The office, bustling with work, was busy with each employee’s movements. Next to Deputy Manager Oh, who was on a call in a serious voice, Assistant Manager Nam frantically pounded his keyboard with furrowed brows. 

Miae, who’d hurriedly gathered the stack of documents the copier spat out, scurried over to Deputy Manager Jeong to request a review.

Hyunseo immediately clicked the check button at the flashing email notification. Assistant Manager Hwang approached her.

“I’m heading out for an external meeting. Just support this and hurry up and eat.”

“Yes, sir. Have a safe trip.”

After greeting him, Hyunseo sat back down and quickly skimmed through the email. It wasn’t much.

Employees who’d finished their work left the office one by one. Only after carefully checking several more times for any possible omissions did Hyunseo also get up from her seat. She hurried her steps toward the basement cafeteria.

Several days had passed quietly. Nothing much had changed during that time. Hyunseo quietly went to work like before and repeatedly left late, later than others.

They were days where nothing was strange, nor was there anything to think strange.

Of course, there were also very minor changes that were different from before. For example.

“Hyunseo, over here!”

Deputy Manager Jeong waved her hand toward Hyunseo, who was turning around with her tray. 

For Hyunseo, who usually ate alone quietly unless she was with Assistant Manager Hwang, eating with Deputy Manager Jeong was honestly uncomfortable.

“You’re late?”

“I was supporting Assistant Manager Hwang.”

“Hurry and eat. We’re almost done.”

Actually, looking at just the tray, it seemed like she could get up any moment, but Deputy Manager Jeong deliberately held onto the seat across from Hyunseo with sparkling eyes. 

The one who particularly didn’t welcome this sudden change was Miae.

“Deputy Manager Jeong has been acting strange lately.”

“Me? How?”

“It seems like you’re looking after Hyunseo too much.”

“Looking after what? Wouldn’t it be sad to eat alone? Still, we’re in the same department, so I should help.”

“Ah, yes. Well, that’s true.”

Miae nodded with a lukewarm expression. Regardless, Deputy Manager Jeong only stared intently at Hyunseo in the seat across from her. 

At the gesture telling her not to mind and just eat, Hyunseo forced a smile and picked up her spoon.

She probably didn’t suddenly want to become friends. Perhaps this was how she scratched her itchy mouth.

It was a fairly plausible hypothesis. From the day after being caught with Juhyung, Deputy Manager Jeong had looked at her with clearly different eyes than before. Like she was examining what charm she could possibly have.

“Looking at Hyunseo, she really has a modest charm.”

Hyunseo, who’d been eating quietly, subtly raised her gaze. Deputy Manager Jeong curled up the corners of her mouth.

“Look at her clothes too. Even though they’re not luxury brands, they’re modestly pretty. Even though she doesn’t seem to dress up much, she catches your eye.”

It was strangely confusing. Vague words that seemed like compliments but weren’t really when you thought about it. Hyunseo wasn’t the only one who felt it.

“Right, Hyunseo has no desire for luxury goods at all. Her bag is probably a knockoff too?”

“Really? That’s interesting. I haven’t carried a knockoff bag since college.”

“But I only have exactly three luxury items too. I’m busy rotating them.”

Miae jumped in like she’d been waiting, and two female employees from other departments added their words. Hyunseo indifferently let the chatter about needing to get one more with this bonus pass by.

She didn’t envy them. Jealousy only arose when you were in similar circumstances.

Hyunseo, who had no desire for luxury goods and didn’t even really know what luxury brands were, had long dismissed it as just other people’s world.

She ate silently. Miae, excited that attention had shifted to her, pulled out a new luxury wallet to show off. Following the female employees who made a fuss about how pretty it was, Hyunseo also smiled faintly.

No matter how loudly they carried on, she could remain indifferent. Just like she always had. 

Even subtle disrespect could be heard in one ear and out the other. Really, everything else was fine. However, the one thing that absolutely wasn’t was.

“By the way, when is Executive Director Sunwoo coming back from China?”

Hyunseo, who’d been taking her last spoonful, inadvertently froze. She immediately brought it to her mouth without showing it.

“Tomorrow? No wait, even if he comes back it’ll be the weekend, so maybe after that?”

“How long has it been since he came back from New York and he’s already on another business trip.”

“Who says otherwise? The Vice Chairman really works his precious son too hard.”

“What can you do? Executive Director Sunwoo is completely capable. Whenever he goes, he solves everything right away and comes back.”

“That’s why we can’t see his face. We haven’t seen him once all this week, does that make sense?”

A forum of grievances suddenly unfolded. 

Both the side that understood his busy work day and night as Giwha’s representative and the side that said it was too much not to even give them a chance to run into him by luck were fully revealing their devoted and passionate affection for Gyeom.

The conversation naturally continued into praise for Gyeom. When someone pulled out a secretly taken photo of Gyeom on his way to work, chaos erupted as they fought to see it more. 

Though uncomfortable, Hyunseo couldn’t get up first.

It was the only channel for hearing news about Gyeom. She’d belatedly learned that he, whom she hadn’t been able to see at all for days, had gone on a business trip to China. She had no choice. He hadn’t contacted her once since that day.

She wasn’t hurt. She hadn’t even expected him to contact her in the first place.

Yet suddenly she wondered. Could it be that day, he’d been angry at her with that indifferent face? Or was it that they weren’t meant to continue from the start? So that’s why he wasn’t contacting her?

“Wait, who’s this? Isn’t that Deputy Manager Han Juhyung?”

Hyunseo cleared her place and left the cafeteria. In front of the elevator, Deputy Manager Jeong raised her voice delightedly upon spotting Juhyung with people from the Business Support Team. 

Juhyung hurriedly greeted them.

“Deputy Manager Jeong, did you enjoy your meal?”

“Of course, did you eat well too, Deputy Manager Han?”

“Yes, haha.”

“Maybe it’s because the weather’s nice today. I’m strangely craving a vanilla latte.”

At the muttering that could by no means be considered talking to herself, Hyunseo felt awkward. 

It was basically the same as openly asking him to buy it, and sharp-witted Juhyung definitely wouldn’t let it slide. Sure enough.

“Let’s all go to the lobby, I’ll treat everyone.”

“Wow! Really?”

“I’m so excited! I’ll enjoy it!”

“As expected, Deputy Manager Han is so cool.”

Following Deputy Manager Jeong giving a thumbs up, the employees cheered. Everyone was happy, saying they were getting a treat thanks to Deputy Manager Jeong being close with Juhyung, but knowing that wasn’t the case, Hyunseo felt needlessly uncomfortable.

When their eyes met, Juhyung smiled like it was okay, but Hyunseo couldn’t smile back. The expressions of the employees holding coffee from the high-end coffee shop in the company lobby were bright. Except for one person—only Hyunseo.

“Sorry, we’re going up first.”

“Thank you, Deputy Manager Han. I’ll enjoy it.”

“I’ll enjoy it too!”

“Me too!”

The elevator was full, and coincidentally only Juhyung and Hyunseo couldn’t get on. The elevators that should arrive next hadn’t come down from above yet. Juhyung spoke to Hyunseo, who looked awkward.

“Buying coffee was worth it. To give us time alone together like this, even if just for a moment.”

Juhyung laughed, saying wasn’t that too good a reward for the price. Hyunseo opened her mouth with an apologetic face.

“I feel like you spent a lot of money because of me for no reason.”

“It’s fortunate. I was barely holding back because I wanted to buy it just for you, Hyunseo, but was worried about how it would look. But drink something more expensive than an americano next time, there are lots of delicious menu items.”

“…It would be better if you didn’t do that next time.”

“Wait, are you saying I can’t even buy you a coffee? Between friends?”

Juhyung grumbled about being hurt, but his lips were full of smiles. Hyunseo held back her words. It seemed impossible to beat him when he accurately caught the reason she felt burdened and blocked it at the source.

“Be more comfortable with me. It’d be even better if you treated me casually.”

Juhyung added. Didn’t we agree to be friendly from now on? That meant, when bored, when depressed, anytime, you can call me out. He’d be greedy for just that much. As a friend.

Hyunseo quietly mulled over the word ‘friend’ that Juhyung repeatedly mentioned.

Since entering society—no, including school days—she’d never really had anyone she could call a friend. It was an unfamiliar, completely foreign word. 

She suddenly realized. She’d never even thought about making such an existence until now. Because she was too busy living.

“Fighting with the rest of your work.”

“Yes, then.”

Hyunseo bowed in greeting to Juhyung, who raised his fist and cheered for her to do her best, then turned around.

While walking toward the office, Gyeom naturally came to mind again.

In fact, there wasn’t a moment when she didn’t think of him. She was just desperately trying to look away. Even that had been overwhelming for quite a while now.

When she heard about Gyeom’s business trip, she seemed to have felt a little relieved. She wanted to think she couldn’t meet him because he was far away from her.

Not because he was brazenly in the same building, that’s why she couldn’t see him now. If he came back, she might be able to see him again at least once.

Hyunseo knew from experience. How painful and devastating the moment when firmly built hope crumbles was. Even knowing that, she who’d been inadvertently hoping lowered her head. 

She struggled to swallow the sigh that tried to come out.

***

A luxury sedan entered along the straight road. The standalone building was grand from its exterior.

The trees lined up in the back formed what looked like a forest. The refreshing air that seemed removed from the city’s exhaust fumes shone especially at night, but Gyeom right now didn’t have the leisure to enjoy it.

“Go home.”

“Yes, Executive Director.”

Secretary Gu, who bowed deeply, swiftly disappeared into the darkness. Gyeom’s face as he deactivated the security with practiced gestures and entered the spacious entrance was considerably hardened.

The fatigue accumulated over several days was the cause. Of course, even knowing that wasn’t all, he deliberately dismissed it as such and quickly took off his suit jacket.

A soft light illuminated where his feet touched and soon disappeared.

He’d gained this independent space upon becoming an adult. He only later realized that the pretext of guaranteeing a grown son’s freedom had actually been the right decision for both of them.

Living in one house and facing each other every morning and evening would have been unbearable. Honestly, even occasionally stopping by the main house was overwhelming.

What if he hadn’t known? Gyeom sometimes imagined such meaningless and futile things.

To avoid suffering, emptying his head was the best policy. He really didn’t want to think about anything. Like that day. 

Like that time when he was distracted by pleasure he’d tasted for the first time in his life and didn’t care about anything else.

‘Could I be of help…?’

The pitch-black eyes staring into space flashed fiercely. The extreme thirst that surged up like it would pierce through his entire body was absolutely not at a level that could be quenched with a glass of cold water.

He threw his clothes into the basket and entered the bathroom. The house, strictly managed during his absence, didn’t show even a speck of dust. 

Soon, a strong stream of water poured onto the smooth tile floor without any moisture.

It was past midnight. He knew what his inner desire was, wanting to force himself back to Korea even if it was late. 

Nevertheless, he first roughly washed away the harsh fatigue on his body, pretending not to know.

He had to drag out the time a little. If it got too late, wouldn’t he restrain himself with that excuse?

Fat chance—he realized that the moment he entered the bedroom.

Giving up even on drying the moisture from his hair, he opened the safe and picked up the piece of cloth carefully placed inside, then brought it to his face.

‘Looking at it while taking it off, you were wet.’

‘…That…’

‘I’m going to lick it first, I can’t hold back anymore.’

‘What? No, ahh…!’

“…D*mn it.”

His lower abdomen ached. His reason crumbled in an instant at the lewd smell that filled his nose.

His hugely swollen p*nis surged up near his navel and twitched. He gently wrapped his large hand around the already wet tip.

The white piece of cloth didn’t leave his face for even an instant.

He deeply inhaled the remaining scent. Though it was somewhat weaker compared to the first time, which was disappointing, it was enough to excite him. 

Curses continuously pooled between his teeth as he rubbed and stroked his veiny p*nis.

*jaculation came quickly. Every time he finished a business meeting and headed to his hotel room, instead of sleeping, he’d masturbated all night. 

The excitement that wasn’t difficult just by retracing memories reacted more sensitively to the lewd smell piercing his lungs. His eyes looking down at his moistly dirtied palm loosened languidly.

‘I’m Do Hyunseo, a contract employee in the Business Planning Department.’

A small face. A faint voice speaking gently. A woman he’d run into by chance, who had nothing to do with him.

Yet somehow, a strange woman who made him ask her name when he could have asked or not.

She had a somewhat empty impression. Her particularly lonely-looking eyes had remained in his mind, but that was all.

He thought it didn’t matter that she’d caught him at the scene of his transgression. Because even if rumors spread, he really didn’t care.

‘It’ll pass. Even if slowly. If you endure, you can endure. That’s how it was for me.’

He didn’t seem to dislike it. The concern contained in that careful voice, the gaze that seemed to feel sorry.

He thought. ‘If she came back worried about me, I might spout nonsense.’

Before that thought even ended, seeing the rooftop door open, he felt s*xual impulse for the first time. It was ridiculous.

It probably started when he pulled her slender body into his arms. Even when she ended up positioned on top of him inadvertently, his lower body had been aching.

Seeing Hyunseo’s clear face sleeping soundly, unexpectedly encountered in an unintended place, Gyeom thought again. Perhaps he might commit an act unlike himself.

He was shaking so intensely that he regretted the past time he’d lived only kindly and properly. 

For transgression, there was probably nothing better than a woman. The reason he hadn’t done so until now was surprisingly simple.

He hated being swayed. He was the type who had to control everything, and disliking any variables, he’d kept women at a distance, but Hyunseo was different. 

He was even convinced she somehow wouldn’t be bothersome. As he’d said, she was someone who realistically wouldn’t be entangled with him. He could end it on his own terms anytime.

So he coveted her, and had no regrets.

At least until the moment he secretly took her underwear.

He thought this would be enough. Not just once or twice—he’d thr*st into her crazily all night, so he thought he could endure. 

He realized he couldn’t that very night, after ejaculating with his face buried in the underwear he’d brought.

‘I didn’t. I’m on my way back after telling him I wouldn’t do the blind date. My department’s assistant manager asked me to, so I had to go out at least once, but I felt bad for completely forgetting about today’s appointment. But telling him I couldn’t over the phone seemed too rude…’

“Hah…”

Gyeom, who’d already finished his second *jaculation while standing, slowly collapsed onto the bed. Not caring that the sheets got wet from his undried hair, his expression as he stared into space gradually hardened.

He was displeased. His mood was grating to an indescribable degree. Even knowing it was ridiculous, he kept…

He could have sent General Manager Kang, who was in charge, to China. He said he went because he didn’t like the sluggish work processing, but his real intention for moving directly was different. To not think other thoughts. Because it kept bothering him.

He thought it would be okay if he moved busily. Yet he didn’t understand himself, who thought of Hyunseo the moment he was alone.

What was it? The unpleasant feeling he felt for a moment seeing her with some man?

He needed a definition for this confusing emotion. Even knowing, he couldn’t find the right expression.

…No. No. What’s important now isn’t that.

He brought his hand holding Hyunseo’s underwear to his p*nis. After wrapping and rubbing it, he finally *jaculated once more, then hurriedly got up. 

His movements as he finished dressing and picked up the car keys were extremely urgent.