DA 06

“S-Seong-chan tends to be on edge during practice. I apologize on his behalf, CEO.”

“No, it’s okay. It happens.”

Yong-sik’s humility wasn’t driven by a renewed hope for the previously failed sponsorship contract. It seemed more like trying to smooth things over after Ju Seong-chan, his close friend and athlete, acted rude.

Knowing this, Su-jeong pretended not to notice and smiled politely with Yong-sik.

…She was also in a position where she had to be polite.

‘If you need something, at least pretend to grovel.’

That was the conclusion Su-jeong came to.

Using Yong-sik’s previous offer of a formal apology as an excuse, Su-jeong had contacted him again.

She turned down his suggestion of a dinner meeting and came here instead, to the indoor golf practice range operated by The Dragons agency.

“By the way, I thought players usually used outdoor driving ranges (the ones with the green nets), but I guess they practice in indoor ranges like this too?”

“Ah, due to location and zoning regulations, we couldn’t put an outdoor range here. We have a separate contract with another outdoor driving range for our athletes. So we have a system where they go back and forth between the indoor and outdoor ranges depending on their training routines.”

Yong-sik laughed heartily and added, “Nothing beats practicing close to home, after all.”

“Anyway, thank you for contacting me and coming all the way here. And perfect timing! Seong-chan has a lesson today, haha.“

As Yong-sik said, Seong-chan happened to be giving a lesson.

To be more precise, he wasn’t taking a lesson, he was giving one.

Since his suspension, Seong-chan had been teaching golf to the athletes of The Dragons.

Although he had caused a public disturbance, his undeniable talent made his lessons highly sought after. And apparently, there were many people willing to pay him a hefty sum per hour for private lessons.

‘So it’s not like he’s desperate for money after all.’

Su-jeong watched as Seong-chan coached someone’s posture.

The woman receiving the lesson was a rising star in Korea whose name Su-jeong had heard a few times. She was in her early twenties, barely past twenty.

She had probably seen her in a few commercials.

Su-jeong knew that The Dragons actively promoted her.

The woman blushed slightly whenever she made eye contact with Seong-chan during the lesson. Whether he noticed her interest or pretended not to, Seong-chan remained strictly professional.

Su-jeong found his clear separation of business and personal matters unexpected.

‘I thought he only played golf because he was lucky.’

The look in his eyes was like….

Su-jeong was lost in thought when Yong-sik broke the silence.

“The lesson should be over in about ten minutes. Would you like some tea while you wait?”

It was an awkward amount of time to just stand around. It would also be disturbing for the other athletes practicing, so Su-jeong was about to accept Yong-sik’s offer.

That’s when it happened.

A shadow fell over Su-jeong.

When she looked up, she saw Ju Seong-chan standing right in front of her.

He looked down at her with his head tilted to the side and jerked his chin in a gesture.

“Can I talk to you for a second?”

***

“Didn’t we finish our conversation last time?”

Seong-chan snapped as soon as he led Su-jeong into a private practice room.

“And in case you forgot, I have nothing to gain from this. No matter how much you throw your money around and try to threaten me, I won’t marry you, have your baby or anything like that.”

He spoke his mind bluntly now, without any pretense of politeness.

Su-jeong stared at Seong-chan’s annoyed and irritated face for a moment before she spoke.

“So you’re giving up on making a comeback? That’s not it, is it?”

“Why do you assume that?”

Seong-chan sneered sarcastically.

“I’ve played enough golf to be sick of it, and that hasn’t changed. I don’t need a comeback to make a living, and I don’t care anymore. So why would I be begging you for a comeback?”

Although he didn’t use vulgar language this time, he was still intimidating.

Most people would be flustered or intimidated by his aggressive attitude, but Su-jeong was unperturbed.

She looked at him steadily and said calmly, “I can see it in your eyes.”

“What?”

“The look in your eyes, Ju Seong-chan-ssi. Even when you’re teaching someone else, your eyes look like the one who’s playing.”

“…….”

“That’s not a look someone who gave up golf would have.”

“…….”

Seong-chan remained silent.

A complex expression flickered across his face, replacing the annoyance and irritation. He seemed to be bothered by her words, looking disturbed and somewhat offended.

Su-jeong didn’t know why he was making that expression.

But she sensed that this was her chance. She continued, “I don’t know the details, but I know that you want to make a comeback, Ju Seong-chan-ssi. And I understand that you need someone to back you up, no matter how much money is involved.”

“…….”

“So help me. And I’ll help Ju Seong-chan-ssi in return.”

Su-jeong looked at Seong-chan. But his expression was unreadable.

“I apologize if what I said last time offended you. But what I want from you hasn’t changed. To have a child and to be married for one year. That’s all. After that, I won’t bother you anymore and you can do whatever you want.”

Seong-chan’s face hardened again.

The fleeting emotions disappeared, replaced by an impassive mask as he looked down at Su-jeong.

A low chuckle reached her ears.

“You don’t even remember things properly… and yet you’re so bold.”

Seong-chan murmured almost inaudibly.

Su-jeong, not quite catching his words, frowned slightly. Even if she had heard him clearly, she wouldn’t have understood his meaning.

‘Is he rejecting me after all?’

Seeing his noncommittal answer, Su-jeong prepared herself for rejection.

“If you refuse, there’s nothing I can do.”

If he still wasn’t convinced after another attempt, it meant that he really wasn’t interested, and further attempts would only be humiliating.

Su-jeong decided to give up gracefully.

As she turned to leave, “Let’s do it.”

A surprisingly positive response.

“Let’s make this baby you want so much.”

His tone was seemingly friendly, but heavy with sarcasm.

Su-jeong stared at Seong-chan for a moment.

Perhaps surprised by her unexpectedly calm reaction, Seong-chan looked at her quizzically. Su-jeong nodded.

“Okay.”

Okay? Seong-chan raised an eyebrow at her abrupt answer.

“I’ll drop the formalities. We’re going to be lovers, and we’re the same age, right?”

“……Ha!”

Seong-chan chuckled, smirking.

“Sure, honey.”

He nodded in agreement, using the new term of endearment.

“But, you know, even if I’m a manwhore, I can’t have sex unless I’m turned on…”

So what are you going to do about it?

He left the question hanging, conveyed more through his eyes than his words.

It was clearly a deliberate attempt to make her uncomfortable.

“I understand.”

But Su-jeong remained unmoved.

“Follow me. There’s somewhere we have to go.”

***

“So this is the place?”

Late at night, a discreet and private location.

Seong-chan was dragged to such a secret place.

Su-jeong’s car had brought them to a private clinic, closed for the night. A doctor and some nurses, arranged by Su-jeong, were waiting for them.