"Did I… hit your car…?"
"Why did you suddenly run out like that?"
Her head pounded with pain, and her whole body ached, but her limbs were fine. It didn't seem like a deadly car accident.
"You weren't trying to die, right? Were you running away from someone…?"
All her life, it felt like she was running endlessly through a dark tunnel.
She had even thought that dying might be better than living like this.
Living under the pressure of money, debt, and a man like Choi Byungtae—maybe death was better.
"Is this… your house?"
"As you can see."
"What happened?"
Taeseok handed over Iseo's wallet from the small table.
"Why is this…"
"I picked it up at the hotel lounge. I just found its owner."
After hearing that, Iseo remembered how she had pushed away the men who came to her house and ran off.
"I caused you trouble again."
Taeseok's gaze was fixed on Iseo's face as she spoke.
Clear, pale skin, sharp features, lips tinted red like she wore lip balm.
And in that moment, he saw it.
That uneasy look in her eyes—fear or sorrow, he couldn't tell.
Taeseok couldn't take his eyes off her.
"The doctor said it was due to stress and lack of sleep. Take care of your health. You'll feel better after the IV."
Iseo managed to sit up and spoke in a low voice.
"I don't know why things keep happening to me… but thank you."
As she stood up, she swayed, and Taeseok quickly grabbed her arm.
"You're trying to go alone in this condition? Do you not realize it's only been 30 minutes since you regained consciousness?"
"I can take care of myself."
"Have you thought about who brought you here?"
Taeseok picked up his coat from the chair.
"Let's go. I'll take you."
"No, you don't need to."
"Whatever the reason, you collapsed in front of my car. I can't just ignore that and send you off alone. Let's go, no arguments."
Suddenly, Taeseok grabbed her hand.
"Why are you holding my hand…"
"I can't carry you, can I? Honestly, you look like you'll collapse again any minute."
Led by Taeseok's hand, Iseo came outside.
Once at the parking lot, she couldn't say no anymore and got into his car.
Taeseok quickly pulled her seatbelt across and buckled it.
"I can do it myself."
"Do you think I'm doing this because you can't?"
The car started slowly.
A cool breeze blew in through the half-open window, brushing against Iseo's cheek. Her hair blew across her face.
After driving for a while, the car stopped in her neighborhood.
"Will you be okay from here?"
"I'll be fine."
Taeseok got out and followed Iseo.
His eyes scanned the narrow, dark street—it looked dangerous.
"Thank you for everything."
Taeseok's eyes followed her retreating figure.
He didn't know why, but something in his heart stirred as he looked at her.
---
**"Iseo, are you okay?"**
The center director looked at Iseo's face and asked.
"You don't look well."
"I'm fine. Actually, I was going to tell you soon… I'm planning to quit by the end of this month."
They say everything starts from the heart.
Since the loan sharks came to her house again, Iseo had been tormented by nightmares every night.
"Well, I guess this kind of work doesn't suit someone like you anyway. Are you planning to find another job? Did you find a good position?"
"I have to start looking."
"Yeah, good decision. I'd love to keep working with you, but I feel bad asking you to stay. With your skills and looks, you're too good for this kind of work."
"I'll handle the job coming in this weekend."
"You sure? It pays more than others."
She wasn't in a position to be picky.
She needed money to leave this place.
She just had to finish this job—then she would go.
"Please tell me the time and place."
---
**Weekend.**
Iseo arrived at the hotel and paused to adjust her outfit.
"It's a request from the Cheongsol Group. The client already has a boyfriend but is being forced by her family to meet another man."
Remembering what the director had said, Iseo let out a small breath.
"These rich families are all the same. Anyway, just tell the guy clearly that she's not interested. If all goes well, you'll be paid well."
It was true.
The client had a boyfriend but was being forced into a blind date. She didn't want to get married to someone else.
Iseo arrived early and took a seat in a quiet corner of the café.
Except for a few people scattered around, the café felt unusually quiet.
A moment later…
"Miss Kang Hanna?"
At the sound of someone's voice, Iseo stood up.
She froze, her eyes filled with nervous fear as she stared at the man in front of her.
'W-What is going on…'
Iseo's face turned red in an instant.
The man looked at her with slightly cold eyes.
Taeseok was standing there like a lie.
She had known that today's blind date partner was Han Taeseok from Kanghwa Group, but she didn't know it was *this* man.
It was too late to regret not asking for his name earlier.
While Iseo panicked, Taeseok had a strange expression on his face.
He smirked.
"Please sit."
Even as she sat, his eyes didn't leave her.
"Did I mistake you for someone else? You look just like someone I know."
"Well, let me properly introduce myself. I'm Han Taeseok, CEO of Kanghwa Group. And you are… Miss Kang Hanna, who looks just like someone I know?"
The unexpected appearance of Taeseok completely messed up Iseo's thoughts.
"I didn't see your photo, since I didn't expect anything from this meeting, but it's obvious you're not Kang Hanna. Care to explain what's going on?"
"T-That is…"
They say even if you're caught by a tiger, stay calm.
He wasn't a tiger, but the situation was intense. Iseo swallowed hard and tried to calm herself.
"Normally, we keep all client information confidential… but I can't lie anymore."
"Client?"
"My name is Choi Iseo."
Taeseok touched his cup, and his brows twitched.
"I work at an agency. Today's meeting with Cheongsol Group was a request I received."
"Agency, huh…"
She had attended a wedding in someone else's place and caught the wrong bouquet. She had been mistaken for a thief by another woman.
Now, with one word—*agency*—everything made sense. Taeseok let out a hollow laugh.
"The client asked me to say she has a boyfriend and wants to reject the marriage. I never expected to meet you here."
Taeseok's dark eyes flickered with curiosity.
"I didn't come here to make anything work either. So whether Kang Hanna has a boyfriend or not doesn't matter to me. I'm more interested in the woman in front of me—Choi Iseo."
Taeseok watched her with a playful look, and her blushing face wouldn't cool down.
"So this agency… do they do anything the client asks?"
"As long as it's not illegal, yes."
What is this guy even thinking?
Taeseok tapped his teacup and started thinking about something.
"Then, does that mean I can make a request too?"
"As long as it's not against the law."
His eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
"Interesting."
"Sorry?"
"I prefer fun over boredom."
Was she the only one feeling awkward here?
Iseo looked away, unable to meet his eyes.
"So to sum up—Kang Hanna has a boyfriend and doesn't want that known. I'll take care of explaining things here."
With that, Taeseok stood up.
"I wouldn't say it was nice meeting you… but we'll see each other again soon."
What did he mean by that?
Iseo wanted to ask, but instead of speaking, she pressed her lips tightly together.
---