Chapter: 18
Are You Human?
Taeyeon believed that the dim lighting of the modest bar would hide her flushed face. He would surely refuse. She was prepared to laugh it off naturally if Choi Hyunseo turned her down. She thought it would be a relief if he just took it as a joke, but she was also afraid he might be offended.
She had never had a moment of courage in her life, and she wondered why she had mustered it now. But what was done was done. As she couldn’t even bring herself to meet his eyes, she felt an unusual gaze on her.
He must really be offended. Well, it made sense. He probably thought a girl working a part-time job in a place like this was drooling over him, not knowing her place.
Please, just take it as a joke!
She felt like begging. But then, he nodded and stood up.
“Can you leave right now?”
“Yes?”
She was more flustered than if he had refused. Taeyeon stared blankly at him, then nodded. It was her shift change time anyway. Even if it wasn’t, she wouldn’t have missed this sudden opportunity on her last day. The problem was, she was so startled that her body just stood there frozen.
“If you have the courage, follow me.”
Those words snapped her back to reality. She immediately greeted her manager and went out. She still vividly remembered what Choi Hyunseo, who was waiting for her at the entrance, said to her as she quickly followed him out.
“You’re brave!”
And then, she had no idea how they got to the hotel. When she came to her senses, the hotel room door clicked shut behind her. Turning her head, a man’s broad shoulders filled her vision.
“If you’ve changed your mind, you can go now. I hate noise and I don’t like things that are high-maintenance.”
The man, known in the company for speaking only the essentials, got straight to the point even for a one-night stand. But his eyes felt inexplicably gentle.
Taeyeon immediately took off her jacket and unbuttoned her shirt, which was so plain it felt dull. When she had undone two buttons, Choi Hyunseo raised an eyebrow.
“What are you doing now?”
“You said you don’t like things that are high-maintenance. I’m making sure you don’t have to touch anything.”
When she looked back at him with a face that asked what was wrong, he let out a short laugh and approached, grabbing her wrist.
“I didn’t mean for you to treat me like a scarecrow.”
His lips pressed against hers immediately. She had imagined kissing Choi Hyunseo countless times, but his tongue, parting her lips without warning, stole her breath. It was the first time she knew a human tongue could move so smoothly and nimbly.
Their chests, stomachs, thighs, and even their most private parts were perfectly pressed together. She could clearly feel him hardening, so vividly it was hard to believe they were still clothed.
She couldn’t breathe. His physique, incomparably sturdy to what she’d seen from afar, his firm chest, and his scent that penetrated deep into her lungs – it was all overwhelming. Her mind was in turmoil.
When he pushed his tongue deeper and gripped her breast, she thought she might have cried out. But the sound didn’t escape. It was swallowed entirely by his mouth.
Her back hit the mattress, and her clothes were removed. Watching the man who had been in a perfect suit moments ago become completely naked, she clenched her fists and trembled violently.
The room was too dark. They hadn’t even managed to insert the card key, frantically pressing their bodies together.
Every single detail was vivid. She had remembered and replayed it every day since.
His lips on her neck. The dizzying moment he twisted her breast and sucked on her neck. At that moment, Choi Hyunseo had murmured.
“I can’t let you go now. Never.”
His murmuring gaze was serious. As if he would never let her go forever. But she knew too well that it was only until the act was over.
And as if to prove it, his hand covered the space between her legs. Before she could be surprised, her most sensitive spot was instantly rubbed, and her body, beginning to get wet, made a shameful sound. His fingers delved inside, and his tongue touched her.
After that, she could never forget that night she spent with him in the hotel. When she woke up in the morning, Choi Hyunseo was gone. She thought it was fortunate. And that was the end.
After that, she never even ran into him at the company again. And yet, here she was, married to him. Married, and even through the first night.
Taeyeon leaned askew against the sofa, organizing her jumbled memories.
“You really never know what will happen in life. I can’t tell if this is reality or a dream.”
Resting her head on the sofa, fatigue washed over her again. Her whole body was languid from using muscles she hadn’t used in a while. Like that, without realizing it, she fell asleep again on the sofa.
This morning, after finishing a surprisingly satisfying round of lovemaking, Hyunseo covered the deeply sleeping Taeyeon with a blanket. He never expected their intimate encounter to be this satisfying. Even after he washed up, showered, and changed clothes, Taeyeon was still fast asleep.
He had officially told them to schedule without a honeymoon. Although the company said they’d arrange official schedules, they’d barely set any meetings for these two days. It was consideration for the new groom. Still, thinking he should go to work, when he arrived at the office, the secretarial staff looked at him in surprise.
“Why are you looking at me like that with such surprise?”
“Well, Director, you got married yesterday.”
“So? Didn’t I clearly say there’s no official honeymoon?”
“Yes, understood.”
But official or not, once he sat inside, the documents wouldn’t register in his mind. He turned on his tablet PC, trying to review important matters, but flashes of Taeyeon clinging to him all night would pop into his mind, making his blood run hot.
He thought they’d done enough, but apparently not. Perhaps it had ignited a fire after a long period of abstinence; his body was throbbing with desire.
“Anyway, she was trouble from the start.”
She was a troublesome woman. Maybe that’s why Min Taeyeon specifically came to mind in that situation. He tried to focus on documents again after a simple sandwich lunch, but by afternoon, he’d reached his limit.
I wonder if she’s woken up by now and eaten the food I ordered from room service? What did she do after eating? Did she shower? She probably did.
But he couldn’t understand why that scene kept automatically replaying in his head. The parts of her body that were particularly plump, her thighs, and her voluptuous, graceful curves. It was a mature body completely unpredictable before being undressed. Who would have thought she had such a robust figure? She was far sweeter and more thrilling than he remembered, like a perfectly ripened fruit. Eventually, he loosened his tie and fanned himself.
At this rate, his efficiency wouldn’t improve. He needed to go back and see Min Taeyeon. Thinking that, he returned, only to find her sleeping on the sofa again. And wearing only a robe. She was a woman who, in many ways, drove a man crazy.
Taeyeon opened her eyes again because someone was touching her face with their hand. When she lifted her eyelids, Choi Hyunseo was in front of her. Impeccably dressed in a suit, Choi Hyunseo was stroking her face with his hand.
“Are you a heavy sleeper? I didn’t think you were.”
Who’s fault is it that I’m this sleepy? Is this a dream too?
Then, suddenly, she remembered.
[Pleasure me. I’ll pay for it.]
And the scene of her running naked to the bathroom.
Oh my god. She had drunk too much. As her face reddened, Hyunseo spoke in a calm, relaxed tone, like a businessman inquiring about contract terms.
“So, how much am I worth?”
Was he angry? Did he feel insulted?
Taeyeon bit her lip hard at Hyunseo’s words. But one must take responsibility for one’s words, and it was Choi Hyunseo who had first brought up paying. So she had no choice but to ask directly.
“How much do you want?”
At Taeyeon’s question, Hyunseo’s eyes gleamed cruelly as he smiled.
“Are you asking me how much I’m worth right now? Ah! It’s a cliché, but Assistant Min, you’re the first person to ask me that. Can’t believe it?”
“I believe you. It seems likely.”
As she spoke, Taeyeon’s mind was racing.
How much was in my bank account? This person has an enormous amount of money, so should I give him a lot?
Her pupils darted around as she did mental calculations of various amounts. Then, he burst out laughing.
“Did you really think you could buy me with money? Even if you emptied all your assets and added the money from our contract, it wouldn’t be enough, you know?”
At his words, Taeyeon’s face turned pale.
Was this it? Was all her money going back to this man, and was she going to be reduced to a slave? All because of one night’s mistake?
As she stood bewildered, his lips covered hers. He traced the line of her lips with his tongue, licking gently, then pushed his tongue deep inside.
“Ugh.”
She needed to say something, but she couldn’t utter a single word. Following his tongue, their two tongues intertwined inside Taeyeon’s mouth, and she swallowed the saliva. Just as she was barely catching her breath, he parted his lips and spoke.
“So, I’ve been thinking, something other than money would be better.”
Taeyeon’s eyes widened. Hyunseo’s eyes, looking at her, crinkled into half-moons. In his eyes, Taeyeon looked just like a rabbit. This woman, a rabbit much smaller than him, was now trying to bargain with money, but he had no desire whatsoever to receive that money. Something else was urgent.
Catching on immediately, Taeyeon blinked and asked.
“Then… you want to do it again?”
“That’s probably necessary, right? I need to have something too, don’t I?”
“So, last night… we did it plenty… Like animals… I mean, we did it so much… You’re not some legendary strongman… I mean, are you human?”
No matter how she tried to rephrase it, it all boiled down to: “You want to do it again after all that? Are you even human?”
