SELA - 34

Sa-hee, having shaken off her trivial thoughts, carried the teabags and cups toward the water dispenser. She had considered searching for an electric kettle but quickly abandoned the idea, knowing it would take too long to rummage through everything.

“Here’s your tea.”

By the time she returned to the dining room, Ji-Hyuk was already seated inside. Sa-hee placed two teacups side by side on the table, and Ji-Hyuk pulled out a chair to sit across from her. She slid one of the cups toward him.

For a while, they sipped their tea in silence. The fragrant herbal tea, with its rising steam, warmed and soothed their insides pleasantly.

“You should probably lie down again,” Sa-hee suddenly suggested.

Ji-Hyuk lifted his gaze from the cup at her words.

“Lying down too long makes me tired.”

“That may be true, but... I only have tea to offer you...”

At this, Ji-Hyuk chuckled softly.

“If anyone saw this, they’d think this was Secretary Yoon’s house.”

“Oh, right.”

Now that she thought about it, it did feel like she was acting as if she owned the place. Sa-hee laughed along.

“I’ve rescheduled all your appointments for today. President Choi from Ewon Company insists on meeting with you again before the end of the week.”

“I see.”

“For meetings, Senior Vice President Shin will cover for you. You’ll receive the reports by tomorrow.”

“I should treat Senior Vice President Shin to a meal then.”

Sa-hee smiled faintly as she took another sip of tea. Her lips glistened red and moist from the warm liquid. Ji-Hyuk, observing her quietly, seemed to recall something and rose from his seat.

Curious, Sa-hee waited silently as Ji-Hyuk disappeared for a moment. When he returned, something small was clasped in his hand. Sitting back down, he immediately extended it toward her.

“Huh?”

“Take it—it’s yours.”

What Ji-Hyuk held out was none other than the earring Sa-hee had lost at the hotel last time.

“This is...”

Flustered, Sa-hee couldn’t continue. Ji-Hyuk’s eyes narrowed slightly as if trying to gauge her reaction.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

“Well, yes, it’s mine...”

“But?”

“I’m sorry.”

Her apology came out soft, her gaze lowered. Ji-Hyuk tilted his head quizzically.

“What are you apologizing for?”

“For troubling you unnecessarily. I should’ve taken better care of my belongings.”

“Ah.”

So that’s what she meant? Understanding now, Ji-Hyuk smirked. It wasn’t a pleasant smile—more of a derisive chuckle tinged with disbelief.

“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”

“...”

“I have a question for you, Secretary Yoon.”

Ji-Hyuk’s words made Sa-hee bite her lower lip. Clearly, there was something weighing on his mind. His gaze lingered on her trembling lips.

“May I ask?”

“Yes.”

After a brief hesitation, Sa-hee finally answered in a small voice. Ji-Hyuk, who had been waiting, turned her hand over on the table and gently placed the earring into her palm. It was both a gesture of goodwill and a reward for steering the conversation where he wanted. Startled by the sudden skin contact, Sa-hee instinctively looked up and locked eyes with him.

“Where do you think I found this?”

It was an unexpected question. Flustered, Sa-hee offered an awkward smile.

“Hmm... In the vice president’s office?”

One corner of Ji-Hyuk’s mouth twitched upward. His movements as he sipped his tea were slow and elegant.

“The C Hotel from last time. Remember when I asked you to bring clothes from my family home?”

Her heart sank.

“What were you doing the night before?”

“Not sure... I can’t quite remember...”

“Let me rephrase that. Do you recall the alumni reunion Jun-Young mentioned? The one where I got extremely drunk, and you said it was too late to take me home?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do while Song, the driver, took me to the hotel?”

“That...”

“As far as I know, Song contacted you first. Care to explain?”

Though Sa-hee parted her lips to respond, no words came out. She hadn’t been there—at least, not in her memory. Her earliest recollection began the morning after their first night together.

Of course, she could guess. Judging by her memories, that night they had spent their first night together. The same must have happened here. But confessing that outright was impossible.

“I was at home that night...”

Sa-hee barely managed to speak, but Ji-Hyuk cut her off.

“Be honest, Secretary Yoon. Wasn’t it you who brought me to the hotel? Right?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“I checked with Song and confirmed it with the hotel staff.”

“...”

“Why hide it? Are you ashamed of sleeping with me?”

Startled, Sa-hee snapped her head up to look at him.

“Are you asking if I regret sleeping with you?”

“Do you even remember?”

“It came back to me later.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for now? For sleeping with me? Is that what you’re sorry about?”

Ji-Hyuk pushed his teacup aside, one eyebrow arching sharply. The gesture betrayed his displeasure. Sa-hee immediately sensed his mood and struggled to find the right words. Her throat burned as she swallowed nervously.

“No, it’s not that... I just didn’t tell you the truth. It felt like a simple accident, and I assumed you wouldn’t remember anyway.”

“Whether it was simple or not isn’t for you to decide alone, Yoon Sa-hee. Both parties need to assess that.”

“Yes, it was short-sighted of me.”

And just like that, the conversation abruptly halted. Only the rhythmic tapping of Ji-Hyuk’s fingers on the table filled the silence, each sound striking Sa-hee’s nerves like a pendulum swinging back and forth. Just as she felt an involuntary sigh escaping her lips, Ji-Hyuk spoke again.

“I’ve dated briefly twice, longer once. None left much of an impression. As you know, I dislike physical contact. That’s why I rarely engaged in intimate acts with partners. And sex...”

Ji-Hyuk furrowed his brow, as if speaking further pained him. Pushing back his damp hair, he met Sa-hee’s gaze. The strands fell naturally, framing his face beautifully.

“To be honest, it’s all excuses. If even one of those relationships had truly moved me, things might have been different.”

Sa-hee stared at him, her eyes widening slightly. Though she knew he’d had lovers before marriage, hearing such intimate details was new. Why was he suddenly sharing this? What prompted these revelations?

Clearing her dry throat, Sa-hee ventured a question.

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“I’m not the kind of guy who sleeps and pretends nothing happened.”

His meaning was clear.

“Let’s give it a try. Date me.”

“Vice President...”

“I’m proposing we start dating.”

The thudding of her heartbeat reverberated heavily. Time seemed to flow thickly, like molasses. Though the situation and words were different, it boiled down to yet another confession from him.

This shouldn’t happen. They shouldn’t meet like this again. Yet the undeniable truth was that her heart stirred for him.

“If you’re doing this out of guilt, you don’t have to. We’re both adults, and there’s no need to take responsibility.”

Suppressing her feelings, Sa-hee forced herself to reply calmly. She had to.

Ji-Hyuk, however, grew irritated by her composed demeanor. Her detached assurance that he bore no responsibility pricked at something deep within him—a sharp, rising anger threatening to burst forth.

“That night. Don’t you remember?”

“Vice President...”

“If you do, then you know how I looked at you, how I held you. How worked up I was, pushing you relentlessly.”

“That’s because you were very drunk that night...”

“Yoon Sa-hee, do you hate me?”

For a moment, Sa-hee froze, unable to answer. Such a foolish question deserved no response. Meeting his piercing gaze, she shook her head.

“No.”

I like you.

Though she yearned to throw herself into his arms, fear of repeating past mistakes held her back.

“That’s enough. Tell me what you want—I’ll grant it.”

“What I want?”

“Anything that ensures your safety in this relationship.”

Sa-hee mulled over his words, slowly realizing that what Ji-Hyuk proposed was conditional dating.

“Is this...?”

“A contractual relationship, yes.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what it is.”

“I don’t need it, but you seem too burdened to start without it. What do you think?”

Biting her lip, Sa-hee fell into deep thought. Rejecting him outright felt impossible when her desire for him was genuine. Moreover, her unchecked longing, nurtured while staying close to him, had grown uncontrollable. Unable to refuse his proposal outright, she realized she’d already surrendered control. The battle was already tilting in his favor.

It’s not like I’m planning to bind myself to him forever. Just enough time to express my feelings, a fleeting moment of closeness. If I can have that, perhaps I’ll regret less. So maybe... just once, wouldn’t it be okay?

The greatest dilemma and temptation of her life swirled chaotically in her mind.