Chapter 29. Today, to My Place  

The moment Yerin heard she could see Chansook, her decision had already been made.  

And to be honest, she didn’t particularly dislike Lee Hyun either, so there was no real reason to refuse.  

Perhaps she was also curious about what Lee Hyun, who had been endlessly tender on the bed, would be like in a real relationship.  

Yerin took a deep breath and carefully signed her name on the contract.  

Lee Hyun, seemingly very satisfied, took the tablet PC with a wide smile.  

He also affixed his seal to it.  

“Do we need a lawyer’s notarization?”  

“No, it’s fine.”  

Lee Hyun was overjoyed at achieving what he wanted so much.  

Yerin, on the other hand, was excited at the thought of seeing her mother, Chansook, for the first time in years. 

“I’ll be in your care for the next six months.”  

“Yes, me too, Director.”  

***  

After leaving the restaurant that Lee Hyun had fully booked, the two naturally got into his car.  

Lee Hyun, as he was about to activate the navigation system, paused.  

“I’m someone who likes fairness.”  

“Yes…”  

For some reason, Yerin had a feeling that something outrageous was about to come out of his mouth.  

And, as expected, Lee Hyun curled his lips into a dangerous smile and spoke slowly.  

“I went to your house and had a cup of tea, you know.”  

Lee Hyun looked at Yerin with a meaningful gaze, as though the answer was already decided.  

“When you came to wake me up at my house before, I wasn’t in a position to properly host you.”  

“It’s fine. Things were hectic back then…”  

Recalling that day, Yerin couldn’t help but remember Lee Hyun lying down with his well-defined muscles fully exposed.  

“Well, today, I have plenty of time.”  

Having already made up his mind, Lee Hyun started the car.  

“Director?”  

“Oh, and, now that we’re dating, isn’t it strange to call me that?”  

“…”  

“If we’re going to do this, let’s make it feel realistic.”  

He had a point. Since she was gaining so much, it was only fair for her to help Lee Hyun as much as possible.  

“Then, how should I address you?”  

“If I told you to call me something overly affectionate right away, you’d probably freak out.”  

“Yes, that’s… likely.”  

“Let’s keep it simple and just use each other’s names.”  

As soon as he finished speaking, Lee Hyun, as if activating his “boyfriend mode,” spoke in a much gentler tone.  

“How does that sound, Han Yerin?”  

“…”  

His gaze was so warm that Yerin found herself unconsciously parting her lips.  

“Yerin?”  

“Oh, yes.”  

Unlike Lee Hyun, who addressed her so naturally, Yerin felt like a malfunctioning robot, awkward and stiff.  

There was a brief pause. It seemed Lee Hyun was waiting for her to call him by his name.  

Yerin clenched her fist on her lap, then cautiously called his name.  

“Lee Hyun…”  

“That sounds nice. I like it when you call me that.”  

“But… is this really okay?”  

Could I really call my superior by his name so casually?  

Lee Hyun raised his eyebrows as if to say, “What’s the problem?”  

“What’s not allowed between a couple?”  

“Well, that’s true.”  

“Even during our dates, if we keep calling ourselves Director or Secretary Han, it’ll be hard to immerse ourselves in the roles. That’s why I suggested it.”  

Yerin slowly nodded.  

Indeed, this approach would make it easier for her to play her part properly.  

As they settled on how to address each other, Lee Hyun’s car stopped in front of a very familiar apartment building.  

Claiming he felt guilty about not serving her tea before, he had brought Yerin to his home.  

The two of them awkwardly stood in the elevator heading to the top floor.  

And then.  

Lee Hyun suddenly moved closer to Yerin, and his unexpected action made her turn her head sharply.  

“Director?”  

“Titles.”  

“Oh, I’m sorry. Lee Hyun.”  

“Why did you call me, Han Yerin?”  

Yerin glanced down at Lee Hyun’s left hand, which had briefly brushed against the back of her hand.  

“I thought you said you wouldn’t do anything without my permission.”  

“I did.”  

Lee Hyun raised both hands innocently, as if to say he was completely blameless.  

“What did I just do?”  

“You brushed the back of my hand…”  

Yerin trailed off mid-sentence, hesitating.  

It was just a brief touch, not holding hands.  

It wasn’t even enough to be considered physical contact, but to Yerin, it felt different.  

The warmth from his touch began to awaken sensations she had forgotten.  

“Why did you stop mid-sentence?”  

“It’s nothing.”  

Yes, it could’ve just been an accidental touch as he moved closer.  

Thinking this, Yerin turned her body forward again.  

But soon, she felt the warmth on the back of her hand once more.  

“Lee Hyun.”  

“Hmm.”  

Unlike the flustered Yerin, Lee Hyun looked amused.  

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”  

“Doing what?”  

“Our hands keep brushing against each other.”  

“Oh.”  

Lee Hyun feigned ignorance, his expression shameless.  

“Did they? I didn’t notice.”  

He was clearly doing it on purpose but pretending otherwise.  

“As you can see, the elevator is small.”  

“Excuse me?”  

The elevator was spacious, with plenty of empty space.  

In other words, there was no shortage of places to stand.  

“That’s why I’m staying so close to you like this.”  

Just as Yerin, momentarily entranced by Lee Hyun’s deadly smile, was about to retort, the elevator arrived at the top floor where Lee Hyun lived.  

Yerin quickly stepped out of the elevator.  

It wasn’t like they had held hands or anything; it had only been a brief brush of their hands.  

Lee Hyun seemed completely unfazed, while Yerin felt as though she was the only one overly conscious of him, which left her feeling strange.  

After unlocking the door and stepping inside, Lee Hyun gestured toward the living room sofa with a nod of his chin.  

“Take a seat. You’re a guest today, after all.”  

She had planned to just have a simple cup of tea and leave, even intending to handle it herself.  

But Lee Hyun disappeared, leaving Yerin alone in the living room.  

Feeling awkward, Yerin sat down and began to quietly look around his house.  

The day she had come to wake him up had been so hectic that she hadn’t been able to properly take in her surroundings.  

Spotting the floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a panoramic view of Seoul’s night skyline, Yerin was drawn to it as if hypnotized.  

“Wow.”  

Her earlier thoughts about how uncomfortable this house must be vanished in an instant.  

Overwhelmed by the breathtaking view from above, Yerin unconsciously admired it as she gazed out the window.  

In the meantime, Lee Hyun, having finished preparing to host his guest, approached the living room.  

“Take a seat.”  

Yerin turned around and slightly narrowed her eyes.  

“Lee Hyun, you said you’d give me tea, didn’t you?”  

“I did.”  

But what was on the living room table was not tea—it was wine.  

“Why did you bring wine?”  

“There’s no tea in my house.”  

“What?”  

A house that seemed to lack nothing didn’t even have a single tea bag?  

As Yerin looked at him incredulously, Lee Hyun walked over and gently guided her to sit beside him.  

“There’s one thing I always do on the day I sign a contract.”  

“What is it?”  

“Having a glass of wine with someone I love.”  

Hearing this, Yerin widened her eyes.  

Everything he said was surprising.  

Compelled by curiosity, Yerin asked as if in a trance.  

“With someone you love?”  

“Yes.”  

“Then who have you had wine with before now?”  

It was a question she asked purely out of curiosity.  

Lee Hyun had claimed he’d never been in a relationship, so who could this “loved one” be with whom he had shared celebratory wine?  

She was just curious.  

Upon hearing her question, Lee Hyun’s lips curled into a smirk.  

“Are you jealous?”  

“What?” 

“That’s cute, too.”  

Jealousy?  

It was just a question born of curiosity, yet he had concluded it was jealousy, leaving Yerin momentarily speechless.  

She quickly opened her mouth to respond.  

“It’s not jealousy.”  

“Then what is it?”  

“I was just… curious about my new boyfriend…”  

What am I even saying right now?  

Trying to explain herself, she had blurted out something completely unintentional.  

Lee Hyun, finding this amusing, crossed his arms and gazed at her intently.  

“Why did you stop mid-sentence? Now you’ve made me even more curious.”  

“Well…”  

Yerin let out a deep sigh.  

She always had to keep her wits about her when dealing with Lee Hyun.  

“I was just trying to get to know you better.”  

“Is that so?”  

“Yes. I wasn’t asking because I was jealous of who you’ve shared wine with.”  

“That’s disappointing. I was hoping you would be jealous, Han Yerin.”  

“I have no reason to be, though.”  

After all, Lee Hyun wasn’t her real boyfriend.  

But perhaps because he had used the word “jealousy,” or maybe because he kept dodging her questions, she felt strange.  

It was almost as if she were genuinely curious about her boyfriend’s past.  

“If you had admitted you were jealous, I would’ve told you the truth.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“I don’t feel like telling you anymore.”  

“What?”  

“You said you weren’t jealous, so I don’t see why I should bother telling you. Don’t you agree?”  

Lee Hyun leisurely opened the wine bottle and flashed her a sly smile.  

The deep red wine poured smoothly into the empty glass.  

In contrast, Yerin’s curiosity remained completely unresolved.  

She alternated between looking at the wine glass and Lee Hyun, lost in thought.  

‘Should I just admit I’m jealous?’  

No, no matter how she thought about it, it wasn’t jealousy. It was just curiosity.  

‘But could this curiosity actually be jealousy?’  

Come to think of it, she realized she had never felt jealous in her previous relationships.  

Yerin mumbled quietly to herself.  

“What even is jealousy?”  

“What did you say?”  

“Huh? Oh, nothing.”  

Even when Seoyoon had taken her ex-boyfriend, she hadn’t felt jealousy—just betrayal.  

While Yerin was lost in thought, Lee Hyun closed the distance between them and moved right next to her.  

His large hand gently cupped her chin.  

“Lee Hyun?”  

In an instant, their gazes locked in mid-air.  

“You don’t seem to know what jealousy is, so I’ll explain it to you.”  

“…”  

“I get angry just thinking about you making eye contact with another man.”  

“What?”  

“And the thought of you drinking with another man…”  

Lee Hyun frowned slightly, as though the mere thought of it annoyed him.  

“That would make me really angry.”