CHAPTER 50…………………………….
On the grill lay rows of perfectly marbled meat, sizzling in harmony.
As the golden-brown pork belly was being sliced into generous chunks, everyone was busy refilling their empty glasses.
Tonight was a dinner party for Flex’s Global Content Team—both a welcome dinner for Woojin and a belated one for Haru.
“Our team leader told us to eat to our heart’s content tonight—he even gave me his personal card!”
When Dallae waved the card triumphantly, the team cheered.
Team Leader Ahn Giseok had been keeping a low profile lately after a recent incident caused by Taein.
He even skipped his favorite drinking sessions, merely handing over his credit card instead of attending.
“Here, have some.”
Woojin, tongs in hand, placed two perfectly grilled slices of pork belly onto Haru’s plate.
Haru gave him a small nod of thanks, but Dallae noticed and gave them a knowing look.
“You two said you knew each other before, right? You’ve gotten pretty close lately. I’ve seen you whispering about things only you two seem to know.”
“Exactly. Woojin always looks after the translator first, too,” Nari chimed in playfully.
Woojin chuckled. “I was just about to serve the manager and Nari, too. Here you go, please enjoy.”
He placed pork slices onto their plates as well, and the two immediately picked up their chopsticks, blowing on the hot meat before tasting it with satisfied smiles.
As Nari looked at Woojin and Haru sitting side by side, she spoke again.
“But really, you two look great together. Your faces just… match, you know?”
“Oh, true! You both have fair skin and puppy-like features. You give off the same vibe,” Dallae added, nodding in agreement.
The teasing atmosphere had been building for a while, and Haru was starting to feel uncomfortable.
She forced an awkward laugh and took another drink instead of responding. Then Nari suddenly asked,
“Do you have a boyfriend, Ms. Translator?”
Haru froze for a moment, caught off guard. She didn’t know how to answer.
Should she say she did? Or deny it, since it was supposed to be a secret anyway?
Conflicting thoughts tangled in her head.
Feeling everyone’s eyes on her, Haru finally spoke.
“Yes. I do.”
Even if it was only a contractual relationship, for now, he was her boyfriend.
At her answer, Woojin—who had been diligently tending the grill—hesitated for a split second.
Dallae suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Oh right, I remember you got a call when we were together the other day! That person saved under a pet name—wasn’t that him? The one who called right after the CEO walked by?”
“Ah… yes.”
Haru felt uneasy being the center of such a personal conversation.
She needed to change the subject.
Seeing Woojin’s hand awkwardly suspended midair, she reached out and took the tongs from him.
“I’ll grill. I’m good at this.”
“It’s fine, really.”
Despite Woojin’s protest, Haru insisted.
Perhaps in her haste, her hand accidentally brushed against the hot grill.
“Ah!”
Startled, she flinched, dropping the tongs onto the table.
“Are you okay?”
Woojin immediately pressed a cold wet towel against her hand.
“I’m fine. I just caused trouble for no reason.”
She laughed awkwardly, but Woojin examined her hand closely.
“It’s red. Maybe I should run out and get some burn ointment.”
“No, really, it’s okay. It’s not that bad—just startled me.”
Dallae and Nari both expressed concern, but Haru waved them off, insisting she was fine.
The conversation naturally shifted, and the dinner continued on warmly.
On the taxi ride home, Haru’s mind was strangely clouded.
It had been a pleasant dinner, but one question kept circling in her head.
What exactly are Taeihan and I?
She recalled hesitating when asked if she had a boyfriend.
Even after saying “yes,” she’d felt nervous, afraid of being asked for details.
She sighed. Watching the red city lights blur past the window, she thought—
We’re just like those hazy lights—unclear and fleeting.
She had said she had a boyfriend, but they weren’t real lovers. Was it right to keep this up?
Months had passed since they made their arrangement, but that one question had left her shaken.
Sometimes, she wanted to ask him directly—What are we?
But she never did. Because she feared the truth. Because asking might mean it would all end.
So instead, she clung to the contract—her pitiful excuse to stay by his side.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but the more she tried to suppress her feelings, the deeper she sank into them.
By the time she realized, she was already home.
It was late. The house was dark and silent—Lee Han was likely already asleep.
Haru headed straight for the bathroom.
The hot shower only made her dizzier.
Wearing a bathrobe, she trudged down the dim hallway, half-asleep, and opened the door.
She only wanted to collapse into bed.
Her body and heart were both exhausted.
She flopped down, pulled the blanket up, and murmured softly,
“Mmm… smells like Taeihan. It’s been days since he slept here, but the scent’s still…”
Clutching the blanket, she mumbled into the dark,
“Well, of course—it’s my bedroom, after all.”
Lying beside her, Lee Han turned his head to look at the sleeping Haru.
Drunk, she had mistaken his room for hers.
She didn’t even hear his quiet voice before drifting off completely.
He had been lying in bed already, unable to sleep, waiting—though he didn’t know why.
He had lived alone here for years, and Haru had only been around for a few days.
Yet waiting for her felt strangely natural—and that unsettled him.
But he hadn’t expected the woman he was waiting for to walk straight into his room.
As he watched her sleep, she muttered something—part dream, part drunken confession.
“I have a boyfriend… but actually, I don’t.”
She chuckled softly to herself. Then, after a moment, whispered again—
“Taeihan.”
Lee Han’s eyes snapped open in the darkness.
Though she seemed unaware of his presence, she suddenly spoke his name.
“What are we, really?”
Still facing away from him, Haru asked quietly.
Before he could answer, she continued,
“Are we five-month fake lovers? Or just a landlord and tenant?”
Her voice was clear enough that he almost responded.
But before he could, her breathing steadied—she had fallen asleep.
Realizing it was just sleep-talking, Lee Han let out a breath between his teeth.
Haru’s back rose and fell softly under the robe as she slept peacefully.
Watching her, he murmured under his breath,
“You throw out a bold question and then fall asleep on me.”
He replayed her words in his mind.
A fake relationship with an expiration date. A landlord and tenant.
Neither was exactly wrong.
But was that really all they were? Was that all he wanted?
He couldn’t answer that—not yet.
As he pondered, Haru shifted, turning toward him in her sleep.
Their lips brushed lightly.
Eyes closed, she remained unaware.
“I don’t know what we are,” Lee Han whispered, “but I know I don’t want to pull away.”
Gazing at her face in the darkness, he added softly,
“This time, you started it again… Dan Haru.”
