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Chapter 14
“Now, what…?”
For a moment, it felt as if I’d been hit on the head with a blunt object. If I hadn’t misheard, Bae Seonghoon had just called me “honey.”
“Are you crazy?”
“Unfortunately, I’m perfectly sane.”
“Then… did some ghost that died from not getting a date latch onto your body or something?”
“Well, I’m not really big on shamanistic beliefs.”
The conversation was strangely going in circles.
There was no way Seonghoon didn’t understand what I was asking.
Sighing, Juyeong released the door handle and brushed her hair back. Before leaving the office, there was something she needed to clarify with Seonghoon.
“Have you ever been on a date in your life?”
At her question, Seonghoon raised one eyebrow, as if to dare her to continue talking.
“I’m not attacking you. I’m just genuinely curious—why are you so obsessed with dating?”
The terms of the contract had always been strange. Ten dates in exchange for agreeing to marriage.
Choi Juyeong had been prepared to throw in not only shares of Seongun Trading but also part of her CS Department Store shares as bait.
“Is this date really meaningful to you, Seonghoon, to the point of spending your time on it?”
“This kind of thing has no meaning for me.”
“Then it’s just a waste of time for both of us—”
“But it’s very meaningful to my family.”
Before Juyeong could finish speaking, Seonghoon continued.
“I want this marriage to look like a marriage done out of love between the two of us. I don’t know about your family, but my family is old-fashioned. They care about this kind of thing quite a bit.”
Seonghoon’s family.
Bae Seongwon, Seonghoon’s father, had placed ‘Seongun’ among the top ten in the business world. He was famous for his business acumen, but in these circles, people had a nickname for him: “The Romanticist.”
Seongwon and his wife, Min Yuyeong, were well-known as a sweet, inseparable couple.
“If you say you married for love, but don’t even have a single picture from a date, wouldn’t it make your words less believable?”
“……”
“Don’t split your time up deliberately when we’re both busy. Let’s just meet and have a proper date.”
Since they had already eaten at the restaurant yesterday, they skipped the meal.
“How about shopping?”
“Sure. Let’s go shopping.”
Children raised by observant parents were different. Even if it was tedious or inconvenient, they considered their parents. Juyeong could never have that kind of mindset.
“So, eight more times left, right?”
“Do you like taking things easy?”
No… that’s not it. That can’t be it. Seonghoon muttered softly.
“What are you trying to say? Speak clearly.”
“You stormed out during the meal, yet now you count that as a date…”
Seonghoon trailed off, staring at Juyeong. In that look, she understood what he meant by asking if she liked “taking it easy.”
Juyeong felt wronged. She hadn’t accepted his suggestion yesterday intending to ruin the meal.
Who was it that annoyed me yesterday anyway?
In terms of an accident, it was mutual fault. But thinking about that would only worsen her mood and further damage her relationship with Seonghoon.
Juyeong grabbed the door handle and turned it. This time, she opened the door without stopping halfway.
“Alright. Nine more left.”
Done.
Juyeong and Seonghoon wandered through the department store with no particular destination, entering stores when something caught their interest to look at the products.
In reality, this method was unnecessarily exhausting in terms of both energy and time.
That was why department stores had private lounges for VVIPs, along with personal shopper services.
But a date meant to be seen by others shouldn’t chase privacy.
Juyeong held a shirt on a hanger in front of Seonghoon’s body and tilted her head, signaling approval.
“This one’s good.”
It was a fairly convincing imitation of a couple. Seonghoon seemed to think so too, quietly lifting the corners of his mouth.
“Pick another one.”
“Then…”
Juyeong quickly scanned the store for something that could naturally lead to subtle physical contact.
Pants were too burdensome, so they were out. Shoes didn’t offer any opportunity for touch, so out.
Then her eyes landed on ties.
“Do you need a tie?”
“There’s no reason I wouldn’t.”
“Then I’ll pick one for you.”
They moved to the tie section.
Inside a display made of fine wood, neatly folded ties were arranged. Each had a different color and pattern, but together, they looked like an art piece showcasing the brand.
Juyeong made eye contact with an employee waiting nearby. The employee approached.
“May I see this one?” she asked, pointing to a navy tie.
“Yes, sir.”
The employee brought out the tie along with a box engraved with the brand logo. As he moved it to a leather tray, Juyeong stopped him.
“It’s fine, just hand it over here.”
“Certainly, here you go.”
The employee handed Juyeong the tie with gloved hands, bowed, and returned to his original position. He knew if they needed something, they’d make eye contact, and it was his duty to step aside once his task was done.
“The staff are well-trained.”
“Of course. Someone has to manage them.”
Juyeong brought the tie under Seonghoon’s neck.
The calm navy color suited him. It softened his sharp features.
“Looks good…”
Their eyes met. Juyeong likely realized it now, but Seonghoon had been watching her face the whole time she compared the ties.
This morning, she remembered the cabbage juice blocking the door. The color on the wooden crate had also been navy.
“I’ll ask just one thing.”
“Go ahead.”
“The cabbage juice came with the document envelope. Why did you send it?”
“You don’t think I sent it for disposal, do you?”
Juyeong felt a twinge. She remembered telling the secretary she would handle the cabbage juice herself.
“I sent it to be consumed. It’s good for your stomach.”
“Exactly. If it’s good for the stomach, why send it?”
“You know the reason better than anyone. I don’t know why you keep asking such foolish questions.”
Seonghoon took the tie from Juyeong’s hand.
“I showed my sincerity; how you handle it is your responsibility.”
“……”
“If you plan to list ‘widowhood’ as grounds for divorce, please give me prior notice. That way, I won’t waste busy lawyers’ time.”
Juyeong couldn’t respond.
Had he recognized what she was taking yesterday as medicine? Was there a label on the pill bottle?
Could it be that he suggested the meal just to…
“Now that we’ve made our impression, let’s go try it on.”
“……I’ll guide you to the lounge.”
Juyeong pushed away premature judgments. She had always distinguished between necessary and unnecessary. She didn’t want to start living worrying about pointless things now.
CS Department Store had two private lounges: one for VIPs, and another for the top 1% VVIPs.
The main difference was CCTV.
The VVIP lounge had CCTV only at the entrance, with none inside, prioritizing the privacy of the top 1% clients.
“These are the products you just looked at. Here are similar items we’ve selected that would also suit you.”
“Looks good.”
“Then let’s proceed with the fitting.”
As the personal shopper, assigned only to the top 1%, held a jacket hanger:
“I’ll handle the fitting myself.”
Seonghoon rose from the sofa.
“This body wasn’t made for casual admiration.”
“…Understood.”
The shopper paused for a moment but quickly composed himself and placed the jacket down.
“I’ll wait outside.”
The thick door, installed for soundproofing, closed behind him.
