Chapter 1
“Then… will you give in?”
Chaekyung’s gaze was fixed, blunt and unflinching.
He looks exactly like Senior Junheon.
Her heart seemed to stop the moment she spotted him. She didn’t even notice the ice in her on-the-rocks glass slowly melting as she stared at the man for a long time.
To anyone looking, she clearly seemed like a woman interested in him.
Even if he didn’t resemble anyone, he had the kind of looks that would make anyone in a bar glance over at least once.
The sharp suit emphasized his solid physique, and his neatly styled hair suited him perfectly without any awkwardness. His handsome face felt familiar. Every feature on that face was perfectly balanced, neither too much nor too little.
It was a face sculpted by God Himself: thick eyebrows shading eyes whose depth was impossible to gauge, a straight, prominent nose, and full lips that drew attention.
There was only one part of the face that felt unfamiliar to Chaekyung: his eyes were unusually sharp, radiating a high-pressure aura that made one hesitant to approach. Those bottomless eyes were enough to freeze a heartbeat.
Even in the bar, he stood out. All the women sneaked glances at him, but none dared approach him boldly.
Noticing Chaekyung’s stare, he slowly raised his eyes toward her.
She felt her breath catch and frowned slightly at his gaze.
The man tilted his head, seemingly puzzled, then looked at her again as he brought a whiskey glass to his lips and took a sip.
Watching the whiskey slide down his throat, Chaekyung swallowed hard herself.
It was just one sip of whiskey, yet somehow it felt provocative.
The atmosphere was different from Senior Junheon, who was always gentle and so attuned to her expressions.
Curious about Chaekyung’s unwavering gaze, the man smirked slightly.
“Very obvious.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Snapping back to reality, she realized she had been staring at him intently.
That face… the face identical to Senior Junheon, who had passed away in a traffic accident two years ago. She had lived all this time in his shadow, unable to move on.
Today marked the second anniversary of Junheon’s passing, and Chaekyung had decided to put an end to their connection. A connection that had been broken not by choice but by fate. Feeling restless, she came to a bar alone, fearing that going home would leave her tossing and turning all night. For someone who didn’t usually drink, it took courage to do this.
And yet, on the day she intended to put a closure to it all, she found herself staring dumbstruck at a man who looked just like him… no, she was clearly not in her right mind. She felt foolish for being so captivated by that face.
Chaekyung gulped down the strong whiskey as the ice melted.
The sharp burn of alcohol coursed through her body, bringing her back to reality. She felt embarrassed. It was obvious she looked like a silly woman losing her wits over a handsome face. Resolutely, she avoided giving him any more attention.
“That expression isn’t very appealing.”
In his eyes, her gaze must have looked more wistful than pitiful. Her friend Yuna had told her that whenever she thought of Junheon, her eyes took on a nostalgic glow. Chaekyung hadn’t realized it herself, unable to see her own expression.
“Sorry for making you misunderstand. He just looks like someone I know.”
“A misunderstanding… but it’s not a common face.”
Indeed, as he said, it was far from ordinary. Handsome and kind, Junheon had always drawn women around him. A face like his, surpassing normal standards of attractiveness, had always been envied. Having lived as his girlfriend for years, Chaekyung knew that.
If it were Junheon, he wouldn’t have said that…
She could clearly feel that this man was different from the one she had known.
“I was surprised, too.”
The man made a strange expression as he lifted his glass.
“Same for you, then. Let’s have a drink.”
Seeing her empty glass, he ordered another drink, handling everything with natural elegance. Chaekyung stared at the glass placed in front of her.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
His informal tone, directed at someone he was meeting for the first time, didn’t feel rude at all. Everything about his appearance suggested he was used to being in control, and his tone fit naturally.
“Thank you. I’ll drink it properly.”
He didn’t respond.
Another woman approached the man, catching the attention of everyone in the bar. She was as striking as he was.
Sitting on the stool next to him, she crossed her long legs, revealing them through a daring side slit.
“Shall we drink together?”
“I already have a partner.”
He didn’t give a glance to the tempting woman. His gaze remained solely on Chaekyung, whom he referred to as his “partner,” and he slowly tilted his whiskey glass.
Chaekyung’s eyes widened as she swallowed her drink. His piercing gaze startled her.
He spoke without expression.
“I like women who pretend to be innocent.”
Then he glanced at the other woman up and down, not with interest, but as if she didn’t exist at all. The woman frowned in anger and stood up. His low, calm voice responded immediately.
“Your taste is so old-fashioned.”
“You never know in bed.”
His words were as blunt as his gaze, evaluating without mercy. Being appraised so sharply made her feel like a fish on a chopping board. Her face burned crimson. Sitting still felt unbearable.
This was hardly the right kind of bar visit to sever the shadow of her ex.
I must be crazy.
Chaekyung rose from her seat without hesitation.
The man across the bar didn’t seem to notice. After two years of living with guilt, she felt it was enough—facing a man resembling her deceased ex had served its purpose. She consoled herself, thinking of him as the final gift Junheon had left her.
As she walked down the corridor after leaving the bar, someone abruptly grabbed her wrist.
Startled, she almost stumbled.
“Where are you going?”
“Ah! Who are you?”
The stranger’s grip was strong, leaving her no choice but to cry out. Her face went pale, but the man showed no signs of letting go, even though he was clearly drunk.
“Oh, who are you? Pretty girl.”
He seemed to have mistaken her for someone else.
“Let go of me.”
Calming her racing heart, she glared at him. The drunken man was stubborn even when confronted.
“You’re not much different from the girl I was playing with anyway.”
“What do you mean? Let go of me.”
Chaekyung panicked, not expecting this to happen outside a bar.
A low voice came from behind them, and both Chaekyung and the man turned.
“Let go.”
The single word carried all the weight of emotion. It was chillingly ominous.
It was him. The man she had met in the bar.
“What are you?”
Though drunk and trying to act tough, the man hesitated under his gaze.
Should’ve known better than to act up earlier.
Chaekyung rolled her eyes.
“What do you want?”
Approaching casually, he frowned at the man who had grabbed her wrist, one hand in his pocket, sighing.
“Is… this girl your girlfriend?”
“Slow, aren’t you? Now that your head’s clear, scram. If you want to leave in one piece.”
Gangwoo stepped closer to the drunken man with commanding presence. His tall frame and intense aura made him threatening. His voice carried the weight of warning—and the power to make it stick.
The drunken man hesitated, letting go of her wrist. He made a final futile attempt at Chaekyung before disappearing.
“You could’ve just said you have a boyfriend!”
Chaekyung rubbed her wrist, which was now red from his grip. He approached, hands in pockets.
“You take a lot of trouble.”
Sitting before, she hadn’t realized just how big he was; combined with his height, his shadow could nearly engulf her.
Chaekyung took a step back and spoke quickly.
“Thank you… for saving me.”
Though different from Junheon, she found herself increasingly aware of him. The moment he approached, an instinctive danger signal went off in her.
She needed to leave quickly.
“Is this… part of some setup?”
“Huh?”
Not understanding his words, she asked again, but his expression didn’t change.
“I thought you might be trying to create a pretext.”
She bristled at the thought of him seeing her as a woman to be seduced. Yet, an opposing thought—wanting him to stay near—stirred confusion in her heart.
“Then… will you give in?”
Perhaps surprised by her unexpected answer, his expression hardened as he stared at her intently.
Chaekyung met his gaze without flinching.
It was a bold act, even for her, fueled by the alcohol in her system—like the drunken man earlier.
Where did that courage come from?
If only she had dared to act so boldly with Senior Junheon.
Now, two years after his departure, she foolishly took a chance on a man who merely resembled him.
Give in to my temptation…
A silence stretched between them for a moment before Gangwoo spoke softly.
“And if I do…?”
Frowning slightly at her answer, he added,
“Stay with me just for today.”
