Chapter : 17
A Tryst That Isn’t a Tryst (2)
Turning her head toward the door, she was suddenly lifted by his arm and hid behind a stack of A4 papers. She cleverly concealed herself in the narrow, maze-like spaces between the rows of storage shelves.
Chaekyung widened her eyes in surprise and looked up.
She flinched at the sound coming from the direction of the door. Kangwoo was looking down at her leisurely, still holding her in his arms. Chaekyung felt annoyed.
“He’s so calm in this situation and looking at me like that…”
She couldn’t think of moving and held her breath.
“Deputy, why?”
“Because I’ve been thinking about Hyoju all day; I should be able to focus on work too.”
The rustling sounds of hugging and intimate contact reached her ears.
“Ah, what if someone finds out?”
Her playful concern seemed to encourage Deputy Gong’s behavior rather than deter him.
“Why would anyone find out? Everyone’s having a coffee break with the snacks Director Chae bought. It’s fine.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Even though she tried not to listen, Chaekyung couldn’t help focusing on the quiet sounds, worried she might be discovered.
Being stuck there, secretly watching her coworkers’ private tryst, made her even more tense.
The intensity of the kissing and touching increased, and Hyoju’s small, breathy sounds teased her ears.
“Uh, Deputy, not there!”
The rustling stopped, replaced by the sound of lips smacking and Hyoju stifling moans.
Her face heated with embarrassment.
Being held in Kangwoo’s arms made it even harder to focus. When she tried to pull away, he let her go easily.
But stepping backward, her foot hit something, making a noise.
“Ah, Deputy, wait! Didn’t you hear that?”
He murmured without taking his lips off Hyoju’s body.
Chaekyung froze and pressed herself closer to Kangwoo, worried her back might be seen.
She convinced herself that seeing his smile was just her imagination.
“What noise? I didn’t hear anything. Don’t worry. Hyoju, you’re driving me crazy.”
“Ah, stop it! We promised to stay together tonight, remember?”
Hyoju tried to push Deputy Gong away, but he was too excited.
The sound Chaekyung made was completely ignored, which was a relief, but she was anxious about how much longer she had to hide and eavesdrop on their tryst.
“Nighttime is more thrilling because we’re doing this secretly.”
“I don’t know! I’m scared someone will catch us.”
“I’ll take responsibility. Come here. Don’t you trust me?”
“I… don’t know~.”
And so, for about ten minutes, the air in the supply room thickened with tension.
Kangwoo looked at Chaekyung as if nothing was happening, while she glanced up at him, embarrassed.
Every time their eyes met, Chaekyung quickly looked away, but he watched her without concern.
His hand moved to Chaekyung’s lips, rubbing them gently with his thumb.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. He slowly rubbed her moist lips, coated with lip balm, and then withdrew his hand.
He brought his fingers to his own lips and rubbed them.
Chaekyung couldn’t look away, staring at his lips as if hypnotized. Her own lips burned, and her face flushed even more.
The red lip balm she had applied stained his lips.
The sounds of their intimate touches and the visual of his plump lips stained with red overwhelmed her senses. Her mind went blank.
Chaekyung, who had lived an ordinary and conscientious life, couldn’t adjust to this indecent situation.
His lips approached hers, and she froze.
He gently traced her lips with his tongue, only pressing them together. Yet it felt more provocative than ever.
Her breathing became rapid. She couldn’t pull back without being noticed, and even the faint pressure of his lips on hers made her acutely sensitive.
Meanwhile, Hyoju straightened her clothes and scolded Deputy Gong.
“Don’t do this in the office. I hate it here.”
“I won’t do it often. But Hyoju has to be appropriately sexy, or I won’t leave her alone.”
“You say that all the time, Deputy.”
Hyoju seemed pleased by his flattery and peeked outside the supply room before leaving.
“Deputy, I’ll go out first. You come out in a bit.”
“Sure. See you tonight, darling.”
Deputy Gong, unusually playful, sent her off first.
After a brief pause, with only the two of them left, Kangwoo’s gaze remained intense.
“Our team’s dating is pretty passionate. I need to step up.”
“…!”
He lightly pressed his lips against hers to gauge her reaction, silently holding eye contact. His whispered voice tingled in her ears.
He parted his lips and pressed deeper.
“Ugh.”
She missed the chance to pull away and ended up caught in his hands.
Chaekyung couldn’t speak; her chest heaved.
The tense atmosphere thickened again.
His lips, stained with her lip balm, curved into a smile, and he whispered in her ear.
“Aren’t you looking forward to next time?”
Speaking tenderly, he pressed his lips to her forehead before opening the door and leaving.
Chaekyung collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.
“Why does this happen every time?”
She felt anxious about these repeated accidental—or not so accidental—trysts.
The Day Chaekyung Learned of the Supply Room Tryst
She unwillingly discovered the secret couple in the strategic planning team, and it became awkward to make eye contact with them.
“Deputy, shall we go eat pasta for lunch?”
Hyoju grabbed her arm, smiling and playful. Chaekyung tensed at her friendly contact.
“Pasta?”
“Yes! Manager Kang is going too. Apparently, a popular restaurant opened nearby, and there’s always a line at lunchtime.”
“I’m busy today.”
“You need to eat to work properly. We’re only three women in the team; just this once.”
Hyoju shook her linked arm, trying to persuade her. Her ample chest pressed against Chaekyung, reminding her of Hyoju’s moans from that day.
Chaekyung blushed and reluctantly agreed.
“Alright.”
Even though she agreed, making eye contact with her was difficult.
Passing Deputy Gong greeted them, and Chaekyung felt flustered, constantly glancing between them.
It felt like she was paying the price for secretly witnessing their private moments.
The Presentation Day
She met the advisory panel and received various materials. The outline of the planning proposal was becoming more concrete, which made her proud.
Today was the day of the preliminary planning presentation.
She dressed up in a rarely worn H-line skirt and silk blouse. It felt awkward, but at work, there was no time to worry about clothing.
Even on such an important day, rumors among female employees who liked Kangwoo quickly became a hot topic.
While Chaekyung was busy moving between the conference room and her office, she overheard female employees from the secretary team and strategic planning team gossiping.
Even the secretaries, closely assisting Kangwoo, were highly interested.
“Really, Secretary Kang? I heard the CEO’s fiancée is the youngest daughter of Jungwon Group, is that true?”
The secretary answered with curiosity.
“I heard it today too. Since it came from the executive director’s secretaries, it seems credible.”
“The exec’s secretaries are well-informed, after all.”
“Isn’t it strange that someone like our VP is still single? Women would have lined up by the truckload. For someone wealthy, arranged marriages are common.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“It still makes me a little upset, though. Haha.”
Her honesty made everyone laugh.
“See, it’s not just me.”
Though they laughed, they showed distaste for the fiancée.
Chaekyung, overhearing this, felt uneasy. Her ambiguous relationship with Kangwoo was neither significant nor insignificant.
She wanted to end the “tryst that isn’t a tryst,” but couldn’t. She felt strange, foolish, and slightly betrayed. She pushed her thoughts aside.
“Focus. No more distractions.”
Today was a critical meeting with executives and an external advisory panel. It would determine whether her proposal could be realized. She had to lead the presentation, but her thoughts drifted to the fiancée, making for a tense morning.
At that moment, a voice called out to her, heightening her sensitivity.
[Hello, Khloe.]
She turned around, surprised.
Rei was walking toward her.
