CEB - 21

21. More Sexiness Than Necessary

“Dan-jung, what’s going on? Manager Na said you took a half-day off.”

Soo-yeon was somewhat surprised to see Dan-jung, whom she thought had already left work.

She had heard from Manager Na, who appeared with a sour face, that Dan-jung had taken a half-day off.

“I’m sorry. Were you very busy?”

Dan-jung tried to change the subject, hoping Soo-yeon wouldn’t ask further.

“It seems summer is coming to an end. It wasn’t too hectic.”

“That’s good.”

“Did you meet the boss? He came by earlier and was anxiously looking for you.”

Soo-yeon, delighted by this new piece of gossip, couldn’t keep her mouth shut.

“Ah… Yes.”

Dan-jung couldn’t bring herself to tell Soo-yeon that she had ended up in a sweet room in his arms.

Sure, rumors would spread sooner or later, but she didn’t want to hear the inevitable comments if she used her vacation time.

So, there was no need to talk about it now.

“Tsk~ Dan-jung, you’re really something. Why don’t you just quit instead of taking leave?”

“What?”

“Since you’ll soon be called ‘Madam’ anyway, why do you keep doing this hard job?”

“It’s a waste.”

“A waste of what?”

“I went to college, paying expensive tuition fees to become a hotelier, and worked my butt off mastering English, Japanese, and Chinese… but I haven’t even broken even yet.”

Dan-jung recalled her days working various part-time jobs to save money for tuition and staying up all night studying while working at a convenience store to secure employment.

Now she could laugh about it, but back then, her daily life was like a war zone where she couldn’t relax for even a day.

“You haven’t broken even? You’ve swallowed an entire hotel!”

Soo-yeon shot Dan-jung an envious glare.

“Still, in today’s era, dual-income households are essential.”

“Tsk, anyway, your life will change a lot once you get married.”

“I guess so.”

Dan-jung couldn’t help but agree with Soo-yeon’s last comment.

It was clear that marriage would bring a completely different life.

But even so, Dan-jung couldn’t give up her career due to her ambition.

To compensate for her relentless past struggles, Dan-jung was determined to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming the hotel’s general manager.

________________________________________

Min-hyuk, who had been waiting for Dan-jung, succumbed to fatigue and eventually fell asleep. Despite their appointment time having long passed, he couldn’t wake up.

He set an alarm before lying down, but it proved useless.

This was unprecedented for Min-hyuk, who had never missed an appointment before.

His state was one of complete relaxation, tension finally released.

“Why isn’t he coming?”

Dan-jung, having finished work, waited outside the main gate for Min-hyuk, but he didn’t show up even after 30 minutes had passed.

She called him multiple times, but he didn’t answer.

“Did he fall asleep?”

Dan-jung remembered how exhausted Min-hyuk looked.

Thinking it was possible, Dan-jung turned her steps toward the suite room.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock. She knocked on the suite door several times, but there was no response.

“Um… Boss, are you inside?”

Dan-jung decided that if there was no response after one more knock, she’d hurry home.

She hadn’t eaten dinner and was extremely hungry.

But unwilling to leave just yet, Dan-jung tried a triple-combo approach to find Min-hyuk.

With one hand holding her phone to call him, another knocking on the door, and her voice calling out his name:

“Mr. Lee Min-hyuk! Boss! Min-hyuk!”

Whether it was the cacophony of her triple efforts or the desperate sound of her voice searching for him, Min-hyuk’s eyelids fluttered open.

In his daze, he reached for his phone.

“Damn…”

Six missed calls, and it was already 11 o’clock.

As Min-hyuk hurriedly sat up, Dan-jung’s sharp voice echoed through the door.

“Lee Min-hyuk! If you’re not here, I’m leaving.”

Just as Dan-jung, still fuming, turned to leave, the tightly closed suite door opened.

“I’m sorry. I accidentally fell asleep.”

Min-hyuk emerged from the room, his appearance disheveled from sleep.

Messy hair, wrinkled shirt—his hasty exit was effortlessly natural, yet still exuded more sexiness than necessary.

Thump! Dan-jung, who had been furious, felt her heart stop the moment she saw him.

Why did he have to look so good all the time…?

But her anger didn’t subside just because of his looks.

“What the heck! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Are you really sorry?”

“Yes, I truly am.”

But Min-hyuk’s expression wasn’t apologetic.

His dry tone and lackluster apology only fueled Dan-jung’s frustration, and tears began welling up in her eyes.

“Ah…”

Min-hyuk was at a loss when he saw Dan-jung with tears brimming in her eyes.

“Let’s go inside first.”

Min-hyuk grabbed Dan-jung’s hand and led her into the room.

“I set the alarm before sleeping, but somehow I didn’t hear it. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

Min-hyuk apologized for his mistake.

Though he had promised to wait, he ended up making Dan-jung wait instead.

But despite his apology, Dan-jung’s anger didn’t dissipate.

Min-hyuk, unsure how to handle the situation, was flustered.

“Sniff… I waited over 30 minutes outside, and you didn’t even think about showing up. I was cold and starving.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I didn’t eat dinner either.”

Instead of eating, Dan-jung had fallen asleep, and now she was particularly sensitive to her hunger.

Soo-yeon had bought her a sandwich as a snack, but it barely made a dent in her appetite.

“Then let’s order room service.”

Leaving Dan-jung, who was still crying, Min-hyuk picked up the phone in the room.

“Can we get some late-night snacks, please?”

-Yes, Mr. Boss. What would you like us to prepare?

“The usual, two servings.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Ah, and could we also have some wine?”

As Min-hyuk placed the food order, Dan-jung’s tears seemed to subside slightly.

“I noticed that you seem to enjoy wine, so I ordered it for you.”

“Well… thank you.”

“Are you still upset?”

“Well, that’s because… I was hungry and tired too…”

“I’m sorry. I promise this won’t happen again.”

Min-hyuk gently wiped away the remaining tears from Dan-jung’s eyes and apologized again. This time, his gaze reflected genuine remorse.

________________________________________

“Is it good?”

Min-hyuk asked as he watched Dan-jung devour her food with relish, sauce smudging her lips.

With food in her stomach, Dan-jung seemed much calmer than before.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Dan-jung hadn’t realized how amazing hotel room service could be. The melt-in-your-mouth ribeye steak and the large, juicy handmade burger were simply divine.

Why had she never indulged in this before?

She realized that despite aspiring to become a hotel manager, she had never stayed at a hotel or tried room service herself. Her life had been solely focused on saving money.

How could she have claimed to understand customers’ needs without experiencing any of this herself?

Feeling regretful for her narrow-mindedness, Dan-jung felt grateful to Min-hyuk for giving her this experience.

“Let’s stay here tonight and visit your parents tomorrow.”

“What?”

Dan-jung, who had been about to take another sip of wine, looked at Min-hyuk with wide, surprised eyes.

“Secretary Lim must have already left, and it’s late anyway.”

Min-hyuk explained why she should stay overnight while gently wiping the sauce from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

“Ah…”

Dan-jung couldn’t argue since what he said made sense, but still—sleeping together before marriage? She was surprisingly conservative when it came to such matters.

“Should I just say I’ll take a taxi home?”

Since going home wasn’t entirely out of the question, Dan-jung hesitated for a moment.

But deep down, she didn’t want to leave Min-hyuk just yet. A part of her felt reluctant to part ways.

Taking small sips of wine, Dan-jung stole shy glances at Min-hyuk, who appeared nonchalant. Was it the wine’s influence? To her, Min-hyuk looked overwhelmingly sexy.

His tousled hair and the glimpse of his toned chest peeking through his unbuttoned shirt made her body tingle with heat.

“He looks this good naturally… Am I going to regret marrying him later?”

Thinking of Hye-mi, who couldn’t forget Min-hyuk, Dan-jung felt a pang of insecurity.

Sensing her gaze, Min-hyuk looked at Dan-jung, whose cheeks had turned rosy from the wine.

When their eyes met, Dan-jung quickly lowered her gaze, embarrassed.

“After meeting your parents, let’s visit my mother in the evening.”

“What?!”

Startled by Min-hyuk’s words, Dan-jung stared at him intently. Mentally unprepared, she felt overwhelmed.

“Starting tomorrow, we need to get serious about wedding preparations. With only a week left until the ceremony, we need to hurry.”

“Ah…”

“Don’t worry about the wedding preparations. My mother has already taken care of everything.”

“Phew…”

Thinking about meeting her future mother-in-law, Dan-jung sighed involuntarily.

“Are you nervous?”

Min-hyuk asked, observing Dan-jung’s tense expression.

“A little. I’m worried she might not approve of me.”

“That won’t happen.”

Min-hyuk confidently reassured her, dispelling her concerns.

“?”

“Choi Dan-jung, you’re the only woman I love. That alone will satisfy my mother.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Despite Min-hyuk’s comforting words, Dan-jung still felt inadequate compared to him.

He was undoubtedly an extraordinary person, far beyond her reach. But Dan-jung firmly believed that she too would become someone remarkable someday.

“I’ll work hard,” she said softly.

“At what?” Min-hyuk asked.

“To become a wife you can be proud of.”

“I look forward to it.”

Pleased with her response, Min-hyuk’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“Yes, please do expect great things from me.”

Dan-jung felt happy knowing that Min-hyuk trusted her. Surrounded by luxurious food, sitting across from a man exuding charm and confidence, she felt like she had the world in her hands.

While Dan-jung was lost in her own thoughts, basking in the moment, Min-hyuk openly gazed at her.

“...Why are you staring at me?”

“I want to kiss you, Choi Dan-jung.”

Every time Min-hyuk looked at her, his body reacted instinctively. His primal urges screamed at him to kiss her, to touch her.

“What?”

Dan-jung’s face flushed bright red as if she’d been hit by a bombshell.

“May I kiss you?”

“Uh… Yes, sure.”

There was no reason to refuse. After all, they were soon to be married, and he was someone she was deeply grateful to—someone who had kept her heart racing all day.

The moment Dan-jung gave her consent, Min-hyuk sprang up from his seat and moved next to her.

As Dan-jung closed her eyes, her heart pounded wildly like a drum.

This would be their third kiss already… How long had they even known each other?

It had only been four days, and they were already on their third kiss!

Suddenly, Dan-jung began to worry. Was she being too quick to give in? Was she making things too easy?

Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself locking gazes with Min-hyuk, who was staring directly at her.