IT - 5

5. “You’re Crazy”

It was a spell that pulled her in with an intensity she couldn’t resist. But if she had said no, this moment—born out of drunken impulsiveness on a rainy night—would have been forgotten just as easily. 

Still, Ji-soo wanted this to be more than a fleeting accident. She wanted it to be the culmination of something long and deliberate, a fate she had nurtured over years. An opportunity like tonight—to eat together, exchange words, and share heated breaths while locking eyes—might never come again. 

“Maybe.” 

With her tacit permission granted, Tae-ha claimed her lips. He bit down on those infuriatingly alluring lips that tormented him, lips so beautiful he couldn’t look away even if he tried. 

When Ji-soo opened her eyes, the room was dark. Her fragmented memories were interrupted by Tae-ha’s stealthy hand slipping beneath her loosened blouse. His large, firm hands explored her warm, supple body, gripping her curves with an unrelenting hunger. 

Surrounded by the suffocating weight of humid darkness, Ji-soo writhed slightly, though she knew escape was impossible. His scorching lips nibbled at her earlobe before trailing downward. 

Positioned between her parted legs, Tae-ha pressed into her with overwhelming force. The shameful sounds of wet friction made Ji-soo close her half-open eyes. 

Ji-soo, who had stolen glances at Tae-ha’s unusually large hands during dinner, could hardly believe they were now roaming her body so provocatively. The greedy sounds of flesh against flesh only heightened her disbelief. 

Tae-ha wiped his fingers, stained with traces of her, on his tie. If he could, he would carve every mark of her onto his body. 

As his invading hand tugged at the remaining scrap of her underwear, Ji-soo grabbed his wrist. Her desire for him hadn’t waned, but what came next? 

She couldn’t leave the company because of debt, nor could she afford to transfer elsewhere anytime soon. If they went all the way, how could she face him under the same roof afterward? Her rationality screamed warnings in her head. 

“Executive Director, I don’t want to go any further.” 

The deliberate emphasis on his title twisted his handsome lips. 

“Why? Do you have someone else you’d rather have inside you?” 

“Don’t say that.” 

Their connected centers burned with unbearable heat. Her lower body throbbed painfully. Overwhelmed by the pressure building within him, Ji-soo murmured softly. 

“It’s not like that.” 

Though inexperienced in the ways of intimacy, Ji-soo could sense how difficult it must be for Tae-ha to hold back. She felt the same. The desire to go all the way gnawed at her too. 

Tae-ha gazed down at Ji-soo, who stared blankly at the pitch-black window as though sobering up. He then rose from the bed and began gathering their scattered clothes. 

Between undressing and redressing her, which act caused more anguish? Probably the latter. 

Lost in trivial thoughts, his eyes were drawn to Ji-soo’s pale, delicate nape. Suddenly, an urge to leave his mark on her body surged through him. 

Tae-ha pinned Ji-soo down and pressed his lips to her shoulder. As his tongue gently teased the tender flesh, Ji-soo let out a soft, pleasing moan. In her moment of vulnerability, he sank his teeth into her nape with a sharp bite. 

“Aah! Hnn...” 

With her underwear still clutched in his hand as leverage, Tae-ha indulged himself in exploring her body. Every touch bloomed red on her white skin, satisfying his cravings. 

That night, until the rain ceased, the devilish dessert continued, targeting his impure desires. 

---

For a wage earner, morning was a magical time when anything seemed possible. 

The day after a decade-long crush turned into a night of intense physical contact and kisses was one where Ji-soo wished she could vanish into cosmic dust. Yet, driven by the need for her paycheck, she forced herself awake. 

Despite vividly remembering everything she and Tae-ha had done the previous night, she washed up, applied makeup, and prepared for work as usual by 6 a.m., finishing 30 minutes earlier than normal due to her tangled thoughts and restless heart. 

She had drunk more than her usual limit, but she hadn’t lost control or her senses. It was undeniable that she had initiated things, teasing and provoking him. She didn’t think Tae-ha kissed and touched her out of affection akin to hers—it was likely closer to physical desire or mere play. 

“Why did I do that yesterday? What was I thinking?” 

Scolding herself harshly, Ji-soo picked up her bag and sluggishly stood. Ruminating wouldn’t change anything. Since she couldn’t turn back time, she resolved to find the most efficient way forward. 

On the bus to work, Ji-soo stared at Tae-ha’s number on her phone, hesitating to press call. After kissing him twice—once in front of the restaurant and again at the neighborhood entrance—she knew she had crossed a line no sensible person should. 

“You deserve to be called crazy.” 

Her deep sighs drew curious glances from the passenger seated in front of her. 

She slipped her phone into her coat pocket, only to take it out again moments later. Their workplaces were far apart, and aside from interviews like yesterday, formal encounters between an executive and an announcer were rare. Still, this was an incident that needed resolution face-to-face. She wanted to apologize to him. 

The familiar station felt alien today, like the threshold to some unfamiliar hell. Ji-soo disembarked and walked toward the office, swallowing sighs of hesitation before finally typing a message to Tae-ha. 

[This is Han Ji-soo. Please let me know a convenient time today. I’d like to meet and speak with you in person.] 

[I’m in my office now.] 

Thanks to leaving home early, she still had 30 minutes before her official start time. Meeting him outside the office might attract unwanted attention, so perhaps his secure, restricted-access office was the better option.

[Then may I come to your office now?] 

[45th floor.] 

The immense weight of those high floors pressed down on Ji-soo’s chest. Walking through the executive elevator and the corridor leading to his office, she couldn’t believe she was actually stepping into this space. 

After being guided by an employee, she stopped in front of the office door, trying to figure out how to begin the conversation and choosing her words carefully. Just then, the door swung open abruptly from inside. 

Tae-ha appeared as immaculate and composed as ever, as if he had already erased all traces of last night’s indiscretions. Opening the door like a host welcoming a guest, he stepped aside to let her in. 

“Thank you.” 

Ji-soo clenched her trembling lips tightly, biting down hard on the inner flesh to steady herself before stepping in with long strides. Her gaze was naturally drawn to the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a breathtaking view, taking full advantage of the building’s height. 

As Ji-soo stood awkwardly in place, Tae-ha scanned her from head to toe before sitting down in his chair. Following his lead, Ji-soo took a seat across from him. 

His large hand came to rest on the desk, tapping rhythmically against the surface—tap-tap-tap. The sound seemed to urge her to speak quickly. Those same fingers that had been inside her just hours ago now drummed impatiently. 

“How’s your body? Any pain?” 

She realized he was referring to the nape of her neck where her ID hung and her shoulders—the very spots he had marked so vividly. His question felt ironic given the red marks he’d left trailing down her torso from her jawline to her chest. 

Because of the relentless way he’d bitten her delicate skin like a starving beast, Ji-soo had been forced to wear a high-necked top to cover her neck completely. 

“Yes, I’m fine.” 

“Really?” 

The faint amusement laced in his short reply made Ji-soo finally lift her head, which had remained bowed until now. And there it was: a bright smile she hadn’t seen even when they were drinking together last night. 

It was Ji-soo who felt flustered now. Facing his softened expression made bringing up yesterday’s events even more difficult. 

“You wanted me to not be okay?” 

“I can’t deny it—I wanted to check for myself. I also take partial responsibility for what happened.” 

Partial? Ji-soo almost snapped at his choice of words but managed to maintain her composure. This man sitting right in front of her had pounced on her without restraint after she tried to push him away, greedily devouring her skin like a ravenous animal. 

Still, the red marks would fade with time, and besides, that wasn’t why she had come here this morning. 

“If I apply ointment, it’ll heal quickly. But the reason I came today is—” 

Tae-ha waited calmly for her next words, wearing a relaxed smile. As he studied her increasingly gaunt face, his eyes briefly flickered toward a small box behind her shoulder. 

“Last night, I made a mistake because I was drunk. I wanted to apologize sincerely—I’m really sorry.” 

Her overly formal tone sounded like that of a double agent caught plotting treason. It irked Tae-ha. If someone overheard them, they might think she was threatening to make him take responsibility for nothing more than a kiss. 

“What exactly do you consider a mistake? Asking me to drive you home? Begging me to kiss you? Or getting wet because of me?” 

His calm recitation of her actions in chronological order turned Ji-soo’s ears crimson. Only then did she realize something: 

At least she had been drinking when she seduced him—but all he’d done was sip lightly on traditional rice wine. She was the witch who had coaxed a sober man into driving her home. 

“It’s all my fault. I’ll be careful to ensure nothing like last night happens again.” 

Tae-ha’s long fingers stilled their gentle movements, curling slightly into a loose fist before relaxing again. 

“And if it does happen again? Did you come here this morning intending to say you’ll take responsibility for me next time?” 

“I didn’t mean to cause any inconvenience to you, Executive Director…” 

“Inconvenience, huh…” 

Tae-ha swallowed the heated breath stirred by her mention of last night before speaking slowly. 

“I don’t quite understand how two consenting adults kissing could be considered both a mistake and an inconvenience. Besides, I thought it went well—but here you are this morning, saying these things. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Understood. You may leave.” 

Sitting in a commanding posture, Tae-ha gestured toward the exit with his eyes. Ji-soo’s frail body, trembling faintly, hesitated as she rose to her feet. Just as she began edging away from the ominous desk, Tae-ha suddenly grabbed her wrist.