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Chapter 11
As soon as quitting time hit, Yujin seized the chance to escape while Kang Heejae stepped away from his desk. She darted out of the office in a rush.
“Phew…”
Relief washed over her as she walked through the lobby, thinking she’d managed to get away safely. Then her phone buzzed briefly in her hand.
She glanced at the screen and shook her head.
[Where could you be, Miss Im?]
Of course, the sender was Kang Heejae.
Even if Im Yoohyun was clueless as ever, she couldn’t possibly go home again with her lips swollen from another one of his kisses.
“Just a little later and I’d have been forced to leave with him again…”
She pressed a hand to her chest, calming her nerves. Since she’d probably have to see him again over the weekend anyway, she decided to take the subway tonight instead of a ride home.
Her phone buzzed again.
[I didn’t even get to kiss you today. And you’re already trying to run away?]
A dry laugh slipped from her lips.
“Wow. He really was going to try again.”
He was relentless. Not that she hated kissing him. On the contrary—every time left her dizzy with bliss. But still.
Every single day since that night?
Thankfully, he’d been too busy today for them to have even a proper conversation, which gave her a chance to slip away after work.
“One wrong word and look what happens…”
What a mess.
She had just stepped outside the building, heading toward the crosswalk, when a loud honk! startled her.
“What the—?!”
She froze. The car was all too familiar. A moment later, the passenger-side window rolled down, revealing Kang Heejae.
“Miss Im, what are you doing out there?”
“Uh…”
“Get in. Before the cars behind start honking.”
As expected, horns were already blaring from behind his stopped car.
Embarrassed, she glanced around nervously before quickly slipping into the passenger seat.
“What on earth is this?”
“Seatbelt first.”
He started driving again as he spoke. Judging by the timing, he must have left almost exactly when she did.
She hurried to fasten her seatbelt, then turned toward him.
“Oppa—uh, I mean, Team Leader Kang.”
“Yujin-ah.”
“…What?”
The sudden familiarity caught her off guard, and she instinctively answered back.
“Every time you call me ‘team leader, team leader,’ it feels… strange.”
His brows furrowed slightly. That little kid had grown up, gotten a job, and was now sitting beside him in an office outfit—adorably so. Every time she called him “team leader,” something stirred inside him.
“What’s so strange about it?”
Her eyes blinked innocently at him, clearly confused. He turned his head toward her while the car idled at a red light.
“I don’t know. It’s the first time I’ve felt this way. Hard to explain.”
His deepened gaze sent heat rushing to her cheeks. She quickly turned her head and fanned her face.
“…Why did you run away first?”
“Who, me? I didn’t run away. It was quitting time, so I left.”
Her flustered stammer drew a faint smile from him.
“But Oppa, aren’t you supposed to be super busy? The team says you work late all the time.”
“Who told you that?”
“The team members.”
Everyone said Kang Heejae practically lived at the office, eating overtime for breakfast. Yet ever since she joined, he’d been leaving work right alongside her almost every day.
“That’s because of you.”
The words brushed against her ear, making her stiffen. She fixed her gaze out the window, voice soft.
“I can just take the subway… You don’t have to drive me. I’m not a kid.”
“I leave early so I can kiss you, Yujin.”
Silence blanketed the car. Her head spun with memories of his endless kisses and the weight of those words.
Did he… actually like her? No, she couldn’t ask. If he said no, it would hurt too much. If he said yes, she had no idea how to react.
“A-anyway, Team Leader. I wanted to ask you something.”
She deliberately shifted back to polite speech, trying to mask her fluster.
“What is it?”
He answered formally too. And just like his earlier confession, his polite tone made her fingers tingle. He was sexy already, but when he used honorifics… it was lethal.
“Do you have time this Saturday? If not, Sunday works too.”
She needed to secure a day for the interview.
“Why, do you want to kiss me on the weekend too?”
“Wha—! Ugh, come on!”
She snapped her head toward him in exasperation. Every conversation seemed to circle back to kissing.
He chuckled, glancing at her.
“I can’t do Saturday.”
“Why? What are you doing?”
The moment she asked, a memory hit her—last week, he’d mentioned going on a blind date. She’d been so consumed with everything that followed—their kiss, her panic—that she’d completely forgotten.
Her eyes widened. She couldn’t hold it in.
“…So? Did you actually go on that blind date last weekend?”
Right then, his phone buzzed loudly. The caller ID read: “Assistant Manager Sa.”
Yujin bit her lip hard.
“Hold on, I need to take this.”
The moment he answered, Eunseo’s sharp voice filled the car.
-
“Team Leader Kang, where are you?”
“Ah, Assistant Manager Sa.” -
“Don’t tell me you left already. You didn’t leave, did you?”
“…Ah, right.” -
“‘Ah, right’?!”
Her tone dripped with irritation. Heejae’s face tightened awkwardly.
“Sorry. It slipped my mind.”
-
“I’ve been waiting this whole time!”
“I’ll take care of it tomorrow.” -
“Unbelievable. Fine. Goodbye!”
She hung up abruptly, leaving an awkward silence behind. By then, they were already near Yujin’s apartment complex.
“Sorry. What were we talking about?”
“Whether you’re free on the weekend.”
“You need to tell me why first.”
“It’s for an interview.”
“An interview?”
He looked genuinely clueless.
“Yeah. The company YouTube channel. I have to film your interview.”
Her words came out sharper than intended. Between Eunseo’s call and the reminder of that blind date, her irritation flared.
“That’s not your job. Isn’t that the PR team’s?”
“Well, it just ended up this way. Just tell me if you’re available.”
He pulled into her apartment complex and stopped near her building.
“Yujin, are you always going to cut me off like that?”
Did the reason even matter? Honestly, she didn’t even want to do the stupid interview anymore. Maybe she should just tell Bokyung tomorrow that she couldn’t handle it.
God, having a crush was exhausting.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, meeting his eyes squarely.
“…Guess not, then. I’ll tell them you can’t do the interview. Thanks for the ride. Get home safe.”
She pushed the door open to step out—when his hand suddenly closed around her wrist.
“Why is my little bean being so prickly tonight?”
His low, sweet voice lingered in her ears.
