Chapter 19
The polished tip of his shoe touched the ground beneath the sedan.
Lee Han took a step around the hood and stopped in front of the passenger side.
Haru, who had just opened the car door, looked up at the man in front of her.
For a moment, the sunlight was so bright she had to squint, then opened her eyes.
When her focus finally adjusted, a face brighter than the sun was looking down at her.
A large hand was extended toward her.
Haru took Lee Han’s hand and stepped out of the passenger seat.
With the door closing behind them with a click, she looked him over as if taking in a masterpiece.
His neatly combed hair, suit perfectly fitted as if measured with a ruler, his sharp features—handsome enough to be anyone’s pride.
He looked exactly like the perfect boyfriend, the kind you’d see in a drama.
Haru felt as if she had become the heroine in a TV show.
“Shall we go?”
Lee Han said, leading her by the hand. Haru nodded and followed him.
Today, she was meeting friends who were from the same university and department.
Two couples had already arrived and were sitting at a table, chatting.
They had been dating for a while, so Haru was familiar with them.
Seeing her friends made her heart suddenly race.
It was her first time introducing her boyfriend to her friends, and she worried about whether they might suspect he was just a fake boyfriend.
“Relax,”
He murmured, as if sensing her tension.
Why did this man seem completely unfazed?
Haru took a deep breath, holding his hand tightly, and walked toward the friends.
The four people chatting quietly turned their heads toward the newly arrived Haru and Lee Han.
“Oh, Haru!”
“Is this your boyfriend?”
With their welcoming voices, all eyes immediately fell on Lee Han.
He met their gazes and greeted them with composure.
“Nice to meet you.”
Minji and Ye-won, Haru’s friends, seemed momentarily to forget about the boyfriends beside them.
They were mesmerized by his tall frame, small face, and perfectly sculpted features.
“Please, sit down,”
Minji’s boyfriend gestured to the empty seats, and finally Haru and Lee Han took their places.
“Haru, you should introduce your boyfriend properly,”
“Yeah, we’re curious,”
Her friends urged. Haru carefully began to speak.
“This is Cha Seung-jae. He works in the entertainment business.”
It was as if a sound effect of amazement played out loud—everyone gasped at the same time.
Minji, who had been staring at Lee Han, finally smiled.
“Sorry for staring so much. We’ve never met Haru’s boyfriend before.”
“Right. It’s amazing to see him in person.”
“It’s fine,” Lee Han replied smoothly and placed Haru’s jacket beside her.
His considerate gesture drew another round of admiration from Minji and Ye-won.
“Haru really has high standards. Even handsome guys at school confessed to her, but she never accepted anyone.”
“Wow, so Haru’s standards are even higher than I thought,”
They said, as if it was understandable why she hadn’t dated anyone until now.
“Finally, I get to see Haru in a relationship,”
Even during the meal, the focus of attention was clearly the Haru–Lee Han couple.
The two of them were busy answering the endless questions from friends.
“So, how did you two meet?”
“Ah, well…”
It was a basic question for couples, but Haru hesitated.
She didn’t know how to explain—it was complicated.
Telling them she had met him on a blind date would be too blunt.
Before she could respond, he spoke instead.
“We first met in an elevator by chance. I remember being really impressed by Haru at that time. Her first impression stayed with me.”
“Really?”
Haru’s friends listened eagerly, as if waiting for the next line.
“After leaving the elevator, I went to a coffee shop. Shortly after, someone I was supposed to meet walked in. And that remarkable woman… was Haru.”
“Was that her?”
Lee Han nodded, and an excited cheer erupted.
“Wow! This feels like a scene from a drama!”
“So, Seung-jae, did you fall in love at first sight?”
From his story, it certainly sounded that way—first impressions, fate, and a romantic atmosphere.
But Haru, knowing the real story, was embarrassed.
What had I looked like at that moment? He couldn’t have fallen in love at first sight.
Her mouth felt bitter as she took a sip of wine.
“Yes,”
The single word came out, and heads turned in surprise.
She almost choked.
He even added a faint smile.
“I liked you, from the moment I first saw you.”
Minji and Ye-won clasped their hands together, gushing in admiration.
Haru held her wine glass, staring at Lee Han in awe.
This man can lie with such confidence.
For a moment, she almost believed it.
She was amazed at his acting, which made the lie seem real.
“Sweetie, take it slow with the wine,”
Lee Han said softly, noticing her gulping down wine one after another.
“Haru isn’t good with alcohol,”
His words confused her friends.
“Huh? Who? Haru?”
“She used to be the top drinker in our department…”
Ye-won trailed off when she noticed Lee Han’s look.
Haru quickly set down her empty glass, smiling demurely.
“That was back in college. I can’t drink much now.”
Her obvious lie made Lee Han chuckle lowly.
When he put food onto her plate, the friends showered them with compliments again.
Perhaps from nervousness, Haru kept getting thirsty and had already drunk quite a bit of wine.
When she stood to go to the bathroom, Minji got up with her.
Hurrying to keep pace, Minji whispered beside her.
“Your boyfriend is seriously handsome. I almost thought he was an actor.”
Haru smiled at Minji’s shoulder tap.
“By the way, you look really pretty today. Is that expensive?”
“Oh, this? Seung-jae bought it for me.”
“No way. Seeing how he takes care of you, he must really cherish you. You’re so lucky, Haru!”
“No, not really…”
“Hmm?”
The words “contract relationship” almost slipped out.
Startled, Haru quickly changed the subject, and thankfully, Minji didn’t make a big deal of it.
As soon as they entered the bathroom, Minji hesitated before cautiously asking,
“By the way, did you do something wrong to senior Tae-in?”
Haru turned at the sudden mention of his name.
“Do you know he’s been spreading weird rumors about you lately?”
“What?”
Minji lowered her voice in the corner of the bathroom and continued.
“They’re saying you got into FLEX because you manipulated someone on that side. It’s spreading among alumni.”
Haru let out a bitter laugh.
So he planned to make her look like a scandalous, unscrupulous woman.
We’ll see about that.
When they left the hotel bar, Tae-in’s eyes were full of resentment, and all he did was spread rumors?
“But the problem is, the ridiculous rumor actually convinced our classmates. People who should know you best actually believed it.”
Minji sighed, upset as if it were her own problem.
“Of course I didn’t believe it. I told them you wouldn’t do something like that.”
“Seriously absurd.”
“And you even have such a perfect boyfriend!”
After experiencing such humiliation, Haru thought she understood Tae-in’s character. But she hadn’t expected him to act this way.
Haru suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
