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Chapter : 05
Sweat ran down her back.
He asked for a favor.
It was obvious it would be a ridiculous favor. Something like asking to spend the night together—a very improper request.
“What favor is it?”
Gaeun asked sharply, turning on the recording feature on her phone.
If Seokjin said anything inappropriate, she planned to use the recording as evidence to report him to the police.
As she suspected, Seokjin seemed hesitant, as if his request was too embarrassing to say aloud.
Gaeun was ready to slap him if he said anything indecent.
“Um…”
“Go ahead.”
“Maybe…”
“No.”
Without even hearing the favor, Gaeun rejected it immediately.
If someone like the president of Jusin Retail asked her for a favor, it was bound to be unusual. She didn’t want to soil her ears with a bad story.
“…Please just listen?”
“I said no.”
“Just listen first and then decide?”
“I don’t want to.”
Gaeun said firmly.
If she listened and rejected, she might learn another secret about Seokjin, just like the wife interview. That could ruin her peaceful life.
Seokjin’s face turned red with embarrassment as Gaeun coldly refused to hear him out.
Taking a deep breath, Seokjin seemed to make a big decision.
“O Gaeun.”
Hearing her name in his voice, strangely desperate, Gaeun turned her head.
“Sorry, but could you lend me some money?”
Gaeun almost couldn’t believe her ears.
Seokjin, the powerful Seokjin, president of Jusin Retail, was asking a jobless her for money.
Was this even possible?
Seokjin calmly explained himself.
“I forgot the exchanged money at home.”
“Don’t you have a card?”
“I don’t carry it when I travel.”
Gaeun scoffed internally at his lack of planning.
How could someone go traveling without a backup? And a company president at that? A rich person without money—it sounded unbelievable.
“I’ll pay you back as soon as I return to Korea.”
“Do you really think it makes sense for a wealthy person to ask me for money?”
“Please.”
His serious eyes showed he wasn’t lying.
Unlike their confident first meeting, he looked completely defeated now, showing the situation was real.
Gaeun calculated her own money: exchanged cash and her remaining debit card balance.
She didn’t mind lending it. With Seokjin’s identity and status, he could easily pay double back. It wasn’t a loss.
But she wasn’t financially free enough to lend it easily.
“I want to lend it… but…”
Seokjin’s eyes sparkled with hope.
If she crushed that hope, he might resent her.
“You probably already know I don’t have much money. I’m spending what I have as my last luxury on this trip.”
“Yes.”
“If I borrow money from you, I’ll be too tight. But I have an idea. Would that be okay?”
Gaeun offered an alternative.
“What is it?”
“Why not plan the schedule together and travel with me?”
Seokjin was silent for a moment.
“If it’s inconvenient, you can call your secretary. That’s probably best…”
“Let’s travel together.”
Gaeun still didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just call his secretary. But traveling with him seemed better than alone, so she smiled slightly.
“I’m returning Tuesday evening. You?”
“Same here.”
“Really?”
“Looks like the same flight.”
“Great. Let’s compare schedules then.”
Since she agreed to travel with him, she couldn’t insist on her own itinerary.
“I’m staying at T Hotel at Asok Station. You?”
“Same.”
“Wow, same flight and hotel…”
The coincidences piled up, and Gaeun felt uneasy again.
“Why are you worried?”
“Just in case.”
“You do hacking or something?”
She worried he might have planned this, since he fell for her at first sight. That day, she had dressed up and put effort into makeup—it made her look really good.
“I don’t.”
“Oh, I was just worried you planned it so our paths would match.”
“That’s a misconception.”
Gaeun laughed awkwardly.
“I don’t like jokes much.”
“Yeah, looks like it. I originally planned one massage a day, but now with you, I’ll limit it to two days.”
“…Yes.”
“I should say sorry for this. Because I’m making a sacrifice for you.”
“…Sorry.”
“If you say sorry, can I get a job…?”
Gaeun decided to be bold—after lending him money, she could joke.
“I don’t take job requests.”
“Just joking.”
“I said I don’t like jokes.”
She asked where he planned to go.
“Just wander around.”
Seokjin pulled back his travel notebook, not wanting to burden her with his schedule.
“You look so organized, but you have no plan at all.”
“I planned to just rest at the hotel.”
“If you spend a lot of money, you should see, taste, and enjoy as much as possible. I’ll go to Asia Teak, Dawn Temple, rooftop bars, Khao San Road…”
She had planned to buy just one set of underwear. Traveling with Seokjin meant putting that aside. She would buy it later when he repaid the money.
“Nice schedule.”
“Of course. Only famous places.”
“Then I’ll depend on you.”
“Don’t complain?”
“Of course.”
“Then shall we shake hands as a start?”
Gaeun reached out first.
“Please take care of me.”
Seokjin held her hand.
After the awkward handshake, Gaeun checked the remaining flight time and closed her eyes for a moment. She could handle travel with anyone, but she worried about Seokjin. He seemed to want a free vacation without anyone knowing, but now he had to stay with her because of money.
“O Gaeun.”
She opened her eyes softly.
“The in-flight meal is here.”
She almost got excited.
“When did they bring this?”
“While you were resting.”
“So excited!”
“Enjoy.”
But seeing the food, her face hardened. It was far less than she imagined.
“Why that face?”
“I didn’t expect caviar, but I thought it would be amazing. It’s just fish.”
“It’s a full course, though.”
“If I knew, I’d have chosen Korean food instead!”
“This is that disappointing?”
“Very disappointing.”
The bread was dry, and the cheese smelled weird.
She had lost the will to take photos.
“You had too high expectations for an in-flight meal.”
“It’s business class.”
“No difference from economy.”
Gaeun frowned and ate the salad first. The taste was bland and strange.
“I should have eaten soup at the airport instead.”
“Want to swap if you don’t like it?”
She looked at Seokjin’s plate—same story.
“Fine. Let’s go eat tom yum soup at the hotel.”
She put down the fork, but then picked it up again, deciding it was too wasteful to leave food.
“Gaeun, don’t force yourself.”
“It’s delicious! Oh my, it’s so… delicious!”
“Eat like that and you’ll get sick.”
Seokjin took the fork, called the flight attendant, and got some juice.
“Drink this first. And I’ll buy the caviar meal in Korea that you wanted.”
“No need for food, just repay the money quickly. If rumors spread while eating together, ugh.”
The thought alone was terrifying.
