Seo-ma had always felt a little uneasy around Ji-ah.
She couldn’t explain exactly why.
Ji-ah was always polite.
Always smiling.
Always acting sweet.
But sometimes…
Her eyes told a completely different story.
And the look Seo-ma had seen earlier that evening had finally confirmed her suspicion.
Jealousy.
Seo-ma glanced toward the other side of the banquet hall.
Ji-ah was approaching.
“Ji-ah is coming.”
Kim Hana didn’t turn around.
“I know.”
Seo-ma blinked.
“You know?”
“I saw everything.”
Hana’s expression remained completely calm.
She had seen Soo-min talking to Ji-ah.
She had seen the way Ji-ah looked at her.
And she knew exactly what Soo-min was trying to do.
Soo-min wanted to use Ji-ah against her.
Hana’s lips curved into the faintest smile.
Fine.
If that’s the game you want to play…
Let’s play.
Seo-ma noticed the tiny smile.
“Wait.”
Hana looked at her.
“What?”
“You’re smiling.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You are.”
Hana ignored her.
Seo-ma narrowed her eyes.
“You have a plan.”
Hana sighed.
“Of course I do.”
Seo-ma’s eyes immediately brightened.
“What is it?”
Hana reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone.
“I’ll send it to you.”
“On WeChat?”
Hana nodded.
She opened WeChat and began typing.
Her fingers moved quickly across the screen.
A few seconds later—
Sent.
Seo-ma’s phone buzzed.
She immediately opened the message.
Her eyebrows rose as she read it.
Then she slowly looked at Hana.
“So this is your plan?”
“Yes.”
“And you want me to do exactly this?”
“Exactly.”
Seo-ma’s lips slowly curved into a mischievous smile.
“You’re sure it’ll work?”
Hana looked at her.
“Just do it.”
Seo-ma immediately gave her a thumbs-up.
“Got it.”
She quickly typed her reply.
Leave it to me.
Hana’s phone buzzed.
She glanced at the message before slipping her phone back into her handbag.
Seo-ma straightened her dress.
“Alright.”
She smiled.
“Time to act.”
Hana raised an eyebrow.
“Try not to enjoy this too much.”
Seo-ma placed a hand over her heart.
“Me?”
She looked completely innocent.
“I would never.”
Hana stared at her.
Seo-ma burst out laughing.
“Okay, maybe a little.”
Hana shook her head.
But before either of them could say anything else—
A sweet voice interrupted them.
“Hana.”
They both turned.
Ji-ah was standing in front of them.
She wore her usual innocent smile.
Seo-ma immediately became quiet.
Hana simply looked at her.
“Ji-ah.”
Ji-ah smiled.
“You look beautiful tonight.”
“Thank you.”
Ji-ah’s eyes moved over Hana’s dress.
For a brief moment, jealousy flashed across her face.
Then it disappeared.
“I didn’t know you were going to wear something like this.”
Hana tilted her head.
“Like what?”
Ji-ah laughed softly.
“Nothing bad.”
She glanced at Hana’s dress again.
“It’s just…
different from your usual style.”
Seo-ma immediately understood.
Ji-ah was trying to make it sound like a compliment.
But the meaning underneath was obvious.
You don’t usually look this good.
Ji-ah continued.
“I suppose Seo-ma helped you choose it?”
Seo-ma was about to respond.
But Hana stopped her with a small glance.
Seo-ma immediately remembered the plan.
She stepped back.
This was Hana’s part.
Hana looked at Ji-ah.
Then her eyes slowly moved down to her dress.
She studied it for a moment.
Suddenly, Hana’s expression changed slightly.
“Oh.”
Ji-ah blinked.
“What?”
Hana looked at her.
“Isn’t that the dress I bought for you?” New chapters come out on g.com first.
Silence.
Ji-ah froze.
Hana tilted her head.
“Wait.”
She looked more carefully.
“It is, isn’t it?”
Several people nearby began turning toward them.
Ji-ah’s face immediately became uncomfortable.
“I…”
Hana continued calmly.
“I remember giving that dress to you.”
A few whispers spread through the crowd.
“Did Hana give her that dress?”
“I thought Ji-ah bought it herself.”
Ji-ah quickly forced a smile.
“Yes, but—”
Hana smiled.
“It looks nice on you.”
Ji-ah’s expression relaxed slightly.
Then Hana added casually—
“It suits you.”
A few people exchanged glances.
Someone nearby whispered,
“So she was criticizing Hana’s dress while wearing one Hana gave her?”
Another girl quietly laughed.
Ji-ah’s face immediately turned red.
“That’s not what I meant.”
Hana blinked.
“Really?”
“No.”
Ji-ah quickly shook her head.
“I mean…
I didn’t mean it like that.”
Hana simply nodded.
“Okay.”
She took a small sip of her drink.
“Then there’s no problem.”
Her voice was completely calm.
She wasn’t angry.
She wasn’t offended.
She wasn’t even trying to argue.
And somehow…
That made Ji-ah feel even more embarrassed.
Everyone was looking at her now.
The exact attention she had wanted for herself…
Was now making her uncomfortable.
Ji-ah forced another smile.
“Excuse me.”
She quickly turned around and walked away.
Seo-ma watched her leave.
Then she looked at Hana.
Hana simply shrugged.
Seo-ma immediately started laughing.
“That was perfect.”
Hana glanced at her.
“Was it?”
“Yes!”
Seo-ma leaned closer.
“Your face was priceless.”
Hana rolled her eyes.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly!”
Seo-ma laughed.
“You didn’t even have to insult her.”
Hana took another sip of her drink.
“Why would I?”
She glanced toward Ji-ah, who was now standing alone across the room.
“She embarrassed herself.”
Seo-ma smiled.
“That’s my girl.”
Hana looked at her.
“Don’t call me that.”
Seo-ma laughed.
“Fine, fine.”
Hana shook her head.
But before they could continue—
A loud commotion suddenly erupted near the entrance.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed throughout the banquet hall.
Everyone began turning toward the doors.
“What happened?”
“Who arrived?”
“Why is everyone looking over there?”
The large entrance doors slowly opened.
A group of attendants entered first.
Then—
The atmosphere changed.
Someone gasped.
“The Kang family.”
Whispers immediately spread throughout the room.
“The Kang family has arrived.”
“Really?”
“Look!”
“That’s first young master of the Kang family”
“You mean Kang tea-jin”
“Yes”
Hana’s attention was briefly drawn toward the entrance.
Old Madam Kang appeared first.
The elegant woman, now in her late seventies, walked with the confidence and authority of someone who had spent decades at the top of society.
Beside her—
Kang Tae-jin stepped into the banquet hall.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with subtle silver threads woven through the fabric.
The silver details caught the light from the chandeliers whenever he moved.
His broad shoulders.
His tall figure.
His sharp jawline.
His perfectly styled black hair.
His expression was cold and unreadable.
He didn’t acknowledge the whispers.
He didn’t acknowledge the countless eyes following him.
He simply walked beside his grandmother.
The guests couldn’t stop talking.
“He’s so handsome.”
“He’s even more impressive in person.”
“That’s the CEO of Golden Horizon Jewelry.”
“He’s the heir of the Kang family.”
Hana watched for a moment.
Then her eyes narrowed slightly.
Wait.
Something about him looked familiar.
She had seen that face before.
But where?
Hana stared for another second.
Then—
It clicked.
Seo-ma turned toward her.
“What?”
Hana nodded toward Tae-jin.
“That’s him.”
Seo-ma blinked.
“That’s who?”
“The man you told me about.”
Seo-ma’s eyes widened.
“Kang Tae-jin?”
Hana nodded.
“Yeah.”
Seo-ma stared at her.
“You remember?”
“Of course I remember.”
Seo-ma raised an eyebrow.
“You literally forgot who he was two minutes ago.”
“I remembered eventually.”
Seo-ma laughed.
“I told you about him at the mall.
My brother Jung-seok’s childhood friend?”
Hana nodded.
“Yes.”
Seo-ma continued.
“I also told you he’s cranky.”
“And cold.”
“And annoying.”
“And apparently impossible to have a normal conversation with.”
Hana looked at Tae-jin.
Then she looked back at Seo-ma.
“Hmm.”
Seo-ma waited.
“Well?”
Hana shrugged.
“He looks cranky.”
Seo-ma burst out laughing.
“I knew you’d say that!”
Hana smiled faintly.
“I didn’t say anything wrong.”
“You’ve never even spoken to him.”
“Exactly.”
Seo-ma shook her head.
“Just remember what I told you.
He’s not the type of person you want to annoy.”
Hana glanced at Tae-jin again.
For the briefest moment—
Their eyes met.
One second.
Maybe two.
Nothing more.
Hana immediately looked away.
She didn’t feel anything.
No fluttering heart.
No sudden attraction.
Nothing.
She simply remembered Seo-ma’s description.
Cold.
Cranky.
Jung-seok’s childhood friend.
That was all.
Hana turned toward Seo-ma.
“Let’s go have some food.
I’m starving.”
Seo-ma’s face immediately lit up.
“Yeah, now you’re talking.”
Hana smiled.
Finally.
Something important.
Food.
She loved food.
She could eat almost anything she wanted without worrying too much about gaining weight, thanks to her naturally slim and fit figure.
Seo-ma had always joked that Hana was the only person she knew who could eat like a professional food critic and still look like she lived at the gym.
Hana didn’t care.
If there was good food…
She was interested.
“Come on,” Hana said.
Seo-ma nodded.
“Lead the way.”
The two girls began walking away.
Hana didn’t look back.
She didn’t notice the brief glance Tae-jin sent in their direction.
He had no reason to.
He barely knew her.
As far as he was concerned, she was simply the girl he had seen at the mall.
A girl who had just remembered his name.
Nothing more.
But there was one thing he couldn’t help noticing.
She was one of the few people in the banquet hall who wasn’t interested in him.
Everyone else had been watching.
Whispering.
Staring.
Trying to get his attention.
Kim Hana?
She had looked at him for two seconds…
Then turn to leave .
Tae-jin’s eyes narrowed slightly.
For some reason—
He found that strange.
Not interesting.
Not attractive.
Just…
Strange.
He quickly dismissed the thought.
Why should I care?
He turned his attention back to his grandmother.
Meanwhile, Hana and Seo-ma were already discussing what food they were going to find.
Completely unaware of the man behind them.
Completely unaware that their paths would soon cross again.
And again.
And again.
Their story wouldn’t begin with love at first sight.
It would begin with arguments.
Misunderstandings.
Clashing personalities.
Two stubborn people constantly getting on each other’s nerves.
And eventually…
Feelings neither of them would be willing to admit.
But tonight?
Kim Hana didn’t care about Kang Tae-jin.
And Kang Tae-jin didn’t care about Kim Hana.
At least…
Not yet.