## **Lee Yoon-seo**

There were rules to this contract.

Rule #4: *Keep personal feelings out of professional life.*

Yeah. That rule was about to burn.

---

“Another coffee date?”

I froze, fingers tightening around my phone. His voice — smooth, low, and way too close behind me.

Turning, I came face-to-face with Ji Hoon-min. Arms crossed. Brows raised. And eyes... dark. Sharp. *Possessive.*

---

“Stalking me now?” I shot back, slipping my phone into my bag.

“Not stalking,” he said, stepping in just enough that I had to tilt my chin up. “*Monitoring.*”

“Monitoring sounds worse.”

“Funny. You didn’t deny the coffee date.”

---

Before I could fire back, a familiar voice broke through.

“Yoon-seo!”

Kang Min-jun jogged over, casual smile in place, hair slightly tousled like he’d just stepped out of a drama scene. Effortlessly soft. Effortlessly dangerous.

---

“Hey.” I smiled — and I swore I felt Hoon-min’s posture stiffen beside me.

Min-jun’s gaze flicked, acknowledging Hoon-min with a polite nod. “Ji CEO.”

“Min-jun-ssi,” Hoon-min returned — smile corporate, eyes lethal.

---

“So,” Min-jun continued, eyes back on me, “we still on for that late lunch?”

“Absolutely.” I grinned — partly because I wanted to. Partly because someone next to me was breathing like a ticking bomb.

---

Hoon-min’s jaw ticked. “Lunch. Right.” His gaze slid to me. “Didn’t realize you were free. Must’ve forgotten to check our *shared calendar.*”

“We don’t have a shared calendar,” I deadpanned.

“We should,” he said flatly. “*We’re married, after all.*”

Min-jun’s brow twitched. “On paper, sure.”

“Oh, it’s very real in the media,” Hoon-min countered, stepping a little closer — not quite touching me, but close enough my skin buzzed. “Isn’t that right... *darling?*”

---

## **Scene Cut — Later, Café with Min-jun**

“You okay?” Min-jun asked, passing me a cup of iced vanilla latte. “You seem... tense.”

I sighed. “Yeah, well. Contract marriages come with unexpected side effects.”

Min-jun’s gaze softened. “You know\... doesn’t have to be like this.”

“Huh?”

“You pretending. Around me, I mean.”

---

My throat caught.

“You’ve always been... strong, Yoon-seo. You don’t need someone telling you how to live your life. Or... who to have coffee with.” His smile was gentle. Real. “If I were him... I’d be terrified of losing you.”

---

## **But guess what. Guess who’s *conveniently there when we leave the café.Guess who’s leaning against his black car, sleeves rolled, arms crossed like a K-drama male lead sent from central casting.**

Ji. Freaking. Hoon-min.

---

“Done already?” he asked, voice too smooth, gaze locked on me. “Didn’t run out of things to talk about?”

Min-jun, bless his heart, smiled like a saint. “Nah. But figured I’d let her husband take it from here.”

“Appreciated,” Hoon-min replied — but the look between them wasn’t polite. It was the *verbal equivalent of a fistfight with smiles.*

---

## **The Car Scene — Oh, It's About to Get Personal**

The moment I sat in the passenger seat, the door barely clicked shut before —

“Don’t see him again.”

My head whipped around. “*Excuse me?*”

“You heard me.” His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white. “Don’t. See. Him.”

“Why? You jealous?”

Silence. His jaw clenched. His throat worked.

“...It’s not about jealousy.” His voice was low. Rough. “It’s about... protecting what’s ours.”

“What’s *ours*?” My heart hammered.

His eyes snapped to mine. *“You. This. Us.”*

---

Silence. Thick. Charged.

His gaze dipped — unashamed — to my lips. Lingering. Dangerous.

---

“Fake wife,” I managed, weakly.

“Yeah...” His thumb brushed his lower lip as he leaned just an inch closer. “*Keep telling yourself that.*”

---

## **The Almost Kiss (But Not Yet Because SLOW-BURN IS KING)**

The space between us disappeared — barely a breath left.

His hand hovered — not touching, but *God, it felt like he was.*

“Careful, Yoon-seo,” he murmured, voice rough silk. “Because one day... you might say it so often you forget it’s supposed to be a lie.”

---

I hated how my pulse betrayed me. How my breath stuttered. How badly... a part of me wanted him to close the distance.

---

But before it could happen — his phone rang.

Sharp. Jarring. Reality slamming back in.

---

“Saved by the bell,” I muttered, pushing the door open and stepping out.

“Yoon-seo—” His voice followed.

“Careful, Mr. Ji,” I threw back over my shoulder. “You’re starting to sound like a real husband.”