Episode 12
“Oh my, young master!”
Mrs. Kang cried out in shock and rushed over. It was clearly intentional, but since it happened so quickly, it seemed she hadn’t seen what Tae-yoon had done.
Raising a hand to stop her, Tae-yoon said calmly,
“Don’t come closer, ma’am. It’s dangerous.”
“Oh dear… what should we do about this?”
While Mrs. Kang paced around anxiously, looking at the shattered glass scattered over the white marble floor, Tae-yoon muttered,
“We should probably clean this up.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll go get the broom right away.”
Just as she was about to leave the room, she seemed to remember something and hesitated. She turned around, her eyes scanning the two, clearly torn about leaving them alone. The floor was a mess, but the two were standing so close—it was difficult to decide what to do.
After a moment of internal debate, she made up her mind with a determined expression.
“I’ll be right back, so don’t move a muscle, both of you!”
With that, she dashed out.
Despite her stern warning, the moment she left, Tae-yoon moved even closer to Seorin.
“Ah…”
As Seorin instinctively stepped back, Tae-yoon wrapped an arm around her waist and chuckled softly.
“Careful now. You could hurt yourself.”
With their lower bodies touching, Seorin didn’t know what to do and turned her head away, but Tae-yoon didn’t let her escape even that much.
“I think… I need to get my reward now.”
Before she could even ask what he meant, Tae-yoon gently kissed her cheek.
Their lips made a soft “mwah” sound as they parted, and Seorin’s face instantly turned a deep red, like it had caught fire. Her hazel eyes fluttered in confusion, and her lips opened and closed repeatedly.
Seeing that, Tae-yoon smiled in satisfaction and rubbed his lips with his thumb.
“Yup, this is good enough for now.”
He slowly let go of her waist but didn’t take his eyes off her, as if savoring the lingering touch.
There was a mysterious smile on his lips.
Seorin, flustered and unsure of what to do, suddenly scrunched up her face in mock anger.
“Seriously!”
Just as she raised her hand to smack Tae-yoon on the chest, Mrs. Kang returned with a broom and dustpan, panting from her hurried run.
But when she entered the room, she saw Tae-yoon and Seorin in almost the same posture as before, with Tae-yoon wearing a calm smile.
Looking at Seorin, who awkwardly averted her gaze, Mrs. Kang asked in confusion,
“Seorin? Is something wrong? Why are you standing like that?”
Before she could continue, Tae-yoon spoke again,
“Ma’am, I think I’ll be late for work.”
“Oh, yes, I’ll take care of the mess, young master.”
With that, she began sweeping the floor diligently. Seorin couldn’t lift her head until the glass was all cleaned up.
As Tae-yoon helped out at the department store, he recalled Seorin’s blushing face from their kiss earlier and smiled.
The moment Mrs. Kang finished cleaning, Seorin fled the room.
Considering what they’d already done together, her reaction to just a kiss on the cheek was amusing. Her exaggerated response only made Tae-yoon want to tease her more.
Though he hadn’t been able to bring her into the company yet, seeing her every morning like this didn’t seem so bad.
As he hummed a tune while walking, Chief Song approached him.
“You seem to be in a good mood this morning, Director Seo.”
“Yes. Not a bad day.”
“That’s good. I’ve heard madam has a keen palate.”
At that, Tae-yoon looked at Chief Song sharply.
“Chief Song, are you my man or Madam Ahn Young-sook’s man?”
“Pardon? What do you mean…?”
“You keep saying ‘madam’ this and ‘madam’ that. It’s starting to confuse me—whether you work for me or for her.”
Chief Song flinched and bowed deeply.
“I-I’m sorry.”
“No need to be sorry.”
With his hands in his pockets, Tae-yoon casually looked around.
“My father only has one son—me. When I inherit this company, should I fill it with my people… or hers?”
Chief Song’s eyes darted nervously.
“Think it over carefully, Chief Song.”
With a smile, Tae-yoon patted him on the shoulder and walked past him.
Chief Song gulped. He couldn’t miss the serious warning hidden in Tae-yoon’s casual tone. A wrong move now could cost him his entire career.
Madam Ahn, who barely showed up at the company, versus Tae-yoon with a bright future ahead.
It didn’t take long for Chief Song to make his decision.
He rushed after Tae-yoon.
“Director! I’ll accompany you! Let’s go together.”
Though Tae-yoon didn’t even glance back at him, Chief Song stayed close, treating Tae-yoon as if he were royalty.
“This is the luxury brand section—our top revenue generator.”
Tae-yoon, uninterested, walked past until something made him stop.
Seorin’s birthday was coming up.
Because he had been abroad, he hadn’t spent her birthday with her for years. This time, he had the chance.
As he turned to head toward the basement food section, he changed his mind.
“Let’s take a quick look around.”
Chief Song quickly signaled to the staff, who moved out of the way to clear a path.
Tae-yoon headed toward a high-end jewelry store that rarely stocked overseas items due to limited supply.
The staff bowed as he entered.
“Welcome, Director Seo.”
Without responding, Tae-yoon scanned the display cases filled with glittering rings and necklaces.
He wanted to buy a ring, but that didn’t feel quite right for a birthday gift—maybe a bracelet or a necklace.
His eyes narrowed in contemplation.
Sensing his indecision, the floor manager approached cautiously.
“Are you looking for something specific, sir?”
“Nothing here catches my eye. These designs are all too common, and the gems on these others are dull.”
Despite the items each costing tens of thousands, none seemed good enough for Seorin.
Flustered by his critique, the manager asked hesitantly,
“Would it be alright if I showed you something else?”
“Something else? You mean there’s more than what’s on display?”
“Yes. It just arrived yesterday and hasn’t been displayed yet. One moment, sir.”
The manager disappeared behind a door and soon returned with a deep green box.
He opened it to reveal a beautiful bracelet, adorned with deep blue stones arranged like clovers—simple yet unique, perfect for Seorin who didn’t like flashy designs.
Noticing Tae-yoon’s interest, the manager added,
“This piece is not on display—reserved for special customers. I believe only one of these exists in the country.”
Only one.
That was exactly what Tae-yoon wanted.
No one else would have it.
“Perfect. I’ll take it.”
Just as he reached for his card to pay—
“Tae-yoon oppa?”
A familiar voice called out from the entrance—it was Chae-hee. She had spotted him.
