Chapter 21

How did it turn out like this? How did she get stuck between a man she had been dating on and off for 200 days, and a man who never had anything to do with her in 2 years?

Na-Yool rubbed her forehead and sighed.

“… Alright, sure. I’m glad, you, at least, got your share of fun. Now if you will excuse me…”

“Then teach me, Ms. Kim Na-Yool.”

Wondering what kind of bullshit he was starting again, Na-Yool raised her drawn face. Si-Jin was beaming a charming smile.

“Common sense and understanding.”

Why did he have to be so charming to sprout such stupidities? For 2 seconds Na-Yool fell for that smile of his, but shortly burst into laughter, mocking him.

Unperturbed, Si-jin shrugged his shoulders with a relaxed expression.

“You said I would never have it, right? Someone like me.”

“No… ‘never’ might be an overstatement. No matter how much of a thug you are…”

Because, due to the place and time, he was talking to her in polite speech, his other side had almost slipped out of her mind. The ‘thug’ from Friday night. That ‘thug’, who was rude, vulgar, shallow and talked to her so dirtily…

“… It is just that, currently, you are kind of lacking in these areas, Mr. President…”

“That’s why, you can teach me. So that I can become a more acceptable human being.”

“I believe it is beyond my ability. As for the use of the comparative ‘more’, it implies that there are already existent qualities to cultivate. So in your case, it is simply impossi—”

“— In return, I will…”

Did he just say, ‘in return’? The words ‘in return’ were like a button automatically shutting Na-Yool’s mouth. In this industry where changing job was much too common, the reason her ass was so heavily sitting at Si-Jin’s company was, in fact, because of such ‘in return’.

Sometimes, it was even the reason to explain things. Na-Yool stared at him with shiny eyes. At least, Si-Jin was a man who had never disappointed her with any ‘in return’.

“…I will protect you.”

—Until now.

Believing she was hearing things, Na-Yool frown and asked, repeating his words:

“In return, who will protect what?”

“I will. Ms.Na-Yool’s secret.”

“Why would you?… No wait, my secret? What kind of secret could you possibly protect? What secret are you even talking about?”

The astonishment that took over her mind made her drop the minimum manners she had towards his President-self. Si-Jin grinned and, lowering his head to Na-Yool’s ear, whispered:

“I’m saying I won’t tell anyone.”

“……What?”

“That you jumped me.”

“……”

Na-Yool froze on the spot. In a flash, Si-Jin aggressively twisted her head and slightly nibbled her earlobe, then raised her head.

Unlike just a few seconds ago, his face was beaming with no trace of malice. Though lost in confusion, Na-Yool forcefully smiled back at him, self-conscious of prying eyes. At the sight of her facial muscles trembling, Si-Jin’s sleek smile thickened.

“Of course, it depends on how our Na-Yool will behave.”

There it was again. The mocking ‘our Na-Yool’ from Friday.

“Keep up the good work.”

With a light tap on the shoulder and an empty greeting, he left her. Na-Yool remained still in the spacious corridor, like a solitary statue in a public park that no one noticed.

I’m sorry, what?

Chapter 4 – Monday afternoon, 12:55 p.m.

“What did you talk about with the President earlier?”

“Hm?”

“This morning.” asked Seung-Jae, leading the way to the office while sipping the straw of his coffee. Na-Yool, who was walking staring into space, answered awkwardly:

“Talk?”

“Yeah.”

“With the president? Who? Me? I didn’t though?”

“……?”

As she vehemently denied it without taking a single breath, Seung-Jae looked at her as if looking at a weirdo. But that was all. Seung-Jae was far from being the earnest or persistent type, and therefore not even close to suspecting anything was suspicious.

With no apparent interest in Na-Yool’s odd attitude, he continued:

“I saw the two of you standing over there together, though.”

Of all days, why did that guy, who would always arrive at 9 a.m. sharp, came early!

“You must have been mistaken. How could it be? I keep telling you, you need to fix your glasses.”

“This is my first time hearing this…”

“…I see you have bad hearing too! That won’t do!”

“Also, I do not need a prescription, and these glasses are lensless, Ms. Na-Yool…”

If Na-Yool could get more embarrassed than she already was, she would. To hide her discomfiture, she spoke as calmly as she could.

“This is the problem. If you have a bad eyesight, stop acting so fashionable and get real glasses.”

“I’ve got a 1.5 eyesight.”

“On both sides?”

“Both.”

Seung-Je nodded with satisfaction, proud of himself. As he started running his mouth ‒ although Na-Yool had no interest whatsoever ‒ on how he had LASEK surgery when he was a uni student and how painful it was, Na-Yool, at loss for words, nervously sipped on her coffee.