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Episode 2
Led by Lee Jun’s hand, Iryeong stepped out of the restaurant.
The cold winter wind brushed past her nose, and the tightness in her chest finally loosened.
She parted her lips slightly to take in more of the chilly air, trying to calm her racing heart.
“A filthy dog dares to cheat on someone….”
Dongha’s harsh words still rang in her ears. They were the ones who cheated, and yet—
Honestly, she thought Dongha would at least follow her out to explain himself. Instead, all he did was blame her. The result was that she ended up feeling like the culprit.
“Crazy bitch….”
She shook her head violently and muttered the curse at herself, as if reminding herself not to forget who the real offenders were.
“Are you starting to calm down now?”
“I’m sorry, Executive Director….”
She belatedly realized that Lee Jun, her boss, was standing beside her.
She had exposed her personal drama to someone she had to face at work starting next week. She felt like she should explain herself, but her mind was blank.
The wind grew harsher, stinging her cheeks.
“Didn’t you have plans, sir? I feel bad that you came out because of me.”
She regretted her words immediately.
She should’ve just thanked him and said, “See you at work,” and left it at that.
“I don’t recall having to report my schedule to you, Ms. Chae.”
Once outside, Lee Jun’s demeanor shifted completely.
His tone was hard and businesslike—just like the man she knew at the office.
Startled by his coldness, she flinched and blinked at him. It was so different from how warmly he’d wrapped his arm around her earlier.
“I only stepped in because you looked troubled. Does that answer your question?”
It wasn’t out of curiosity, clearly.
“Ah… I see.”
She forced herself to sound calm.
But it didn’t change the fact that her executive director had witnessed her humiliation firsthand.
She lowered her gaze, embarrassed at the thought of facing him at work.
“Wasn’t that a troubling situation for you?”
“No.”
She kept her eyes on the ground, denying it stubbornly.
“No? Are you saying I saw it wrong?”
“What? No, that’s not what I—!”
Why was he pressing the issue so hard? It wasn’t even his problem.
Feeling exhausted, she finally looked up to meet his gaze.
Lee Jun’s eyes were calm and dark, as if he didn’t even need an answer.
It had been three months since she joined AE Cosmetics’ marketing strategy team, with her official position as a full-time employee coming soon.
In all that time, she’d never had this kind of prolonged back-and-forth or intense eye contact with her boss. Why was he suddenly interested now?
“If that’s what you say, then let’s leave it at that.”
His voice was cold, but somehow, it sounded gentle.
She relaxed a little, relieved that he wasn’t going to pry further.
“By the way, where do you live, Ms. Chae?”
“…Sorry? Ah, I can get home quickly by subway.”
It was probably just courtesy. A boss couldn’t simply leave a subordinate alone on a winter night in a busy street.
She forced a smile, but the corners of her mouth and eyes twitched uncontrollably.
“That way.”
Lee Jun pointed into the air.
“…Pardon?”
“You said subway. The station’s that way.”
“Oh, th-that way.”
Her mind, still dazed from everything that had happened, had made a ridiculous assumption.
“Ah, yes.”
She stammered.
His handsome face, framed by those sharp, cold eyes, remained completely expressionless.
“You’re right, sir. Thank you for everything tonight. I’m really sorry.”
Her face burned with humiliation.
Why had she assumed he’d offer her a ride? She wanted to bolt to the station immediately.
“All right. See you next week.”
Lee Jun turned and left without hesitation, leaving her standing there alone.
She stood frozen, watching him disappear, mortified beyond belief.
“Ha… Seriously. What a humiliation.”
Frustration, anger, and shame bubbled out of her in a whisper.
She hadn’t expected to run into her boss again at the restaurant after parting smoothly at the department store.
“Was he on a date or something?”
All she could think about was Lee Jun’s lingering image, not her ex-boyfriend or her friend’s pregnancy.
“How am I supposed to show my face at work…”
She was overwhelmed by the thought of how publicly she’d been humiliated because of those two.
They could just get married and live their lives, but she—
“Of all people, why them?”
Her breath fogged the freezing air like thick smoke.
“I should’ve dumped him first.”
What kind of bastard does that?
She glared back toward the restaurant without realizing it.
She had left a stable job to join AE Cosmetics. In the process, she had neglected her boyfriend, and that had led to this miserable ending.
“That bastard. I’m so pissed off. So pissed off.”
Finally, her tears burst forth on the sidewalk.
She felt people’s glances but couldn’t stop crying.
She wanted to go to the subway station Lee Jun had pointed out, but her tears blurred her vision, making her feet heavy.
Then—
“Didn’t you say you were taking the subway?”
That cold, wintery voice reached her ears.
It was Lee Jun, back again.
She wanted to ask why he was still there, why he hadn’t just gone home.
But her tear-streaked face only managed to bite at her trembling lips.
“You could’ve just said you wanted to cry.”
Wasn’t he the one who’d turned away coldly earlier?
“If you had, I wouldn’t have left you alone.”
Why was he suddenly being kind now?
She was startled not only by his reappearance but also by the sudden shift in his mood.
“I must look like the bad guy now.”
He pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief and gently wiped her face.
With each touch, a heavy yet elegant scent drifted from the fabric—his scent. It tickled her heart, strangely comforting her.
“Don’t you think it’s a waste to cry over a bastard like that?”
“……”
His words hit so close to home that her nose stung.
“If you want to cry more, say so. I’ll take you somewhere you can cry as much as you want.”
She nodded faintly. She did want to cry her heart out.
His hand touched her shoulder again, and before she could react, she found herself in his car.
Her wild emotions calmed the moment she sat down.
It was too late to regret. She’d taken his hand and gotten into his car of her own accord.
She gripped the seatbelt tightly across her chest.
She thought he might be driving to a hotel, but the car stopped at a quiet park instead.
“Go ahead. I won’t look.”
He turned off the engine and stared straight ahead.
“If you want to scream, scream. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear.”
Why was he being so considerate?
Puzzled, she looked straight into his eyes.
“What’s wrong? Can’t cry now?”
He smiled softly, like a kind lover.
“…Yes.”
Her voice shrank unconsciously.
She wasn’t lying. Now that she had the space to cry, the tears just wouldn’t come.
“That man… was he someone you loved?”
Was he the type to enjoy romantic drama?
She stared at him, bewildered.
“Sorry if that was rude.”
The man nicknamed a “cold-blooded executive” was smiling brightly—so brightly it stood out even in the dark.
“I just think you’re far too good for someone like him.”
People say shock scrambles your brain.
She blinked at him, stunned by his unexpected words.
“They say you forget someone by meeting someone new.”
“W-what are you talking about?”
He said something outrageous with a perfectly straight face.
“If I asked to kiss you right now, would that make me the worst bastard in your life?”
“K-k-k—!”
She clapped both hands over her mouth, startled.
She shouldn’t have followed him so easily. If she’d known he was crazy, she would’ve never gotten in the car.
“Late at night.”
Click. He unfastened his seatbelt.
“A man and a woman alone in a dark car.”
He leaned closer, his voice low.
“A secluded park with no one around.”
The suggestive atmosphere made her hold her breath.
“Isn’t this the perfect time for a kiss?”
His serious tone made it sound not like a joke.
“H-have you been drinking?”
“Not at all. If I had, how could I be driving?”
Her heart pounded violently, threatening to burst.
She swallowed nervously, plotting an escape, when—
“Ms. Chae.”
He called her name in a gentle, coaxing voice she couldn’t resist.
Lost in dangerous thoughts, she closed her eyes and puckered her lips. She was a grown woman, single now; a kiss wasn’t a big deal.
But her fantasy shattered in an instant.
“Don’t get into any man’s car so easily again.”
His warm hand touched her cheek.
“Don’t just accept every offer for a ride.”
She opened her eyes to find his face just inches away, their lips nearly touching.
“Don’t let yourself get swayed so easily.”
Their lips were barely a centimeter apart now.
His hot breath fogged her mind.
Was he going to kiss her after all? She stared at him, heart pounding, strangely expectant.
“Eyes like that only provoke men more. Remember that.”
His long fingers traced the corner of her eye, then brushed across her tightly sealed lips before pulling away.
She nodded faintly, parting her lips slightly—as if silently begging him to kiss her.
“Do you want to kiss me?”
His amused chuckle snapped her back to reality.
“I never intended to kiss you, Ms. Chae. What were you thinking?”
What was she thinking?
Realizing he’d been teasing her, she bit her lip hard and shook her head frantically.
What a spectacle to make in front of her boss.
She wanted to quit her job on the spot.
“It’s best not to mess around here.”
His warm fingers gently brushed her lips again, tenderly, as if handling something precious.
