Chapter 02
“Ugh.”
As she crossed the lobby of the office building, Su-ah unconsciously frowned.
The inside of her thighs stung where they brushed against her rough stockings. It was the lingering aftermath of a night far more passionate than usual.
He could be rough in both words and actions, but surprisingly, there was an innocent side to him. He was also unexpectedly gentle, always putting her comfort first whenever they were together.
And yet, last night…
He had held her with startling intensity.
As though he were trying to tell her just how angry he was.
That was unexpected.
He had always seemed like the kind of man who could walk away from their arrangement without a trace of regret.
He said I was his first… Maybe that’s why.
Of course, he had been her first man as well.
…Don’t think about it anymore.
Shaking her head to banish the memory of his seductive face, Su-ah forced herself back to reality.
Their relationship existed only because of necessity—a contract.
Sleeping together had been an impulsive lapse that was completely unlike her.
Bzzzt.
The vibration of her phone inside her handbag interrupted her thoughts.
With a sigh, she pulled it out.
Su-ah, when are you bringing your boyfriend over? Your father keeps asking about him.
It was a text from her mother, Mi-hyang.
He’s probably more interested in whose son he is.
Su-ah let out a dry laugh.
She could easily imagine how relentlessly her father had pressured her mother.
Her father, Hak-seon, had once been a successful three-term politician.
Unable to keep himself faithful, he had fathered numerous illegitimate children before finally falling from grace after a massive sex scandal.
Even now, he was searching for a way back into politics.
One of those plans involved marrying off his daughter to secure a powerful family alliance.
Su-ah clenched her teeth.
She had no intention of letting her father dictate her life.
In one month, she was scheduled to be selected for an overseas assignment. She had already spoken with the appropriate department and received a positive response.
Once the opportunity came, she intended to use it as her escape route.
She quickly replied.
Not yet. I’ll tell you once the relationship is a little more certain.
As she slipped her phone back into her bag, it vibrated again.
The caller ID made her freeze.
It was him.
He had probably noticed she was gone and was calling.
Did he run out of money?
No… that couldn’t be it.
She had left him enough to cover several months’ worth of her salary.
It was more than generous compensation for pretending to be her boyfriend for a few months.
Could he really be calling because of the money?
The thought left an unpleasant ache in her chest.
Should she answer?
Or not?
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
No.
After a brief hesitation, she pressed the reject button.
She would be leaving the country soon.
It was better to end things here.
Their relationship had always been fake—a temporary arrangement meant to deceive her father.
Besides…
If her father ever discovered who he was, he might try to hurt him.
Getting emotionally attached would only make everything more complicated.
Perhaps…
Perhaps it was already too late.
Pushing the thought away, Su-ah deleted his number.
Then she blocked it.
This is the right thing to do.
Even so…
A dull ache lingered in one corner of her heart.
She had expected this ending.
So why did it hurt?
* * *
“Assistant Manager Kang, you’re finally here?”
The moment Su-ah entered the office, Manager Choi greeted her.
“Yes… I’m sorry.”
She bowed apologetically.
She’d had no choice but to take a half-day off in the morning to erase every trace of last night’s passion.
“No, no. Everyone has days like this. It’s nice to know you’re human after all.”
Manager Choi laughed.
The Strategic Planning Office of Taesan Group.
If there were a department in Korea notorious for its crushing workload, this was it.
People didn’t call it “Gangnam’s Lighthouse” for nothing.
Yet despite the grueling pace, Kang Su-ah had never once been late, absent, or taken vacation leave.
Her unusually rapid promotions were the result of that relentless work ethic.
“Nothing serious happened, did it?”
“No. Just some personal business.”
She had just set down her bag when—
“Assistant Manager Kang! Where’s Assistant Manager Kang?”
A booming voice echoed across the department.
It was Executive Director Kim, the man in charge of Strategic Planning.
“Oh, there you are.”
The moment he spotted her, he urgently waved her over.
“Come with me.”
“Excuse me? What—”
“No time. I’ll explain on the way.”
Su-ah hurriedly grabbed her work planner and followed after him.
As they walked down the hallway, she noticed something unusual.
Executive Director Kim looked anxious.
“Assistant Manager Kang.”
He suddenly stopped walking.
After checking to make sure no one was nearby, he leaned closer.
“…Do you happen to have connections with the owner’s family?”
“What?”
She instinctively stiffened.
“No, listen carefully.”
His voice dropped even lower.
“Have you ever heard about the Vice Chairman’s son?”
“The Vice Chairman’s… son?”
She knew of him.
The precious son the Vice Chairman had been blessed with in his forties.
He never appeared publicly, so neither his face nor his name was widely known.
Still…
Everyone knew he was Taesan’s future successor.
“He’s going to start working in Strategic Planning.”
Executive Director Kim paused.
“As your junior.”
“…What?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yeah.”
He scratched his head.
“They’re calling you his mentor, but really… you’re just supposed to babysit him.”
“Why me?”
Kim’s eyes flicked over her face—and then, involuntarily, down the rest of her.
Realizing what he’d done, he quickly looked away.
The order had come directly from the Vice Chairman’s office.
The VIP was to quietly experience life in the department.
And for some unknown reason…
Assistant Manager Kang Su-ah had to be assigned as his mentor.
There were rumors that the young master was a notorious womanizer.
Maybe he’d simply seen her employee photo and picked her.
“I don’t know why he’s suddenly pretending to be an ordinary employee. But listen carefully.”
His expression turned deadly serious.
“Only you and I know the truth.”
“No one else.”
“Keep it quiet.”
“Understood?”
“But… why tell me?”
“Come on, Assistant Manager Kang.”
Kim sighed dramatically.
“Are you an amateur?”
“My career—and your future—are both riding on this.”
“You wanted that New York overseas assignment, didn’t you?”
“…Or have you changed your mind?”
It wasn’t merely persuasion.
It was outright coercion.
Su-ah had no choice but to keep silent.
You know what to do.
Handle this well.
Stopping in front of a conference room, Kim gave her a meaningful look before knocking.
“Come in.”
The voice that answered sounded strangely familiar.
Kim opened the door.
And Su-ah nearly screamed.
Lazily reclining across the conference table with only his head tilted back…
Was a man she knew all too well.
The man who had held her until dawn.
Why is he here…?
Her face drained of color.
Between the man’s crimson lips, a plastic lollipop stick clicked softly against his teeth.
Finally regaining her senses, Su-ah’s lips trembled.
There was no way she could mistake that face.
Ebony-black hair that contrasted sharply against those vivid red lips.
Long, narrow eyes without double eyelids.
Faint dark circles resting beneath thin eye-smiles, lending him an almost decadent allure.
Am I dreaming?
What were the odds…
That the nameless man she’d shared nothing more than a reckless affair with…
Would suddenly appear before her as a member of the Taesan owner family?
“Oh, pardon me.”
Tae-jo slowly sat upright.
A dimple appeared beside the left corner of his mouth the moment he saw her.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
He yawned theatrically.
Then he crushed the lollipop between his teeth with a loud crack before pulling out the stick.
She had once told him she hated cigarettes.
Since then, he’d started sucking on candy out of habit instead.
“So…”
He smiled at Executive Director Kim while pointing at him with the lollipop stick.
“Executive Director Kim, right?”
“…Y-Yes. Kim Dong-hyun.”
Still stunned, Kim hurriedly extended his hand.
“Yoon Tae-jo.”
Standing to his full height, Tae-jo shook it once.
“We’re meeting for the first time, aren’t we?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I’ve heard your performance has been exceptional.”
Tae-jo spoke as though offering sincere praise.
Kim instinctively straightened his back.
He’d expected some skinny delinquent based on the rumors.
Instead…
The man before him possessed a large frame and an overwhelming presence.
Then again…
Considering his father and grandfather…
“I’ve become interested in you, Executive Director Kim.”
“I’d like to watch how you work from up close.”
“Haha… I see.”
Kim’s eyes sparkled.
The future heir had taken an interest in him.
Just a few compliments were enough to erase all the resentment he’d felt over the unreasonable assignment.
“Ah, and this is…”
Kim gestured toward Su-ah beside him.
“Ms. Kang Su-ah.”
Before Kim could finish the introduction…
Tae-jo spoke her name clearly.
Kim blinked in surprise.
“You already know each—”
His voice trailed off as his eyes moved between them.
“Well…”
Just as Tae-jo began to smile—
“It’s our first time meeting.”
Su-ah cut in immediately.
She bowed politely.
“I’m Kang Su-ah.”
“Oh.”
Tae-jo narrowed his eyes, staring at the top of her bowed head.
“Our first meeting.”
“That’s right.”
He extended his hand toward her.
“It’s nice to meet you…”
His smile widened.
“…Ms. Kang Su-ah.”
Then, after the briefest pause—
“Or should I say…”
“Assistant Manager Kang.”
“My mentor from today onward.”
Has he lost his mind?
Is he doing this on purpose?
What on earth is going on…?
Anxious, Su-ah bit the inside of her cheek.
Cold sweat trickled down the back of her neck, soaking into her blouse.
It felt as though someone had handed her a ticking time bomb.
“Please take good care of me, Mentor.”
When she made no move to respond, Tae-jo casually reached out, caught her hand, and shook it himself.
Only then did he turn to Executive Director Kim.
Tilting his head ever so slightly, his expression seemed to say:
What are you still doing here?
Without a word, he raised one eyebrow in silent dismissal.
Executive Director Kim’s eyes widened in sudden realization.
