Chapter 58

Chapter 58

The car made a sharp U-turn, causing her body to lose balance and tilt sharply to the side. As if he had been waiting for it, Gukhyun pulled Heeju’s shoulder into his embrace and held her.

“N-no, I’ll tell you. I just need to say it…”

“Yeah, I’m listening.”

Heeju took a short breath and then parted her lips as if exhaling.

“If I ever become an obstacle in your path, Executive Director, you said you would throw me away without mercy.”

Gukhyun buried his nose in the crown of Heeju’s head and let out a low laugh. Even after hearing those words, he actually looked pleased. No, to be precise, it wasn’t that he was happy about the words themselves, but rather that he seemed delighted because Heeju was upset by those words.

“How is it that this person has never failed to meet a single expectation?”

His quiet laughter seemed to reach her not through her ears, but through her skin. Feeling the small goosebumps rising all over her body, Heeju sat up straight and pulled herself out of Gukhyun’s arms.

Instead of pulling her back in, Gukhyun took Heeju’s hand and interlaced their fingers. Then, placing their joined hands on his own thigh, he asked her,

“What do you think? Do you really believe that if such a time comes, I would abandon you?”

“I…”

Heeju looked directly into Gukhyun’s eyes with calm eyes, filled with nothing but sincerity.

“I have no intention of becoming an obstacle in your path, Executive Director.”

Gukhyun, who had shown no reaction even when hearing words that should have upset him, now finally hardened his face.

“You said it yourself, Executive Director. The contract between us is simple. I’m just repaying a debt, and when the contract ends, you’ll let me go.”

She could feel sudden strength surging into their interlaced hands. Nevertheless, Heeju continued in a calm tone.

“I will never block your path. I won’t be abandoned either. It was really funny though, Director Yoon seemed to think of me as some tragic heroine.”

“…….”

“So please don’t act close to me in front of other people. And don’t do things like this either.”

Heeju energetically lifted their interlocked hands to show him.

“Especially not in front of someone like Yoon Seokchan.”

Gukhyun stared at Heeju as if he had been hit. Unlike his usual self, his expression was slightly dazed. His deep, ash-gray eyes, submerged like an abyss, were quiet and still.

He let out a low sigh, as if feeling severe exhaustion for the first time in his life. He had wondered what this little head was thinking so hard about, but this was truly an unexpected development.

In all his life, he had actually been hit in the back of the head before, but this was the first time he felt like he had been hit just by words.

He was originally someone with a clear disposition who neither regretted nor looked back. However, perhaps at this very moment, a slight sense of regret was rising. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought you along.

The feeling of losing control was unfamiliar and strange, refreshing yet unpleasant. The sensation slowly creeping across his chest caused an annoying pain. To him, it was nothing more than a useless emotion he didn’t need at all, so why are you…

“…Wow. She told me not to act close.”

His long eyes gradually curved playfully, and the corners of his lips stretched wide to the side.

“I’m hurt.”

Gukhyun frowned as if he had really been hurt. Then he rubbed his left chest with his right hand.

“Touch it. My heart is beating slower because I’m hurt.”

He took Heeju’s hand and placed it over his heart, pressing it repeatedly. The firm yet subtly soft chest muscles were vigorously rubbed against her palm. Heeju tried to pull her hand back, but she had no way to resist his much stronger grip that pressed down even harder.

“I told you not to do things like this…”

“There’s no one watching.”

At some point, Yunam had been treated as completely invisible. Yunam also seemed completely unconcerned about what was happening in the back seat—or rather, as if he couldn’t see it at all—and continued driving calmly. The only one who found this situation awkward was Heeju alone.

Before long, the car carrying the three of them entered through the main gate. Yunam stopped the car right in front of the entrance.

“Go inside. I have to head back to the office.”

“Yes. I’ll go in.”

It felt strange that, even after the commotion earlier, everything seemed to return to normal so quickly. Gukhyun’s silly jokes helped at times like this. Come to think of it, reacting to every single thing Yoon Seokchan said and digging herself into a hole was actually quite pathetic and laughable.

While Heeju opened the back door and got out, Gukhyun, who had gotten out from the opposite side, opened the trunk and took something out.

“Wait a moment.”

He called Heeju to stop her and took a step closer. What Gukhyun wrapped around Heeju’s neck was a soft, fluffy muffler.

“……?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected situation, Heeju blinked dazedly. Gukhyun smiled as if finding her face amusing, then carefully tied the muffler with his large, rough hands. Every time he moved his hands, the scars on the back of them flexed.

Heeju alternated her gaze between the muffler around her neck and Gukhyun before asking,

“…Why this?”

“I was forced into buying it by someone I met for business.”

Gukhyun replied casually without batting an eye.

But since when had Kwon Gukhyun been someone who could be forced into buying anything? Heeju looked at him with an incredulous expression. After removing his hands from the muffler, Gukhyun gently brushed the corner of Heeju’s eyes with his hand.

“It suits you surprisingly well for something I was forced to buy.”

“…….”

“Your neck is long like a deer’s, so it always looked empty. It’s been bothering me for a while now.”

Why is it that my heart crumbles at the touch that brushes the corner of my eye?

Heeju awkwardly fiddled with the muffler. Then she looked up at Gukhyun and said in a calm voice,

“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”

“If you’re thankful, then repay me with your body.”

Gukhyun’s long eyes curved playfully. No matter what, this man never missed a chance to say something lewd even at moments like this. Heeju, who had paused for a moment, frowned in disgust.

“Seriously, what kind of man talks about dirty things the moment he opens his mouth…”

Then Gukhyun’s smile grew even deeper.

“I was just expecting a kiss on the cheek. How intensely were you planning to repay me?”

“…….”

“I don’t know who’s dirtier.”

Heat rushed to Heeju’s face. She had assumed that the man who always spewed vulgar remarks would of course be talking about s3.x again, but she went and jumped to conclusions on her own. In an instant, even the backs of her ears burned hot.

“It’s not like that… I mean…”

Gukhyun happily watched Heeju’s cheeks turn red, then finally pulled her into his arms as if he couldn’t hold back anymore. Her powerless body was completely captured in his broad chest.

“Then I’ll look forward to it?”

He held her waist so tightly it felt like he might crush it and whispered low in her ear. Overwhelmed with embarrassment, Heeju couldn’t find the words to reply. She hung her head low, and buried her face in the muffler. The sound of Gukhyun stifling his laughter came through his chest pressed against her.

“I’d better get off work really fucking fast.”

***

Even though the new year had arrived, not much had changed. Strangely peaceful days continued to pass.

It was undeniable that the conversation with Yoon Seokchan at the hospital had left an ominous ripple in her heart, but living shut away inside the mansion and cut off from the outside world made the environment surrounding Heeju so peaceful it was almost boring. As she spent days where yesterday felt like today and today felt like tomorrow, one thing she realized was that Gukhyun was truly a workaholic who worked without distinguishing between weekdays and weekends, day and night.

The time he spent at home each day was only a few hours at most, and even then, after having s3.x, Gukhyun’s sleep was at most three or four hours.

He slept so little every day and still maintained a healthy, energetic body. Heeju often felt a sense of wonder whenever she looked at Gukhyun.

And what else did I end up feeling?

When they had s3.x, he smiled more than usual, talked more, and tried to kiss her all the time. Thanks to that, Heeju’s lips were always chapped and swollen, and when she was alone, fiddling with her puffy lips had become a habit.

The mouth that used to casually pour out vulgar, lewd jokes had, at some point, started whispering “I’m so happy I could die” without hesitation.

Whenever she heard those words, Heeju would be seized by a strange feeling that she didn’t know how to respond. He seemed to enjoy her flustered expression.

“Haa, I like it… Why are you so pretty?”

“Since when have you been this pretty?”