Chapter 9
Yoon Hae-yoon, are you crazy?
Hae-yoon scolded herself.
She wanted to immediately take back what she had just said.
But instead, different words came out.
“I checked. The photos weren’t taken by reporters. Someone just uploaded them online.”
At least that was fortunate.
If reporters had been following them, there would have been much more sensational photos.
They probably would have photographed In-hyuk going in and out of Si-yeon’s apartment too.
“You can say the two of you met at an event before and became acquaintances. Then say that Mr. Do In-hyuk asked Actress Si-yeon to help him choose a gift for me.”
The photos showed In-hyuk and Si-yeon leaving a department store after shopping together.
There were also photos of them eating together at a restaurant.
“And just say the meal was his way of thanking her. Since I’m currently working as Actress Si-yeon’s manager, I think people will accept that explanation.”
Si-yeon had finally calmed down a little.
Still sniffling, she wiped away her tears.
“…You’re willing to take the dating rumor instead?”
This was Hae-yoon’s last chance.
She could still say she had spoken without thinking.
She could still take it back somehow.
But after looking at Si-yeon…
She couldn’t.
Si-yeon’s eyes were swollen from crying.
Her hair was messy.
Her face looked pale and exhausted.
Hae-yoon couldn’t give someone like that hope and then take it away.
No decent person would do that.
“…Y-Yes.”
Hae-yoon squeezed her eyes shut.
I’m finished.
There was no taking it back now.
Only moments ago she had rejected In-hyuk’s proposal.
Now she had suggested pretending to date him herself.
And that was after discovering her own boyfriend had cheated on her today.
A headache started to form.
She lowered her head.
“…In-hyuk.”
Si-yeon quietly called him.
She wanted to accept Hae-yoon’s suggestion…
If In-hyuk agreed.
Once public interest faded, they could simply announce they had broken up.
After a long silence…
In-hyuk finally spoke.
“Let’s do that.”
Hae-yoon immediately grabbed his arm.
“Can we talk outside for a moment?”
She nodded toward the living room.
After glancing once at Si-yeon, In-hyuk followed her outside.
* * *
“I don’t mean that we should really date.”
Hae-yoon’s voice was firm.
One of In-hyuk’s eyebrows rose.
“People will lose interest after about three months.”
She thought the same thing Si-yeon did.
Working in the entertainment industry, she knew public attention never lasted forever.
“Are all managers this dedicated to their jobs?”
“…I just owe Actress Si-yeon a personal debt.”
In-hyuk smiled faintly.
Chairman Gi-seop had talked about debts.
Now Hae-yoon was too.
He slowly shook his head before nodding.
Hae-yoon quickly called the company.
The Management Team leader was obviously shocked by the unexpected turn of events.
“So the person dating Executive Director Do In-hyuk is you?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Well… I needed time to sort things out myself…”
Perhaps sensing something strange, he asked another question.
“Then what’s going on between him and Actress Si-yeon?”
The team leader was persistent.
Just when she thought he would let it go, he asked about the truth.
Hae-yoon glanced at In-hyuk standing beside her.
For a moment…
She wanted to tell someone everything.
She wanted to share the truth that was too heavy to carry alone.
But she couldn’t.
“…They’re just acquaintances.”
Remembering Si-yeon’s desperate tears weakened her resolve.
“Alright.”
Since dealing with the dating rumor was more important, he didn’t ask any more questions.
After hanging up, Hae-yoon sighed with relief.
“It’ll be settled soon.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s both be careful for the next three months.”
“Then, when the time comes, just leak to the reporters that we’ve broken up.”
She just wanted to rest now.
Why had today felt so unbelievably long?
Min-gyu alone had drained all her energy.
Then she had immediately been thrown into Si-yeon’s dating scandal.
“I’ll head home now…”
“I’ll drive you.”
“No. I can go by myself.”
“Our relationship is the one being announced.”
“If I leave here alone, wouldn’t that look strange?”
“…”
“A normal boyfriend drives his girlfriend home.”
Boyfriend.
Even though this was all her own idea…
The word still felt unbelievably strange.
Still…
He wasn’t wrong.
With no other choice, she nodded.
* * *
[Hong Si-yeon’s Dating Rumor Turns Out to Be a False Alarm. Her New Movie Must Be Lucky.]
Hae-yoon checked the follow-up articles.
Fortunately, because they had responded quickly, the dating rumor hadn’t spread further.
Thanks to Hae-yoon…
It had been treated as nothing more than a misunderstanding.
Instead, everyone was now asking who the manager dating a chaebol heir was.
Hae-yoon pursed her lips uneasily.
“Aren’t you curious?”
She looked up from her phone toward the driver’s seat.
“I’m talking about my relationship with my mother.”
“Oh…”
“I heard enough of your conversation earlier.”
“I think I understand the general situation.”
The car stopped at a red light.
Feeling his eyes fixed on her, she awkwardly scratched her cheek.
“I’m not very interested in other people’s private lives.”
“And honestly…”
“I don’t want to carry around such a heavy secret.”
This wasn’t ordinary gossip.
It was a secret involving one of Korea’s biggest business families and a famous actress.
She had absolutely no desire to be caught in the middle of it.
“Besides…”
“Our relationship only lasts three months anyway.”
“We’re not close enough that I need to know something like that.”
The car turned into the street where Hae-yoon’s apartment was.
She could already see her building in the distance.
Her hand instinctively moved toward her seatbelt.
It clearly showed how uncomfortable she was…
And how desperately she wanted to go home.
The car came to a smooth stop.
She immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag.
“Then I’ll be going…”
“Miss Yoon Hae-yoon.”
She stopped halfway out of the car.
“Setting a three-month limit is rather amusing.”
“But I have no intention of treating that time casually.”
His expression was unusually serious.
“My marriage proposal is still valid.”
“I clearly rejected it.”
“But you were the one who suggested we date.”
“I only said that for Actress Si-yeon…”
In-hyuk laughed softly.
“I never waste an opportunity that comes to me.”
Hae-yoon stared at him in disbelief.
Leaving her speechless, he got out of the car.
Walking around to the passenger side, he opened the door and held out his hand.
“I’m sure Chairman is already excited enough to have picked our wedding date.”
His phone was still ringing nonstop.
That alone proved it.
“And that’s not all.”
“He’s probably already imagining our wedding…”
“…and even his great-grandchildren.”
Only then did Hae-yoon realize…
Repaying Si-yeon’s kindness wasn’t going to be as simple as she had thought.
This wasn’t just pretending to date for three months anymore.
Only now did she understand how serious it really was.
In-hyuk took her hand.
She flinched and tried to pull away.
Instead, he gently pulled her out of the car.
“Let’s start trying from today.”
“…Trying what?”
His thumb softly brushed across the back of her hand.
“I promised I’d gladly become the kind of man you like.”
“…”
“And you said you wanted a relationship built on love.”
“Wait.”
She became increasingly aware of his thumb gently stroking her hand.
She quickly pulled her hand away and hid it behind her back.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“No matter what…”
“I’m definitely ending our relationship after three months.”
“According to whose decision?”
“…What?”
“I have absolutely no intention of doing that.”
His firm answer made her frown.
“Oh.”
“If you mean we’ll stop dating after three months and get married instead…”
“I can accept that.”
“W-What are you talking about?!”
In-hyuk gently wrapped an arm around her waist.
With a light pull, she stumbled closer to him.
Behind her…
The car door closed with a click.
“Miss Yoon Hae-yoon.”
“You should have been more careful with your words.”
“…”
“Who starts dating while already deciding when they’ll break up?”
Seriously…?
For the first time…
Hae-yoon felt it was a little unfair.
Yes, she had chosen this herself.
But the dating rumor had put him in an awkward position too.
Instead of thanking her…
He was actually taking advantage of her kindness.
She bit her lip and glared at him.
“Oh.”
“You may fall in love with me if you want.”
“I’ll also start trying to love you from today.”
His words were almost laughable.
His expression remained as calm and emotionless as ever.
“I’ll become a reasonably good boyfriend.”
“So that you never regret choosing me.”
What was the point of smiling with such a handsome face?
Those weren’t sweet words a boyfriend would say.
They sounded much more like a declaration of war.
