“No, I’ll take the bus—”
“It already left.”
After finishing his sentence, he walked toward the open door without looking back.
How did he know? Surprise came first, but riding in his car was another burden. Seoyoung hesitated but eventually followed behind him. A driver who had parked the car right in front opened the back door when he saw Kangjun.
“Get in the back.”
Kangjun said briefly as he got into the car first.
“I’m really fine…”
Seoyoung opened her mouth, but couldn’t finish her sentence. The driver’s respectful gaze was pushing her back. Finally, Seoyoung silently stepped into the car. As she carefully sat down beside Kangjun, the door closed with a thud, and the world became quiet.
“Then please just drop me off at the subway station.”
Assuming he lived in Seoul, Seoyoung cautiously spoke up.
Enclosed darkness, confined space, and uncomfortably close proximity. Seoyoung’s nerves were on high alert. Her vision dimmed, but her senses became acutely sharpened. The rustling sound of his clothes, the subtle fragrance of his cologne spreading, and even the faint trace of alcohol mixed within it. Because he had always been so impeccable, she hadn’t guessed he’d been drinking.
“Let’s go home.”
Kangjun casually instructed the driver. Surprised by the unexpected words, Seoyoung turned her head.
“Home? Do you mean your home, CEO?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Why would I go to your home… I’ll just get off here.”
What does he take me for? Seoyoung, feeling a sudden surge of displeasure, jerked her head away. As she turned toward the door and reached for the handle, Kangjun’s hand grabbed her arm.
“Why would Secretary Yoo come to my house?”
“What?”
“The driver will take you home after dropping me off.”
“Ah…”
“Should I follow you all the way to your house, which takes two hours round trip?”
Kangjun snorted with an incredulous look on his face. Faced with his merciless coldness, Seoyoung was at a loss for words.
“No. Not at all. I’m sorry.”
Seoyoung answered in a small voice and released the handle. Her face instantly flushed, burning all the way to the nape of her neck. She was so embarrassed that she couldn’t bring herself to look at him and lowered her head. Kangjun laughed, his shoulders shaking, but she didn’t even have time to react.
The car had already left the company and was turning onto the intersection. Occasionally, when lights from outside shone in, his face, buried in darkness, was briefly revealed. Unlike him, who seemed comfortable, Seoyoung was tense, struggling to regulate her breathing. Kangjun, who had been sitting with his back leisurely reclined, tilted his head slightly to look at Seoyoung and asked:
“When you’re this late, doesn’t your family worry?”
“It’s fine. I live alone.”
“What a picture-perfect family indeed.”
He answered in a dry tone. Just like before, it didn’t sound particularly positive.
“Aren’t you scared being alone?”
“I’m used to it. It’s fine.”
“You’re used to being alone?”
“Yes.”
Kangjun stopped questioning and looked at Seoyoung for a moment. Then, as if his interest had faded, he looked straight ahead again and muttered:
“That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
His tone was playful, but Seoyoung felt a lump in her throat. Maybe that’s why words that shouldn’t have been spoken automatically slipped out.
“You’re alone too, aren’t you, CEO?”
Only after speaking did she realize her mistake. She had essentially revealed that she had personally looked into him.
“I’m fine being alone. I like myself too much.”
Fortunately, he seemed unfazed and calmly responded. Despite the narcissistic remark, it strangely didn’t feel awkward. Just as she felt relieved that her worry had safely passed…
“But Secretary Yoo, are you interested in me?”
“What?”
“Tell me honestly. How much have you looked into me?”
Kangjun’s smiling face was strangely chilling. His gaze penetrated deep inside her, as if piercing through. In that moment, Seoyoung instinctively knew that lies wouldn’t work. Her only option was to give an honest answer that would make the situation plausible.
“I read everything that could be found through searching. But that was because of the interview…”
“You’ve become my stalker?”
“That’s not what I—”
“Secretary Yoo, you have a talent for turning people on, don’t you?”
“…!”
“Tell me more. Let me see how far your imagination can go.”
That one blatant remark instantly neutralized her rationality. The air at the tip of her nose felt thick, but confusingly, there was no desire reflected in his eyes. She thought she could handle it since Kangjun had warned her beforehand, but when she became the target, she didn’t know how to react. Kangjun’s words shook her inside more deeply than expected. Her tongue was about to get tied again. Seoyoung struggled to hold onto her reason, trying not to collapse. This was just his mischievous teasing. His unique way of testing people while seeming indifferent. So instead of getting swept away, she needed to use this opportunity. This was a rare chance for Seoyoung to naturally ask questions.
“I don’t really have much to talk about.”
Seoyoung carefully said and immediately added:
“But I’m good at listening to others. I prefer that, actually.”
Seoyoung looked at him with a slight smile at the corner of her lips. She pretended to be calm outwardly, but her heart was racing madly.
“So you want me to talk about myself?”
Kangjun answered with a smirk. Just then, the traffic light turned red, and the car stopped. Despite the darkness in the car with barely any light reaching in, strangely, his eyes had a peculiar glow.
“But you know what? If you want to hear about me, you should at least have spent a night with me in the same bed.”
“…!”
Indeed, Sa Kangjun was not someone easily caught. He instantly twisted the momentary gap she thought she had captured. As highly suggestive words burst out one after another, she felt short of breath, as if her heart had been repeatedly struck. She couldn’t judge whether he was truly seducing her or drawing a line. She didn’t know whether she should get angry, calling it sexual harassment, or apologize for asking sensitive questions. Kangjun was waiting for her next words with a relaxed face. It felt like being a child teased by an adult. She felt embarrassed and regretful, while secretly seething inside.
Fortunately, the car stopped. It didn’t seem like even ten minutes had passed since they left the company. Although the roads were quiet due to the late hour, it was a much closer distance than expected. By her estimation, it seemed to be somewhere near the boundary between Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. As the driver opened the door, Kangjun asked Seoyoung, as if giving her an opportunity:
“Do you still want to hear about me?”
It was an invitation to follow him out if she was confident.
“No. I’ll just go home.”
“Alright, then.”
As if ending a disposable amusement, he disappeared without any lingering attachment. In the silence that returned, Seoyoung leaned back against the seat, drained. It felt like she had just passed through the middle of a storm.
***
As soon as he opened the front door, bright living room lights welcomed him. Kangjun walked in without concern and slumped down on the sofa. Besides his mother, only one person had access to this house. As he loosened his tie and leaned back on the sofa, So Yujung, who had arrived earlier, emerged from the kitchen.
“You’re back?”
She was holding a tray with honey water. She must have prepared it knowing he would come via a drinking engagement. He stretched out his arm and took the glass she handed him.
“Why are you here when you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“I came to say goodbye. And to check various things around the house.”
“If you’re going to do this, why leave?”
“That’s why I hired a secretary for you.”
“Then teach her before you leave.”
“A new secretary is like a new pair of shoes. Until they fit your feet, you get blisters and scrapes. So check the uncomfortable parts as they come, and walk slowly. You have that much sensitivity, don’t you?”
“Ha! You certainly know how to talk back.”
Having become so accustomed to dealing with his mother, she can counter every word he says without giving in. Since she’s older, the proper thing would be for the younger person to yield. Kangjun smiled and drank the honey water. Perhaps because of the lingering alcohol, the sweet drink went down smoothly. It would be nice if at least one of the two remaining secretaries had this kind of sensibility.
“Yoo Seoyoung. She’s better than expected. She could be helpful if trained well.”
“She seems that way. If only she weren’t so scared.”
“Did you frighten her?”
“She scared herself. Just because I gave her a ride in the car.”
Kangjun casually answered while wiping his wet lips with his thumb. So Yujung’s previously expressionless face instantly hardened sharply.
“You gave her a ride in your car?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
