The Kingdom - 11
“—That concludes the explanation. Please let me know if you require any further clarification.”
The response was lukewarm at best, but Seunghyun just shrugged it off, thinking, *Well, of course it was.*
What they wanted wasn't artistic merit or deep meaning; they only cared about how much money this could make them. Still, Seunghyun had put his heart into the presentation, hoping that at least one line would be worth using for promotional material.
He didn't know how much of his twenty-minute spiel would actually be put to use, but he stepped down from the podium with a light heart, feeling as though he’d finally finished his duty.
Waiting for him was Ain. Like Seunghyun, she was dressed in a sharp suit, looking like the very embodiment of the word career woman.
Around her neck hung a lanyard—a combination of her name tag and security pass. As she walked, it swayed, drawing people's gazes straight to her chest. Even without the badge, her tight-fitting outfit, which clung to her curves, would have attracted plenty of attention regardless.
She ignored the stares as if they were beneath her notice and held out a coffee to Seunghyun.
“You worked hard.”
“Thank yo—*Ahem!* *Ahem!* Um,”
“Hehe.”
His voice cracked just as he tried to express his gratitude. Ain offered a soft smile as she watched him clear his throat in embarrassment.
What man wouldn't feel his heart race when a woman who was undeniably a beauty from every angle smiled at him like that? Seunghyun’s heart was pounding, too.
No, for him, it was even more intense because he knew the feelings the woman before him held for him. A mix of embarrassment, shame, and even a sense of burden.
The coffee she handed him was iced and refreshing, but he couldn't even taste it. He couldn't exactly show his discomfort, so he tried to hide his stifled feelings and spoke to her as naturally as he could.
“With this, my role is finished.”
“I really am so grateful. I don't even know how to put it into words. Thanks to you, Seunghyun-ssi, we were all able to breathe a sigh of relief.”
It was a coincidence. It was a coincidence that the project Ain’s company was collaborating on was happening near where Seunghyun lived, that the person in charge had been hospitalized due to an accident, forcing Ain to come on a business trip, and that some of the materials needed for the demonstration overlapped with Seunghyun's own work. It was all a series of coincidences that led to Seunghyun, who had nothing to do with the company, standing there.
For Ain and her workplace, they had barely cleared one hurdle only to face another mountain of work, creating an emergency situation. But thanks to him stepping in to help, they had narrowly avoided disaster.
Ain bowed her head repeatedly, saying that a simple "thank you for saving us" wasn't enough.
“Thank you!”
“…Ah, was it your turn next, Ain-ssi?”
“Yes! You can rest now, Seunghyun-ssi! Please go take a break in the waiting room or somewhere nearby.”
“With my phone on so you can reach me?”
“Hehe, I’ll contact you in a little while! Please get some rest!”
Watching Ain disappear into the crowd, Seunghyun felt a strange sensation. Her ability to smile when needed, to project authority when necessary, and to draw people into her own pace revealed a level of seasoned maturity that didn't match her age.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who would walk around without panties with Jia, intentionally bend over to show off her defenseless private parts, or perform lesbian acts with Jia while rubbing her wet pussy against her thighs… none of that was visible here.
The Ain who was working looked like a completely different person—so much so that he doubted if she was even the same woman who had been throwing herself at him so aggressively it felt burdensome.
If he only saw her like this, she would be a truly attractive woman, but…
“……Gratitude, huh….”
It didn't feel entirely pleasant for Seunghyun to just receive thanks. This was all paid work, after all. Since he was just doing his job for the money he was paid, receiving this much gratitude felt burdensome—to the point where he worried there might be an ulterior motive.
Maybe they were trying to treat him like a savior to make it difficult for him to bring up money later, since the company’s finances were tight due to the sudden expenses… something like that.
He couldn't conclude that was the case, and he might just be overthinking it, but Seunghyun couldn't shake the anxiety. Still, he consoled himself by thinking that building up a good reputation like this was a good choice, as it increased the chances of being called again when they needed someone.
After all, from a long-term perspective, he needed a steady income… because being a freelancer was no different from being unemployed if there was no work.
As the head of the household responsible for his family, his shoulders felt incredibly heavy. At this rate, forget about retirement plans; he was even worried about having a child right now. Seunghyun frowned at the thought of his beloved wife, who had been wanting a baby.
He couldn't keep her waiting forever, could he?
He had confidently told her that even if they weren't wealthy, and even if he couldn't provide expensive private education, vast experiences, or connections, he was confident he could give their child a happy home where the whole family could laugh together… and yet…
“Haa….”
No, he wasn't confident at all, was he?
Seunghyun couldn't hold back a deep, soul-crushing sigh. How could he not be confident in providing for his own child? Wasn't it a parent's heart to want to pluck the stars from the sky for their child?
What kind of parent chickens out before they’ve even started?
He couldn't even bring himself to say, "Just close your eyes and do it!" Because the burden he was feeling right now meant he was viewing his child's future as a "burden." It meant he was viewing his child as "baggage." He was certain that if a child were conceived while he couldn't shake these feelings, both they and the child would be miserable.
“I’m sorry, Jia… for being such a pathetic man….”
If only he had thought more about the future and made his decisions, if only he hadn't been greedy and had made the best choices… Thinking that the choices he had made in life were actually holding him back, he couldn't straighten his shoulders.
His head and body slumped forward, and he collapsed over his knees. If Jia had married a more capable man instead of a pathetic one like him, she wouldn't have had to wait and could have had a child and a happy family.
Even knowing it was excessive self-deprecation, he couldn't shake the thought that he had stolen her future. He realized only now that his request for NTR had actually stemmed from the thought that perhaps Jia would be happier in the arms of another man rather than with a lacking husband like him.
In fact, when he saw Jia looking happy and enjoying herself in Ji-wook’s arms, he felt jealousy, anger, and arousal, but deep down, he had also felt a sense of relief. He couldn't help but think that Ji-wook, who possessed the two weapons he lacked—a stable income and youth—might truly be able to make Jia happy.
…Ah, no…!
Feeling his eyes well up, Seunghyun panicked and hid his face behind his palms. *Sniff!* He couldn't help the runny nose, but fortunately, no one saw him. In the first place, everyone else was too busy to pay attention to a man sitting alone in a corner.
“How pathetic, *hic!*”
It’s because he thinks like this that he has erectile dysfunction. He was pathetic for stewing in his own misery, knowing full well that nothing would change, and he couldn't forgive himself. If he was going to be this depressed, he should at least watch some adult videos to soothe his mind.
He scolded himself, telling himself not to trigger his own erectile dysfunction uselessly, reminding himself that he was only able to get an erection because Jia had gone as far as taking off her panties to try for his sake.
“……Alright, no one can see me here.”
He looked around, checking to see if anyone was watching like a child about to do something bad. Once he was certain he was in a blind spot, he pulled out his phone.
It was a photo and message his wife had sent him just before he got on the bus. Trying to calm his heart, which was pounding as if it might burst, he opened the message.
“……*Kuh?!*”
Seeing the two of them, Jia and Ji-wook, clinging to each other affectionately, Seunghyun almost screamed. He barely managed to cover his mouth, but he couldn't stop his heart from racing like crazy. It was thumping so loudly he worried someone might hear, so he checked his surroundings once more.
“……Damn it…!”
Seeing his beloved wife in the arms of the younger brother he trusted most. And it was an NTR photo, explicitly showing him with his hand shoved inside her panties, fondling her pussy. Seunghyun couldn't help but curse, overwhelmed by arousal. His veins were bulging on his forearms!
Just how intensely was he digging into Jia’s hole?! And Jia was smiling happily with a flushed face, too! They had kissed and had sex that morning before he left for work—wasn't that enough to satisfy her? Did she really have to do it again at night, or was she just unable to wait? Could it be… that Ji-wook had pushed her?!
“Hyung-nim gave me permission! Don't play hard to get, let's have a wild round!”
And then, grabbing her chin to lick her lips, shoving his hand into her panties, and using his rough, thick fingers on Jia’s aroused private parts—
“Ah! You’re watching adult videos!”
“Ugh…?!
“Ahahaha!”
Ain laughed out loud, watching Seunghyun, who had almost dropped his phone in shock. Seunghyun, who let out a sigh of relief only after tightly gripping his phone, raised his voice at Ain, who was standing in front of him with a frown of annoyance.
“Y-you scared me! Sneaking up on me without a word!”
“It’s Seunghyun-ssi’s fault for watching something lewd in a place like this.”
“*Kuh?!*”
She was right. Seunghyun knew it was his fault for watching adult videos in public, even if he was in a blind spot. He just wanted to complain that there were other ways to approach him without scaring him like that. But he had to admit that was just him lashing out, and he gave up.
If it hadn't been Ain, but someone else who sensed something strange and approached him out of concern, it could have been a real disaster. He rationally thought that her action of approaching quietly and blocking him with her body so others wouldn't notice was actually her helping him.
That didn't mean his frustration disappeared, though.
Ain, unaware of his thoughts, giggled as if she found Seunghyun, who was grinding his teeth, cute. They say a beauty’s smile is an indulgence, don't they? Facing Ain’s pure smile, he felt his anger subside as if the poison were being drained out.
“…Is work finished?”
“Ours is mostly wrapped up, but we have to visit other booths, so you can afford to take about an hour of free time.”
“You worked hard.”
“You worked harder, Seunghyun-ssi. You explained everything so well that all I had to do was guide people. Thank you again, truly, Seunghyun-ssi.”
“Don't mention it. Well, I calculated everything that was going to be exchanged, so there’s no need to bow your head like that.”
“Hehehe. Is that so?”
“…….”
What was the meaning behind that last laugh? He couldn't know without peering into her mind, but Seunghyun was captivated not by her intentions, but by the image of Jia that had momentarily overlapped with Ain’s smiling face.
They were similar enough to be sisters, but he wondered if they could really be this similar even in their smiles. Right now, Jia’s image was clearly overlapping with Ain’s.
So much so that his body reacted before he could stop it—
“Oh~?”
“…Ugh?!”
Grin! Ain’s eyes and the corners of her mouth twisted seductively. Seeing her gaze drop to his crotch—specifically, to the bulge straining against his pants—Seunghyun flinched and curled his body in shock.
Why did he have to get an erection now of all times?! And in front of Ain-ssi, no less?! As he scrambled in embarrassment, Ain held out her hand.
“Would you like me to help you with that?”