〈Yeonsu, he said he’s fine with your situation even knowing about it. So put aside those worries, okay?〉

The statement that he was fine with everything despite knowing her circumstances left her uneasy, but she decided to let it go.

Yeonsu didn’t place much significance on this arranged date.

It was just bait she had thrown to test Seonjae.

She planned to just play along with her match at the meeting and then leave.

Yeonsu entered the office.

On what should have been a Monday morning filled with groans, the office was buzzing with excitement.

She scanned her surroundings as she put down her bag at her desk.

The strange atmosphere didn’t last long.

“Is he really going to be a regular cast member?”

“I heard it from my friend in PR. CEO Moon Seonjae as a regular—isn’t that amazing?”

Yeonsu froze at the familiar name coming from her team members.

She turned around, thinking she had misheard.

“The Closet is going to blow up. When did he decide to appear?”

“I don’t know. Seems like he decided over the weekend. They said the call came suddenly.”

Yeonsu clenched her fists tightly to suppress a bitter laugh.

If it was decided over the weekend, then he must have made the decision after finishing dinner at Seongsu-dong.

Again, he’s doing as he pleased.

“Team Leader Seo, about the main revision for the dress this morning. The vendor……”

The junior designer approached to tell Yeonsu something, but she passed by indifferently.

And headed straight for the director’s office.

※※※

“You really want to quit?”

“Yes.”

It had been thirty minutes since Yeonsu entered the director’s office.

For a full thirty minutes, she and Director Yoon had been unable to narrow their differences regarding her withdrawal from The Closet.

“Why? You did well in the first intro video shoot. Everyone was praising how photogenic Team Leader Seo Yeonsu is.”

“……”

“Everyone’s going crazy because CEO Moon Seonjae is appearing. Why are you quitting? Did something happen?”

That very Moon Seonjae’s appearance was the problem.

There was a world of difference between him making a one-time appearance and being a regular, meeting weekly.

Over the weekend, Yeonsu had resolved not to get entangled with him anymore.

But now she would face that man every week?

It was the worst.

Seonjae must have decided to appear regularly because of her provocation in Seongsu-dong.

Yeonsu’s expression darkened as a terrible future unfolded in her mind.

“It’s difficult to quit right away. You even have a shoot tonight, as I mentioned.”

But Director Yoon, unaware of Yeonsu’s circumstances, could only say it was difficult.

“Just appear today. Then we’ll talk again.”

Yeonsu had to swallow a sigh as she left the conference room.

Director Yoon’s responses were somewhat within the range she had expected.

She was walking down the corridor, wondering how to put a period on her connection with him, when—

Yeonsu looked up at the sound of approaching high heels.

“Just met with Director Yoon?”

It was Sehee. Yeonsu’s gaze fell on the tablet in her hand.

“Heading to the executive meeting, I see.”

“Yes. It’s starting soon.”

Yeonsu was about to turn around after telling her to go carefully.

“Right. You have a shoot this evening, don’t you? The second content for The Closet.”

Sehee smiled inexplicably at Yeonsu’s affirmative response.

“Yes. See you later.”

‘Later?’

While Yeonsu was mulling over Sehee’s words, she had already disappeared from view.

※※※

Since the second content was an evening shoot, filming ended late at night.

As “Cut!” echoed through the studio, groans erupted from various corners.

Yeonsu sat back in her chair, exhausted, when someone sat down beside her.

“Today is tough. Who schedules a shoot on Monday night? Right?”

It was Team Leader Oh.

She too seemed drained as she leaned back deeply in her chair.

Looking around, everyone—cast members and filming crew alike—looked similarly sprawled out.

“I know. It’s exhausting.”

“The CEO is impressive too. The PR department never expected him to be a regular cast member. They were in a frenzy.”

Yeonsu stared at Seonjae, who was at the end of Team Leader Oh’s gaze.

“Even Managing Director Hong can’t help it despite being family. Looking at how she followed him all the way to the set.”

At her continued words, Yeonsu’s gaze shifted to Sehee, who was beside Seonjae.

Sehee had arrived as the evening shoot was nearing its end.

She had brought snack carts and catered meals upon hearing the shooting would continue until midnight.

Sehee’s presence was substantial throughout the filming.

Whether in appearance or status, she stood out wherever she was.

Moreover, the tense studio atmosphere had eased considerably with her arrival.

Everyone laughed, saying even a Taeseo family daughter-in-law was socializing.

“She’s amazing. Must be hectic with her return to work after five years.”

Yeonsu mumbled her response while looking at Sehee.

Team Leader Oh, who had been watching Yeonsu, stood up from her seat.

“Shall we have a drink too? Beer arrived by the case earlier. Chicken has arrived too—how about some beer and chicken?”

Yeonsu got up, taking Team Leader Oh’s outstretched hand.

Groups of people had already gathered around the studio for an after-party.

Yeonsu sat down where Team Leader Oh led her.

The cast members, initially awkward, were gradually becoming familiar with each other as they met repeatedly.

“Not drinking today?”

“No. I have to drive today.”

Yeonsu didn’t want to get drunk like at the previous company dinner.

She sat there, moderately avoiding alcohol, and scanned her surroundings.

Looking around the studio, she couldn’t see Seonjae anywhere.

She had seen him mingling with the executive group just a moment ago.

“Why? Where are you going?”

When Yeonsu stood up, Team Leader Oh asked with a puzzled face.

“I think I need to leave.”

Yeonsu headed straight out of the studio amid farewells.

In truth, before returning home, she intended to see Seonjae.

The studio was still bustling when Yeonsu had made eye contact with him several times during filming, but she couldn’t find the right moment to talk to him.

She had thought he might approach her first.

Then the after-party began.

Feeling there was no point in staying longer, she decided to seek him out.

The wind felt surprisingly cool despite it being summer as she stepped outside.

Scanning her surroundings, Yeonsu headed toward the parking lot.

After just a few steps, she stopped. She spotted a familiar figure not far away.

It was him.

Yeonsu approached him. Seonjae, who had been facing away, sensed her presence and turned toward her.

“I’d like to talk for a moment.”

His eyes widened as he looked at Yeonsu who had approached him.

Yeonsu stopped walking after a short distance.

Looking at the studio building visible in the distance, she thought this was far enough.

When she turned around, Seonjae had already come close.

“This is the first time Team Leader Seo Yeonsu has asked to talk first.”

A mischievous smile hung on his lips.

“What kind of conversation requires leading me to such a secluded place?”

He said this while scanning the deep darkness surrounding them.

Unlike Seonjae, however, there wasn’t a trace of playfulness on Yeonsu’s face.

This was her workplace.

While it might be easy enough for him to joke around, Yeonsu couldn’t treat it as a game.

After all, even deciding to appear on the show had been a major decision for her, who suffered from frequent panic attacks.

“Why are you doing this?”

Yeonsu stepped closer to him and asked. Her subdued voice was deliberately solemn.

“You’ve never been interested in appearing on shows like this. You absolutely hate crowded places, so why are you doing this?”

During their time together in America, he had absolutely detested crowded hotspots.

He preferred quiet places.

Moreover, wasn’t he someone who had avoided media exposure, never showing his face until now?

Seonjae’s lips curved into a smile as he stared at Yeonsu.

“You speak as if you know me very well, Ms. Seo Yeonsu.”

Though she momentarily realized her mistake, Yeonsu didn’t bother to correct herself.

After all, they both knew they remembered each other.

It was just a matter of who would speak up first.

“Are you really interested in—”

“What would you do if I said I was interested?”

She thought it better to ask directly than to agonize over it.

That’s why she had called Seonjae, but Yeonsu was surprised by his answer that came before she could finish her sentence.

“What?”

“I’m asking what you would do if I really developed an interest in you, Team Leader Seo Yeonsu.”

Yeonsu’s eyes widened.

Unbelievable words were flowing from him, even though she heard them with her own ears.

“Are you using that excuse to quit the show because it’s burdensome?”

‘He developed an interest?’

Just as Yeonsu froze, finding it difficult to comprehend his meaning, a rustling sound was heard, followed by a familiar voice echoing between the two.