Doubts Filling the Mind
'What the hell... is this?' No matter how much I think about the emotions I felt yesterday, I can't explain them. A bandage clings to my hand—the one my niece put on. Beyond it, her tongue had touched me. Right where my blood had been flowing, her pink tongue. The feeling that had risen through the sharp pain was clearly......
'Sexual frustration?' I'm not sure. I'm the one who was most wary of harboring any dark desires toward my niece. After awkwardly greeting the representative, I sat down at my desk. Min-a had taken a call too, but the atmosphere still felt off. Since I'd taken a half-day off claiming to be unwell, everyone kept asking if I was okay. If this keeps up, some part of my mind might really break.
That prank she played on her uncle was way over the line. Thanks to her, I'm spending another day sitting here like an idiot, wasting time. I scroll the screen up and down for no reason, repeating the meaningless motion. I move the mouse and tap the keyboard, but nothing meaningful comes of it.
'Hey. Right now because of you...' No. It's not fair to blame my niece. I'm the one who's messed up. My niece played a prank, and I—the uncle—reacted on my own.
Come to think of it, Min-a's in a tough spot too. 'That expression she made toward my niece...' The suspicion keeps nagging at me, but it's definitely jealousy. Even so, how could she feel that way toward her own boyfriend's niece? Does that mean I'm not trustworthy enough to give her certainty, or is Min-a just the jealous type?
'And then there's Mom, too.' "Haa." My sighs keep coming. The headache I'd barely managed to chase away is creeping back in. I frown and press my fingers to my brow, but it doesn't help. 'Medicine. I need medicine.' Would the pain ease if I held Yerin in my arms again? But this doubt in my heart... I can't give an answer until I sort out the fleeting emotion I felt toward my niece. In the first place, we... the distance between uncle and niece is far too close. I don't know much about being an uncle since it's my first time, but... this is clearly wrong. No matter how close two people are.
"Assistant Manager." While I'm frowning at the monitor again, Min-a speaks from behind me. "Yes." When I turn around, I can't meet her eyes properly. This has never happened before. She's being cautious around me. 'So anger is something you can let out once in a while.' I'd only ever groveled like an idiot, so I never knew. How to properly express my feelings.
"Is something wrong?" The call yesterday was just the usual. It had no substance. I only backed down because I felt pathetic for growling so ugly. That I'd been rash. That I'd made a mistake in the heat of the moment. This is our first real conversation after clashing emotions. I don't know what's on Min-a's mind, but I feel lighter. Maybe I can finally look at her properly now.
"I was wondering how your body is. And there's something we need to talk about." "Then let's grab a coffee first." At Min-a's call, I stand up. When I sit down on a chair in the empty break room, Min-a follows and sits beside me. "...... I'm sorry, Oppa." "No. I'm the one who was wrong." I hand her the coffee as she bows her head deeply. "I didn't do it to make things hard for you.... It's just. I was frustrated too. We've only been arguing lately, so I told the adults to help." 'You didn't need lackeys to back up my opinion?' To tighten your grip on my neck—your toy—even more firmly. To check whether I, dancing on your palm, know my place. A flash of resentment rises and fades. If I get angry, we'll just fight again. Besides, Yerin said it. If I do this again, she won't let it slide.
"I'm sorry, Oppa. I'm sorry." "Even if I tell you not to worry about it... we both want things to work out, don't we?" I pat Min-a's head gently. "I'm sorry too. For kicking you out like that. How about today? Can you come home today?" "I can?" "Yeah. Yerin's probably just going to stay in her room anyway." Having you come to our house feels like homework. If possible, I'd like to get it over with quickly. You're jealous of my niece right now. So come and see for yourself. See how we're living. My hand suddenly itches. Whether it's because of the bandage Yerin put on or the sensation of her tongue, I can't tell.
"You should... rest too, Oppa." "Having you by my side is my rest. You can stay over if you want. Though we'd have to squeeze together on the sofa." "That sounds fun too. Remember when you used to come to our house for tutoring? My bed was narrow back then too." Min-a smiles faintly. "You kept insisting I lie down. You're something else. How could you do that to a tutor who came to teach?" In a way, maybe Min-a had already shown her true colors back then. "Right. Honestly, back then I wondered if there was something wrong with you. I kept wondering why you weren't jumping me even after all that." "I have a conscience too. You were just a kid back then." "But time passed. And in the end, we even got engaged." "...... Yeah." So we'd live happily like that. That would be it. That would be a happy life.
"What are you doing for lunch? It's about that time." "Already?" It's embarrassing. It means I haven't done anything all morning. I wasted half the day just spacing out. "If you don't have plans, eat with me." "Let's go, just the two of us. No uninvited guests." "That's hurtful, Assistant Manager. How could you say that about your future father-in-law?" "Whoever it is, if they come between us, they're an uninvited guest." For a moment, I think of Yerin... but she's an exception. Not because I play favorites...... 'I don't know.' My hand is the one injured, but it feels like my head is the one that's broken. Why do I keep thinking about someone who's not even here?
"Then... Assistant Manager. After everyone leaves for lunch, could you follow me for a bit?" "Why?" "There's something I want to ask you. You'll have to come to my seat." "Fine." Maybe there's a problem with the computer. When we leave the break room, I see people heading out in pairs. I greet them to enjoy their meal and head deeper inside. "Can't we talk after lunch?" "It's urgent," I ask from behind Min-a, but she just hurries me along. Before long, the office is empty except for the two of us. Even after reaching the secretary's office, Min-a doesn't stop. She passes her own desk and keeps leading me further in. 'Looks like the representative is out too.' Maybe he has a lunch appointment. While I'm thinking vaguely, Min-a opens a door and gestures for me to come in. "If you're trying to sell company secrets, leave me out of it." "It'll all be yours and mine anyway, so why bother. Stop with the weird jokes and sit here." Min-a points to the representative's chair. "Suddenly?" "Hurry. I want to see you sitting there." At Min-a's urging, I sit down, though it feels awkward—like wearing clothes that don't fit. "It suits you. We'll get a nice, expensive nameplate later. CEO Kim Jiho." "Suits me, my ass. Let's just go eat. I'm hungry." I can't stay seated comfortably. I'm not here because of this position. I'm not even in love with Min-a, yet everyone who knows us is busy pushing their own ideas. This isn't your seat anyway. Don't make excuses when you're the one who wants it. 'No matter what I say, she won't listen.' If you like it so much, why act like that? A poor guy like you. Thanks to sweet-talking a rich girl, you'll get wealth you never even dreamed of. No matter how much I deny it. Everyone looks at me through colored glasses. 'Just... even someone like me who had no roots and just wandered... if I'm beside Min-a... I feel like I could settle down...' Rather than a woman I love, a woman who loves me. A woman who always loves me. Even obsession ultimately means she loves me that much. To truly repay Min-a's love, I need to live happily. "Stay still, CEO." Min-a's form of address has changed. Really, from teacher to oppa to assistant manager. Now CEO? "Wow. Lightning-fast promotion." "Yes, congratulations." Min-a sits between my legs. She rubs her hips slowly against me and breathes hotly into my ear. "But... CEO. If you really want to sit in this position, there's something you need to do." "Haa. What is it?" "Satisfy me for real." "Don't tell me... here?" "Don't be fake. You want revenge on Dad too, don't you?" Min-a pushes me hard. "What's better revenge than fucking his daughter in his own chair?" My body is shoved backward, the chair tilting with me.