Chapter 8
A shellfish allergy was one of Yuharu’s defining traits.
It was quite severe—serious enough that she always carried medication with her. Because of it, there had even been an awkward incident during her first date with Ihan.
Just as the memory was about to surface, Haruka picked up her spoon.
If I don’t eat this, it might raise suspicion.
Someone with animal-like instincts like Ihan would definitely notice. Even now, wasn’t he watching her every move?
Even while talking to Jin Ihan, his gaze remained fixed on Haruka.
I’ll just eat it and take medicine right away.
Haruka stirred the soup lightly, then scooped up a full spoonful. Ihan’s eyes followed her closely, not allowing her to relax for even a moment.
“…It’s good.”
Barely managing to swallow, Haruka forced out those words. Jin Seonghan smiled, but Ihan’s expression hardened ever so slightly.
After taking two more spoonfuls, Haruka calmly finished her meal.
The sensation on the tip of her tongue was gradually dulling. Inside her throat, it began to itch as if a bug were crawling around. It seemed her shellfish allergy—something that had never failed to act up—had kicked in again.
“Well then, shall we hear it?”
To make matters worse, Jin Seonghan adjusted his posture and looked straight at her.
After taking a sip of water, Haruka opened her mouth, determined to explain as quickly as possible.
“I’ve already sent Manager Jo a list of ingredients that could help with the Vice Chairman’s insomnia, as well as ones to avoid. If we proceed with oral aromatherapy, it could create a synergistic effect—”
Jin Seonghan raised his hand, cutting her off.
Haruka clenched her hands tightly in anxiety.
“What, that’s all it was?”
“…Excuse me? But the CEO—”
As Haruka glanced at Ihan, Jin Seonghan let out a small chuckle. Ihan, meanwhile, was staring at her intently.
The moment their eyes met, Haruka quickly looked away and faced Jin Seonghan again.
“There’s no need to report things like that to me in detail. Just report those matters to Manager Jo from now on.”
With a polite smile, Jin Ihan stood up.
Placing a hand on Ihan’s shoulder, he spoke.
“Wait for me? Let’s go to work together.”
“Sure.”
Their brotherly bond was evident.
But Haruka didn’t care—she just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
She had lost sensation in her lips. They had already started swelling. At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before the swelling reached her airway.
A horrifying outcome.
The moment Jin Seonghan left the dining room, Haruka moved first.
“Then I’ll be going.”
After greeting Ihan, she hurried across the living room.
Not even noticing the weight of Ihan’s gaze fixed on her back.
“Phew…”
A sigh of relief escaped Haruka as she lay on the bed.
After taking her medicine, her condition improved quickly.
Her lips, which had been swollen like an overinflated balloon, returned to normal, and her throat—once so swollen she could barely swallow—felt much better.
“I almost died…”
Turning her tired body, Haruka stared at the messy room.
Pills from a small container were scattered everywhere.
She sat up and gathered them back into the bottle.
As each pill dropped in, the earlier incident replayed in her mind.
“…Why do I keep running into him?”
Even with thorough preparation, she hadn’t expected to end up eating breakfast with him so early in the morning.
And of all things—seafood stew.
Letting out a sigh, Haruka stared at the now-filled pill bottle.
“I guess I’ll have to carry this with me all the time too.”
Rattle, rattle.
As she rolled the bottle around, her phone vibrated.
Ryota.
For someone who usually fell asleep at dawn, calling this early meant something unusual.
Haruka quickly answered.
“Haruka, can you come to Aroma Peace today? The director sent something.”
“The director?”
“Yeah. He said it’s for this month’s assignment.”
She hadn’t been in the mansion long, but anything ordered by Baek Jinha had to be carried out.
It was the price of the kindness that had saved her from hell and taken care of her.
“I’ll go.”
Haruka got up and immediately prepared to leave.
She was just stepping out of the dorm building, thinking of an excuse for Manager Jo—
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
The question came instantly.
Her steps stopped.
Leaning against a pillar at the entrance stood Ihan, watching her.
What… why is he here again…?
Caught off guard, Haruka couldn’t hide her surprise.
Noticing her reaction, Ihan pushed himself off the pillar and slowly approached.
“So early in the morning.”
“….”
“You don’t look well, either.”
Without realizing it, Haruka bit her lower lip and instinctively stepped back.
His gaze lingered on her still-swollen lip.
“Now that I look, your lips are a bit swollen. And your eyes seem slightly red too.”
Ihan pressed on relentlessly, as if determined to find a weakness.
The scent of wisteria drifted in the breeze around them.
Her pounding heartbeat filled the silence like background music, her eyes trembling faintly under his intense stare.
“Did you take medicine?”
“…What?”
He tapped his own lips twice as he asked.
“Your lips—it looks like an allergic reaction.”
“Oh, this… I just changed my cosmetics this morning, and it caused a bit of a reaction. I’m fine.”
It was a hastily made excuse—and a cliché one at that.
But she couldn’t admit it was an allergy.
She didn’t want to create any more connections to the identity of Yuharu.
“Alright, let’s say that’s true.”
Ihan let out a faint chuckle, as if he didn’t believe her.
Before he could ask more questions, she quickly provided a plausible answer.
“So, where are you headed?”
“To the Aroma Peace Korea branch. A base-note oil arrived today. It’s part of a formula I recently succeeded with, and there isn’t much left, so I need to pick up the oil and its analysis report.”
As if she had never been shaken, Haruka answered calmly.
This time, she didn’t avoid his gaze.
Jin Ihan doesn’t know me.
With that certainty, her actions felt justified.
Her heartbeat gradually steadied.
As she regained composure, Ihan took half a step back.
“Where is the branch?”
“Sinsa-dong.”
“Let’s go. I’ll drop you off on the way.”
“Didn’t you say you were going to work with the Vice Chairman earlier? I’m fine—”
Before she could finish, Ihan had already called someone.
“I’ll head out first. Something urgent came up.”
It seemed to be Jin Seonghan.
Giving her a look that said ‘Satisfied?’, Ihan strode ahead.
“…Seriously, so pushy.”
She let out a sigh.
It looked like she had no choice but to ride with him.
With a displeased expression, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small glass bottle.
She sprayed perfume on her wrists and quickly dabbed some behind her ears.
Since we’ll be in a car, better to prepare.
A kind of distraction tactic—for a man with a keen sense of smell.
The car was filled with silence.
No radio, no music—just a strange tension hanging in the air.
Because the secretary was in the front passenger seat, Haruka had to sit next to Ihan in the back.
As soon as the car started moving, he frowned slightly and muttered,
“You put on perfume.”
“Hm? Sorry?”
Haruka didn’t catch it, but Ihan spoke to the secretary instead.
“Open the window.”
“Yes, sir.”
Though it was still early, Gangnam Boulevard was already congested as usual.
A soft spring breeze flowed in through the slightly opened window, gently moving her hair.
While Haruka kept her eyes fixed outside, Ihan watched her as if studying her.
Being under his gaze was unbearable.
She just wished this uncomfortable ride would end quickly.
As familiar streets came into view, Haruka brightened and turned.
“I’ll get off here.”
Without hesitation, Ihan told the driver to stop.
“Thank you.”
She quickly stepped out of the car.
“Phew.”
Only after escaping his gaze could she finally breathe.
Her pace quickened toward the branch building.
“Haruka!”
The moment he saw her, Ryota spread his arms wide.
In response to his enthusiastic greeting, Haruka hugged him back.
The embrace lasted quite a while.
When she tried to pull away, his arms tightened around her instead.
“Ryota?”
Sensing something strange, she spoke—
At that moment, Ryota’s eyes narrowed sharply as he looked past her shoulder.
“You brought a tail with you, Haruka.”
