CEB - 1

Chapter 1: The Proposal

“Let’s break up.”

The confident tone of the man declaring their breakup caused Dan-jung’s face—her smile being her most charming feature—to crumple instantly.

Why was it always three months? Dan-jung, cursed with a streak of relationships that never lasted beyond a hundred days, wasn’t upset about the breakup itself but rather irritated by this recurring jinx.

“What’s the reason?”

With a bitter smirk, Dan-jung crossed her arms and glared at him as if she could kill him with her gaze.

It was laughable how this same guy had once begged her to date him, even going so far as to kneel. Now, he was breaking up with her?

“I feel like you don’t love me anymore.”

Won-soon, Dan-jung’s eleventh boyfriend or so, gave an answer that was as pathetic as it was predictable.

He was tall and lanky, with a cute face that she initially liked, but his behavior was always so childish.

“Fine, I understand. Goodbye.”

Dan-jung, blessed with a statuesque figure, long flowing hair, a defined jawline, and milky skin, possessed striking features—a double eyelid, a sharp nose, and full lips. Combined with her aloof demeanor, she rose from her seat without hesitation.

Her philosophy was simple: don’t chase those who leave, and don’t stop those who come. Once again, she accepted the breakup coolly.

“Huh? You’re really just going to end it like this?”

Won-soon, surprised, jumped up from his seat and grabbed her slender arm. Truthfully, he had expected her to beg him to stay. His declaration of a breakup was nothing more than a bluff—he had no intention of leaving her.

“You were the one who said we should end it.”

Dan-jung responded curtly, already finding him annoying.

“Hah! So you’re that kind of easy woman?”

Won-soon’s words twisted Dan-jung’s expression once more.

Not this again. She didn’t ask for any of this—she only agreed to date because they pursued her, and now they wanted to break up. Why did she have to hear this nonsense?

The label “easy woman,” which she heard all too often, made her blood boil.

“Yeah, I’m an easy woman. Didn’t you know?”

Shaking off his grip on her wrist, Dan-jung walked away without a trace of regret.

“Are you really going to end it like this?”

Won-soon, clinging to attachment unlike Dan-jung, shouted after her retreating figure.

But despite his cries, Dan-jung waved goodbye coolly, walking out of his life.

A month passed in the blink of an eye since Dan-jung’s breakup with Won-soon.

And today, as usual, she faced yet another unfamiliar customer asking the same question.

“Um… sorry to bother you, but do you have a boyfriend?”

“Huh?”

No matter how politely Dan-jung smiled, customers fell for her charm. Even foreign businessmen visiting Korea briefly would extend their stays after being captivated by her radiant smile.

“I’m sorry, sir. I’m already married.”

Once again, Dan-jung had to pretend to be a married woman. If she didn’t, things would get unnecessarily complicated.

“But you’re not wearing a wedding ring…”

The persistent man scanned her hands with hawk-like precision.

Sighing inwardly, Dan-jung pulled out an old gold ring from her drawer. It was a couple’s ring one of her ex-boyfriends had given her.

“I take it off while working, sir.”

She offered a polite but insincere smile, subtly signaling her discomfort.

“Oh, I see.”

The guest from out of town finally turned away reluctantly. But as he left, he kept glancing back, unable to forget her warm smile.

“Ugh…”

As the guest exited through the main door after checking out, Dan-jung sighed deeply. Another day safely survived.

“Are you okay, Noona?”

After the customer left, Si-woo, who shared the front desk duties with Dan-jung, dropped his stoic facade and looked at her with concern.

Si-woo, a year younger than Dan-jung, was her colleague and someone who stood by her during these situations, acting as a reliable shield.

In the past, Si-woo had even gotten into arguments with customers on her behalf, earning the lowest score in employee evaluations. But after Dan-jung asked him to stop intervening, he could only watch helplessly.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Just another day.”

Dan-jung looked at Si-woo as he spoke gently to her. Tall and well-built, with thick eyebrows, large eyes without double lids, and a sharp nose, Si-woo was the epitome of a handsome man.

“It’s a shame, but what can I do?”

A month after her breakup, loneliness began creeping in. Dan-jung stole glances at Si-woo’s handsome face and felt a pang of regret.

In truth, Si-woo had confessed to her early in their employment.

[“Noona, if you’re not seeing anyone, how about me?”]

[“Sorry, but I don’t plan to date coworkers.”]

Dan-jung intended to work at the hotel for a long time and didn’t want to risk an awkward workplace dynamic by dating Si-woo. Besides, she knew their relationship wouldn’t last beyond three months anyway. She valued their current camaraderie too much to jeopardize it.

Respecting her boundaries, Si-woo stopped pursuing her, and they maintained a great working relationship.

“Noona, maybe it’d be better if you just got married.”

While organizing billing records, Si-woo casually tossed out this remark—not quite advice, but close enough.

“Huh?”

“I mean, instead of lying about being married every time, why not actually get married?”

“I’d need a husband first to get married.”

“You have a boyfriend, right? He seemed decent. Why not just commit?”

Si-woo teased her lightly, knowing full well that this boyfriend, like the others, wouldn’t last long.

“That was ages ago.”

“What? Again? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Startled, Si-woo blurted out his question.

“It was just… bothersome. And if I said I broke up, people might start hitting on me again.”

Over time, Dan-jung had received advances from several colleagues, including Si-woo. While Si-woo respected her boundaries, others were relentless, even some married men.

[Miss Dan-jung, aren’t you being too cold? Come on, let’s go on one date.]

[Miss Dan-jung, tell me what you want to eat or buy. I’ll get it for you. Just meet me once, okay?]

[Miss Dan-jung, seriously, isn’t this too much? When someone tries this hard, shouldn’t you at least meet them once?]

Unfortunately, rejections always ended badly, and rumors about her spread. Some claimed she dated men she hadn’t even met, labeling her an “easy woman” behind her back.

To maintain a smooth work environment, Dan-jung kept dating, at least ensuring no one at work bothered her. But the problem was the short duration of her relationships.

“Hey, Noona, surely this one didn’t last just three months, right?”

“Actually, it did.”

“Whoa!”

Si-woo froze mid-task, his eyes darting from the computer screen to Dan-jung.

“Don’t you think it’s time for some good luck charms?”

“Yeah, there’s definitely a problem.”

Si-woo nodded emphatically in agreement.

“Why not just get married? Then you won’t have to worry about breakups.”

Dan-jung was tired of relationships ending before a hundred days and of strangers confessing to her. Above all, she craved stability and a lasting relationship.

“But what if I divorce within three months?”

Hearing sincerity in her voice, Si-woo quickly interjected with a sharp comment.

“Exactly… That’s why I’m scared to get married. I wish a perfect husband would just fall from the sky.”

“Then why not get married?”

“As long as there’s no divorce, why not? Let’s do it—I’ll get married!”

At that moment—

“Then let’s get married. To me.”

A deep, businesslike voice flowed into Dan-jung’s ears.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Dan-jung looked up to see a man standing there—handsome beyond comparison, towering over Si-woo, and exuding an aura of sophistication.

“Wait, haven’t I seen him somewhere before…?”

She tilted her head, observing how his tailored suit perfectly complemented his sleek features and tall frame. Then, recalling her rule of never dating customers or coworkers, she reached for the ring in her drawer.

“Good afternoon, President.”

Just as Dan-jung opened the drawer, her hand froze upon hearing Si-woo’s greeting.

Turning her head, she saw Si-woo bowing respectfully while the man gave a slight nod in response.

“President?”

More handsome than any actor, taller than most models, and with shoulders broader than an athlete’s—yes, it was him. The newly appointed president, Min-hyuk, infamous for being unnecessarily attractive.

“Good afternoon, President Min-hyuk~.”

Flustered, Dan-jung greeted him with an uncharacteristically high-pitched voice.

“When do you finish work tomorrow?”

Min-hyuk’s cold tone matched his composed expression. He desperately wanted to grab Dan-jung right then and there, but he had prior commitments and had to wait until tomorrow.

“I’m on the morning shift, so I’ll finish at 4 PM.”

“Then I’ll see you in my office after work.”

“Huh? Why me?”

The thought of visiting the president’s office overwhelmed Dan-jung—it was a place she’d never dared approach.

“I’d like to discuss marriage with Miss Dan-jung.”

“Marriage?”

“That’s all for now. See you tomorrow.”

As Min-hyuk disappeared, leaving Dan-jung frozen in place, Si-woo broke the silence.

“Noona, are you okay?”

“Si-woo… pinch me, will you?”

Pointing to her cheek, Dan-jung waited as Si-woo gently pinched her.

“Harder.”

Sighing, Si-woo squeezed her cheek until it turned red.

“Ow… that really hurts.”

The stinging sensation confirmed this wasn’t a dream. Yet, Dan-jung still couldn’t wrap her head around what had just happened.

“Noona, are you really going to his office?”

“Huh? Where?”

“The president’s office.”

“I guess I have to, right?”

As a low-ranking employee, Dan-jung couldn’t refuse her boss’s order. But marriage? This was utterly unexpected.