“Hello.”
“Welcome.”

Needless to say, their exchange was awkward. It was nothing like what you would expect from a couple about to get married.

A stiff silence fell between them.

Sitting on the sofa with her head slightly bowed, Ji-an looked anxious.

In contrast, Se-hyeon wore a faint, unreadable smile as he gazed at her.

It had been eight days since he had first proposed to her.

This was the first time they had seen each other since then.

On the first day, he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

‘Of course she needed time. That much he understood.’

Two days passed. Then three.

He told himself that she was just being cautious and thinking things through carefully.

But when day five came and went…he began to worry that something had gone wrong.

He even questioned whether the contract terms had been inadequate.

By the time today had arrived and there was still no sign of contact, he was almost certain that it was over.

He was almost certain that she had rejected him without saying anything.

This irritated him more than he cared to admit.

But then her call came.

In an instant, eight days’ worth of pent-up frustration melted away.

It was replaced by a quiet, lingering smile that wouldn’t leave his face.

In the end, neither of them were able to walk away, was it?

“You said you had something to say.”

Se-hyeon broke the silence first.

Startled, Ji-an flinched, her shoulders twitching slightly.

He leaned back on the sofa and watched her, his expression neutral and unreadable.

“Is this Woo Se-hyeon’s number?”
He could still hear the cautious way she’d asked it.

“I… I was wondering if I could see you. There’s something I want to say.”

As soon as she’d said that, he had immediately sent Tae-hoon to fetch her. It had taken exactly 48 minutes for her to arrive at this office.

“Yes.”

“Speak freely.”

His voice was calm, almost gentle.

Ji-an took a moment to breathe, trying to steady herself. Her thick lashes fluttered upward, her lips—red and visibly tense—kept parting slightly as if testing out the words.

Her long black hair had been tucked behind one ear, revealing a delicate, rounded ear that looked almost sculpted.

“I’ve thought about it…”

She fidgeted with her hands, nervous, letting her sentence trail off. Then slowly… she lifted her gaze and met his eyes.

“……”

In that moment, a thought crossed Se-hyeon’s mind.

‘What kind of expression would Yoo Ji-an make in bed?’

The image surfaced without warning—curiosity blooming into anticipation. A rush of heat coiled low in his abdomen, sharp and sudden.

But outwardly, he remained composed, his expression calm as he looked at her with steady ease.

“…Is what you said that day still on the table?”

Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

A strange weight stirred in his chest, pressing heavily against his ribs. He frowned slightly, confused by the unfamiliar sensation.

“I thought… maybe I was too late.”

So she knew she’d taken her time.

Still watching her closely, Se-hyeon finally opened his mouth to speak.

“Well, that’s what I assumed. No word from you—I figured it was a no.”

At that, Ji-an’s brow creased. Her lips pushed into a faint pout, and with an apologetic bow of her head, she murmured.

“I’m sorry. I just… needed a little time to think.”

Se-hyeon didn’t respond right away.

‘That much time, huh?’
It still felt a bit excessive—but then again, it was a sudden proposal. Maybe being caught off guard like that really had shaken her.

He didn’t entirely understand… but he would let it go.

Leaning back slightly, Se-hyeon ran a slow hand along his jawline, eyes never leaving her face. She looked faintly uneasy, as if still afraid it might be too late.

A few minutes passed in silence.

Then, wordlessly, Se-hyeon pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“It’s me.”

“Ah, y-yes, Executive Director!”

The flustered voice of the man on the other end rang through the stillness of the office. Ji-an glanced toward Se-hyeon, listening closely as he gave his instructions.

“Call the PR team. I want an article out in ten minutes.”

He ended the call and turned his gaze to her, lips curling into a faint smile.

“Ten minutes.”

“……”

“That’s how long you have left to back out of this contract, Miss Yoo Ji-an.”

Ah…

Her red lips parted slightly, allowing a soft gasp to escape before she could stop it. She had come to tell him that she would marry him.

Yet the look on her face made it seem as though she were being led away in handcuffs.

This irritated Se-hyeon slightly, but he kept his voice cool and steady.

“In ten minutes, the PR team will publish an article announcing how we met, how we fell in love, and our decision to marry. From that moment on, the contract is binding.”

Then, his gaze sharpened as he asked.

“You won’t regret it?”

This was it — his final question.

A last chance to say no.

Was she truly going to go through with this marriage?

The moment he asked, Ji-an’s heart began to pound in her chest.

Her lips were dry. She wet them nervously and hesitated, brows furrowed with unease. Then, her voice trembled slightly as she asked.

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“Ask. Anything you want.”

He nodded, calmly inviting her to speak.

Three minutes had already passed since he’d made the call.

“In the contract…There’s no mention of… children.”

When it came to marriage—especially as husband and wife—certain things naturally followed.

And yet, not a single word in the contract mentioned any of it.

That absence had made Ji-an curious. She had expected, given the family’s status, that there would be some kind of clause about children.

“So then… about having children…”

“I didn’t include it.”

Se-hyeon replied without hesitation.
“Because I have no intention of having any.”

“Ah…”

His answer came so easily. He didn’t want children.

Perhaps that made sense. After all, they weren’t married out of love.

Why would he want to bring a child into that situation?

Just then, another thought crossed Ji-an’s mind.

A new question formed at the edge of her uncertainty:

“What about…”

“I’ll handle the contraception.”

At that, Ji-an’s pale face flushed deep red.

‘So that was what had been on her mind. Her still so young….’

Just hearing the word ‘contraception’ had turned Ji-an completely red.

There was something remarkably innocent about that.

A quiet chuckle escaped him as he lowered his gaze to check the time.

Eleven minutes had already passed since he made the call.

Their conversation had overrun.

His phone buzzed repeatedly with new notifications. The first call came from none other than Chairman Woo Seung-beom.

‘No doubt he’s blowing up by now.’

Se-hyeon could practically see the man’s enraged face. A sharp smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Then, lifting his head, he met Ji-an’s gaze once more and gave her a faint, composed smile.

“Let’s try to get along.”

With a look of quiet resignation, Ji-an gave a faint nod.

“You probably won’t regret this choice.”

Se-hyeon said firmly, as if it were a fact. That this would turn out to be the best decision she ever made.

***

“Handle everything related to Miss Yoo Ji-an.”

And with just one phone call, Woo Se-hyeon changed her entire world.

Her grandmother was moved to a luxury care facility—so well-equipped it felt almost excessive—where she began receiving top-level treatment.

Ji-min’s hospital bills were paid off in full, without delay.

“All her part-time jobs have been terminated. She’s Woo Se-hyeon’s wife now—there’s no reason for her to be running around like that anymore.”

And just like that, Ji-an had to quit all her jobs.

Before she could adjust to her new situation, her belongings were packed up and she moved to a new apartment.

There were exactly three months left until the wedding.

She had been told that afterwards, she would move into his family’s estate. Until then, he had arranged a place for her to stay.

Next, Se-hyeon’s personal secretary, Joo Tae-hoon, delivered the schedule. Everything was planned down to the minute.

Today was the first official event that they would be attending together.

It was a private gathering, he said.

A meeting with Woo Se-hyeon’s childhood friends.

By three o’clock, thanks to all the changes, Ji-an found herself riding in Joo Tae-hoon’s chauffeur-driven car, en route to a high-end salon in Gangnam.

She was now in the middle of receiving a full makeover—something she had never experienced in her life.

“Since your skin tone is warm, I think coral shades will suit you well.”

“Ah, okay…”

The salon director had come personally to apply her makeup.

Even at university, Ji-an had never worn lipstick. At most, she would dab on some cheap moisturiser if she remembered.

In her world, lipstick was a luxury that was out of her reach.

“Your lips are so full and lovely.”

The stylist commented, smiling as she applied different shades to Ji-an’s lips. As she watched her reflection transform bit by bit, Ji-an felt as if she had stepped into a different world.

“We’re almost done. I’ll finish your makeup once your hair is styled.”

With a gentle smile, the stylist stepped away.

Moments later, another specialist came over to take charge of her hair styling.

She had about an hour left until she was due to meet Se-hyeon.

Ji-an had already been thoroughly briefed on the fake love story that she and Se-hyeon were supposed to act out.

She had reviewed it so many times that she could probably recite it from memory.

She could answer any question without hesitation, just as planned. Still, her heart wouldn’t calm down.

She repeated the story in her mind, over and over, in an effort to steady her nerves.

***

After work, Se-hyeon drove straight to the salon, where Ji-an was waiting for him.

Since announcing his engagement, his old friends had threatened to storm his office unless he explained himself in person.

With no other option, he agreed to attend the gathering.

Meanwhile, Chairman Woo Seung-beom was furious about the sudden wedding date and refused to acknowledge his son.

He had flatly refused to meet with him. Not that Se-hyeon cared. He figured his father would come around eventually, whether he liked it or not.

“We’ve arrived.”

He stepped out of the car briefly, then opened the door on the left.

Ji-an carefully slid in beside Se-hyeon.

Se-hyeon, who had been looking out the window with an indifferent expression, turned his head—

And his lips pressed into a firm line.