TBR 32

Chapter 32

The car, its engine turned off, was parked discreetly in a corner of the lot.

Somang pushed on the passenger door, but, unsurprisingly, it didn’t budge.

“Aren’t you going to work?”

“A kiss. Not giving me one?”

Somang furrowed her brows and shot him a sharp glare.

It was the second day of their clumsily started relationship.

Every time Hangel spoke, he ended his sentences with “boyfriend.”

<Isn’t it nice going to work with your boyfriend?>

<Here, I’ll open it for you. This is what a boyfriend is for.>

Each time, Somang would flinch and hurriedly try to escape.

At home, she worried about Siwon overhearing, and outside, her face couldn’t stop heating up because of Hangel’s teasing.

“A kiss.”

“Hurry, open it. We’re late.”

Somang pushed with all her weight, but the door, tightly locked, refused to open.

Tilting his head, Hangel poked his finger at his own cheek.

“You’re going to be late.”

He was saying she had to kiss him to get the door open.

But she’d fallen for this simple trick dozens of times already.

Morning kiss before work, evening kiss after work, before meals, after meals, after brushing teeth…

He tried to steal a kiss at every opportunity.

“So, are you just going to stay still?”

If it had been an actual proper kiss, she might have said nothing.

Who kisses so provocatively…!

Hangel smiled, eyes shaped like half-moons, promising as he tapped her cheek in encouragement.

“Don’t move. I’ll do it.”

After sweeping the parking lot to make sure no one was around, Somang placed her hand on the console box, leaning toward the driver’s seat.

Peck.

She puckered her lips and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek. Seeing Hangel stay quiet, she slowly turned her head.

“Okay, done? Now get—!”

Something wetter than a cheek touched her.

That guy, again!

Hangel’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.

Feeling his deliberate touch on her lips, Somang’s brows furrowed deeply.

“I did it. Open the door.”

Then Hangel took both of Somang’s cheeks in his large hands and pulled her closer. Her lips puckered like a small beak as her face was squished.

Smack, smack, smack.

Feather-light kisses landed continuously on her lips.

“Ugh! Wha-what are you doing?”

Somang pulled her neck back in protest, but Hangel firmly held her neck to keep her from moving.

Then, he traced her lips with his teeth and soft inner mouth.

“Ugh!”

Somang struggled, tapping his shoulders, while Hangel gently stroked the back of her head. The tender, soothing touch of his hands clashed with the intensity of his actions—it was contradictory yet overwhelming.

His lips traveled all over hers, saturating them with moisture. Every time she twisted her head and her nose pressed against him, her breath was stolen.

The wet, sloppy sound lingered longer than before. Eventually, Somang’s body went limp, and she broke the connection between their lips, pressing herself against the window.

“You said it was just a kiss.”

It was a fiery kiss that always started as a “kiss” but ended up much more intense. Somang wiped her damp lips with the back of her hand and fixed her makeup.

Kissing Hangel was always dizzyingly good.

But shouldn’t one be mindful of time and place?

Somang hurriedly cleaned up the mess around her smeared lipstick.

“Kiss, huh.”

“……”

Hangel’s nonchalant answer made Somang slam the cushion she was using as a mirror.

“This isn’t the pervert I liked. I’ve been completely fooled.”

Back then, Yuhan Hangel had treated her like stone—ignoring her even when she confessed after exams. Now, he kept thrusting his body at her whenever the mood struck.

Somang grabbed her handbag and opened the passenger door.

“Pervert.”

Bang. The door slammed shut.

Hangel watched Somang disappear and buried his face in the steering wheel, stifling the laughter threatening to escape, his cheeks aching.

The boldness that once said “let’s date” had vanished, and she now panicked at the mere mention of a date or “boyfriend.”

Every time he touched her, seeing her flustered face made him feel guilty, even though he really wanted something else.

Still, at least no more nosebleeds, so that was a relief.

“Seriously, Baek Somang.”

What am I going to do with you? Hahaha—the car filled with his joyful laughter.

Back at the office, Somang fanned herself. It felt like the sun shone directly on her skin, leaving it flushed, even though the heat outside had eased.

Some desks were empty, likely because the staff had gone out for coffee.

Just then, Manager Song returned with coffee and acknowledged Somang.

“Deputy Baek, the red bean buns were delicious. Have you tried them?”

The day after Hangel’s business trip, he had handed out sets of red bean buns from a bakery to the staff.

The unexpected gift had everyone smiling widely. They praised their young team leader for being both competent and thoughtful, impressed that he brought back such a treat from a business trip.

Fortunately, no one knew the bakery was Somang’s.

“Yes, they were delicious.”

Somang smiled gratefully. At that moment, Hangel arrived at work and greeted lightly; Manager Song nodded politely.

“You know, our team leader seems really decent and polite. No sharp edges. Even when assigning tasks, he’s courteous.”

No one knew who his parents were, but they agreed he’d been well-raised. They gazed lovingly at his office.

“Really?”

“Yes. If my daughter’s fiancé looked even half like him, I’d have no complaints.”

Somang considered pointing out that appearances can differ from reality but stopped.

She had been completely captivated by Hangel’s upright and kind demeanor during her school days, something her own brother Siwon lacked.

“Ha, safe.”

Eunjung, barely avoiding being late, exhaled heavily.

Manager Song gestured for her to hurry, and Eunjung playfully apologized as she placed her bag on her desk.

“Actually, I was meeting a classmate at the first-floor cafe, and it was so fun that I couldn’t leave midway.”

“What was so fun?”

Eunjung craned her neck to peek into the manager’s office.

“The team leader’s in there, right?”

It seemed the subject of her story was Yuhan Hangel.

“First, to the break room.”

Eunjung linked arms with Pearl and Somang as they went.

Arriving at the break room, Manager Song urged her on. She inserted a capsule into the coffee machine and began speaking in one breath.

“Manager, you know Seri Electronics’ eldest daughter, Eun Yesul?”

Somang knew of her too.

Eun Yesul, a promotional model and influencer for Seri Electronics, was admired by the younger generation for her beauty and wealth.

“Yes, I’ve heard. I think she’s on YouTube now too?”

“That’s right! But she’s at the first-floor cafe! I saw her in person—it’s like a doll!”

“But why? What does this have to do with our team leader?”

Push—

Just then, the coffee finished brewing, filling the break room with a bitter aroma.

Somang felt particularly frustrated watching Eunjung hold the freshly brewed cup. Her round lips moved as she took a sip.

“She came to meet the team leader. Even adjusted her filming schedule to stop by for a moment.”

“Oh? So they’re that close?”

Grinning broadly, Manager Song lightly tapped Eunjung’s shoulder.

“Didn’t you say at the company dinner that the team leader had a fiancé?”

“So, that person is Eun Yesul?”

Song pressed further, hands clasped, eager for details.

“Could be. Even when the team leader worked at Seri Electronics, he was famous for being capable and handsome.”

Eunjung’s words made Song nod in agreement.

“So, I guess she had her eye on him as a marriage prospect back then.”

Somang’s voice rose sharply, fist clenched.

“No way.”