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Chapter 9
Sehee unconsciously held her breath at the gaze she couldn’t decipher. A tingling sensation prickled her skin, and her heartbeat became erratic.
It wasn’t until Sehee could no longer endure it that Yuwon finally averted his eyes.
Then, his red lips curved into a smooth arc as they opened.
“Do you know that?”
“Pardon?”
“Your answer is sharp, but your focus isn’t coming back at all.”
“Ah…”
“I was wondering where you were looking while speaking.”
Sehee’s face flushed even more at his teasing comment about her attention. As she nervously fiddled with her lips, Yuwon suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“Can you wait about twenty minutes?”
“Twenty minutes?”
“If it’s okay, try to hold on. You can sleep if you’re drowsy.”
With that, Yuwon ended the conversation and focused on his work with intimidating intensity. Sehee blinked blankly, unsure why, and stayed put.
Exactly fifteen minutes later, Yuwon shut down his desktop and stood up.
“Shall we go?”
“Eh?”
Sehee, who had waited because he asked her to but didn’t know why, asked in confusion. Yuwon replied as if it were obvious.
“We’re going home. I’ll take you there.”
“No? Oh, no, that’s unnecessary.”
Startled, Sehee jumped up. Yuwon, putting on his coat, looked at her with a mildly surprised expression.
“It’s nearby, and you can get there with just one bus ride. You must already be tired, so there’s no need to trouble you.”
“Is that so?”
Yuwon nodded casually.
“Well, thinking about it, it’s a bit of unnecessary time wasted anyway.”
Sehee flinched at his unusually quick agreement. Yuwon stepped closer, smiling, and bent slightly at the waist.
Their eyes met at such close proximity.
For a superior and subordinate, it was an unusually intimate distance.
“But I think it’s better than sending a woman home alone at this hour,” he added.
“…”
“As Mr. Han said, I’m tired. If there’s an argument, we can have it next time.”
Sehee couldn’t insist after that. She didn’t want to refuse Yuwon’s kindness either.
“If that’s the case… thank you.”
Sehee awkwardly expressed her gratitude, and Yuwon’s sharp eyes softened slightly.
In the empty underground parking lot, Yuwon’s car was parked near the exit.
The premium mid-to-large sedan of a domestic brand was usually assigned to high-ranking executives. It gave off the sense that he intended to follow the rules.
“Get in.”
“Thank you.”
Sehee carefully climbed into the passenger seat. Along with the scent of new leather, a luxurious fragrance wafted in.
The woody musk base was the scent of Yuwon’s favorite cologne.
As Yuwon, seated behind the wheel, closed the door, the outside noise instantly vanished. He activated the navigation app and asked,
“What’s the address?”
Without much thought, Sehee turned her gaze toward Yuwon.
Indeed, he was a man whose handsomeness almost felt unreal.
His refined features took on a more three-dimensional glow under the dashboard’s blue light.
His downward glance cast deep shadows that gave off a mysterious air, and his full lips formed an irresistibly sensual line.
Had she ever been this close to such a handsome man… no, to the vice president?
The sudden realization made the tension rise again, and the confined space felt even more intense.
It was a tension she had never felt with any biologically male being before.
“Mr. Han?”
Yuwon looked up, puzzled by Sehee’s silence.
Only then did she gather herself and recite the address. Her voice seemed slightly trembling.
“About thirty minutes, I think.”
Yuwon adjusted the interior temperature and turned on the seat heater. While he operated the center console, Sehee sat stiffly, staring straight ahead.
Soon, the car began to move.
Since it was close to midnight, the surroundings became quiet once they left the Gangnam area. The car glided smoothly along the empty roads.
The interior, with no music playing, was filled with silence.
“…”
Yuwon seemed relaxed as if he had forgotten Sehee’s presence, but she was so tense that even her breathing felt deliberate.
Perhaps because of the faint buzz from earlier drinks, Yuwon’s presence was overwhelmingly palpable, making her senses almost tingle.
Sehee tensed every muscle, desperately wishing for this uncomfortable time to pass.
Before long, familiar neighborhood scenery appeared.
Sehee secretly exhaled in relief.
“Now that it’s the weekend, doing anything fun?”
Yuwon, who had been silent the whole time, asked casually.
“Uh, well…”
Sehee flinched too much at first, then smiled stiffly and shook her head.
“No, no particular plans…”
Yuwon nodded, and the conversation seemed to end. Normally, silence like this wouldn’t feel strange, but tonight it did.
Sehee opened her mouth again.
“Actually, I do have plans for myself. On Saturday, I’ll clean the apartment and catch up on dramas I’ve missed. I’ll ride my bike in the evening. On Sunday, I’ll go to see a movie as soon as I wake up, and after that…”
She trailed off abruptly, realizing how earnestly she had been reciting her mundane weekend plans.
It was strange. She had never cared about anyone else’s opinion before…
Why did she suddenly want to know his reaction?
Sehee lifted her head slightly, and her expression stiffened.
Yuwon was trying not to smile. He even bit his lower lip tightly, probably finding her weekend plans pitiful.
She should have just stayed quiet.
Or at least pretended to be busy.
Embarrassed, Sehee asked in a hesitant voice,
“Vice President, do you do anything fun on weekends?”
She added a reason to justify her question.
“I just… wondered. How someone like you relieves stress. If it’s not too difficult, I might even try it…”
“Well…”
Contrary to Sehee’s concerns, Yuwon answered casually.
“I usually relieve stress with exercise. Lately, I’ve been enjoying squash… Otherwise, meeting people or resting alone, usually that’s it.”
Soon, they arrived in front of her officetel building.
Though new to the neighborhood, Yuwon skillfully found a parking spot. After stopping the car, he looked at Sehee properly.
“It might sound deceptive, but I’m just an ordinary person too.”
“…”
“Hearing your plans made me think I might go to a movie for the first time in a while.”
Yuwon said this with a small smile.
Seeing his beautifully curved eyes stirred a strange feeling in her chest again.
“So, you… don’t go on dates?”
The question slipped out without thought, her heart stirred by unfamiliar emotions.
“Ah.”
Startled by her own question, Sehee covered her mouth. Yuwon’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised she asked such a personal thing.
Why did I ask that?
It sounded so… suspicious!
Perhaps the effect of drinking with those overly romantic coworkers lingered until now.
She hadn’t meant to pry into Yuwon’s personal life, yet the words slipped out. Sehee mumbled a clumsy excuse.
“I’m sorry. That was inappropriate. I just assumed you’re so popular that you hardly have time alone…”
Sehee, feeling the intensity of his gaze, wished she could just disappear. She closed her eyes tightly, unable to face him.
“…Suddenly curious about my personal life?”
Fortunately for Sehee, Yuwon broke the silence with a lightly teasing tone, as if forgiving her overstepping curiosity.
“It’s not like that. Don’t worry…”
“You don’t have to apologize. You said you wanted to follow me—if I go on dates, will you too?”
Teasingly, Yuwon said this, making Sehee pout, while he ran a hand through his hair and fell silent.
The conversation ended there.
Through his skillful evasion, Sehee realized…
He must be seeing someone.
And as that thought struck, a chill crept into her chest for no reason.
Yuwon carefully studied her expression, furrowing his brow slightly.
“Why…?”
But he didn’t continue.
Yuwon’s calculating gaze swept over Sehee, and she met it, unable to look away.
For a moment, the two of them stared at each other in silence.
Slowly…
A tension began to stir over the quiet, like a fine thread pulled taut.
Sehee’s nerves became hypersensitive to the alien sensation. She didn’t know how to define it, but…
One thing was certain: this atmosphere was inappropriate for a superior and subordinate.
“Hm.”
Yuwon broke the layered tension by looking away first.
“It’s late. You must be tired. Let’s go inside.”
He brushed his hand down his neck, his neatly furrowed brow slightly creased.
“Ah… yes.”
Sehee finally regained composure and nodded, exhaling the breath she had unconsciously held.
She hurriedly gathered her things and got out of the car.
“Thank you for taking me home today.”
Through the open window, Yuwon smiled faintly.
Unlike before, it was distant, polite, yet gentle.
“Good night, and enjoy your weekend.”
“You too, Vice President.”
“Go on inside.”
“No, I’ll wait until I see you go in.”
When Sehee stubbornly insisted, Yuwon had no choice but to drive off.
The sleek sedan disappeared from sight, leaving only the faint trail of its taillights.
Even after that, Sehee stood in place for a long while.
Alone, she finally felt her heart racing faster than usual.
A mix of daze, bitterness, and inexplicable longing—what exactly was this feeling?
It wasn’t the dizziness from alcohol. It wasn’t just from spending time alone with a handsome man in a confined space for the first time.
No, it wasn’t that…
“Phew.”
Sehee shook her head to clear her thoughts and entered her one-room officetel.
Despite it being past midnight, she wasn’t tired or sleepy. The exhilaration from being with Yuwon was still vivid.
She dropped her bag and collapsed onto the floor.
As she stared blankly at the ceiling,
Bzzzz…
Her phone, in her bag, vibrated with an incoming call.
Reflexively, she hoped it might be Yuwon.
Without overthinking, Sehee pulled out her phone and widened her eyes.
“Aunt?”
Why was her aunt calling at this hour…?
Her aunt usually only contacted her on weekends, out of consideration for Sehee’s busy work schedule.
An ominous feeling rose in her instincts.
“-Sniffle… Sehee, sniffle… what should we do…!”
As usual, the ominous feeling was correct. As soon as the call connected, her aunt burst into sorrowful sobs, piercing her eardrums and dragging her fully into reality.
