Chapter 2

When Dana opened her eyes in the hotel room that morning, Jihoon had already left.

[Let's meet again.]

A hastily scribbled note. That was the only trace of the previous night she found after turning the entire hotel room upside down.

“Is this... really the end of it?”

Disappointment flickered through her for a moment, but it didn't matter. Once she got to work, she would see Senior Jihoon—or rather, Team Leader Ryu.

While running a hand through her still-damp hair, which she hadn't had time to dry properly, Dana carefully opened the office door. She immediately glanced toward Team Leader Ryu Jihoon's desk, only to find it empty.

“Where did he go...?”

As she stared blankly at the vacant desk and anxiously waited for him to arrive, memories of the previous night drifted through her mind.

"Assistant Manager Yeon Dana, you don't like me, do you?"

"Excuse me? What do you mean...?"

"If I've misunderstood, then I apologize, but I don't want to get personally involved with a coworker.."

It was probably because she always blushed whenever she saw Team Leader Ryu Jihoon.

Jihoon, who called her to a quiet place, made his feelings unmistakably clear. It was a direct rejection. The day her five-year-long unrequited love ended without her even managing to confess.

Meeting Jihoon again at the bar she had gone to alone to soothe her bitterness had been pure coincidence. When she stood up to leave after spotting him there, she thought she must have been seeing things.

Afraid he might think she'd come somewhere like this after being rejected, she tried to hide, but her drunken legs carried her straight to him. While using alcohol as an excuse, she voiced words she never would have dared say otherwise.

“Am I... ugly?”

"...What are you talking about?"

Those eyes looked at her in confusion. Facing them, Dana replied in a slur.

"Look me right in the eyes and answer! Huh?"

Jihoon’s face remained perfectly composed even while facing her accusatory tone.

"I don't think you're ugly."

"Then whyyy...?"

"If I had to say... you're rather my type."

He had said she was his type. She was his type…

Those words filled her with an indescribable courage.

"Take responsibility."

"...?"

"Take responsibility for making my heart race."

Just as she finished speaking, Dana rose onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Two years at university, then another three years watching him from afar after they happened to join the same company.

She had spent five years turning toward Ryu Jihoon like a sunflower toward the sun. This was definitely acceptable as her farewell gift.

The soft feel of their lips meeting. The faint scent of white musk brushing her nose. The warmth of their mingled breaths. Dana closed her eyes to feel Jihoon thoroughly with all her five senses.

‘Goodbye, my unrequited love.’

She had no ulterior motive. It was merely an impulsive act born from mourning the meaningless end of the feelings she had held for a long time.

However, the kiss, which was closer to a headbutt than a proper kiss, took an entirely unexpected turn.

"Mmph... mmph?"

Instead of parting their kiss right away, her lips were caught as if he were devouring her. Everything felt unfamiliar as the large hand cradled the back of her hand while his tongue moving deeply in her mouth.

As she gasped for breath amidst the shock, JIhoon finally released her.

He had kissed her so intensely that turned her lips swollen and left her in a daze.

This wasn't exactly the dramatic farewell she'd intended.

What happened next was even more astonishing.

While running his thumb across lips, which was still damp with saliva, Jihun asked casually.

"I'd like to take more responsibility. How should I do that?"

"Pardon?"

"I"I want to do more. This.”

"You... want to do more?"

"Do you not want to?"

Dana shook her head vigorously.

Don’t want it? Not a chance.

She had wanted to be with him for so long.

The moment she agreed, he took her hand and led her out of the bar.

"After that, the moment we entered the hotel, we were kissing and taking off our clothes..."

After recalling the events of last night, Dana covered her flushed cheeks with both hands.

Although she had been drunk and had even blacked out midway through, she still vividly remembered the sensation of something as thick as an anaconda pushing between her legs.

The lingering soreness remained until now.

‘When will Team Leader Ryu... no, Senior Jihun got here?’

After what had happened last night, it was fair to think there had been at least some progress between them, wasn't it?

Hehe. Dana craned her neck as she waited for Jihoon with a shy smile when someone lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

“Assistant Manager Yeon. You're here?”

When Dana turned around, she saw Assistant Manager Ha, a coworker from the same team.

“Ah, Assistant Manager.”

“What took you so long? Everyone's going crazy over some big news.”

Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. It was the expression she always had whenever she stumbled upon an exciting piece of gossip. Dana tilted her head.

“What news? Did something happen at the company?”

“A new executive is joining the company.”

Assistant Manager Ha lowered her voice conspiratorially.

“He's supposed to be in charge of a new project, and he's apparently got serious backing. They say he's the chairman of LK Group's grandson.”

“LK Group...?”

“Yep. The rumor is that he's been managing a few subsidiaries and is being prepared as the future successor.”

LK Construction, the place where Dana worked, was a subsidiary of LK Group. Having strong capital and stable management, the company had been experiencing impressive growth in recent years.

And now someone with such talent was joining their company. Was there really going to be a shift in management?

As she pondered the possibility, Assistant Manager Ha continued in a hushed voice.

“I heard he's ridiculously handsome too. Apparently he was famous among the Korean community while he was in the States. Who knows? He might even be better-looking than Team Leader Ryu.”

Dana's eyes widened.

How handsome did someone have to be for such rumors to spread? More handsome than Team Leader Ryu Jihoon?

As far as looks went, Team Leader Ryu was hardly lacking. And as she had learned the previous night, his physique was even more impressive than his face.

His abdominal muscles had looked as though they had been sculpted by a master artist, and his chest also had seemed solid and firm. His shoulders were as broad as the Pacific Ocean, and every contour of his arms had been perfectly defined.

As she recalled Jihoon's well-trained physique, a faint blush spread across Dana's cheeks.

“He’ll be starting from today, so I guess we’re going to see him soon. I can't wait to find out what kind of person he is.”

Behind the bright-eyed Assistant Manager Ha came the sound of greetings from the office entrance.

“Good morning, Team Leader Ryu.”

“Yes. Good morning.”

It was Jihoon's voice, the very one she had been waiting for. Dana immediately broke into a radiant smile, only to quickly press her lips together in an attempt to hide it. While straightening her clothes and tucking her hair behind her ear, she kept sneaking glances at him, wondering when he would look her way. Contrary to her expectations, Jihun simply walked past without even acknowledging her.

‘...What?’

The shy smile vanished from her face in an instant.

‘Did he... not see me?’

That can’t be right. Dana had sat at this desk for three years, and he had sought her out to speak with her just yesterday.

Then how could he simply walk by?

The bewilderment was strong enough that it was almost close to betrayal. She had never expected to become his girlfriend after spending one night together, but still—after what had happened yesterday...

A sharp ache spread through her chest. The note from this morning, and this kind of behavior. Had Jihoon only ever seen her as a one-night fling? While watching him with a sorrowful gaze, she saw Jihoon walk to the front of the office instead of returning to his desk. He clapped his hands together to draw everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, could I have your attention? There's someone special I'd like to introduce today.”

Assistant Manager Ha grinned and nudged Dana in the side as if to say, See? I told you. It was a face that made people sneak a second glance, after all. Dana merely nodded. She was trying to hide how hurt she felt, which made her expression feel even more strange.

“He just returned to headquarters after finishing his assignment at our U.S. branch. I'm sure you'll all be surprised when you see him...”

An awkward expression. A voice trailing off at the end of his sentence. Dana's eyes moved restlessly, as though searching his face for some trace of what had happened between them, but he didn’t spare her even the briefest glance.

At that moment, the closed glass door swung open, and a man stepped into the office.

Small gasps escaped from those who spotted him first, and a ripple of commotion spread through the office like a wave. The murmuring voices grew steadily louder, but Dana, who was too preoccupied with watching Jihoon, failed to notice.

“Whoa... no way. Assistant Manager Yeon.”

Assistant Manager Ha, who had noticed her a beat later, hurriedly tapped Dana on the shoulder. When Dana remained completely focused on Jihun, the hand tapping her shoulder grew increasingly frantic.

“Assistant Manager Yeon. Assistant Manager Yeon, hurry and look over there.”

Tap tap tap tap tap.

Annoyed by the relentless tapping, Dana finally tore her gaze away and turned toward Assistant Manager Ha.

“What is it, Assistant Manager?”

“Two o'clock. Two o'clock. Ah, hurry.”

Dana, who casually turned her head at the direction Assistant Manager Ha had told her, froze the moment she saw the face of the man entering through the doorway.

The tall stature that instantly drew attention and solid physique that filled out his suit perfectly. A broad, striking forehead was seen under his neatly combed-back hair. A pair of deep-set eyes and beautifully shaped lips completed the picture.

His striking appearance was certainly impressive, but there was something else far more shocking.

His face was identical to Jihun's, as though someone had simply pressed Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V.

‘How... is this possible?’

Forgetting even to breathe, Dana followed his movements with her eyes. She just couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Dana wasn’t the only one shocked by the situation. After comparing the two men's appearances, people began whispering behind their hands.

“How is this possible?”

“Team Leader Ryu has a twin?”

“Seriously. This is the first I've ever heard that.”

As the office erupted into a stir, Jihoon raised both hands as though trying to calm everyone down.

“Everyone, please quiet down for a moment...”

Despite Jihoon's efforts, the chatter did not die down easily.

When the commotion refused to settle, an awkward expression appeared on Jihoon's face. He had expected people to be surprised, but not to react quite this strongly.

As Jihoon wondered what to do, the man who had already reached the center of the room slowly swept his cold gaze across the office. Even though his eyes merely passed over the crowd, they carried both an icy calm and a razor-sharp edge.

One by one, the people whose eyes met his fell silent, their gazes becoming fixated on him as though entranced. Gradually, the volume of the noise diminished, and before long, a silence as sudden as a bucket of cold water settled over the office.

After confirming everyone’s attention was focused on him, the man finally parted his smooth lips to speak.

“It's a pleasure to meet all of you. My name is Ryu Junghyuk, and I will be serving as the Director of the newly established Future Strategy Division.”

His deep voice echoed through the office, carrying a echo that made it feel as though they were standing inside a cavern.

“I think it's fairly obvious what kind of relationship I have with Team Leader Ryu Jihoon standing here, so there's probably no point for me to explain it over.”

After briefly glancing at Jihoon beside him, he smoothly shifted his gaze back toward the office.

“...We'll likely be working together often in the future. I look forward to working with all of you.”

As he gave a brief bow and straightened, scattered applause broke out awkwardly. The clapping gradually became more regular and gathered momentum.

Dana watched with a dazed expression as he swept his gaze across the room with a faint smile in acknowledgment of the applause.

Even though it has been a while since Dana saw him for the first time, she still hadn’t recovered from the shock that there was another man who looked exactly like Jihoon.

‘Team Leader Ryu Jihoon has a twin...? How... How is this possible?’

The leisurely sweep of Junghyeok's gaze abruptly came to a stop. It paused on Dana's face, where even her lips hung slightly open in bewilderment.

It was a gaze balanced with unwavering precision, meant for one person and one person alone. The moment Dana met those dark, tranquil eyes, she found herself unable to move, as though time itself had frozen.

‘Why... me?’

The corners of his lips slowly curved upward as he continued to stare at her with unsettling persistence.

His gaze moved away as though nothing had happened, but Dana couldn’t bring herself to do the same. She remained transfixed, pinned in place by that smile and those eyes.

Not a single word had been exchanged, but Dana instinctively felt it.

The man she had spent the night with wasn’t Jihoon, but the very man who was standing right there, Junghyuk.