Yuna walked with elegant strides. Her brown locks swayed in the breeze from the executive corridor's air conditioning. Every click of her high heels echoed a step without hesitation, radiating an aura of authority and sky-high confidence.
Heon watched Yuna from behind. Behind his sunglasses, the man's eyes were momentarily mesmerized by her perfect posture and charisma. But a moment later, he snapped out of it and immediately caught up to her.
"Idiot! Walk faster!" exclaimed Yuna without turning her head. "My stomach is already starving, you know?!"
Heon quickened his long strides. He walked and caught up, until his position was right beside Yuna.
Yuna glanced at the man beside her out of the corner of her eye. Her breath hitched for a second. She just realized how perfect Heon was. Even the way he walked was flawless upright, proportional, with broad shoulders moving in rhythm. The expensive suit made him look like an international model strutting down a runway. Truly, Heon right now was incredibly tempting.
(Crazy... why does this courier walk like this? My heart feels like it's going to drop out seeing his jawline from the side! Focus, Yuna, focus!)
"Idiot," hissed Yuna suddenly, hiding her face which had suddenly flushed with embarrassment. "You stay behind me, not beside me!"
"Eh?" Heon looked over, confused. "But Miss told me to walk faster earlier?"
"Just stay behind! Step back one pace! You're blocking my way!"
"Understood, Miss." Heon immediately slowed his pace and obediently walked behind the woman like an elite bodyguard.
The two of them entered the main canteen area of Han-Group. Inside, hundreds of employees were enjoying a busy lunch hour. The sound of clinking spoons and chatter instantly subsided.
Among those hundreds of people, not a single one dared to approach or greet Yuna. Because Yuna was the CEO, the crown princess of the Chairman of Han-Group, famous for being cold and merciless.
This afternoon, Yuna's arrival at the canteen was an unusual phenomenon. It was impossible for someone like Yuna Han to deign to come to a public eating place like this. It seemed Yuna did this impulsive thing purely because Heon looked starving and about to faint again. Yuna took the quickest route and decided to eat at the canteen so the man could fill his stomach immediately.
People began to stare with wide eyes. Seeing Yuna walking together with a mysterious tall figure, whose face was covered by a mask, sunglasses, and a cap.
Gossip began to ripple between the tables.
"Hey, look... is that Director Yuna's boyfriend?"
"Shhh! You're talking nonsense. Yuna already has a fiancé, how could that be her boyfriend!"
"Have you ever seen her fiancé?"
"Never, actually..."
"Maybe that masked man is her fiancé! I heard rumors that the Director's fiancé is tall and handsome like a TV idol."
"I heard that too. They say her fiancé is handsome, and their engagement is an arrangement by the big Han family."
"Hussst! Quiet, quiet! They are getting closer to our table!"
Hearing the whispers starting to annoy her ears, Yuna stopped walking. She turned slowly and stared at the group of gossiping employees with a gaze sharp as a razor.
Instantly, they all bowed their heads, silent and mute with fear.
Yuna resumed walking toward an empty VIP table in the corner of the room. She pointed to the chair across from her.
"You, sit here. Let me order."
"Yes, Miss." Heon sat stiffly, still unused to his luxurious suit.
"Idiot, do you want galbi?" ask Yuna.
"Galbi?" Heon tilted his head slightly. "I don't know what that is, but sure, if you desire it."
Yuna reflexively held her forehead and shook her head in disbelief.
"My goodness... you don't know galbi? Grilled beef ribs?! Seriously?!"
"Yes, seriously, Miss. I have never eaten it."
"How have you lived this long without knowing galbi?! What do you eat every day?!"
"Usually... leftover rice balls from the minimarket where I work the night shift. Or instant noodles, Miss."
(How pathetic! A man this handsome ah, I mean a man this tall, living on garbage food like that? No wonder he's malnourished and fainted in my office!)
"Wait here. Don't touch anything."
"Alright."
Yuna walked toward the VIP ordering counter.
"Auntie! Please prepare three portions of premium quality Galbi! Add the warmest beef bone soup, two bowls of rice, and all the best side dishes you have today!"
"Y-yes, Director Han! We will prepare it at your table immediately!" answered the head chef nervously.
Yuna returned and sat across from Heon. The man was still looking down in silence.
"Miss Yuna..." called Heon softly.
"What?"
"I am truly sorry... for the incident earlier."
Yuna fell silent for a moment. She pursed her lips slightly, putting on a face that was slightly pitiful yet still staring at Heon arrogantly.
"Hmph. A mere apology isn't enough to make up for my shock. My reputation could be ruined if that CCTV footage leaks."
"I know. I deserve to be punished," Heon's voice sounded raspy from behind his mask.
"Because of that, you are still obligated to fulfill my three requests. And one of those three requests is to eat with me right now."
Heon looked up slightly. "Then... what are the rest, Miss?"
"Don't ask so many questions! That's for later. Now we eat first!"
Before long, the waiters came in droves carrying plates of sizzling grilled galbi, steaming soup, and dozens of small bowls containing side dishes. The aroma was incredibly fragrant.
Yuna picked up her chopsticks, but she frowned when she saw Heon hadn't touched his utensils at all. The man just sat upright like a statue.
"Hey, why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?"
"I am waiting for your command, Miss."
Yuna put down her chopsticks roughly. "My goodness, you are so stiff, aren't you?!"
(But...)
Yuna stared at the man's sturdy posture.
(This obedient man is so cute...)
"I kind of like it," Yuna whispered in a very low voice, almost like a breath.
"Pardon? Did you say something, Miss?" Heon leaned his face forward slightly.
"N-NO! It was nothing! Just go ahead and eat now! Don't wait for me! Hurry up, take off your mask and eat!" ordered Yuna, flustered.
"Understood. Thank you for the meal, Miss Yuna."
Slowly, Heon lifted his hand. He took off his sunglasses, placed them on the table, and then pulled down the black mask covering his face.
Time seemed to stop ticking in Yuna's eyes.
Under the canteen lights, Heon's facial skin looked clean, though slightly pale. His eyes glistened reflecting the light, clear with a glimmer of sadness that somehow made him even more captivating. His lips were naturally red, incredibly tempting when he accidentally licked them.
Heon glanced at Yuna with an innocent look, preparing to put meat in his mouth.
Yuna was instantly stunned. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it jumped into her throat. She hurriedly averted her gaze to the wall, pretending to look at a painting that was not interesting at all.
"Ahem... ahem. Eat a lot."
"This meat... is incredibly delicious, Miss," said Heon, his eyes widening slightly in amazement.
"Of course. It's premium meat. By the way..." Yuna propped up her chin, trying to cover her nervousness by acting interrogative. "Besides being a stupid package courier, what is your other job?"
"I'm a night shift cashier at a minimarket, Miss. Sometimes a porter at the market."
"A porter?! Tch. Then, what do you like? Your hobbies?"
Heon stopped chewing. He looked at Yuna with confusion. "Hmm... sorry, that question... what does it have to do with my compensation for damages?"
Yuna slammed the table lightly. "Just answer it! I'm the boss here!"
"U-understood. I like... silence. And watching the night sky."
"Boring! Next question..." Yuna leaned her body forward, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Heon intensely. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? Of course not, Miss."
"Oh? Really? Have you ever dated before?"
"Never, Miss. I don't have the time, money, or self-confidence for such things."
Yuna leaned her back against the chair, folding her arms across her chest with an arrogant smile blooming in victory.
"Hahaha! My goodness! You inexperienced virgin! Decent face but no takers at all, huh?"
Heon looked down slightly, but then he looked back at Yuna.
"Then... what about you, Miss Yuna? Have you ever dated?"
Yuna's arrogant laugh was instantly cut short. Her smile vanished without a trace.
(Me? Dating?)
Yuna's gaze suddenly went blank. She stared at her reflection in the clear glass of water. In reality, she had never dated at all. All this time, she realized with bitter clarity, that any man who tried to get close to her whether business associates, chaebol sons, or even the fiancé arranged by her family they all only approached to use her. To use her money. To use the power of Han-Group.
She continued to brood. Lamenting how this luxurious life of hers was actually very boring, lonely, and filled with two-faced people.
Seeing the change in Yuna's expression turning suddenly sorrowful, Heon felt guilty.
"Forgive me, Miss Yuna. I was too presumptuous. It is not appropriate for a poor man like me to ask about your perfect life."
Heon looked into Yuna's eyes deeply. His baritone voice softened, flowing sincerely through the air between them.
"But I am sure... someone who is so beautiful, so kind for willing to feed a poor man like me, and as strong as you... will surely be loved incredibly one day. The man who can make you smile genuinely every day must be the luckiest man in the world."
(Thump!)
Yuna's eyes widened. Her chest felt like it had been struck by a sledgehammer made of flowers.
(What?! He... he praised me? Beautiful?! Kind?! The luckiest man in the world?!)
Yuna's face instantly turned as red as a boiled crab. Heat spread from her neck to the tips of her ears. Shame, shock, and a strange sensation in her stomach exploded all at once. She could no longer bear to look into the clear eyes and tempting lips of the man in front of her.
With a rough and panicked movement, Yuna stood up from her chair.
"I-I WANT TO ORDER MORE! THE GALBI ISN'T ENOUGH!" shouted Yuna suddenly with a high-pitched voice.
"Eh? Miss? But there is still so much meat lef"
"SHUT UP, YOU INEXPERIENCED VIRGIN! DON'T GO ANYWHERE!"
Yuna immediately turned around and half-ran toward the service counter with a face scrunched up red, leaving Heon who could only blink his beautiful eyes in confusion.
(Oh God, that idiot man... is he hitting on me?!) thought Yuna while biting her own lip in front of the service counter.