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Chapter 4
She tilted her head, but the man standing in front of her was definitely someone she had never seen before.
Was he an employee at the company? But in the past three years, she had never once run into him.
Then… was he from a partner company?
Her first impression of the man was that everything about him was black. His neatly combed-back hair, his straight eyebrows, eyes as dark as obsidian, his shirt, trousers, and even the jacket he held in one hand—all black.
The only hint of color on him was his lips—so vividly red they seemed almost unnatural, so striking that she thought they were prettier than her own. Those lips moved slowly.
“Your clothes are a mess.”
The man smiled faintly, gesturing toward her outfit with his chin.
Caught in a daze by that smile, Yeon-ha finally snapped back to her senses.
She quickly lowered her gaze to check herself—and her eyes widened in horror.
The man in black didn’t show much because of his outfit, but her own ivory-colored jacket and beige blouse were covered with coffee stains, spreading across the fabric as though she had been splashed with muddy water.
This wasn’t something that could be solved with a quick dab in the restroom.
This is bad. Of all days… today’s the preview meeting.
It wasn’t the final evaluation, but since the president and several executives would be present, she had deliberately dressed more carefully than usual.
There was no way she could attend looking like this.
The design department had dozens of clothes hanging around, but most were samples scheduled for review at today’s meeting, and the rest couldn’t be worn freely either.
Biting her lower lip, Yeon-ha felt completely stuck.
“Do you… by chance have a change of clothes?”
The man’s voice broke through her despair.
She looked at him with suspicion, and he continued in a gentle tone.
“I have a spare shirt in my car. If you need it, I could lend it to you.”
“To… me?”
Her eyes widened in shock.
“It’ll probably be a little big on you, but still better than what you’re wearing now.”
He gestured again at her coffee-stained clothes.
Although he had been the one who caused the accident, he was offering to help instead of arguing. She felt grateful, yet at the same time, a little uneasy.
Maybe it was genuine kindness… or maybe he had some other intention.
Her silence stretched on, and the man raised one eyebrow.
“Why? Do I look suspicious to you?”
“Not exactly… It’s just, in situations like this, most people argue about who’s at fault first.”
She answered cautiously.
Yeon-ha had always believed there was no such thing as kindness without strings attached—especially between a man and a woman. She didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, no matter how handsome he might be.
“The accident already happened. Shouldn’t dealing with it be the first priority?”
“Well… yes, I suppose so.”
She felt her composure wavering.
Normally, someone would be angry, or at the very least demand dry-cleaning costs.
“So… do you want the shirt, or not?”
“……”
Yeon-ha bit her lip again. She really did need a change of clothes, but was it wise to accept help from a stranger? He didn’t seem like a bad person, but the world was unpredictable.
When she still didn’t answer, the man shrugged lightly.
“If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t take it. I just thought you’d be uncomfortable wearing that all day. That’s all. Anyway…”
His tone was casual, free of pressure. After leaving a quick apology to the café staff, he walked away without hesitation.
As if her hesitation didn’t matter to him at all—or worse, as though he were mocking it.
The moment his back disappeared from her sight, Yeon-ha felt a strange sense of urgency rise in her chest.
The nearest department store was a 30-minute drive away, and the preview meeting was scheduled before the stores even opened.
In the end, she had only one realistic choice.
“Wait!”
Her voice shot out quickly, chasing after his retreating figure.
The man stopped and turned slowly.
Yeon-ha hurried to catch up. She could feel the stares of passersby at her coffee-stained clothes, which only made her quicken her steps.
The man simply watched her approach, his black eyes unreadable. Somehow, just his gaze made it hard to breathe.
It must have been because of those strangely dark eyes.
To hide her flustered state, Yeon-ha stopped a short distance away.
“What you said earlier… is it still valid?”
“Why? Have your suspicions vanished now?”
He gave a small laugh as he asked.
Anyone else might have felt offended by her earlier doubt, but his face showed no trace of annoyance.
“If I offended you… I’m sorry.”
“No, you were right to be cautious.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. The man smiled faintly and added,
“There are plenty of bad people in this world. It’s smart to be suspicious. Come on.”
“Go… where?”
When she asked nervously, he turned as if it were nothing.
“The shirt’s in my car.”
“Oh… okay.”
Yeon-ha followed him into the elevator.
He pressed the button for B5.
Seeing the empty elevator, she sighed in relief. It wasn’t just the stares she wanted to avoid—the coffee smell was stronger than she had thought.
When she lifted her head, their eyes met. He was looking at her, and he smiled softly as if to reassure her.
Her chest tightened unexpectedly, and she quickly turned her head away.
What the… why does he keep smiling? Is he some kind of playboy?
Trying to calm her startled heart, she blamed his meaningless smile.
Then—ding—the elevator doors opened.
The man stepped out first and strode confidently toward his car.
Still wary, she glanced around.
The parking garage was newly built, brightly lit like daytime, with security cameras everywhere. Cars moved frequently, so it wasn’t dangerous.
As they walked deeper inside, a luxury foreign car beeped and its lights flashed.
He must be well off. Driving something like that at his age…
He opened the back door, pulled out a paper bag, and handed her a shirt.
She expected black—but it was a crisp, clean white shirt.
A brand-name item, too. Anyone could recognize it.
“Are you sure I can have this shirt? Don’t you need it yourself?”
“I’m wearing black. The stains don’t show much.”
“But it must still smell.”
“Then I’ll just pretend I sprayed coffee perfume.”
“…What?”
She blinked at his nonchalant words.
Not only was he not angry, he was giving her his only spare shirt. Maybe, despite his dark appearance, he actually had a generous heart. For the first time, Yeon-ha thought so.
“Let’s go.”
He shut the car door and headed back toward the elevator.
“Thank you.”
Following him, she spoke carefully. He just shrugged.
“Don’t mention it.”
“Please give me your bank account number. I’ll pay you back for the shirt.”
“It’s fine.”
He spoke firmly, but there was no way she could just accept a shirt worth hundreds of thousands of won from a man she had just met.
“I can’t just take it. I’ll accept your kindness, but not the shirt for free.”
He stopped suddenly and turned.
Startled, she lifted her head—only to meet his direct gaze.
“You seem like the type with a strong sense of principle.”
Despite his easygoing look, his insight was sharp. He had seen right through her nature.
“There’s no reason to take something for free.”
“If you don’t like the idea of ‘free’… then think of it as a gift.”
“…What?”
At her confused response, he said evenly,
“Strictly speaking, it wasn’t only your fault. If I’d kept a little more distance, we wouldn’t have collided. So don’t feel burdened—just accept it.”
“…Alright then. I’ll wear it gratefully.”
He wasn’t wrong. And insisting further would only seem rude.
So she decided to accept it sincerely. The man smiled, as if relieved.
