It's So Hot
It’s hot. So hot. Way too hot.
“Just hang in there a little longer. We’re almost home.”
Min-ah had been forced to wear her dress shirt and jacket all day for work, and the stifling heat was clearly getting to her. The entire elevator ride up, she kept frowning and grumbling. I felt the same suffocating irritation from the sweltering air.
I placed my hand on top of her head and pressed down playfully, teasing her out of sheer mischief. No matter how you looked at it, making women dress like this in the middle of summer just because they worked in sales was ridiculous. As a freelancer who worked from home, I couldn’t understand that kind of corporate culture at all.
When I gently ruffled her hair to create a little breeze, her expression finally softened.
“Hehe… that feels so nice and cool.”
The moment we reached the fifteenth floor, Min-ah practically dashed toward the front door.
“Min-ah, slow down.”
I called after her, but it was already too late. The electronic lock beeped, and she slipped inside the apartment in a flash. Not long after, I heard the bathroom door slam shut with a loud bang.
…She didn’t start stripping the second she walked in, did she?
I entered a little later, picked up the clothes she’d tossed aside, folded them roughly, and turned on the air conditioner first. The blast of cold air against my face drew a long, relieved sigh from my lips.
From beyond the bathroom came the sound of her clear, humming voice mixed with the rush of running water. Strangely, just hearing those sounds eased the twisted irritation I’d been feeling.
“What should we order for dinner?” I asked, walking up to the bathroom door.
But the sound of the water must have drowned me out, because there was no reply.
“Min-ah, what did you say?”
“Aah! Close the door!”
I cracked the bathroom door open thinking she hadn’t heard me, only to be met with a fierce spray of water. A laugh burst out of me at the satisfying feeling of having properly messed with her again. I obediently closed the door as she wanted and pulled out my phone.
“Ordering chicken, okay?”
“Beer too! Don’t eat it all by yourself—wait for me!”
The bathroom door flew open again. Min-ah, with her wet hair roughly swept back, poked just her face through the gap.
“If you seriously eat it without me, you’re dead.”
The same person who had just yelled at me to close the door was now dead serious when it came to beer. I opened the fridge and checked inside. Not a single can of beer left. Draft beer delivered was too expensive and tasted bland anyway.
“I’ll run to the convenience store real quick.”
“Don’t smoke on the way back.”
I quietly put back the cigarette I’d been trying to sneak, then trudged out the door. The moment I stepped outside, the suffocating heat slammed into me again. Still, the thought of the chicken that would arrive soon and the cold beer kept my steps quick.
Let’s see… Min-ah likes…
I grabbed four cans of lager and some dried snacks. After paying and heading back up to the apartment, Min-ah greeted me with a bright smile.
“You could’ve just ordered draft. It’s so hot out. You went out just to buy beer?”
“Yeah. Draft doesn’t taste good when it’s delivered.”
She must have just finished showering, because clear droplets of water kept dripping from the ends of her wet hair. Min-ah shook out a towel with both hands, peeked into the bag, then sneakily snatched one can of beer first.
“The chicken isn’t even here yet.”
“I worked way too hard today. On a day like this, making me wait for beer should be illegal.”
She cracked open the can the second the words left her mouth and started gulping it down. I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched her. We weren’t even married yet, but seeing her every time felt like looking at someone I’d been with for years. I could never hold back my smile.
“There’s no beer in the fridge. Don’t whine later about being scared to go out alone and drink it all at once.”
“Aaaah. That’s why I said we should’ve ordered draft!”
I left the pouting Min-ah behind and started putting the beers from the bag into the fridge. By the time I finished and flopped completely onto the sofa, the doorbell rang at the perfect moment.
“Cheers! Cheers! Cheers!”
“Seo Min-ah. I told you not to drink so fast.”
I let out a helpless chuckle as I watched her ignore my words and keep chugging her beer. Well, if she actually listened, she wouldn’t be Seo Min-ah.
She placed one chicken drumstick on my plate and the other on hers, then smiled in satisfaction.
“I seriously waited for this moment all day long.”
“Was it that tough?”
Before I could even finish asking, she grabbed the drumstick, stuffed it into her mouth, and mumbled something I couldn’t understand.
“Eat slowly and talk. I’m not going to steal it from you.”
“Ah um haa… where was I again?”
“You haven’t even started yet.”
Min-ah picked up her second piece and this time ate it at a more reasonable pace as she began to speak.
“There was an all-hands meeting today, and the atmosphere was an absolute mess.”
Her company was already famous for its stiff, authoritarian meeting culture. It still clung to that military-style “if I say jump, you jump” mentality. I clicked my tongue inwardly. If even she was calling the atmosphere a total disaster, then…
I shook my head lightly and poured a little more of the remaining beer from my glass into hers.
“Thanks! Oh, and the new team leader clapped his hands three times really loud and said, ‘This is not the time to be fighting emotionally,’ and everyone just shut up.”
She stuck her sauce-covered fingers in her mouth and sucked on them, then our eyes met. Looking a little embarrassed, she gave me a bashful smile before clearing her throat and her eyes sparkled again.
“All the company executives showed up at least once to bring in the new team leader. And the second he arrived, he proved himself with results, so there’s nothing more to say.”
How interesting. Someone that capable choosing to join a company like hers instead of a major corporation? I found it strange.
“The team leaders who had been nitpicking everything suddenly went completely quiet. It was so refreshing.”
“You’ve got sauce on your chin. Wipe it off before you eat.”
She took the tissue I handed her, wiped her chin roughly, and her eyes sparkled with excitement to keep talking about her day.
“The previous team leader was always so worried about what everyone thought. Having a team leader who just cuts through everything cleanly is such a relief.”
“I said wipe the stuff around your mouth too.”
I reached over and cleaned the messy sauce stains from the corners of her mouth.
…She acts like this at home, but I hope she behaves properly outside.
“How old is he?”
“I think I heard he’s in his early forties?”
Younger than I expected. Then again, if someone has outstanding ability, age doesn’t really matter.
“And his memory is seriously amazing! He even remembered little things I casually mentioned while passing by and brought them up perfectly during today’s meeting. He’s so cool, for real.”
Wow. Must be nice. It’s good to have a capable team leader. But Min-ah.
“Aren’t you praising another man a little too much in front of me?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. The instant I saw the mischievous glint fill her eyes, a wave of belated regret washed over me.
“Aww. Is my oppa a jealous little thing? Are you really jealous of an uncle who’s fifteen years older than me? How cute.”
“That’s not what I meant! You just kept repeating the same thing over and over.”
Min-ah burst into laughter so hard she could barely breathe and mercilessly grabbed both my cheeks with her hands, pulling them hard. I didn’t mind her touch, so I stayed still. Thinking she had me good, she showed no sign of stopping.
“Ogu ogu, is that how it is? You got jealous when I said the team leader is cool? Are you worried your noona might look at someone else?”
“Ugh… I told you that’s not it. Sit down and eat your chicken. And stop coming so close.”
Even as she sat back down, the smile never left Min-ah’s face.
“It’s so funny. Why would I ever prefer another man over my oppa? Especially an uncle who’s over forty.”
“…Seo Min-ah. So you’re saying you’d like it if it was a younger guy?”
At my question, Min-ah deliberately paused before answering. Then she broke into a bright, radiant smile and shook her head.
“Dummy. Of course, for me there’s only oppa.”
“You should only use one term of endearment.”
Her answer satisfied me, so I passed her the chicken drumstick that had been on my plate. Just like always, she happily accepted it without the slightest hesitation.
——
“Oppa. Massage my feet.”
“It’s bedtime. If you’re tired, just go to sleep.”
The moment we finished cleaning up after dinner, she flopped onto the sofa and started whining. After walking around in heels all day, her feet must have been exhausted. But I was tired too… Working from home didn’t mean I was just playing around. If anything, the mountain of things I had to worry about made me even more exhausted.
“Aaaah. Whyyy. Do it for meee. I’ll give you two thousand won.”
“Who do you think you’re bossing around for two thousand won?”
Even as I teased her, my body was already pretending to give in as I started massaging her feet. Thinking about how these delicate feet, barely bigger than my palm, had endured that harsh corporate world all day made a corner of my heart ache with tenderness.
If only I made more money… she wouldn’t have to work at her current company. She could be somewhere more comfortable.
A sudden rush of guilt made my chest feel tight. I adjusted my posture properly and began massaging her feet in earnest. Every time I pressed into her soft soles, a strange feeling stirred inside me.
“Ahh… not there…”
“Don’t make weird noises, Seo Min-ah.”
At my scolding, Min-ah let out a small giggle before her eyes slowly closed. Her breathing became steady and slow. She must have fallen asleep right away.
“If you’re tired, you should’ve asked me to do it in bed. Why fall asleep on the sofa?”
I muttered quietly, but I couldn’t bring myself to shake her awake. Seeing how desperately she had wanted beer despite her low tolerance, I could imagine how mentally drained she must have been at work today. I didn’t have the heart to wake her from such a peaceful sleep.
Yeah. I just need to work harder to earn more money. That’s the one big advantage of being a freelancer. I can earn as much as my ability allows.
“Time to wake up, princess.”
“Mmm… isn’t the standard way to wake someone up with a kiss?”
I slipped my hand under the hem of her t-shirt and poked her soft belly with my fingers. Min-ah let out a sleepy, sensual little moan and opened her eyes.
“I woke up from a nap and now I can’t fall back asleep. What should I do?”
“What else? Tomorrow at work, when your beloved team leader chews you out, you’ll snap wide awake.”
At my sulky remark, Min-ah’s cheeks puffed up like balloons. Even that looked adorable in my eyes.
“Are you still jealous, you jealous little thing?”
“It’s not that. Come on. We need to brush our teeth and go to bed.”
I took her small hand firmly in mine and headed to the bathroom. Under the living room lights, Min-ah’s cheeks were faintly flushed, but I didn’t think much of it. I simply assumed it was because she had just washed up or from the beer she drank earlier.