Bad addiction

She was so lost in thought that she couldn’t even choose properly.

“Can I have this and this?”

Not wanting to keep Dojun waiting any longer, she randomly pointed at something.

Luckily, a table for two was available, so they picked up their order and sat there.

In front of Dojun was the same espresso as before.

“Have you been well?”

“…Yes. Have you been well too, Director?”

The greeting felt awkward since the order of words was a bit off.

It was only natural, considering they had already shared something more intimate before exchanging simple pleasantries.

Because of what happened yesterday, Haeun could only poke at the cake with her fork instead of eating it.

‘I feel like I should say something first…’

But too much had happened in just one day, leaving her confused.

If she said the wrong thing and revealed her feelings, it would be a disaster.

In the end, she couldn’t even take a bite and set her fork down.

“Why aren’t you eating? You like this, don’t you?” Dojun asked casually.

She wondered how he still remembered that she liked desserts.

But this wasn’t the time to ask such things.

“I’m just taking my time.”

Unable to endure the awkwardness, she reached for her drink and stirred it with a straw.

The clinking sound of ice against the glass mixed with Dojun’s voice.

“I thought you might reach out at least once.”

“Me? You thought I would?”

The idea that Dojun had been waiting for her to contact him was enough to make her heart race.

But she tried not to dwell on it.

If she gave it meaning, she would only end up getting hurt.

“Why did you change your number?”

“I had my reasons.”

“You sure have a lot of stories.”

A dry laugh followed.

Dojun tilted his head slightly, as if lost in thought.

“You seem to have more to you than I expected.”

“I guess so.”

The conversation refused to stray from uncomfortable topics, making her uneasy.

“Did you ever think about me?”

“…I was a little busy.”

Another lie.

She had thought about him constantly.

Not just during the day but even in her dreams.

But she did her best to hide her feelings.

“Were you busy going on blind dates?”

“Well… that too.”

His words felt like mockery, as if he was scoffing at her for wasting her time on such meaningless meetings.

She had tried to answer casually, but for some reason, she suddenly felt sad.

“Did you actually want to go on those dates?”

“That’s…”

Haeun’s eyes wavered, as if lost.

She wanted to answer in a way that wouldn’t make her seem pathetic in front of him, but it wasn’t easy.

She felt like she had hit a dead end.

“Your family forced you, didn’t they?”

“…”

Haeun had nothing to say.

Seeing her silence, Dojun spoke again.

“Then let’s get married.”

“…What?”

Haeun snapped her head up to look at him, sure that she had misheard.

But Dojun remained calm as he gazed at her.

“I’m in the same situation.”

“The same… situation?”

“I’ve been forced to go on plenty of blind dates. Yesterday too.”

“Oh.”

Only then did Haeun realize why she had seen him at the hotel.

He had been there for a blind date as well.

For some reason, the thought made her heart sting.

“Sitting across from a stranger, pretending to be interested in their stories… It really isn’t my thing.

And I hate the way they look at me, expecting something from me.”

Dojun shrugged and crossed his long legs.

“You know what I’m like. Just imagining living with someone like that makes me sick.”

He frowned as if recalling something unpleasant.

Haeun didn’t respond, so Dojun sighed, looking frustrated.

“In short, since we’re in the same situation, we should help each other out.”

His explanation made things even more confusing.

“You say we’re in the same situation, but I’m not like you.

And I have nothing to offer you.”

Her family was forcing her to marry for the sake of their failing business.

There was nothing to gain from marrying her.

Even though they hadn’t spoken much, she already felt exhausted.

“Who said you have nothing to offer?

Don’t assume things about me.”

His firm voice cut her off, but she couldn’t stop herself.

“Then what would you gain from marrying me?”

“Spending the nights with you. Having you whenever I want. That’s enough for me.”

His blunt words darkened her expression.

It wasn’t a marriage proposal—it was more like an offer to be his partner.

She hadn’t expected anything special from him, but this still felt miserable.

“You don’t even know why I’m being forced into marriage.”

“Knowing wouldn’t change anything.”

No—it would change everything.

It hurt that she had to expose her weaknesses in front of him.

But if she wanted to make him give up, she needed a good enough reason.

“I’m just being sold to another family in exchange for investment in our business.”

She deliberately used the harshest words possible.

Tears threatened to fall.

Her whole neck burned with embarrassment at revealing such a shameful truth.

But Dojun remained completely unfazed.

Instead, he gave an unexpected response.

“You think I didn’t know that before making my proposal?”

“If I were you, I wouldn’t spend money on marrying someone I didn’t even love.”

Of course, he had more than enough money to spare.

But seeing how relaxed and composed he was made her feel even more bitter.

“Showing weakness like this is the same as inviting people to take advantage of you.”

As Haeun ran her fingers through her hair, Dojun gave her a look of pity.

That only made her throat burn hotter.

“I’m willing to invest in you—however much you need. How much will it take?”

So he was saying that if she was going to be sold off anyway, he would at least offer a good price.

‘Like I’m some beggar looking for scraps.’

She tried to suppress her emotions, but tears welled up from the humiliation.

His casual tone grated on her nerves.

She stared at him in silence, and he spoke again.

“I just thought… out of anyone, you’d be the best choice for this arrangement.”

“…”

“Since we’d be sharing a space, it’s better to be with someone who’s at least tolerable.”

The more he spoke, the heavier her heart felt.

It upset her that he was treating their relationship so lightly.

‘I didn’t spend that night with him just to be seen this way.’

She knew she had brought this situation upon herself.

But it still felt unfair.

She wanted to stop being affected by him.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll pretend I never heard your offer.”

“Alright then.”

Dojun answered immediately, without hesitation.

His nonchalant attitude made Haeun frown.

She looked down at the untouched macarons and cake on her plate.

Then she let out a small, bitter laugh.

‘I shouldn’t have let myself get excited over something so trivial.’

She hated how small she felt in front of him.

It frustrated her how much he still affected her.

Just as she was about to end the conversation and clean up, he called her name.

“Haeun.”

She pursed her lips and looked up.

Dojun adjusted his posture and said,

“If you ever change your mind, let me know.”

“I won’t.”

“You never know.”

Even though she rejected him immediately, he remained completely composed.

“If you’re thinking of running away again, forget it. I’ll find you no matter what.”

There was no point arguing anymore.

It would only make her more frustrated.

Dojun’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment before he finally looked away.