The Spider's Web at the Mountain Gazebo
On the day of the company outing, Seoyeon deliberately chose a plain outfit, but even amid the crowd, her presence shone brightly. Sure enough, a middle-aged man with a pig-like protruding belly and balding head approached Cheolsu and Seoyeon, a lecherous smile on his face. It was Manager Park.
"Wow, Agent Kim! Your wife's beauty is so dazzling, it's lighting up the whole mountain! Man... she's a hundred, no, a thousand times prettier in person than on TV."
Manager Park seized Seoyeon's hand and kneaded it far longer than any handshake called for. Seoyeon frowned for an instant before pulling her hand away with a perfectly expressionless face. Stung by her icy reaction, he looked awkward for a moment, then brushed it off with a hearty, good-natured laugh.
"Ah, what kind of hiking is this? How could I make a precious lady like your wife climb that rugged mountain?"
He clapped Cheolsu on the shoulder. "Agent Kim, you're young—go take good care of the juniors and conquer the summit. Show some leadership as team leader. Your wife can wait here at the gazebo with me over some tea."
It was an order impossible to refuse. Cheolsu glanced back and forth between his wife and the manager, his face troubled. Seoyeon looked at her husband and murmured softly, "It's fine. You go ahead."
In the end, Cheolsu muttered, "Yes, understood..." and dragged his heavy steps away. Seoyeon watched her husband's retreating back with a cold stare.
Left alone together at the gazebo, an awkward silence settled in. Manager Park lifted the teapot and filled a cup as he broke it. "Our Agent Kim is so diligent. But sometimes he lacks a bit of flexibility. Social life isn't just about skill, you know. Right, ma'am?"
He handed her the cup, his fingertips lingering as they brushed the back of her hand. A chill ran through Seoyeon like she'd been touched by a bug, but she accepted the tea without a flicker of expression.
"Cheolsu will do fine on his own."
A firm reply that didn't cross any lines. That haughty poise only stoked Manager Park's desire to conquer her.
"Haha, of course. Still, it helps to have someone pulling and pushing from the side to grow faster. I really look out for our Agent Kim."
He emphasized look out for as he scooted right up next to her. On the narrow gazebo bench, his thigh subtly pressed against hers. Seoyeon immediately shifted away, creating distance. At that faint gesture of refusal, Manager Park chuckled as if amused.
"Must be from all those years in showbiz, ma'am—you keep people at arm's length like it's second nature. But in society, you need to mingle a bit. It's all for Agent Kim's sake."
As he spoke, he pretended to brush a strand of hair from her shoulder, his fingers grazing her nape. Seoyeon involuntarily shrank back. Contempt and rage boiled inside her, but she held the poker face she'd practiced endlessly as an idol.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of my husband's work."
Even her frosty retort didn't deter him. Instead, he reached across the table and grabbed her hand outright.
"Goodness, your hand's so cold. Guess I need to warm it up."
Seoyeon tried to yank free, but he held fast. His pudgy grip was stronger than expected. As he massaged her hand, he kept talking.
"From what I see, Agent Kim's struggling with this project. Being team leader's tough—pressure from above, no buy-in from below. You need to comfort him at home, ma'am. Even at night... give him some extra care, yeah?"
The last part was blatant sexual harassment. Seoyeon's face hardened like ice. She wrenched her hand away with force, no longer holding back.
"I think it's time I head out."
As she rose, Manager Park stood too.
"Whoa, already? We were just getting started."
He blocked her path, his eyes no longer hiding behind that affable smile. Greed and possessiveness gleamed openly. Seoyeon met his gaze with cold eyes. Making a scene here would only put her husband in a tough spot. But she couldn't just back down either. Tension crackled in the air over the gazebo.
It was right then, as Seoyeon glared daggers at Manager Park with icy eyes.
"Manager! What are you doing here?!"
A few young employees descending the mountain, drenched in sweat, approached the gazebo. At their arrival, Manager Park instantly switched back to his jovial grin, like nothing had happened.
"Hey, you lot. Already coming down? I was having an important chat with our guest."
He stepped aside from blocking her and playfully patted her arm once more. Seoyeon shuddered at the creepy sensation but couldn't show it in front of everyone.
Moments later, Cheolsu returned from the hike, his face etched with worry.
"Seoyeon, you okay? What'd you talk about with the manager?"
"Nothing much."
As Cheolsu looked embarrassed by her curt reply, Manager Park clapped him heartily on the back.
"Agent Kim! Thanks to your wife, I had a great time today. She's so eloquent. Haha!"
"...Thank you, Manager."
Cheolsu forced a smile and bowed his head. Seoyeon watched it all in silence.
That evening, the after-hike barbecue at the meat restaurant brought Seoyeon fresh torment. Manager Park cunningly arranged the seats, placing her at his right—in the seat of honor. Amid the raucous atmosphere, he kept pouring her drinks and serving food. On the surface, it looked like a kind boss looking after his new team leader's wife, but it was a sly trap.
"Ma'am, try this meat. I ordered it special."
He wrapped it in lettuce and offered it, his finger slyly brushing her lips. When Seoyeon turned her head to dodge, he laughed it off casually and chatted with another employee. Under the table, his knee persistently nudged her thigh. Seoyeon wedged her handbag between her knees as a physical barrier, but he ignored it.
Cheolsu, at the far end of the table, was busy downing bomb shots poured by the bosses. He shot worried glances her way now and then, but drunk superiors kept him pinned in place. Each time their eyes met, Seoyeon gave him a faint smile—a signal that all was well. Inside, though, a glacial isolation gripped her entire body.
The drive home was steeped in weary silence. Cheolsu, flushed from drink, broke it cautiously as he gripped the wheel.
"Earlier... you okay? The manager didn't say anything weird, did he?"
Seoyeon stared at the city lights flashing by outside the window. They were beautiful, but carried no warmth. She turned to her husband with a gentle smile.
"Huh? No, nothing."
"Really? At the gazebo earlier, and during the dinner... you looked upset."
"Must've been tired. Actually, he was praising you—said you're doing great work, has high expectations."
Seoyeon lied smoothly. Her idol days, hiding discomfort at countless awkward events, proved useful now. She playfully swatted his arm.
"Looks like my husband's killing it at the office?"
"Really? Whew... what a relief. I was on pins and needles, worried he'd mess up with you or something..."
Cheolsu finally relaxed, beaming like a child whose every worry melted away at her words. Suddenly energized, he launched into company gossip—who the manager had praised today, what the execs said about the next project. Seoyeon murmured agreements like "I see" and "Good job," but her spirit had already drifted elsewhere.
Back home, after her shower, Seoyeon stood before the bathroom mirror. Steam veiled the glass, but her reflection was perfectly blank. She couldn't shake the clammy, greasy feel of Manager Park's hand, his breath reeking of booze and meat, the persistent prodding of her thigh under the table.
She sat at her vanity, scooping her favorite essence and inhaling its scent. The familiar, luxurious fragrance seemed to blanket the unpleasant memories. As the idol Ciel, she'd endured countless creeps like him. Back then, she only had to protect herself. But now was different. She had a husband to shield.
Or maybe, because of her husband, she had to protect herself.
The world's full of all kinds of scum.
She just added one more to the long list of rude, repulsive types she'd dealt with since her idol days. Closing her eyes, she tried to erase the day's ugliness from her mind.
Hope I never have to deal with him again.
That was her final thought that night. Seoyeon simply hoped the unlucky day would pass quickly and went to sleep.