First Day at Work (3)
Anyway.
Having more or less finished her standoff with Yuri, Seonye immediately put on a fox-like smile and tried to pull Sihyun’s arm snugly between her breasts again.
“Alright then, Sihyun~ Let’s get out of here quick~”
Yuri slapped the arm away and snapped at her.
“Hey, even so, this is his first day at work. I haven’t explained a single thing to him yet.”
“So what? What about it?”
The teary, snot-nosed begging and tantrums from moments ago had vanished without a trace. Watching Seonye brazenly talk back, Yuri was utterly flabbergasted.
“Ha—! I give a little and she just keeps climbing?”
“Hmph—! Even if I wanted to climb, you’re so small there’s nowhere to put my foot!”
“This cow of a bitch is running her mouth again? And I’m above average, for the record—?”
At their sudden dirty jokes, Sihyun’s face flushed red while Harin nearly had a heart attack.
No, these people for real! It’s not just Sihyun—there are other male employees around too!
Thinking that, she turned her head, only to find the staff already hard at work with headsets or earphones jammed in their ears, as if they had seen this coming a mile away. Today’s clash between Yuri and Seonye hadn’t quite reached the usual nuclear scale, but the two of them bickered and yelled with Harin so often that everyone kept ear protection on hand like a workplace essential. Without it, concentrating on anything was impossible. The place was a circus almost every single day.
“Haha……”
Their preparedness was impressive, but it also left a bitter taste. Harin could only manage a hollow little laugh.
That was when Sihyun, unable to watch any longer, let out a long sigh.
“Haa…… Both of you, just stop. It’s my first day, so how about I get some kind of explanation first and then decide whether we’re going to a café or not…”
“Hiiing……”
Only then did Seonye sniffle and find herself a seat. Yuri watched the performance with pure disgust and muttered under her breath.
“Hiiing my ass… She’s really out here doing the most. Haa—!”
After a short sigh she jerked her chin at Sihyun and gestured for him to follow.
“Hey. Come with me for now.”
“Yes, Employer.”
Yuri’s brow twitched at the title, but she let it slide. Once they were alone inside the CEO’s office, she dropped into her chair, crossed her legs, and propped her chin on her hand.
“Hey. Get over here.”
“…Yes, Employer.”
Sihyun eyed her thoroughly dissatisfied face and braced himself for whatever was coming next. For the moment he simply did as told and stepped closer.
Grab!
“…!”
Yuri seized him by the collar and yanked him in.
“That’s right—I’m the employer. That bitch outside is nothing. Got it?”
Her blue eyes burned as if they meant to swallow him whole. Their faces were close—dangerously close. One wrong move and their lips would have met. Sihyun swallowed hard without meaning to. She was a complete pain in the ass—temperamental, willful, impossible—but her looks were immaculate, almost unfairly beautiful. He wished, not for the first time, that she would just tone it down a little. He dropped his gaze and eased back a fraction.
“Haa…… Got it.”
“Hmph!”
At his reluctant, flat answer Yuri pouted like a sulking child and muttered,
“You say that, yet every time that bitch rubs herself against you, you look like you’re having the time of your life……”
“What?”
“Forget it! Anyway, I’ll explain now.”
She barked the words, then slapped a company brochure onto the desk and launched into the briefing.
“Company name’s Y Asset, as you already know. Capital management firm. You don’t really need the fine print on what we do, so just keep that in mind.”
She skipped every detail and cut straight to the point.
“Your job is following me around and bodyguarding. No need to chat or hang out with the other staff. If you need something or have a question, tell me. For the little stuff, that girl with the glasses—Oh Harin—ask her.”
“Yes, Employer.”
Sihyun answered like a broken doll. Yuri’s brow furrowed again.
“Hey. How long are you planning to keep calling me Employer?”
“Then what am I supposed to call you? Like Harin noona does—CEO?”
“What? Harin noona……? Haa…… Fine. Do whatever you want.”
“Yes, Employer.”
“……”
Yuri pinned him with a long, discontented stare. Sihyun pretended not to notice.
Well, she calls me “hey” all day long too.
He had his own grievances about titles. The two of them were still locked in a quiet, prickly standoff when—
Bang—!
“Hey, Han Yuri! How long are you going to keep Sihyun locked up in here!”
Seonye stormed into the office.
“It’s only been five minutes, you crazy bitch!”
“It’s already been five whole minutes, you crazy bitch!”
Watching them snarl at each other again, Sihyun sighed.
“Please stop. The rough explanation’s done anyway, right? I only work the morning shift, so I’ll finish up quick and come back.”
“See? Morning’s almost over already! I’m taking Sihyun now!”
The second the words left his mouth, Seonye lit up and crowed victory. She smoothly linked her arm through his and cooed,
“Sihyun~ Want noona to buy you something tasty on the way?”
Sihyun recoiled with a look of pure disgust.
“No. I’m going to work a part-time job.”
“Aww~ But since we’re already out together~”
Seonye kept clinging and wheedling. Right between them—
Smack!
Yuri slapped Seonye’s hand off Sihyun’s arm and wedged herself in.
“Ah, why are you doing this again.”
Seonye glared, irritation blazing in her eyes.
“Hmph.”
Yuri simply snorted and fell into step beside Sihyun. When she made it clear she was coming along, Seonye’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Oh my? Look at this one. Why are you tagging along?”
Yuri shrugged, the picture of innocence.
“We’re going to a café for coffee, aren’t we?”
“Ha—! Unbelievable!”
“What? Got a problem?”
The two women resumed their bickering with Sihyun sandwiched between them all the way to the café. Not even half the day had passed and he already felt ready to collapse.
But as if the universe itself wanted to remind him that half the day still remained, the real road to hell began the moment they stepped inside.
“What the hell is this……?”
“Haa—!?”
Yuri and Seonye froze in simultaneous horror. Sihyun covered his face with both hands.
Because sitting right there in front of them, dripping with flashy jewelry, wrapped in a luxurious coat and high-end clothes, luxury handbag parked on the table, was a woman who waved cheerfully and smiled.
“Hi?”
“Long time no see, my puppy~♡”
“!!!”
The instant Sihyun laid eyes on Yoona, every hair on his body stood on end. Because in her hand was a black collar studded with glittering stones—exactly the “pretty present” she had told him to wait for. A dog collar.
Yuri and Seonye’s faces went ice-cold the moment they recognized it.
“Crazy bitch.”
“Crazy bitch.”
They spat the curse in perfect unison. Yoona didn’t so much as blink. Instead she fixed Sihyun with a sadistic little smile.
“My puppy… While this master was away for a little while, you were having a lovely time with other bitches, weren’t you? Ufufu♡”
“——!”
Sihyun stumbled back without thinking. Even Yuri and Seonye alone were more than enough crazy. A lunatic who outclassed both of them was pure terror just by existing.
Watching him tremble, Seonye’s face crumpled. She rounded on the manager, who was desperately pretending to tidy the counter.
“Hey, Manager! Why on earth did you let that crazy bitch in as a customer!?”
“Hiiiek—! I’m so sorry!”
The manager nearly jumped out of his skin and screamed inside his own head.
You think I wanted her here—!?
He had seen the stun-gun rampage with his own eyes. The second Yoona walked in he had frozen solid. He had wanted nothing more than to talk her into leaving, but she kept casually rummaging through her handbag in a way that made it crystal clear the stun gun was right there. Blocking her had been impossible.
Leaving the traumatized manager aside, Yuri and Seonye both turned on Yoona at once.
“Hey. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”
“Trying to pull that crap again?”
Yoona only smiled that same sadistic smile in reply. Yuri, Seonye, and Sihyun all tensed. There was no telling when this maniac might pull the stun gun—or something worse—out of that luxury bag and start a scene.
Perhaps reading the fear on their faces, Yoona’s smile widened. Then—
Thud!
She set the (dog) collar on the table and rose to her feet.
“I’d love to put this on my puppy’s neck myself and teach him a proper lesson, but~”
She smacked her lips with genuine regret. Right then a loud ringtone blared from inside her handbag, as if she had timed it for Sihyun’s ears alone.
You belong to me, nobody else~♪
Mine, all mine, forever mine~♬
“As you can see, I’m busy. I didn’t expect my puppy to show up this late~?”
Phone in hand, Yoona brushed past Sihyun with deliberate, lingering closeness. As she did—
Swoosh—
“——!!”
Her fingers grazed his shoulder and Sihyun flinched hard. Yoona’s eyes lit up with pure predatory delight.
“Huhu, so cute, my puppy♡”
She licked her upper lip as if she could barely stop herself from devouring him on the spot.
“This crazy bitch!?”
“Kang Yoona, what the hell are you doing—!?”
Yuri and Seonye shouted at the same time, but Yoona ignored them completely. She leaned in and whispered against Sihyun’s ear.
“Huhu… If you throw away my present, I’ll kill you♡ Got it?”
“Well then, bye-bye, puppy~♡”
She winked at him, turned on her heel, put the phone to her ear, and strolled out of the café as if nothing at all had happened.
Sihyun stood frozen, then slowly turned his head toward the table Yoona had vacated. The (dog) collar she had left behind sat there like a curse. All the strength drained out of him at once.
But the truly terrifying part was this: the day that already felt like an endless parade of horrors still hadn’t even reached its halfway mark.