I Quit

Taemin narrowed his eyes and slowly scanned Gong Juhee from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

Her wrinkled blouse and skirt. Her face without a trace of makeup. Her hair, loosened all the way down to her waist.

“Haah.”

Taemin exhaled a breath heavy with disbelief.

Instead of avoiding his piercing stare, Juhee met it with calm composure. She found his attitude ridiculous—like a man who had caught his lover cheating. Do you think you’re the only one with eyes and instincts? I have them too.

She had no desire to argue the point, but Taemin was hardly in a position to act righteous. The fact that he was still wearing the same clothes made it obvious he had spent the night with Joo Haena in this very hotel. The dark circles under his eyes and the dullness of his once-healthy skin suggested he had served her thoroughly last night. And that wasn’t all—faint scratches from a woman’s nails were visible above his shirt collar. The sight made her already dwindling interest in him vanish completely. She moved to walk past him without a word.

Or at least, she tried to.

But a rough hand seized her wrist and spun her around.

“Juhee, you and I need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you, Managing Director Han.”

Juhee yanked her wrist free, her brows furrowing. Taemin was the one who had betrayed her first. He was the one who had rejected the final chance she gave him and severed their connection. Yet here he was, calling her by her first name and trying to meddle in her affairs like he used to. She couldn’t stand it.

Taemin dragged a hand roughly down his face and snarled in a low voice.

“Did you sleep with some guy?”

“I believe I told you to stop concerning yourself with my business.”

“This is driving me crazy,” Taemin muttered under his breath, grinding his teeth.

“You actually slept with someone just because I told you to?”

“……”

“Who the hell was it?”

Taemin’s eyes blazed with jealousy, his face twisted with raw possessiveness.

“Is it someone I know? Assistant Manager Han? Team Leader Kim? Or maybe Kang Jeong-hwan, the one who joined last year? The pretty boy who couldn’t stop grinning at you and finding excuses to talk to you?”

Knowing Juhee’s routine between home and the office, Taemin listed off company employees.

Why doesn’t he even consider that it could have been Yoon Jeha?

“Or what—did you get so pissed about me kissing Haena yesterday that you grabbed the first guy you saw and had a one-night stand?”

What a ridiculous delusion.

“Yes, I did. What about it?”

The shock that flooded his face was almost satisfying to watch.

“Have you lost your mind? You’re not the kind of woman who throws her body around like that!”

His lowered eyes were filled with accusation, resentment, and contempt. The way he looked at her—as if she had done something unforgivable—made something inside Juhee twist violently.

Why is it okay when you do it, but not when I do?

When you do it, it’s justified. When I do it, suddenly I’m the one recklessly throwing my body around?

Instead of voicing those questions, Juhee deliberately tucked her loosened hair behind her ear. The strands that had veiled her neck like a curtain fell away, revealing the vivid marks scattered across her skin.

“This is what you did, Managing Director Han. Is there any reason I shouldn’t be allowed to do the same?”

She looked up at his trembling eyes and continued in a soft, gentle voice.

“It wasn’t bad at all, actually. I think I might even be better at it.”

Taemin looked as though he had been struck speechless. His mouth opened and closed without making a sound.

Juhee swallowed a light laugh and walked past him with graceful ease.

When she glanced back before leaving the hotel, she saw him still standing there, frozen in place. His broad shoulders, slumped in a way that didn’t suit his large frame, were almost comical.

Even so, she didn’t feel any real relief.

Yoon Jeha woke up late in the morning. The slow, searching movement of his hand across the bed was pure instinct, born from the moment he closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing.

But she wasn’t there.

The moment he confirmed the empty space beside him, his brain—still submerged in deep sleep—snapped awake.

His heavy eyelids lifted slowly, revealing clouded eyes.

“Where did she go?”

Was it natural for her to be gone? Gong Juhee had only said they should sleep together last night—she hadn’t asked to stay until morning.

Jeha rose languidly and threw on a robe before raising the blinds. Bright sunlight poured in aggressively, yet he felt no irritation.

That in itself was strange. It had been a long time since he could fall asleep without alcohol. The downside was that his condition the next day was usually terrible.

Sleeping in was normal for him, and nothing was more unpleasant than morning sunlight. Only after pushing his body through punishing exercise could he manage afternoon work.

But today was different. Even though he had drunk heavily yesterday, the sunlight that should have felt like it was tearing at his retinas didn’t bother him.

Why? What had changed?

“……Gong Juhee.”

There was no other explanation. The realization made him laugh. There had been many nights when he had chased pleasure because he wanted to destroy himself, wanted to fall asleep. But the aftermath of spending the night with a woman had always been worse than any hangover. That was why he had stopped.

Yet if someone asked him about last night, he would honestly say it had been mind-blowingly good.

Even though his brain had been soaked in alcohol, the memories were painfully vivid. Her usually calm voice had grown thin and drawn out with excitement, teasing his ears. Her delicate skin marked easily, giving him deep satisfaction. Her body, sensitive to every touch, had trembled and signaled with every heated trace he left. Even watching her cool, moonlit eyes grow hot and hazy with pleasure had been delightful.

Her breath was sweet, her skin was soft, and her innocent face—completely unaware of how seductive it looked—was unbearably erotic. How could he not lose his mind?

He had driven into her with the single-minded obsession of a pubescent boy.

This was the first time he had fallen so hard for a woman. The first time he couldn’t pull himself out. And even after all that, the thirst she left behind still writhed inside him.

That was probably why Gong Juhee had run away.

“Maybe I should have held back a little.”

There was no truth in the indifferent murmur.

Even if he could turn back time to last night, he would have done more, not less.

When he left the bedroom, he saw his suit, shoes, and accessories neatly arranged on the sofa. There was also a trolley beside it. Lifting the silver cover revealed an ice bucket containing honey water and a cleansing juice.

After reading the note placed beside them, Jeha’s brows furrowed.

He could picture Juhee forcing her exhausted body to rise just to prepare all of this.

The neat handwriting, so like her face, seemed to whisper another message to him.

Something like, We spent the night together, but please don’t cross the line. Or, If you want to cross that line, marry me.

Jeha picked up the note, twirling it lightly between his fingers as a lazy smile spread across his face.

“How did she know?”

That I was planning to cross the line.

If she thought he would simply walk away after one night, that was her mistake. If one time had been enough to satisfy him, he never would have touched her in the first place.

Right now, Jeha had no reason to hold back. No reason to respect any lines.

No—the thought of simply keeping her by his side was no longer enough.

If the only way to tie her completely to him was marriage, then why not just do it? He could take his time winning her heart properly after the wedding.

His thoughts spiraled until they arrived at a proposal.

That reminded him of Juhee’s own proposal from yesterday. Though it had been closer to a business offer than a true proposal.

Jeha popped an ice cube into his mouth, crunching it as he dialed a number.

“Prepare a few proposal rings and a large, extravagant bouquet.”

After ending the call, Jeha was heading toward the bathroom in the bedroom when he suddenly stopped.

Something familiar caught his eye in the trash can—a small piece of fabric.

He narrowed his eyes to look closer, then burst out laughing.

Even a well-behaved cat climbs onto the stove first. The thought of the prim and proper Juhee walking out without wearing any underwear made heat rush to his head.

Resisting the urge to run after her and pull her into his arms right then, Jeha stepped into the bathroom.

I’m not some kind of beast. I should at least be able to control myself.

The moment Juhee arrived at the company, she became swamped with work. She had no time to dwell on her hangover or muscle aches.

“Put the investment procurement plan and the KPI adjustments we discussed on hold for now. And Hye-ryeong, could you shift the morning schedule to next week’s weekdays and move the factory inspection for the plant we acquired from Seohwa to the weekend?”

“Director! The elevator is moving!”

At Hye-ryeong’s urgent words, Juhee and the other secretaries all rose at once and lined up neatly in the hallway.

When the elevator arrived with a ding, Juhee’s heart pounded in time with the sound.

As she listened to the heavy rhythm of the man’s dress shoes striking the floor, she prayed desperately. She hoped Yoon Jeha wouldn’t remember last night. That he wouldn’t remember the bold drinking bet she had proposed either. So that she could continue staying by his side like this.

She bowed lightly along with the other secretaries. When she lifted her head, Jeha was standing right in front of her.

His gaze was blatant, yet his eyes and expression remained perfectly composed.

Just the touch of his gaze made her heart thunder.

“Secretary Gong, come see me for a moment.”

With that casual remark, Jeha disappeared into his office.

It’s finally here.

Juhee gave the secretary team a few instructions before heading to the executive office.

After knocking and entering, she saw Jeha standing by the window. He closed the distance in a few long strides. Startled, she stepped back until she found herself trapped between the wall and his body.

When Juhee reluctantly looked up, his pitch-black eyes—glistening like they held trapped light—were smiling.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

His hand slid up her thigh beneath her skirt. Juhee’s eyes widened.

He grabbed her hips and pulled her against him without hesitation.

“You wore them.”

The next words were mouthed silently.

Panties.

“It was incredibly bold. My princess walking around without any on.”

When Juhee glared at him wordlessly, Jeha smiled and lowered his face. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered mischievously.

“It was so sexy I almost fell for you all over again.”

Juhee had been about to tell him to stop teasing her, but instead she lowered her lashes and bit down hard on her lower lip.

The lazy hand tracing her waistline, the scorching body heat transmitted through their pressed bodies, his masculine scent, and the low, steady sound of his breathing—all of it made heat bloom inside her for no reason at all.

“I find this behavior in the office unpleasant.”

At her barely uttered words, Jeha released her and took a step back.

“You’re the one who should have rested, not me.”

“I don’t have the authority to do that.”

“Then you should have woken me up.”

You usually wake me so easily. The words were added in a low voice, and the look in Jeha’s eyes as he gazed at her was tender.

Why does he look at me with those eyes? As if she were someone special. The depth of his gaze made her chest ache all the way up to her sternum.

It felt strange. Could it be that while her mind didn’t remember Yoon Jeha, her body did? She felt like a memory was about to surface, but her mind remained foggy, as if shrouded in mist.

Jeha stared quietly at her confused expression before reaching out. Before she could refuse, his long fingers pulled down the fabric covering her neck. It was as if he knew exactly why she was wearing a turtleneck on such pleasantly cool weather.

Gazing intently at the colorful marks on her neck, Jeha murmured.

“I was a bit rough yesterday, wasn’t I?”

Her face flushed hot at his words.

“How’s your body? You seemed to be struggling.”

This kind of conversation felt embarrassing, awkward, and uncomfortable to Juhee. She carefully pushed away the fingertips touching her neck.

“I’m fine. Why did you call for me?”

“Hm, because I have something to say?”

The man’s playful voice, its true meaning impossible to read, made her heart waver. An unknown anxiety crept over her.

Perhaps that was why a faint tension appeared in Juhee’s eyes as she looked at him. Without realizing it, she bit down on her lower lip as heat burned inside her.

The smile disappeared from Jeha’s face as he watched her.

“And there are things I want to do.”

Jeha looked at her, his gaze mixed with conflict and a sigh.

“If I asked to do it here, would you slap me?”

What is he saying? Juhee’s eyes shook with confusion.

“Can I at least kiss you?”

His heated gaze lingered on her lips as if caressing them.

Only then did Juhee sense the strange atmosphere.

The completely changed look in Yoon Jeha’s eyes, his attitude, and the mood surrounding him. Right now, he was treating her like a lover—no, like a mistress. Perhaps that was why the tenderness and consideration directed at her felt suffocating rather than grateful.

Since he remembered everything, she had no idea how to respond. If that night had been effective, should she propose a new deal? Or should she stop, just as they had promised?

But suffering alone while trying to read his mood was even worse. So Juhee decided to ask directly.

“Do you remember everything that happened last night?”

Jeha’s eyes took on a mysterious dark hue.

“I remember. Clearly. Every single thing.”

I see. So you remember the entire night that I don’t.

“You won the drinking bet we made yesterday, Representative Yoon.”

So? Facing his questioning eyes, Juhee continued in a calm voice.

“As of today, I will quit.”