Chapter 14 (Part 4)

The next day.  

During work hours, a bag of macarons suddenly started making rounds in In-ah’s office.  

“Macarons? What’s the occasion?”  

“No idea. Apparently, they’re snacks for the staff.”  

Just then, Seong-jun entered the office.  

Raising his hand to signal the standing employees to sit back down, Seong-jun addressed everyone.  

“You must be hungry. Enjoy these while you work.”  

With a friendly smile that reached every corner of the room, he continued,  

“I have an announcement to make. The collaboration with the famous Italian designer Matteo has been canceled.”  

The staff began murmuring in surprise. Collaborating with a world-renowned designer wasn’t an opportunity to be taken lightly.  

“As of today, the contract has been terminated. Those working on related tasks should stop and discard them.”  

A staff member raised their hand and asked,  

“What’s the reason? Why was the contract suddenly canceled? Did we do something wrong?”  

“It’s not that.”  

Seong-jun glanced briefly at In-ah before turning his gaze back to the staff member who had asked.  

“Our company, Lysian, does not work with trash. That’s the reason for the termination. Please continue with your work.”  

In-ah watched Seong-jun leave the office for a long time.  

When a hand waved back and forth in front of her face, she finally turned her head. The hand belonged to Hye-yoon.  

“What’s with that look? Don’t tell me you’re falling for him?”  

“What are you talking about?”  

Hye-yoon wasn’t convinced and pressed further.  

“No, that expression just now—it was definitely the look of someone falling in love.”  

“You’re talking nonsense. Did you eat something weird?”  

In-ah quickly scanned the room for Jinwon. Fortunately, he seemed to have already gone into the Team Leader’s office.  

She let out a quiet sigh of relief. Love was love, and jealousy was jealousy, after all.  

***

Jeong-ho was at the seafood market, shopping for ingredients.  

Hearing the unusually loud laughter of women, he turned his head to see a man surrounded by three women, laughing and causing a commotion.  

With a disinterested expression, Jeong-ho turned back to the seafood but then froze.  

He recognized someone in that group.  

The man leading the lively atmosphere among the women was the so-called “Black Knight” that In-kyung had openly aimed Cupid’s arrow at.  

The man was playfully splashing water from the seafood containers with his hands, creating an impromptu water fight.  

Jeong-ho frowned instinctively.  

‘I knew he was that kind of guy from the moment I saw him. What could anyone like about him? That woman has terrible taste.’  

Before long, the group moved to the stall where Jeong-ho was inspecting seafood, their chatter growing louder.  

Jeong-ho picked up a sturdy fish with both hands.  

“Auntie, I’ll take this one…”  

At that moment, the fish slipped from his grasp and splashed back into the water with a loud splash.  

Given the size of the fish, which was larger than his forearm, the disaster was somewhat predictable.  

The “Black Knight” ended up drenched, frozen in place.  

“Oh my, what should we do?”  

The women around him fussed over the soaked man.  

“Oops! My hand slipped. I’m so sorry.”  

Jeong-ho apologized politely and turned away coolly.  

“What the heck!”  

The women’s sharp, angry voices followed him.  

“It’s fine.”  

“But that’s an expensive outfit!”  

“No, it’s nothing.”  

The man, trying to appear magnanimous, brushed it off, but Jeong-ho couldn’t help but smirk.  

***

While making copies in a corner of the office, In-ah turned around absentmindedly and was startled.  

Seong-jun was quietly motioning for her to come over.  

When she stepped into the hallway where Seong-jun stood, he handed her a bag of macarons.  

“I’m too full. You can have these, In-ah.”  

“Oh, thank you.”  

Just as In-ah accepted the macarons, Seong-jun began coughing.  

“Are you okay?”  

But his coughing only worsened, growing more severe.  

Alarmed, In-ah rushed to his side and supported him by linking her arm with his.  

Seong-jun flinched at her touch.  

Still, In-ah helped him to the CEO’s office, where the secretaries, startled, jumped up from their seats to follow them inside.  

After carefully seating Seong-jun on the sofa, In-ah turned to one of the secretaries and said,  

“Could you please bring a glass of warm water?”  

The secretary quickly left and returned with the water.  

In-ah handed the cup of warm water to Seong-jun.  

“Here. Do you have a lap blanket?”  

The secretary shook her head regretfully.  

“I’ll go look for one.”  

As the secretary hurried off in search of a blanket, In-ah turned to leave the office, but Seong-jun grabbed her wrist.  

Startled, she turned around, and Seong-jun weakly raised his eyes to meet hers.  

“Where are you going?”  

“To get a blanket. I can bring mine if that’s okay.”  

Seong-jun nodded and released her wrist.  

As In-ah rushed out of the office, Seong-jun’s gaze lingered on her retreating figure.  

Then his eyes fell on the crumpled bag of macarons on the table.  

The macarons, which he had handed to In-ah earlier, were smashed and broken.  

It was clear how urgently In-ah had cared for him.  

Seong-jun raised his eyes again to the door through which In-ah had exited.  

He wanted her so badly. He had never imagined he’d desire that man’s woman this much.  

No, it wasn’t that. That man had simply beaten him to the timing.  

The only difference between them was that the man had met her before he did.  

When In-ah returned with a lap blanket, she draped it over Seong-jun’s legs.  

“Are you feeling better?”  

Seong-jun nodded and gestured toward the crushed macarons.  

“What about the macarons? They’re ruined.”  

“It’s fine.”  

Holding up the bag, In-ah smiled brightly.  

“Even if they’re smashed, they still taste the same. Haha.”  

As he watched her laugh, Seong-jun met her eyes with a curious expression.  

“Every time I see you, I feel like you must have grown up surrounded by love.”  

“You’ve got a good eye, Director. Who wouldn’t love me?”  

Caught off guard by her sudden joke, Seong-jun froze before quickly agreeing.  

“That’s true.”  

“What?”  

Flustered, In-ah brushed her hair back awkwardly.  

“If you take a joke that seriously, I don’t know how to respond…”  

“In-ah, I have a favor to ask. Not as a director, but person to person.”  

Hearing the solemn tone in his voice, In-ah immediately straightened her expression.  

“Go ahead.”  

“Can you do it? I really hope you’ll say yes…”  

In-ah widened her eyes, curious about the favor, and waited for his next words.  

Truthfully, seeing the earnest look on Seong-jun’s face had already softened her resolve.  

***

As In-ah was leaving the office, Jinwon blocked her path.

“Why are you so late getting off work?”  

Jinwon had already finished work and was waiting for In-ah.  

“Team Leader, you’re just too fast!”  

Jinwon caught up with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and suggested cheerfully,  

“How about a beer together?”  

“Not today.”  

“Why not?”  

In-ah’s firm refusal made Jinwon stop in his tracks and ask again.  

“I have to wake up early tomorrow. I’m going out of town.”  

“Why are you suddenly going out of town?”  

Seeing Jinwon’s confusion, In-ah replied casually,  

“Director wants to visit an arboretum…”  

“What?”  

Jinwon was so shocked that In-ah placed a hand on her chest in surprise.  

“You’re going there with him? Why?”  

Jinwon’s serious expression made In-ah choose her words carefully this time.  

“Well… I happened to need to go there for research, so I thought I’d combine the two.”  

“Is that so? Then how about combining it with a date with me, too?”  

“What?”  

***

The next morning.  

Seong-jun drove himself to In-ah’s neighborhood, looking visibly excited—until he spotted Jinwon standing next to her.  

“Why are you here, Team Leader…?” 

Jinwon greeted Seong-jun with a bright voice,  

“My team member is accompanying you, Director, so as the Team Leader, I couldn’t just sit back.”  

“Well, that’s…”  

Before Seong-jun could say anything, Jinwon opened the front passenger door and got into the car.  

“I’ve always wanted to visit the arboretum. For research purposes, of course.”  

The frown on Seong-jun’s face refused to fade.  

Unable to tell Jinwon outright not to come, Seong-jun’s frustration was palpable.  

Seeing Jinwon smirking beside him, Seong-jun was dumbfounded.  

When did this guy become so shameless? What happened to him?  

“Let’s get going.”  

Jinwon crossed his arms, leaned back in the seat, and closed his eyes after making the remark.  

With a cold expression, Seong-jun started the car, deliberately ignoring Jinwon.  

In the back seat, In-ah shifted nervously, watching Seong-jun’s reaction.  

“I thought your driver would come. Why did you drive yourself? Isn’t it tiring?”  

At her words, warmth returned to Seong-jun’s face.  

Meanwhile, Jinwon’s fingers twitched one by one as he kept his eyes closed. He told himself to stay calm—he would likely face moments like this dozens of times today.