Chapter 3. It Seems Like It Will Be an Unforgettable Night  

‘When did he notice that?’  

Yerin pretended to act calm.  

“I was just thinking about leaving because the place was boring.”  

“Is that so?”  

The man took a sip of champagne.  

Even then, he didn’t take his eyes off Yerin. 

“That’s strange. It looked like you were trying to run away the moment our eyes met.”  

At his pointed remark, Yerin swallowed hard.  

He was right.  

She had made eye contact with him and immediately tried to leave.  

She hadn’t expected him to press the matter so persistently, leaving her flustered.

“You must have misunderstood. That didn’t happen.”  

“Is that so?”  

“Yes, why would I run away just because I saw you?”  

She said it to sound convincing.  

The man swirled the champagne in his glass and nodded in agreement with her words.

“I see. That’s why it’s even stranger.”  

“…….”  

“Have we met before?”  

Yerin’s eyelashes trembled slightly.  

Met before? Of course, they had.  

The man was Lee Hyun, the Director of the Display Business Division at Jiseok Electronics, where Yerin worked.  

Although he wasn’t her direct superior, she had seen him a few times at the company.  

Even if someone didn’t work at Jiseok Electronics, any South Korean would surely know Lee Hyun.  

His looks were outstanding enough to outshine celebrities.  

Every business Lee Hyun touched turned from deficit to profit in an instant, quickly claiming the number one spot in the domestic market.  

He was, quite literally, an unreal man—that was Lee Hyun.  

In contrast, Yerin was just an employee at Jiseok Electronics, someone Lee Hyun probably didn’t even know existed.  

She had no connection to him and had never been involved with him professionally.

‘Ah, there was that one time.’  

Last year, at Jiseok Electronics’ anniversary event, Lee Hyun had spilled wine on Yerin’s dress.  

Apologizing, Lee Hyun had sought her out the next day, telling her to bill him for the cleaning costs, even offering her his jacket.  

She hadn’t returned the jacket, nor had she charged him for the cleaning.  

There was no need to go that far. 

Yerin was certain that a man who operated on a minute-by-minute schedule wouldn’t remember such a trivial incident.  

So, she smiled faintly and replied:

“No, we haven’t.”  

“Really? Then why does it feel like we’ve met before?”  

Besides, today she was wearing much heavier makeup than usual and had a wig on.  

She was confident there was no way he would recognize her.

“You’re not one of the women I’ve been set up with, are you?”  

As if trying to recall something, Lee Hyun lightly tapped the table.  

When nothing came to mind, he smiled brightly.  

Behind him, the round light bulbs shone brilliantly, almost as if he were radiating a halo.  

Without realizing it, Yerin found herself staring at Lee Hyun’s face for too long.  

The corners of his lips curved upward.

“Do you like what you see?”  

“Pardon?”  

“You keep staring at me as if you’ve fallen for me.”  

As she had felt earlier, he was an incredibly straightforward man.  

Yerin couldn’t help but smile softly.  

How could any woman not be captivated when seeing such a handsome face up close?  

She thought about it for a brief moment.  

“It seems I’ve caught your interest.”  

Perhaps interpreting her smile as a sign of goodwill, Lee Hyun smiled as well.  

Yerin slightly nodded her head.

“Well, you’re not bad.”  

It seemed she had gained some courage from the fact that Lee Hyun didn’t recognize her.  

The absurdly extravagant makeup Nari had done for her and the wig she had thrown on also bolstered her confidence.  

And she wanted to stop thinking about the ridiculous scenes that kept replaying in her mind when she was alone.  

A desire to meet a decent man for at least one night, instead of the pathetic ones who fell for Seoyoon’s malicious temptations, slowly began to surface.  

Yerin, who usually didn’t touch alcohol, was starting to feel tipsy, perhaps from sipping champagne out of embarrassment at being alone on this vast rooftop.

‘What would it feel like to spend the night with such a handsome man?’  

So, she entertained thoughts she normally wouldn’t and let her desires take hold.  

A question, bypassing her brain, slipped out from her red lips.

“What if I said I’m interested in you?”  

Lee Hyun raised his eyebrows as if amused.  

“I’d gladly give myself to you.”  

“Give what…?”  

“Myself.”  

“Pardon?”  

“As a reward for helping me get rid of that bothersome woman earlier, I’ll serve you properly tonight.”  

Yerin’s lips slowly parted.

“You said you were planning to leave, right?”  

“Yes.”  

“Let’s go together.”  

“Pardon?”  

Lee Hyun took a step closer, his gaze slowly scanning Yerin’s face.  

Surprisingly, she didn’t dislike the way his intense gaze clung to her.

“If it weren’t for you, I’d still be stuck with that woodpecker of a woman.”  

“Oh, that’s alright. I also received your help earlier, and you looked like you were in a tough spot, so I helped you.”  

“Are you always this kind to others?”  

“Well, if someone needs help…”  

At her words, Lee Hyun’s eyes darkened even more.

“Well, I still need you.”  

“Pardon?”  

“I think I fell for you at first sight.”  

Lee Hyun casually said such honest words without hesitation.  

“I want to spend the night with you.”

“…….”

Lee Hyun gently pulled the champagne glass that Yerin was still tightly holding onto.

Her grip loosened, and Yerin let go of the glass.

Placing the champagne glass on the table, Lee Hyun briefly gazed at Yerin’s hand, which was still lingering in mid-air.

Then, in a polite tone, he asked:

“I’m going to hold your hand.”

Lee Hyun grabbed Yerin’s hand firmly and pulled her toward him.

Before she could even protest, Yerin found herself leaving the rooftop with him.

Lee Hyun stepped into the elevator, tagged his key, and pressed the floor for the suite.

Then, he handed the key to Yerin.

“The final choice is yours.”

Yerin, with a bewildered expression, accepted the key.

Just then, the elevator came to a stop.

With a relaxed look, Lee Hyun asked what she was going to do.

Yerin glanced at the key in her hand once and then at Lee Hyun’s handsome face.

She quickly made a decision.

Yerin stepped out of the elevator before Lee Hyun.

Lee Hyun followed her and extended his long arm.

She thought he was trying to take the hotel room key, but Lee Hyun’s hand landed on Yerin’s waist.

With a firm pull, Yerin lost her balance and fell into his arms.

Yerin looked up at Lee Hyun with a tense expression.

Lee Hyun slowly moved the hand holding her waist, almost as if he were playing the piano with rhythmic motions.

“Um……”

“Right now……”

Both Lee Hyun and Yerin spoke at the same time.

The tense atmosphere momentarily broke.

“Go ahead.”

“No, you go first.”

“Not ‘you,’ call me Lee Hyun.”

“Oh, yes.”

It was a name she already knew, but Yerin nodded as if hearing it for the first time and engraved it in her memory.

“I’m curious about your name.”

“I…….”

Hesitating, Yerin bit her lip slightly as she freed herself from Lee Hyun’s arms.

“Do you really need to know my name?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to exchange unnecessary information.”

She said it out of concern for what might happen.

However, it seemed to provoke Lee Hyun.

“That’s interesting.”

Lee Hyun grabbed Yerin’s hand again and strode toward his hotel room.

After tagging the key, the door opened, and Lee Hyun immediately pulled her back into his arms.

Soon, Lee Hyun’s warm breath poured over Yerin’s face.

“I’m looking forward to this.”

“…….”

“I think it’s going to be an unforgettable night.”

Lee Hyun’s words were just a preview.

***

The incessant sound of rain tapping against the window slowly lifted Lee Hyun’s eyelids.

Perhaps because of the rain, it was still dark and gloomy outside.

The weather forecast had predicted showers, and it was accurate.

Whether it rained heavily or not.

Lee Hyun turned his head, expecting the woman he spent the night with to be lying next to him.

However, only the empty space beside him greeted Lee Hyun.

“Did she go to wash up?”

It wasn’t even 5 a.m. yet, according to the clock.

He doubted she would leave so early in the morning and got out of bed.

At home, he preferred not to wear anything, but since he wasn’t alone, he decided to put on a robe.

Thinking about how the woman might be startled to see him, Lee Hyun reluctantly put on the robe.

He even admired his own thoughtfulness.

“I can’t call her since I don’t know her name.”

Last night, the woman hadn’t shared her name or any personal information.

That added to her mysterious charm.

“I’ll have to ask her today.”

With such a grand thought, Lee Hyun opened the bedroom door and glanced at the living room.

“She’s not here.”

Of course.

It would have been odd for her to be sitting on the living room sofa, waiting for him at this hour.

That left the bathroom as the last option.

He checked all the numerous bathrooms in the spacious suite but couldn’t find her.

“She ran away?”

He opened every door, but there was no trace of her.

“Ha.”

A low sigh escaped his lips, filled with disbelief.

The reason he had bothered to put on a robe and come out was now completely pointless.

Lee Hyun, faced with the unbelievable situation, roughly ran a hand through his hair.

“Why?”

There was only one question in his mind.

Lee Hyun had let the woman go around 3 a.m.

She had begged to stop, saying she couldn’t take it anymore, though Lee Hyun still had energy left.

Wanting to show some gentlemanly consideration, he had let her rest.

And then, he had briefly fallen asleep.

Within those two hours, the woman had disappeared.

No, rather than disappeared, “ran away” seemed more accurate.

Lee Hyun grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and drank it in gulps.

Even so, his thirst didn’t subside.

Just then, thunder rumbled loudly outside.

The gloomy atmosphere perfectly matched Lee Hyun’s mood.

Lee Hyun walked back to the bedroom.

As he turned on the light, something shiny on the bed caught his eye.

“What’s this?”

Upon closer inspection, it was a gold ring.

Thinking back, it was the ring that had been on the woman’s index finger.

“Did she leave it on purpose?”

Was it a message asking me to find her?

A Cinderella story with a twist, leaving behind a ring instead of a shoe?

As he thought about it, Lee Hyun slowly scanned the bedroom.

Then he noticed something on the table in the corner of the bedroom.

Lee Hyun walked over and picked up the note.

Written in delicate handwriting, resembling the woman’s, were a few words.

“Did she leave her contact information because she was busy?”

However, the note read something entirely different from what he expected.

[It was fun.]