RB - 14

14. The Pleasure a Bad Man Gives

—”Han Seo-yeon, I’ll take you home. Come to the café by 7 p.m. Frakchi is getting suspicious, so help me out. Don’t forget the virtue of give and take.” 

At just past 7 p.m., Seo-yeon pushed open the door to Café Le Rêve. 

She stopped by the restroom to carefully reapply her makeup. To fool Ethan, the fairy-like Frakchi, she had no choice. 

That morning, Ethan had openly shot her suspicious glances. A woman involved with a rich and handsome café owner couldn’t afford to look careless. 

Seo-yeon sat in a secluded corner of the café, waiting for Jung-hyuk. 

Where did this brat disappear to after calling me here? She was about to get irritated when— 

Ethan slid into the seat across from her and placed a warm cup of cocoa in front of her. Observing her brazenly from head to toe, his attitude was audacious. 

“Hi, Nuna. Let’s see… At this level, your documents pass the initial screening.” 

“I didn’t order this cocoa… And sweets aren’t really my thing.” 

“Ah, so that’s why you’re seeing our boss? Because he’s not sweet at all, but suits your taste?” 

What kind of conversation flow was this? Seo-yeon adjusted her posture, her expression growing increasingly displeased. 

But Ethan remained unfazed, teasing her with his bright smile. 

“You know, I’m someone who clings to the boss. If you’re clinging to him too, then we’re rivals, right? We’re like two straws stuck in the same drink.” 

Seo-yeon slowly lowered the hand covering her mouth, not bothering to hide the derisive smirk that escaped. 

Jung-hyuk’s blind date had called her a “concubine,” and now Frakchi was labeling her as someone “clinging on.” And what was with the “straw” metaphor? 

Han Seo-yeon’s temper flared. 

She wasn’t one to tolerate such blatant insults and provocations delivered to her face. 

“What’s wrong with everyone? This isn’t funny at all. Since you insist on calling me ‘Nuna,’ I’ll drop the formalities. Whether you’re leeching off Jung-hyuk or not is none of my business. You’re not even close enough to be considered clinging. Besides, with how rich he is, it’s not like your mooching would make a dent anyway.” 

“Nuna, wait—” 

Ethan tried to speak, but Seo-yeon cut him off. 

“I’m not done talking, so shut up. You might be proud of living off others, but I’m not, so don’t lump me in the same category. And if you know what’s good for you, don’t provoke me. I can tell my boyfriend to cut off your lifeline. Oh, and by the way, Jung-hyuk is incredibly sweet. You wouldn’t know, of course.” 

Ethan, looking somewhat dazed, let out an impressed whistle. 

“Wow… Impressive. First-round interview passed.” 

Clap, clap. He even applauded. 

Seo-yeon shook her head in disbelief, and just then, Jung-hyuk appeared at the perfect moment, calling out to her. 

“Seo-yeon, let’s go. Haven’t eaten dinner yet, right?” 

Seo-yeon gave Ethan a sharp smile before rising from her seat. The steaming cocoa remained untouched. 

Jung-hyuk’s sedan pulled away, and Seo-yeon, sitting in the passenger seat, stared out the window with a weary expression. 

Shin Jung-hyuk—he was both “despair” and, strictly speaking, “salvation.” The image of being “two straws stuck in the same drink” wasn’t entirely… inaccurate. 

Her brooding was interrupted by Jung-hyuk’s smooth baritone. 

“The whole give-and-take thing seems pretty clear. So does your sharp tongue.” 

“Bi-ryu was over the moon about becoming a Taesung Foundation scholar. Thank you.” 

“No need to thank me—I already told you, it’s all give and take. Ethan will report to my father that I’ve found a woman.” 

“Isn’t that a bit strange? Are you really satisfied with someone like me—someone with no money or connections? When Bora called me a ‘concubine,’ you didn’t say a word.”

Jung-hyuk, who had been staring straight ahead while driving, turned his head toward Seo-yeon and smirked. 

Unconsciously, she averted her gaze. Her heart wavered like wilting flowers, and her palms grew damp with sweat. 

“You can buy time. I’m going back to the U.S. in six months. Just hold on until then.” 

Jung-hyuk’s voice, reciting filial impiety, was wicked. Without realizing it, Seo-yeon let out a laugh, quickly followed by an awkward cough. 

No matter how much she denied it, her subconscious mind flowed inexorably toward Jung-hyuk. It was almost like conditioning. 

From the first day of high school, she had loved his smooth baritone voice and nurtured tender feelings for him over two long years. 

But Seo-yeon was someone who had already endured the painful conclusion of that unrequited love with her entire being. 

Jung-hyuk was a man who viewed “love” as a “game,” and she had shattered spectacularly on that playing field. 

Before she knew it, Jung-hyuk’s sedan had arrived at her apartment. 

Staring silently at her old, worn-down apartment building, Jung-hyuk spoke to her in a dry tone. 

“When I go to the U.S., do you want to move into my place? The villa you came to last time.” 

“…Are you really asking me to become your concubine?” 

“I told you—I’ll be leaving for the U.S. in six months. You just need to move in and live there. You won’t even have to see me.” 

“For someone like me who loves money, it’s a tempting offer, but I’ll decline. If I move in there, it’ll really feel like I’m getting paid for sex.” 

“You haven’t slept with me—what kind of payment are you talking about?” 

Jung-hyuk casually blurted out something absurd while lazily eyeing her with his usual languid gaze. For a fleeting moment, Seo-yeon thought his sharp eyes looked sexy. 

She must’ve gone mad. Damn it, she wasn’t some lovesick fool. 

Despite her continued denials, she could no longer avoid the truth. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before she ended up playing around in bed with Shin Jung-hyuk. 

Seo-yeon had no choice but to admit it—the painful realization that she was one of those women: the kind who were drawn to bad boys. 

As she caught a whiff of Jung-hyuk’s faint, musky sweat, she wanted to beg him. She imagined herself crying out for more, arching her hips upward, kissing his sharply defined nose, reaching climax under his weight, and trembling all over. 

The thought left her with nothing but a dirty sense of betrayal. Quietly muttering curses under her breath, Seo-yeon opened the car door. 

Jung-hyuk watched her retreating figure for a long while without so much as a farewell. 

His sedan didn’t pull away from her apartment complex until over ten minutes later. 

The next morning, in a small meeting room at JB Company. 

Seo-yeon stared at Jin-hyuk in disbelief and exclaimed: 

“Jin-hyuk, are you seriously suggesting we steal it?” 

Jin-hyuk raised his long index finger and brought it close to Seo-yeon’s lips. Startled, she leaned back instinctively. 

“Lower your voice, Miss Han. People outside will hear you.” 

Unlike the calm Jin-hyuk, Seo-yeon furrowed her brow, rubbing her temples anxiously. 

Taptaptap. Jin-hyuk watched her impatiently tapping her foot and asked firmly: 

“What other options do we have? This is the result of nearly a month of hard work between you and me. Are you really okay with letting it go like this?” 

Bam! Seo-yeon slammed her fist on the table, then quickly glanced around and whispered urgently: 

“I can’t bear to see that pathetic HR team leader get away with this. I knew he’d pull something like this. He has no sense of morality! Doesn’t act his age at all.” 

Here’s what had happened: 

At JB Company, original hard copies of important documents, such as contracts, were managed by the HR and General Affairs team, supposedly for information security purposes. Everyone had accepted this arrangement without objection. 

After Seo-yeon met Daniel Shin, the HR team leader began pressuring her to submit a progress report. 

But Seo-yeon, who saw right through the snake-like HR team leader’s intentions, drew a firm line, insisting she would only submit the report after the contract was finalized.

The HR team leader, who usually worked hand-in-hand with Director Jung, clearly intended to pass the progress report to him. It was obvious that Director Jung planned to use the detailed work plans in the report to claim credit for Seo-yeon’s hard work. 

Knowing full well the schemes of Director Jung and the HR team leader, Seo-yeon had fiercely guarded the real estate task force report. 

But a few days ago, while pretending to check on other matters, the HR team leader had sneakily stolen the report from Jin-hyuk’s desk. That despicable coward. 

“Miss Han, theft was their move first. Even if the HR team leader notices it’s gone, he can’t confront us about it—it originally belonged to us.” 

“If we just go ask for it back… Hah, of course he’ll deny it.” 

“Yes, and he’ll probably hide it even deeper. It’s better to quietly retrieve it.” 

Jin-hyuk’s reasoning was impeccable, and Seo-yeon’s sense of morality and competitive spirit had already reached a compromise. 

She hadn’t pulled all-nighters just for the success of the TF team. No—she had let the bad boy Shin Jung-hyuk back into her life! With fiery eyes, she declared: 

“Alright, let’s aim for lunchtime later. The HR team leader is the type who eats, drinks coffee, and smokes a cigarette after meals—he won’t be back anytime soon.” 

A short while later, during lunchtime. 

Tak. The HR team leader’s office door opened, and two figures slipped inside—Han Seo-yeon and Shin Jin-hyuk, of course. 

Seo-yeon cautiously pointed to one of the metal cabinets and slowly opened its heavy door. 

Creak. At the faint sound, Seo-yeon flinched violently, instinctively grabbing onto the hem of Jin-hyuk’s shirt. 

A smirk spread across Jin-hyuk’s lips as Seo-yeon awkwardly defended herself. 

“Don’t tease me. I may be clumsy, but this is my first time stealing!” 

“Miss Han, we’re just retrieving what originally belonged to us. You can’t call this theft.” 

Jin-hyuk gazed deeply into Seo-yeon’s dark eyes, as if prying into her soul. She had always been his. 

Just as reclaiming her wasn’t theft, neither was what they were doing today. 

With an awkward smile at his intense gaze, Seo-yeon fully opened the cabinet door. 

Her guess had been correct. Instead of hiding the “TF Team Progress Report” in the wooden cabinet where important documents were kept, the HR team leader had stashed it in the metal cabinet he used for his clothes and bags. 

“This despicable man, he really went too far!” 

Just as Seo-yeon reached for the document— 

Tak, tak tak. Footsteps approached from outside, growing closer by the second. Then came a voice: 

“Hold on, I’ll grab my medicine.” 

Good heavens—it was the HR team leader’s voice. Panicking, Seo-yeon froze, unsure what to do. Without hesitation, Jin-hyuk pushed her into the cabinet and followed her inside, carefully closing the metal door behind them. 

Creak. The sound of the cabinet closing perfectly coincided with the thud of the office door opening. 

In the pitch-black darkness of the cramped space, Jin-hyuk wrapped his arms around Seo-yeon. 

From outside the cabinet, the HR team leader hummed absentmindedly, opening and closing drawers. 

“Let’s see… Where did I put my cold medicine~?” 

Seo-yeon was so startled she could barely breathe. Jin-hyuk gently stroked her back, silently reassuring her: Calm down, we’ll just stay like this for a moment. 

His calming presence worked. Soon, Seo-yeon began breathing at a normal pace. Only then did she realize her face was buried against Jin-hyuk’s chest. 

Thump, thump. The strong rhythm of his heartbeat echoed in her ears, almost as if it might burst out of his chest. She swallowed hard. 

The faint scent of Jin-hyuk’s cologne, mingled with the musky smell of his sweat, teased her senses, lingering tantalizingly in the confined space. 

Suddenly—BANG! 

The HR team leader, rummaging through a drawer, accidentally pushed his chair, which slammed forcefully into the metal cabinet. 

Seo-yeon’s heart plummeted. Instinctively, she clung to Jin-hyuk’s waist. He was the only thing she could hold onto.

Getting caught sneaking into the HR team leader’s office and rummaging through the cabinet? No matter how much she tried to explain, the embarrassment alone would be utterly devastating. 

Her chances of a promotion were now as distant as a ship sailing away, and if it ended with just a written apology, she’d consider herself lucky. 

Jin-hyuk felt Seo-yeon’s small frame collapse slightly against him and rested his chin on the top of her head. 

The desire that had been meticulously tormenting him finally burst forth with a short sigh: Haa. 

At the same moment, Seo-yeon felt something hard pressing insistently against her lower abdomen—an unfamiliar sensation. 

With wide, startled eyes, she pushed against Jin-hyuk’s chest, but he tightened his grip around her like a man possessed, pulling her flush against him. 

When he was eight years old, she had been his first love—pure and immaculate. 

Now, fully grown into an alluring man, Shin Jin-hyuk was more than ready to taint that pristine innocence.