IDTE 08

Chapter – 08

“Then, um…”

The man had already come up beside me, casually taking my bag in his hand.

“I’ve been waiting the whole time to see when you’d leave work!”

“Um, excuse me….”

“Oh, did you hear from Lee Hyun? I was supposed to come today!”

“Hello. I’m Lawyer Choi Yeon-woo from the same law firm as Min-ha.”

Before I could respond, Senior Choi stepped in beside me.

“Hello. I’m Kim Gun.”

The man in front of me didn’t hesitate to shake Senior Choi’s hand. Kim Gun… a name I had never heard before.

“Min-ha, let’s get in the car first!”

He naturally guided me toward the car. Without even saying goodbye to Senior Choi, I suddenly found myself sitting in the passenger seat.

“Seatbelt on?”

“You’re Kim Gun, right?”

“Ah, sorry for the sudden introduction. I hope he wasn’t bothering you, Min-ha.”

Instead of answering, I just nodded slightly. I thought to myself that he was quite observant.

“Let me properly introduce myself. I’m Kim Gun from Sungjin Capital’s Strategic Planning Team.”

He handed me a perfectly neat business card.

“I’ve known Lee Hyun since we were kids, so I’m aware of your situation. You don’t need to worry.”

His bright smile didn’t seem to match the title on the card at all.

He was the Head of Strategic Planning at Sungjin Capital.

“You said you’re friends with Do Lee-hyun?”

“To be exact, I’m a year older than Lee Hyun. I’m already thirty-five, believe it or not. And I always welcome being called youthful. How about you, Min-ha?”

“I’m thirty. Youthful… I see.”

“Not at all. If you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask anytime.”

It hadn’t even been ten minutes since I met him, but I already knew so much—his name, job, age, even his favorite phrases.

Unlike some people, he had a truly bright personality.

The car drove smoothly, cutting through the streets of Seoul at night.

“It might be sudden, but it’ll be okay. There’s a separate room for you. As long as you don’t run into Lee Hyun, it should be manageable, right?”

The words, “as long as you don’t run into Lee Hyun,” made me laugh before I could stop myself.

“…Do you happen to have a study room or something at home?”

“Of course. Why?”

“I’d like to have a space where I can work, if possible.”

“Since there’s a spare room, you don’t need to worry about that. If you want, I can talk to Lee Hyun about it.”

Thankfully, the trip to Do Lee-hyun’s house wasn’t as hellish as I had expected.

I stopped by my old villa to pack only the essentials. It didn’t take long since I kept it minimal.

Kim Gun’s car stopped in front of a penthouse that screamed expensive.

After entering the keypad he gave me, we went through the main gate. The well-maintained, tidy garden and the straight, rigid building immediately caught my eye.

Even the house seemed as unapproachable as Do Lee-hyun himself.

Inside, the white marble floors shone in the darkness, and the furniture was all in muted shades.

I wanted to fill the space with light, but couldn’t find the switch.

At that moment, light came on with a click near the entrance. It was Kim Gun.

“Thank you for helping me carry my things.”

“No problem at all.”

His smile naturally lifted, not a forced one, but something innate.

“May I ask… why are you so kind?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Not exactly, but I’m curious about kindness without reason.”

I stepped back a few paces and faced him. There was a strange contradiction about him.

It was like seeing a misplaced piece in a “find the differences” puzzle.

“You’re special to me since you’re Lee Hyun’s fiancée. Even if only for a short while.”

“You seem very close to him?”

“We’ve seen each other at our worst and best since we were kids.”

Since childhood… then maybe this seemingly kind person knows something, even a little, about what happened twenty years ago.

“I appreciate your kindness.”

Kim Gun’s pale eyes folded slightly with his smile.

Who would associate such a bright, gentle smile with Sungjin Capital? That contrast made him all the more unreadable.

For now, anyone who could help me even a little shouldn’t be made an enemy.

I smiled back at him. Even if it was fake, I didn’t remember the last time I had smiled like this.

After Kim Gun gave me a quick tour, I unpacked in my room on the second floor.

Doubts crept in again—was this really necessary?

I moved to the open living room to avoid getting lost in unnecessary sentimentality.

Collapsing onto the wide sofa, which could fit three people, exhaustion hit me.

To stay focused, I pulled out a copy of the “Agreement on External Relations Cooperation” from my bag and began to read carefully.

The agreement’s period was a maximum of one year. No extensions.

Clauses about mutual privacy, requests for accompaniment during events, and prohibition of third-party leaks caught my attention.

I scoffed at the neutral phrasing “external relations cooperation,” clearly designed to avoid suspicions of a sham marriage.

What would happen if this agreement were contested in court?

But that wasn’t my purpose.

My goal was to create even a small opening to challenge Sungjin Capital in a meaningful legal battle.

For that, I needed to search Do Lee-hyun’s bedroom and study before he arrived.

I should… but the overwhelming sleepiness was pulling me under.

When had I last slept well?

How much time had passed?

I heard faint keypad beeps at the edge of sleep, sensing someone approaching.

A cold scent brushed past my nose, and my body was lifted. Was it sleep paralysis, or a dream? I couldn’t tell.

Eventually, weak sunlight coming through the window woke me.

Two things became clear: it was already morning, and I wasn’t in the living room—I was in a room I didn’t recognize.

Carefully, I left the room and went down to the first floor. On the sofa lay Do Lee-hyun instead of me.

Though it had only been a day since I last saw him, somehow his arrogant face felt familiar. I couldn’t move closer, nor step away.

“Why are you staring like that?”

Though his eyes were closed, he didn’t seem asleep.

Sensing my presence, he opened one eye.

“When did you get here?”

“Early morning.”

“Did you move me?”

“You seemed comfortable sleeping on the sofa.”

As he lifted his upper body, his disheveled shirt parted slightly, revealing his chest.

“Isn’t it strange for an engaged couple to use separate rooms?”

His low, growling laugh carried exhaustion.

“Rest. I’ll go back inside.”

He slowly rose, his large hands reaching for the buttons of his shirt, fastening them one by one.

There was something in the way his fingers touched the fabric, slow and languid.

“One week from now.”

“One… what?”

“The wedding. One week from now.”

My dazed gaze snapped back to reality.

One week was far too soon.

“We’ll take care of most of the preparations, so just follow what we say.”

“But a week is too sudden. I have work, and I need to prepare myself mentally…”

“Mentally prepare?”

He smiled lowly and stepped closer.

His gaze swept down across the dress I hadn’t yet changed from yesterday.

“Wh… what are you—?”

He continued moving closer, and I backed up until I hit the wall.

A strange tension hung in the mere inches between us.

His hand grasped the hem of my dress, just below my thigh.

“Isn’t this uncomfortable?”

“If you don’t want to be reported for sexual harassment, let go immediately.”

I glared at him with anger. He just looked down at me, unfazed.

I could feel tension building between his brows. After a small laugh, he released my dress.

“Still scared, huh?”

As if nothing had happened, he stepped back.

“Someone will come later to discuss what’s needed for the ceremony. And if it were me, I’d change out of that uncomfortable dress.”

He was always like this. Closing the physical distance on his own terms, then returning to his spot as if nothing happened.

It was as if there were an invisible line between him and me.

I decided I would draw that line more firmly.