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Chapter 4…
[Hello, this is Do Inhyuk. Would you happen to have some time today?]
It was the text message Haeyoon had received from Inhyuk that afternoon.
Thanks to it, she was now enjoying a luxurious meal at a fine dining restaurant with a spectacular view.
When he said he had made a reservation, she hadn’t thought much of it.
She hadn’t expected it to be somewhere this nice.
Arriving earlier than their scheduled time, she sat alone waiting for Inhyuk while admiring the city spread out beneath her.
“Is this because of what happened yesterday?”
He must have been anxious.
She could understand that.
As Haeyoon slowly shook her head, she sensed someone approaching.
“You came early.”
“Ah, yes. Hello.”
Things felt a little awkward.
She wasn’t sure whether it was because of Giseop’s sudden marriage proposal or because she had unintentionally witnessed Inhyuk’s private life.
Maybe it was both.
Trying to shake off the uncomfortable feeling, Haeyoon took a sip of water.
It wasn’t long before the steak and pasta they had ordered were brought out.
Even in the middle of all this, she found herself marveling at how impressive it was that the aroma of the vongole pasta was enough to make her mouth water.
“Let’s eat first.”
Right.
Business could wait until after the meal.
Haeyoon nodded and turned her attention to the pasta that had been tempting her ever since it arrived.
As expected, it tasted just as wonderful as it smelled.
She completely forgot how awkward the atmosphere had been.
Thinking that expensive restaurants really were on another level, she twirled the pasta around her fork even faster.
It was when she had finished about half of it.
“I don’t intend to date for very long.”
He was getting straight to the point just like that?
Haeyoon lightly dabbed her lips with a napkin before picking up her water glass.
Her rapidly chewing lips came to an abrupt stop, and she swallowed hard.
“Oh… is that so?”
Should she call that a relief?
If they dated for too long, getting found out would only be a matter of time.
No matter how close the two of them actually were, their relationship was bound to attract attention.
That was especially bad for an actress whose livelihood depended on her public image.
“I’d rather proceed with the wedding within this year…”
“What? A wedding? You mean marriage?”
Haeyoon was so shocked that she swallowed wrong.
An uncontrollable fit of coughing burst out.
Her throat burned, tears welled up in her eyes, and her breathing became ragged as she covered her mouth and coughed violently.
Startled, Inhyuk started to stand.
Haeyoon quickly raised a hand to stop him as he came toward her, signaling that she was fine.
“Use this.”
Inhyuk pulled out his handkerchief from inside his jacket and offered it to her.
Seeing that the flustered Haeyoon had dropped her napkin, he reacted immediately.
She hurriedly took the handkerchief, covered her mouth, and continued coughing for quite a while.
“Mar… cough! Ah, just a moment.”
After finally calming down, Haeyoon hastily took a sip of water and cleared her throat.
She had coughed so much that tears were still glistening in her eyes.
It was understandable.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Siyeon was the one keeping Line Entertainment afloat.
Not long ago, the contract of one of the company’s most popular male actors had ended, making her importance to the company even greater.
And that actress was getting married.
To Do Inhyuk of the DY Group, no less?
“M-Marriage. You mean… marriage…”
Haeyoon wasn’t even the CEO of the company, yet the wave of worry that suddenly hit her left her dazed.
Should I change jobs?
Wouldn’t it be better to leave before the inevitable fallout landed on the PR team’s shoulders?
“Um… well…”
Haeyoon took a moment to organize her thoughts.
She wasn’t sure how much of her opinion she should voice.
[Photo] “Love Knows Neither Age Nor Retirement” — Actress Hong Siyeon Captivates a Third-Generation Chaebol Heir 22 Years Younger
[Steamy Romance with a Man Young Enough to Be Her Son… Actress Hong Siyeon Couldn’t Care Less About Public Opinion]
[A Forbidden Love? The ‘Class’ of Hong Siyeon, Who Made a Third-Generation Chaebol Heir 22 Years Her Junior Fall to His Knees]
Without even needing to see them, those all-too-predictable headlines flashed through her mind.
No matter how positively she tried to think about it, she doubted even a single article would simply congratulate Siyeon.
She could already imagine how many people would gossip about her.
“Isn’t it a little too soon?”
After carefully weighing her words, that was what she chose to say.
Watching Inhyuk’s expression cautiously, Haeyoon lowered the handkerchief from her lips.
“Marriage is something that should be considered carefully.”
She stole another glance at him.
Her eyes busily searched his face, wondering if her words had offended him.
“There are a lot of things you have to think about. Like coming from different backgrounds.”
She avoided his gaze.
What she really wanted to say came next.
“And… the age difference.”
“The age difference?”
He finally spoke.
When Haeyoon hesitantly nodded, Inhyuk tilted his head.
His expression clearly said he couldn’t agree with her at all.
“Ah… you’re very open-minded.”
She had meant it as a compliment.
But Inhyuk only raised an eyebrow with an unconvinced expression.
When he even crossed his arms, she hurriedly defended herself.
“No, that’s not what I mean. It’s just… it’s not exactly common. It would be surprising even if the genders were reversed, but a couple where the woman is twenty-two years older… I’ve only ever seen that overseas…”
Curious to hear where she was going with this, Inhyuk frowned even more at her strange calculation.
Losing confidence, Haeyoon’s voice gradually grew quieter until she couldn’t even properly finish her sentence.
“How exactly did you calculate a twenty-two-year age gap between us?”
“Huh? Well… Actress Siyeon is fifty-five, so…”
“Wait.”
This time, Inhyuk interrupted before she could finish.
“Who?”
“Huh?”
Silence fell.
With a hesitant expression, Haeyoon slowly raised a finger and pointed at herself.
“The marriage you were talking about… was I the one getting married?”
It was obviously a ridiculous question, but Inhyuk’s dissatisfied expression subtly changed.
The muscles beneath his eyes twitched.
His crossed arms came apart, and his hands settled neatly on his thighs.
His posture had even become strangely polite.
“I was told my grandfather already spoke to you, Ms. Yoon Haeyoon.”
“He did. But I turned him down.”
“…”
“I thought you had done the same…”
At that moment, Haeyoon happened to read his lips.
It was a raw curse that didn’t suit his refined image at all.
Then her gaze drifted to his ears.
They had turned so red they looked as though they might burst.
He had managed to keep his expression perfectly composed, but apparently even he couldn’t control his ears.
“…I’m sorry, Ms. Yoon Haeyoon. It seems I’ve misunderstood.”
“Ah… yes. You did. A very big misunderstanding.”
Haeyoon answered more quickly than usual.
It was for Inhyuk’s sake, knowing how embarrassed he must have been.
He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a long breath.
Giseop had never mentioned any of this during their phone call yesterday.
That old man…
Inhyuk, who had maintained impeccable manners all this time, clenched his fists so tightly they trembled as he silently ground his teeth.
“First of all, I apologize again for bringing it up so hastily. I should have confirmed things before saying anything.”
“It’s okay.”
Inhyuk took a sip of water.
The situation was embarrassing, but now that he’d brought it up, he had to finish what he’d started.
Unlike before, Do Inhyuk now needed this marriage.
“Then let me ask you properly.”
“…Yes?”
“Please marry me.”
The redness had faded from his ears.
Once again, Inhyuk wore a serious expression.
For someone proposing marriage, both his eyes and tone were remarkably dry.
If anything, the flustered look he’d shown earlier had felt far more human.
“It won’t be a bad choice for you, Ms. Yoon Haeyoon. I’ll do my best as a husband. I don’t want someone who’s going to become part of my family to end up disappointed.”
“Um… well…”
“I know you refused because my grandfather approached you so suddenly. I felt the same way. Even so…”
“No, Mr. Do Inhyuk. Just a moment.”
He was like a robot determined to complete a task he’d set for himself.
Haeyoon hurriedly cut him off.
“I’m really sorry to interrupt.”
She knew it was rude, but if she didn’t stop him now, she felt she wouldn’t get another chance.
“I actually have a boyfriend.”
“…What?”
“That’s why I turned down the arranged meeting.”
Inhyuk’s ears instantly turned bright red again.
There was a reason Haeyoon hadn’t even told Giseop.
Her ex-boyfriend had recently contacted her, and they had decided to try getting back together.
Since they had only reunited a few days ago after breaking up, she’d wanted to be careful and hadn’t told anyone.
“…I’m sorry.”
For some reason, Haeyoon felt she owed Inhyuk an apology.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had unintentionally humiliated him twice.
“…Let’s just continue eating.”
Inhyuk gestured for her to do so.
Instead of picking up his fork, he grabbed his water glass and drained the remaining water in one gulp.
That damn old man.
Inside his head, the nickname he had for Giseop had become even harsher than before.
“Um, Mr. Do Inhyuk.”
Just then, Haeyoon cautiously called out to him.
“But even if I didn’t have a boyfriend right now… I still would have turned down your proposal.”
