With a look of utter defeat, Jung-jae started stacking the glasses again, like a man who had accepted his fate.

Outside, Seol-ah hurried out of the restaurant, scanning her surroundings. She knew Hwi-gang wouldn’t have driven after drinking, so he must be nearby waiting for a taxi. She anxiously searched the area, determined to find him before he left.

At last, her eyes found Hwi-gang. He wasn’t hailing a taxi but was instead leaning against the restaurant wall. Under the streetlight, the tall man in his luxury suit looked like he’d stepped out of a magazine photoshoot.

As Seol-ah approached, she watched Hwi-gang lightly tap his shoe against the ground and run a hand through his hair, his effortless grace resembling a scene from an advertisement.

The closer Seol-ah got to him, the faster her heart raced. Her face was already flushed from the alcohol, but her quickening heartbeat made her feel even warmer. Finally, she stopped in front of him.

Hwi-gang, who had been staring at the ground, noticed a pair of women’s shoes in front of him and slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes traveled up from her legs to the black pencil skirt and then to her slim waist. The sight of her slender waist, which seemed like it would fit perfectly in the crook of his arm, made him straighten up from where he was leaning against the wall.

Just as Seol-ah thought Hwi-gang was about to acknowledge her, he walked past her without saying a word. Startled, Seol-ah turned to look at him, only to see him slowly walk away. He flagged down an empty taxi that had just passed by. Realizing what had happened, Seol-ah quickly gathered her thoughts and rushed towards him.

“Hwi-gang, wait a moment.”

Seol-ah called out, but Hwi-gang didn’t respond. He simply opened the taxi door and got inside. Panicked, Seol-ah grabbed the door just as it was about to close.

Only then did Hwi-gang lift his gaze to look at her. His eyes, usually warm and kind, were now cold and distant. Undeterred, Seol-ah pushed past him, sliding into the taxi beside him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice lacking its usual warmth.

“I’m coming with you.”

“And how did you know where I’m going?”

“It doesn’t matter. Wherever it is, I’ll go with you.”

“I’m going somewhere with other women. You still want to come?”

“I’m coming, no matter where you’re headed. So let’s just go,” she answered, meeting his gaze with determination.

Hwi-gang studied her for a moment before giving the taxi driver an address. The car began to move, and Hwi-gang leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms and closing his eyes as if to shut out the tension between them.

Though the atmosphere felt unfamiliar and unsettling, Seol-ah took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as they rode in silence.

Finally, Seol-ah spoke up, her voice steady but tinged with nervousness.

“Look, I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding. It’s not that I felt sorry for Jung-jae or anything like that. I just thought that publicly humiliating a rookie like that, especially in front of my company’s employees, would reflect poorly on both LJ Electronics and you.”

She looked at Hwi-gang to gauge his reaction, but he remained as he was—leaning back, arms crossed, eyes closed—showing no sign of a response.

Feeling more anxious, Seol-ah wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt and continued, her voice a little shakier.

“Do you honestly think I still have feelings for that jerk, Jung-jae?”

She paused, hoping for a reaction, but received none.

“If I made you think that, I’m sorry. That was never my intention. But if you felt that way, then that’s my fault too. And I know this might sound strange, but I don’t feel anything for Jung-jae anymore. Not even the desire for revenge. He’s nobody to me now. I’ve realized that revenge is something people do when they still have lingering feelings. But I’ve let all of that go.”

After finishing her explanation, Seol-ah looked at Hwi-gang once more, hoping for some change in his expression. Seeing him still in the same position, she held her bag and turned to speak to the taxi driver.

“Excuse me, could you please stop here?”

“Sure.”

The older driver replied, glancing at Hwi-gang in the rearview mirror before turning on the signal to pull over. But just then, Hwi-gang finally spoke up.

“Just keep going.”

“Oh, alright.”

The driver responded quickly, assuming it was just a lover’s quarrel, and continued driving without further comment.

“Is your anger gone?”

Seol-ah asked, looking at Hwi-gang with a hopeful smile.

“Not quite.”

Seeing him finally respond, Seol-ah laughs softly. It wasn’t the full resolution she hoped for, but it was at least a step in the right direction.

“What do you think will make your anger go away completely?”

Seol-ah asked, trying to probe.

“Well, first, let’s go see my grandfather.”

“What? We’re going to see your grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“But you didn’t tell me we were going to the hospital.”

“I gave the driver the hospital address,” he replied with a smirk.

“What?”

Seol-ah finally realized she’d been outsmarted and pouted, realizing she had been tricked.

She remembered that Hwi-gang’s grandfather, Chairman Kang, had been staying at the family villa to recover but had been admitted to the hospital earlier that day for a routine checkup. Hwi-gang had told her not to worry about visiting since the chairman would be discharged the next day.

“Do I smell alcohol?”

Seol-ah asked, grabbing Hwi-gang’s arm playfully and blowing near his face.

“I had some soju and a bomb shot earlier. Check if it’s noticeable.”

Hwi-gang raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

“You’re going to drive me crazy again.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Seol-ah widened her eyes in surprise. Suddenly, Hwi-gang wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her body pressed against his, and her heartbeat grew so loud she could practically hear it echo in her ears.

“The driver will see.”

Seol-ah whispered, just for Hwi-gang to hear. In response, he gave her a quick, teasing kiss on the lips before loosening his hold, looking slightly reluctant to let go.

By the time the brief moment ended, the taxi had already arrived in front of the hospital. Stepping out of the car, Hwi-gang grabbed Seol-ah’s hand.

“My grandfather’s going to love your surprise visit.”

“I really hope so,” Seol-ah replied, smiling nervously.

“He definitely will.”

Hwi-gang reassured her, giving her hand a firmer squeeze as they headed toward the hospital entrance, ready to meet Chairman Kang.

As they made their way to the elevator, Hwi-gang moved closer to Seol-ah, his gaze languid and intent. Instinctively, Seol-ah backed away, her body pressing against the corner of the elevator, almost sinking into the annular space. As if waiting for this moment, Hwi-gang wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her so close that her body lifted slightly from the floor.

Now fully pressed against him, Seol-ah felt a tingling sensation, a wave of excitement coursing through her.