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Chapter – 07
The First Weekend
“I’m not doing it. Find someone else.”
“What?”
“If it’s as you say, and ability and luck are what it takes to get promoted, then there’s no need for me to take on this kind of risk.”
At the return to calling him “President,” Do-kyung swallowed a sigh inwardly.
His mistake had been underestimating Gyeo-ul based solely on her crying her eyes out when she thought her idea had been stolen, and her tense demeanor when he’d called her in to make her thank him.
Faced with her attitude as if she were about to get up and leave at any moment, he said placatingly,
“But I did add the condition ‘within a reasonable limit,’ didn’t I?”
“And whose standards determine what’s reasonable?”
“…Mine?”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than she shot up from her seat. Do-kyung urgently grabbed her wrist.
He couldn’t possibly bring another woman now that he had already confirmed to his parents and Ha-kyung that Gyeo-ul was his lover.
Only then realizing clearly that he was the one in the subordinate position in this contract, he dropped his arrogant attitude.
“It was a joke! Okay, fine. I’ll remove this clause. Alright? So please sit back down.”
“…Change the wording. To say that Kim Do-kyung will not hold Cha Gyeo-ul responsible for any outcome.”
“In exchange, promise me. That you’ll work hard and faithfully at playing your role as a fake lover.”
“Fine.”
Gyeo-ul nodded as if granting a favor, but the smile had already vanished from Do-kyung’s face.
With a sullen expression, he took the laptop back, revised the seventh clause, and immediately printed out two copies.
“Sign it.”
“Yep.”
After signing next to their respective names and each taking a copy, she was finally able to escape the sofa.
As Gyeo-ul stood up to return to her original spot, Do-kyung extended his hand toward her. She took his hand, and he smiled smoothly.
“Nice to work with you. For six months.”
“Yes. I look forward to working with you too.”
And so, with that hastily drafted contract and a light handshake, the six-month ‘Fake Fiancée Project’ began.
“Well then, I’ll be going now.”
“Oh, Cha Gyeo-ul-ssi.”
After neatly folding the contract and putting it away, she was about to leave the office when Do-kyung called out to her.
“I’m going to visit my grandfather in the hospital this weekend. Which day is better for you, Saturday or Sunday?”
“Either is fine.”
“Then let’s make it Saturday. And…”
Trailing off, he scanned her body from head to toe.
The slight frown that immediately creased his brow caused Gyeo-ul’s brow to furrow minutely as well.
“Why that expression?”
“Before that, let’s get you some clothes. You can’t go see my grandfather looking so shabby.”
Shabby? Worn-out?
Barely suppressing her disbelief and swallowing the words, Gyeo-ul looked down at her own clothes. They weren’t from any expensive, name-brand label, but they were a neat, comfortable office look appropriate for the occasion.
“What’s wrong with these clothes?”
“It’s not so much the clothes, well… hm. Never mind. I’ll spare you.”
What! Why! Say what you have to say!
Her tightly clenched fists trembled as she fought the urge to yell. His arrogance, returning as soon as the contract was signed, was infuriating.
Glaring at him with less-than-friendly eyes, Gyeo-ul recalled the contract’s clause about faithfully fulfilling her role as his lover and reluctantly nodded.
Fine! Let’s see how pretty and nice these clothes he picks out are!
She ground her teeth with that resolve.
Saturday morning.
Having made an unprecedented department store opening run, Gyeo-ul sat blankly on a sofa in a luxury brand boutique.
Unlike her, who looked tired despite having done nothing yet, Do-kyung was busy picking up one outfit after another, trying to find something that would suit her.
“What size do you wear?”
“85.”
“Try this on.”
After thrusting a dress he’d chosen into the arms of the vaguely answering Gyeo-ul, he pushed her into the fitting room. Not satisfied with that, he picked up a few more pieces that looked like they might suit her and handed them to the sales assistant.
While the staff member went to find the correct sizes, Gyeo-ul emerged in the dress and stood awkwardly in front of the mirror.
The pale pink chiffon dress, which had a very demure and nice image, surprisingly suited her incredibly well. Enough so that she had no choice but to acknowledge Do-kyung’s good taste.
Furthermore, the price tag she’d secretly checked inside the fitting room had an eye-wideningly shocking amount on it.
I thought, ‘Let’s see how pretty and nice these clothes he picks out are,’ and he really did pick out pretty and nice clothes.
She felt like she’d lost a solo battle.
She chuckled softly at her own ridiculousness, and then Do-kyung, who had finished paying, approached her with shopping bags in his hands, calling her name.
As she approached with a puzzled expression, he stood behind her and snipped the tags off her dress with scissors.
Still wearing the dress, Gyeo-ul greeted the sales assistant and followed Do-kyung, who had already left the store.
He had already handed the shopping bags he was carrying to an attendant standing nearby and was entering another luxury boutique. A brand where even the cheapest bag started at over ten million won.
He led the awkwardly standing Gyeo-ul to a sofa and sat her down. A staff member quickly approached his side.
After requesting the woman, who wore a badge identifying her as the manager, to select and put on matching shoes, he promptly walked over to the bag display.
“The one on the top right. And… any wallet that would match that bag.”
He didn’t even need to gesture. With just a glance or a tilt of his head, the items he wanted were presented before him.
While she was astonished by this firsthand glimpse into the shopping habits of a third-generation chaebol, Do-kyung again unhesitatingly pulled out his card. Gyeo-ul urgently whispered in his ear.
“You’re buying a bag and a wallet too?”
“With this much, they’ll believe that Cha Gyeo-ul is my lover. The family, I mean.”
“Still, this is too much of a burden…”
“Why would it be burdensome?”
Cutting off Gyeo-ul’s words, he frowned slightly and turned to look at her.
“Don’t tell me you misunderstood that I was buying them for you? Do you think I’d spend this much money on a six-month fake girlfriend? No matter how much of a chaebol I am.”
Gyeo-ul’s face flushed red with embarrassment.
Thinking that she must have watched too many dramas and movies in her daily life, she squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, turning her head to avoid his gaze. The heat didn’t just rise; it felt like it was burning all the way to her ears and the back of her neck. As she covered her cheeks with both hands, Do-kyung teased her.
“After the contract ends, you have to return the bag. Well, I’ll consider the clothes as a gift, so you can keep them.”
“Forget it. I’ll have the clothes dry-cleaned perfectly and return them too, so don’t worry.”
His attitude of trying to take credit made Gyeo-ul’s voice pouty.
Suddenly, an impulse surged inside Do-kyung—a desire to touch the reddened earlobes and the back of her neck, which she continued to avoid looking at.
A smile spread across his lips as he clenched and relaxed his fist, his fingertips tingling with the urge.
In truth, he had no intention of taking them back. After all, this was nothing compared to the shares he’d receive after successfully fooling his grandfather.
Plus, for Do-kyung, these items were cheap enough to casually gift to a business partner who would help him for six months.
Nevertheless, he had teased Gyeo-ul and made her blush with embarrassment, just as he wanted.
It was because he remembered that time a few days ago, during the contract signing, when she had stood her ground against his words and forced his surrender.
Compared to that, this is just a minor revenge.
And so, while Gyeo-ul avoided his gaze and Do-kyung’s smile grew deeper, the staff who had finished the transaction brought over several large shopping bags.
As Do-kyung led Gyeo-ul out of the store, an attendant waiting behind them naturally took the shopping bags and followed.
After confirming that the manager and staff of the luxury store, who had been trailing behind them, had moved away, she asked quietly,
“Are you going to keep these safe and then sell them on Oi Market later?”
“Oi Market?”
“The second-hand trading app.”
Do-kyung chuckled. As her embarrassment faded and her sarcasm seemed to sharpen with defiance, he retorted without backing down.
“Even if it’s not there, there are plenty of places that buy luxury goods. No matter how used they are.”
“You’re going to become incredibly rich. You’re already a chaebol, but you’ll become even richer.”
“If you act so well that my grandfather is completely fooled, I might give you a bonus.”
At his attempt to act magnanimous again, Gyeo-ul snorted.
“Forget it. I could buy these bags myself, you know?”
“Then why do you carry around that old, worn-out eco bag?”
Recalling the eco bag he’d seen slung over Gyeo-ul’s shoulder when he’d coincidentally run into her on the way to work a little while ago, Do-kyung asked. Today, perhaps considering the occasion, she was carrying a simple-looking leather handbag, but it seemed she usually used that eco bag for commuting.
She just shrugged.
“You might not know, but eco bags are super convenient. They hold a ton of stuff. And besides, it’s not like I’m in dire need of money or anything.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Of course, not as much as you, President, but my family is fairly well-off too.”
Watching Gyeo-ul put on a deliberately prim expression, holding her head high and acting boastful, Do-kyung gave a small laugh.
