CWFH 09

Chapter 09

“What?”

Dayeon’s eyes widened as she glared at Jian.

“Ownership? You’re really saying something outrageous. Are ‘dating’ and ‘ownership’ synonyms now?”

“The kid who was running the auction definitely said it. She said you’d become mine for one day.”

“Are you just making things up because there’s no witness here?”

“I’m the witness. I heard it clearly back then.”

“Seriously, I can’t believe you.”

“Anyway, just remember that my one-day date ticket with you is still valid. I’m going to use that date ticket soon.”

Is he still going on about that date ticket?

Speechless, Dayeon looked at Jian with a mocking smile.

“What if I refuse?”

“You don’t have the right to refuse. I already paid a fair price.”

“I’ll give you a refund, customer.”

“The person who bought it is the one who asks for a refund, not the person who sold it.”

“What?”

“Remember that I have the right to own you for one day. Whatever I do to you, you don’t have the right to refuse.”

At the navigation’s voice, Dayeon turned the steering wheel and looked up at the building ahead.

The car was entering the entrance of a luxury hotel in the city.

A hotel?

What the hell? He said they were going out for a company dinner, so why are we here?

Dayeon glared at Jian sharply.

“I made a reservation. The atmosphere here is pretty nice. You can also look down over the city at night.”

Despite Dayeon’s fierce glare, Jian calmly unfastened his seat belt.

As the car stopped in front of the hotel, a hotel employee opened the door. Jian stepped out of the car, lowering his long legs to the ground.

“Hah! What? You made a hotel reservation?”

She remembered what Jian had just said about the one-day date ticket.

—Anyway, just remember that my one-day date ticket with you is still valid. I’m going to use that date ticket soon.

—Remember that I have the right to own you for one day. Whatever I do to you, you don’t have the right to refuse.

After hearing such ridiculous things, Dayeon couldn’t help but be suspicious of the hotel as their destination.

“Who gave you permission to book a hotel? Do you really think I’m just going to do whatever you say?”

Dayeon got out of the driver’s seat with a stiff expression, slung her bag over her shoulder, and glared at Jian.

“Come inside.”

“Lee Jian. You really underestimate me. Do I look that easy to you?”

“What?”

“You brought me to a hotel? This is sexual harassment too.”

“What? Sexual harassment?”

Jian frowned at Dayeon, then suddenly let out a small laugh.

“You’re laughing?”

Seeing Jian laugh, Dayeon’s expression became even more hostile.

“What are you thinking right now? A hotel doesn’t only have guest rooms.”

“What?”

“I reserved a restaurant here. That’s where we’re having our company dinner tonight.”

What? A c-company dinner?

Dayeon immediately pressed her lips together and blinked awkwardly.

“Pfft!”

Looking at Dayeon, Jian couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Her frozen expression as she blinked her big eyes was just too cute.

“Don’t laugh!”

Seeing her glaring at him with a flushed face, huffing indignantly, there was no way he could stop himself from laughing.

“Heh heh. Ah, okay. I won’t laugh.”

How could she possibly be even cuter now in her thirties than she had been in her teens?

Jian barely managed to suppress the urge to pull her into his arms and hug her right then and there.

The restaurant Jian had reserved was on the hotel’s rooftop, offering a panoramic view of Seoul.

It was one of the hottest places these days, frequently chosen as a date spot for couples.

The tables were divided between indoor and outdoor seating, and Jian had reserved an outdoor table.

The weather was perfect for being outside, with the pleasant early-summer breeze making it especially nice to sit at the table.

“For the appetizer, we’ll have scallops with mango sauce and salsa sauce. For the main course, veal tenderloin, and… wine okay?”

Jian placed the order with the waiter, and Dayeon nodded as if telling him to order whatever he wanted.

She had never been to such an expensive restaurant before, so she didn’t even know how to order. More than anything, she was still embarrassed about what had happened earlier and couldn’t bring herself to look Jian in the face.

As Dayeon avoided his gaze and simply looked out over the city, Jian said,

“I heard the sunset looks really beautiful from here.”

But Dayeon couldn’t see the sunset or anything else right now.

She had embarrassed herself by jumping to conclusions for no reason.

On the other hand, Jian couldn’t stop smiling as he kept remembering how cute Dayeon had looked when she was flustered earlier.

“Heh.”

Dayeon shot him a sideways glare when he chuckled to himself.

“Why do you keep laughing?”

“I’m just in a good mood. Why?”

Seeing her glare at him, Jian suppressed his laughter and answered.

“What are you so happy about?”

“It’s my welcome party.”

“A welcome party is supposed to be held by the people welcoming you. What kind of welcome party is it when you decide to have one yourself and make the reservation yourself?”

Dayeon pouted and complained, and Jian nodded with a smile.

“Well, anyway.”

Regardless, Jian was happy simply because he was sitting across from Dayeon alone at such a nice restaurant.

The waiter came over and poured wine into their glasses. Jian lifted his glass.

“Come on, give me a word of welcome.”

What kind of welcome speech?

Dayeon muttered to herself, pouting as she picked up her wine glass.

“Welcome.”

“That welcome speech sounds like it has no soul.”

“Is this a Korean barbecue restaurant? Do I have to shout, ‘Welcome to our new head of the Development Department! Cheers!’?”

“Don’t you have anything to say about seeing me again?”

At the mention of seeing him again, Dayeon quietly looked into Jian’s eyes.

The Jian in Dayeon’s memories wasn’t someone she was particularly happy to see.

Her memories weren’t particularly vivid, but he had taken her first kiss, so it wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory. And now, meeting him again as her boss certainly didn’t make her particularly happy.

But he was her boss now.

Having learned firsthand how to survive in the working world, Dayeon smiled brightly and said,

“I’m really glad to see you. I look forward to working with you.”

Jian pulled up one corner of his mouth in a smile.

“Are you really happy to see me?”

“Yes.”

Jian looked directly into Dayeon’s eyes and said,

“Meeting you again feels like the heavens gave me a gift.”

Jian was expressing, in his own way, how happy he was to have met Dayeon again.

But Dayeon didn’t understand the sincerity behind his words.

Oh, look at him. His lip service is no joke. He must be the type who’s good at sweet-talking people.

“You’re flattering me too much. Anyway, let’s work well together. I’ll do my best too.”

Dayeon clinked her wine glass against his and brought it to her lips.

Unlike Dayeon, who happily ate the appetizer and main course as they were served one after another, Jian could barely eat anything.

“Mmm! This is delicious. Why aren’t you eating? Hurry up. Meat doesn’t taste good once it gets cold.”

Watching Dayeon chew happily, Jian asked,

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“No.”

Dayeon answered immediately, without even a second of hesitation, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of Jian’s lips.

“You’re not going to ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“Aren’t you curious whether I have a girlfriend?”

“Not really.”

“……”

Dayeon put a piece of meat into her mouth with her fork. When Jian fell silent, she smiled and added,

“Hehe, I’m joking. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No.”

As if she didn’t care whether he had a girlfriend or not, Dayeon lowered her gaze and went back to cutting her meat.

“So you don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t have a girlfriend.”

But so what?

Dayeon wanted to ask that, but instead she simply chewed her meat and looked at Jian.

“Would you fall for me if I tried to seduce you?”

“Cough! Cough, cough!”

Dayeon choked and started coughing as she stared at Jian.

After coughing for a while, she picked up her water glass, drank some water, and finally managed to calm down.

“What did you just say?”

“I asked if you’d fall for me if I tried to seduce you.”

Jian stared at Dayeon seriously, and Dayeon stared back at him for a long moment.

Under Dayeon’s gaze, Jian’s heart began pounding as if it would burst.

Eventually, Dayeon put down the fork she had been holding and slowly nodded.

“I know why you’re saying something like that.”

The look in Jian’s eyes as he stared at Dayeon was more than serious. There was even a hint of tension in them.

“That date ticket? That’s what you’re talking about, right?”

“What?”

“What are you planning to do after seducing me? Are you planning to use that date ticket as an excuse to have a one-night stand?”

Jian frowned as he watched Dayeon jump to conclusions and misunderstand him.

“I don’t know if you lived freely in America and had one-night stands like that, but you picked the wrong person. I absolutely hate that kind of thing.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Still, at least you have a conscience. Were you worried that I might have a boyfriend when you tried to use that date ticket?”

Jian’s energy completely drained away.

“Forget it. Let’s not talk about it.”

“The important thing isn’t whether I have a boyfriend or not. The issue is whether that date ticket is still valid.”

Jian let out a long sigh.

“As I said earlier, it’s valid.”

“Yeah, right. As if things are going to go the way you want. Hmph!”

Jian couldn’t continue the conversation after seeing Dayeon’s reaction.

It seemed like the time still wasn’t right.