008. Tribulations (8)
Somehow, I'd ended up in relationships with two women. It would've been great if they lived in different places, but unfortunately, they were in the same space. It was a pretty spine-chilling experience.
Shin Na-young said to me:
"If you sleep with her, you're dead."
I snorted.
I'm not going to anyway. Na-young-ah.
Women had a tendency to overestimate men's sexual urges. The way they looked at you, like you couldn't control your instincts just from seeing a short skirt. Wasn't that prejudice against men?
Do I look like that kind of guy?
The girl who'd liked me since childhood had asked, so there was no reason not to keep my promise. I wasn't the type of person so consumed by lust that I couldn't hold back a single day's desire.
I texted her.
-We're talking business.
-Got it. Seong-u. Sorry for doubting you.
It was about time to clock out. Shin Na-young shot me a glare, and Han Yu-ra looked at her with outright hostility. That gaze was laced with clear enmity.
They should just stop fighting and have sex... that'd be perfect.
But that wasn't happening. Modern women saw threesomes as a grave violation of human dignity. They'd rather their man cheat than climb into that tainted bed themselves.
Anyway, quitting time arrived in a flash, and I stood up without hesitation.
"I'll head out first."
"Good work."
Shin Na-young said that while staring at me—a hint of suspicion, like a little puppy that couldn't trust its owner.
I'm not doing it, you bitch. I said I'm not.
I waved once and left. I could feel her suspicious gaze boring into my back.
...
Han Yu-ra was worn out.
It's not a day for sex anyway.
She'd mistimed her pills, so sex today could actually get her pregnant. Im Seong-u, Han Yu-ra—hell, even Shin Na-young—none of us wanted that right now, right?
But Shin Na-young had no idea about those details. She glared at Han Yu-ra like she absolutely couldn't let her have me.
-If you have sex with him!
-Huh? Try it! See if I just sit back!
Being watched and checked like that felt fresh but unpleasant.
High school classmates, huh...
She'd just wanted to talk to Im Seong-u, that's all. Kim A-ram. Yoon Se-hee. Im Su-yeon. In the end, none of them were trustworthy. That was the CEO position for you—use your employees rather than trust them. If even Im Seong-u was using her, she couldn't trust him either.
But...
I feel like you're going to disappear somewhere.
Han Yu-ra hated distrusting Im Seong-u. The thought of losing him made her heart pound.
A man who was never hers to begin with. A man who'd always given his all for the company. A man who'd been worked to the bone yet never turned into trash.
The idea that it might be "right" for Im Seong-u to go to Shin Na-young made her extremely uneasy.
I feel like such a bad bitch. No... maybe I am a bad bitch with no sense of place.
Yu-ra had done terrible things to Seong-u. Harassed and belittled him for a year, and now she felt sorry, obsessed. Said she liked him. She saw herself as a walking contradiction.
She suddenly wanted to cry. She knew Shin Na-young wasn't all bad. But she was still angry at her.
Han Yu-ra knew it was irrational, but she didn't want to let Im Seong-u go. Then another thought hit.
If you liked him that much, shouldn't you have done something over the past ten years?
Shin Na-young seemed weird that way too. Didn't she have a pussy? Pretty face and all, couldn't she seduce him? Liking one guy for ten years, staying just friends, and now swooping in? No confession, no sex, and now this?
Poison seeped into Yu-ra's heart.
I don't want to lose.
She didn't want to lose. Not until Im Seong-u told her directly he didn't want her.
...
A bar in Pangyo. I'd already scarfed down an overpriced steak worth more than 100,000 won, so I was full, but drinking with Han Yu-ra wasn't unpleasant.
"Remember that time, Seong-u? The guy handling our business grants."
"...Fucking asshole. Made a huge fuss over one form."
"Looking back, that place was full of psychos."
Chit-chat like that. For the first time in a while, I felt mentally at ease.
The office tension was rough.
The vibe between the two women was too intense. You could feel the hostility without even looking closely.
I glanced at Han Yu-ra. After a couple drinks, her slightly tipsy face gazed at me hazily.
Yu-ra was pretty. Her red ponytail felt unique, stimulating. Sharp eyes good for intimidation, but devastating when she was laid out beneath me.
Ah, what am I thinking.
I resolved inwardly.
No sex today. I'm a man of chastity and integrity.
Han Yu-ra was bound to me by contract anyway. No matter how much she tempted, if I said hold back, she'd hold back, right? Where does a female slave whine to her master about wanting it? If the master says endure, she endures—no fapping, no sex.
We let the conversation bloom. Nothing major.
Han Yu-ra talked about the company lately too.
"Every time I see the four insurances premiums, I jump."
"Still, pay overtime. Yu-ra. Or your ass gets it."
"What? Then I'm the boss paying overtime just to avoid your spankings?"
Yu-ra smiled with her eyes. She seemed like a fox or cat.
We talked about other things.
"We drank a ton in college too."
"Yeah."
"You hit up those hunting pubs a lot back then, right?"
True. Back then, I didn't want love but my libido was raging. I'd angle for a confession to Han Yu-ra, then drink with other girls at night. Maybe that's when my wandering eye started.
"Yeah. But never dated."
The girls there seemed boring. They liked my body somewhat, but no reactions like Han Yu-ra or Shin Na-young. Under the hunting pub lights, sipping soju... dull.
I hated that. We talked jobs too.
"You could've applied to S Group, right?"
"Could've. Old news."
"Then... Seong-u. Why'd you join our company?"
Her slightly drunk eyes gleamed under the lights.
"What, you harassing me is my fault?"
"N-no. No, Seong-u... sorry. If it sounded like that."
Han Yu-ra looked really sorry. I didn't want that vibe.
Sweet Japanese liquor in my stomach. A bit dizzy, I told her.
"Making games looked fun as hell."
"..."
"What. And yeah, wanting to fuck you was a big part."
Yu-ra blushed faintly.
"What... saying weird stuff."
"Anyway, nothing to say today?"
I ordered lamb ribs from the izakaya—curious. Delicious.
Whoa... this meat.
Brown flesh. Sizzling, greasy—more wild than tasty.
"Haa... not sure if this is the mood."
"Spit it out."
"I'm no good at setting the mood. Sorry. Can you take it even if it's random?"
Why. What was she gonna say. My heart suddenly pounded. Uneasy. No way... no way...!
"...Why. What? You pregnant?"
Our eyes met. The mood turned solemn.
She dropped a rib piece mid-bite, staring blankly.
"No, Seong-u. Not pregnant."
"..."
"..."
I felt wronged.
"You said it so seriously. Yu-ra."
"..."
"I can ask questions."
"Yeah."
"I... trusted Kim A-ram. Somewhat."
Trust between people is scary like that. Like realizing your kind army senior was a dick in civilian life.
"Honestly, after that incident, she worked hard."
"Yeah."
Appearance hugely affects human relations. Thought Kim A-ram was a celeb at first.
Thought it was an idol company.
Anyway.
"But now I hate myself for that. Im Su-yeon too, Yoon Se-hee too—no one trustworthy."
"Thought you hired for looks."
"...Yeah. Am I weak to looks?"
Yu-ra smiled bitterly. She moved her lips.
"Sorry."
Yu-ra said it. The mood I'd joked away revived slowly in my heart. Memories of hating her. Secretly liking her. Sex. Punishing her.
"As human to human, I had to say it. Sorry. You were the only one working hard till the end."
"..."
"As CEO, you must've thought I was incompetent. I get it now. I was. Really, sorry."
Bringing it up made emotions surge. Angry. I'd buried it—why dig up?
But her eyes were utterly sincere. Trembling hand, staring. Hatefully beautiful brown eyes. How much I'd suffered for those.
A twinge of guilt too.
Don't apologize.
Just fuck and make up for a year. We weren't that honest anyway. Just bad at lying to women.
But I hated Yu-ra for dredging it up. And hated myself for being glad.
"You worked the hardest."
"Hey, Han Yu-ra."
"...Uh."
"Why ruin the mood?"
I knew snapping wasn't healthy. Knew burying issues wasn't great. But sometimes you just wanna move on.
"...Sorry."
Han Yu-ra apologized when she didn't need to. Tears in her eyes.
"You just wanna apologize and done?"
My heart twisted. Wanted to hurt her. Deny feeling compensated.
Still. Good she realized now. Whatever that feeling was.
"Do whatever I say from now on. Got it?"
"Yeah..."
Yu-ra sidled closer. Bit by bit. Leaned in, rubbing shoulder and chest lightly.
Soft touch on skin felt good.
"Thanks. Always."
"...Enough. Apologize only when I say. Got it?"
"...Yeah."
Her usual shampoo, skin scent wafted. Soothing, hard to resist.
I pulled her shoulder close.
Haa... fuck...
Sometimes hated my instincts. Thanking me for hard work. While I lied to fuck Shin Na-young.
"Yu-ra."
"Yeah...?"
"I didn't work hard."
"Yeah..."
"..."
"..."
Yu-ra didn't react much.
"Seong-u, take it slow. As much as you want."
Those words eased my heart.
"Just you coming in... I owe you. Not just emotionally, business too."
"I'm seeing Shin Na-young too."
"...I know."
The warm buzz loosened my tongue.
Han Yu-ra burrowed closer.
"Seong-u."
Her eyes looked up from my chest. Sad tint, cheeks pink.
"Know how I feel?"
"..."
"Hate losing you. Thinking you fucking another woman... makes me sick."
She continued. Nails scraping my shirt lightly, pinching, caressing. White long fingers danced on my chest.
"But your scent... feels good?"
"..."
"I'm shameless, I know... but touching you feels good. Getting punished by you too, uh..."
She bit her lip. Forced it out.
"Don't... hate it."
My heart raced. All the drama with Han Yu-ra exploded in my chest.
"...Yu-ra. Don't think I can fuck today."
Still said it. She didn't look disappointed.
"Me too... sex is tough today."
"Why?"
"Messed up my pills..."
"..."
"..."
Her scent deepened. We looked down.
Despite the booze, my dick was rock-hard, straining my pants.
"Mm..."
"..."
"Can't... fuck."
Han Yu-ra couldn't look away from my crotch. Expectation mixed with her flushed cheeks. A woman in a suit saying this.
"Want... something else? Seong-u?"