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Just moments ago, she had been shivering from the cold.
But now, with just a single touch from Min-hyuk, her entire body felt hot, and a cold sweat broke out on her skin.
One of her arms and part of her body were pressed firmly against his chest, and her left shoulder, held tightly by him, was so tense it wouldn’t move.
This was dangerous.
Her body and mind both sent warning signals.
Realizing this, Joo-eun tried to step out from under the umbrella, but he tightened his grip on her arm.
“D-Director Min…!”
Her voice trembled faintly.
“That’s right. I’m your director. Are you really going to abandon your umbrella-less director like this?”
“That’s why I’m saying, who just gives away their umbrella so recklessly…”
“Let’s just walk together as far as the parking lot up ahead.”
He pointed toward the executive parking lot, which was only a short distance away.
It would take only a few steps to get there.
Rather than continuing this struggle here, it might be better to hurry along.
After glancing around, Joo-eun took a deep breath.
“Haa. Fine. Hurry up, then.”
Resigned, she started walking, and Min-hyuk followed with a sly smile.
Just as they were about to arrive, he stopped abruptly, gripping her shoulder tightly once more.
“Ah. The car. The car.”
What was this awkward exclamation?
“Why are you doing that…?”
“I sent my car in for maintenance.”
“Huh?”
“It’s being serviced, so it’s not here. Look.”
Her gaze shifted to the lone black sedan parked in the lot.
“That can’t be true. There’s a car right there.”
“That’s not mine.”
But it clearly was—the same car they had ridden in together that day…
“How long is this rain going to last? Let’s hurry.”
“Director Min…!”
Before she could protest further, he pulled her forward and stepped fully into the rain.
Instinctively, her body followed him to avoid getting wet.
As they walked quickly, her eyes kept drifting to his drenched shoulder, contrasting with how dry she remained under the umbrella.
“This won’t do. I’ll go buy another umbrella.”
“If you buy one, I’ll just give it away to someone else.”
“What?”
“I think you already know why I’m doing this. If you really want to hear it, I’ll tell you the reason.”
Ah… It’s probably better not to hear it.
Joo-eun shook her head slightly and pointed to the line of taxis waiting nearby.
“There are plenty of taxis. Why don’t you take one of those?”
“Even if I take a taxi, won’t I still get soaked crossing that vast garden?”
Not my problem.
Determined not to be swayed by anything he said, Joo-eun headed toward the row of taxis.
“It’d be nice if someone lent me an umbrella so I could get home without getting wet. Sigh… People these days are so heartless.”
Heartless? Heartless?!
Who was the one acting completely unreasonable right now? Who was being heartless to whom?
She was so exasperated that words failed her.
Rrrrrr—
Just as she was about to unleash a barrage of complaints, her phone vibrated. Their gazes briefly clashed—he motioning for her to answer the call while she gestured for him to get into the taxi first.
“Answer it. Quickly.”
Joo-eun glared at him before pressing the call button.
“Yes, Mom.”
[It’s raining so hard, and I’m worried. Are you on your way?]
“Yes, I’m heading home now, so don’t worry… You don’t need to come out… Ah!”
Her body collided with someone’s shoulder, causing her to stumble backward.
“Are you alright?”
Min-hyuk firmly caught her before she could fall.
If it weren’t for him, she might have landed awkwardly on her backside in the rain.
“Those people…”
Without even looking, Min-hyuk was ready to grab the neck of the couple who had muttered a half-hearted apology and walked away.
Joo-eun tried to calm him down.
“It’s fine. It was just a small bump.”
“But still, what kind of apology was that…?”
“I’m really okay.”
Though he seemed like he wouldn’t calm down easily, the gentle tug of her delicate hand on his collar melted him instantly.
[Who are you with? Is Director Min with you?]
Startled by her mother’s voice coming from the phone she had briefly pulled away, Joo-eun flinched.
“Ah, Mom? I’ll be home soon, so wait—”
[If he hasn’t eaten dinner yet, invite him over. I’ll feed him something.]
What? Why would Director Min eat at our house…!
“He already ate. Director Min already ate.”
[Then I’ll give him dessert. Hurry up and bring him. I’m hanging up now.]
“Mom! Mom!”
Joo-eun called out desperately, but the call had already ended.
She quickly redialed, but there was no answer.
This was bad. Her mom still thought he was her boyfriend…
“Haven’t you told her yet?”
“Huh?”
Startled, she trembled slightly.
“That day, when I said I liked you a lot—I thought you were going to tell her it was just a joke.”
Ah… So he’d already figured it out…
Speechless, Joo-eun opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally stopping.
“Why? Haven’t you told her yet?”
“…No.”
Her guilty tone made her bow her head deeply, and he smirked, raising one corner of his lips.
“Let’s go.”
“What… Where?”
“Where do you think?”
Eyes wide as saucers, Joo-eun frantically waved her hands.
“No, you don’t have to do that.”
“She thinks you’re dating. If I drop by and make a good impression, won’t it make things easier for you, Song Joo-eun?”
That was true, but…
Introducing someone to your mom wasn’t exactly an easy task—especially since she’d never done it before.
“I’m sorry… I only planned to keep it up for a few days, or honestly, just one month. Things have been so strained between Mom and me lately, and I just wanted one month without fighting… I didn’t mean for this to happen. I was planning to handle it myself, so you really don’t need to—”
Interrupting her rambling explanation, Min-hyuk pushed her under the bus stop shelter.
He even took the umbrella from her hands.
“If you’re that sorry, let me tell one more lie.”
“...”
“That car earlier—it’s mine. I’ll go get it. Wait here.”
Unconsciously, Joo-eun found herself staring at his sparkling eyes, mesmerized.
His perfectly curved lips were just as captivating as everything else about him.
The more she struggled to untangle herself from this mess, the more entangled she became.
“I’ll be right back,” he whispered softly before heading back the way he came, umbrella in hand.
“Uh… I can just take the subway…”
Her mumbled words fell flat—he was already far out of earshot.
As she watched him walk away, Joo-eun pressed her hand firmly over her heart.
This pounding of her heart—it should be easy to ignore. She told herself not to dwell on it.
But she was losing confidence in how long she could keep this up.
Her white fingertips, tangled with mixed emotions, clutched the thin fabric of her blouse tightly, as if trying to steady her wavering heart.
---
By now, Min-hyuk had become so skilled at finding Joo-eun’s house that he didn’t even need navigation.
How had he mastered this route, one that even taxi drivers struggled to find…?
Joo-eun still couldn’t believe that he practically commuted to her place every day.
And how much more unbelievable would it be for her mom, who was about to meet him officially?
Not to mention how excited she’d be.
Just thinking about it made Joo-eun’s mouth go dry.
“Uh… I’m sorry for repeating myself, but I’ll handle it. You really don’t need to come in.”
“If you’re sorry, then stop saying it. I’ve been counting—you’ve said it every five minutes.”
“...Really?”
She chuckled awkwardly, offering a sheepish smile.
“Anyway, just a quick greeting. That’s all. Say hello and leave, even if Mom tries to hold you back…”
“Just tell me to leave, okay. Got it.”
He replied absentmindedly.
By now, the car was already neatly parked.
“I’ll just give her the fruit basket and leave. Don’t worry.”
“She might… panic.”
“Huh?”
“She might panic. Sometimes when Mom gets excited, she tends to overdo things.”
“Isn’t that normal? Everyone gets carried away when they’re excited.”
True. It was true, but…
She’d probably overdo it more than he imagined.
The moment the door opened, Joo-eun’s worries turned into reality.
“Oh my! Welcome! What should I call you? 'Mr. Jeong' might be too soon, right? Oh ho ho!”
Hearing “Mr. Jeong” in her very first sentence made Joo-eun’s cheeks burn bright red.
“Ah, Mom, please try to calm down…”
“What you call me doesn’t matter. Though 'Mr. Jeong' sounds good too.”
When Min-hyuk chimed in agreement, Joo-eun stared at him in disbelief.
“Oh my goodness! How bold! Oh ho ho! Come in, come in. I heard you already ate, so I prepared a drinks table.”
She said something about dessert earlier—why was there suddenly a drinks table?
And… was that makeup on her mom?
It was a clear sign of her ambitious determination.
Her mom never wore makeup, not even for weddings, and here she was, fully done up at night. This only made Joo-eun more uneasy.
She felt like she needed to stop this situation from spiraling out of control…
But before she could intervene, Min-hyuk had already taken off his shoes and stepped inside.
“Thank you. I felt bad coming empty-handed, so I picked this up on the way.”
The fruit basket he held was piled high with large, fresh-looking fruits—clearly expensive.
“Oh my goodness! What is this? Look at his manners! Joo-eun, I’m so jealous. So envious!”
“Mom…”
“Hmm? Oh, right. Calm down, I’ll calm down. Please understand if I get a little carried away. It’s just that our Joo-eun has never brought home a boyfriend before, so I’m excited.”
At the word “first,” Min-hyuk’s gaze flickered slightly.
His eyes seemed to ask: So experienced, yet this is the first time she’s brought someone home?
“Hmm. Mom? Director Min is busy, so he’s just dropping this off and leaving…”
“Oh, we’re all just trying to live, so let’s eat first. Sit down, quickly.”
No, no sitting! He shouldn’t sit…
Joo-eun desperately tried to signal him with her eyes, but Min-hyuk avoided her gaze entirely.
Look at me! Why are you suddenly ignoring me?!
“I’ll have just a little. Should I sit here?”
“Huh?”
“Would it be alright if I sit here?”
No! That can’t be right!
“Ah… yes…”
The words “Why are you sitting here?” nearly escaped her throat, but she swallowed them back.
Hye-joo quickly glanced at the two of them, who seemed awkward and distant.
Their overly polite behavior made them appear strangely stiff, as if they barely knew each other.
At first, she wondered if they had only started dating recently—but knowing her daughter’s personality, it wouldn’t be surprising if they stayed this awkward for a year.
“This won’t do. Tonight, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands and liven things up.”
With renewed determination, Hye-joo cracked open a bottle of Chamisul soju.
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