Chapter 61
“Why even bring that up?”
“Well, sure, you don’t have to talk about your ex. But you’re going to be working with him for like three months straight, right? Seeing him every day.”
“If I don’t say anything, he won’t find out anyway. Why stir up trouble for no reason?”
Besides, it wasn’t like the two of them were close enough for jealousy to be a cute or tingling kind of emotion.
“Wouldn’t it feel like a betrayal later if he finds out on his own?”
“Forget it. I’ll handle it.”
Leaving Mirae lost in her imagination, Sara quickly got dressed and put on a light touch of makeup.
She went ahead to the underground parking lot and waited. Soon, Seungtae’s car approached.
Sara glanced around quickly, then got into the passenger seat.
“Been doing okay?”
“So-so. You?”
“Same here.”
At some point, talking to him had stopped feeling awkward.
The car exited the apartment complex and headed into the busy streets of Seoul.
It was rush hour, so even though they were only going a few kilometers, it took thirty minutes.
“We’re here.”
“Oh, this place…”
“Right. It’s where we first met, Sara.”
The restaurant was Le Soleil, located in Nonhyeon-dong — the same place where Sara and Seungtae had first met.
When Seungtae went to the counter, the staff immediately recognized him, bowed politely, and led them inside.
“You made a reservation? You said you just called on a whim.”
“Reservation? Nah. My family has a private room here.”
Once again, it hit her how different their worlds were.
As soon as they sat down, servers began bringing dishes without even taking an order. Everything was timed and prepared in advance.
“How’s the movie coming along?”
“We’re finishing up the casting.”
“Really? Who’s playing the male lead?”
“Oh, it’s Kang Hanseong…”
She said the name offhandedly, then glanced quickly at Seungtae’s reaction.
He was calmly cutting his steak.
“Kang Hanseong — wasn’t he the actor you worked with before? In Emergency Exit? I liked that movie.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Since you’ve already worked together once, it should be easy to get into rhythm again.”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“You’ll be busy again, huh?”
“Not really. Movie shoots aren’t as packed as drama schedules. They actually let you go home.”
Mirae’s words about Kang Hanseong floated briefly through Sara’s mind, but she brushed them aside.
The course meal ended, and only dessert was left when she asked,
“So why did you want to meet today?”
“Oh, I’m going on a business trip next week. Won’t be able to see you for a while.”
“Business trip? Where to?”
“Dubai.”
“That’s far. Take care.”
Sara replied casually while chewing the last bite of scallop. Suddenly, Seungtae burst out laughing.
“What’s funny?”
“Nothing. You’re just… such an interesting person, Sara.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your reaction—it’s so refreshingly honest. Makes me curious what your next one will be.”
She was just about to ask what reaction, when a server arrived—carrying a dessert dish covered with an opaque lid.
That was unusual. Usually, restaurants used transparent covers.
Just as she was wondering about it, the server smiled mysteriously and set the dish in front of her. Then, he lifted the lid.
And there, sitting where a dessert should be, was something that absolutely did not belong there.
“Wh–what… what is this?”
“A proposal.”
“W–what…?”
“Sara, will you marry me?”
Seungtae spoke in a soft, romantic tone.
Sara, completely blindsided, couldn’t hide the trembling of her lips.
If the server hadn’t still been there, the first words out of her mouth would’ve been Are you out of your mind?
“Try it on. Let’s see if it fits.”
He smiled shamelessly as he spoke.
Sara opened the ring case with shaking hands.
Inside sat a diamond so large and dazzling it could have been displayed at a jewelry exhibition rather than a restaurant.
Now she understood why the server hadn’t left the room—he pulled out a massive bouquet from below the table and handed it to her.
“Congratulations,” he said with a cheerful grin before finally exiting.
As soon as the door closed, Sara wiped the forced smile off her face and tossed the bouquet onto the chair beside her.
“Are you insane? What kind of proposal is this—at a restaurant, out of nowhere?”
“Do you like the ring?”
“How about you answer me first?”
“I thought it’d suit you. Your fingers are long and slim.”
He said it so casually, as if he’d bought candy at a supermarket, not a diamond that clearly cost over a hundred million won.
“Come on, put it on. I just eyeballed the size—if it doesn’t fit, I’ll have to get it adjusted.”
Reluctantly, Sara slipped the ring onto her fourth finger.
A perfect fit.
Seungtae smiled in satisfaction, while Sara just stared at it with a complicated expression.
“My first ring being this kind of thing…”
“What do you mean this kind? You don’t like it?”
“It’s not about liking it. It’s just… this is part of a contract, isn’t it? I thought I’d just have to smile by your side.”
“Think of it as a trial run for being a fiancée.”
“You could’ve at least warned me first.”
“But then it wouldn’t be fun. Your surprised face looked so real—the staff definitely didn’t suspect a thing.”
“Are you doubting my acting skills? If you’d told me beforehand, I could’ve thrown in tears and full-blown sobbing.”
“Ah, that’s a shame. Want to redo it tomorrow at another restaurant? I’ll buy another ring.”
Sara glanced across the table, searching for something to throw at him—but the table was too neatly cleared.
With no weapon in sight, she clenched her fist tightly and gave him a warning smile instead.
“Let’s not push it. Okay?”
“Haha, actually, there was a reason for today’s proposal.”
“I’m sure. I doubt you’d accidentally propose to me in public.”
Her sarcasm went unnoticed.
“The manager here is an old acquaintance of my father’s.”
“So?”
“Which means, within two hours, my father will hear that I proposed—and to whom.”
In other words, the whole thing was staged to indirectly inform his father about their relationship.
“So you didn’t just happen to be in the neighborhood and call me out?”
“I did. And while I was at it, I proposed.”
It sounded so absurd—putting “while I was at it” and “proposed” in the same sentence.
But Sara was too tired to argue further.
Her eyes drifted to the dazzling ring again.
“If it’s just for show, couldn’t you have picked something smaller? This thing’s so huge it’s going to set off airport metal detectors.”
“It’s a gift. Wear it when you go out.”
“It literally screams proposal ring. Where am I supposed to wear this?”
“Hmm, maybe you’re right. Oh—wear it when you meet my mother. She actually wanted that ring. Took me a year to sneak it out without her noticing.”
“…So that’s why you used this one?”
“Turns out, it suits you better than her.”
“…”
As if his mother didn’t already dislike her enough—now there was another reason to.
Sara tried to think positively.
She already hated her. One more reason wouldn’t make much difference.
For the first time, she felt genuinely relieved that she wasn’t really marrying him.
Because the obstacles standing in their way were colossal—like being told to defeat a demon lord with a rusty sword.
She looked down at the ring again, feeling a knot form in her stomach.
Did I make a mistake agreeing to this? What if I end up crushed between two fighting whales?
“Oh, right. I almost forgot. Here.”
Seungtae took a folder from his bag and handed it to her.
“It’s the contract—the lawyer drafted it based on what we discussed. Give it a read.”
Sara read every line carefully.
She’d learned her lesson after signing her first agency contract without reading it properly and paying dearly for it.
It wasn’t long; the key clause was simple:
“Seo Sara shall faithfully fulfill the role of appearing to be Yoon Seungtae’s romantic partner. All details of this arrangement shall remain strictly confidential.”
“I don’t see any problematic clauses.”
“Then sign it.”
She took the pen he offered and signed both copies.
They each kept one.
Somehow, it felt strange—like the sparkling ring on her finger was the seal of that very contract.
