Chapter 27. Fairness  

Yerin couldn’t predict what kind of serious question Lee Hyun was about to ask.  

She waited nervously, her face tense, as Lee Hyun began to speak.  

“You asked me before, didn’t you? What my favorite food is.”  

Oh, right. 

That silly question she had blurted out just to stall for time.  

“I was curious, too.”  

“You’re curious about what my favorite food is?”  

“That’s right.”  

“Oh…” 

Yerin was visibly flustered.  

She had worked with countless bosses up until now, but not one of them had ever asked about her personal preferences.  

No, it was only natural.  

A secretary might cater to their boss’s preferences, but the reverse was unheard of.  

“Why would you be curious about that…?”  

“It’s about fairness.”  

Fairness?  

“I told you my favorite food. So, shouldn’t you tell me yours for it to be fair?”  

It was an odd justification, but when she thought about it, it sort of made sense.  

Even if she argued otherwise, Lee Hyun would have found a way to convince her anyway.  

“I like spicy food.”  

“For example?”  

“Spicy tteokbokki or fire-grilled chicken feet.”  

“I see.”  

As they chatted, the food they had ordered arrived.  

Lee Hyun casually pulled the steak platter closer to him and began cutting it into pieces.  

“You’ve met both of my parents, but I’ve only met your father.” 

“Pardon?”  

At that moment, all Yerin could do was stupidly repeat, “Pardon?” to confirm what he had just said.  

“Well, it feels a bit unfair, doesn’t it?”  

There it was again—the talk of fairness and unfairness.  

Yerin had no idea why they were discussing meeting each other’s parents while working.  

Anyone overhearing their conversation might have mistaken them for a couple—or even an engaged pair preparing for marriage.  

“Is there really a reason for you to meet both of my parents?”  

“I was just curious.”  

“Oh, I see…”  

“I didn’t mean to pressure you.”  

By the time he finished speaking, Lee Hyun had neatly placed a piece of steak on Yerin’s plate.  

“Let’s talk while we eat.”  

“I’ll cut it for you.”  

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, Secretary Han.”  

Without stopping his cutting, Lee Hyun placed another piece of steak on Yerin’s plate.  

“We’re off the clock now.”  

“Yes.”  

Yerin was well aware of that.  

“We’re not sitting here as boss and secretary, are we?”  

“Then…”  

“I’m here as a rejected boyfriend trying to win you over.”  

“If you call yourself my boyfriend, someone might overhear and misunderstand…”  

“Who?”  

Lee Hyun glanced around the wide, empty restaurant.  

“There’s no one here to overhear or misunderstand.”  

“Yes, unfortunately, that’s true.”  

“So just accept it comfortably when I do things for you.”  

“It’s not comfortable at all.”  

“Oh.”  

Lee Hyun seemed genuinely surprised by her response and set down his knife and fork.  

“Then how should I do it?”  

“Do what?”  

“The biggest problem seems to be that you always feel uncomfortable around me”

“I’m fine with this.”  

“But you said it’s uncomfortable?”  

“Yes, but even though it’s uncomfortable, I’m okay with it.”  

Yerin wasn’t entirely sure what she was saying, but somehow, this seemed fine to her.  

“Do you mean you don’t want to get closer to me?”  

That was true.  

But it felt too harsh to say that out loud to his face.  

So, after a brief moment of hesitation, Yerin began to make excuses.  

“I heard something somewhere…”  

“Tell me.”  

“Between men and women, it’s better to feel uncomfortable than to feel too comfortable…”  

Yerin had no idea why she was saying such things.  

When she clamped her lips shut, Lee Hyun, curious about the rest of her sentence, urged her on.  

“Why stop mid-sentence?”  

“They say being uncomfortable is better…”  

After thinking it over, Lee Hyun nodded as if he found some truth in her words.  

“That makes sense. It’s better to be uncomfortable than too comfortable.”  

Lee Hyun smiled brightly, his lips curling upward.  

“Alright then. Let’s go back to the topic we were discussing earlier.”  

“What were we talking about?”  

The topics were changing so quickly, and Lee Hyun’s eloquence was so hard to keep up with that Yerin felt completely lost.  

“What is your mother like?”  

“Even if you wanted to meet her… you wouldn’t be able to.”  

At those words, a faint trace of unease appeared in Lee Hyun’s eyes.  

“If I said something wrong…”  

“Oh, no!”  

He seemed to think that Yerin’s mother was no longer alive because of her phrasing.  

Yerin quickly added to her explanation.  

“My mother is very ill.”  

“Oh, I see.”  

“Yes, she’s in the hospital.”  

It wasn’t that she was someone who could move around freely; it was simply difficult to meet her due to her condition.  

Lee Hyun quietly listened to Yerin’s words.  

Aside from Nari and Seoyoon, Lee Hyun was the first person to whom Yerin had ever shared details about her family.  

At first, she wondered why she even needed to share such trivial matters.  

But before she knew it, she found herself willingly opening up to him.  

“It was a warm and ordinary family. At least until my father’s business failed.”  

“I see.”  

“When my father’s work didn’t go well, my mother became very stressed. That’s when she started getting sick, and now she’s undergoing treatment.”  

As Yerin spoke, she suddenly found herself missing her mother, Chansook.  

But just because she missed her didn’t mean she could see her.  

Byeonghun had never told Yerin which hospital Chansook was admitted to.  

All he did was allow her to send the hospital fees and let her talk to her mother on the phone once a month.  

Thinking about it made her emotions well up, and her eyes turned red.  

“I’m sorry.”  

She quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe her eyes, but by then, tears had already rolled down her cheeks.  

“Oh, what’s wrong with me?”  

This was the second time she had unexpectedly cried in front of Lee Hyun.  

Maybe it was because she had let out the thoughts she had always kept bottled up.  

Or maybe it was the fact that there was someone willing to listen to her story.  

Whatever the reason, it seemed that the lock she had tightly sealed in her heart had unknowingly come undone.  

Lee Hyun, looking slightly troubled, stood up and approached Yerin.  

“Oh dear. I’ve made you cry again.”  

Then, without warning, Lee Hyun opened his arms and embraced her.  

The pleasant scent from Lee Hyun enveloped Yerin’s nose in an instant.  

“Director?”  

Startled, Yerin squirmed in his arms.  

But Lee Hyun didn’t let go and spoke softly while holding her.  

“I’m comforting you.”  

“Oh…”  

Strangely enough, being held by Lee Hyun made her tears gradually stop.  

And her heart, as always, began to race uncontrollably.  

It was only natural. Who wouldn’t feel flustered when such an attractive man suddenly hugged them?  

Lee Hyun’s large hand rhythmically patted Yerin’s back.  

Surprisingly, it brought her comfort.  

After staying in his arms for a while, Yerin finally whispered in a small voice.  

“I’m really okay now.”  

At her words, Lee Hyun slowly loosened his arms.  

He gently brushed her swollen eyes with his thumb and murmured softly.  

“I made you cry again.”  

“No, it’s not because of you.”  

“It’s my fault for asking about your family. It’s all on me.”  

Yerin shook her head, insisting it wasn’t his fault.  

She told him not to feel sorry anymore and smiled faintly.  

Lee Hyun returned to his seat. 

“I’m not the type to cry in front of just anyone.”  

But for some reason, she always seemed to get emotional in front of Lee Hyun.  

Lee Hyun smiled, his lips curling upward as if he found the situation amusing.  

“Is that so?”  

“Yes. It’s strange, but I always seem to act like this around you.”  

“That’s a relief. It makes me feel like I’m a special person to you.”  

“…”  

It did feel that way.  

But Yerin didn’t answer, worried that Lee Hyun might misunderstand. Instead, she simply smiled faintly.  

“I haven’t seen my mother in a while.”  

“Why not?”  

Yerin knew that if she explained, Lee Hyun might think of her situation as strange.  

But it seemed she needed someone to talk to—someone to confide in.  

Yerin bit her lip before speaking hesitantly.  

“Because I don’t know which hospital she’s in.”  

Lee Hyun quietly listened to her words.  

Then, to confirm that he understood correctly, he asked again.  

“So, your mother is hospitalized somewhere and receiving treatment.”  

“Yes.”  

“And you’ve never visited her in the hospital?”  

That was correct.  

Lee Hyun stroked his smooth chin thoughtfully and asked, as if curious.  

“Then who’s taking care of her?”  

“My father visits her occasionally…”  

Lee Hyun nodded once.  

Being quick-witted, he seemed to grasp the situation immediately.  

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Hyun cautiously spoke.  

“I’d like to help you.”  

“Why?”  

“Because there’s something I want your help with, too. Does that make me selfish?”  

“No, not at all.”  

She was curious about how he intended to help her.  

In truth, Yerin had tried to find out which hospital her mother was in.  

But Byeonghun refused to tell her, and every hospital she called in Seoul refused to disclose patient information.  

So how could Lee Hyun, who wasn’t even family, possibly help?  

It was as if he had read her thoughts.  

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to transfer your mother to Jiseok Hospital for treatment.”  

“Why would you go that far for me?”  

“You know why.”  

“Is it because of our fake relationship?”  

“Bingo.”  

Yerin’s lips slowly parted.  

“Are you serious?”  

“Yes. I’m being very serious right now.”  

He certainly looked serious.  

Lee Hyun pulled his phone out of his jacket and placed it on the table. He tapped it lightly with his index finger.  

“With one phone call, I can take care of everything.”  

“How…?”  

“That’s a trade secret. Even I can’t share it with you, Secretary Han.”