The Puppet's Devotion
Park Mina was struggling through her days at work, constantly walking on eggshells. She had tried her best, but her focus had been slipping lately due to her relationship with Lee Han.
The events of the previous night, in particular, refused to leave her mind. The memory of going to the convenience store without even wearing proper underwear, all because of Lee Han’s instructions, was still vivid. Her face burned with the shame of it.
'What exactly is this relationship? Why did I even go that far...'
Distressed, she couldn't concentrate on her design work, and eventually, she ended up ruining a project.
"Get a grip! Is this how an intern makes mistakes? Don't let this happen again!"
"I'm sorry..."
After bowing her head repeatedly to apologize, Park Mina headed to the breakroom to catch her breath, feeling utterly dejected.
As she sighed deeply while drinking her coffee, she looked up at the sound of someone entering. Department Head Lee Minho was standing at the door.
"Oh, Mina. What are you doing here?"
"Ah, hello, sir."
A flustered Park Mina greeted him quickly. However, instead of returning the greeting, Department Head Lee Minho smiled, his lecherous gaze sweeping over her chest.
"How are you adjusting to the company lately? Are you learning a lot from our team's work?"
"Ah... yes, I'm working hard."
Park Mina offered a light smile, hiding her discomfort. Department Head Lee Minho placed a hand on her shoulder and continued.
"Good, I'm glad we got an intern who works well. The kids before couldn't do the work properly, so I was hoping someone like you would join. If anyone above you bullies you or if the work gets too hard, come talk to me anytime."
"Yes, thank you. Oh, I have some work to finish, so I should get going. Have a good day!"
The touch of the manager's hand on her shoulder was repulsive, but Park Mina simply smiled. She hurried back to her desk to avoid his lingering presence, but her senior immediately snapped at her the moment she saw her.
"Mina. Are you distracted again? Are you really that oblivious?"
"I'm sorry... I won't let it happen again."
Swallowing a sigh, Park Mina bowed her head. A boss who engaged in sexual harassment, a senior who nitpicked every detail... the hardships of office life were endless.
Just then, the memory of last night surfaced. The moment when Lee Han had gently comforted her as she teared up, feeling the sting of shameful glares at the convenience store... Even if the whole world condemned her, he was the only one who offered her solace.
'At least he... he believes in me...'
Before she knew it, Park Mina’s heart had come to rely on Lee Han. She couldn't disobey any of his instructions. It was because she was gripped by the fear that if she left his side, she would be discarded. Where would this dangerous, pathological relationship end? But she had already reached a point where she couldn't stop.
The routine she had grown accustomed to repeated itself. Every night, led by Lee Han’s touch, Park Mina wandered the apartment complex without underwear, her excitement never quite fading. At first, it had been incredibly embarrassing and shameful, but now, she was becoming strangely numb to it.
And when she returned to Lee Han’s office, a fierce act leading toward the final climax awaited her. The moment she surrendered her body to Lee Han’s touch on the sofa, nothing else in the world mattered.
The office was filled with the moans of Park Mina as she writhed on the sofa. Guided by Lee Han’s hands, she was already racing toward the peak.
"Ah... Manager... please..."
Park Mina’s voice, whispering as if begging, was already drenched in arousal. In an instant, a wave of pleasure washed over her, and her small body convulsed as she buried herself in Lee Han’s arms.
Drenched in sweat, Park Mina lay still for a while, basking in the lingering sensation. Lee Han pulled the panting Park Mina into his arms and whispered into her ear.
"Mina, you’re truly amazing... I never expected you to follow along so well..."
At the praise, Park Mina wore an ecstatic smile. Even though she knew that his compliments were leading her down a dangerous path, Park Mina couldn't refuse. It felt as if he was the only one who truly acknowledged her...
She wanted to believe that all of this was love. No, she had to believe it. Gripped by the fear that she would be abandoned if she left him, Park Mina had no choice but to follow whatever Lee Han said.
"As long as I have you, Manager... I’m happy..."
Park Mina, unable to find her way out of this distorted relationship, actually considered herself happy. Like a tamed pet, she had become someone who had no choice but to rely on him.
She accepted the abnormal as normal, and she didn't doubt for a second that it was love... Perhaps she had already come too far to return to normalcy. She was sinking deeper and deeper into a bottomless swamp.
Park Mina felt she had no other path but to cling to Lee Han. She thought that perhaps she had already crossed a river from which there was no return.
Before the lingering effects of the climax had even faded, Lee Han pulled the gasping Park Mina into his arms. Brushing her sweat-dampened hair aside, he said something unexpected.
"Mina, you don't have to come tomorrow. Why don't you take a break?"
For a moment, Park Mina’s heart felt as if it had stopped. Was she being abandoned? She looked at him with terror-stricken eyes and asked.
"Did I... do something wrong? Please tell me... I'll fix it..."
Watching Park Mina beg in a trembling voice, Lee Han wore a cold smile. He stroked her shoulder and said.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. I just thought you needed a rest. You can come back in two days."
Even with those words, Park Mina’s anxiety didn't vanish. She looked at Lee Han with pleading eyes, her lips trembling. She looked just like an abandoned puppy.
Lee Han, who had been staring at her for a long time, slowly brought his face close. Feeling her trembling breath, he kissed her.
He kissed her deeply, their tongues intertwining softly. Park Mina held her breath and surrendered her body to him. Her mind began to fade into a haze.
'...I have to do exactly as the Manager says... That’s the only way he won't leave me...'
Repeating that firm resolve in her mind, Park Mina focused on the kiss. She had no choice but to follow his every command without question, as if they were the absolute truth.
If she were to lose him... the very thought made her feel as if she were suffocating.
Lee Han pulled his lips away and whispered.
"Go now. Rest well, and I'll see you in two days."
Park Mina, stumbling as she walked, exited the office and trudged toward her apartment. But the anxiety did not disappear.
She already missed Lee Han desperately. Like an addict suffering from withdrawal... she craved his touch and his voice.
'How am I supposed to endure these two days...'
A part of her chest felt hollow. Lee Han watched the back of Park Mina as she walked away, swallowing her tears, with an expressionless face.
At that moment, she didn't realize. That she was not being loved at all... that she had merely been reduced to a plaything of desire...
During the two days that passed, Park Mina endured each day wrapped in anxiety. On the surface, it looked like ordinary days, but for her, they could never be ordinary. Already addicted to their twisted relationship, she was forced to tremble with unease.
"Hey, Park Mina. Are you going to handle your work like this?"
Park Mina jumped at the sound of her senior’s nitpicking. Feeling sensitive, she responded to the verbal abuse differently than usual.
"But this was clearly done according to Assistant Manager Kim’s instructions..."
"What? Are you trying to argue with me right now?"
Fortunately, her colleagues intervened, preventing the situation from escalating. But the senior’s criticism continued.
"Anyway, no matter what you do, you’re just an intern. In other words, you’re nothing but an intern."
After the argument with her senior ended, Park Mina let out a sigh.
"Park Mina, could you spare a moment?"
Park Mina jumped at the Director’s voice. She sat nervously after entering the Director’s office.
"About this matter... it happened because of Assistant Manager Kim’s incorrect instructions. Park Mina, you are not at fault."
She looked up with surprised eyes at the unexpected words.
"I’m sorry. I ended up making the situation worse."
"Given the circumstances, I think you handled it well. We are aware of how diligently you’ve been working. I hope you continue to show us your best."
Park Mina wore a dazed expression after hearing the praise. To have her efforts acknowledged...
In fact, this incident was caused by the senior who had been causing trouble for a long time. The senior, who didn't have a good reputation within the company, had tried to reprimand Park Mina as usual, but it only backfired.
Through the testimonies of her colleagues, it was revealed that Park Mina had been working diligently as an intern all this time. The management, who had recognized her efforts, dismissed this incident as trivial and a result of the senior’s nitpicking.
The problem was Park Mina. She didn't realize her efforts were being recognized; she mistakenly believed that all of this was possible only because Lee Han had given her a break.
Now, Lee Han was becoming the absolute ruler of Park Mina’s life. A sick obsession was consuming her.
As soon as the two days were over, Park Mina left work in a hurry. Like a lost child running into her mother’s arms, she ran to the Management Office.
Now, his touch and a single word from him were everything to her. She would follow any command... Park Mina’s distorted love grew deeper.
As soon as Park Mina entered the Management Office, she threw herself at Lee Han. There was even a sense of desperation in the way she hugged him and kissed him in his longed-for embrace.
Lee Han hugged Park Mina with a gentle smile. He cradled her as if she were the most precious being in the entire world.
"Mina... I missed you..."
At his whisper, Park Mina let out an ecstatic sigh. Lee Han slowly laid her on the sofa and began his caresses. Every time his skilled hands stimulated her sensitive areas, Park Mina’s body trembled.
Lee Han, caressing her nipples with his lips while scanning between her legs with his fingers... Just having his breath touch her skin made Park Mina feel like she was about to reach a climax.
"Ah... Manager..."
Before long, the climax arrived. Her entire body’s muscles contracted, and she was swept away by intense pleasure. Lee Han wiped away Park Mina’s tears as if satisfied. Then, he took out a small device.
"Mina... this will make you feel even better..."
As the vibration of the massager touched her sensitized area, Park Mina writhed violently. The continuous stimulation made her mind go blank. Shedding tears of pleasure, Park Mina repeated to herself.
'This is love... It’s definitely love... It’s not wrong...'
Muttering as if to hypnotize herself, she surrendered her body to the climax that rushed in like a wave.
Lee Han, who had been teasing her like that for a long time, whispered in a low voice.
"Mina... can you come here before you go to work tomorrow?"
"...Yes..."
With her reason paralyzed, she felt she would follow anything Lee Han said. As his voice drifted in from afar, Park Mina nodded powerlessly.
Park Mina didn't care about her sweat-drenched underwear and took them off, stuffing them into her bag. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, without any hesitation...
Lee Han watched her and wore a faint smile. Even without him saying it, Park Mina was now not wearing underwear of her own accord. She had been perfectly tamed.
"Then... see you tomorrow, Mina..."
"...Yes, Manager. I’ll see you tomorrow..."
Nodding with vacant eyes, Park Mina entered through the front door. Her figure as she walked into her room with a staggering gait resembled an object.
A puppet playing in Lee Han’s hands... that was Park Mina’s current position.
The strange sensation she felt in her lower body while walking, the fear of not wearing underwear—none of that mattered to her anymore. Obeying his words, that alone seemed to be the entirety of her life...
'As long as I have the Manager... I just have to do as he says...'
Rationalizing that all of this was love, that it was the right thing to do, Park Mina was sinking into a deep swamp. Into an abyss from which there was no return...