Yeri couldn't find the words to refute Shin Keir—not a single syllable.
Because deep down, she couldn't deny it: she was undeniably, unfairly attracted to him. That face, that voice, that physique… It was like he'd been handcrafted to torment her poor nerves.
She could tell herself otherwise, but her gaze lingered too long, and her thoughts betrayed her far too easily.
They had lunch together in the suite's private dining area, the silence between them thick with unspoken thoughts and sizzling tension.
Yeri did her best to remain composed—calmly chewing her food, pretending everything was perfectly ordinary.
But her mind? It was racing with one goal: escape.
She had originally planned to enjoy her second night at the hotel. Maybe take a long, relaxing bath, indulge in room service desserts, and recover from the overwhelming chaos of the debut banquet.
But with Shin Keir in the picture? That peaceful plan had been shredded into confetti and set on fire.
It wasn't that she didn't trust him. It was herself she couldn't trust—not with her dangerously crumbling resolve.
There was no telling what that man might do when he was in the mood.
And judging by the mischievous gleam in his eye, the danger level was… very high.
"I thought you booked this suite for two nights?" Shin asked as he casually placed another slice of grilled fish on her plate. His tone was light, easy—but the look in his eyes held a glimmer of suspicion… maybe even disappointment.
Yeri's eyes flickered, quickly fabricating an excuse. "Ah... My mom sent me a message earlier. She wants me to go back today and open my gifts."
Shin leaned back slightly, watching her with narrowed eyes, as if trying to read through her soul. "Tomorrow's a holiday, isn't it? Why don't you just stay tonight and leave in the morning?"
Yeri forced a smile, calmly scooping another spoonful of rice as if she weren't internally screaming. He's definitely plotting something again... this hotel is dangerous territory.
"I can't," she replied, doing her best to sound sincere. "Mom went through so much organizing everything. I should help her clean up and sort out the aftermath."
Shin didn't answer right away. He simply stared, his expression unreadable. Maybe he didn't believe her, but to his credit, he didn't press the matter.
Then, his phone buzzed. He glanced down at the screen, and something shifted in his expression. His brows knit slightly as he read the message—an almost imperceptible change.
Yeri peeked up at him, curious
He didn't say what the message was about, but after a moment of silence, he looked at her again and nodded slowly.
"All right. I'll take you home whenever you're ready."
His tone remained calm, but Yeri could sense a faint change in his mood. Something serious, maybe business-related, had entered his mind.
Still, he didn't rush her or say anything else—just went on quietly finishing his food.
Relieved yet puzzled, Yeri looked down at her plate. The tension in the room seemed to lessen, though she couldn't quite tell if it was because Shin was genuinely respecting her decision—or if he had simply gotten distracted by something more pressing.
Either way, she decided not to dwell on his earlier confession. 'He said he likes me… not loves me.'
There was a clear difference. Maybe, just like her, what he liked was merely her appearance.
Even so, Yeri couldn't bring herself to ask that to him. Some things were better left unsaid. If she imply anything out loud, it might give him the green light to do something even more outrageous.
After they finished eating, Yeri excused herself to pack her things. She was already imagining her bed at home and the peace of being away from his intoxicating presence.
But just as she zipped up her suitcase, Shin appeared at the door, one hand casually in his pocket, the other holding her phone.
"You left this on the table," he said, handing it to her.
"Oh, thanks," she mumbled, taking it and slipping it into her purse. She tried not to look directly at him, but it was hard not to notice how effortlessly attractive he looked—even in a simple black shirt and slacks.
How was that fair?
"Yeri," he called softly, making her pause.
She turned to him, clutching her suitcase handle tightly.
His voice lowered a bit. "You're not going to avoid me again, are you?"
She blinked. "What? No. Of course not."
He gave her a knowing smirk. "Really? Because you're acting like you're about to flee the country."
"I'm just going home," she said, injecting firmness into her tone. "That's all."
He stepped a little closer. "Then let me take you."
There was a softness to his voice now, different from his usual teasing. It made her chest tighten for reasons she refused to name.
Run away? Even if she really did try to flee the country, with Shin Keir's extensive network, he'd probably find her before she even boarded the plane.
She used to think he was just bored—a rich guy with too much time and a habit of pestering her for amusement.
Unfortunately, his latest fixation seemed to be her.
And every time she thought he'd give up and leave her in peace, he pulled some fresh stunt that drove her absolutely mad.
Like shamelessly crashing her debut banquet and acting like he had every right to be there.
If she ignored him again… who knew what insane thing he'd do next?
---
Shin drove her home quietly, one hand on the wheel, the other resting lazily on the armrest between them.
Yeri kept her eyes on the passing scenery, pretending she didn't notice Shin glancing at her every now and then.
As they neared her neighborhood, she suddenly sat up straighter. "Just stop here," she said quickly. "One block away is fine."
Shin arched a brow. "Why?"
"I don't want anyone to see me getting out of this car,"she muttered, eyeing the sleek, very-unsubtle black luxury vehicle.
The last thing she needed was anyone from the Zhi household—or any nosy neighbor—spotting her.
Amused, Shin smirked. "You could just say we ran into each other and I gave you a ride."
She shot him a knowing look. Accidentally running into him? Who would even believe that? And why would someone like him agree to drive her home?
Nonetheless, Shin obediently pulled over to the curb. Yeri unbuckled her seatbelt, reaching for her suitcase.
Just as she was about to open the door, Shin's voice stopped her.
"Have you forgotten something?" he asked meaningfully, eyes watching her like a predator circling its prey.
She blinked at him, puzzled. "No? I only brought one suitcase, my purse and Carpet."
Carpet barked, as if confirming his presence in the backseat.
Shin chuckled, and before she could say another word, he leaned in and kissed her.
Yeri froze—eyes wide, mind blank. By the time she registered what was happening, it was already over.
She glared at him, flustered beyond reason. "W-What was that?!"
"I can't kiss my girlfriend?" he replied, far too pleased with himself.
"Not in public!" she snapped, cheeks burning as she yanked her suitcase from the car. "And don't do it without warning!"
Still smirking, Shin leaned back in his seat. "Next time, I'll give a countdown."
"You—!" Yeri huffed, speechless, and utterly scandalized.
Afraid he might do something even more outrageous—she quickly exited the car, dragging her suitcase behind her like it was her last line of defense.
This kind of Shin Keir was far too dangerous.
"How about you let me take care of Carpet for a few days?" Shin leaned his face out of the car window.
"Don't get out of the car!" she snapped. "And no, you can't borrow him—he has a daily schedule to follow."
He remained inside, but the glint in his eyes as he watched her stomp away said everything.
Troublesome girl.
---
SC College Dorm-
"Zhi! Zhi, wake up!"
Jj Zhi groaned as something—or someone—shook his bed frame. He peeled one eye open to see his dormmate, Vince Marion, hovering over him with wild bed hair and a phone in his hand.
"Bro, what time is it?" Jj muttered, burying his face in his pillow.
"It's 2:40. In the afternoon," Vince said. "You've got a package downstairs."
"Then you get it."
"It wasn't a regular delivery. Someone in a suit dropped it off personally. The front desk made me sign for it because it had your name on it."
That got Jj's attention. He sat up groggily. "Wait—what?"
Vince held up the slip. "It says 'For Young Master Zhi.' Real fancy."
Jj blinked at the paper, still half-asleep. "I'm not expecting anything."
"Then it's either from your family or a secret admirer," Vince said. "Also—it's huge. Like, you could sit on it."
Jj frowned. "How huge?"
"Huge-huge. And heavy. Hey, do you think a hot girl packaged herself for you?"
Jj sighed and got up, muttering, "You have a one-track mind. No wonder your fiancée hates you."
Vince winced. "She doesn't hate me—it's just a lovers' quarrel."
Five minutes later, Jj stood in the lobby, staring at a massive black box that looked like it came straight out of a spy movie.
There was a neat gold-embossed card on top.
"Consider this a small token of appreciation for helping me. – S.K."
Jj's stomach dropped. He had left the debut banquet early specifically to avoid being dragged into more drama.
He took a seat by the lounge area and opened the box.
Inside was a state-of-the-art tech laptop. Nestled beside it was a pristine toolkit packed with rare, imported materials—every engineer's dream.
But that wasn't even the most shocking part.
Inside a sleek folder were three formal internship offers—from top companies in the fields of manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace.
Jj sat back, speechless.
Vince peeked over his shoulder. As a fellow engineering student from a wealthy family, he immediately understood that all of this must have cost a fortune—but the internship invitation was truly priceless.
"These aren't just expensive—they're legendary. Man… you're amazing."
He looked at Jj thoughtfully. "Hey… how about you just marry me? These will become our marital property."
Jj gave him a long, deadpan stare. "Go away. You're full of nonsense."
Vince grinned. "Then… can I at least call you Grandpa?"