Chapter 2.5

Recalling her bouncing chest and clumsy hips pounding against him, overly full for her thin body, made his lower abdomen tense.

Baek-geon muttered a curse under his breath. He clenched his crossed legs tightly. He had to try hard to clear his mind.

Just thinking about that day made his blood boil. At the same time, a violent desire surged through his body. His instinctively boiling blood demanded intense stimulation.

Since then, Baek-geon had been in a bit of a bind. He couldn’t be with other women. Despite being surrounded by women, he couldn’t touch them.

No one interested him. Even after deciding to just close his eyes and embrace one, he couldn’t feel any desire.

It was an incomprehensible phenomenon. He had never failed to satisfy his lust when he felt it. He was more bewildered because he had never been affected like this by anyone.

What he did with the woman was a complete mess. Could it even be called s*x? He was angry at being one-sidedly taken, so he selfishly embraced the woman.

It was no exaggeration to call it a terrible memory. It was a moment when he acted roughly and violently toward a woman who embraced a man greedily without any minimal interaction.

Baek-geon wasn’t gentlemanly or considerate, but he didn’t wield his desires meaninglessly. There were few women who could withstand him when he was determined.

Most ended up exhausted after receiving persistent caresses and being thoroughly penetrated by his large member.

Perhaps because of this, he never found women particularly interesting. Nights without excitement were only tedious. Talking about romance was childish, and mechanically relieving lust was futile.

Moreover, since Chairman Han’s imprisonment, he had been too busy to have time for such activities. Baek-geon maintained an ascetic life, enough to puzzle his subordinates.

In the midst of it all, the woman’s actions were absurdly brazen and shameless. Baek-geon did not regret retaliating roughly at the time, intending to teach her a lesson.

However, something had clearly awakened the dormant savagery within him. Desires more chaotic and base than those of a beast. An abnormal arousal that was hard to define.

The woman had to pay the price for awakening such roughness. Whether she rolled in the mud or descended further, he intended to leave her be.

Even so, it was difficult to redirect his thoughts that kept straying toward the woman. It was time for a turning point.

It was time to shake it off.

Baek-geon took out a cigarette from his pocket. Cheong-o quickly lit a lighter and held it out. He took a deep drag and looked at his subordinate.

Perhaps because of the woman, he felt a subtle looseness in his eyes and mouth, which somehow irritated him. He spoke with a cold face.

“You said the line came in?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. Sungjin.”

Cheong-o lowered his voice and named the company. It was originally a rival organization, but now it was a leading mid-sized construction company in Chungnam.

“Brother, you’ve broken everything else, so that’s the only place left. Last month, you even turned down the daughter of the CEO of an interior company set up by a big shot in Myeongdong.”

Cheong-o scratched his head awkwardly. Baek-geon remained silent, looking out the window.

Currently, more than money from loan sharks, they needed personnel experienced in mid-sized companies. For the growth of an organization just beginning to rebuild, this side would be much better.

“They want a son-in-law, but… who wouldn’t want someone like you? In the end, they’ll rely on you, so it won’t be bad. Jung-gyun also said that joining hands with Sungjin is perfect for realizing the vision you’ve planned.”

Cheong-o mentioned Jung-gyun, Baek-geon’s right-hand man and assistant brain, with a gleam in his eyes.

Baek-geon had already heard the same from Jung-gyun countless times. Although it seemed like being a son-in-law, it was actually about taking all the merits and expanding the organization’s boundaries, so there was nothing bad about it.

“The daughters of that house were raised delicately. They didn’t learn management, only worked as influencers or broadcast models, just showing their faces. So they desperately need a brain. Someone like you would look good anywhere. You’re also highly capable.”

Cheong-o smirked as if it was easy. Baek-geon folded his arms, looking at his subordinate.

“If it’s a position where I’d be manipulated, I don’t need it. If anything, I’d be the one manipulating, not the other way around, thinking they have me in their grasp because of a mere marriage is a mistake.”

“Oh, of course. Why would you need to serve them? It’s just a matter of them not knowing their place and being arrogant. There’s nothing bad for you, Brother. Jung-gyun said to use them and take out the core.”

Cheong-o waved his hand as if he knew well. Baek-geon just sneered at the conditions they proposed.

As his subordinate said, there was no better place. A merger between an organization barely stepping into the light and one aiming for expansion in the metropolitan area.

The first dowry they proposed was the management rights of a company established for metropolitan expansion. It was truly a win-win situation that could create remarkable synergy in a short time.

However, Baek-geon was still hesitating for unknown reasons. No, he wasn’t unaware of the reasons. It was just difficult to present them anywhere.

He couldn’t understand why the image of the woman, shaking her waist above him, kept overlapping with his thoughts. Baek-geon squinted his eyes as if erasing the woman’s lingering image from his vision.

“How about this weekend? Jung-gyun was hoping for a definite answer on the date.”

The secretary general, who was observing him, seemed to have pleaded with Cheong-o. Baek-geon crooked his mouth.

“Jung-gyun can’t say it to my face, but he spills everything to you, Chief Gong?”

“Well, he keeps grabbing me, urging me to please make sure you go out this time.”

Cheong-o rolled his eyes. Baek-geon stared at him with a sharp gaze, feeling displeasure seep in.

“Your presence should be intimidating. You know neither I nor Jung-gyun can move a muscle in front of you.”

The secretary general couldn’t even open his mouth properly in front of him, yet he said everything to Cheong-o. Baek-geon had no intention of hiding his simmering annoyance.

“Fire Jung-gyun, hire someone with experience, or promote someone from below. If there’s really no one, bring Jung-gyun and put him in that position.”

“Huh, yes? Jung-gyun, no, Director Kim? He’s busy managing the kids in Dalian, but are you sure that’s okay?”

“Stop talking and handle it. And make sure to set that appointment firmly.”

Silence fell. Watching Baek-geon’s expression, Cheong-o spoke heavily.

“I’ll handle it that way. I’ll also secure the weekend appointment.”

“Don’t stand by that day, take a break.”

Cheong-o’s face brightened again at the short command.

“You must be serious. I’m relieved too.”

“Don’t get carried away.”

Despite the sharp remark, Cheong-o grinned as if he was pleased.

“How can I not be happy when you’re seriously considering the proposal?”

He understood the sentiment. Baek-geon realized his sharp nerves were slightly calming.

“Then can I consider taking a day off that day?”

“Do as you like.”

Cheong-o visibly sighed in relief. It was clear that his meddlesome nature, separate from loyalty, was kicking in, caring for those around him.

He suddenly felt displeased again. Cheong-o would undoubtedly rush to find the restaurant where the woman worked and drag her out. No matter how much he was restrained, he’d likely let it go in one ear and out the other.

However, Baek-geon said nothing more. It became bothersome to interfere in his subordinate’s affairs. He simply kept his mouth shut, staring out the window.

In fact, he felt somewhat settled now. Knowing where she was rolling around made him feel strangely better, and he let out a hollow laugh.

He felt he could finally erase the lingering image from his view. Once he saw the proposal and finalized the marriage talk, he might never be haunted by such visions again.

What if I hadn’t known where she was? Would I have caught her immediately and ended it, regardless of any marriage talk?

He brushed off the nonsensical thoughts and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about the woman anymore.

***

“Ahhh.”

Yoon-jae swallowed a short groan and half-raised her body to look down. The leg that had been trapped under the scooter was now swollen.

When she limped back to the cafeteria, the manager grimaced in surprise. Despite suggesting she visit a hospital, Yoon-jae shook her head.

“It’ll be okay if I just put on a patch and rest.”

“Bullshit. If you can’t work, it’s not you but me who loses out.”

Even so, the manager didn’t insist. With a shortage of hands, he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to rest.

Only after running the dishwasher and finishing all the tasks did the manager wave her off to leave first. Yoon-jae returned to her dorm and collapsed into sleep.

She hadn’t eaten properly, but she fell into a deep sleep and woke up feeling worse. Her appetite was gone, and her head kept throbbing.

Encountering the man there was the root of the problem. She unknowingly bit her nails, anxiety rising within her.