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Through his damp hair, his sharp gaze was exactly the same as it had been on the day they first met.
Just like that night when he had tempted and unsettled her all night long.
“Y-you must be surprised I came without warning…”
“...”
And yet, wasn’t it him who had begged her to come? Why was he just standing there staring at her now?
Under his intense gaze, Joo-eun’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“I should’ve contacted you before coming, but I wasn’t sure if I’d actually end up ringing the bell, so I didn’t.”
Suddenly, her wrist grew hot.
“Ah…!”
Before she could react, Min-hyuk pulled her closer with a single stride. Startled, Joo-eun’s eyes widened.
“Relax. Didn’t you come here to take a picture?”
His soft whisper, laced with a smile, made her loosen the tension in her body.
“That’s true, but…”
“Then just stay like this. I’m sure we’re getting some good angles.”
Was someone really taking pictures right now?
Though his playful expression made it hard to fully believe, given the endless expanse of this house, it seemed plausible that there might be surveillance cameras somewhere.
The reality of being constantly monitored felt so natural to him—it was clear he belonged to a completely different world than hers.
Struggling to maintain a proper distance, Joo-eun swallowed hard.
Min-hyuk leaned down, brushing his lips against her ear.
“At this point, I’m sure we’ve captured enough decent shots.”
“That’s a relief…”
“Let’s go inside. I’m freezing—I’m not wearing anything under this robe.”
The sight of his bare skin so close to her made Joo-eun unconsciously gulp.
“Hmm. I’ll stay for… ten minutes and then leave.”
“Ten minutes? Did you come here for a business report?”
“Then… an hour?”
“If you want me to imagine us having dinner, fooling around, and doing all sorts of things, you’d have to stay until dawn.”
“But you said it was just for the picture…!”
Her already wide eyes doubled in size from shock.
“Since I doubt you’d want that, how about staying for two hours instead?”
“Please, get to the point. Stop making me flustered.”
“How can I resist teasing you when you look so adorable when you’re flustered?”
He chuckled playfully, then slowly wiped the smile off his face, gently running his fingers through her hair.
Startled, Joo-eun’s shoulders tensed and shrank inward.
“It’s a service for fans who might’ve missed capturing the moment earlier.”
She couldn’t deny the logic in his words, so she let the strength drain from her hand that had been pushing him away.
His touch started at her forehead, brushed past her ear, and trailed down her neck.
Heat bloomed wherever his fingers grazed.
She couldn’t tell whether it was his hands that were burning or her own body reacting to his touch.
Unable to meet his eyes properly, she squirmed awkwardly as Min-hyuk naturally intertwined their fingers.
Each knuckle of his large hand pressed softly into her delicate skin, sensitively stimulating her.
Completely tense and frozen, she heard the sound of the iron gate locking behind her—click.
Seizing the moment, Joo-eun quickly pulled her hand away.
“Hmm. You must be a genius actor. You’re really good at this.”
Though she knew it wasn’t acting, Min-hyuk simply laughed lightly.
“Thank you for coming. I did ask you to visit, but I figured it would’ve been a difficult request to accept.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned being my lifeline, I wouldn’t have come.”
“You are my lifeline. Thanks to you, the person who’s been tormenting me for 15 years has finally quieted down.”
“I hope this time it’s truly resolved.”
“Let’s go inside.”
As he led the way, Joo-eun hesitated for a moment before following him slowly, keeping some distance between them.
They passed through an enormous garden and entered a mansion that seemed far too grand for a single person to live in.
Despite its majestic and cold exterior, the interior had a relatively cozy atmosphere.
“Have a seat. I’ll go put some clothes on.”
Following his instructions, she sat on the sofa and couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp of admiration.
The garden they had just walked through was now fully visible through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
She hadn’t noticed it while distracted earlier, but now…
The lawn, glowing softly under the lighting, was so soothing to look at that it felt like therapy in itself.
This view was incomparable to the cramped basement room she had grown up in—it wasn’t even close.
So this is what it’s like to live high up. No wonder their perspectives are different.
When the world looks this beautiful, it feels like you could love anyone. And so… Director Min…
“Have you eaten?”
His voice interrupted her thoughts as he emerged dressed in comfortable knitwear.
“Ah, I’ve had a bit of everything, so I’m not really hungry.”
But fate cruelly betrayed her as her stomach growled audibly—grrrr.
Anticipating her embarrassment, he pointed toward the dining table with his thumb.
“The housekeeper prepared way too much food today and already left. If you don’t mind, would you help me out by keeping me company while I eat?”
“No, really, I’m fine…”
“I just don’t want to eat alone. At least sit with me.”
“...”
“Hmm?”
His thick eyebrows arched elegantly upward.
“Hmm. Fine, if you insist this much, I’ll sit with you.”
Her tone carried a hint of haughty reluctance, as if saying, Since you’re practically begging, I’ll humor you by sitting here.
But why was she eating? And why did it have to taste so good?
Lost in the moment, Joo-eun gobbled down the food without realizing he was watching her.
“Does it taste good?”
“Good? It’s beyond good. Everything is absolutely delicious…”
Just as she reached for the LA galbi with her chopsticks, belated embarrassment hit her, and she froze mid-action.
“...It’s so good that I’m still eating even though I’m already full. I swear I’m stuffed, but it keeps going in. Hmm.”
Too proud to pick up another rib, she awkwardly stuffed plain rice into her mouth instead.
Seeing this, Min-hyuk placed a piece of galbi on top of her rice.
“That’s better. Eat more. You look so fragile, like your wrist might snap.”
“I have hidden fat, you know.”
“Really? I haven’t noticed.”
“It’s there. All over.”
“The fact that there are still places I haven’t seen yet makes me curious.”
“Cough!”
Her chopsticks crossed into an awkward X-shape as she choked in surprise.
“Here. Water.”
Min-hyuk poured her a glass and handed it to her.
What was she supposed to do with this man who kept giving her both poison and antidotes?
After dabbing her mouth firmly with the back of her hand, Joo-eun snapped back.
“Haa… Are you going to keep bringing up that night?”
“Shouldn’t I?”
“I asked you to forget about it.”
“How can I forget when it won’t leave my mind?”
“Then at least try! Try harder!”
“Do you really think trying would make it go away?”
A heavy silence fell between them.
Ah, I think I’m going to choke…
While Joo-eun flustered, her face turning red, he continued speaking.
“That night might have been just one of many experiences for you, Song Joo-eun, but for me… it was the first time.”
I was a first-timer too! she screamed inwardly, frustrated.
“I can guarantee you, it hasn’t faded from my memory, and it never will. So don’t tell me how to handle my own memories.”
Wait, what? What did he just say…
“Eat. The food’s getting cold.”
No, don’t end the conversation like this. This doesn’t make sense. First time? Not me—you? Director Min?
Joo-eun’s eyes blinked slowly, opening and closing in disbelief.
“You’re joking… right?”
“About the food getting cold?”
“No, not that. I meant what you said earlier… about it being your ‘first time.’”
“Does it sound like a joke to you?”
“Yes.”
Absolutely. 100%.
Joo-eun swallowed hard.
“Then let’s just say it was a joke.”
It wasn’t a joke!
Hadn’t she heard rumors about his “rainbow of girlfriends,” one for each day of the week? What was this nonsense about it being his first time?
The LA galbi suddenly felt stuck in her throat.
She wanted to press him further, but he calmly lowered his gaze and continued eating with refined composure.
Was he smiling faintly?
Fine. It’s a joke, right? Of course. There’s no way he could be serious.
The memory of Seyoung teasing her mercilessly about her lack of experience at this age still stung.
That man…? No way. It doesn’t make sense.
Even debating whether it was a joke or not felt absurd.
Shaking her head repeatedly, Joo-eun set her chopsticks down.
“If I eat any more, I’ll get indigestion. Thank you for the meal.”
“How about dessert?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Despite feeling full, she didn’t want to accept anything else.
Call it her last shred of pride.
But the beautifully arranged tray of fruits, slices of cake, and intricately shaped cookies was an irresistible temptation.
While she could resist him, resisting this was another story altogether.
“Stay seated. I’ll bring some herbal tea. Let’s have dessert together.”
“You haven’t even finished your meal yet, Director Min.”
“I’m done.”
He moved his half-finished bowl to the sink.
“Let me clean up. Since I’ve already eaten for free, at least let me do this much.”
“Don’t lift a finger. Relax and enjoy yourself. That way, you’ll want to come back next time.”
Next time? Who said anything about coming back…
Joo-eun wanted to protest, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue further when he was treating her so kindly—even cleaning up after her unfinished meal.
They say he keeps a knife between his teeth.
If something displeases him, he cuts it out without hesitation.
So why does he keep acting so gentle, as if he changes women every day of the week…
Joo-eun stared blankly as he moved back and forth between the sink and the dining table countless times.
His private, unseen side kept tickling a corner of her heart.
---
Was it the magic of the sweet desserts and black tea?
Unlike when she had first entered, tense and uneasy, her body now felt relaxed.
While Min-hyuk took a call from his secretary in his study, Joo-eun leisurely explored the living room.
The interior, dominated by various types of natural wood, looked exactly like the design she had always dreamed of.
She had wished to live in a house like this, even if only for a day.
Though it wasn’t quite a day, fulfilling this wish made her heart flutter unexpectedly.
Above all, her eyes were drawn to the towering bookshelf that covered an entire wall.
It was filled with books that clearly showed signs of being read—not just for display.
“This book is here too?”
The author was well-known among avid readers, but this particular early work was long out of print and hard to find.
Feeling nostalgic, she reached for it, but the shelf door wouldn’t close properly.
Ah… Just one centimeter short.
Stretching her arm as far as she could, she tried again—and the book slid smoothly out of the shelf.
“I like it too.”
Startled by his voice brushing against her ear, she turned abruptly to find him gently smoothing the edge of the book that was halfway out of the shelf.
“I like this book too.”
As his lips stretched into a slow smile, her eyes trembled faintly.
He definitely knows.
He must know how much my heart aches whenever he smiles like that.
Joo-eun averted her gaze from Min-hyuk’s smile, trying desperately not to be swayed.
“Ah. I see.”
Her awkward reply was met with another evasive move as she tried to shift left, but this time he stretched his arm out to the opposite side.
“This book even has the author’s signature.”
As a result, Joo-eun found herself trapped between his outstretched arms.
If he were to lower his head just slightly, it would be the perfect position for a kiss—awkwardness-free.
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