Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
The taxi came to a stop in front of the officetel, and Jisoo paused to gather her thoughts. If the impatient driver hadn’t snapped at her for taking too long, she might have forgotten why she was here altogether.
“I’ll head to the officetel now.”
Before Tae-ha’s voice could respond, Jisoo spoke first. It was the first time she had initiated their meeting. She knew she needed to see him—but would she be able to say what she wanted once face-to-face?
Ping. The elevator doors opened, and light spilled through the crack, splitting the darkness. Following the illuminated path, Jisoo stepped forward.
Her eyes fell on the doorknob, which she gripped hesitantly. The cold metal made her shoulders tense unnecessarily. Why was she overthinking this again?
Just as her exhaled breath began to feel tedious, the heavy door creaked open. Boasting state-of-the-art security, the officetel sent notifications to the owner every time someone passed through any gate toward the designated unit.
Jisoo should have already arrived by now, but her tardiness caused Tae-ha’s dwindling patience to snap just as he prepared to leave.
“Sorry, did I keep you waiting long?”
“Were you reconsidering on your way? That’s what I thought.”
“There’s no way. Didn’t I say I wanted to meet you?”
“Maybe you regretted saying it.”
Tae-ha moved aside so Jisoo could enter. Her heavy gaze brushed past him, passing through the dimly lit living room into the kitchen where the smell of delicious food lingered.
“Haven’t eaten dinner yet?”
“More like, I waited to eat with you. I said I’d call, didn’t I?”
She’d thought his words were casually tossed phrases upon parting, not literal promises to wait until they sat together at the dinner table. It was as if he lived in a world where expressing himself clearly was taboo.
Tae-ha pulled Jisoo close by her waist, his large hand trailing down her abdomen before moving lower.
“So you ate something good without me? Does it make you happy to let others starve while you enjoy yourself?”
“I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“You weren’t waiting for my call?”
His heated lips pressed against the nape of her neck. As he kissed her pulsing veins, he tightened his grip and turned her around. Her clear eyes gazed up at him, unusually somber tonight, scratching at his nerves.
“A working person’s weekend is busy. You clean up overdue chores and plan ahead for next week. I didn’t even remember you saying anything about calling.”
“Did you cry?”
It seemed Jisoo still didn’t realize that when she tried to hide her feelings or thoughts, her words grew unnecessarily verbose. That’s why his suspicions arose whenever she boasted about her “weekend man” or some fabricated romantic escapades. Now he understood why she spun such tales. If she hadn’t spoken those words then, would they have ended up in this relationship?
The hand fondling her waist moved upward, cupping her soft breast.
“The fact that you can’t answer means I’m right. Care to explain?”
Tae-ha released her breast and grabbed her chin, tilting her face upward.
“I just came from the police station. Mr. Kim must’ve informed you already.”
Her trembling red lips were briefly grazed by his fingers before they withdrew.
“Are these reports and your explanation the same?”
Tae-ha’s hands moved toward her overly neat blouse. He unbuttoned one, causing Jisoo to turn her head away. Sensing her resistance, he let go.
“You didn’t come here after sleeping with me just to rush off to work, did you?”
“About Mom’s contract… thank you. But you shouldn’t have gone out of your way.”
“For matters concerning you, nothing is ever ‘out of the way.’ Everything is useful.”
Jisoo looked up curiously, prompting him to flash an unexpectedly innocent smile that clashed with the bitter atmosphere.
“It’s better not to cancel the contract. Without valid reasons, the penalty fees would take Han Jisoo ten years of saving every penny of her salary to repay.”
Jisoo tugged at Tae-ha’s hand, lifting it back to where it had rested on her chest moments ago.
“No, don’t cancel the contract.”
If she had any shame left, she wouldn’t have become someone who exchanged only physical intimacy with him. She was shameless and selfish, prioritizing her current desires over Tae-ha’s bright future.
“Thanks to you, I’ve become certain.”
“About what?”
The reason we must part. The reason I shouldn’t love you.
“I still need your help. I can’t do anything on my own. I can’t even relieve my urges alone anymore. It seems you’ve trained me well. No matter whom I meet, I lose interest. And since you’ve broken off the engagement, I’ll focus solely on you from now on. Is that okay?”
Tae-ha listened indifferently as her words trailed on. At first, she had put effort into pretending, but now—now she spouted nonsense with a face on the verge of tears.
Should he pretend to believe her again or finally teach her a lesson so she’d never utter such drivel?
Tae-ha removed his hand from her blouse. The lingering softness felt sharper tonight than ever.
Jisoo wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down. Obediently lowering his head, he met her lips, which bumped against his lightly, like tiny steps. Ridiculously, even such a chaste kiss ignited heat between his legs. It wasn’t surprising—he’d returned from his trip recently and hadn’t been with her since—but still…
As Jisoo walked toward the bathroom, she turned and said:
“I’ll shower first. Oh, thank you. I’ll do better going forward. My best…”
“Are you entering some kind of Olympic competition for physical performance?”
Despite his flippant tone, Jisoo’s expression remained resolute. Watching her determined face stirred conflicting feelings in him—part amusement, part irritation.
“If doing your best or improving is my responsibility, then… you…”
Closing the distance she had created, Tae-ha looked down at her composed face.
“You just answer my calls on time. Don’t drive me crazy by being unreachable.”
Jisoo nodded slowly, replacing her response with a faint smile. Her steps toward the bathroom felt heavier than ever. Predictably, she hadn’t managed to say what she truly wanted to Tae-ha.
________________________________________
The following day, Kang Yoo-ri’s fraud and intimidation lawsuit disappeared without a trace amidst rumors of misconduct on set. Anonymous tips had already ignited online discussions, followed by posts titled “Angel’s Descent Was Forced by Demons.”
“She has a split personality. When she thinks no one’s watching, she orders people around recklessly. I didn’t want to say this, but she even made me buy sanitary pads. I was basically her modern-day slave.”
The confessions, coming from multiple sources across various roles—crew members, staff, sponsors—all bore striking similarities. Yoo-ri appeared sweet and angelic in public but subtly tormented others behind closed doors.
Yoo-ri’s delayed legal response, threatening to sue anonymous posters for spreading false information, only fueled the backlash further.
As a result, her hit drama was abruptly canceled, and she announced a temporary hiatus, claiming she would prepare to study abroad.
Eun-ho read the news about his twin sister only because their mother’s complaints led him to it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered searching for updates.
Rising from his seat, Eun-ho approached the window. The crisp autumn sky stretched endlessly blue. Gazing at the sky reminded him of Jisoo.
Would moving change how he felt? Studying abroad… Should he leave with Yoo-ri?
Everywhere Eun-ho looked, Jisoo was there. Why had he allowed himself to fall for someone he couldn’t handle? Why had he let her into his life?
Glancing at the clock nearing lunchtime, Eun-ho picked up his phone.
“Hello, Director. It’s Eun-ho. Where exactly is Yoo-ri planning to go?”
Wherever it was, it wouldn’t be under the same sky as her. There, Jisoo wouldn’t exist.
After hanging up, Eun-ho decided to listen to what might be Jisoo’s last lunchtime broadcast before leaving the office.
________________________________________
“What if Ice Princess wakes us up with her gentle voice? Wouldn’t that be killer?”
“Typical pervert. I think I’d prefer hearing her toss and turn when I wake her myself.”
“Damn, thinking about it makes me crazy. Let’s hurry.”
“This is why people say you get excited even eating in the company cafeteria. Wasn’t that post on the anonymous employee board written by you?”
“I didn’t write it—it was someone from marketing…”
Though eavesdropping wasn’t his habit, Tae-ha instinctively hid behind a pillar when he heard Jisoo’s nickname mentioned at the end of the hallway.
Watching the sneering men walk toward the elevator made him want to grab one by the collar. How dare anyone from marketing fantasize about her while eating lunch?
Come to think of it, Jisoo was exposed to too many men at work. It was time to bring her closer—into his inner circle. An appropriate position for her popped into his mind immediately. Conveniently, a vacancy would open next week. Surely, this was divine providence nudging her closer to him.
Canceling a networking luncheon, Tae-ha headed to the company cafeteria. He figured it was high time he listened to Jisoo’s lunchtime broadcast—for the first and perhaps last time.
Google Sites
Report abuse