Chapter 06
Let’s meet. If you didn’t take it because you needed it, shouldn’t you give it back?
Another message came with a vibration.
My heart trembled like it was vibrating madly along with the phone.
I was conscious of the man beside me, who was probably waiting for my reply.
All my life, I had never really deceived anyone, nor had I ever told any significant lies.
That day, I realized anew that I was just not the type who could shamelessly pull that off.
Gulp. Even my dry swallow was audible.
I couldn’t bring myself to reply or even turn off the screen—just stared blankly at the message.
“Not getting off?”
“Huh?”
The sudden voice ringing out in the quiet space startled me.
My own voice, asking back, came out unexpectedly loud and harsh, cracking like metal, which startled me again.
Afraid he might see, I quickly turned off the phone screen and raised my head. The man gestured with his chin toward the elevator buttons.
“I pressed B3.”
Meaning—wasn’t it you who pressed 1?
“Oh, right. Yeah. Y-yes, I’m getting off.”
Why on earth was I stammering like this?
Caught off guard when he suddenly spoke, I babbled out “yes” like a machine gun.
Then, flustered, I quickly turned my head away to hide my face.
Afraid he might recognize me, I bolted the moment the elevator doors opened.
“Interesting.”
Watching her hurriedly flee, Lee Han smirked.
This could be a problem. He was already finding it too fun to tease her.
Haru stopped as soon as she stepped out of the building.
She was breathless, like she had just finished a hundred-meter sprint.
Her heart was pounding, and even her legs were shaking.
“Ha… I’m losing years off my life here.”
She was curious why on earth he was here, but that wasn’t the priority right now.
What mattered was how to deal with his persistent messages.
She had thought he’d give up if she didn’t reply, but he was more tenacious than expected.
And then, there was the problem of the card key.
“Why did I even pick that up!”
On the day of the blind date, she’d been too distracted to realize. Only when she got home did she discover it.
She had stuck her hand in her pocket absentmindedly, and when she felt it, she’d nearly fainted.
Anyway, what was taken had to be returned.
But since she was still standing in for Bae Dain, she couldn’t decide on her own.
Haru immediately called Dain.
“What do I do? That man, Cha Seungjae, wants to meet.”
-What? How does he even have your number?
“We exchanged them that day.”
Since he’d asked her to input her number right in front of him, she couldn’t very well put in Dain’s number instead.
After explaining the unavoidable situation, Dain asked again:
-I thought you said you parted ways like you’d never see each other again. And didn’t you say you only went to the blind date because you were forced?
“Yeah! That’s exactly what happened.”
She still remembered his back as he left, looking like he had not a single gram of lingering attachment.
Not once had he looked back, not even briefly.
So then why…
-Maybe he actually liked you?
“Oh, come on. You saw how I looked that day.”
-Oh, right. Yeah, in that state, it’d be hard to like anyone.
Haru agreed, though the comment didn’t feel pleasant.
After all, she had looked like that because of whom?
“I accidentally brought something of his. I think he just wants it back.”
-Something? What thing?
How could she say it was a hotel card key?
Unable to bring herself to say that, Haru changed the subject.
“Anyway, I think I should meet him… What should I do?”
After a pause, Dain’s voice came back thoughtfully.
-Maybe I should go and just tell him the truth?
“That would blow everything up. What if the chairman finds out? What do you think will happen?”
-You’d be dragged back to the main house for sure, maybe even grounded so you couldn’t leave.
Since it had started with her, Haru thought it better to end it herself.
She just needed to settle things so they would never cross paths again, return the card key, and be done with it.
It was simple enough, and she didn’t want to make it bigger than it was.
“I’ll just see him one more time and finish it.”
-Are you sure?
“Yeah. This time, I’ll tie it up for good.”
Dain cheered for her bravery.
She thanked Haru and even promised to treat her to a big meal.
Ending the call, Haru pulled up his number and sent a late reply.
All right. Let’s meet.
Standing before the mirror, Haru deliberated for a long time before finally putting on the leather dress she had received as a gift from the mall.
Since she had recently run into him at GN Media, she figured it was safer to show up in the same appearance she’d had on the blind date.
Hair and makeup to match the outfit were a given.
The place they agreed to meet was the same as last time too—
The café on the 18th floor of the Silus Hotel.
Even without looking around, she spotted him instantly by the window.
Even in her nervousness, his face was so vividly etched in her memory it stood out more than the night view outside.
His handsome features almost seemed to glow with a halo.
Taking a short, deep breath, Haru walked toward him.
“Here we meet again.”
He raised his eyes slowly at her greeting.
It was hard to tell whether he was pleased, annoyed, or indifferent.
Even that faint expression of his—half-smile, half-smirk—was unreadable.
“So it seems.”
Haru bowed her head slightly as she sat across from him.
“I didn’t think we’d meet again.”
“I thought you took it on purpose, you know. As an excuse to see me again.”
“As if.”
Haru shook her head quickly.
“That day was such a blur, I didn’t even realize it was in my pocket.”
She gripped her handbag and continued.
“I only came here to return it.”
“I see.”
Drawing a clear line—saying there was no ulterior motive—he simply nodded.
Haru deliberately grabbed the zipper slider on her handbag.
She tried to open it, but the zipper got stuck partway and refused to move.
Something inside must have been caught.
She tugged it back and forth, and his gaze rested calmly on her struggling hands.
“W-why isn’t this opening?”
“You sure you came just to return it?”
“Of course! It’ll open in a second!”
Her dignity was crumbling.
She had planned to hand him the card key smoothly and then leave in style.
Why did humiliating things like this always happen in front of him?
It was starting to feel like she was cursed when it came to Cha Seungjae.
She even muttered inwardly, “Open, sesame,” while jiggling the zipper, but the stuck part wouldn’t budge.
Cornered, Haru finally chose brute force.
Gripping the slider with all her strength, she yanked.
The zipper flew open—
But with too much force, her handbag flipped, and its contents spilled everywhere.
“Ah!”
He calmly leaned down and picked up her belongings from the floor, placing them on the table.
Haru bent down belatedly, quickly gathering up what had fallen by her feet.
Once she had everything in hand, she raised her head in a rush—
Only to bump into the underside of the table. But strangely, it didn’t hurt.
“You need to be careful.”
Because his large hand had caught her crown before she hit it.
Blushing, Haru pulled back and scrambled out from under the table.
“Thank you.”
She hastily swept her things back into her bag.
“And this too.”
He handed her a credit card last, which she shoved inside as well.
But as she rummaged through the now chaotic bag, her face grew flustered.
‘Where is it? I definitely put it in here.’
No matter how hard she searched, the card key was nowhere.
She even checked the floor again, but it had vanished.
Sensing her distress, he asked:
“What’s wrong? It’s not there?”
“No. It’s gone. I swear I brought it.”
She had checked before leaving too.
It wasn’t like the thing could sprout legs and walk away. Where could it be?
“That card key—it’s for this hotel’s suite room.”
Haru, still rifling through her bag, finally gave up and bowed her head.
“I’m sorry. I’ll just report it lost and pay for it. How much would that be?”
Lee Han shook his head without hesitation.
“Forget the money. Pay me back another way.”
“What? Another way? Like what…?”
“See me again. One more time.”
Haru blinked blankly, trying to grasp his meaning.
His voice came low and firm.
“This time, not as Bae Dain—come as Dan Haru.”
