Chapter 2. Have You Waited Long?  

It all started three months ago, when Yerin’s unexpected act of rebellion set the wheels in motion.

On that day, an after-party was being held on the rooftop of KK Hotel following the charity event for the eco-friendly fashion brand, Chetto.  

Yerin entrusted herself to her friend Nari in a secluded space within the hotel.  

 “Yerin, you actually suit this glamorous makeup!”  

“Nari, I’m not in the mood for this here.”  

“Come on. What’s going to change if you stay miserable at home?”  

Nari swiftly moved her hands, applying makeup to Yerin’s already pretty face.  

Closing her eyes, Yerin kept seeing absurd images flash in her mind.  

It was something she had experienced countless times, too many to count, but that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt any less.  

“Han Yerin, don’t even think about that guy and that woman tonight.”  

“Okay.”  

There was only one reason she was here, dressed up so extravagantly.  

There was only one reason Yerin was getting all dolled up here today: her ex-best friend had stolen her boyfriend—again.

It wasn’t the first time, so it wasn’t surprising, but her mood was at its worst.  

As always, her bad premonitions had proven to be eerily accurate.  

The day she went to his house to confront her boyfriend, suspecting his growing distance, came to mind, and Yerin squeezed her eyes shut.  

On his bed, two familiar figures were tangled together.  

Even thinking about it again, it was a shocking scene.  

“Seriously, why is Kwak Seoyoon so obsessed with stealing your boyfriends?”  

“I don’t know. How could I possibly understand her motives?”  

Yerin let out a faint laugh.  

It was just too ridiculous.  

Seoyoon, Yerin, and Nari had all graduated from the same high school and had been relatively close.  

But at some point, Seoyoon started coveting Yerin’s boyfriends, and their relationship had become irreparable.  

“Whether it’s the guys who fall for her temptations or Kwak Seoyoon blatantly throwing herself at them, ugh.” 

Nari shook her head in disbelief.  

“Honestly, I never liked your ex-boyfriend anyway. So forget about him and find a decent guy here tonight. Got it?” 

“Nari, I just came to see you.”  

After Nari had called her multiple times, insisting she couldn’t leave her to wallow alone, Yerin had reluctantly come to the party.  

But she had no intention of stepping into the noisy crowd outside.  

She just wasn’t in the mood for it.  

“I don’t have time to babysit you, you know?”  

Yerin pouted her lips.  

She knew all too well that Nari was saying this for her sake.   

“So what? It’s not like you’ll see any of the guys here again. It’s the perfect chance to let loose.”  

“That’s not going to happen, CEO Kim Nari.”  

“Why not? All the men here are thoroughly vetted.”

That was true.  

Nari was the CEO of the eco-friendly fashion brand Chetto, and she had organized today’s event.  

The venue was filled with prominent figures from various industries, and no one could enter without an invitation.  

After attaching lush false eyelashes to Yerin’s eyes, Nari still looked dissatisfied, as if something was missing.  

“Ah, I know what’s needed.”  

Nari grabbed a blonde wig that had been neatly placed nearby and smiled brightly.  

Yerin’s face lit up with disbelief.  

“Nari, you’re not seriously asking me to wear that, are you?”  

“Yes, I am.”  

Nari tied Yerin’s long hair into a bun and tucked it into a net.  

Then, she placed the blonde wig on Yerin’s head.  

“Wow.”  

Nari clapped her hands in satisfaction.  

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Yerin made a face of discomfort.  

“Nari, I’m taking this off before going out.”  

“No, it looks perfect on you right now.”  

Declaring it flawless, Nari pulled Yerin up from her seat.  

The tight black dress Yerin wore emphasized her voluptuous figure even more.  

“The skirt feels too short.”  

Nari grabbed Yerin’s hand firmly as she kept nitpicking.  

“You said you wanted to let loose. You’re perfect right now.”  

With a determined expression, Nari looked like someone sending Yerin off to battle.  

“Yerin, go out there and talk to the first guy you see.”  

“Alright.”  

At that moment, Yerin had no idea how much of a storm this decision would bring.  

***

With a mix of excitement and apprehension, Yerin slowly walked toward the rooftop where the party was being held.  

The heels were much higher than what she usually wore, making her steps precarious, as if she might fall at any moment.

Although Yerin had resolved to talk to the first man she made eye contact with, she lacked the courage and kept her gaze fixed on the floor as she headed toward a corner.  

“Ah.”  

Because she hadn’t been paying attention to her surroundings, Yerin bumped into a man who had been approaching her.

“I’m sorry.”  

She apologized and belatedly raised her head to check the man’s face.

“…….”  

It was someone far too familiar.  

Yerin covered her mouth with one hand and took a step backward.

“Huh?”  

Perhaps there was a groove between the wooden deck planks.  

Her high heel got caught, and she wobbled, unable to free it.

‘This is bad. If I fall and the wig comes off, he’ll know who I am…’  

With that thought, Yerin grabbed the wig tightly with one hand.  

Her body gradually tilted, and just as she thought she was about to fall ungracefully,   a swift, sharp hand wrapped around her waist.  

A woody scent filled her nose.

‘No way…’  

Frightened, Yerin slowly opened the eyes she had tightly shut.  

As she had expected, the man was holding her by the waist.  

“Are you alright?”  

“Yes.”  

With the man’s help, she managed to straighten herself.  

Without another word, he disappeared into the distance with his companions.  

“I shouldn’t have come here.”  

Covering her face with the clutch bag in her hand, Yerin headed toward a corner.

“He didn’t recognize me, right?”  

Her heart had been racing irregularly for some time now.  

It was partly because of the unexpected encounter with the man and partly because of the near-fall she had just experienced.  

Yerin grabbed a nearby glass of champagne and downed it in one gulp.

“One more drink, and then I’m leaving.”  

Just as she thought that and looked around for a waiter, she felt a hot gaze on her face and slowly turned her head.

“…….”  

The man who had prevented her from falling earlier locked eyes with her in midair.  

Yerin quickly averted her gaze.

“Ah, we made eye contact again.”  

She fixed her gaze on the table, but the man continued to stare at her.

‘Why is he staring at me like that?’  

Pressing her lips together nervously, Yerin found herself slowly, almost involuntarily, lifting her head again.  

Fortunately, the man had already looked away from her.  

As always, he was dazzlingly handsome today.  

Though surrounded by many people, he seemed to monopolize the light in the room, as if the spotlight was solely on him.  

His neatly combed-back pomade hairstyle, sharp facial features, and broad shoulders like the Pacific Ocean—  he lacked nothing.  

However, the crowd surrounding him, eager to exchange even a word with him, soon swallowed him up.  

Sipping her champagne, Yerin couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at the man’s table.  

At that moment, a woman, extravagantly dressed, walked over and stopped at his table.

“Oppa, how have you been?”  

“Mm.”  

The man brushed off the woman’s arm as she clung to him, greeting him warmly.  

But the woman, seemingly unbothered, continued to talk to him with a bright smile.

“Oppa, I heard you’re not seeing anyone. How about spending time with me tonight?”  

“I have a girlfriend.”  

“What? You have a girlfriend?”  

“Yes.”  

Yerin couldn’t help but be impressed internally.  

‘Of course. It wouldn’t make sense for someone with that face to not have a girlfriend.’  

As she thought that and raised her champagne glass, her eyes met his again.  

‘Ah, he caught me staring.’  

Feeling embarrassed, Yerin quickly lowered her head.  

Just as she was about to leave the spot,  the sound of footsteps approached, and a polished shoe tip stopped in front of her table.  

Yerin slowly lifted her head.  

“…….”  

It was the man she had locked eyes with earlier.  

His breathtakingly handsome face was unmistakably familiar.  

Awkwardly smiling, Yerin nodded politely and tried to leave.  

But then, his deep, pleasant voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Have you waited long?”  

“Pardon?”  

Waited? For him?  

She wanted to ask, but the woman glaring daggers at her from behind him made it impossible.  

“I missed you too.”  

‘What? What is he saying?’  

The conversation wasn’t making any sense.  

The man leaned closer, lowering his head toward her.  

And then, in a low whisper that tickled her ear, he said:

“I noticed you’ve been watching me for a while now.”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“I’m not scolding you for that.”  

“Then…” 

The man tilted his head slightly, looking at her with amusement.  

His gaze was so intense it felt as though he could see right through her.

“Could you pretend to be my girlfriend for a moment?”  

“What?”  

“I helped you earlier when you almost fell. Now it’s your turn to help me.”  

Without warning, the man wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close.  

Yerin’s eyes widened in shock.  

The man whispered in his deep, pleasant voice near her ear:  

“Could you act like a loving girlfriend for just a bit?”  

“Suddenly?”  

The man turned fully toward her.  

With a gaze so warm it could melt the person in front of him, he gently brushed her hair aside.

‘Oh no, what if the wig comes off?’  

Fearing that the wig Nari had put on her might slip, Yerin tensed up.

“What should we do tomorrow?”  

“…….”  

“Let’s go to that place you wanted to visit. I’ll make time for it.”  

When Yerin remained frozen, the man leaned in as if he were about to kiss her and whispered with his lips: 

‘At least nod, won’t you?’  

Reluctantly, Yerin awkwardly nodded her head.  

The woman glaring at them from afar clicked her tongue in frustration and disappeared from sight.  

The man immediately released his grip on Yerin’s waist.

“Thank you for helping me.”  

Yerin, unsure of what to say, simply smiled.  

“But why did you try to run away as soon as we made eye contact? Like someone with a secret to hide.”