“How many arranged dates have you had, and you’ve rejected them all? I carefully selected this one. Who are you to reject someone after just one meeting?”

“……”

“Or is there someone you’re seeing? Or do you really prefer men?”

Pfft. Seonjae burst into empty laughter at Chairman Moon’s additional comment.

“If I liked men, I would have dated men. What relationship of mine doesn’t our Chairman know about?”

Seonjae’s meeting with Yeonsu in America had been extremely secretive.

Yet the fact that even that relationship was known to Chairman Moon meant that whoever he met, all those relationships would reach the Chairman’s ears.

He knew people were assigned to watch him, but the Chairman was more persistent than he thought.

About his marriage, that is.

“I’m just not particularly interested. SD Finance would make a good marriage connection, but I’m not attracted to her at all.”

Seonjae spoke calmly.

In fact, he had spoken as if he would go on a follow-up date while in the car with Yeonsu.

He was merely curious about Seo Yeonsu’s reaction.

“Good grief, how can you say you’re not attracted to someone like her?”

The eldest daughter of SD Finance was a renowned beauty in the marriage market.

In this era where plastic surgery was rampant, she was a natural beauty.

Moreover, she came from a financial family that had produced several politicians.

Chairman Moon was exasperated seeing Seonjae reject such a flawless match.

“I’m peculiar, as you know. Not dating has been fine for me.”

Of course, his relationship five years ago was his first and last.

The atmosphere of the meal, which had continued under pressure, seemed to have eased somewhat.

After the long meal ended and dessert was served, the gathering finally broke up.

Seonjae got up from the sofa, looking at the clock pointing to ten.

He was thinking of leaving now.

Just as he was picking up his jacket and walking toward the entrance—

“Leaving?”

Gijun stood where he turned.

“I should.”

“Brother, are you going to the shooting this time?”

It was a political and business gathering centered around third-generation heirs. Shooting was just one of many hobbies.

He seemed to have vaguely seen in a message that there was a meeting this week.

“When is it?”

“Saturday evening. They said we’d play a few games of shooting and then have dinner.”

Seonjae paused while putting on his shoes.

The mention of Saturday evening naturally brought Seo Yeonsu to mind.

He thought her arranged date was on Saturday too.

Seonjae’s face immediately contorted with displeasure.

He couldn’t understand why that woman’s arranged date was imprinted in his mind.

What did it matter to him if she went on dates or met men?

“Alright.”

“You’ll participate? Then I’ll let them know. And brother, please go on that follow-up date with SD Finance’s eldest daughter.”

Seonjae straightened his bent back. His eyes met Gijun’s at a similar eye level.

“Why? For your new business funding?”

“If you know, help me out. I’m in a financial crisis.”

In fact, Seonjae’s marriage connection with SD Finance was also for the new construction business.

Well, it was a construction company matter, so it didn’t directly relate to him.

Perhaps that’s why the arranged date appealed to him even less.

“I’ll think about it.”

With those words, Seonjae turned away.

※※※

The weekend arrived quickly.

Yeonsu sighed at the message that came in the morning.

[You haven’t forgotten we’re meeting on Saturday, right? L Hotel at 6 PM. – Sukgyeong]

It was the Saturday with that arranged date Sukgyeong had mentioned.

But Yeonsu had been at the studio since morning. Unfortunately, it overlapped with filming.

She wanted to skip the filming if possible, but it was difficult given that the script was already out.

Fortunately, Yeonsu’s part was first. She could barely make the appointed time.

“Yeonsu, where are you going today?”

Yeonsu’s filming had ended. She was hurriedly packing her things.

Team Leader Oh, who had approached without her noticing, asked her.

“You look prettier than usual. What’s this, meeting someone?”

She seemed to be scanning Yeonsu’s attire.

Team Leader Oh thought Yeonsu looked brighter today.

Then her gaze fell on her outfit.

The light beige blouse with flowing chiffon suited her beautifully.

“Yes, I have an appointment.”

“I thought so. Honey, you should dress like this at work too. It suits you so well, so innocent. This blouse is your design, right?”

“That’s right. It’s going to be in the DINE S/S advertisement too.”

“I know, I know. I heard it’s also going to be sponsored in a drama? You’re so talented. How is everything you make such a hit?”

Yeonsu smiled quietly at Team Leader Oh’s endless praise.

Her high energy seemed to be transferring to Yeonsu.

Yeonsu didn’t realize her face was brighter than usual.

“It just happened. I’m lucky, I guess.”

“So modest too.”

Their voices must have been loud, as passersby turned to look at them.

And among them was Seonjae.

He must have just finished filming too, as he was removing his microphone.

“But judging by your outfit, this isn’t just any appointment, is it? Are you going on a blind date?”

At the mention of a blind date, her eyes met Seonjae’s.

He was staring intently at where Yeonsu stood.

“Yes, I have a blind date today.”

Yeonsu answered while looking at him.

“Oh my, with whom? How old is he? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you dating.”

Over Team Leader Oh’s excited voice, a deep bass voice overlapped.

〈I was actually planning to. A follow-up date.〉

〈What do you think, Team Leader Seo Yeonsu?〉

Why did his words about going on a follow-up date come to mind at a time like this?

“Team Leader Seo has a blind date today? No wonder your makeup and hair look so pretty.”

“Right?”

Several passing filming staff gathered around Yeonsu, but her gaze never left Seonjae.

※※※

Yeonsu, surrounded by people at the filming set, was only able to escape after filming resumed.

She came out of the bathroom after adjusting her outfit.

Looking at the clock pointing to 4:30, she thought she wouldn’t be late if she headed straight to the hotel.

She had left her car behind, planning to take public transportation in case filming ended late. It had ended earlier than expected, though.

In truth, she wasn’t serious about the arranged date. Since it was Sukgyeong’s suggestion, she planned to just go through the motions and respond appropriately.

She didn’t even want to wear these uncomfortable clothes.

Rather than dressing to impress Min Jeongho, she was more conscious of Moon Seonjae.

He might laugh if he knew, though.

Even Yeonsu herself felt how conscious she had been of Seonjae throughout filming today.

She accepted the arranged date all because of him too.

She had tried to break free just the other day, so why was she getting more deeply entangled?

Swallowing a sigh, Yeonsu left the studio building.

Just as she was fiddling with her phone, opening an app to call a taxi—

“Need a ride?”

The sound of heels crushing the ground approached, followed by a familiar voice echoing in her ear.

There was an image associated with the white cigarette crushed under the toe of his shoe.

Yeonsu’s gaze gradually moved upward. Finally, their eyes locked.

The man who had been circling in her mind throughout filming.

“I’m heading that way anyway.”

It was Seonjae, wearing an indecipherable smile.

※※※

Yeonsu adamantly refused, saying she was fine, but it was useless.

〈Those shoes would make public transportation difficult. If you’re going to take a taxi anyway, let’s go together.〉

Finally, her gaze fell on the high-heeled shoes he was pointing at.

Unable to find any more grounds for refusal, she got into his car.

The moving car was quiet.

Staring out the window, Yeonsu occasionally turned her head to look at Seonjae.

His eyes staring ahead showed indifference.

Along with his inscrutable gaze, this long silence was extremely irritating.

He must have felt the awkward atmosphere too, but he didn’t speak first.

He just drove silently.

It was frustrating. Unable to bear the awkward air any longer, Yeonsu was the first to speak.

“You’re alone today, I see.”

She searched for something appropriate to ask.

He always had Secretary Shin with him when traveling anywhere.

She naturally thought Secretary Shin would be driving, but Seonjae was in the driver’s seat.

Yeonsu only now realized it. That only the two of them were in this car.

The fact that they were alone might be making things more awkward, she thought.

“I try to drive myself on weekends.”

Seonjae, still looking ahead, opened his mouth.

“Secretary Shin needs rest too.”

“Ah.”

She must have asked something too obvious.

Unlike the effort it took to start the conversation, it ended abruptly.

Yeonsu pondered even in that brief moment.

The warning he had given her in the emergency room parking lot. She wanted to ask why he had said such things. If there was a reason.

But asking Seonjae directly would be like admitting it herself. That her family-like relationship had gone wrong.

Unable to do either, she felt frustrated.

Lately, Yeonsu felt herself becoming sensitive.

With Seonjae’s follow-up date comment, and issues with Sehee’s family, there were too many things bothering her.

It would be nice to solve them one by one, but none of them seemed solvable, which made it worse.

The Seonjae in front of her was the same, wasn’t he?

Even though they were together like this, she couldn’t ask anything. About their past breakup or her current questions.

As these thoughts came to her, Yeonsu’s expression darkened.