TL: Aniea
"......!?"
Kim Eun-ha slightly tilted her head, lifting herself onto her tiptoes. As our noses brushed against each other, a strange emotion stirred within me.
Physically, it was just a fleeting moment, but to me, it felt like an eternity.
What Kim Eun-ha wanted from me was obvious. She desired not just a clumsy relationship like that of a male friend, but the perfect position of a boyfriend.
‘Originally, the plan was just to greet the VVIPs together...’
To anyone watching, we would look like lovers, but if we insisted hard enough, it could somehow be passed off as a misunderstanding.
But what if, as Kim Eun-ha said, someone was watching us from behind?
In a place that's neither entirely public nor entirely private. A couple sharing a secret rendezvous in such a halfway location.
Nosy and influential people with loud voices would spread tales of our secret rendezvous everywhere. They'd say, ‘I saw the two of them secretly kissing.’
‘If we want, we can always deny it.’
Because there's no clear evidence. Unless a photo was taken and spread around, it would just be a rumor, after all.
The source of the rumor wouldn't dare reveal themselves openly, fearing the reaction of the Mirae Group.
‘...Besides, today is the VVIP event.’
How many people could be inside the department store right now? Especially with over hundreds of CCTV cameras everywhere. If we wanted, we could easily track down the person.
If we employed a bit of a more forceful method, we could even pressure the person directly later, making them confess that they spread false rumors.
‘It certainly is an excellent opportunity.’
It’s a clever move that solidifies the relationship between the two of us while still allowing Kim Eun-ha to control the situation depending on how things unfold.
The only problem is...
My heart is beating too fast right now.
'...It feels like it might burst any moment.'
Thump, thump, thump, thump-!
I have no idea how many times my heart has pounded in such a short span of less than a second.
Moreover, we were so close that even our faint breaths touched, so I couldn't breathe out as I pleased.
I was terrified that my heated breath, spurred on by my pounding heart, might reach her. I was utterly frozen in place.
“Hoo-”
“......!?”
I'm not sure if she did it on purpose, but at that moment, Kim Eun-ha’s breath touched my skin.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but her breath felt rough and hot as well. It felt like the skin touched by her breath was turning a bright red.
“.......”
“.......”
In the silence where even the sound of deep breaths couldn’t be heard, we gazed into each other's eyes.
A distance where it was hard to even focus properly. My pupils wandered, not knowing where to rest.
As I hesitated, unable to do anything, her pupils suddenly drew an arc.
“......?”
Tap-
Suddenly, something touched my lips. I was startled by the soft sensation, but only for a moment.
If my eye measurement wasn’t wrong, there should still be a slight distance left before our lips met.
Sure enough, as I lowered my gaze slightly, I saw Kim Eun-ha’s finger intervening between us. The sensation I felt was her index finger.
‘Were you perhaps expecting something?’
Her eyes seemed to ask me that question. At that moment, countless complicated emotions flooded my mind along with the thought, ‘She got me.’
I suppose even this much would look sufficiently like a kiss to someone watching from behind.
‘...Let’s calm down first.’
I tried to soothe my still-racing heart, endlessly reminding myself to regain composure.
We aren’t real lovers.
It’s all just acting...
Chu-
At that moment, Kim Eun-ha's face moved slightly closer, and I felt a new weight on my lips.
“......!?”
She had placed her lips on top of her own finger. Though our lips didn’t actually touch, my heart dropped.
"This much should be enough to make them believe, right?"
When I looked at Kim Eun-ha with a slightly dazed expression, she took a step back, smiling bashfully.
Seeing her mischievous smile, I couldn’t say a word. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, my heart would jump out of my chest.
"Hmm. It seems like our spectator has disappeared now, so shall we go greet the customers? I’m sorry for treating you like an accessory, Woo-ju-ssi, but please bear with me today."
"...Don’t mention it. That’s my role, after all."
"Please continue to play that role well in the future."
Hehe-
Kim Eun-ha giggled pleasantly as she linked arms with me again. I could only hope that the unprecedentedly loud beating of my heart didn’t reach her.
It was none other than Park Hye-jeong and her daughter from Daema Construction, known for making complaints over even the tiniest issues.
"Ma'am, I’m sorry, but that product is currently..."
"What? I postponed my trip to Japan just for this bag. If it’s sold, you should’ve at least informed me... Huh?"
As expected, Park Hye-jeong’s voice was growing sharper when her eyes caught sight of the luxury bag on Kim Ji-hye’s shoulder.
Realizing immediately that it was the item she was looking for, Park Hye-jeong narrowed her eyes.
‘Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.’
Park Hye-jeong, who attended most social events and recognized the faces of almost all the wives from prominent families, had never seen Kim Ji-hye and her daughter before. This made her voice take on a more cautious tone.
"Hello, ma'am."
"Ah, yes. Hello."
As they exchanged greetings, a curious glint appeared in Park Hye-jeong’s eyes. Her eyes, accustomed to seeking out luxury goods all day, quickly scanned Kim Ji-hye and her daughter.
‘Other than the bag, she isn’t wearing any other luxury items. Judging by that awkward demeanor, she doesn’t seem to be part of this circle. How did she get in here?’
Her radar, finely tuned to distinguish between the strong and the weak, had already made its judgment, but Park Hye-jeong didn’t act rashly. After all, this was an event exclusively for VVIPs. They could very well be from a newly rising chaebol family.
"I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met before, so I didn’t catch your name. If you don’t mind, could I ask your name?"
"Oh, I’m Kim Ji-hye."
"Kim Ji-hye... And your daughter?"
"She’s Kang Byul."
Sensing something off, Kang Byul’s tone turned a bit sharper, but Park Hye-jeong, lost in thought, paid no attention to it.
No matter how hard she searched her mental database, she had never heard of anyone named Kim Ji-hye or a newly rising chaebol family starting with the name "Kang."
"Mom, I think they’re the ones."
At that moment, her daughter seemed to notice something and carefully whispered into Park Hye-jeong’s ear.
"You know that actor, right? The one rumored to be Kim Eun-ha’s boy toy. I think his name was Kang Woo-ju. She has exactly the same eyes as him."
"Ohho...."
Finally realizing who they were dealing with, the corners of Park Hye-jeong’s mouth curled upward. Her posture straightened, and her voice gained a noticeable edge, just like when she had first entered the store.
"Kim Ji-hye."
"...Yes?"
"You haven’t bought that bag yet, have you?"
Kim Ji-hye and Kang Byul’s expressions turned cold in response to the blatantly pointed question and attitude.
*
"CEO-nim! We have a problem!"
"Secretary Yoon?"
In the middle of smoothly greeting the VVIPs, Kim Eun-ha furrowed her brows as she noticed Secretary Yoon rushing toward her from a distance.
Kim Eun-ha asked the VVIP she was speaking with for a brief moment of understanding before moving aside.
"What’s going on?"
"Mrs. Park from Daema Construction is here with her daughter!"
"Hmm?"
She wasn't on today’s attendee list, but as a VVIP, it wouldn’t be too problematic for her to show up unexpectedly.
"...Don’t tell me she caused trouble again? She didn’t hit any of our employees, did she? Last time, I let it slide with just an apology, but this time I won’t let it go."
As Kim Eun-ha narrowed her eyes, Secretary Yoon, who had just managed to catch her breath, shook her head frantically.
"It’s the opposite!"
"Huh?"
"Mrs. Park Hye-jeong was the one who got her hair pulled!"
"???"
Kim Eun-ha was even more confused by the explanation that followed. However, Kang Woo-ju, who was standing beside her, reacted differently. His face turned pale as he began to tremble.
"Secretary Yoon. Where is my mother right now?"
"She’s at the Louis Vuitton store on the first floor!"
"Eun-ha, we need to hurry."
"What? Oh—!?"
Before she could fully grasp the situation, Kang Woo-ju grabbed Kim Eun-ha’s hand and bolted towards the escalator.
Though taken aback by his uncharacteristically urgent behavior, Kim Eun-ha quietly followed him. As they rushed, Kang Woo-ju cautiously began to explain.
"It seems Mrs. Kim might have done something."
"If you mean Mrs. Kim... You mean your mother!?"
"Yes, although my mother is usually very gentle, when she loses her temper, she literally becomes unstoppable. And..."
"And?"
"She’s really good at fighting."
"......?"
Momentarily failing to grasp the context of the conversation, Kim Eun-ha tried to clarify. But Kang Woo-ju didn’t respond further.
Or rather, he couldn’t respond.
His face had turned ghostly pale, and he simply bit his lip, as if facing some kind of deep trauma.