IDMPYU 35

35. Because He Likes You
Jihyun’s face flushed bright red as she unconsciously raised her voice.

“Shin Seungho and I are absolutely not like that!”

“Sure. It’s never like that at first in novels either.”

Miri, rather than reacting to her friend’s visibly changed expression, casually tore into the dried fish jerky on the table.

“Usually, the male lead is emotionally conflicted. He likes the heroine but doesn’t know how to express it. Then they reunite after a long time apart and—boom—can’t hold it in. So they kiss. Bam!”

She clapped her palms together enthusiastically as she explained. Watching her, Jihyun for the first time thought maybe Hajun had a point. Miri was such a web novel fanatic, she worried the girl might actually base her love life on fiction.

“Miri, maybe it’s time you took a break from novels?”

At Jihyun’s cautious suggestion, Miri shook her head firmly.

“You might as well ask me to stop breathing.”

Jihyun gave a faint smile at her unchanging response, fiddling with a few peanut crumbs. Seungho’s face—usually so unreadable around her—lingered in her thoughts.

He said such hurtful things without hesitation, so why did he take care of her behind the scenes?

It was undeniable that she had received help from Shin Seungho. Without the Whale Foundation’s sponsorship, she wouldn’t even be in college—she wouldn’t be where she was now. Lost in thought, Jihyun muttered under her breath.

“Then why does he keep bothering me?”

“Because he likes you.”

“Huh?”

Startled by the sudden answer, Jihyun stared at Miri, who was still chewing on dried fish.

“What are you so surprised about? I was just talking about web novel clichés.”

“Oh… right.”

Jihyun gave a bitter smile. “Because he likes you”—that was a ridiculous idea in real life.

That beautiful smile she saw all day? Not once had it been directed at her. In fact, even though he had personally called her in, she had been treated like a complete invisible person today.

Does he really hate me? Then why hire me at all?

Jihyun bit her lip. Feeling like her insides were burning, she raised her glass and downed her beer.

“Whatever. Let’s drink tonight. Congrats on the job, anyway!”

Miri, who had no idea what was going on, stood up and refilled their glasses. It had been a long time since the two drank to excess.

*

“Ugh.”

Jihyun’s face turned pale as she walked down the street. Getting wasted with Miri last night hadn’t been a problem—the aftermath was. Miri had passed out cold, and Jihyun had to drag her home.

The hangover hit like a truck. Though Hyunsook offered to cook hangover soup that morning, Jihyun didn’t have the time to eat it.

That’s because Seungho had told her to come in for work very early.

With her head spinning, she got ready as best she could. Watching the still-sleeping Hyunsook and Miri, she felt a pang of envy.

The one bit of luck? At least Seungho had texted her today’s address. If he had picked her up again, she would’ve definitely thrown up in his car.

Just imagining it made her shudder. Before taking the subway, she stopped by a convenience store to grab a fresh fruit drink.

Let’s just survive today somehow, she told herself as she downed the juice in one gulp.

“Wait… this place…”

Arriving at the address Seungho gave her, Jihyun stared blankly at the building.

She knew it. It was the luxury apartment building she and Miri had once walked past, dreaming about living there someday.

All the units faced the Han River. It was known as a celebrity hotspot. Jihyun hesitated at the entrance.

Why did he tell me to come here?

It was too personal to be a company office, but too distant from his main residence to be his home. She shook her head. No time to dwell on questions. First priority: showing up for work.

Even though it was just an apartment building, it was huge and complex inside. Jihyun struggled just to find the entrance.

Then her phone rang—it was Seungho.

“Stop gawking like a bumpkin and enter the front gate. I’ll text you the code and apartment number.”

How does he know I’m gawking? Is he watching me?!

Startled, she looked around, but there was no sign of Seungho. Triple-checking the apartment number from the text, she cautiously rang the doorbell.

And shockingly—he answered.

He had just gotten out of the shower, towel draped over his wet hair.

“Come in.”

The scent of soap hit her instantly, making her hangover swirl back up. She carefully removed her shoes and followed him past the foyer into a long hallway.

It was her first time in an apartment with a corridor. She gulped and followed silently.

When she reached the living room, her eyes widened.

One entire wall was glass, offering a full view of the Han River. The sunlight made the water glitter like stars.

“Wow…”

The admiration escaped her lips before she could stop it.

As he came out with a bottle of water from the fridge, Seungho chuckled at the way she stared out the window.

“So rustic.”

Startled, she turned to him. Dressed in casual black hair and a tracksuit, he looked more relaxed than ever.

No way…

Feeling uneasy, she asked hesitantly:

“W-where is this?”

He took a sip of water and casually wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“My place.”

“What?”

She didn’t ask why he didn’t stay at his family mansion, but the question was written all over her face. Instead of answering, he picked up a stack of documents from a desk in the living room.

“I don’t like repeating myself. Remember that.”

“Got it.”

“Did you eat?”

“Huh?”

When she blinked at him, Seungho frowned.

“You’re not that slow, are you?”

“Oh, no. I didn’t eat.”

Staring at the water bottle he had put down, her stomach churned.

“Then go buy something.”

“What do you want? What do you like?”

Without even looking up from his papers, he muttered,

“Anything.”

That one word made her feel dread. She hadn’t even started her first full day, and already she wanted to go home.

“Anything.”

To Jihyun, that was the most difficult word in the world—and to Seungho, it was the perfect way to mess with her.

“I don’t eat egg sandwiches.”

That’s what he said the third time she brought food back.

As she rode the elevator down again, Jihyun clenched her teeth. He hadn’t changed a bit in eight years. For some reason, her boss—her same-aged boss—seemed dead set on tormenting her.

Her stomach, running on nothing but a fruit drink, rumbled angrily. There was no time to eat.

All that moving up and down in her current condition left her dizzy, sweaty, and nauseated.

The room remained silent after Jihyun left.

Seungho finally looked up from the papers, staring at the door.

“Tch. In that state…”

He hadn’t liked the look in her pale, bloodshot eyes. The faint smell of alcohol on her—stronger than her shampoo—had irritated him.

Who the hell did she drink with?

His eyes narrowed as he recalled last night.

“I have plans with a friend. Just drop me off somewhere nearby.”

He had wanted to ask—what kind of friend? Male or female? Name? Details?

The questions burned in his throat, but he held them back. He hadn’t even planned to drive her home in the first place. But hearing her say it out loud had pissed him off.

He’d briefly regretted not just dumping her at Techno Valley. That way, the “plans” would’ve fallen apart.

Memories get romanticized, huh…

Eight years had tricked him into forgetting.

The one person who could rattle his emotions—someone who usually kept them tightly controlled—was Choi Jihyun.

The door beeped and opened.

Jihyun staggered in, clearly still fighting the hangover.

Covering her mouth, she handed him a paper bag. Salad.

Instead of checking the contents, Seungho stared at her. Her complexion went from pale to green right before his eyes.

Why the hell are you drinking without me?

Like with the egg sandwich, he took the bag and slowly pushed it away to the corner.

Jihyun’s pupils shook. Her strength—mental and physical—was clearly about to collapse.

Watching her, Seungho found himself… a little amused.

“I’ve been too nice to you until now.”