II - 2

I was led out of the restaurant by I-jun’s hand.

The cold winter wind brushing against my nose felt like a breath of fresh air, relieving the stuffiness in my chest.

I-ryeong even slightly parted her lips, inhaling more of the wind, calming her rapidly beating heart.

‘How dare a dog with mud on it accuse someone of having an affair….’

Dong-ha’s harsh words echoed in my ears. They were the ones having an affair.

Honestly, I expected Dong-ha to chase after me and make excuses, but he only hurled accusations. Thanks to him, I felt miserable, as if I had become the perpetrator.

“Crazy bitch….”

Then, I-ryeong shook her head violently, muttering curses to herself. As if reminding herself not to forget that they were the perpetrators.

“Are you feeling a little better now?”

“I’m sorry, Executive Director….”

I-ryeong, belatedly realizing she was with the Executive Director, pursed her lips.

Her shameful secret had been exposed to her superior, whom she would have to face every week from next week. She felt she had to make some kind of excuse, but no thoughts came to mind.

At that moment, as the wind grew stronger, stinging her cheeks.

“Executive Director, didn’t you have an appointment? I’m so sorry you came out because of me.”

I-ryeong regretted her words as soon as she spoke them.

She should have simply thanked him and said she would see him at the company.

“I don’t have any obligation to tell Chae I-ryeong everything, do I?”

I-jun’s attitude changed once they were outside.

His tone was extremely stiff. It was I-jun, the superior she knew from work.

I-ryeong flinched at his cold tone, only blinking her eyes. The atmosphere was completely different from when he had kindly put his arm around her shoulder, making her feel embarrassed.

“I simply helped because Ms. Chae I-ryeong looked troubled. Does that answer your question?”

He didn’t seem to have come out of curiosity or to find out what was going on.

“Ah… I see.”

She replied as calmly as possible.

However, the fact that Executive Director Seo I-jun had witnessed her miserable situation remained unchanged.

She didn’t know how she would face Executive Director Seo from next week, and feeling uncomfortable, she lowered her gaze.

“Weren’t you troubled?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

I-ryeong looked at the ground and denied it.

“You weren’t? Are you saying I misread the situation?”

“Huh? That’s not what I meant…!”

Why was he being so persistent? It wasn’t even his business.

Feeling exhausted, I-ryeong finally raised her head and met his gaze.

I-jun’s eyes were simply calm. He stared at her with his dark eyes, as if he didn’t need an answer.

It had been three months since she joined the marketing strategy team at AE Cosmetics. She was about to become a full-time employee.

During that time, she had never exchanged such a prolonged gaze with her superior, I-jun, like today. Why was he taking such an interest?

“If Ms. Chae I-ryeong says so, let’s leave it at that.”

His cold tone somehow sounded nonchalant.

It seemed he wouldn’t ask any further questions, which brought I-ryeong a sense of relief.

“By the way, where is Ms. Chae I-ryeong’s home?”

“…Pardon? Ah, it’s a short subway ride away.”

It was probably a gesture of goodwill. A superior’s courtesy, not leaving an employee on the street in a busy area on a winter night.

I-ryeong forced a smile at his kindness. So much so that the corners of her eyes and mouth felt numb from the strain.

“It’s that way.”

I-jun reached out and pointed into the air.

“…Pardon?”

“You said you were taking the subway. The station is that way.”

“If it’s that way…”

Having just gone through such a terrible ordeal, she must have been out of her mind to make such a huge misunderstanding.

“Ah, yes.”

Because of that, I-ryeong stammered.

I-jun’s face, with its coolly sharp eyes, remained expressionless.

“As you said, Executive Director, it is that way. I’m sorry for everything today, in many ways.”

Her face burned with embarrassment.

Why had she mistakenly thought he would give her a ride? She wanted to run towards the subway right away.

“Alright. I’ll see you next week.”

I-jun turned around as if to show her, leaving her standing alone on the street.

Feeling utterly humiliated, she stood there until he disappeared.

“Ha, seriously. This is so embarrassing.”

Belatedly, a mixture of annoyance, anger, and shame poured out in a weak voice.

She never imagined she would meet the Executive Director again at the restaurant after parting smoothly at the department store.

“Did he have a date?”

Only the lingering image of I-jun remained in I-ryeong’s mind. She wasn’t even thinking about her ex-boyfriend and her friend’s pregnancy.

“How am I supposed to go to work, seriously.”

The dominant thought was that she had been thoroughly humiliated because of them, who had become strangers.

They could just get married, have children, and live their lives.

“Couldn’t they find anyone else to sleep with but each other?”

Her white breath puffed out uncontrollably, as if the whole world was about to be covered in snow.

“I should have dumped him first.”

She couldn’t believe such a guy existed.

I-ryeong unconsciously glared at the restaurant where they were probably still at.

She had quit her good job and transferred to AE Cosmetics. In the process, she had neglected her boyfriend, which ultimately led to a sad ending.

“Asshole. This is so frustrating. So frustrating.”

Finally, she burst into tears on the street.

She felt people glancing at her, but the tears wouldn’t stop.

She wanted to get to the subway station the Executive Director had mentioned, but her tears blurred her vision, preventing her from moving.

She was trapped in the aftermath of the breakup, unable to do anything.

“Didn’t you say you were taking the subway?”

A damp voice, fitting for the winter, reached her ears.

It was I-jun, who she thought had left.

She wanted to ask him what he was doing here, and why he hadn’t gone back.

However, with her face a mess from crying, she only bit her lip.

“You should have said you wanted to cry.”

When had he become so cold and turned away?

“If you had, I wouldn’t have left you alone.”

Why was he suddenly being so kind again?

I-ryeong was surprised by his sudden appearance, but even more so by his changed demeanor.

“I feel like I’ve become the bad guy.”

I-jun took out a neatly folded handkerchief and carefully wiped I-ryeong’s face.

Each time the handkerchief brushed against her skin, a heavy yet elegant scent, one that seemed to suit him well, wafted through the air. The scent tickled her heart, as if it were comforting her.

“Isn’t it a waste to cry over such a jerk?”

“….”

I-ryeong was momentarily speechless.

His way of speaking, as if he had witnessed everything, made her nose sting.

“If you want to cry more, tell me now. I’ll take you to a place where you can cry to your heart’s content.”

I-ryeong nodded her slender neck. It was true that she wanted to cry as much as she could, just as he said.

Just like before, his hand touched her shoulder, and before she could even flinch, she found herself in his car.

Her heart, which had been racing with all sorts of emotions, calmed down as if by magic once she was in the car.

It was too late to regret it. She had held his hand and even made the decision to get into his car without hesitation.

I-ryeong tightly grasped the seatbelt across her chest.

The car, which she thought was going to some hotel, finally stopped in a quiet park parking lot.

“I won’t look, so cry as much as you want.”

I-jun, after turning off the engine, only stared ahead.

“If you want to shout, shout as loud as you want. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear it.”

Why was he showing her such consideration?

With only questions piling up, I-ryeong finally looked him straight in the eye.

“Now that you have the space to cry, the tears won’t come out?”

He wore a soft smile. Just like a kind lover.

“…Yes.”

Her voice unconsciously shrank, and she cautiously looked at him.

It wasn’t a lie. What could she do if the tears wouldn’t come out now that she had the opportunity?

“That person… is he someone you loved?”

Was he the type to enjoy other people’s romantic affairs?

I-ryeong stared at him with a look of bewilderment.

“I apologize if I was rude.”

I-jun, who was known as a cold-blooded person even at work, wore a smile. A smile so bright that it was clearly visible even in the darkness.

“I’m only saying this because I think you’re too good for him.”

They say that when people are surprised, their brains short-circuit.

I-ryeong only blinked at his words, which sounded as if he was teasing her.

“They say you forget a person with another person, right?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

The man was uttering ridiculous things with a perfectly straight face.

“If I were to kiss you right now, would I become the worst jerk to you?”

“Ki-Ki-Ki….”

Startled, I-ryeong covered her mouth with both hands.

He hadn’t just come along. If she had known the Executive Director was crazy, she would never have gotten into the car!

“A deep night.”

Click. I-jun unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Two adults, male and female, in a dark car.”

Lowering his voice, I-jun leaned towards I-ryeong.

“A secluded park where no one is around.”

Feeling his clearly impure intentions, I-ryeong held her breath.

“Isn’t this the perfect time to kiss?”

His serious tone didn’t sound like a joke.

“D-Did you perhaps have some drinks?”

“Not at all. If I had drunk, how could I have driven?”

I-ryeong felt like she was going to die from her rapidly beating heart.

It was the moment she swallowed, planning to unbuckle her seatbelt and quickly escape.

“Chae I-ryeong.”

He called her name in a gentle voice. So gently that she could never refuse.

Controlled by dangerous fantasies, I-ryeong unconsciously closed her eyes and pursed her lips. Since she didn’t have a boyfriend anyway, and kissing was no big deal between adults.

However, her dangerous fantasies were quickly shattered.

“Don’t get into any man’s car in the future.”

His hand, holding a moderate warmth, touched her cheek.

“Don’t just get in because someone offers you a ride.”

Opening her eyes as his touch tickled her face, she met his face, which was so close that their lips almost touched.

“Don’t waver if someone tries to seduce you.”

The distance between their lips was now one centimeter.

His hot breath made her mind dizzy.

Was he going to kiss her? She only looked at the Executive Director with a strange anticipation.

“Don’t forget that this kind of look only stimulates men more.”

Swish. His long finger brushed across her eyes, then touched her tightly closed lips before falling away.

I-ryeong nodded and slightly parted her lips. She desperately wanted a kiss right now.

“Do you want to kiss me?”

His snicker brought her back to her senses.

“I had no intention of kissing you. What were you thinking?”

What was she thinking?

Only then did I-ryeong realize that the Executive Director had been teasing her, and she shook her head vehemently, biting her lip.

What a disgraceful scene in front of her superior.

It was the moment she felt like she would go crazy wanting to hand in her resignation letter right away.

“It seems it’s not a good idea to tease you here.”

His fingers, still full of warmth, gently caressed her lips. As if handling something precious, very carefully.