Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Japan Business Trip (1) - Who Is That Woman?
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Under the warm stand light of the bedroom, Joo-young sat quietly at the vanity, brushing her hair.
With the Japan business trip looming tomorrow, her reflection in the mirror bore the full weight of the day's exhaustion.
Yet in those deep eyes, the forbidden connection she'd shared with Hyun-seong a week ago lingered, rippling like waves that refused to fade.
The memory of that night was shameful, yet it left behind an undeniable afterimage of pleasure she couldn't deny.
"Honey?"
Snapped out of her reverie by her husband's sudden voice, Joo-young startled and looked up.
Min-cheol, fresh from his shower, stood in the doorway, shaking water from his wet hair.
"What are you doing just staring blankly in front of the mirror?"
"Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."
"What could you be thinking about to jump like that? Like you'd seen a ghost."
At Min-cheol's question, Joo-young flinched, her shoulders trembling slightly, then forced an awkward smile as she replied.
"It's nothing. Just... thinking about the trip tomorrow has me a bit nervous."
She hated how such lies now slipped out so naturally, almost habitually.
Whether by misfortune or fortune, Min-cheol seemed completely oblivious to her deception.
"You, nervous? That's a first."
"Even I get like that sometimes."
Min-cheol chuckled roughly at his wife's curt response, draping a towel around his neck.
Perhaps buoyed by today's promising interview, a faint confidence shone on his face.
Seeing it made Joo-young happy too, but at the same time, an inexplicable heaviness pressed on her heart.
In the meantime, Min-cheol slowly approached and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"No need to be nervous. You always handle everything perfectly. You'll do great this time too."
Just as her mood began to lift from his warm encouragement...
"Besides, you're not going alone—Assistant Manager Lee will be there with you."
Her face froze coldly at the name that followed from his lips.
Even after just one meeting, Min-cheol already fully trusted Hyun-seong.
It was proof that the 'education' from that night—thanks to the hypnosis—had left a strong impression.
"R-right."
Forcing the corners of her mouth up, Joo-young answered, and Min-cheol patted her shoulder with a nod.
"Anyway, all packed for the trip?"
Glancing at the suitcase standing in the corner, Joo-young replied to his question.
"Yes. Pretty much."
Unlike her spirited husband, her voice was utterly devoid of energy.
Worried he might notice, she quickly stood up.
"...You must be tired from the interview today. Let's get to bed."
As she moved toward the bed, Min-cheol gently caught her wrist.
His eyes burned with a heat unlike moments before.
"Honey, tonight..."
She easily grasped the meaning behind his cautious tone.
"Sorry. I have to leave early tomorrow morning, so tonight..."
Even with her polite refusal, Min-cheol didn't back down.
Since Hyun-seong's education, he'd been demanding intimacy like a hormonal teenage boy.
"Just once would be fine, right?"
A sharp emotion flared in her chest, but Joo-young swallowed it down.
She didn't want to ruin her excited husband's mood.
"...Alright."
Reluctantly nodding, she watched Min-cheol beam with joy as he headed to the bed.
Staring at his back, Joo-young wore a bittersweet, faint smile.
Yeah.
Maybe this time would really be different.
Min-cheol was improving day by day, so tonight might be like that night...
No, not quite that, but maybe she'd feel some other satisfaction.
Clutching that vain hope, Joo-young followed him onto the bed.
A short while later, the bedroom echoed only with the awkward sounds of their shared body heat.
Last Wednesday.
Influenced by Hyun-seong's 'education,' Min-cheol put extra effort into foreplay each time.
The problem was that his clumsy, crude touches failed to spark even the tiniest flame in Joo-young's body.
Instead, they only revived the sensation of Hyun-seong's skilled caresses from that night, when he'd toyed with her.
"Honey, does it feel good?"
"Y-yes. Ah. Feels good."
To Min-cheol's expectant question, Joo-young feigned nonchalance and gave a false reply.
Whether his acting fooled her...
Or he mistook her physiological response—the trickle of arousal—for genuine pleasure...
Min-cheol's caresses grew even more enthusiastic.
"Ready for me to go in now?"
When the interminably long foreplay finally led to penetration...
Joo-young felt the same deep disappointment as always.
Once, perhaps she might have felt something.
But after that night, her husband's thing felt so small and pathetic.
Comparing it to Hyun-seong's unbelievably massive, rock-hard member was an insult.
"Haa. Haa."
Thud. Thud. Thud.
After insertion, Min-cheol soon panted roughly, shaking his hips in a pitiful display.
Even his stamina, which she'd once thought passable, paled in comparison to Hyun-seong's.
The rough breaths and sweat smell assaulting her up close did nothing to stir desire—instead, they pushed Joo-young's heart further away.
"Nng... Ah... Hnng..."
Still, driven solely by not wanting to disappoint her husband, she awkwardly moaned from beneath him, bucking her hips in pretense.
To fill the void of pleasure, she dredged up memories of Hyun-seong ravaging her savagely.
"Ngh! Here it comes!"
"Ahhng."
But it didn't last; Min-cheol reached climax with an embarrassing groan.
Joo-young timed a fake orgasm to match, ending the tediously boring act.
"Hoo. Hoo."
Right after ejaculating, Min-cheol collapsed beside her with a satisfied look, catching his breath.
But Joo-young's eyes, fixed on the ceiling, had gone ice cold.
Love is all that matters—size and technique don't.
She'd told herself that countless times before intimacy.
Regrettably, the body doesn't lie.
"Ngh."
Suddenly gripped by rising fear in her chest, Joo-young bit her lip secretly from her husband.
Was she truly beyond feeling any satisfaction from acts with him now?
It felt like the distance between them, which had seemed to shrink, was widening again.
At that moment, Min-cheol pulled her into an embrace and kissed her forehead.
"Have a safe trip tomorrow, honey. I love you."
In the past, those words alone would have filled her with boundless joy and happiness.
Now, no ripples stirred in Joo-young's heart.
"Yeah. Love you too."
Murmuring softly in his arms, she longed for morning to come even one day sooner.
Was it anticipation for the trip to a foreign land?
Or expectation for something else she'd face there?
Even she couldn't be sure.
Before dawn broke.
Even in the chilly pre-dawn air, Incheon International Airport Terminal 1's departure hall buzzed with crowds.
The massive electronic board flashed nonstop flight info.
Sounds of suitcase wheels rolling everywhere.
Announcement voices.
And the hubbub of mixed languages from various nationalities, infused with coffee scents and the thrill of travel.
At the pre-arranged H counter, Joo-young and Mi-na had arrived first and stood quietly.
A strange tension hung between the two, who exchanged few words.
'What should I even say?'
She might chat easily with others, but Joo-young had no real closeness or friendship with Mi-na beyond work at the office.
Moreover, witnessing 'that incident' at the office made it even harder to strike up conversation.
But they had to work together on this trip—they couldn't linger in awkward silence forever.
"...Assistant Manager Lee's late."
After long deliberation, Joo-young's brave opener inevitably circled back to Hyun-seong.
"He'll be here soon enough."
Mi-na fiddled with her phone, replying dryly.
Her fingers weren't focused on it, too preoccupied worrying about what lay ahead.
"Yeah, probably."
'Was she always this personality?'
Puzzled by Mi-na's uncharacteristic attitude, Joo-young tilted her head but didn't pry.
Her own mind was just as tangled.
The absurdity lay in both turmoils stemming from the same man.
Click—click—
As silence threatened to settle again, camera flashes burst from afar.
A noisy crowd of reporters and fans swarmed what looked like the arrivals hall.
"What's with all the commotion over there?"
Muttering, Joo-young watched Mi-na glance sideways and respond indifferently.
"Saw it on NewTube—probably because it's Yuna's return day."
Yuna.
The famous model everyone in Korea knew.
Lately, a major star succeeding overseas too.
So many people flooding the airport just to see her.
'Celebrities really are on another level.'
Admiring dully, Joo-young turned back to the entrance.
"Hm?"
A familiar figure appeared.
Crisp casual suit.
And that distinctive, leisurely gait.
Assistant Manager Lee Hyun-seong.
"Assistant Manager Lee, over..."
Reflexively raising her hand to call him, Joo-young faltered mid-sentence.
He wasn't alone.
"Uh...?"
Silver bob giving a serene impression.
Doll-like delicate features.
A beautiful woman exuding an enigmatic aura.
Even as another woman, her unreal beauty could steal one's breath away in an instant.
Such a woman, in a stylish dress, had her arm linked with Hyun-seong's, chatting intimately as they walked.
Not just Joo-young—Mi-na, spotting Hyun-seong late, also widened her eyes staring at them.
The intimate air between them hinted at more than mere colleagues.
"You didn't have to see me off, but thank you, Lizetta."
"Just doing what I should. Besides, Child said lately I've had too few appearances and to get more screen time."
"...What kind of nonsense is that?"
"Beats me. Anyway, got all your luggage?"
"Should have everything I need."
"What about headaches? Still getting sudden pains?"
"I'm good. I keep auto-hypnosis off normally, so..."
Joo-young and Mi-na could only watch blankly as the two exchanged their warm, cryptic banter.
Hyun-seong's demeanor toward Lizetta was worlds apart from how he treated them lately.
As if laced with deep trust and respect...
"Lizetta?"
Then, Mi-na, eavesdropping intently, muttered to herself.
"No way... the person on that call back then...?"
Mi-na frowned as realization dawned, but Joo-young heard nothing.
Her gaze was fixed on Hyun-seong talking with Lizetta.
"Then take care and have a safe trip, Master Hyun-seong. I'll watch over the house."
"Yeah. You too—be careful heading back. Call if anything comes up."
During their final exchange, Lizetta's eyes briefly flicked to Joo-young and Mi-na.
"Understood."
With that, she rose on tiptoes, lightly embraced Hyun-seong, and pecked his cheek.
Their faces twitched at the bold act.
"I'll text when I arrive."
Lizetta bowed gracefully and turned with elegant steps.
Her retreating figure was infuriatingly beautiful.
"What the hell was that?"
Mi-na let out a scoff like she'd seen a third-rate drama.
Joo-young clenched her fist unwittingly against the hot emotion surging uncontrollably in her chest.
Meanwhile, Hyun-seong absently rubbed the cheek Lizetta had kissed, then pulled his luggage toward the two women.
"Sorry, did I keep you waiting long?"
His voice cut through the air.
But both seemed speechless, mouths sealed.
Who was Lizetta?
What was her relationship to Hyun-seong?
Countless questions swirled in their heads.
But the words on the tips of their tongues never escaped.
"Let's go—the flight's gonna be late."
Hyun-seong strode ahead as if their inner turmoil meant nothing, his tone all business.
The two trailed heavily behind, ultimately silent.
Thus began the perilous three-day, two-night business trip.