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Episode 10
Two hotel staff in uniforms greeted them and guided the pair to a private room.
The room had a dome-shaped transparent ceiling, and from the walls down to the floor, it was all glass, offering a panoramic view of Seoul. It almost felt like dining in the sky.
Yeoreum had planned to leave Gi Hyun-jae here while she went to fetch the other delegates, but she got a message telling her not to bother—they would meet them directly in the room.
Hyeon-jae was sipping the hand-drip coffee the staff had served.
Yeoreum just wanted the others to arrive quickly, so the awkward atmosphere between them could ease.
She pretended to stretch her neck and shoulders, then massaged her legs as if casually loosening herself up.
“Are you tired?”
When Hyun-jae spoke after putting down his coffee cup, Yeoreum froze mid-massage.
“Ah… I just slept in an uncomfortable position yesterday.”
“I didn’t sleep well last night either.”
“Ah…”
“After being forcibly kissed by you, I couldn’t sleep a wink.”
“What?”
Startled by where the conversation was heading again, Yeoreum blinked rapidly.
“It was my first kiss.”
“Your first kiss?” Her voice rose in disbelief.
“You’re lying, aren’t you?”
Thinking it was just another teasing joke, she asked firmly. Hyun-jae tilted one eyebrow.
“Why, do I look like the kind of guy who goes around kissing women all the time?”
“T-that’s not what I meant… but seriously?”
“Yes.”
He wasn’t lying.
Even in his earliest childhood memories before losing them, there was no recollection of kissing a woman.
Nor was he lying about not sleeping—he had struggled the whole night with the heavy ache in his body.
“And you, Ms. Ryu Yeoreum? I take it wasn’t your first kiss.”
“….”
“Would it be rude if I asked when it was?”
Yeoreum’s lips twitched, unable to answer. She wasn’t good at lying, and her silence was enough proof.
Hyun-jae could only think bitterly: What bastard took her first kiss?
He ignored the tension stiffening his shoulders and continued.
“Well, since you’ve already crossed the line first, it shouldn’t be too rude if I cross one, right?”
“…That’s a difficult question to answer.”
“You’re still not saying it was your first.”
His voice was playful, clearly enjoying himself.
He liked watching Yeoreum try to appear calm while inwardly flustered. That kindness of hers—worrying if he might actually get hurt—made teasing her all the more tempting.
“Come to think of it, you’re rather habitual, Ms. Ryu. First time, you grabbed my cheek. Second time, you stole my lips. So, what’s next?”
“I told you—it was a drunken mistake.”
“A mistake? You stole a man’s purity and call it a mistake? Isn’t that too irresponsible?”
“Then what do you want me to do?”
“Hmm. I’ll think about that carefully.”
Yeoreum sighed, saying nothing more.
Hyun-jae, however, felt he had found a new way to break through her guard.
The reason behind her tears, or why she kissed him yesterday, no longer mattered.
What mattered was—
“I liked it.”
“…What?”
“Even if it was a mistake for you, it wasn’t a mistake for me.”
Yeoreum fell silent, unable to reply. She understood the implication clearly.
Hearing it from someone who wore Suha’s face made her emotions even more tangled.
But Hyun-jae wasn’t Suha. And more than that, having feelings for her boss was absurd.
“Sir, I…”
But before she could finish, the room’s door opened and the delegates entered.
Hyun-jae rose to greet them, while Yeoreum pressed down the pounding in her chest with a forced smile.
「Such a shame. If we didn’t have the meeting, I’d share a proper drink with Director Gi.”
「Then why don’t we set a date right away? I leave the day after tomorrow. How about tomorrow, if your schedule allows?”
“I’m afraid I’ll be tied up tomorrow night. But there will be plenty of opportunities—in China or here again.”
Yeoreum smoothly translated back and forth.
The Chinese delegates seemed to like Hyun-jae—his manners and clean-cut look only added to their impression.
Their lively conversation kept her busy, which was fortunate; it left her no time to dwell on what Hyun-jae had said earlier.
Still, as she trailed behind them, she let out a quiet sigh.
Hyun-jae, as always, was calm and composed, while he kept tossing stones into her once-quiet heart.
When the meeting wound down, he turned back to her.
Caught staring at him, she quickly diverted her gaze and spoke to the delegates instead.
「If you have plans for this morning, I can accompany you.”
「We’d rather rest today, since we have a meeting in the afternoon. We’ll see you then at the office.”
「I’ll return to the hotel at the arranged time, then.”
「No need for that. We’ll have transport. Don’t trouble yourself, Ms. Ryu.”
「Yes, you’ve done well enough already.”
The unexpected praise made her smile faintly.
“Shall we head back to the office, Ms. Ryu?”
Hyun-jae suddenly interjected.
She hesitated—if she agreed, she knew he would insist on driving her.
Before she could think of an excuse, an employee from Onjo Foods, who had helped yesterday, stepped up.
He offered to stay with the delegates until the afternoon, telling Yeoreum she could return to the office.
Her excuse vanished.
“Perfect, then. Ms. Ryu, you’ll ride with me.”
“That’s right,” the employee added. “Take the director’s car.”
Left without a choice, Yeoreum agreed reluctantly, forcing an awkward smile.
Hyun-jae’s gaze gleamed, fixed on her.
“Let’s go, then.”
As soon as she sat in his car, Yeoreum blurted, “I’m sorry.”
Hyun-jae, about to start the engine, narrowed his eyes.
She didn’t look away this time, but spoke the words she had rehearsed.
“I should have apologized right away, but I panicked and claimed I didn’t remember. I know being drunk is no excuse. It was wrong of me. If it makes you uncomfortable, until the replacement interpreter arrives, I can—”
“Didn’t you hear me earlier? I wanted it too.”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“I wasn’t uncomfortable. And I’m not replacing you. You stole my lips, and now you want to run away?”
“I’m not trying to run—”
“Then let me be clear. I like you, Ms. Ryu. That’s why I kissed you.”
He likes me?
Yeoreum couldn’t understand.
Maybe she had kissed him because he looked like Suha. But Hyun-jae? What reason did he have?
She wasn’t especially beautiful. And there were plenty of women who would willingly approach him.
Even the way he kissed—claiming it was his first kiss, yet skilled—didn’t feel believable.
“I’ve only known you for three weeks. I don’t understand what you see in me.”
She had to push him away.
These messy emotions would only disrupt her work.
Hyun-jae stared ahead silently, then slowly tilted his head toward her.
The car, silent without the ignition, filled with tense air.
“Romeo and Juliet fell in love in three days and died on the fifth. Three weeks is more than enough for love—and even for sharing a bed.”
“….”
“Don’t doubt me when I say I like you. Otherwise, I’ll feel the need to prove it.”
