The Rules of the Game
On a morning when the sunlight seeped through the windows, the door to the Management Office opened, and Jeong Seoyeon stepped inside with a gait that was both elegant and resolute. Lee Han looked up from his desk and offered a sly, knowing smile.
"Welcome, Seoyeon. Have you given it some thought?"
As if to cut him off, Jeong Seoyeon stared at him with cold, piercing eyes and placed a document on the desk. There was not a hint of hesitation in her movements.
"Read it."
Lee Han picked up the papers with a look of curiosity. As he read through the contract, his expression shifted. He raised an eyebrow in surprise, and the corners of his mouth curled upward.
Lee Han looked up at Jeong Seoyeon. His eyes held a mix of wonder and dangerous playfulness.
"Interesting. But is there any reason I should accept this?"
Jeong Seoyeon replied coldly. Her voice was laced with an icy chill.
"If you don't accept it, I could overturn everything. You seem to have more to lose than I do, so is there any reason to refuse my proposal?"
At her words, Lee Han’s gaze sharpened. He scanned the contract once more and chuckled.
"What guarantee do I have that you'll stick to this?"
"It doesn't seem like this is your first time..."
Jeong Seoyeon looked down at Lee Han with cold eyes, her voice tinged with mockery.
"I don't take you for the type to act without thinking about the consequences. I know full well you aren't planning to end things with just me."
A flicker of admiration appeared in Lee Han’s eyes. He fell into thought for a moment before speaking.
"Let's modify two things. I'll accept the rest."
Lee Han continued with a laugh.
"Take out the condom requirement... that wouldn't be any fun, would it?"
A flash of displeasure crossed Jeong Seoyeon’s face. Her fingers trembled slightly, but she soon clenched them into a firm fist.
"And," Lee Han added, "a month is too short."
"I have a wedding in a month," Jeong Seoyeon said firmly. Her gaze did not waver in the slightest. "I'm leaving this place anyway."
"That’s not really my concern, is it?" Lee Han replied with a sly grin.
"Coming back here isn't just dangerous for me." Jeong Seoyeon’s voice was sharp, her eyes like blades of ice.
Lee Han replied with a relaxed expression. "Isn't the risk already something we're accepting through this contract?"
Jeong Seoyeon closed her eyes, lost in deep thought. Her eyelids fluttered slightly. Silence filled the room, the heavy air feeling like the calm before a storm.
Amidst the tense silence, Jeong Seoyeon let out a deep sigh as if she had made up her mind. A subtle change flickered in her cold eyes.
"I'll add one more proposal."
Lee Han raised an eyebrow with interest and picked up the water cup on his desk. A sly smile still lingered on his lips.
"In exchange for no penetration and the one-month limit..." Jeong Seoyeon paused, appearing to deliberate. Her eyes sharpened for a moment. "Let's do it via anal."
Lee Han nearly spat out his water. A flash of bewilderment crossed his face, but he quickly struggled to regain his composure.
"Anal..." he muttered. Lee Han’s gaze wavered. *'This woman is crazier than I thought... is this okay?'*
Jeong Seoyeon noticed his agitation and instead wore a confident smile. Her eyes were like a predator stalking its prey.
'Most men have a fantasy about anal sex,' Jeong Seoyeon thought to herself. 'Honestly, it's nothing special, but challenging taboos is human nature. This man will eventually accept this proposal.'
Her cold eyes were closely observing Lee Han’s reaction. Jeong Seoyeon was certain her proposal would stimulate Lee Han’s curiosity and desire. A faint smile of victory brushed her lips.
Lee Han still looked clearly flustered, but Jeong Seoyeon didn't miss the way interest and desire gradually bloomed in his eyes. She was confident that Lee Han would not be able to refuse her offer.
Lee Han couldn't fathom who the woman in front of him really was or what she wanted.
'I've truly never seen a woman like this...' Lee Han muttered to himself. She wasn't just someone he hadn't seen before; she was a type that was logically unimaginable. Jeong Seoyeon’s cold eyes and calm voice were like shards of ice, yet Lee Han could sense the flames hidden behind them.
Lee Han’s lips curled up. He had been flustered by the unexpected proposal at first, but soon, a strong sense of curiosity and a desire for a challenge welled up within him. He had always thought he held the lead in the game, but the thrill he felt at the thought that the tables might be turned in this very moment was electrifying.
'This is going to get interesting.' Lee Han thought to himself. His eyes held a dangerous, playful glint.
After a moment of silence, Lee Han slowly nodded. His eyes were now filled with intense interest and anticipation instead of confusion.
"Understood. I accept," he said. His voice now carried confidence along with a subtle sense of challenge.
Lee Han realized he was stepping into entirely new territory. Jeong Seoyeon was a type he had never experienced, one he hadn't even imagined. This realization brought him intense excitement and anticipation. It felt like starting a new game, and Lee Han steeled his resolve to win this game no matter what.
'Let's see just how far you can go, Jeong Seoyeon.' Lee Han’s eyes shone dangerously.
Jeong Seoyeon rose from her seat with an expression that seemed certain of victory. Elegance and coldness coexisted in her movements.
"I have to go to work today. I'll return this evening."
Without another word, she turned and left the Management Office. As the door closed, Lee Han let out a deep sigh. His expression was a mixture of confusion, anticipation, and a hint of fear.
Left alone in the room, Lee Han looked at the contract on his desk once more. His fingers moved slowly over the paper. *'Where will this lead...'* His eyes were clouded with dangerous playfulness and the shadows of deep contemplation.
The warm midday sun was gently enveloping the apartment complex. A breeze of early summer brushed against Lee Han’s face. He was strolling along the complex’s walking path with a leisurely gait. The sensation of the paving stones beneath his feet guided his thoughts step by step.
Han Sujin had said she wouldn't be coming to the Management Office today because she had an OB-GYN appointment. Thanks to that, Lee Han was enjoying a rare moment of leisure. Unlike his usual self, he wasn't dressed in formal attire, but in a comfortable t-shirt and jeans. He held a takeout coffee in his hand, its aroma stimulating his nose.
However, a complex emotion was settled in a corner of his heart. Han Sujin’s pregnancy. Even though he had intended it, he couldn't hide his bewilderment now that it was actually happening. His eyes clouded over for a moment. Taking a sip of coffee, he let out a deep sigh.
'It might be my child...'
This thought made him uncomfortable. It felt as if a heavy stone had been placed on one side of his chest. It was the reason he became cautious whenever he dealt with Han Sujin. The strange emotion he felt whenever he saw her belly, and the discomfort he felt when meeting her eyes. Lee Han didn't know how to handle these feelings.
The two had agreed that this child would unconditionally be Park Taeyoung’s. When they said that, Han Sujin’s eyes had been resolute, and Lee Han had agreed. But it was impossible not to be concerned regardless. Lee Han sat on a bench and fell into thought for a moment. The laughter of children heard from afar lingered in his ears. The sound seemed to prick at his conscience.
Lee Han sat on the bench and exhaled deeply. The coffee in his hand had gone lukewarm. In contrast to the peaceful scenery around him, his inner world was complex. The laughter of children from the apartment playground echoed in his ears.
'Is it because I grew up in an orphanage... that I'm more attached to the idea of bloodlines?'
This thought made him even more uncomfortable. Lee Han unconsciously began to trace the grain of the bench wood with his finger. His eyes were staring off into the distance, but in reality, he was looking into his own past.
Memories of the orphanage flashed by like fragments. The moments he longed for the warmth of a family, the cravings to belong to someone. He realized that all of that had made him who he was today.
He began to look back on his actions. The things he had done so far, his relationships with women, and the results. Everything began to be seen from a new perspective.
'I need to be more careful.'
Lee Han furrowed his brow. He thought of Park Mina’s case. He remembered being somewhat cautious because she was unmarried. But with Kim Eunju... he couldn't help but shake his head. He had to admit he had acted quite irresponsibly.
The moments he had thought, 'She'll figure it out on her own,' came to mind. Kim Eunju’s anxious eyes, her trembling hands. Looking back, that was such a complacent attitude. Lee Han felt his shoulders grow heavy.
He stood up slowly. As he threw the discarded coffee into the trash can, he felt as if he were throwing away his complacent attitude along with it. Lee Han’s gaze wavered. He was deeply troubled about how to act in the future and how to navigate this complex situation. Lee Han shook his head. A bitter smile brushed his face.
'Let's not be too careless.'
He knew well that the acts he was committing were dangerous crimes. Every time he realized that fact, a corner of his heart felt uncomfortable, but at the same time, he couldn't ignore the thrill that the danger provided.
The sense of moral corruption, as if breaking a taboo, was like sweet poison, making Lee Han’s heart race. He felt a strange sense of superiority and guilt simultaneously at the fact that his genes could permeate someone else’s household.
Lee Han took a deep breath without realizing it. Cold air pushed into his lungs. At that moment, all his senses seemed to sharpen. The wind touching his skin, the sound of leaves brushing his ears—everything felt more vivid.
His pupils trembled slightly, and his lips parted slightly. The thrill of this forbidden thought crawled up his spine. Lee Han felt himself sinking deeper and deeper into this whirlpool of complex emotions.
This thought bewildered him, but at the same time, it stirred a strange excitement. He couldn't help but be surprised at himself the moment he recognized this emotion.
'To think such thoughts... I really am...'
Lee Han shook his head, but a faint smile lingered on his lips. He couldn't deny that these complex emotions were making him even more excited.
He resumed his walk, chewing over this new realization. This emotion, a mixture of danger, guilt, and secret excitement, plunged him into an even deeper swamp of contemplation.
Lee Han’s footsteps were heavy, but his eyes held a light different from before. He now knew that he had to find a more complex balance between his desires and his guilt.