Chapter 7

　　The words made her head spin. She stared at his unbuttoned shirt, her mouth agape, unwilling to believe it. “N-no, that’s impossible.”

　　She hadn’t made a drunken mistake since her junior year of college. That had been a point of pride. But I got drunk and spent the night with my boss? With Mr. Ryu? Desperate to deny reality, Saebom shook her head violently. “That’s impossible! I know myself, and I’m not some promiscuous woman!” She was not the type to sleep with just any man, whether drunk or angry. Absolutely not.

　　At her resounding protest, Jihun snorted. “You sure acted like one.”

　　“What…?”

　　“Taking off your own clothes, throwing yourself into a man’s arms. If that’s not promiscuous, what is?”

　　Oh my god. His words were like a slap. Saebom covered her mouth with both hands as the reality of what she had done crashed down on her.

　　“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to.” It was all she could say. “I’m really not that kind of person. No matter how much I drink, I always get home safely. I must have been out of my mind last night because I don’t remember a thing.” She bowed her head like a condemned criminal. “I’ve committed a mortal sin. I’ll spend the rest of my life repenting. Please, just let this go.”

　　This is all because of the ring. If it weren’t for that damn ring, I wouldn’t have drunk so much. She bit her lip and trembled.

　　A short laugh escaped his lips. Why is he laughing? Saebom looked up, a question mark on her face.

　　“You know, you’re a fascinating person, Ms. Jeon.”

　　“What?”

　　“You seem so sharp, but at times like this, you’re incredibly… naive.”

　　She still didn’t understand. His stiff expression finally softened. “Am I crazy? Do you really think I’d sleep with a woman who’s blackout drunk?”

　　“What? So we didn’t… sleep together?” Relief washed over her, and she clutched her chest. Thank you, God. I’ll be good from now on. Waking up in a tank top in the same bed with him, she had been sure the worst had happened. As she was thanking the heavens, Jihun’s lips twisted in amusement.

　　“I have no interest in pouncing on drunk women. Especially not women who bite.”

　　“What? B-bite?”

　　“Look at this. See what you did last night.”

　　Saebom stared at the neat imprint of teeth on his collarbone. What is this? She blinked rapidly, unable to believe her eyes.

　　“Are you a vampire? Why would you bite an innocent person?” The clear teeth marks were mortifying. Oh my god, I must have been insane. She carefully touched his collarbone, her mouth open. She looked again—they were definitely her teeth marks. Just kill me now.

　　She squeezed her eyes shut. “I think I must have dreamed I was eating something. I’m so sorry. I’m not usually like this. I must have really lost my mind.” She hated having to make such a pathetic excuse. Wait a minute. As she was cringing in shame, a question occurred to her, and she looked up.

　　“But why were we in the same bed…?”

　　“I put you to bed and tried to sleep on the sofa, but my back was killing me,” he said, getting up and stretching. “What’s the problem? I paid for the hotel room. Am I not allowed to use the bed?”

　　“No, that’s not it…” True, it made no sense for the person who paid for the room not to use it. Overwhelmed by his confidence, Saebom lowered her voice. “Still, men and women are different beings. Sleeping in the same bed is a bit…”

　　“What is this, the ancient times? Spare me the lecture about how men and women must be kept apart.”

　　He had a point. While the fact they hadn’t slept together was a relief, she was still deeply embarrassed to be half-dressed in front of him.

　　“You should wash up first, Ms. Jeon.”

　　“What? W-wash up?” For some reason, the words sounded incredibly suggestive. Oh my. Staring at his firm abs, Saebom clutched the blanket and hesitated.

　　Jihun raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you should probably wipe that drool off your mouth before you go. You’re not planning on going to the office like that, are you?” He clucked his tongue. “Or should I go first?”

　　“Yes! Since you paid, you should, of course, go first. Please, go ahead.”

　　“Alright, then.” But as Jihun was about to enter the bathroom, he stopped and spun around. “And there’s one more thing I wanted to tell you.” He stared at her and grinned. “You were pretty heavy, Ms. Jeon.”

　　Ah. He was cruel to the very end.

* * *

　　The shocking morning passed, and lunchtime arrived. After eating, everyone gathered in the break room for coffee when Jaehee, a new employee, came running over.

　　“Everyone, do you want to hear something huge?” she announced, her excitement drawing the attention of all the female employees. “I just heard from my friend in PR. Executive Director Ryu is wearing a ring on his left hand! I heard he was against marriage, but I guess he has a girlfriend.”

　　“Oh my god, really?”

　　“You don’t think he’s getting married?”

　　While the others buzzed over Jaehee’s news, Saebom wasn’t surprised. Big deal. I already knew that. She sipped her coffee, feeling let down.

　　“What a shame,” one colleague sighed. “It’s better when handsome men are public property.”

　　“I know, right? If I can’t have him, no one can. It’s a mean thought, but still.”

　　It was understandable. Jihun was like an idol among the female staff. Saebom knew that him merely walking down the hall was enough to draw every eye. He is handsome, though. It was a fact she hated to admit but couldn’t deny. And his abs were nice, too. She unconsciously licked her lips, remembering being held against his firm chest. His broad shoulders and perfect muscles were just right. In many ways, he was a perfect man. Realizing this anew, Saebom puffed out her cheeks in envy.

　　“But Ms. Jeon, why aren’t you surprised?” Sujung asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

　　“What?”

　　“I’m telling you, it looks like the Executive Director is seeing someone! This is huge news!”

　　It’s not surprising to me at all. Saebom couldn’t say that, of course, so she just smiled awkwardly. “Oh, I’m just not that interested in him.”

　　“Why not? You’re not even going to shoot your shot?”

　　“He lives in a completely different world from us,” she said with a sigh. The closer she got to him, the more she realized it. He was fundamentally different from ordinary people like her.

　　“You know, at times like this, you seem surprisingly realistic,” Sujung noted. “You’re not into the whole Prince Charming thing like everyone else.”

　　“I just want to meet an ordinary person like me, have an ordinary relationship, and get married in an ordinary way.” That was what she wanted. That way, there wouldn’t be any trouble. Saebom quickly erased the image of a man from a past relationship that had surfaced in her mind. Don’t think about it. It only hurts. She gave her colleagues a faint smile. “I think it’s best when people stick to their own kind.”

* * *

　　“This is ridiculous,” Jihun muttered to himself, staring out the window from the back seat of the sedan. He wasn’t a sixteen-year-old boy, so why couldn’t he shake off last night’s incident? He didn’t understand himself.

　　It was a mistake. Lying down next to her while she slept.

　　He pictured Saebom mumbling in her sleep, nestled against him, and his brow tightened slightly. At first, he’d only intended to catch a few minutes of sleep on the sofa, but his legs had dangled off the end, and his back had ached until he couldn’t stand it. So, he had carefully slid into the other side of the king-sized bed. It sounded like an excuse, but the bed was so large, he thought nothing would happen. But when he’d woken up a short time later, she was in his arms.

　　“Mmm…”

　　Her mumbling lips and the feel of her body were strangely stimulating. The hint of skin visible beyond her thin tank top was alluring, and her shallow breaths had stirred a dormant instinct within him. When she had lightly bitten the space between his collarbone and his chest, he had felt an inexplicable thrill.

　　Am I a pervert? To enjoy being bitten by someone… he was starting to think he was the strange one, not her. Jihun clenched his jaw, trying to shake off the memories of last night that were blooming in his mind.

　　“What have you been thinking about so intently?” Secretary Nam asked from the driver’s seat, his face alight with curiosity.

　　“It’s nothing important.”

　　“Shall I take a guess?” His sly smile suggested he was imagining something far from innocent.

　　“Go on,” Jihun answered.

　　“You’re thinking about the woman you’re seeing, aren’t you? The one you’re going to marry.”

　　“Marry? Who’s been saying such things?” Jihun demanded.

　　“Your mother. She was practically giddy yesterday, telling everyone a daughter-in-law would soon be joining the family.”

　　Haah, not Mom again. Jihun let out a short sigh. No matter how many times he told her he wouldn’t get married, Hwayeong was relentless. What is the big deal with getting married, anyway? Oblivious to Jihun’s inner turmoil, Secretary Nam grinned. “You can tell me the truth. I mean, the Executive Director, who normally despises accessories, is suddenly wearing a matching ring with someone.”

　　“That’s not it. This is just…” Jihun began, but his gaze fell to the ring embedded on his left hand, and he sighed again, this time more deeply. A tightness constricted his chest, as if he had just inhaled a lungful of city smog.

* * *

　　“Why the hell won’t this come off?” Jihun muttered, slumping at his desk back in his office after a meeting. He tried to get some work done, but the sight of the glittering ring on his left hand sent a fresh wave of irritation through him. It was a constant, infuriating distraction. Just as he was sullenly twirling his fountain pen, an idea struck him, and his eyes lit up.

　　“Oh, right.” He hurriedly rummaged through his desk drawer, pulling out the warranty and the small ring box he had received with the purchase. Jihun unfolded the card and scanned its contents. Thankfully, it contained all the information he needed.

　　“Yes, that was the name.” Wolha. His face brightened as he murmured the shop’s name, having found the workshop’s address, phone number, and website. But when he searched for it on his laptop, he found nothing.

　　“What? It doesn’t exist? Nothing at all?” There was no website, no workshop, and the phone number was disconnected. Staring at the blank search results, Jihun let out a hollow laugh. He thought he was finally about to uncover the ring’s secret, only to hit another dead end.

　　“Did I get scammed? Or was I actually possessed by a ghost?” Tossing the warranty aside, Jihun fiddled with the empty ring box. He had never felt so frustrated in his entire life.

　　“I can’t make sense of any of this,” he muttered to himself, idly opening the box again. This time, he noticed something he had missed before—a short phrase engraved on the velvet lining. Huh? He leaned in for a closer look, his eyes widening.

　　“What in the world?”