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Chapter 1
“I’m interested in you, Team Leader.”
At the sudden, straightforward confession that flew at her without a moment’s hesitation, Yeonha’s pupils quivered slightly.
She hadn’t expected him to come at her like this at all.
But she didn’t want to let him see she was flustered, so Yeonha forced herself to maintain a nonchalant expression.
“So what?”
“I’d like to date you seriously.”
Her oblivious heart pounded wildly at his unwavering, jet-black eyes.
She had noticed that he was interested in her. He hadn’t been in Korea for long, didn’t know many people, and was probably lonely. That’s why he had developed a temporary attachment to her, someone closest to him here. It was a feeling that would disappear quickly once he met more people.
So she couldn’t let herself be swayed by that handsome face.
Steeling her wavering heart, Yeonha opened her lips.
“You’re more naïve than I thought, Dohyun. Just because we slept together once, you want us to date? Sorry, but I have no such intention.”
“Why? Was I not good enough last night?”
Startled by his blunt words, Yeonha’s earlobes grew hot.
It wasn’t that he was bad—in fact, the opposite. He was too good, and that was the problem. She had experienced a pleasure she had never felt before, not once but three times, and the memory had lingered all day, making it impossible for her to focus on work with the heat simmering between her legs.
But Yeonha would never tell him that. She didn’t want to repeat the same mistake twice.
Perhaps taking her silence as confirmation, his brows furrowed.
“That can’t be right.”
His low murmur sounded like he couldn’t accept her rejection.
Of course he might feel wronged—he had given her a kind of pleasure she’d never known before.
“Anyway, I don’t plan on dating you, so just take it that way.”
She had no intention of correcting his misunderstanding. Wanting to end the conversation quickly, Yeonha turned to leave. With her weak immunity to situations like this, the longer it dragged on, the more disadvantageous it was to her.
But before her hand touched the emergency exit door, her arm was grabbed. It didn’t hurt, but there was no escaping his firm grip.
“Let’s do it one more time.”
“…What?”
“I’m confident I can satisfy you, Team Leader.”
His gaze was dead serious as he said it.
Yeonha, flustered at the situation she had created by letting him misunderstand in order to push him away—only to provoke him further—turned to face him head-on.
“It’s not that you weren’t good enough, Dohyun. I just don’t want to date anyone.”
“So you’re not rejecting me because you dislike me, right?”
Relieved at her firm reply, he broke into a bright smile.
“It’s not about like or dislike…”
“If you don’t want something serious, then let’s keep it casual.”
“…What?”
She frowned at his words, and Dohyun tilted his head slightly as he explained further.
“Like last night—when you feel like drinking, let’s drink. When you feel like sleeping with someone, call me. When you’re lonely or bored, call me. I’ll come running anytime.”
“What are you even…”
“I’m saying I want to stay by your side, even if it’s like that. So just use me. I’ll let you.”
“Why are you willing to go that far?”
“I told you. I fell for you at first sight.”
His black eyes locked tightly onto hers.
Yeonha couldn’t understand this man standing before her.
Was the sex that good for him?
Otherwise, why would a man four years younger than her cling like this?
As if to fan her confusion, he continued with a charming smile.
“There’s no need to overthink it. Just think of me like a pet dog. When you’re lonely or bored, I’ll keep you company. What do you say?”
Nonsense. A pet dog? Where in the world would you find such a big pet dog…
But suddenly, in her mind, she pictured a black retriever with floppy ears looking up at her and wagging its tail. The resemblance to the man standing before her—dressed all in black—was so uncanny that Yeonha’s face turned red.
After safely finishing a department store launch event in Myeong-dong, Yeonha was on her way back to the office, body weary.
Tap. Drop. A few raindrops began to streak down the car window.
As the drops grew heavier, the wipers kicked in, and the rain-blurred windshield cleared like wiped glasses, revealing the line of cars crawling along the road like slow turtles.
Haah…
A quiet sigh came from beside her. When Yeonha turned, she saw Deputy Director Kim Yujin in the driver’s seat, looking up at the sky with frustration.
“Seriously, weather forecasts are useless. If they can’t get it right, they should call it ‘weather reporting,’ not forecasting.”
Watching the raindrops quickly stain the windshield again, Yujin seemed restless. She kept glancing at her watch—clearly, it wasn’t just the sudden rain on her mind.
“Do you have plans tonight, Deputy Director?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“You keep checking your watch.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and after a pause, Yujin admitted.
“Actually… my husband and I were planning to watch a late-night movie tonight. Our first one since we got married. But with the traffic like this, I think we’ll have to cancel.”
Her words said one thing, but the regret was plain on her face.
“What time’s the movie?”
“Ten-thirty.”
Yeonha checked the dashboard clock—it was 9:20 p.m. There wasn’t enough time to stop by the office, finish the report Manager Park Sunyoung had ordered, and still make it.
“Deputy Director, I’ll put the report together and leave it on your desk. Just check it tomorrow when you come in.”
“Oh, but I can’t let you do that. Manager Park told me to handle it.”
“You said it’s your first movie together since marriage.”
“Still…”
“If you really feel bad, just buy me lunch tomorrow.”
“…Are you sure?”
When Yeonha assured her she was, Yujin’s expression brightened with relief.
“I’ll buy you something really delicious tomorrow.”
As Yeonha requested, Yujin parked near a subway station. She even offered taxi fare, but when Yeonha pointed out that with traffic she might not make it home tonight at all, Yujin reluctantly accepted and drove off.
After practically pushing the apologetic Yujin away, Yeonha entered the station. Heading back to the office after everyone else had gone home was far from pleasant.
She’d spent all day standing, identifying the needs and age ranges of customers, figuring out which items they preferred, and personally attending to them. Her throat was sore, her legs swollen and heavy as if weighted with sandbags.
Thirty minutes later, emerging from the subway exit, she hesitated at the now-thickening rain. Should she buy an umbrella from the convenience store? But remembering she already had two impulse-bought umbrellas at her desk, she simply used her handbag as a shield and sprinted the five-minute walk to the office.
Even that short distance left her breathless.
Shaking off raindrops, she entered through the revolving doors. The security guard blinked in surprise when he saw her.
“Oh, I thought you’d already gone home?”
“I still have some work left.”
Giving him a faint smile at his sympathetic look, she passed through the gate.
Since it was well past quitting time, she got into the elevator without waiting. After pressing the button, she rubbed her arms. Her damp clothes made the blast of air conditioning sting her skin, raising goosebumps.
Maybe I should’ve just gone home. Why did I have to meddle and end up like this?
Suppressing a sigh, she stepped out as the doors opened with a cheerful chime.
Walking down the hallway, she noticed that despite it being past ten, some office lights were still on. Knowing she wasn’t the only one working late eased her irritation a little.
Entering the design office, she set her bag down and dabbed at her damp hair and clothes with tissues. Still shivering, she decided to warm herself with some tea and headed to the break room.
Since it was late, she avoided caffeinated green tea and chose a roasted barley tea bag instead, filling her cup with hot water from the dispenser. As the pale brown color spread, she checked her phone. No messages from her boyfriend, who had said he was meeting his army friends.
Must be having fun.
With a bitter smile, she turned off the screen, tossed the steeped tea bag into the trash, and returned toward the design office. Passing the meeting room and nearing the development office—
“Mmh… ahh… ahh.”
A strange sound stopped her in her tracks.
