A Bad Catch
The sound of running water, up close. At that noise, Han Seo-hee slowly began to come back to herself. She forced her heavy eyelids—too leaden to lift without a struggle—upward and looked around to find the sun already hanging at its peak.
Ignoring the way her whole body was screaming in protest, she strained with everything she had to get up. Though the sum total of her efforts amounted to sitting up in bed rather than actually getting out of it.
As her still-hazy mind pieced things together bit by bit, the water cut off, and with the click of a latch, the door swung open.
"You're awake?"
Kim Yi-seon stepped out with a gentle voice. But he wasn't dressed at all—just a towel slung loosely around his waist. So that running water had been the sound of him washing up.
The moment she took in the sight, her groggy brain snapped wide awake all at once.
"Aaaah!!!"
And in that same instant, every sordid event of yesterday came flooding back. She buried her face in the pillow and writhed in sheer humiliation.
"Noona, are you hurt somewhere?"
Yi-seon approached at the sight of her, but she desperately wanted to be left alone for a moment. Yes, she hurt—but it wasn't just her body that ached. Her head and her conscience were in agony too.
There was no shortage of disgraceful things she'd done yesterday. The way she'd thrown herself into his chest and sniffed at him like some pervert. The way she'd pressed her whole body against him and rubbed herself shamelessly. The way she'd said something utterly deranged to Yi-seon—when he'd been trying to brush it off with 'it's just a natural physiological reaction, let's move on'—like, 'If I'm the one who got you like this, should I take care of it?'
What was she, some kind of rabid animal in heat? The furthest she'd ever planned to go was a hug. Maybe, at the absolute limit, a kiss. She had certainly never intended for things to go that far.
After that, Yi-seon must have lost his head too, because even belated attempts to stop him went unheeded, and she'd spent hours shrieking and thrashing around—and that part was truly...
"Let me go, Yi-seon... Noona's going to turn herself in."
There was no excuse to be made. She was a criminal, plain and simple. Objectively speaking, hadn't a CEO just pounced on a new employee because he'd wagged his tail at her first? Anyone could see this was a crime.
Granted, she and Yi-seon were close—but then, any executive who'd committed a similar offense would surely claim the same thing about the employee in question.
As she knelt there repenting for her vile, lustful ways, a soft voice laced with laughter drifted over.
"Noona, stop hiding like that and look at my face."
"Don't wanna..."
She'd barely slept last night and had cried buckets, so her face was probably swollen into something hideous. It was absurd that she could even think that in her current situation.
"Why? You don't want to see me? I want to see your face."
Even now, this bad, bad man knew exactly how to melt a person's heart. At those words, she peeked up from the pillow to find Yi-seon grinning broadly at whatever was so funny.
A sudden surge of indignation rose in her chest. Fine, maybe she was the pot calling the kettle black—but here she was, wracked with complicated feelings, and what did he have to be smiling about?
Out of pure spite, she slammed her face back into the pillow. It was the only resistance she had left.
But at the sight of her, Yi-seon slowly lay back down beside her and gathered her into a gentle embrace.
"Noona. Is your body okay?"
No, absolutely not okay. Every muscle in her body was screaming, her joints ached, and that place in particular burned and throbbed. But what came out of her mouth was something else entirely.
"...Yi-seon. Let's just call what happened a mistake."
Yes, a mistake. A momentary lapse brought on by heat-of-the-moment passion. She had no intention of agonizing over virtue and chastity like it was some Joseon-era melodrama. A one-night stand happens—it's a thing that occurs between adults. So let's just bury today's events and move on.
But Yi-seon, showing not the slightest intention of listening, whispered quietly into her ear.
"Noona. Honestly, I'm still not sure whether I like you."
"..."
She'd just suggested they write the whole thing off as a mistake, and the instant she heard that, she felt inexplicably sad. Tears even prickled at the corners of her eyes.
But the next words out of him made her feel good again—which was not bipolar behavior at all, no sir.
"But when I'm with you, noona, I'm happy. It feels like we just fit. There's no pounding heartbeat or anything, but I think I'd miss you terribly if you weren't around me anymore."
"...And?"
"And I happen to be an obscenely greedy person. Mistake or not, I don't care. If something had never landed in my hands, fine—but now that it has, I'm not letting go. So think of it as getting hooked on the wrong line."
As confessions went, it was not a great line. Honestly, she'd have called it just about the worst one possible. And yet here she was, swayed by that ridiculous declaration—just how easy was she?
Her conscience pricked at having seduced a married man too young for her, and a small part of her pride balked at accepting so shameless a line, so she didn't say anything. She simply turned over quietly and rested her face not on the pillow, but against Yi-seon's chest.
"...Yi-seon. Why is this getting hard again?"
He probably understood her answer just fine.
---
Even in the midst of all this happiness, Han Seo-hee felt oddly adrift—could she really be allowed to feel this happy?
"This concludes this week's regular Seoul Twins front-office meeting. Any staff members with additional input, please reach me at my work email."
Since she was in quarantine, the weekly regular meeting was being handled over video call. Han Seo-hee had put on a respectable blouse—while still wearing pajama pants out of frame.
She held her posture ramrod straight, projecting an air of gravitas, but the moment the screen went dark, her expression collapsed at speed.
"Yi-seon~ Noona's had such a hard day."
"Yes, right here."
She immediately began acting spoiled.
Even before the quarantine, whenever she met Kim Yi-seon she'd vent to him and soak up the comfort. It was just that the intensity had... escalated somewhat.
"You did great today. Get some real rest now."
"Mm..."
Before, it had simply been a matter of seeing his face and talking. Now, the instant the video call ended, she'd throw herself at Yi-seon, who sat waiting on the bed beside her, and settle onto his lap.
She used to watch Ye-eun—and occasionally Min-ah—perched on Yi-seon's knees and think, couple skinship is all well and good, but they're not children; do they really have to go that far? Having now experienced it firsthand, she understood what a foolish thought that had been.
For one thing, Han Seo-hee was shorter than Kang Min-ah, let alone Lee Ye-eun, so sitting on Yi-seon's lap tucked her neatly and completely into the cradle of his arms.
Then there were those famously huge hands of his supporting her torso with practiced ease, and those sturdy arms—thicker than her own legs, she suspected—wrapping firmly around her body. The signature sense of security, the delicious thrill of knowing her entire body was held entirely in Yi-seon's hands... it was no joke at all.
And with his low, unmistakable voice murmuring endless you worked hards and you did so wells right into her ear? That went beyond a brain melting softly into pudding—she could feel her intelligence draining by the second.
What was this? Was this heaven?
The Han Seo-hee of the past could never understand the women who ruined their lives throwing themselves at men.
However introverted she might be, she was still a third-generation chaebol heir. Sooner or later, the gossip of high society found its way to her ears, and she heard plenty about foolish women who'd hooked themselves to trash men chasing their money.
Seriously—love or no love, falling for a man to the point of buying him clothes, watches, cars, fine. But buying him a house? A whole building? Even getting him jobs and promotions? Actions that made you question whether these women still possessed functioning brain cells.
But now she understood. If Yi-seon whispered in her ear right now, Noona, think you could find us a house to live in? she would buy an apartment in the heart of Seoul under his name on the spot. If he said, I want to pitch in the starting rotation, she might very well trade away every competitor on the roster.
And to mentally unsealed Han Seo-hee in this state, Kim Yi-seon said:
"Noona, this is that manga you love, right? They're doing a limited edition release."
Of all the things to say, the man wanted to buy a limited-edition manga. Giddy, he showed her the listing—a romantic comedy series, so naturally there were two sets themed around the male lead and the female lead.
Which meant: let's each buy one and split them between us. Like the two leads of the story.
Ha. Was it really okay for a man to be this adorable?
She was gazing at his face with exactly that thought when Kim Yi-seon beamed back at her, all sunny and unguarded.
She couldn't help herself and gave him a quick peck.
"You. Were you just flirting with me again?"
"Was I?"
Out of righteous indignation she tickled him all over, and he just laughed, claiming he had no idea what he'd done wrong. Honestly, was this creature a fox or a bear?
Then, at some point, their eyes met. His rumpled clothes, her breath ragged from the roughhousing—together, the air between them turned suddenly, delicately strange.
♪♬─!!
"One sec, noona."
A phone rang, and the mood evaporated instantly. It was Yi-seon's.
"Oh, Ye-eun. Yeah, I miss you too."
And the moment she heard the content of that call, Han Seo-hee snapped back to reality.
Come to think of it, she'd completely forgotten about the largest, most terrifying obstacle of all.
---
Finally, the day her self-quarantine ended, Han Seo-hee didn't head home. She set off in a completely different direction.
"Uh, noona? If you're too tired, I can go talk to her alone."
It sounded like concern, but it was a laughable offer—coming from the man whose face was frozen solid with nerves, shoulders twitching at intervals as if he had no idea what thoughts were besieging him.
Han Seo-hee shook her head and declared, with a voice that trembled only slightly:
"This is something I started, not you. Of course I should bear the responsibility."
It was Han Seo-hee herself who had seduced a much younger man who already belonged to someone else. Hiding behind him all the way to his front door would be beyond shameless—it would be pathetic.
So she had to step forward herself.
In front of a villa building in the town proper of Yangpyeong-gun. It wasn't the usual faded red-brick relic but a clean, modern-style villa—she hadn't known buildings like this even existed in such an out-of-the-way corner of the countryside.
The building felt strangely familiar. Yi-seon passed through the shared entrance and stopped in front of the metal door marked 201. He glanced back at her, eyes asking, We're really doing this?
Honestly, she was terrified. But it had to be done. She swallowed hard and nodded.
He slowly punched in the passcode, and the door opened.
"Yi-seon, you're back? Come in quick, Min-ah and— oh my. It's been a while, hasn't it? What should I call you?"
And the moment that door swung open, today's final boss was waiting. Lee Ye-eun.
She apparently hadn't fully grasped the situation yet, because she was greeting Han Seo-hee in a perfectly friendly tone. But how long would that attitude last? If it changed, how vicious would it become? Just imagining it was frightening.
Taking care not to stumble over her words, Han Seo-hee answered slowly.
"You can call me whatever's comfortable. Could I call you Ye-eun?"
"Sure. Then I'll do that too. Can I call you unnie?"
Kim Yi-seon, guilt-laden, had gone completely rigid—yet Lee Ye-eun responded exactly as she always did. Hoping the atmosphere might thaw even a little, Han Seo-hee opted to keep the tone of address friendly.
"Yi-seon, what are you doing loitering in the— oh, hello."
"Uh... hi?"
When the standoff at the entrance dragged on, it was Kang Min-ah, sensing something off and emerging from her room, who registered the strangeness of Yi-seon's demeanor and her own presence. Her expression crumpled slightly the instant she saw Han Seo-hee.
The air in the house stiffened by degrees. Kim Yi-seon, who'd been hovering awkwardly and watching everyone's reactions, finally tiptoed out of his shoes and stepped inside.
"So—it has been a while, but what brings you all the way out here?"
Only once they'd moved past the entrance into the living room did Lee Ye-eun drop the question.
Kim Yi-seon opened his mouth with a trembling voice.
"Ye-eun, it's... about that—"
"Be quiet. Can't you see she came here to talk to me herself?"
He was immediately silenced. And only then did Han Seo-hee see the look in Lee Ye-eun's eyes.
It went without saying—there was no way someone as sharp as Lee Ye-eun didn't know exactly what was happening right now. She was simply waiting for Han Seo-hee to say it to her face.
Realizing that made it so much worse. Her personal list of frightening people had always held a fixed top two—her mother at number one, her grandfather at number two—but the Lee Ye-eun standing before her now could comfortably claim a rank of third without breaking a sweat.
Still, there was no backing down. Lee Ye-eun's eyes wavered slightly too—perhaps she feared the fallout as well—and wasn't Yi-seon sending silent cheers her way even now?
She took a deep breath, tensed her core, and forced out the one thing that needed saying.
"Ye-eun. And Min-ah. I like Yi-seon too. And Yi-seon accepted me."
"Oh. Okay."
"Haah... honestly."
Huh?
Kim Yi-seon and Han Seo-hee exchanged a baffled look. The reaction was... quite different from what they'd expected?
"What are you doing standing there like a fence post? Go in, change your clothes, and get some rest."
"Oh? Uh, right. Good idea."
While the two of them stood there flustered, Lee Ye-eun kept up the small talk as if nothing in the world had happened. Kim Yi-seon scuttled awkwardly toward the back room.
And the moment he vacated the scene, exactly three women were left standing in the living room.
"Shall we step out for a bit, then?"
"Out? Where to?"
"Just us girls—let's have a proper chat at a café. Yi-seon! I'm popping out to the café up front for a minute!"
Such a breezy tone, like she was running to the convenience store. Han Seo-hee could not, for the life of her, keep up with this situation.
---
"Oh my, our Ye-eun's back again? Should I just get you the usual?"
"Yes. Three, please."
"Got it. Won't take a minute!"
Lee Ye-eun chatted with the owner like a regular, placed the order, and claimed a table in the corner.
Kang Min-ah, who'd followed without a word, sat quietly alongside her, and Han Seo-hee, ever so carefully, took the seat across from them.
She hadn't known a café this decent—slightly worn, but respectable—existed in a town like this. Han Seo-hee simply could not fathom where these social butterflies had discovered a shop trendy enough for a café tour circuit, or when on earth they'd gotten chummy with the owner.
The coffee arrived a short while later, but her hands refused to move toward it. In contrast, Lee Ye-eun gave her cup a light, appreciative sniff and took a sip.
"The coffee's pretty good here. Try it, unnie."
"Oh? Sure..."
She took a sip. It was true—the aroma was surprisingly good, the roast well executed. Hardly what you'd expect from a café in the middle of nowhere—
"So. Are you using birth control?"
PFFFTH—!!
"Kghak!... Kholok!... Hah... hah... S-sorry, Ye-eun? What did you just say?"
"I asked if you're using birth control."
Lee Ye-eun slurped her coffee and asked it breezily, like small talk. At the completely out-of-nowhere question, Han Seo-hee sprayed a fair bit of her coffee. Thankfully, none of it hit a person.
For someone raised under her mother's strict etiquette lessons and normally cautious in all things, this was inexcusable behavior—but wasn't the question itself far too bold for a public place?
As she sat there unable to answer, Lee Ye-eun kept lobbing bombs.
"Hm... or maybe you haven't gotten that far yet? But that sly fox Kim Yi-seon—a coward like him wouldn't dare bring another woman in front of me unless you two had actually slept together."
"We did! We did, so stop there!"
She blurted it out in a panic, plugging Lee Ye-eun's mouth, if nothing else. And so, mortifying beyond words, she was forced to actually answer the question.
"...I didn't... use anything. We were in quarantine, so there were no condoms..."
Why was she even having this conversation right now? She glared at Lee Ye-eun, ears burning red, with just a trace of resentment.
"So you went and had a grand old time with a married man, no protection and all, is that it?"
And there went that knowing grin. Yes, yes, she was the guilty party here.
As she fidgeted between guilt and dread, a voice came from the other side of the table.
"Really. Do you actually enjoy tormenting people that much?"
"Unnie Seo-hee's reactions are secretly adorable, though."
It was Kang Min-ah, who until now had been quietly observing the whole exchange.
"Lift your head up. That woman's just teasing you."
"So what? She did sleep with another woman's man, didn't she?"
Kang Min-ah warned her, for the love of god, to shut that mouth. She pressed a finger to her temple, then dropped an unbelievable revelation.
"Technically, I'm the one who barged in uninvited, so I have no intention of rejecting you, unnie. And besides, from what I hear, the person whose surnames are all over this house gave her blessing out in the open from the very start."
"...Huh?"
Lee Ye-eun smiled in a vaguely wicked way. To a stranger, it might have looked cute and playful—but knowing the full story, the description that fit best was demon.
"Which means, unnie, you got played by Lee Ye-eun's little theater. Doesn't it strike you as odd? You were attached to Yi-seon oppa's side that often, and Lee Ye-eun never once said a word about it?"
Even after Kang Min-ah finished, Lee Ye-eun didn't deny a thing.
At that point, Han Seo-hee's brain—weak in the arena of human relationships but formidable in intellect and memory—began firing on all cylinders.
All those strangely timed remarks and pointed silences from Lee Ye-eun. Even if she weren't the vindictive type, any lover would have voiced at least one complaint about meetings that frequent—yet Lee Ye-eun had said nothing. Had even been quite kind, in fact, through all of it.
Ah.
I got played by the social butterflies' games. Again.