Turbulent Heart #2
Returning home while wearing an expression heavy with exhaustion, I felt a spark of interest when I saw Yuria sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly touching her wrist.
“You’re back?” She greeted me in a listless voice. Was she feeling guilty? Or was she thinking about Song Jihyeok and Yu Seunghyeon? Probably all three at once.
I slipped off my summer suit jacket, tossed it carelessly onto the coat rack by the front door, and spoke.
“You weren’t asleep yet.”
“I just… couldn’t fall asleep.”
“Did something happen today? You don’t look like yourself.”
“Nothing at all… How was work?” She countered, keeping her composure.
Creating one more link to Song Jihyeok here wouldn’t be a bad move.
“It’s not going well.”
“Why not?”
“Besides Mr. Song Jihyeok, I’ve been looking at several other potential partners, but none of them seem trustworthy.”
Yuria’s shoulders gave the faintest tremble. Seeing that reaction was genuinely entertaining. More precisely, it was fun knowing I could steer Yuria’s heart exactly the way I wanted.
“Then why not just work with Jihyeok?”
“Business can’t be run on loyalty alone… but it looks like I’ll have to. That young man is talented and sharp. If I had my way, I’d want to take him as a son-in-law.”
“Father… I mean, Dad. I already have Aaron—”
Did the reincarnation of Aaron pull at her that strongly? Of course not. If anything, it had probably cost him points.
“I was only teasing. Didn’t you say Song Jihyeok already has a girlfriend? A colleague from the same lab.”
“Yes… It’s Sehwa. Lee Sehwa.”
“What a shame.”
“Please don’t say that… Don’t talk like that.”
“I was just joking. I’m tired, so I’ll head to bed first.”
“Yes… Sleep well.”
A few hours later, when dawn broke, I left a note on the living room table saying I was busy with work and stepped outside.
The place I went as Song Jihyeok was one of my restaurant franchises. Seated in the president’s office, I was deeply focused on crafting a scythe for Sehwa when a knock sounded. I quickly stowed the tools.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Aram entered, still dressed in her impeccable outfit, bowing politely.
“I’m sorry for being late, President.”
She looked neat, yet there was an oddly seductive aura about her. Her suit skirt had been shortened, her heels raised. Even her coat was a tight, body-hugging slim fit.
I openly scanned her figure before asking.
“Did you get attached to Executive Kim?”
“Yes.”
“How’s the work?”
“It’s difficult. But it’s fun.”
“Not too exhausting?”
“Not at all. It’s nice because I get to hear so many stories about you, President.”
She was gazing at me with eyes full of reverence. It seemed Marcela, disguised as Executive Kim, had said quite a bit about me. Without relying on drugs or modifications, Marcela was reshaping Aram’s mind, gradually turning me into an object of worship.
Exactly like the leader of a cult who gaslights followers into total obedience. Right now she only respected and loved me, but given time she would come to see me as a god who must be revered and served. Every word from my mouth would sound like divine prophecy, and she would become a believer who carried out any command without hesitation.
If Sehwa had fallen directly, Aram was falling indirectly. A solid plan, Marcela.
When I smiled, Aram asked cautiously.
“You haven’t been stopping by the company much lately… Are you very busy? You look like you have dark circles.”
I had been busy. Incredibly busy. Outside I was busy targeting Yuria; at home my wife kept subtly nagging. The weight of being the head of a household really was heavy.
“Just the usual. Could you make me some coffee? Strong, please. Set it on the sofa table.”
“Yes.”
While Aram went to the small kitchen to brew the coffee, I sent a text to Yuria.
I chuckled. She wasn’t on silent mode, and she was a light sleeper. Let’s see if she replies right away.
She did. And she’d even made a typo in her haste. I was typing my next message when another one from Yuria arrived.
This time the reply didn’t come immediately. She seemed to be hesitating. Right around the time Aram set the small tray with coffee on the table in front of the sofa, Yuria’s message arrived.
She wants to see Yu Seunghyeon and kill two birds with one stone by seeing me too? Fine by me.
“Understood. I’ll contact you.”
“Okay. Work hard.”
It was easy. Too easy. There was almost no tension. It was so simple that I even considered approaching Roze with literally nothing prepared.
I put my phone away and moved to the sofa, grabbing the arm of Aram who was standing there awkwardly and pulling her down beside me. She dropped onto the cushion so heavily it was almost comical, then blushed.
I draped an arm around her shoulders and asked.
“What about your boyfriend? Did you break up?”
“Yes… we broke up.”
“What did he say?”
“He asked if I had another man… so I said yes.”
“Really? So you did have another man? I had no idea…”
“…President…”
She looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m joking.”
With that, I groped her breast through her suit. The plain, flat sensation. Aram simply hung her head and endured my touch. She was far too passive; it made me lose interest. It would have been more fun if she had some fight left in her like Sehwa after her corruption. What a shame.
“Aram.”
“Yes…”
“Is there anything you want to eat?”
“…I’m fine.”
Look at her. If it had been Sehwa, she would have answered brightly, “I’m going to eat Master’s cock!” But expecting that from an ordinary person who hadn’t been properly trained yet was unreasonable.
Without a word I withdrew the arm around her, glanced down at my crotch, and jerked my chin. Aram swallowed hard, slid off the sofa, and knelt between my spread legs. As her hand moved to my zipper, I sipped my coffee.
I’d kill some time like this.
I set the cup down, pulled out earphones from my suit pocket, and picked up my phone.
Yu Seunghyeon had been forced into an intense encounter with Sehwa that morning before work. Now that his submissive tendencies had developed to a decent level, Sehwa used the excuse that her Device wouldn’t charge to drop a bombshell on him. She told him they should reconsider their relationship.
In front of him, Sehwa removed her ring and placed it inside her handbag, then asked him to do the same. As a result, Yu Seunghyeon’s mind was on the verge of shattering. He had gone to work, but he couldn’t focus. He kept making mistakes he normally never would, drawing complaints from the girls. Even so, the mistakes kept coming. One of the managers noticed the missing ring on his finger and cut him some slack; that was the only silver lining.
By the time six o’clock rolled around—the same time as any ordinary office worker—Yu Seunghyeon left the bar with slumped shoulders. At the entrance, he ran into Yuria who had been waiting for him.
After the conversation ended, Yuria headed to the café in front of Shinopé and ordered coffee while she waited for me. Yu Seunghyeon, on the other hand—
Click! He opened the fatigue recovery drink and gulped it down. Then he gave a bitter smile. It was a smile that held both sorrow and anticipation.
It was sad that he had come this close to being dumped by Sehwa, but having a beauty like Yuria show interest in him seemed to lift his mood. What a spineless bastard. Only a few hours had passed since he heard those words from Sehwa…
Well, thinking back to the early parts of volumes one through five, this was exactly like Yu Seunghyeon.
I switched the monster’s view back to Yuria. She was sitting in a corner of the café, tapping on her phone. The recipient was Kim Taegon.
Let’s see.
We were supposed to meet at eight, but I decided to meet her sooner. I couldn’t keep her waiting.
I sent a reply immediately.
Without waiting for her reply, I sent another text from Song Jihyeok’s phone to Yuria.
Maintaining two separate identities was such a hassle.
Yuria, who had received my message, tilted her head, then brought a hand to her mouth. She had noticed. That the business discussion Kim Taegon and I had talked about matched up. Her face showed surprise for a moment before she smiled softly and replied.
I slapped my knees and stood up from the sofa, then gently tapped the cheek of Aram, who was sleeping naked.
“Mmm… Ah, President…”
“Something urgent came up, so I have to go first. Take your time and head home when you’re ready.”
“Yes… Thank you…”
I nodded, then began dressing. Aram might prove useful for more than just easing Marcela’s burden… but for now, Yuria came first. After we finished dinner, I would make a bold move.