Chapter 01
Before the iron door behind them could even close, their lips had already met.
The man pressed the woman against the entrance wall and unfastened her blouse buttons as if undoing a simple clasp.
He lifted the cap with a restless motion and buried his face in the firm swell of her body.
“Haa…”
Under the flickering sensor light, the sound of lips moistening and being sucked echoed in a messy rhythm.
Soft skin was pressed against the high bridge of the nose, and red marks bloomed like flowers wherever he touched.
While the man eagerly explored the delicate flesh, his hand reached lower with equal urgency.
“Huut.”
With a click, the buckle loosened, and his large hand slipped into a narrow space.
Once it reached the secret place, the woman’s head tilted back, and her fragile body trembled.
Inside the elevator.
Haru, who witnessed the scene, also felt her pupils quiver.
Her eyes, however, weren’t on the man in front of her—they were fixed on her phone screen, where she had Bluetooth earbuds in.
It might look highly suspicious to anyone else, but she was at work.
Haru, a video translator, had finally received a long-awaited assignment: a 19+ American drama.
Before translating, she had a habit of watching the content at least twice in its entirety.
Though she wanted to work from home due to a tight deadline, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse her close friend Dain’s birthday party invitation.
“A dress code for a birthday party too…”
Muttering to herself, Haru frowned as she glanced at her reflection on the elevator wall.
“No matter how I look at it, this is way too much.”
The leather two-piece outfit was the one Dain insisted she wear for the party.
Even with the sharp stud decorations, it was far from Haru’s usual taste.
But she couldn’t ignore a gift her friend had prepared by hand.
Thanks to it, she was in a look she had never tried before: smoky makeup, hair styled with a hair curler into a hippie perm—she could’ve screamed “rock and roll” without hesitation.
“Am I even supposed to wear this?”
She didn’t know if it was appropriate, but her wealthy friend had booked an entire hotel club lounge for the party and insisted she attend.
Having decided to commit fully, Haru had watched makeup tutorials and styled herself meticulously, yet she still felt awkward and glanced down again.
The elevator, quietly ascending to the top floor, amplified every sound, including the heat of her own breathing.
Her dry throat swallowed nervously as the elevator finally stopped.
Reactively, she lifted her head, and a tall man filled the doorway as he entered.
Just as she was about to close the video on her phone, her heart skipped a beat.
“Friend, sorry. Actually, the place you’re going isn’t a birthday party—it’s a blind date. Could you go instead of me?”
A pop-up notification startled her, and her eyes went wide.
Hastily swiping down the status bar to check, she hoped she had misread it.
But in that trembling moment, her finger slipped, hitting the Bluetooth button and disconnecting her earbuds.
“—Haa… yes… good…”
Perfect timing.
At that moment, the couple in the video were in the midst of a heated scene in bed.
The audio blared from her phone’s speaker.
Panicked, Haru frantically pressed the volume buttons.
“—Oh… yea…”
Oh no, why is it doing this!
In her flustered state, instead of lowering the volume, she accidentally turned it up.
Now, the elevator was filled with the erotic sounds, unmistakable and primal.
“Ugh!”
Suddenly, she felt a gaze piercing the crown of her head.
Slowly lifting her head, she saw the man from before staring at her as if she were pathetic.
“Um… well… this, uh, it’s not what it looks like…”
Desperately, she closed the video and waved her hands, trying to deny it.
She wasn’t even sure what exactly she was denying, but she had to do something.
The man, however, turned his head coldly, as if he didn’t even need to hear her explanation.
Haru was left in the elevator, caught red-handed as someone who had secretly watched a sexual video.
“I’m not a weirdo!”
As they say, anyone insisting they’re not weird usually is. Especially in her current outfit, which was completely absurd.
Feeling humiliated, she watched the broad back of the man until the elevator arrived at the floor.
He stepped out without looking back.
“It’s a misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!”
She tried to explain again, but he was already gone.
Left alone, Haru’s pleas echoed faintly in the empty elevator.
Unable to bear the shame, she tugged at her hair.
Her once-lion-like volume rose another notch in the process.
Lowering her head, she muttered to herself in resignation.
“It’s fine. I’m never going to see him again anyway.”
At least she wouldn’t have to see this man again.
She could just treat this as an embarrassing story to laugh about later.
Haru stepped off at the top floor and immediately called her friend Dain, who had dropped the bomb on her.
-Please, just help me out this once.
Dain answered with a dramatic sigh.
Before Haru could question her, Dain explained the situation.
-My mom randomly set up a blind date. If I don’t go, she threatens to kick me out. I just need you to go and buy a little time, okay?
“So, you just need me to… buy time? Why not just do it yourself?”
-I already have Woonwoo. How could I just leave my boyfriend and go on a blind date!
A deep sigh escaped Haru’s lips.
Dain had a boyfriend, but kept it secret at home because her family wouldn’t approve.
“This makes no sense. I’m not doing it! I can’t.”
-50,000 won per hour.
“Am I really doing this for money?”
-100.
“You seriously think I’m that easy?”
-300, big bonus.
Haru, who had been arguing, fell silent.
At that moment, the cold voice of her landlord demanding rent flashed in her mind.
“Phew… where do I need to go?”
For a new freelancer with few incoming jobs, 3 million won was an enormous sum.
It felt petty and crude, but the temptation was irresistible.
-Thanks, Haru! Go to the coffee shop on the 18th floor of the hotel. The guy’s name is Cha Seungjae. And of course, you’re going as Bae Dain.
Alright, it’s just a short time. I came this far, so I can’t just turn back.
Moreover, a close friend is pleading so desperately.
Rationalizing herself, Haru glanced down and flinched.
There was no way her current look was suitable for a blind date.
Her outfit alone seemed extremely rude.
“I’m wearing the clothes you sent me. Is this really appropriate for a blind date? How am I supposed to go on a date like this?”
-Ah, that. I had a plan. If he chases after your pretty face, that could be a problem, right? This outfit is specially prepared so you can fail the blind date.
Ah, so it was meant to be a “blind date reject” outfit, not a club party look.
Understanding Dain’s intention, Haru hardened her resolve.
After confirming the man’s name one last time, she ended the call.
Returning to the elevator, she descended to the coffee shop, lowering her head to avoid people’s stares.
Giving her name to the counter staff, she was guided to where the blind date awaited.
‘Just a little, embarrassing moment. That’s all.’
Having decided to do it, she straightened her neck.
She had to appear confident and maintain perfect acting to avoid revealing she was standing in for her friend.
“Bae Dain?”
Suddenly, she collided with a huge obstacle.
Not long ago, she had felt relieved that she would never see this man again.
Now, the person asking her name was none other than the man she had seen in the elevator earlier.
His face had left an unforgettable impression.
‘Dain, I think this blind date is going to be over quickly, no matter what.’
Whether fortunate or not, Haru’s face burned crimson with embarrassment before she could even think.
She wanted to crawl into a hole, or even smaller than a hole, to hide.
“Yes.”
Her barely audible voice prompted the man to raise his eyebrows.
