Chapter 87
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Unfamiliar Jealousy
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She had never given much thought to her own age—33—before now. Sure, these days couples with older women and younger men were a dime a dozen, but seeing the 20-year-old intern Hye-ri flaunt her closeness with Hyunwoo left Go-eun feeling utterly intimidated.
"Am I jealous?"
Jealousy—a staple trope in K-dramas. Go-eun didn't watch them much anyway, but whenever she caught glimpses, she always saw women's jealousy as petty, pointless emotional waste.
Why waste time on jealousy when you could focus on self-improvement and become an attractive woman yourself? That was her takeaway from those scenes.
But now that it was happening to her, the lost time, the years she'd already aged—they were problems no amount of effort or self-development could fix.
Jealousy over something she could no longer have. It was a completely foreign emotion to Go-eun.
Though this unfamiliar jealousy had her in a foul mood all morning, she had no intention of letting it interfere with her work. The reports and approval documents had been piling up on her desk for days.
As if trying to drown out her feelings, Go-eun tackled the backlog in one fell swoop. Compared to the tangle in her head, this work was simple—no real thought required.
Before she knew it, noon had arrived. Lunchtime.
"Team Leader, aren't you going for lunch?"
Deputy Manager Kwon Yong-chan glanced at his watch and subtly reminded her. He clearly didn't want to waste even a minute of his precious lunch break.
"Oh, right. Everyone, let's head to lunch."
For office workers, lunchtime was the second most anticipated moment of the day. No matter how busy you were, you couldn't skip this small but precious break. Of course, quitting time was number one.
Go-eun joined Hyunwoo and the rest of the team in heading to the cafeteria.
- Poke, poke
The side dishes weren't bad, but Hyunwoo was picking at his food listlessly. Maybe he was still down from getting chewed out by her earlier that morning—he barely touched his meal. Seeing him like that stirred something in Go-eun's heart.
He wasn't usually so picky with the others. No matter her personal feelings, she shouldn't have scolded him that harshly. It must have felt unfair to him.
'I wasn't myself. It wasn't even something worth pointing out. I should ease up this afternoon.'
She resolved to apologize to Hyunwoo. But that resolve didn't last long.
"Hello. Team Leader Choi, I'm Deputy Manager Eun Seol from Public Relations."
"Nice to meet you. What brings you here?"
Organizational Innovation TF Team and Public Relations had no overlapping duties. That explained why this was the first time Go-eun had seen Eun Seol's face.
Go-eun quickly scanned her from head to toe. They wore similar blouse-and-skirt office attire, but anyone could see Eun Seol knew how to dress.
Her high-waisted skirt rose nearly to her navel, accentuating her slim figure, paired with a fitted blouse that hugged her slender upper body. Instead of Go-eun's drab black or navy, she'd matched fresh ivory with brown.
Her hairstyle and makeup were clearly deliberate too—the shoulder-length brown bob with natural waves struck a perfect balance of femininity and chic appeal. Subtle contouring highlighted her striking cat-like features.
Earrings peeking out with every head turn, a bracelet sparkling on her delicate wrist. Even as a woman, Go-eun had to admit Eun Seol's fashion sense was top-notch.
Eun Seol's outfit screamed confidence, with no attempt to hide its flashiness. It could have veered into tacky, but it didn't—instead, it exuded elegance.
Her slim build and long, lean legs only amplified the self-assured glow on her face.
"It's about the company volunteer event. We sent documents last week, but we haven't heard back."
"Oh... right? One moment."
Last week had been a mess thanks to Hyunwoo. She'd clearly overlooked something. Go-eun searched the system for the document from Public Relations.
"'Employee-Led Community Outreach Volunteer Plan for Vulnerable Groups.' This it?"
"Yes, that's the one."
In summary, it was about company employees volunteering to spread love and hope to local underprivileged residents. With press releases and CEO approval, it seemed like Public Relations' big project for the year.
"And the regular volunteer date in the plan is today?"
"Yes. Team Leader, we need at least one person from each department, so I came to ask in person."
"Also, to keep complaints down, we're balancing male-female participation at 5:5. Right now, we just need one more male employee."
The delayed response had forced the person in charge to come herself.
"Sorry you had to make the trip for nothing. My apologies, Deputy Manager."
"No problem. It's not too late—we can head out as soon as you pick someone."
The only male employees in the department were Deputy Manager Kwon and Hyunwoo.
- Glance
Even to another woman, Eun Seol was undeniably attractive. Go-eun suddenly didn't want to send Hyunwoo.
"Deputy Manager Kwon! Is Kwon in?"
"He's in a meeting right now, Team Leader," Section Chief Jeong replied from his seat.
'Sigh...'
Of course, the only other guy was out. No choice but to send Hyunwoo.
'Can't be helped.'
"Deputy Manager Lee, sorry it's so sudden, but could you join Public Relations' volunteer event today?"
"Sure thing."
First Hye-ri, now Eun Seol—running into the team leader on the same day. Not wanting to poke the bear, Hyunwoo stood without protest and followed Eun Seol out of the office.
"After spanking me raw like that last time, sending a single check-in text is too much to ask?"
Eun Seol vented at Hyunwoo.
'Oh...'
A few days ago, he'd barged into her officetel, paddling her bare ass mercilessly with his hand and a wooden paddle. Not satisfied, he'd left the front door wide open while tormenting her relentlessly.
Remembering that other karma from his past.
"Why'd you leave the door open? How am I supposed to face the neighbors now? You gonna take responsibility, Deputy Manager?"
Eun Seol's disposition: [True Masochist]. He knew it full well, and she'd been deep in it herself, yet here she was snapping at him.
Sure, she was pissed about the radio silence, but Hyunwoo had no patience for her whining—not when it wasn't even Go-eun, the tiger. To him, Eun Seol was just a grumpy kitten.
'Spankings with the rotor, forced nude SNS posts, and she still climbs back.'
Despite the rotor torment, spankings, and naked exposure online, her [Queen] and [Tsundere] traits kept her from breaking—she always came crawling back.
'That's part of her charm, though.'
If she submitted easily, where's the fun in tormenting her? Deep down, Hyunwoo hoped she'd never break.
"We're still in the office—don't get too clingy."
"...Hmph!"
- Click-clack
Stung by his cold response, Eun Seol stormed off, her heels slamming louder than necessary.
Of course, neither Hyunwoo nor Eun Seol noticed Go-eun watching them from afar.
'Eun Seol... Deputy Manager, was it?'
Go-eun immediately searched the company intranet for her. Team leaders had special access to all employee profiles.
"Public Relations... 28 years old..."
Younger than her, as expected. Her flashy office look oozed femininity, with those long, slim legs stretching endlessly.
It was a stark contrast to Go-eun's usual dull black jacket and skirt. Fashion beyond suits was foreign territory for her—she could never pull that off.
Eun Seol was taller and slimmer too, without the oversized chest or hips that refused to shrink despite daily swims. Go-eun found herself envying that sleek, slender frame.
If the men heard her inner thoughts, they'd weep. Go-eun lacked confidence in her killer figure.
'Sigh... Why am I like this?'
Just days ago, these thoughts never crossed her mind. Now, she kept comparing herself to the female employees around Hyunwoo—and losing every imaginary matchup, chipping away at her confidence.
'And why does he know so many women at work?'
Her irritation swung back to Hyunwoo.
"So, where are we headed today?"
Hyunwoo and the other employees rode the large bus prepared by Public Relations. Whether by design or chance, Eun Seol sat beside him.
"To check on elderly folks living alone nearby and deliver daily necessities. No one looks after them, so the company visits regularly."
A plan pushed by the sharp, competent Eun Seol—flawless, no doubt.
"You sure you can volunteer in that outfit?"
Lacking any real gripes, Hyunwoo nitpicked her clothes.
The skirt and blouse clung without a hint of slack, outlining her figure perfectly.
"Hmph! I'll handle my job just fine, so don't worry about it, De-puty-Ma-na-ger!"
Her pride wounded, she ground out the words through clenched teeth. Soon the bus arrived, and Eun Seol began directing the employees.
Everyone hustled to follow her orders—the schedule was tight since the event was short.
"Huff... huff..."
'This is tougher than it looks.'
Hauling supply boxes up the steep hill, Hyunwoo panted heavily.
"Deputy Manager Lee, you haven't even started yet and you're already wiped?"
Eun Seol teased from behind, clearly still salty about his earlier comment on her outfit.
'You'd better brace yourself next time.'
Hyunwoo already looked forward to her next "lesson." Time to buy some new tools beyond the paddle.
As he carried supplies, fantasizing about tormenting her—
"Let go of my hand! Grandpa!"
Eun Seol's sharp cry rang out from afar.
'What now?'
Hyunwoo dropped his box and hurried over.
"Heh... heh heh..."
A homeless-looking old man clung to Eun Seol's waist, refusing to let go.
"J-just... once... let me touch... heh heh..."
"Let go! I said let go!!"
The man seemed senile or deranged. But his grip was strong for a guy his age—Eun Seol struggled but couldn't shake him.
'Who the hell does this creep think he is, touching what's mine?'
She was fair game for him, but no one else. Her eye-catching outfit must've turned his head.
- Thwack
"Urk..."
Hyunwoo smacked the filthy arm away hard, freeing her from the old man.
"Haa... haa..."
"Who the hell do you think you are, groping people? Huh?"
"J-just... once... heh heh..."
"Fuck off already! Scram!"
Frightened by Hyunwoo's threat, the old man bolted. Luckily, with Stamina 4, even he could handle the geezer.
'Phew... Glad I didn't get wrecked like with Choi Hyun-min's Stamina 7.'
The old man's stats must've been lower. Moments like this screamed the need to level up Stamina.
'Shit, so much to grind.'
"You okay?"
"Yeah... I'm fine."
Hyunwoo helped the fallen Eun Seol to her feet, brushing off the spot on her waist where the old man had grabbed her.
'Fuck, keep your filthy hands off what's mine.'
He'd posted her nudes all over SNS, but that didn't mean others could touch. Her luscious body was his to play with alone.
"Th-thank you, Deputy Manager."
'What's with her now?'
It was nothing special to him, but she stammered awkwardly in gratitude.
There was that minor incident, but they finished the afternoon volunteers and returned to the office.
On the bus ride back, Eun Seol sat next to Hyunwoo, face flushed, staying silent the whole way.