The sun dipped low, casting long shadows over the vertically challenged garden fence of Ha-Ri's family home. Ha-Ri and Tae-Mu, having just slipped through the watchful eyes of her brother and father, finally breathed easy. Ha-Ri let out a sigh of relief, only to immediately headbutt Tae-Mu in the forehead. The impact sent Tae-Mu crashing to the ground, unconscious.
When Tae-Mu stirred, he was less than pleased. "Ha-Ri, you're as hardheaded as they come," he grumbled, rubbing his sore forehead. He thrust a stack of papers at her with a dramatic flourish. "Here's our official relationship contract."Ha-Ri's eyes widened as she scanned the document. "Penalty fee? Unfair conditions? Are you serious?" she exclaimed.Tae-Mu's expression hardened. "Sign it or I'll sue. I'm not joking."With a resigned sigh and a last glance at the daunting contract, Ha-Ri signed the dotted line. A lawsuit revealing her as Tae-Mu's employee was not a risk she was willing to take.Once the contract was finalized, Tae-Mu embarked on a new mission: a PowerPoint presentation of his life's "greatest hits." The slides featured an array of cheesy green screen scenes, gloriously exaggerated to highlight his perfect life. Ha-Ri watched, trying not to laugh, as Tae-Mu's dossier was paraded in all its glory.But that wasn't all. Tae-Mu had also revamped her pedigree to enhance her chances of winning Grandpa's approval. It was clear this was no ordinary contract; this was a full-on production.In her new role as Shin Geum-Hee, Ha-Ri immersed herself so deeply that she reacted to her name when it was mentioned on TV. Tae-Mu, however, was far from impressed. "Memorizing facts is one thing," he said with a smirk, "but understanding our backstory and applying it to real life is crucial. For instance, you should know to reject a dinner invitation from Grandpa if it falls on our anniversary."Ha-Ri shot him a skeptical look. "Really? And what about you? Do you remember what I was wearing when we first met?"Tae-Mu faltered. "Uh..."Ha-Ri smirked. "I was wearing a yellow rain jacket, and you had an umbrella. It was a rainy day, and everything was so dramatic it could have been in a black-and-white movie."The scene she described was pure Casablanca—a dreamlike transition from grayscale to vivid color as the rain jacket's yellow spread to the umbrella. Tae-Mu's nose wrinkled in distaste. "I hate the rain. We should change our fake anniversary to a day when it wasn't raining."Ha-Ri was too worn out by Tae-Mu's high standards to argue further. During their car ride home, she fell asleep, her head tilting sideways. Tae-Mu, caught in a moment of tenderness, gently cradled her head in his palm. But as soon as Ha-Ri stirred, he panicked, flinging her head away so quickly it banged against the car window.At work the next day, Ha-Ri's team was scrambling to find a new chef for their latest product line. Eui-Ju, her team director, cast a significant glance at Ha-Ri. "How about Min-Woo?" Eui-Ju suggested.Ha-Ri eagerly prepared a presentation, confident that Min-Woo was the right choice. But when Eui-Ju insisted Ha-Ri present to Tae-Mu, her enthusiasm landed her in hot water. Dressed in Eui-Ju's stylish cat-eye glasses and a mask to avoid recognition, Ha-Ri still struggled to shake Tae-Mu's opinion of her as an eccentric. To her relief, the presentation went off without a hitch.Afterward, Ha-Ri visited Min-Woo's restaurant to share the good news. She was shocked to find him cozying up with his (former) ex-girlfriend, Go Yoo-Ra. They were back together, and Ha-Ri's heart sank as she saw her hopes dashed.The next day, Ha-Ri faced her first arranged meeting with Grandpa. Tae-Mu picked her up, and although he had overheard her tearful phone call from the night before, he pretended not to know. They arrived at the restaurant, and Grandpa mistook a well-dressed restaurant employee for Geum-Hee. When he finally laid eyes on Ha-Ri, his gaze was critical of her outfit and blonde highlights. Grandpa's disapproval was palpable, but Ha-Ri wasn't ready to give up.The introduction began awkwardly as Grandpa questioned why Ha-Ri had broken up with Tae-Mu. But Ha-Ri gradually won him over with a heartfelt explanation of their understanding of Tae-Mu's work-life balance. She embellished their story, claiming that Tae-Mu had braved the rain to win her back. By the time they took a road trip for Grandpa's favorite steamed buns, he was firmly on Team Geum-Hee, even picking out names for potential grandbabies.During lunch, as Ha-Ri fumbled with her purse, Grandpa noticed the concert tickets from Min-Woo and assumed Tae-Mu was sending Ha-Ri alone to work while he stayed behind. Grandpa insisted on delivering the tickets, treating them like middle schoolers on their first date. Tae-Mu, knowing Grandpa would likely camp out in the parking lot, reluctantly attended the concert.Though Ha-Ri wasn't a MeloMance fan, she found herself enjoying the concert—until the duo paused to read notes from the audience. The first note, from Min-Woo, praised Ha-Ri as a great friend and hoped she would find someone special. Ha-Ri, her heart broken, silently cried as she accepted that her crush on Min-Woo was officially over. Meanwhile, Tae-Mu sat awkwardly, overhearing whispers that he was just a replacement.After the concert, Tae-Mu and Ha-Ri wandered aimlessly. Ha-Ri suspected he might think she was foolish for holding onto her crush for so long. To her surprise, Tae-Mu comforted her. "I understand. Sometimes long-term investments pay off."Later, after Ha-Ri accidentally took a foul baseball to the eye, she asked Tae-Mu why he was wasting time on a pretend relationship. "If this isn't going anywhere, wouldn't it be better to date someone for real and maybe find marriage?"Tae-Mu pondered her advice while Ha-Ri woke up the next day with a swollen black eye. Her family rushed to her side, their faces a mix of concern and shock. They too worried that her appearance would make her recognizable to Tae-Mu.As Ha-Ri arrived at the office, she found herself trapped in an elevator with Tae-Mu and Sung-Hoon. Overhearing their conversation about a tasting event, Ha-Ri faked a bathroom emergency and hid in the restroom while Tae-Mu and the company tasted Min-Woo's white kimchi ravioli.At dinner, Young-Seo updated Ha-Ri on her neighbor, Sung-Hoon. Not only was he Tae-Mu's chief secretary, but he was also her new neighbor. Sung-Hoon's method of killing cockroaches was nothing short of excessive, and his loyalty to Tae-Mu made him impossible to flirt with. His dedication stemmed from his status as Grandpa's adopted grandson.At a family dinner, Grandpa expressed his wish for more time with his grandsons and hinted at the possibility of marriage to alleviate his loneliness. Grandpa noticed the anniversary on Tae-Mu's calendar and ordered him to clear his schedule. Sung-Hoon, surprised by Tae-Mu's compliance, rearranged appointments to accommodate.Meanwhile, Ha-Ri's team was filming promotional videos for their project. Even in the middle of nowhere, Grandpa found the company bus and joined them for lunch. Ha-Ri attempted to hide her identity, but Tae-Mu called, inviting her to their faux-anniversary dinner. Despite claiming it was Grandpa's idea, his pleasure at Ha-Ri remembering the date suggested otherwise.As Ha-Ri ended the call, she ran into Grandpa, who was in urgent need of the restroom. Panicked, Ha-Ri locked herself in the bathroom. Grandpa's desperate tugging on the door led to an unfortunate accident—when Ha-Ri opened the door, Grandpa fell backward into a washing tub filled with water and lettuce. He had to be rushed to the hospital in ill-fitting clothes borrowed from a coworker.The next day, Tae-Mu picked up Ha-Ri for their anniversary date. He was pleased to see her bruised eye had improved. Their first stop was an upscale clothing boutique, where Ha-Ri tried on a tight but elegant designer outfit. Despite its snug fit, she wore it with confidence.During dinner, Tae-Mu and Ha-Ri bonded over their shared love of food. Tae-Mu's bashful ramblings and their genuine connection made their romance feel real. As the night progressed, it became evident that Tae-Mu was starting to fall for Ha-Ri. When Ha-Ri's outfit malfunctioned, Tae-Mu shielded her from embarrassment and flirted with her. His pointed glances and compliments showed his growing affection, leaving Ha-Ri visibly surprised.After dropping Ha-Ri off, Tae-Mu noticed Min-Woo greeting her as she took out the trash from her family's restaurant. The pieces fell into place: Ha-Ri and Geum-Hee had both harbored seven-year crushes on Min-Woo. They shared a ringback tone and extensive food knowledge. The revelation hit Tae-Mu hard as he connected the dots.In the aftermath, Tae-Mu faced the challenge of navigating his newfound understanding and the burgeoning feelings he had for Ha-Ri.
