CEB - 34

Chapter 34: Will You Marry Me?

“Ms. Choi Dan-jung, are you heading home?”

After the family meeting ended, Min-hyuk stopped Dan-jung, whose expression seemed troubled. Though others might not notice, Min-hyuk, who was accustomed to observing people’s facial expressions, easily detected that something was off with her.

Regardless of the reason, he couldn’t bring himself to let her leave alone—it weighed heavily on his mind.

“No, I’m meeting with Secretary Oh to discuss wedding preparations.”

“I see. When will you be done?”

“Hmm, probably in an hour or two.”

“Then let’s have dinner together later and head home.”

Min-hyuk planned to take her to a nice restaurant to lift her spirits. From experience, he knew Dan-jung became quite happy when she ate delicious food.

“Okay, I’ll do that.”

But in truth, Dan-jung wasn’t in the mood for it. The food she had eaten during the meeting felt like it was sitting heavily in her stomach, and she felt deeply embarrassed about how inferior she seemed compared to Min-hyuk.

With that, Min-hyuk returned to his office, and Dan-jung headed to a café to meet Secretary Oh. Though there was still time before their appointment, she decided to grab a soda to soothe her unsettled stomach.

“Oh~ Dan-jung!”

At that moment, Suyeon spotted Dan-jung passing by and called out to her.

“Hello! How have you been?”

“Dan-jung, you’re glowing like a new bride. I heard your family meeting was at Arirang today—how did it go?”

Suyeon flattered Dan-jung but was also genuinely curious if the meeting went well. After all, malicious rumors about Dan-jung had been spreading throughout the hotel.

“It just ended, and I’m on my way back.”

“Listen, Dan-jung… I don’t know if I should say this, but I’m really worried about you.”

“What is it?”

“There are strange rumors going around the hotel. They’re saying you were dating Si-woo and had even promised to marry him, but then you betrayed him and are marrying the boss for money…”

The rumors about Dan-jung had snowballed, now painting her as shameless and opportunistic.

“What? That’s completely ridiculous! I’ve never dated Si-woo!”

“Exactly! I know that too. Who would’ve thought such bizarre rumors would spread right before your wedding?”

“Sigh ...”

Dan-jung felt her stress levels skyrocket. No matter how much she tried to brush it off, this was simply too much.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Fuming, Dan-jung set off to find Si-woo, determined to confront him directly about the rumors.

“Is that you, Si-woo?”

Arriving at the front desk, Dan-jung called out to Si-woo without caring about the attention she drew.

“Hey, unni! How have you been? What’s wrong?”

“What’s this nonsense about us dating and me betraying you?! What’s going on?!”

An enraged Dan-jung vented her frustration. Passersby and hotel employees began glancing curiously at the scene.

“Unni, let’s step outside to talk. It’s not good for people to overhear.”

“Fine, let’s go! Go and explain yourself.”

Si-woo gently guided Dan-jung toward the staff lounge. However, the sight of them leaving only fueled more whispers among the employees.

“Unni, I’ve heard those rumors too, but since they’re not true, I ignored them.”

“Are you the one spreading them?”

“Why would I do that? I’m not trash like that.”

“Sigh ... Then who the hell started these rumors? I’ve never dated you, let alone betrayed you!”

“Someone who’s jealous of you, unni.”

“Who? Are you talking about Manager Na?”

Dan-jung’s brow furrowed deeply, and tears of frustration began welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t understand why Manager Na was tormenting her so mercilessly. What had she done to deserve this?

“How should I know?”

“I’m not letting this slide!”

As Dan-jung prepared to storm off and confront Manager Na, Si-woo grabbed her arm to stop her.

“If you cause a scene, the rumors will only get worse.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?!”

With less than a week until the wedding, Dan-jung’s nerves were frayed.

“I’ll go around explaining that it’s all lies. Quite a few people have already asked me about it.”

“You’ll really do that for me?”

“Yes, don’t worry. These baseless rumors won’t last more than a week.”

“Thank you, Si-woo.”

Dan-jung always appreciated how Si-woo shielded her from trouble. Still, her mood remained heavy, even as she met with Secretary Oh later.

Secretary Oh, being quite perceptive, could tell Dan-jung was feeling down. Despite having many questions, she refrained from bringing up the rumors.

________________________________________

While working, Min-hyuk kept thinking about Dan-jung’s tense expression. He wanted to cheer her up with a delicious dinner, but somehow it didn’t feel like enough. He wanted to do more to lift her spirits.

Suddenly, he remembered something Secretary Im had once mentioned: surprise events can be great for relationships.

“A surprise event, huh…?”

Since Secretary Oh was unavailable, Min-hyuk reluctantly called in the new secretary, Kim.

“Kim Secretary, how does one organize a surprise event?”

“Surprise event? Are you referring to something for Madam?”

“Precisely.”

Min-hyuk nodded, his expression serious.

“Do we need to carry it out today?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Kim Secretary felt awkward receiving such a tricky request, especially without Senior Secretary Oh around. But he saw this as an opportunity to earn the boss’s recognition and quickly steeled himself.

“Sir, have you already proposed to Madam?”

“Proposed? I think so… but do I need an event for that?”

Min-hyuk looked puzzled.

“Yes! For example, writing a love message on a billboard, hiding a ring inside a cake, or getting down on one knee to present the ring.”

“So, I need to do something like that?”

“This proposal event could shape the rest of your life, sir.”

Though usually intimidated by Min-hyuk, Kim Secretary grew animated as he explained.

“Hmm… Let’s give it a try. I can spare an hour or two starting now.”

“Yes, sir! I’ll prepare everything perfectly as soon as possible.”

With clenched fists, Kim Secretary left the office. But Min-hyuk suddenly called him back.

“Ah! Kim Secretary!”

“Yes, sir?”

“If I do something like this, will it improve her mood?”

“Yes! I’ll make sure Madam feels like she’s walking on clouds.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Min-hyuk found Kim Secretary’s determination reassuring.

________________________________________

After finishing her discussion with Secretary Oh, Dan-jung waited for Min-hyuk in the hotel lobby. With only three days left until the wedding, the schedule was extremely tight. But privately, Dan-jung worried whether the wedding would even happen.

Surely, the scandal involving Si-woo and herself had reached Min-hyuk’s ears.

“Sigh ... What if he cancels the wedding?”

Dan-jung felt powerless, even imagining such a scenario. After all, the fiancée of Le Soleil Hotel’s president being embroiled in a pre-wedding scandal with an employee…

She knew her circumstances weren’t nearly as impressive as Min-hyuk’s ex-girlfriend’s. If that woman were here, she’d probably rush to take Dan-jung’s place at the altar.

Dan-jung felt tears welling up but forced herself to hold them back, knowing crying in the hotel lobby would only provide entertainment for onlookers.

“Let’s go.”

Min-hyuk appeared and led her to the restaurant. Even inside his car, Dan-jung’s expression remained troubled.

‘He must already know…’

It was strange that Min-hyuk, who surely knew about the rumors, hadn’t said anything. She worried he might be considering calling off the wedding. If he hesitated because of their marriage contract, she resolved to tell him she didn’t care.

In truth, she’d already braced herself. Both she and her family had seemed so insignificant compared to him.

“What’s on your mind?”

Min-hyuk asked, noticing her tense expression once again.

“Well, actually…”

“We’re almost there. Let’s get out.”

Seeing Namsan Tower through the window, Min-hyuk prepared to exit. Something about her demeanor made him hesitate to hear her thoughts just yet.

“Where are we?”

“Let’s take a walk and clear our heads. We’ll talk afterward.”

Following Kim Secretary’s plan, Min-hyuk guided Dan-jung to their first stop: the Namsan Cable Car.

“Have you ridden this before?”

“Uh, no.”

Dan-jung lied, having ridden it at least three times with previous boyfriends. But admitting that now felt impossible.

“Then let’s give it a try.”

This was Min-hyuk’s first time on a cable car, and his heart raced slightly.

“Wow, the view is so beautiful!”

Dan-jung gazed out the window, captivated.

“Is it?”

But Min-hyuk felt irritated by the crowds pushing against him. By the time they reached the top, he vowed never to ride it again.

‘I should’ve asked Secretary Oh to handle this…’

He regretted delegating the task to the inexperienced Kim Secretary. Secretary Oh would’ve avoided such a chaotic date.

Still, seeing Dan-jung smile brightly replaced his frustration with satisfaction.

“Wow, it feels like my chest has finally cleared!”

The cool late-summer breeze atop Namsan was lifting her spirits.

“Oh! Right, Namsan is famous for its pork cutlets. Let’s grab some later!”

Feeling better, Dan-jung suggested a modest date.

“Let’s save the pork cutlets for another time. I’ve already reserved a table at the tower restaurant.”

“Can’t we cancel?”

“Absolutely not. The cancellation fee is quite expensive.”

Dan-jung blinked in surprise at Min-hyuk’s firm tone.

“Alright, let’s go. I’m hungry.”

Flustered by her reaction, Min-hyuk pulled her hand and led her to the restaurant.

‘For someone so wealthy, the cancellation fee must be peanuts… though it might actually cost more than the pork cutlets.’

Though reluctant, Dan-jung thought dining at a fancy restaurant for their farewell wasn’t bad either. In her mind, she kept preparing herself for their breakup—to protect her pride and avoid further hurt.

But when they arrived at the restaurant, the scene before her brought tears to her eyes.

“Will you marry me?”

Inside the privately rented restaurant, soft music played. Min-hyuk knelt on one knee and presented Dan-jung with a ring.

Foolishly… he hadn’t considered breaking up with her at all.