King-Size Bed Entanglement
"Mmm... Jinwoo-ya..."
It was because of Han Seol-ah, who had my right arm in a death grip, her leg slung boldly over my thigh, and her face buried in my chest. She was hugging me like an environmental activist protecting an endangered species—or a kid clutching the world's most expensive stuffed toy—suffocating me completely. Thanks to her, I was fossilized in the dead center of this massive bed, wide-eyed and glaring at the ornate chandelier on the ceiling all night long.
The second I tried to shift even a little, she'd unconsciously clamp onto my waist like "Are you trying to break, you idiot?" Not even a bathroom break was possible. Her steady breathing echoed evenly in my ear, and her dizzyingly sweet body scent tickled my nose. This was torture. The cruelest, most luxurious torment inflicted on a healthy twenty-something guy in Korea.
Kang Jinwoo, endure. If you let go of reason here, you'll become something that's neither man nor beast. She's the Taesung Group Strategy Planning Director.
I spent the whole night chanting the Heart Sutra in my head. Then—
Whirr—
Right at 7 a.m., the massive blackout smart blinds covering the floor-to-ceiling windows began rolling up with a mechanical hum. Beyond the 80th-floor penthouse windows poured the panorama of Seoul's crimson sunrise and the Han River sparkling silver. To me, who had greeted mornings in a moldy basement studio just yesterday, it was a dazzling capitalist dawn.
As sunlight hit my face, Seol-ah's eyelashes fluttered against my chest, and her big eyes slowly revealed themselves. Her face was impossibly perfect, without a hint of puffiness, like she hadn't just woken up.
"...Slept well? Jinwoo-ya."
Her voice, husky from sleep, tickled my eardrums first thing in the morning. She rubbed her forehead against my chin and beamed at me.
"Uh? Oh... yeah, slept great. Bed's super soft."
"Liar. I know you didn't sleep a wink. Your heart was pounding like crazy—worried I'd hear it?"
Seol-ah nailed it, poking my chest playfully with her finger. Heat rushed to my face, and I cleared my throat awkwardly.
"N-no! Just... unfamiliar place."
"So cute. You'll be living here with me forever—better adapt quick."
She casually looped her arm around my neck and planted a light smack of a morning kiss on my cheek. I swear I heard a fuse blow in my brain.
Frozen solid, I watched her hum a tune as she got up and tugged me along.
"C'mon, time to get my Jinwoo ready for work. Internship week two starts today."
After last night's insane wealth flex and kidnapping drama, now she wanted to play dutiful office worker? Dazed, I let her lead me to the enormous dressing room.
The door slid open, and my jaw nearly hit the floor again.
"...You weren't speaking metaphorically about robbing a department store."
The dressing room—easily over 3,000 square feet—was bathed in soft light from dozens of fixtures. Lining the glass display cases and racks on either side were the finest suits, shoes, watches, and ties I'd never even seen logos for, all perfectly sized and set out. Price tags nowhere in sight—the pinnacle of high-end.
"Obviously. I always keep my word. Hmm... what to dress you in today so the office buzzes that my Jinwoo's the handsomest?"
Seol-ah cupped my chin, tilting my head this way and that, then pulled out a deep navy bespoke suit.
"Seol-ah, hold on. I'm just an intern. Showing up in that? They'll call me nuts. And it screams multi-millions easy."
"Multi-millions? Jinwoo-ya, that button alone's a million. And who'd call you nuts? You're the Planning Director's direct intern—if you can't maintain this level of dignity, that's what embarrasses the group. No more chatter. Arms out. I'll dress you."
I gave up resisting. Hell, I couldn't. Her fingers were so delicate and obsessive as she buttoned my shirt one by one and adjusted my tie—I couldn't even breathe loud.
"Perfect. My Jinwoo. Ditch the glasses, and they'd buy you as a model. Watch... too flashy for an intern?"
She picked what looked... relatively subdued? from the case and clasped it on my wrist.
"For today, this cheap one's fine—keep a low profile. Save the pricey ones for our weekend date."
Calling a twenty-million-won watch "cheap" and slapping it on casually—my brain screamed at her economic sense. Fine. I wasn't dirt-poor Kang Jinwoo anymore. I was Han Seol-ah's personal Barbie doll.
We finished up and headed to the company in that monstrous limo from yesterday. In the car, a steaming bowl of "premium abalone porridge with truffles and caviar"—personally cooked at dawn by the Taesung Hotel chef—sat before me. After last night's feast, my stomach was spasming from the nonstop luxury.
"Eat slow. Plenty of time."
Seol-ah pressed right up against me, chin in hand, blissfully watching me spoon the porridge.
"You eat some too. Feels like I'll get indigestion alone."
"I'm good. Oh, and Jinwoo-ya—at the office..."
The word "office" sharpened her soft gaze in an instant.
"Remember this. Starting today, you're not in the Planning Adjustment Team. You're my direct special intern in the secretary's office. No need to go back to your old desk—your spot's already set up in the VIP lounge right outside my office."
"But... should greet the other interns, at least hand over to the team leader..."
"Don't mix words with those other girl interns."
Her voice dropped low. A chill killing intent leaked out.
"If I catch you smiling at some other girl or being nice... might ship her off to a godforsaken overseas post tomorrow. Not kidding."
"...Got it. No smiling. No talking."
I nodded frantically to survive. Her obsession was beyond imagination.
Soon the limo glided into the Taesung Group HQ underground parking. To dodge eyes, I took the regular elevator to the 15th-floor Planning Division office first. Seol-ah would use the executive one separately. Even so, an intern and director arriving side-by-side was too conspicuous.
Stepping into the office, the familiar chaos hit: fellow interns frantic with copiers and files, Park Team Leader arms crossed, eagle-eyeing us like hawks.
"Hey, intern Kang Jinwoo!"
The second I entered, Park's bellow rained down. The infamous company mad dog who'd yesterday chucked my planning PPT, calling it "elementary school diary."
"What time is it? Intern scum shows 10 minutes before the morning meeting? Get out. After getting reamed by the new director yesterday, you should've dragged in first thing to write a reflection!"
He thwacked my shoulder with a file binder, raising his voice. Every eye in the office locked on me.
For a split second, I caught Park's pupils flicker. No wonder—my look was worlds from yesterday. He eyed my watch, faked a cough, and scowled.
"What, fake suit and watch? Coming to internship all flash-no-substance. Dreaming of full-time with that attitude? You're on my shitlist now. Down to the archives—sort every box of 10 years' files!"
I sighed, about to protest—
Creeeak—
The heavy main door swung open, and the room temperature plunged below zero—or so it felt. Every employee froze mid-task, staring at the door.
Perfectly tailored black suit. Sharp click of high heels. Taesung Group Strategy Planning Director, Han Seol-ah.
"Di-Director! Good morning, ma'am!"
Park, who'd just been yelling at me, sprang like a jack-in-the-box into a 90-degree bow.
Seol-ah utterly ignored him, striding over with an icy expression to stand by my side. Her gaze stabbed the file binder in his hand—and my shoulder it'd just hit. A chilling madness flashed in her eyes.
"Park Team Leader."
Her quiet voice froze the entire office solid.
"Who gave you permission to lay hands on my direct intern?"
"Pardon? Oh, no, it's... Intern Kang was late today, bad attitude, so I was just disciplining..."
"Disciplining?"
Her lip curled in cold scorn.
"His late arrival? I specifically instructed him to come in late—after working with me in my office till deep into the night."
"Ah...!"
"And 'cheap fake'? Park Team Leader, does that suit fabric and steel finish look like Itaewon alley knockoff to your eyes? A Planning Adjustment team leader who can't spot a high-end brand. Taesung's planning standards are pathetic."
Seol-ah's razor-sharp facts turned Park's face from red to ashen. Sweat poured as he floundered.
"S-sorry! My eyes were blind...!"
"You're off Planning Adjustment duties as of today. I'll have HR put you on standby—pack up and get out of HQ tomorrow."
"D-Director! Please, just once—forgive me!"
The staff watched in stunned silence as their sky-high team leader got axed in under a minute over touching a mere intern. Seol-ah treated the groveling Park like air and turned to me.
"Let's go, intern Kang Jinwoo. Your desk's set up in my office."
She placed a hand on my back, escorting me out like royalty.
Then, out of others' sight, she looked up at me and whispered so only I could hear.
"Saw that? Anyone who touches what's mine? Dead. Just breathe pretty by my side, Jinwoo-ya."
Chills raced over me. This wasn't reverse grip or pure love. It was overwhelming possessiveness, armed to the teeth with wealth and power.
And pathetically, my heart thundered with mad relief under that beast's savage protection.
I'm losing it. My internship—no, my life—has completely jumped the genre rails.