Chapter 79

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Translator: True Detective

Chapter: 78

Chapter Title: The Night We Hugged for Warmth

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"What happened, Team Leader?"

"..."

"Team Leader!"

"W-Well..."

Go-eun stumbled over her words in a fluster. The confident woman who always carried herself with such poise was nowhere to be seen—she was even stammering. Go-eun, stammering? If he hadn't witnessed it today, Hyunwoo probably never would have imagined it in his lifetime.

"Lee got up late, so I drove... but I took a wrong turn and..."

'How do you take a wrong turn and end up in the middle of these mountains?'

Hyunwoo couldn't make sense of it at all, but for now,

"I'll drive, Team Leader."

He helped Go-eun into the passenger seat and slid behind the wheel himself.

"Uh... well..."

The fuel warning light blinked on the dashboard.

'No way...'

Hyunwoo turned the key, but the car was completely dead.

"Looks like we're out of gas."

'Haa...'

"When was the last time you drove, Team Leader?"

"Once before my overseas assignment... It's been a while, so that's why. Don't... misunderstand, Lee. Ahem... ahem."

Go-eun stammered out excuses, but Hyunwoo saw right through her. This woman was a total disaster behind the wheel.

In fact, thanks to her flawless image at the office, Hyunwoo had always pictured Go-eun as perfect in every way. The other employees probably thought the same. But of course, no one was truly perfect, and Go-eun had her weaknesses too.

'But this bad? We were on the highway!'

Dragging the car all the way into these mountains was a talent in itself, if you could call it that.

"If you're such a bad driver, why didn't you just let me handle it?"

"..."

Had she ever been scolded like this in her career? Whether it was indignation at Hyunwoo's rebuke or shame at being exposed as someone who couldn't even drive properly, Go-eun hung her head, her face flushing red.

"...It's because of you, Lee. Time was tight, and you wouldn't wake up..."

The tiger who ruled the office like a dictator had turned into a kitten, whispering to herself. And that side of her was

'Cu...cute. For an older woman...'

a little adorable, Hyunwoo had to admit. At 170 cm tall with those unreal curves, especially her chest. Go-eun might hide behind a poker face, but she was still a woman—a very alluring one.

"I... I'll clean up my own mess, so don't worry about it, Lee."

Unlike the women who messed up and just wailed "Oh no, oh no," Go-eun was a responsible career woman with no comparison. She immediately pulled out the emergency manual from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the company car and called the insurance company, following procedure.

"Yes, this is a corporate vehicle insured with your company. License plate 0000. Yes, that's right. It's out of fuel and won't start. We'd like to request roadside assistance."

Things went smoothly with the insurer, and relief washed over Go-eun's face.

"The location is, uh... It says Heungcheon-gun, Geumchon-myeon on the GPS. But since it's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the mountains, there's no detailed position info. The road ends here, and there are no streetlights or poles around."

"Ah... yes... Understood. We'll wait. Thank you."

"Haa..."

"What did the insurance say, Team Leader?"

"They can't pinpoint our exact location, so it'll take a bit longer to get here. We'll... have to wait for a while."

"I see..."

"Lee... I'm sorry. This is all my fault, putting you in this mess."

Go-eun owned up to her mistake ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠right away. That was just her personality—clear on right and wrong.

"It's fine. These things happen. Hahaha..."

"..."

Whether her pride was hurt or she was embarrassed about her driving skills being exposed, Go-eun fell silent. An awkward quiet settled between them.

With the engine dead, the car was pitch black inside. Deep in the mountains, not even a streetlight pierced the darkness.

'If the insurance can't find us, are we stranded? Should I call the cops now?'

Hyunwoo felt a twinge of anxiety. He might lord over employees with his administrator powers at the office, but outside that bubble, he was just another office worker.

"Let's wait for the insurance to arrive. It's too dark to move around safely anyway."

Calling the police or 119 would blow it out of proportion. There might even be paperwork later. No need for that, Hyunwoo figured.

"Got it."

And so, Hyunwoo and Go-eun were stuck motionless in the car, waiting for the insurance tow truck.

But hours passed with no sign of the insurance vehicle. Go-eun called several more times, only to hear they were still searching because of the imprecise location.

As the engine's residual heat faded, the mountain chill seeped into the car.

"Haa..."

Go-eun shivered uncontrollably, the tremors strong enough for Hyunwoo to feel them from the next seat.

'Just a thin suit...'

No matter how meticulous a perfectionist Go-eun was, she couldn't have foreseen getting stranded in the mountains on a business trip. Naturally, she was in her usual light business attire—and so was Hyunwoo.

'Ugh...'

His breath fogged in the cold air.

"Uu..."

Just in case, Hyunwoo rummaged through the car, but the company vehicle only had the driving log and nothing else.

'Freezing my ass off. Need something to warm up...'

Of course, the first thing on Hyunwoo's mind was sex. Bodies entwined, ravaging each other fiercely. There were even stories of stranded hikers surviving the cold through intercourse.

On a whim, Hyunwoo checked Go-eun's status. The only new addition was [Regret] toward him.

'If you're that sorry, put out once. It'll warm us up too, right? Yeah, she'd slap me.'

He glanced at Go-eun shivering in the passenger seat and amplified her [Regret] toward him. Planting a debt of gratitude could be a powerful weapon in conquering her.

"You okay, Team Leader?"

"Y-Yes... Don't worry about me."

'I can feel you shaking from here...'

It was Go-eun's habit. Her youth and gender were weaknesses, and she'd climbed to team leader by hiding them completely.

Never showing frailty or struggle. Always maintaining a poker face. That was the secret to her rapid promotions.

'This is gonna be bad if we keep this up...'

But blindly enduring wasn't smart here. This wasn't the office, and pushing it could lead to hypothermia. Even Hyunwoo was struggling—Go-eun, as a woman, must be worse off.

"Team Leader."

"Uu... What, Lee?"

"We can't just sit here waiting. We might get hypothermia."

"I-It's... fine. The insurance will be here soon."

Whether pride or her aversion to weakness, Go-eun tried to tough it out as always.

"You sure you're okay, Team Leader?"

"God, yes! I'm fine!"

'Haa...'

"I'm not okay. I've been shivering non-stop... haa..."

Swallowing his male pride, Hyunwoo whined first.

"Why'd you... drive us all the way here... haa..."

The killer blow. You're making me collapse. Take responsibility. Childish as it was, it hit Go-eun with massive guilt.

'I can't let Lee suffer because of my bad driving... I have to fix this.'

She always took responsibility for her actions. To Go-eun, who'd lived by that creed, Hyunwoo's pain was her problem to solve.

"Then... let's sit in the back together. D-Don't get the wrong idea. It's just for body heat."

- Swish

Go-eun cautiously pulled Hyunwoo into an embrace.

- Squish

'Oh man... these have to be her boobs, right?'

She was wearing a jacket, shirt, and bra, but those massive breasts ignored all barriers, pressing their presence directly against him.

He got why busty women crossed their arms even when they knew it drew attention. No man could defend against this fleshy assault.

The soft sensation on his shoulder and arm had Hyunwoo's dick standing at full attention. Not what she'd intended, but his lower abdomen was definitely heating up.

'Lee's right. We need to maintain body heat to avoid hypothermia.'

"Haa..."

Hyunwoo let out a groan—cold or arousal, hard to tell. Oblivious, Go-eun hugged him tighter with her whole body.

'Sniff sniff... Lavender? Fabric softener?'

Not as overpowering as Eun Seol's perfume, but the subtle scent teased his nose. Despite her tough act, her shivers betrayed her chill.

"—!"

When Hyunwoo hugged back tightly, Go-eun flinched. But given the situation, she didn't resist. Her flushed, embarrassed face was plain to see in the dark.

'Ah, just like this...'

Pitch-black mountains, just the two of them in the car, intense embrace. It was over for anyone watching. Turning down this perfectly set table would make him less than a man.

'Start with a kiss, slow...'

Unable to hold back his lust, Hyunwoo inched his lips toward her face, but

Her limit had come despite the bravado—tears glistened behind her glasses. No matter her iron team leader mask, Go-eun was just a fragile woman.

'Fuck it...'

Not fully confident in her status yet, and seeing her weak, trembling from cold and fear, Hyunwoo gave up on the skinship.

'Next time... next time.'

- Shift

Worried she'd notice his erection, Hyunwoo subtly pulled his lower body away.

Locked in an embrace hotter than any lovers', they waited hours more in the car. As the sun rose, the insurance tow truck finally arrived.

"Haa... fuck, I should've just done her."

Rescued from the mountains, checked at the hospital, showered hot at home, and now in bed—regret flooded Hyunwoo over his restraint.

A golden opportunity from the heavens. Would another like yesterday's business trip come again?

'Nope.'

- Thud thud

Since getting the office admin powers, he'd lived by his dick. Why hold back now? Frustrated, he punched the mattress.

'Those damn tears...'

He never imagined Go-eun shedding tears. Well, not quite—they were just a bit misty. Still, a huge shock for him.

"Ah... guess I gotta lay low for a while?"

This would make Go-eun keep her distance. She'd be wary now. Lying in bed, Hyunwoo racked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his brain for a new approach, but with the chance blown, nothing came.

"Fuck it, sleep and figure it out tomorrow."

- Bzzz

As Hyunwoo gave up and drifted off, a message from Go-eun hit his phone.