II - 64

For a fleeting moment, I-jun felt an overwhelming wave of anxiety that left his mind blank.

Had his unease somehow transferred to her? I-ryeong’s calm voice echoed through the bathroom.

“That place doesn’t have Vice President Seo I-jun.”

I-ryeong splashed water playfully with her open palms, creating small ripples. They mirrored the turbulence in I-jun’s heart.

“Now that I’ve realized you’re here with me, why would I go back there? I don’t want to.”

Her ears reddened with embarrassment, but it was the truth.

“I-ryeong.”

He let out his overflowing emotions, unable to contain the sheer happiness swelling within him.

“Why do you always say such beautiful things?”

“Because it’s you. To me, there’s only Seo I-jun—only you.”

I-ryeong, who had been shyly looking down, finally met his gaze.

Their eyes reflected each other, brimming with desire and longing. A tangled web of emotions swirled between them—yearning, passion, and love.

“You’ll have to take responsibility for me.”

They embraced tightly, their rapid heartbeats syncing as excitement coursed through them.

“You’ve got me all worked up again.”

“Haa, really…”

The sensitive sensations pierced her.

She was completely captivated by him, body and soul.

The path only her husband could enter fit perfectly, sending shivers through her entire being.

“Make me cry tonight too.”

“Do you realize how much you’ve changed?”

With a satisfied smile, he began rocking his hips.

“I want to cry in your arms.”

I-ryeong breathed heavily, revealing her raw desire.

“I’m going crazy.”

“So am I. Because of you.”

The grip of his hands on her hips tightened, heightening her anticipation.

“I wanted to take it slow, but I think I need to pull out once more.”

I-jun intended to make her cry all night long, just as she wished.

“Hold on tight.”

“I-jun!”

He lifted her out of the bathtub, still holding her close.

“Ahn!”

Before she could react to the cold tiles pressing against her back, a moan escaped her lips.

His rigid member relentlessly thrust into her depths, stirring the bathwater until it splashed everywhere.

The bathroom filled with the sounds of skin sliding against skin.

And so, another night of passion began.

---

They arrived at the office without a wink of sleep, yet the couple radiated an unmistakable glow.

“Nervous?”

“No, not at all. You’re here with me.”

The couple stepped out of the car and exchanged a warm smile.

Even though he had gifted her a car, they chose to commute together. If she had come alone like before, the stares from employees might have made her shrink back.

“Did you know?”

“Hmm?”

I-ryeong gazed at him with a relaxed expression.

“I feel at ease because you’re by my side too.”

In the past, his face would always be tense. But now, as he had promised, his features softened as he looked at her.

Seeing him so at ease brought her an inexplicable sense of relief.

The couple entered the lobby together. The curious glances that used to follow them were nowhere to be seen.

None of the passing employees consciously stared or whispered. The office seemed eerily quiet, as if no rumors had ever spread.

“Huh? Do you have something to say?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I-ryeong shook her head as she looked up at him.

She strongly suspected I-jun’s influence was at play, but she pretended not to notice. After all, he had promised to protect her forever.

Even if someone called it cowardly, all she wanted was to rest comfortably within the safe boundaries he had created for her.

“I-jun, you go upstairs first.”

I-ryeong stopped in her tracks.

“What about you?”

He stood there awkwardly beside her.

“I’ll stop by the cafeteria.”

“I’ll go with you.”

He declared his intention to accompany her to the cafeteria on the first floor of the lobby.

I-ryeong wore a troubled expression. Her visit to the cafeteria was for a deeply personal reason, and if he, as the vice president, joined her, it would undoubtedly become an official outing.

“I’m just buying coffee for the team. You should go upstairs first.”

“No, I want to go with you.”

Uncharacteristically, he stubbornly insisted.

“The employees will feel uncomfortable.”

I-ryeong leaned closer, whispering softly.

“I don’t want to let you go alone.”

“I-jun…”

The sight of I-jun, dressed impeccably in a well-fitted suit and acting like a sulking child, made I-ryeong chuckle softly.

Why had this man turned into such a stubborn child overnight?

“If the vice president enters the employees’ space, it’ll make everyone uncomfortable.”

“Think about the employees all you want, but think about me too. Can’t you see how much I don’t want to be apart from you?”

His newfound stubbornness was tinged with jealousy, and I-ryeong couldn’t bring herself to resist him any longer. She ended up entering the cafeteria with him. Fortunately, there were no employees using the cafeteria this early in the morning.

“It’s better than I expected.”

I-jun slid his palm across the table as he shared his first impression of the cafeteria.

“Don’t do that. It feels like you’re inspecting the place.”

“I’ve never been here before, so I’m just curious.”

I-jun lightly caressed her anxious face and smiled mischievously.

“Would you act like this if we went to another café as customers?”

“Not exactly, but—”

“It’s the same here. Just because you’re an executive doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want.”

I-ryeong explained gently, and he listened attentively.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say. I admit my thinking was shortsighted.”

“Thank you for listening to me.”

“If you hadn’t pointed it out, I might have become that obnoxious customer. Or maybe I already am.”

The couple burst into laughter simultaneously.

In that moment, they realized they didn’t need to search far for happiness. It was right here, close by, within arm’s reach.

---

Meanwhile, the cafeteria employee was on edge, feeling like they might collapse from anxiety. There was no way they wouldn’t recognize the company’s most famous couple.

The tension that began when the couple entered the cafeteria reached its peak as I-jun inspected the cleanliness of the tables. The employee thought their heart might explode at any moment, unable to swallow the lump in their throat.

Even the couple’s whispered conversation felt like criticism, amplifying their unease.

They wished the couple would just yell at them outright instead of making them squirm in suspense. Just as they were waiting impatiently—

“May I take your order?”

The sudden appearance of the couple at the counter startled the young employee, who visibly tensed.

I-ryeong greeted the flustered employee with a warm smile.

“Hello! Sorry our order is late. We have quite a few items. Is that okay?”

“Of course! No problem at all!”

Seeing I-ryeong’s friendly demeanor, the employee forced a smile in return.

But I-jun’s expression hardened. He grumbled inwardly that he was only tolerating this because the employee was female—if it had been a male employee, he might have fired them on the spot.

“One hot Americano, two iced ones. Can you replace milk with soy milk for the latte?”

“Yes, we can do that.”

“Then one soy milk latte, one iced caramel macchiato, and… uh…”

I-ryeong was busy reciting the coffee orders she had meticulously noted down on her phone.

“I-ryeong, wait, hold on a second.”

“What’s wrong?”

In his urgency, I-jun called her name and snatched her phone.

“Hold on with the order.”

“I-jun?”

Startled by his sudden actions, I-ryeong apologized to the employee and turned to him.

“What’s going on?”

“What is all this?”

Her phone displayed a detailed list of the team members’ coffee preferences.

There were ten people in the marketing department, and each had their own unique coffee preferences listed. Seeing this, I-jun felt his blood boil.

Back when he was part of the marketing team, everyone handled their own coffee orders. Running errands like this was unheard of.

“Why did you write all this down? And when? Did someone ask you to fetch coffee for the team?”

“I jotted it down little by little, thinking it might come in handy someday. Why? Is something wrong?”

She confessed that she had gathered the information while bonding with her teammates, preparing for moments like today.

When rumors spread on the company bulletin board, her teammates had all looked the other way, pretending not to notice. Wasn’t it only fair to show them some kindness in return?

“I even told Manager Baek I’d treat him to morning coffee in advance.”

“Alright, I understand what you’re saying. I get it, but… ugh, I don’t know anymore.”

I-jun handed her phone back.

He understood why she wanted to buy coffee for her team. But why did it still bother him?

“Next time, don’t contact Manager Baek. Call Manager Hwang instead.”

“Manager Hwang? You don’t mean…?”

Manager Hwang was a woman, and singling her out like this seemed suspicious.

“You’re thinking the right thing, so contact Manager Hwang next time.”

Seeing I-jun blush, I-ryeong realized this was jealousy again. How amusing—and endearing—this was, even first thing in the morning.

“Alright, I’ll do as you say.”

I-ryeong reassured him with a soft smile, tugging at the corners of her lips. She then apologized to the employee for keeping them waiting and proceeded with the rest of the order.

“Is there anything else you’d like to add?”

“There’s one more drink, but it’s a custom order. I’d like to add a few things to the coffee—is that possible?”

“As long as it’s not too complicated, we can do it. What would you like?”

After the employee assured her, I-ryeong glanced sideways at I-jun, who stood stiffly beside her.

“Can you make a strong café latte with two shots, extra milk foam, and drizzle caramel syrup twice around the rim?”

She recited Secretary Kim’s preferences from memory.

Beside her, I-jun clicked his tongue in clear disapproval. For some reason, even that annoyed expression looked adorable to I-ryeong, and her smile refused to fade.