Chapter 21
“Wait, what are you doing right now...”
Before Jaekyung could finish, Yugam's soft lips covered hers again.
Kissing my ex-husband?
Surely this had to be a dream.
Jaekyung had been awake for nearly thirty hours.
Her body was sluggish, her mind hazy.
There was no other explanation for this sudden situation except that she was dreaming.
Her trembling eyelids slowly closed.
Wrapped in Yugam's strong arms, she couldn't move.
His lips were soft and springy, almost like sweet jelly.
A pleasant scent slipped into her mouth.
Her tongue brushed against his even teeth.
Warm saliva mingled together in a dizzying way.
“Haa...”
At Jaekyung's breathy moan, Yugam lightly bit her smooth lower lip.
“Ah...”
Her breathing grew faster.
Jaekyung pressed her palms against his solid chest, trying to push him away.
But Yugam refused to retreat.
He continued kissing her persistently.
“Mmph...”
The overwhelming sensation made Jaekyung sway as though her knees had given out.
Heat rose from deep inside her body.
Her whole body twisted helplessly from the excitement.
“Hng...”
A sound escaped her lips that she could hardly believe had come from herself.
It's okay.
I'm talking in my sleep.
But...
This felt far too vivid for a dream.
Ding.
The elevator chimed.
This is the elevator.
Jaekyung's eyes snapped open.
Oh my God.
It wasn't a dream.
It was real.
“S-Stop...”
Gathering every bit of strength she had left, Jaekyung finally managed to push Yugam away.
Her chest rose and fell as she struggled for breath.
Her legs felt weak, making her whole body tremble.
“You can't faint from a kiss.”
Yugam still had an arm around her waist.
With his thumb, he wiped away the moisture shining on her lips.
“This is... huff... a violation of the contract.”
Had she looked that easy to take advantage of?
Warning bells rang inside Jaekyung's head.
Her face burned because it felt as though Yugam had seen straight through her feelings.
Yugam raised an eyebrow.
“You were clinging to me and moaning, and now you're calling it a contract violation?”
Jaekyung went silent.
She shoved his firm chest and escaped from his arms.
At that moment, she desperately wanted to find a hole and hide inside it.
She turned her head away from his persistent gaze.
“Whenever you want to pretend something never happened, tell me.”
Yugam stepped calmly out through the open elevator doors.
“I'll gladly make it into something you'll really want to forget.”
He's insane.
Completely insane.
Jaekyung grabbed her head, refusing to accept what had just happened.
How had things changed so much in a single night?
Yugam's aggressive behavior made her step backward inside the elevator.
“Chairman... this makes things difficult.”
She wanted to accuse him of violating the contract because he had started it first.
But Yugam turned around in his clean white jacket, looking full of energy.
He looked so dazzlingly attractive that the words died in her throat.
“We didn't put a clause in the contract banning physical contact.”
His gaze remained steady.
“Besides, we did far more than this in bed before.”
A faint smile appeared on his previously cold face.
“Don't remember?”
The argument was ridiculous.
Yet with that handsome smile on his face, Jaekyung couldn't even answer.
The elevator doors were slowly closing and blocking him from view.
Far more?
He barely remembered anything himself.
For some reason, Jaekyung felt strangely resentful.
I need to be the sane one.
She pressed the open button and walked out firmly.
No more.
I absolutely cannot give him another opening.
After two exhausting days in Jeju, they returned to Seoul late at night.
“Rest well, Chairman. I'll go inside.”
“Are you avoiding me?”
Yugam followed her at the entrance.
“We slept in the same hotel and even kissed.”
He approached her as though they were suddenly close.
“Please stop.”
Jaekyung turned toward him.
“Random touching and random kindness make me extremely uncomfortable.”
“It wasn't kindness.”
Yugam's voice was calm.
“It was affection.”
Jaekyung stared at him.
“Affection for an employee.”
His lips curved faintly.
“Secretary Seo doesn't seem to have much loyalty toward the company.”
“I'll refuse the chairman's affection.”
“Because you're afraid I'll throw you away?”
Jaekyung froze.
Yugam's eyes were cool and unwavering, like dawn in winter.
“Don't worry.”
His voice lowered.
“I'll protect Secretary Seo.”
The moment Jaekyung met his eyes, she remembered that day five years ago when rain had frozen against her skin like frost.
“I protect myself.”
She looked away.
“I don't believe words like that.”
“Seo Jaekyung's shell is too hard.”
Yugam took another step closer in the dim hallway.
“There isn't even a crack.”
“You saw correctly.”
Jaekyung met his gaze.
“It's hard and there are no openings.”
Yugam answered without hesitation,
“Don't worry.”
His fingers brushed teasingly along her pale neck and circled her collarbone.
A tingling sensation spread beneath the collar of her shirt.
Goosebumps rose over her skin.
“I'll smash it and get inside.”
Jaekyung's eyes widened.
“I've spent twenty-five years building this shell.”
Her voice hardened.
“Don't touch it however you want.”
Then she added bitterly,
“You might be having fun now because you finally found the wife who ran away, but you'll get bored soon.”
“No.”
Yugam's eyes darkened.
“You don't understand because you have no idea how long I searched for that toy.”
Jaekyung let out a breath.
“Haa... A toy?”
Bang.
She shut the door and pushed her suitcase into one corner.
With her eyes closed, Jaekyung listened to Yugam's heavy footsteps moving down the hallway.
His words from earlier returned to her.
“You were clinging to me and moaning, and now you're calling it a contract violation?”
Jaekyung touched her lips with her fingers.
Those cold lips had touched hers.
It wasn't her first kiss, but...
Her face had remained hot the entire day.
She was painfully aware of Yugam.
At this rate, there was no way she would fall asleep if she simply lay down.
So she sat at her desk again.
When she pulled out her laptop, the orange keychain Yugam had given her came out with it.
Should I just throw this away?
Annoyed with Yugam, Jaekyung pushed the chubby orange mascot to the corner of the desk.
Yugam was probably still awake too.
The entire house was silent.
Yet Jaekyung could feel a tight tension filling every corner.
“I'll protect Secretary Seo.”
“Stop worrying about useless things and focus on your work.”
Yugam always told Jaekyung to do her job properly.
But in reality, he did much more work than she did.
Jaekyung watered Saebom, which she had moved beside the window.
Then she stayed awake all night preparing a presentation.
The next day.
Yugam and Jaekyung arrived at the office looking exhausted.
“Hyung! No, wait.”
A bright-looking man walked toward them with both arms spread.
“Chairman Do. It's been a while.”
Yugam's expression darkened.
“What are you doing here?”
Is this an unwelcome visitor?
The man's smile remained cheerful despite Yugam's cold reaction.
“I heard our chairman has been working without rest, so I came to help.”
“There isn't anything for you to do.”
“It's been a year and you're still just as cold.”
The man shrugged.
“I may not be as smart as you, Chairman, but I'm not exactly stupid either. Aren't you being a little harsh?”
Yugam replied coldly,
“Ability is proven through results, not words.”
“I've been sent here on assignment.”
The man smiled.
“At least let me serve you while I'm here.”
He didn't look intimidated by Yugam in the slightest.
He was clearly not an ordinary opponent.
Yugam looked ready to dismiss him.
“Does headquarters have so many extra employees?”
His voice turned icy.
“I'll put you first on the layoff list.”
As though the man wasn't worth dealing with, Yugam walked past him and entered the office.
Jaekyung bowed.
“Excuse me.”
The man called her.
“Are you the chairman's personal secretary?”
“Yes. I'm Seo Jaekyung.”
“Please help me out.”
He smiled.
“I wasn't demoted here. I came here to get promoted.”
Then he looked around.
“But this place looks pretty rough.”
Despite his joking tone, his posture was straight and his expression calm.
“If there's anything I can help with, please let me know.”
It was only a polite greeting.
Still, if he was close enough to Yugam to call him hyung and had been sent from headquarters, he was probably someone important.
The man smiled.
“Secretary Seo, I need caffeine.”
He pointed down the hallway.
“Want to have coffee together?”
Chief Kwon was away arranging advance work on Yugam's behalf.
“The pantry is this way.”
The man nodded gratefully.
Could he be one of Director Jin's people?
Headquarters was probably watching Yugam's official appointment as chairman closely.
Learning what a transferred employee was here to do could also be part of a secretary's responsibilities.
According to proper secretary protocol, external personnel should be guided quickly.
“I'll prepare yours while making the chairman's coffee.”
Jaekyung asked,
“Do you need anything else?”
She was still only a short-term contract worker.
But she wanted to work without regrets until the day she left.
To fill Chief Kwon's absence, Jaekyung burned with determination.
She placed a foundation brochure and some basic work materials on the man's desk.
“The school grounds are quite large.”
The man looked carefully out the window.
“I'd appreciate it if Secretary Seo could show me around.”
Then he asked,
“I'm not making an unreasonable request, am I?”
“That requires the chairman's permission.”
Jaekyung answered carefully.
“I'll leave a note asking Chief Kwon if he can help arrange it.”
“Then is there anything I can review?”
The man smiled.
“I'm quick with numbers.”
He gave her a wink.
“Feel free to give me any urgent work.”
Then he sat beside Chief Kwon's desk.
Maybe he's a relative.
His calm profile resembled Yugam's enough to catch Jaekyung's attention.
Since he called Yugam hyung, perhaps he was a younger cousin.
The man looked back and met her eyes.
“Secretary Seo, here's my contact information.”
He handed her a card.
“It's for emergency work contact.”
Then he smiled.
“Call me Team Leader Do.”
Jaekyung accepted it.
[Do Yujin]
Her guess seemed right.
Same surname as Yugam.
Same generation syllable.
He was probably a member of the owner's family, someone Jaekyung couldn't afford to offend.
