Chapter 24. Because I’m Not Ready Yet  

“You can buy anything you want with this card, Secretary Han. And even for the time you spend meeting that woman—just think of it as covering expenses comfortably.”  

Mrs. Yoon handed Yerin a black card in one hand and the designer bag in the other. She then stood up with a lighthearted expression, as if a burden had been lifted from her shoulders.  

In contrast, Yerin felt as though she was carrying a heavy weight in both her hands and her heart, making her feel like she was going to lose her mind.  

“If Lee Hyun can’t win over that woman’s heart, I’ll die without even seeing a glimpse of my daughter-in-law.” 

“Yes, that’s true.”  

“That’s why I think it’s only right for you to keep that bag.”  

Mrs. Yoon added that Yerin should never feel burdened by it.  

But it wasn’t the kind of bag one could accept without feeling burdened.  

The mother and son were remarkably alike in this way.  

The moment she came to her senses, she found herself swept along, doing exactly what they wanted.  

Even if Yerin tried to refuse, it didn’t seem like Mrs. Yoon would let her go easily. So, reluctantly, Yerin accepted the gift.  

She decided to leave it untouched in the shopping bag at home and return it to Mrs. Yoon later.  

***

At the same time, in Chairman Cha’s study.  

Soo Hyun excused himself, saying he had work to attend to at the company.  

Normally, Lee Hyun would have left for the office right after the meal, but today, he had something to take care of.  

“Lee Hyun, stop this unrequited love nonsense immediately.”  

Lee Hyun let out a faint laugh, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  

“You enjoyed it to your heart’s content, so why are you telling me not to?”  

He was living happily with Mrs. Yoon, after all.  

Why was he telling him not to pursue something so wonderful?  

Seeing the defiance on Lee Hyun’s face, Chairman Cha let out a deep sigh.  

“Feelings are the hardest thing to control.”  

“I know that very well.”  

Lee Hyun wasn’t unaware of this.  

That’s why it was driving him crazy these days.  

“In business, if you invest time, you see results.”  

Chairman Cha looked at Lee Hyun with a deeply lined face.  

“But with feelings, no matter how much effort you put in, the door may never open.”  

“In the end, you succeeded, didn’t you?”  

“I was lucky.”  

“There’s no rule saying that luck won’t work for me, too.”  

Chairman Cha let out another deep sigh, looking at his relentlessly persistent son.  

“Why are you trying to walk such a difficult path?”  

Of course, it would be great if the feelings were mutual and they could live happily ever after.  

But seeing how Lee Hyun was handling things, that seemed unlikely.  

“There must be plenty of women lining up for you.”  

“I don’t want them.”  

Whenever this topic came up, it felt like a broken record.  

“Just go on a blind date and meet a decent woman with good credentials.”  

Lee Hyun put down the fork he was holding with a sharp clink, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  

‘You had everything good for yourself, so why are you telling me I can’t?”  

“It’s good now, but back then, I went through so much emotional turmoil that I can’t even put it into words.”  

Hearing this honest confession, Lee Hyun hesitated for a moment.  

“I can’t bear to see my son go through such hardship. Choose an easier path.”  

Chairman Cha’s stance was firm.  

He seemed to want Lee Hyun to enter an arranged marriage where the other party would be the one clinging to him.  

“Feelings can grow even if they weren’t there initially.”  

Chairman Cha was about to continue his lecture, suggesting that even in an arranged marriage, love could come later. But Lee Hyun cut him off.  

“The feelings I already have aren’t going away.”  

“…”  

“I don’t want to meet anyone else.”  

Chairman Cha pressed his hand against his forehead, as if he was getting a headache.  

“Whose daughter is she?”  

“…”  

“I’ll meet her myself and convince her.”  

At those words, Lee Hyun abruptly stood up.  

“No need. Don’t interfere and mess things up. You don’t understand women’s hearts either.”  

“What do you mean I don’t understand? Hey.”  

“Just don’t. If you try to help, you’ll only make things harder. I can handle it myself.”  

Hearing this, Chairman Cha tilted his head back and laughed.  

“Hahaha. You talk as if you know everything.”  

“At least more than you do.”  

The two locked eyes in midair.  

To an outsider, they seemed like two peas in a pod, but both were determined to prove they were slightly better than the other.  

“Well, I’ll be leaving now.”  

Not wanting to stay too long and make Yerin uncomfortable, Lee Hyun quickly left the study.  

***

“Madam, but this card…”  

Yerin was about to return the card to Mrs. Yoon.  

Suddenly, the door to the backyard garden burst open, and a familiar face appeared.  

“Mother, what are you doing with Secretary Han?”  

“We were just having tea.” 

“I told you not to call her aside and make her uncomfortable.”  

“I didn’t bite her, Son!”  

Mrs. Yoon looked genuinely offended.  

“I just wanted to give her a gift, so I called her over.”  

Only then did Lee Hyun notice Yerin, who was holding something in both hands.  

Her expression showed how flustered she was.  

“What is this?”  

“I originally bought it to give to my future daughter-in-law.”  

At the mention of a daughter-in-law, Lee Hyun’s eyebrows raised slightly.  

He started to feel anxious, wondering if Mrs. Yoon had figured something out and was testing Yerin.  

But he quickly masked his emotions and turned back to Mrs. Yoon with a neutral expression.  

“Why did you give it to Secretary Han?”  

“I just felt like it.”  

“I know there’s no such thing as ‘just’ with you, Mother.”  

Lee Hyun stepped between Mrs. Yoon and Yerin, his deep voice calm yet firm.  

“What did you ask her to do?”  

“I asked her to meet the woman you’re infatuated with.”  

“Why would you do that?”  

“I thought Secretary Han, being a woman of a similar age, might have some insight or solutions.”  

“I’ll handle my own matters.”  

Mrs. Yoon protested, looking genuinely wronged.  

“I didn’t ask for free help.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“I gave her a card and told her to buy whatever she wanted.”  

Hearing this, Lee Hyun’s expression shifted into something difficult to read.  

“Secretary Han is someone I take care of myself.”  

Taking advantage of the moment, Yerin stepped out from behind Lee Hyun.  

“Madam, this card is really unnecessary. If I ever need it, I’ll let you know then.”  

“You can take it though…”  

But since Lee Hyun was glaring at Mrs. Yoon, as if ready to scold her, Mrs. Yoon reluctantly took back the card from Yerin’s hand.  

“As for the bag, you must take it. No excuses.”  

“Yes, Madam.”  

***

Inside Lee Hyun’s car on the way to the office.  

The heavy silence was broken by Lee Hyun.  

“I’m sorry for leaving earlier and making you face my mother alone.”  

“No, it’s fine.”  

When Yerin first met Mrs. Yoon, she thought she was a very strict person.  

But after seeing her more often, she realized Mrs. Yoon wasn’t as rigid as she initially seemed.  

Of course, that might only be because Yerin was an outsider.  

If Mrs. Yoon ever found out that the woman Lee Hyun liked was her, her attitude would surely change.  

After all, Yerin wasn’t someone who could meet Mrs. Yoon’s expectations.  

“What did the two of you talk about?”  

“Madam asked me to try to persuade the woman you’re in unrequited love with.”  

“I see.”  

“Of course, I didn’t mention anything about her having disappeared.”  

“Well done.”  

While driving, Lee Hyun kept his eyes on the road but subtly turned his head.  

Yerin, who had been reporting to him while looking at him, suddenly found her gaze locking with his.  

“The moment they find out that the woman has disappeared…”  

“…”  

“My entire family will go out of their way to search for her.”  

Ah, just thinking about it gave her chills.  

Unconsciously, Yerin closed her eyes tightly.  

“And then all of your efforts would be for nothing, wouldn’t they?”  

“Yes, that’s true.”  

“But you know, to persuade her, Secretary Han, you would have to meet her directly, or I’d have to go beg her myself. Isn’t that right?”  

“Yes, that’s correct…”  

Thankfully, Lee Hyun didn’t blame her for not having brought the woman back yet.  

Instead, he said something a little more unexpected.  

“There’s no rush.”  

“Pardon?”  

He had acted like he would die if the woman wasn’t brought back immediately.  

Why the sudden change in stance?  

“I’m not ready yet.”  

Ready?  

Did he mean that the moment that woman appeared, he’d drag her straight to the wedding hall?  

Yes, that sounded just like Lee Hyun.  

With all the work he had lately, he probably hadn’t even booked a venue yet.  

He was likely still far from preparing things like a honeymoon home.  

As Yerin came to her own conclusions, Lee Hyun added an explanation.  

“I haven’t had enough practice with you yet.”  

“Sorry?”  

“Didn’t you say this morning that you’d do anything I asked as long as I got up?”  

“…”  

No way.  

That couldn’t be it.  

Yerin instinctively shook her head.  

Seeing this, Lee Hyun chuckled softly.  

“You seem to know what I’m about to ask.”  

“I don’t. And I’d rather not find out.”  

Hearing her honest response, Lee Hyun burst into laughter this time.  

“Think of it as saving a person’s life.”  

“…”  

“If I suddenly meet her and don’t know what to do, how embarrassing would that be for me?”  

It would all come naturally, but he just wouldn’t believe that.  

Still, Yerin couldn’t say that aloud because she had a pretty good idea of how Lee Hyun would respond.  

“Secretary Han, you must’ve had a lot of dating experience.”  

If not that…  

“Since you’ve dated a lot, you must be skilled, but this is my first time.”  

Or maybe…  

“Before any meeting, I run countless simulations. So, of course, I want to prepare thoroughly for dating as well.”  

He’d say something along those lines.  

Just then, Lee Hyun’s car arrived in front of the Jiseok Electronics building.  

“Oh dear. It’s work hours, and here I am mixing in personal talk again. My apologies.”  

“It’s alright.”  

Though, honestly, it might’ve been better to finish this conversation now.  

But when had Lee Hyun ever done what Yerin wanted?  

After turning off the engine, Lee Hyun looked at Yerin and smiled brightly.  

“Let’s continue this after work.”  

“… Yes.”  

This was all the result of her past actions coming back to haunt her.  

Thinking so, Yerin got out of the car with a heavy heart.  

“Don’t forget this.”  

Lee Hyun handed her the bag Mrs. Yoon had originally bought for her future daughter-in-law but had given to Yerin instead.  

The moment she walked into the office carrying that bag, all eyes would undoubtedly be on her.  

“Director, we’re meeting after work anyway, right?”  

“That’s right.”  

“Then, can I not take this with me then?”  

“Sure. Whatever’s comfortable for you.”  

Lee Hyun nodded readily.  

The fact that she’d be meeting him after work was the only thing that brought her a small amount of joy.