Chapter 20……………………..
Seo-young repeated it to herself dozens of times:
there was nothing Oh Yeran could actually do.
Still, the fact that Yeran was the beloved granddaughter of Chairman Kang of Hwayoung Group bothered her.
Chairman Kang—who would cover up any kind of reckless behavior for the sake of the granddaughter he adored.
His love for her was infamous, spread through gossip rags and confirmed by people around him.
Seo-young shook her head, brushing away thoughts of Yeran.
“Cha Hyukjin’s Hanho Group isn’t easy to deal with either. And what about Shinhwa Group?
No matter how much he loves his granddaughter, even Chairman Kang has limits.”
Clearing her thoughts as she washed the unpleasantness off her body, she dried herself and wrapped a large bath towel around her.
Regretting that she hadn’t brought a robe into the bathroom, she cracked the door open slightly.
“If you’re done washing, come out for some tea.”
Hyukjin looked up from the tablet at the sound of the door, giving her a small nod.
Clearing her throat, Seo-young shuffled awkwardly toward the sofa where he sat.
Seeing her clutching her bath towel tightly as she approached, Hyukjin swallowed a laugh.
Gone was the confident woman from the lounge—right now she looked like a wary little rabbit.
‘The more I see her, the cuter she gets.’
Noticing the amusement in his expression, Seo-young finally relaxed her tense shoulders.
She had no idea why she became so nervous when alone with this man.
“Where are my clothes?”
“I left them with the concierge. They’ll bring them in two hours.”
“Then… a robe at least…”
Seeing her anxiously clinging to the towel, Hyukjin quietly stood and walked to the closet.
He grabbed one of the neatly hung hotel robes and held it out in front of her, avoiding her eyes as she kept her head lowered.
Taking the robe, Seo-young bowed her head slightly and hurried into the spare room.
A moment later, she emerged wearing the robe, nervously fiddling with the sash and tying it repeatedly.
The sight was both funny and adorable.
A sudden mischievous impulse struck Hyukjin.
The moment she sat on the sofa opposite him, he sprang to his feet and moved right beside her.
Sitting deliberately close, he made Seo-young’s eyes go wide.
“W-Why are you sitting here? Weren’t you working?”
Her body instinctively leaned back.
“Since we’re already at a hotel… how about checking our physical compatibility for real?”
His face came closer, his eyes smoldering with suggestion—yet looking serious.
‘Does he… actually want to do it now?’
So the rumors about him being gay were false after all?
She had believed them because even his friends misunderstood him, and his behavior had made her suspicious.
But his actions tonight shook her again.
She remembered how he always teased her but never went beyond kissing.
‘Again? He’s doing this because he knows I’m inexperienced, right?’
It wasn’t the first time, and her irritation began to rise.
Maybe to him it was nothing but a harmless joke,
but to her—someone with zero experience—her heart would pound uncontrollably every time.
Today of all days, he was even more infuriating.
‘Fine. We’re going to get married anyway. What difference does moving things up make?’
She suddenly wanted to test whether he was serious.
Still flustered, she slowly rose to her feet as she caught the playful glint in his eyes.
“Fine. We’ve already had the family meeting, and the wedding venue is booked.
If you want to test our compatibility so badly, let’s do it now.
I should confirm before marriage too—make sure you don’t have any issues.”
Hyukjin’s eyes widened slightly at her boldness—so unlike her usual self.
‘Okay… what do I do next?’
Thinking frantically, she recalled scenes from movies.
Her eyes lit up as she spotted his tie.
Pulling on it sharply, she yanked him toward her.
His expression changed instantly—caught off guard by the move.
“Is this… for real?”
His voice suddenly dropped, husky as though something constricted his throat.
Enjoying his surprise, Seo-young forced a confident smile.
“What’s wrong? You tease me all the time, but now that I make the first move, you’re flustered?”
But despite her bold words, her gaze trembled faintly.
Hyukjin, genuinely shocked by her unexpected advance, clenched his teeth to keep from laughing.
He let the playful glint fade from his eyes and looked at her seriously.
This time, it was Seo-young who swallowed hard—so tense it was obvious.
Hyukjin leaned in even closer.
The tie she had pulled went slack as he closed the distance.
He was close enough that his heavy scent brushed against her.
And Hyukjin, in turn, felt his body react as he caught the fresh scent of her shampoo and body wash.
‘Great. This is getting serious…’
What had started as teasing was turning real.
“Are you serious?”
Even the faint smile on his lips and in his eyes disappeared.
“Of course I’m seri—”
“Think carefully before you answer, Seo-young. I’m asking sincerely.”
Seo-young had thought he was pretending to be serious again,
but his expression made her bite her lip.
“…I…”
She opened her mouth after a moment, but she spoke so quietly he couldn’t hear.
“What was that?”
Their faces now inches apart, she forced herself to look directly at him.
Her eyes shook violently—and then she blurted loudly:
“I’m NOT serious!”
She immediately released his tie and pushed his shoulders away.
Unlike usual, Hyukjin retreated without resistance, though his eyes still smoldered deeply.
Feeling how firm his body had been when he brushed against her earlier,
Seo-young knew he had been completely serious—
and she quickly scrambled backward.
His eyes soon returned to their usual calm as he stood up.
Feeling suddenly overheated, Seo-young fanned her face with her hand.
“I’m thirsty. Want a drink?”
“Thanks. But I’ll have… water. Actually—hot tea.”
She had wanted water to stall for time,
but switched to tea at the last second.
“Wait here.”
Hyukjin headed straight to the minibar.
He put water in the kettle for tea and poured himself a glass of whiskey.
Watching him, Seo-young felt her heart ready to explode out of her chest.
‘God, I’m insane.’
Cursing herself for trying to provoke him, she discreetly smacked her own forehead.
After bringing the tea, Hyukjin didn’t tease her again.
Maybe he sensed she was tired—and openly on edge.
Just then, his secretary Lee Min-woo arrived at the suite,
carrying a shopping bag with her casual clothes.
She no longer needed to wait for the concierge to return her dress.
Relieved to escape the awkward atmosphere, Seo-young hurried to change and leave the room—
doing her best to ignore the subtle, curious look Min-woo gave them.
It was clear he sensed something had happened.
‘Ugh… I’m actually insane. Why did I think provoking him was a good idea?’
Riding the taxi home, Seo-young stared out the window and let out a long sigh.
Today, Min-woo’s arrival felt like divine intervention.
His stare had still been awkward—but the escape he provided was priceless.
‘Still…’
Min-woo’s faintly raised brows, his subtle reaction—
and Hyukjin’s flustered expression in front of him—
they bothered her.
There was definitely something between those two.
‘Even in the lounge, their reactions were suspicious.
It wasn’t just me who felt it.’
Rumors can’t be fully trusted,
but if others also sensed something, then her suspicion wasn’t just imagination.
The taxi stopped in front of her luxury villa.
After paying, she entered through the front gate.
Walking through the chilly night air for the first time in a while soothed her agitation
and cleared her head.
She remembered the moment Yeran had poured wine on her—
and how she’d paid her back.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have provoked her…”
Her lips, which had curled in a brief smile, slowly relaxed into a straight line.
