably reveal the password…

“Mr. Han.”

Just as Yerin was about to press the door lock, Lee Hyun suddenly stepped into Byeonghun’s line of sight.

Facing the solid figure, Byeonghun unconsciously took a step back, just like during their first meeting.

“Oh, yes.”

“Where do you live?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“I’ll take you home.”

“Huh? You?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun placed a large hand on Byeonghun’s back and gently pushed him.

With his strength, Byeonghun couldn’t hold his ground and was pushed down the stairs.