Making It Official
"That'll do it......"
……………
"W-wait a second. That's a bit much."
I instinctively put the brakes on Lee Jin-ah. Put a [In a Relationship] tag on my Talk profile and Feceagram? That was basically stamping "dating Lee Jin-ah" across my entire social network as Han Kang.
"Jin-ah, that's tricky for me."
I lowered my voice, trying to sound rational and mature as I admonished her.
"Coworkers see Talk profiles and Feceagram too. It's a bit burdensome. You feel the same, right?"
"Burden-some?"
"Yeah. There'll be gossip, and it could mess with promotions. We're in a gray area, but this is still a government agency."
"So?"
"Office romances get exhausting once word spreads. It's not banned, but not encouraged either. There could be talk, performance reviews affected. I'll be out in the field till retirement, but you—"
"Isn't your situation the exhausting one right now, sunbae?"
Lee Jin-ah cut me off sharply. Her smile stayed plastered on, but her eyes weren't smiling at all.
"Pretending we're nothing and hiding it seems way harder. Everyone who matters has probably figured it out already. Better to make it public—easier on both of us."
"But the team..."
"So what if the team knows? The people who need to know already do. We're not cheating, not messing with minors. Just two normal adults dating."
Lee Jin-ah leaned forward. Her hand gripped my tie again, tightening.
"Just make it official. Han Kang and Lee Jin-ah are taken. That keeps the flies away."
Flies.
The word was so obviously aimed at someone that I couldn't even argue.
...Another no-win situation.
This felt like déjà vu. The suffocating pressure from when Han Sol had threatened self-harm with a box cutter right in front of me. Unescapable.
What if I dug in and refused? Lee Jin-ah wouldn't back down meekly. She'd escalate—hard. Make my position at work untenable. Like posting an exposé on the company board, or slapping me with false charges of harassment or abuse of power. Bury me socially.
Can't let that happen.
The worst-case scenarios flooded my mind. Dishonorable discharge, disciplinary firing. I'm just possessing Han Kang's body, but that doesn't mean I can live as an unemployed bum. At his age, suddenly jobless? I'd end up a NEET middle-ager, drifting through day labor, or worse—using this body for crime. Cartel muscle, villain work. Impossible with a daughter. Unacceptable for a fortysomething dreaming of normal happiness.
In the end, only one choice on the test.
"...Fine, got it. I'll post it."
A defeated sigh escaped me.
"Do it now."
Lee Jin-ah didn't budge, nodding at my phone with her chin.
"Now?"
"Yes. In front of me."
Thorough to the end.
I pulled out my phone. Saved the photo she'd sent, went to Talk profile settings. Felt like signing a confession.
My profile pic changed. The bar selfie became my main image.
"Feceagram too."
Her voice pushed my back. Opened the app, new post, uploaded the theater pic. Finger hovered over [Upload]. Crossing some irreversible line, hurling my (supposedly) peaceful life away.
Damn it.
Tap.
"Well done, sunbae♡"
Lee Jin-ah beamed, satisfied. Her hand went back to my tie—loosened the mess from her earlier yanking, then retied it meticulously. Tight around my Adam's apple, just shy of choking.
"I love you, sunbae♡"
Sweet words, but to me, they sounded entirely different. No mirror needed. Around my neck wasn't just a boyfriend's tie. It was a sturdy, unyielding collar stamped with Lee Jin-ah.
……………
Back at my desk, I slumped into my chair. First thing: loosened the strangling knot a bit.
"Hoo."
Deep breaths as I replayed the break room showdown. Posted pics with Jin-ah on SNS. Changed Talk profile. My thin social web now knew I had a girlfriend. Defeat. Total defeat.
...Or so I thought.
Hold on.
Let's think this through. Is it really the worst? Mulling it over, not entirely bad. Twist the angle a bit, and this could be a blessing in disguise.
My biggest headache: tangled women. Jin-ah, Hana, Sol. Three simultaneous tug-of-wars dragging me to ruin.
Now 'official' with Jin-ah? Paradoxically, a strong shield.
Yeah. Could be a good thing.
Official girlfriend means Hana backs off naturally. Last night, she vaguely offered as sex friend. Fine if single. But taken? Publicly claimed? No way she'd cling to an ajusshi like me.
Probably.
And Sol. Trickier. But flip it: this shock therapy might be what she needs.
[Dad has a girlfriend.] Blunt fact. She might sulk, rebel at first. But she's an adult. Attachment issues at her age? Nah. I crossed lines before, promised not to abandon my daughter. No way she'd block her dad's dating irrationally. I believe that.
This could even help positively.
[Dad's got a woman, so I should give him space.]
[Can't cling to Dad forever.]
[Time to drop unhealthy obsessions and live right.]
If she takes it that way, maybe our bond normalizes. Father-daughter, healthy.
Chest unclogged at the thought. Not defeat, not retreat. Not submitting to Jin-ah—strategic consolidation. Scattered, uncontrollable risks bundled for unified management.
Jin-ah, Sol, Hana. Managing variables separately was madness. Now one controllable package. Crisis management's basics: integrate risks, don't scatter.
...Right?
Not sure. Felt right. Nodded to myself.
Then, humming from beyond the partition.
"Hmm~♪"
Jin-ah. Peering at her monitor, typing cheerily. Hard to believe this was the woman choking throats minutes ago. Radiant, overflowing vitality.
......
Mixed feelings surged. Her satisfied smirk made my logic feel like a sandcastle on the beach.
"Ahem."
Coughed, averted eyes.
……………
Pulled myself together. Morning turmoil, but lunch far off.
Work. Just work.
Escapism, maybe. But it'd clear my head. Hands on keyboard—
Vrrr—
Phone buzzed. Ignore? Nah, won't solve itself. Slipped it under desk, checked screen.
Sender: [Yeom Hana]
Gulped. Expected, but fast.
Photo was my profile capture. The bar pic with Jin-ah—obvious couple shot. Here it came. Under ten minutes.
How to handle? Deny? Excuse? Silence?
No, just own it.
Hit send. Guilt toward Hana, but paradoxically lighter chest.
Sorry. But this works.
Makes me the scumbag who fell for her seduction despite a girlfriend. Whatever. Too late now. Better distance as platonic friends. Occasional meals, jokes. Healthy. Not bad.
Hana's pretty, bright future. Knowing I'm taken, she won't cling.
Convinced myself, turned back to monitor.
1 min. 5. 10.
No reply.
......
Fingers slowed on keys. Needled me.
Shock must be huge.
Guilt stabbed. No formal boundaries, but we slept together. Last night, she confessed bravely. Now, girlfriend news in under a day.
To others, I'm trash.
To her, pure betrayal. Nailed a wedge into a young heart. Crying now? Punching pillows in rage?
Buy her a fancy meal later. Steak? Omakase? Japanese?
Then—
Vrrr—
Checked reflexively.
Pffft——!!
Water in my mouth sprayed the monitor like a fountain.