II - 6

Iryeong, stuck in her thoughts, abruptly stood up from her seat.

“Is it absurd?”

She wondered if this was really something that required an answer.

Beyond feeling flabbergasted, Iryeong didn’t react at all to his nonchalant question.

“Still, a confession from someone like me isn’t a bad offer.”

His comment about relying on looks seemed to apply to himself, the department head.

“...Department Head.”

Iryeong stared at him and sat back down on her chair.

“Are you insane?”

And she finally blurted out what had been on her mind.

“Let’s say I’m crazy. But listen—”

I-jun calmly smiled and continued.

“Let’s do whatever you want. Whether it’s dating or marriage.”

Right now, another unpleasant blind date was scheduled for today. She felt as though ending this endless cycle of blind dates would bring some relief.

“It’s because I’m desperate.”

Just as he was thinking of hiring someone to pretend to be his hidden lover for his mother, he stumbled upon Chae Iryeong as his potential target.

“Department Head!”

“Call me by my name. Just as I call you ‘Iryeong.’“

If he claimed her as his lover, just like his older brother had done, perhaps the blind dates would stop.

“We’ll make a great pair.”

Faced with his outrageous claims, Iryeong couldn’t figure out how to respond.

“After all, aren’t you alone anyway?”

Ugh. Though she was single, she had no interest in accepting such a self-serving confession.

“Why does it have to be me?”

“Well, you’re the only person around me who has recently gone through a painful breakup.”

He was ruder than he appeared. She began to doubt whether he truly was the respected boss admired by his team members.

“People heal best by moving on to someone new. Why not ditch the old clunker and upgrade to a luxury car like me?”

He was shamelessly audacious, exuding confidence without a hint of embarrassment.

“Department Head. Are you under pressure to get married?”

Iryeong, exasperated, crossed her arms and shot back with the first thing that came to mind.

“Not at all.”

I-jun casually crossed his legs and shook his head. He had no intention of revealing his cards to her just yet.

“I won’t put you in any awkward situations.”

“I never said I wanted to date or anything. Don’t jump ahead of yourself.”

She snapped at him curtly.

“Then give me a reason. Why do you need this?”

“I apologize to you, Ms. Chae, but it’s for personal reasons of mine.”

I-jun had no intention of explaining easily.

How could he possibly explain that he was using her as a shield to avoid those dreadful blind dates?

“You know you’re being extremely rude right now, right?”

“That might just be part of my charm.”

His brazen behavior confirmed to Iryeong that he was indeed insane. Not only was he being arrogant, but he was also in the position of asking a favor.

As a result, Iryeong firmly decided she wanted nothing to do with I-jun.

“When are you returning to the office?”

“I can be back before the end of work.”

Work ended at 6 PM, and her blind date was scheduled for 7 PM. That left him only an hour to get a definitive answer from her.

“I’m short on time, so I’ll head out first. Let’s wrap this up after work.”

I-jun stood up without receiving a clear answer.

It seemed like any hope of a positive outcome had already slipped away.

“Don’t walk around—take a taxi.”

Regardless, he handed her his personal card.

Her cheeks were flushed red from walking briskly in the sharp wind, making her look somehow like a lost kitten.

“If you date me, it won’t just end with taxis.”

“W-what? I don’t need this…!”

She tried to return the card, but he abruptly left the shop.

Iryeong stared at the card she’d unintentionally accepted, reflecting on the absurd situation.

“I avoided one bad option, only to run into a lunatic...”

He clung to her like a leech, determined not to let go.

That day, accidentally getting into his car felt like stepping into a trap.

“‘That might just be part of my charm.’“

Charm? It wasn’t charm—it was rudeness bordering on arrogance.

Despite feeling irritated, thoughts of him kept creeping into her mind.

The department head she saw in the office and the one she met last Friday seemed like two entirely different people. And today’s version of him felt like yet another person altogether.

Confused, Iryeong couldn’t bring herself to leave and kept thinking about I-jun.

* * *

Just before the end of the workday, Iryeong returned to the office.

The same seat she’d occupied in the morning now felt unbearably uncomfortable.

Hiding her face behind her monitor, she stole a glance at I-jun from afar. He was calmly focused on his work as if nothing had happened.

How could he be so shameless?

She was starting to doubt whether this was the same man who had begged her for dating or marriage just earlier.

Feeling suddenly thirsty, she stepped into the office pantry. Amidst the snacks, all she chose was a cold glass of water.

“He’d make a great actor.”

Even in the pantry, she peeked at him. Though his expression wasn’t clearly visible, she could easily imagine it.

Ever since she started working here, the I-jun she’d seen always maintained a cool, indifferent demeanor. Countless employees praised him for how “cool” he looked.

“Cool? Ha! How shameless can you get?”

Shaking her head, she gulped down the rest of her water.

Her mind was already made up to reject him. There was something suspicious about how he pushed for dating and marriage without any clear reason.

“Maybe I should grab some chicken?”

She mentally branded his proposal as even less appealing than fried chicken.

Thinking about going back to her desk, finishing her report, and leaving work cleanly brought her some peace of mind.

“Was Iryeong here too? Do you want coffee as well?”

As the workday was nearing its end, team members began to trickle into the pantry one by one.

“No, thank you! I’ve already had some.”

Iryeong was waiting for the right moment to excuse herself while her seniors were still around.

“Then at least have this. It’s sweet but also soft when you bite into it.”

One of the seniors handed her a cookie.

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, she decided to eat the cookie and leave quickly.

“Doesn’t it seem like Team Leader Seo has absolutely no interest in succeeding the CEO position?”

“Not just you—everyone in the company probably thinks the same. Anyone can see that Team Leader Seo is content where he is.”

The team members sipping their coffee started discussing Ilha, I-jun’s older brother.

“Isn’t it obvious that Managing Director Seo is more suited for the CEO title than Team Leader Seo? Look at his achievements.”

I-jun’s older brother was a perennial team leader in the development department.

“Exactly. He’s got everything—looks, business acumen, nothing’s missing. I fully support Managing Director Seo becoming the CEO!”

Amidst the employees’ praise, Iryeong couldn’t even enjoy her cookie properly.

It only deepened her frustration. Why would such an accomplished man make such an absurd proposal to her?

“I’ll head out first. Please continue your conversation.”

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the ongoing praise for I-jun, Iryeong excused herself and returned to her seat.

Managing Director Seo I-jun was someone respected by all employees. Even without his mother’s influence, he had carved out his own place.

He was someone worthy of admiration as a superior.

But that was where it ended for her.

Iryeong didn’t want to get entangled in any special relationship with a coworker.

She had learned firsthand how scandals could follow and torment those who formed such relationships at work, and she didn’t want to experience that again.

While writing her report, quitting time arrived. As employees began leaving the office one by one, Iryeong stayed glued to her seat.

“Iryeong, aren’t you leaving yet?”

“I missed something in my report, so I’ll finish it up before heading out. You go ahead, Senior Bae.”

There wasn’t anything missing from her two-page A4 report, but Iryeong smoothly lied.

“I’ll check your perfect report tomorrow. I’m leaving first.”

Senior Bae nodded without suspicion and left the office.

With her gaze fixed on the monitor, Iryeong focused her ears intently toward the office entrance. The sound of footsteps gradually faded, and silence fell.

She cautiously looked up to survey the office. Other than Managing Director Seo far away, she was the only one left.

“Phew…”

As the decisive moment approached, she let out a small sigh.

All she had to do was reject him and leave—it was simple enough. But her heart was racing as if she’d just finished a 100-meter sprint.

She placed her hand over her chest, trying to calm herself down, telling herself it was just nerves about being alone with the Managing Director.

“Hoo, hoo.”

She took several deep breaths, but her heart wouldn’t settle. Instead, her breathing grew shallow, and she started hearing a ringing in her ears.

She felt like this tension wouldn’t ease until the situation was over.

“Managing Director.”

So she calmly called out to him and waited for a response, but he didn’t show any reaction.

Could it be that he’s playing hard to get?

Without realizing it, Iryeong found herself growing anxious about him. He had acted so urgent earlier, but now he seemed completely relaxed, which only made her more restless.

Overthinking, Iryeong bit down hard on her lip.

For some reason, her pride was hurt. It felt like she was the only one who cared about this moment right now.

‘What should I do?’

His proposal was clearly meant to be rejected. But as he remained silent, she grew impatient, and her resolve began to waver.

She concluded that perhaps this too was exactly what he wanted.

He truly was shameless.

“Managing Director?”

In the nearly empty office, she called out to him in a voice so soft it was barely audible, laced with subtle impatience.

“This is the last time.”

With a hint of flirtation, she urged him.

Click. She heard the sound of him hurriedly clicking his mouse.

“Come to my desk right now.”

The one who should be anxious wasn’t her—it was him. So she decided to make him sweat.

She couldn’t relax, wondering if I-jun would fall into her trap as planned.

Her worries turned out to be unnecessary.

Once again, he came over quickly, like an obedient retriever following commands.

His usually composed face was slightly flushed, as if he were nervous—something uncharacteristic of him.

“Let’s date.”

Her mind screamed rejection, but her lips moved on their own, speaking with surprising calmness, as if she’d already made up her mind.

“But there’s a condition.”

“Alright. Tell me.”

His expression suggested he was ready to agree to anything. Iryeong tightened her lips and gave him a bright smile.

“We’re going to have a real relationship.”

And with that, she delivered an answer that seemed to satisfy him.

But I-jun stroked his chin and looked troubled.

“You said to choose between the two. I choose dating. Marriage is out of the question.”

So she tested him again, but he showed no particular reaction. His contemplative expression made her uneasy.

Ah, I’ve fallen for his tricks again.

Iryeong realized once more that she had become prey to this cunning predator.