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Chapter 3
“Heading out for lunch, I see.”
Hee-jae’s gaze, which had been roaming over the team, landed squarely on Yujin. The playful spark in his eyes made her heart beat recklessly, without permission.
“Yes. Aren’t you going, Team Leader? Shall we go together?”
“Team Leader Kang is already having lunch with me. Just the two of us.”
Just… the two of them?
That unpleasant word lodged itself in her ear like a thorn. Yujin’s dark eyes darted quickly toward the voice.
“Oh! Team Leader Sa!”
The employees greeted the woman warmly.
“Ah, so you’re having lunch with Team Leader Sa?”
“Yes. I begged Team Leader Kang to spare me some time today.”
Sa Eun-seo, head of Strategic PR, winked playfully at Hee-jae. He merely gave a small, incredulous laugh.
“Anyone listening would think you were asking me out on a date.”
“Well, if this counts as a date, then I suppose it’s a lunch date.”
Cheers erupted from the team at Eun-seo’s bold retort.
“You have no idea how hard it is to get a meal with Team Leader Kang. He acts like he’s too busy for us all the time. What, are you running this entire company alone?”
Eun-seo’s teasing glare wasn’t hostile in the least.
Team Leader Sa Eun-seo.
A chic bob cut. Striking, elegant features. A polished office look that screamed sophistication. And the height—tall enough to look perfectly matched with him when they stood side by side.
Anyone would think they made a great pair.
“Everyone, enjoy your lunch. Team Leader Kang, shall we?”
“Yes. You too, Team Leader.”
“Enjoy your meal, sir!”
Hee-jae merely smiled and walked away with Eun-seo. Yujin found herself staring at their backs as they walked in sync.
Are team leaders always this close? Or is this… personal?
Even the casual smiles Hee-jae gave Eun-seo as they chatted made her blood boil.
Why is he smiling like that? And with her of all people!
She was fuming silently when someone nudged her arm.
“Yujin, hurry up and get in!”
“Ah, yes!”
The rest of the team was already inside the elevator. Yujin rushed to catch up.
After lunch, everyone headed to the break room on the 25th floor.
The space was lavish—like a franchise café, complete with coffee machines and even nap pods. The perks of a major corporation were truly on another level.
“By the way, about our team leader…”
Assistant Manager Cheon Ji-young leaned in, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret.
Team Leader—that meant Kang Hee-jae. Yujin’s ears pricked instantly.
“Don’t you think Team Leader Sa and he look perfect together?”
“When they stood together just now, they looked like a couple. Such a handsome man and a gorgeous woman—it was unreal.”
Do-hee chimed in eagerly.
“Aren’t they already dating? I’ve seen them being close so many times.”
Song-ha cut in suddenly. At that moment, Yujin recalled what her brother Yoo-hyun had said yesterday when Hee-jae had driven her home:
‘Didn’t you say you had a blind date this weekend, Kang Hee-jae?’
If he was doing blind dates, he probably wasn’t dating anyone seriously.
Do-hee shook her head firmly.
“No, I don’t think they’re dating. I heard they were college classmates. Maybe it’s just a fling?”
“So they’re close because they’re classmates?”
“Song-ha, your face looks awful right now.”
Ji-young laughed, teasing her mercilessly. Song-ha’s expression crumpled into misery.
Why does she look like that? Yujin tilted her head, puzzled. Meanwhile, Do-hee patted Song-ha’s shoulder.
“Which is exactly why you should confess before it’s too late.”
“If I confess and he rejects me, I’ll have to quit! I’d never live down the embarrassment of facing him afterward.”
Confess?
Yujin’s eyes widened. Did this mean Yoon Song-ha liked Kang Hee-jae?
“Aw, don’t worry. Plenty of employees have confessed to him before. Look—Ji-young did too!”
Do-hee pointed her chin at Ji-young.
What? Even Assistant Manager Cheon Ji-young?
Ji-young gave an awkward little laugh.
“Chief, please. That’s ancient history! You keep bringing it up and embarrassing me.”
“Hey, when you’re young, it all becomes a fond memory later.”
“I guess… but I got rejected instantly. I still haven’t gotten over it though…”
How can they share all this so openly?
And to think the man at the center of it all was her first love. Yujin felt faint.
“I mean, when you see that handsome face every day, it’s hard to let go. Even on blind dates, I can’t stop thinking about him…”
Ji-young’s gaze carried real sincerity. Yujin’s face darkened with despair.
“It’s not just our team either. I heard he’s been confessed to in the PR department too. Even HR’s been buzzing about him. Honestly, no surprise there.”
How many rivals do I have to deal with?!
Yujin’s chest tightened. Her palms were slick with sweat, her lips dry.
Ji-young glanced around, then whispered:
“By the way, last week I was out with friends and I happened to meet one of his old classmates.”
“Classmate? From when? How?”
“We ran into each other at a club. Turns out he was from Team Leader Kang’s high school. But, well… it sounded like a rumor.”
A classmate? Yujin’s ears sharpened.
“They said he was famous for… girl problems. That even back then, he had a reputation.”
“What?!”
“No way.”
“Wait—Team Leader Kang went to middle and high school with my brother…”
The words slipped out before Yujin realized.
All eyes in the break room turned to her instantly.
“Oh my god, what do you mean, Yujin?”
“You mean your brother was his friend?”
“So you knew him already?”
Her brother had warned her never to reveal their connection. And yet here she was, exposed.
The team leaned in closer, urging her.
“Then you must know the truth!”
“Come on, don’t keep us hanging. Tell us everything.”
Do-hee, Ji-young, and Song-ha pressed her relentlessly.
She should have stopped. She should have explained properly. But faced with their expectant eyes, Yujin’s tongue betrayed her.
“Well… I heard he had a lot of girls around him. That there were… problems too.”
“For real? You mean like—like that? That problem?”
“Uh, well… maybe…”
Yujin stammered, her laugh awkward.
But a terrible thought gnawed at her. Problems… with women? Could it be… because of what I did to him back then? Her mind went completely blank.
“Unbelievable!”
“That’s so disappointing. Ji-young, are you sure about this?”
Yoon Song-ha looked like she might burst into tears.
“Well, he’s always been popular. Practically every girl liked him. It wouldn’t surprise me…”
“Of course. With that face, who wouldn’t?”
“Yujin, don’t stop now. Tell us more. You must know something.”
Ji-young scooted closer, shaking Yujin’s arm.
“So… he’s single now? No girlfriend?”
“I mean, it’s been so long, I’m not sure. But back in high school, he was… kind of infamous.”
“So it’s true! He really was!”
They cut her off before she could clarify.
But one of the reasons I liked him was because his private life was so clean…
Hee-jae was a perfectionist, impossibly picky. Even her brother Im Yoo-hyun had never mentioned him dating anyone. That’s why his reputation had been so admirable.
And yet here, her words had already condemned him.
“If he had that many girls, I bet there were rumors. I even heard he couldn’t kiss properly.”
“Right, I heard that too! That he was terrible at it.”
“So it’s true! He’s been like that all along.”
God, I’ve ruined everything.
Her vague, stumbling words had spiraled out of control. All because her jealousy over his many admirers had clouded her judgment.
She was afraid—terrified—that she might lose Kang Hee-jae.
Im Yujin, what have you done?
By the time she realized it, it was far too late.
“I mean, I could… find out if the kissing and… other things are true—”
But before she could finish, she noticed everyone’s eyes shifting past her.
A sudden chill swept through her body.
“Uh, I… I’ll head back first. You all take your time.”
“Me too. Let’s go together, Chief.”
“I need to hit the restroom…”
One by one, they bolted, awkward and flustered.
What’s going on? Why are they acting like this?
Confused, Yujin turned.
And froze.
“……!”
Her body swayed, paralyzed by shock, until a large, steady hand clamped firmly on her shoulder.
Kang Hee-jae stood right in front of her.
