Chapter 14

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Yoon Hee-woo had some understanding of Park Jae-beom. Along with Loco and Gray, he was probably one of Jung Ki-shi’s closest friends, not only in terms of friendship but also work. When she got into the car, she obediently nodded and greeted softly, “Hello, I’m Yoon Hee-woo.”

Park Jae-beom waved his hand dismissively, “No need for formalities. I heard you grew up in the United States—I did too.”

He grinned broadly, showing his perfect white teeth, smiling warmly, “Let’s just talk comfortably. You can call me ‘oppa.’”

Only then did Park Jae-beom suddenly realize that if Jung Ki-shi and Yoon Hee-woo really got together, he might have to call her ‘sister-in-law’ instead. He slyly flashed Jung Ki-shi a cheeky grin, which earned him a rolling of the eyes in return.

Yoon Hee-woo hesitated, unsure whether to call him that, but before she could decide, Jung Ki-shi interrupted.

“Don’t mind him. He’s just tired of all the Korean etiquette.”

On that point, Yoon Hee-woo actually agreed with Park Jae-beom. Since this guy was Jung Ki-shi’s friend, calling him ‘oppa’ wasn’t a problem.

“Oppa Jae-beom.”

The sweet tone made Park Jae-beom’s mouth curl up involuntarily. Suddenly, he seemed to understand Jung Ki-shi’s feelings—not just that she was pretty or had a great figure, but that there was a warmth and calmness about her that made being around her comfortable and reassuring.

He thought to himself, this was the first time he’d seen Ki-shi hesitate when it came to relationships. He’d had some ambiguous relationships before, but if he only sought fleeting pleasure, he wouldn’t hesitate. The fact that he was reluctant meant he was serious.

He was seriously thinking about the future, which brought all kinds of worries.

Suddenly realizing the truth, Park Jae-beom felt a bit envious, though only he knew exactly what he envied.

Yoon Hee-woo thought Jung Ki-shi’s mention of a ‘driver’ was a joke. She assumed Park Jae-beom was going to eat with them, but to her surprise, after arriving, the guy in the driver’s seat waved and left.

So he actually came just to be their ‘driver’? Her eyes widened in surprise, looking rather cute.

Jung Ki-shi hadn’t expected it either. When they talked about it at lunch, Jae-beom seemed like he wanted to join for the meal. Although he jokingly scolded him for trying to be a third wheel and felt a bit disappointed, he hadn’t taken it seriously. But why did he just leave?

Jung Ki-shi planned to message him after the evening ended to find out what happened.

He turned his head and caught Yoon Hee-woo staring blankly in the direction the car had left. A faint smile crept onto his face. He waved his hand in front of her, “Snap out of it!”

Startled, she shot him a pouty look, which made his smile deepen. He gently draped his hand near her arm in a gentlemanly manner, “Let’s go inside.” Then just as gracefully, he withdrew his hand.

Yoon Hee-woo crossed her arms, touching the warmth that had just been there on her arm. Following him inside, she softly muttered, “Oppa, have your hands always been this warm?”

“Hm?” Jung Ki-shi didn’t pay much attention and looked at her curiously.

Unexpectedly, the next second, her soft little hand gently grasped his palm. As Hee-woo said, compared to the warmth of his palm, her hand was much cooler.

Jung Ki-shi slowed his pace and couldn’t help but look down at their hands clasped together, his expression darkening.

Was she doing this on purpose? Or...

His confused thoughts were interrupted when Yoon Hee-woo withdrew her hand, her childish voice reaching his ears.

“It would be great if I could make a hand warmer out of your hand…”

Jung Ki-shi was speechless—he didn’t know if she was speaking sweet talk or telling a horror story.

But snapping out of that speculation, he didn’t hesitate and reached out to grasp her hand again. This time, the large and small hands intertwined tightly, clearly crossing the line of ordinary friendship.

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Yoon Hee-woo looked at him in surprise. Jung Ki-shi’s lips curled into a mischievous smile—an expression that, if not handled carefully, could seem cheesy, but he had no such worry. On the contrary, he exuded a strong, aggressive kind of charm.

“Though I can’t really make a hand warmer,” he said, “warming your hands now is pretty simple.”

He held her hand, which was gradually growing warm from his own heat, feeling unusually good. He gave it a little shake. “Let’s go eat.”

She didn’t refuse, which meant at least she didn’t dislike it.

Though Yoon Hee-woo accepted the invitation mainly because she missed Chinese food, she hadn’t set her expectations too high. Following the custom of adapting to local culture, she had eaten at a few Chinese restaurants in Korea before; the taste was just okay.

Some were decent, but at best, they were merely passable, far from truly delicious.

However, the Chinese restaurant recommended by Loco turned out to be surprisingly impressive.

It specialized in Sichuan cuisine. The flavors weren’t the usual Korean-style sweet and spicy, but retained the characteristics of Sichuan food: Mapo tofu, boiled pork slices in chili oil, spicy shrimp, hot and sour shredded potatoes. Each dish was generous in portion and perfect with rice. Yoon Hee-woo’s lips turned red, her cheeks flushed warmly as she ate.

Seeing her so pleased, Jung Ki-shi relaxed. Although he knew her tastes well, he couldn’t help but worry about his choice.

“Oppa, aren’t you eating?” The girl’s round eyes looked at him curiously.

Jung Ki-shi immediately picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. The first sensation on his tongue was numbness, followed by spiciness slowly spreading over his taste buds. Just one piece had him sweating at the tip of his nose.

He now understood that Yoon Hee-woo’s earlier expression wasn’t an exaggeration. But watching her enjoy the food so much, he couldn’t dampen the mood. Although the Sichuan dishes were spicy, their flavor was excellent—much richer than the Korean food he’d grown up with.

He hesitated only for a few seconds before continuing to pick at the dishes. The two of them ended up face to face, eating noisily, Yoon Hee-woo’s face flushed as if she’d been drinking, her lips slightly swollen. Jung Ki-shi was a bit better off, his reaction less obvious, though small beads of sweat dotted his forehead and nose.

It was quite a sight—two people eating so messily—and they both laughed in unison.

“Want to try the alcohol here?” Jung Ki-shi suddenly suggested, his eyes nervously watching Yoon Hee-woo’s reaction.

Before this, he definitely wouldn’t have asked. To be honest, before coming to the set, he hadn’t planned to make a move today. His attitude toward Hee-woo was serious, so he intended to proceed step by step. But after seeing Kim Ro-yoon’s behavior toward her on set, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of crisis.

He’d taken Loco’s words to heart: young and handsome male idols like Cha Eun-woo were very popular with young girls. Kim Ro-yoon, aside from lacking the same level of popularity, was not lacking in any other respects.

He wondered, would Hee-woo like that kind of boy?

Jung Ki-shi couldn’t help but worry about this possibility. Better to take a gamble now than regret it when it was too late. Even if rejected, at least she’d know his feelings.

Besides, Hee-woo wasn’t completely indifferent toward him. He had some confidence, so he wanted to have some drinks, hoping to confess when the mood was right.

When Yoon Hee-woo heard about drinking, her expression shifted subtly. She vaguely guessed Jung Ki-shi’s intention but wasn’t sure, so she pretended to be innocent and simply nodded, “Sure.”

The restaurant served Chinese liquor, different from the popular clear rice wine, soju, or fruit wines common in Korean restaurants. The liquor was clear and transparent, and even bringing the glass close released a somewhat pungent aroma. Before drinking, one could already imagine its intensity.

Jung Ki-shi only realized how strong the alcohol was after smelling it. Noticing Yoon Hee-woo’s slight frown, he regretted it and said to stop, “Maybe... never mind.”

“This is very strong stuff.”

His intention was to worry for her, but to her ears, it sounded like he was doubting her drinking capacity. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, cheeks puffed in a serious declaration, “I can hold my liquor well!”

“I want to drink!”

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“Really...” Jung Ki-shi couldn’t help but laugh, his tone resigned, “Alright, alright, just a little then.”

Anyway, even if she got drunk, he’d make sure she got home safely. Nothing would happen.

As it turned out, Jung Ki-shi’s worry wasn’t unfounded. His plan to create a slightly tipsy, flirtatious atmosphere backfired. The person who had just insisted she could drink well soon had a glazed look in her eyes after just one glass.

Sigh... Jung Ki-shi felt a headache coming on as he watched the little head in front of him drooping bit by bit. This was another failure.

He stood and moved to the seat beside Yoon Hee-woo, leaning down with a concerned gaze. “Are you okay?”

The girl’s clear eyes still held a bit of moisture, looking at him in a daze.

Jung Ki-shi’s gaze naturally fell on her soft, pink lips, which were slightly pursed. She seemed about to say something. He was momentarily distracted but quickly recovered, his Adam’s apple moving as he leaned closer, turning his head to listen.

Warm breath brushed his face, making his ear feel hot. He had to focus hard to listen to Yoon Hee-woo’s voice.

“Ki-shi…” The word ‘oppa’ stayed unspoken, as if she was simply calling his name.

His long eyelashes trembled slightly with inner turmoil. The next second, tender, soft lips pressed directly against his ear. Yoon Hee-woo smiled contentedly, her laugh childlike and a little silly.

Jung Ki-shi was petrified where he stood, lightly biting his lip, his eyes dark and intense as he looked at her. She seemed to sense it and smiled, eyes curved into crescent moons as she opened her arms.

“Hug me.”

After teasing him like that, she now wanted to fix everything with a hug?

Jung Ki-shi snorted softly. His warm palm cupped her face, voice low and deep.

“You kissed me just now. Now I want to kiss you too. Do you agree?”

She seemed not to understand his words, blinking innocently with watery eyes.

His lips curved slightly as his gaze locked onto the person before him.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as consent.”

Yoon Hee-woo sat while Jung Ki-shi stood, this posture making his looming presence feel even more intense. Feeling his face drawing near, even drunk, she sensed a hint of danger.

“I…”

But it was too late.

She opened her lips but hadn’t spoken.

“Mm…”

Jung Ki-shi’s kiss finally revealed a glimpse of his true nature—domineering, fiery, filled with aggression and possessiveness.