“If you’re having tea, I’ll prepare and bring it to you. Should I show you some products, Ms. Ma?”

“Well, can I go look around outside for a bit?”

Ye-ryeong pointed to the outside of the reception room. Holding a teacup, Ms. Ma flicked her hand, telling her to go take a look.

While Manager Sung, who brought a few boxes from the safe, was talking to Ms. Ma, Ye-ryeong slowly looked around the store.

And after about twenty minutes, Manager Sung, who came out of the reception room, approached Ye-ryeong.

“Do you like anything?”

“There are too many, so it’s hard to choose.”

Ye-ryeong smiled brightly as she glanced over the items displayed in the showcase. Manager Sung followed her carefully and called her out cautiously.

“Well… Assistant Manager Ban.”
Ye-ryeong, who had turned her body, looked at Manager Sung. Seeming to have something she wanted to say, she approached Ye-ryeong closely, glancing towards the reception room, and lowered her voice.

“By any chance, Assistant Manager Ban, do you know?”

“Did Director Ban buy a ring?”

With Ye-ryeong’s answer, Manager Sung’s eyes widened, and she nodded her head in surprise.

“Yes. Oh, so it was true…”

Director Jin and Yoon Se-kyung were meeting! Manager Sung covered her open mouth in shock.

“Oh? But why doesn’t Ms. Ma know?”

“Well, it’s still a secret.”

Ye-ryeong, who lifted her lips, stared outside the store. Perhaps thinking there was nothing much to gain here, some reporters who had been waiting in the parking lot were not visible.

“So, Manager Sung, you should be careful for a while. You know this is related to the store’s reputation, right? Exposing the list of products purchased by customers to the outside world or something…”

“Oh, we are careful about that too. Earlier, I thought Ms. Ma would also know, so…”

Manager Sung chuckled awkwardly. She thought Ms. Ma, of course, knew about her son’s business. When giving such an expensive ring to someone publicly known, she thought the family had already been introduced.

“Hmm? But how do you know, Director Ban, if Ms. Ma doesn’t?”

“I’m a bit intuitive.”

Ye-ryeong said, narrowing her eyes, and Manager Sung laughed.

“Anyway, since our side consistently declines media interviews, don’t worry. But is it okay to keep responding like this?”

“Well.”

Fist-bumping, Ye-ryeong tapped her fingers.

Since they would call Se-kyung soon, it might be better to let rumors or whatever flow. Moreover, if the reporters start showing interest like this, paparazzi might follow.

‘It’s not a bad timing, considering.’

The drama was also approaching its end, subtly hinting at the existence of someone she’s dating after the end wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“For now, keep responding like this. Afterward, check with Director Ban on how to proceed. I’ll tell Manager-nim to contact you.”

Manager Sung nodded.

“What? No one will know?”

“…”

“Well, I know everything.”

Woo-hyun sneered next to him. Whether he found amusement in teasing Tae-jo or not, his mouth, which protruded unpleasantly, made Tae-jo want to hit him.

Tae-jo glanced at Woo-hyun in that manner, then lowered his gaze back to his phone. Just when interest in Se-kyung’s ring seemed to subside for a moment, a newly posted community post was igniting a new flame.

[Yoon Se-kyung wore a ring on “Bubu Imong,” and it looks exactly like the one I saw at Cheongdam-dong Lo. Main and sub-stones are all real diamonds! And it’s a couple ring! So, did she receive that ring from her lover?] The spark ignited by the post began to spread in all directions as if it had wings, reaching the ears of reporters. Now, they were even receiving calls asking if Yoon Se-kyung’s ring was really a couple ring and inquiring if she is currently dating someone.

“See? I said someone would find out.”

“Yeah.”

“What should we do? Just confirm it? Is Se-kyung really dating right now?”

“No. At the moment…”

Just as Tae-jo was about to speak, the phone he was holding rang loudly. Seeing the caller ID displaying “Mother-in-law,” Woo-hyun urged him to answer quickly.

“Yes, Mother-in-law.”

Do you know that reporters are swarming at Lo?

Skipping greetings, Ye-ryeong bluntly went straight to the point. Tae-jo rubbed his wrinkled forehead with his fingertips.

“Oh really? I didn’t know. Did you go there?”

I was there until a moment ago. With Mom.

Mom?

Tae-jo’s finger, which had been smoothing out wrinkles, paused for a moment.

Reporters came to ask about Se-kyung’s ring because it’s hot. They wanted to know who bought it. Manager Sung made a confused face when he saw Mom. Did you really not know that Doyeon bought it? He had a face like, ‘Why doesn’t she know anything?’

“So what? How far did Manager Sung go with the story?”

She didn’t say anything.

“…”

I gave a signal not to say anything.

There was a sense of inexplicable pride in Ye-ryeong’s voice. She asserted that everything not known to her mother was her doing.

“That… Thank you.”

Just with words?

“…”

…Hey, Doyeon. You didn’t hang up, did you?

As Tae-jo’s silence continued, Ye-ryeong slightly lowered her tail.

“Shall I bow when we meet later?”

Okay. Bowing is kind of gross. It was just a joke. More importantly, contact Manager-nim. Suddenly, reporters came to the store, and that side seemed flustered too. For now, tell them that you don’t know anything, can’t reveal anything to the reporters.

“Well done. I’ll contact Manager Sung separately. We’re also considering how to handle that part right now.”

Do reporters come to the company too?

“Rather than coming in person, they call frequently.”

Since it turned out like this, why not leak a dating rumor a bit? This is also a good opportunity.

Certainly, it wouldn’t be a bad opportunity to naturally reveal the fact that they are dating. However, it was still challenging to definitively announce it immediately, especially since the drama hadn’t ended yet.

“It’s a good opportunity, but it’s difficult right away.”

Okay, well. You and Se-kyung will decide that. Anyway, quickly reveal it and say hello to Mom. At this rate, your mother might find out about your son’s dating life through the media.

As if questioning whether he could withstand the aftermath, Ye-ryeong added one more thing.

“Before that, we have to tell her. Yes, then please go in, Mother-in-law.”

When Tae-jo hung up the phone, Woo-hyun, who was next to him, asked curiously.

“Why, what? What happened?”
“Reporters came to the Lo store. They say your sister-in-law and mother visited there today.”

“So? Did the reporters find out anything?”

“Not really. But since even the manager there was flustered, he asked for you to contact him.”

“Ah, again.”

Woo-hyun, relieved that nothing unusual had happened, swept his chest.

“What are we going to do from now on? The drama is now past the middle, and it will probably be finished in about two weeks. Should we endure until then?”

Tae-jo scratched his chin as if contemplating. Denying the rumors about the couple ring in the yard where it had already spread would only backfire.

“Let’s endure a little longer. We are checking on the actors’ private lives. We’ll find out and let you know later, something like that.”

Woo-hyun made a groaning sound. For some reason, the sound of the phone ringing felt as if it were ringing in his ears, and he shook his head, exhaling a sigh.