Chapter 2 ….
Bae Seonghun fell silent.
But soon, just like Juyeong, he merely lifted the corner of his lips in a smile and pressed the end-call button on the phone that was still connected.
Seonghun leaned back against the chair.
“You’re not kindly informing me because you think I don’t know my own family members. And the fact that I’m the CEO of Seongun Hotel is information that pops up with a simple internet search.”
“……”
“If you were an hour late, shouldn’t you at least have done your background research properly, Ms. Choi Juyeong?”
As Seonghun continued speaking without a hint of embarrassment, the corner of Juyeong’s lips twitched.
“Then again. Someone who shows up an hour late to an appointment probably isn’t the diligent type.”
Muttering as if for her to hear, Seonghun picked up his fork and knife and cut the steak—the main dish—into bite-sized pieces.
“Ms. Choi Juyeong, who arrived late on purpose?”
Seonghun wasn’t finished yet and kept talking.
“May I take this attitude to mean that you have no intention of getting married at all?”
That was the correct answer.
Even before this was a forced blind date she’d been pushed into by her father, Juyeong had no intention of marrying anyone.
Love? That sort of thing was all an illusion.
Something abstract that people couldn’t touch or feel, yet arbitrarily named and worshipped.
“I’m not the type to attach much meaning to past relationships, so I won’t bother explaining myself at length. But if you want, I can put it in writing and send it to you.”
“……”
“Now I think it’s my turn to ask.”
Without waiting for her answer, Seonghun moved on to the next topic.
Choi Juyeong’s willingness to marry wasn’t important enough to him to bother waiting for such an obvious reply.
“Name: Choi Juyeong. Age: thirty. President of CS Department Store. As for academic background or connections, it’d just tire my mouth to talk about, so let’s skip that.”
Seonghun stabbed a fork firmly into one of the steak pieces he’d cut. Cooked medium rare, the meat parted as softly as tofu.
“Special notes.”
“……”
“A complete mess of a family.”
At that final remark, which dug straight into her sore spot, Juyeong clenched her jaw.
Her teeth ground together with a faint crunching sound, but Seonghun, as if unconcerned, continued to provoke her.
“You don’t have siblings, but there’s a woman who’s only ten years older than you squatting in your house as a concubine, right?”
“Hey, Bae Seonghun.”
“I won’t talk about your mother. It’s a sensitive topic, after all. I do have that much consideration.”
He wouldn’t talk about it—but he knew.
That was the implication hidden in Bae Seonghun’s words.
“……”
Under the table, Juyeong clenched her fist tightly.
It was a weakness everyone in their world knew about, but Bae Seonghun was the first person to throw it in her face so blatantly.
“There haven’t been any known relationships with men so far. If you’ve gone your whole life without sleeping with a man, you should tell me in advance.”
Tilting his head, Seonghun half-lowered his eyelids. His pupils, partially hidden by his lashes, gleamed with a peculiar light.
“No matter how considerate I am, I don’t want to teach bedroom matters to an immature child at this age.”
At Seonghun’s blatant mockery, her clenched hand trembled.
Just as much as Juyeong knew him, Seonghun knew about her.
The difference was that this knowledge worked against Juyeong.
I’m used to this kind of mockery by now.
Maybe it would’ve been different when she was ten, when her father first brought his concubine home—but thirty-year-old Choi Juyeong didn’t show her emotions over things like this anymore.
“I’ll pass on that kind of consideration.”
“That’s a shame. If you’d asked nicely, I was willing to teach you slowly.”
Just then—knock, knock—a knock sounded, and the sliding door opened slightly as a staff member spoke from outside.
“Excuse me. The meal is ready—may we set it up now?”
“Go ahead.”
At Seonghun’s permission, the sliding door opened fully.
Instead of being served one by one as usual, the course dishes were all brought out at once on a trolley.
When a staff member tried to prepare the appetizer, Juyeong stopped them with a gesture.
“The food’s fine. Just bring the wine.”
“Yes, understood.”
The staff cleared away the appetizer plate and brought out the wine prepared for pairing.
Through the wine being poured, she could see Bae Seonghun. He was calmly eating his steak.
For some reason, it felt like she was losing.
“Please enjoy your meal.”
The staff bowed and wheeled the trolley with the dishes back out.
Thud. The sliding door closed.
Seonghun glanced at the wine glass placed in front of Juyeong. The threatening look he’d had at first had softened into something languid.
“Why aren’t you eating?”
“I don’t really have an appetite.”
“It’s not because of some pointless battle of pride, is it?”
Lightly holding the stem, Seonghun lifted his wine glass. The red liquid danced along the curves of the glass.
“Don’t be petulant and eat. It’s hard to get a reservation here. The food hasn’t done anything wrong.”
His tone made it sound as if Juyeong could never have secured a reservation here herself.
At Seonghun’s matter-of-fact way of treating her like an inferior, Juyeong let out a short laugh.
“Sorry, but I hate Korean food.”
“……”
“Didn’t research that far? You went ahead and booked the restaurant on your own.”
With an inexplicable thirst, Juyeong poured the wine into her mouth.
It wasn’t high-proof enough to burn, but a bitter taste lingered around her tongue.
She’d never planned to stay at the blind date until the end anyway. This was enough.
Juyeong stood up.
“Since you got the chance, eat plenty, Mr. Bae Seonghun. I’m busy, so I’ll be leaving now.”
But she stopped after only a few steps. She’d remembered something she hadn’t said to him yet.
“Oh, right. I don’t think there’ll ever be a time when you and I are rolling around in bed together, but since you’re curious, I’ll tell you.”
As she slid the door open, Juyeong turned her head.
Her gaze met Seonghun’s, who had been watching her.
“You don’t need to teach me.”
“……”
“I’m better than you.”
It was just a moment.
But a faint curiosity flickered in those languid pupils.
A week had passed since the blind date.
In that time, Juyeong erased all information related to Bae Seonghun from her mind. There was no reason to keep it when she wouldn’t be involved with him again.
Choi Juyeong had always been like this.
She was good at distinguishing between what was necessary and what wasn’t—she’d devote herself with everything she had to obtain what she needed, but wouldn’t waste even a single second on what she didn’t.
By that logic, tonight’s dinner was unnecessary.
“Oh my. Long time no see, Juyeong?”
Just before entering the private room she’d been guided to, Juyeong stopped by the restroom to wash her hands. At that moment, Go Hyena entered, turned on the faucet, and greeted her first.
Go Hyena.
The concubine of Juyeong’s father, Chairman Choi Gwon-yong.
“What? Have you decided to openly ignore people now?”
Once again, Juyeong didn’t respond.
She knew well by now that exchanging words with Hyena would only sour her own mood.
“Hey!”
When Juyeong showed no reaction, Hyena shut off the faucet with a loud clack and crossed her arms.
“When an adult speaks to you, shouldn’t you at least pretend to listen?”
…Pfft.
Juyeong let out a short, incredulous laugh.
Hyena frowned and swept her hair back.
“What? What’s so funny?”
“It’s funny. There’s only you and me here—where’s this ‘adult’ you’re talking about?”
“What?”
“Living off others, yet talking about being an adult. Give me a break.”
Pulling out a few tissues, Juyeong dried her hands and turned to face Hyena.
“Get a grip, Go Hyena. You’re nothing more than a concubine whose name isn’t even on the family registry.”
“……”
“If you want to pretend to be an adult, start by standing on your own two feet first.”
Watching Hyena’s expression twist in real time, Juyeong turned and took the first step away.
Just as she was about to leave the restroom—
“Choi Juyeong!”
Hyena shouted angrily.
“The chairman prepared this as a surprise, so I wasn’t going to tell you in advance, but seeing the state you’re in makes me really want to ruin the surprise.”
Click, click.
With sharp heels striking the floor, Hyena walked right up to Juyeong and leaned in close, then smiled brightly, even squinting her eyes.
“That Oido summer villa you love so much. The chairman says he’s giving it to me.”
