Are You Human?
The soft, warm lighting from the bar cast a flattering glow over Min Tae-yeon. She believed her flushed cheeks would remain hidden in the shadows. Of course he would refuse her. She had already rehearsed the words—how she would laugh it off if he turned her down with a teasing smile. At least, she told herself, if he heard the joke, that would be enough. What if he felt disgusted? The fear alone made her shiver.
She had never known a moment of real courage in her life. How ironic that she had found it here, tonight. Yet the deed was done. She could not even meet his gaze. Something in the way he looked at her felt… far too intense.
Probably he was disgusted. Of course he would be. A lowly PR employee like her—someone who knew nothing about this world—daring to offer her saliva-stained lips to the director?
Please, at least pretend it was a joke.
Her heart ached with the wish that he would understand. But he only nodded, stood up, and said, “Can you leave right now?”
“What?”
More stunned than if he had truly refused, Tae-yeon stared at him blankly. He was still nodding. The shift change was in full swing anyway. Even if it had not been, she would not have missed this final chance. The problem was her body simply refused to move; her mind remained a foggy haze.
“If you have the courage, then follow me.”
The words snapped her back to reality. She bowed to the manager and left the bar. At the entrance, Choi Hyun-seo waited. The words he spoke to her still echoed vividly in her memory. “You are brave!”
How they reached the hotel was a complete blur. Only when sanity returned did she notice the door clicking shut. When she turned around, a broad male shoulder blocked her entire view.
“If your mind has changed even now, you may go. Noisy places disgust me, and I dislike women who cause too much trouble.”
The man famous in the company for speaking nothing but business spoke only business even during a one-night stand. Yet those eyes looked far too gentle, far too understanding. Tae-yeon immediately removed her jacket and began unbuttoning the plain shirt beneath it. When she reached the second button, Hyun-seo frowned. “What are you doing?”
“You said you dislike women who cause too much trouble. I’m trying not to bother you.”
When he looked at her with the same face as if something had gone wrong, he let out a soft chuckle and stepped closer. His hand shot out and caught her wrist. “I never said I wanted you to be a stand-in.”
Their lips crashed together. The kisses she had imagined for years paled in comparison to this. His tongue invaded her mouth without warning, stealing her breath. She had never imagined a human tongue could move so smoothly, so fluidly.
Their chests, stomachs, thighs, and most intimate parts pressed flush against one another. The clear bulge beneath his trousers felt unreal—impossible to believe that the man in front of her was actually wearing clothes. Breathing became impossible. The massive frame, the firm chest, the scent that sank deep into her lungs—it all overwhelmed her. Her head spun.
When he pushed his tongue even deeper and squeezed her breast, it felt as if she had screamed. Yet no sound escaped. It was swallowed whole by his mouth.
She fell back onto the mattress. Her clothes were peeled away. Watching the perfect suit-clad man become completely naked in front of her, she clenched her fists and trembled with pleasure.
The room was too dark. She could not even plug in the card key; they simply overlapped in a frenzy. Every detail remained crystal clear. She would remember this night for the rest of her life. The lips on her nape. The dizzying moment when he pinched her breast and sucked hard at her neck. Hyun-seo murmured against her skin, “I will never let you go. Never.”
The intensity in his gaze made her believe he meant it forever. Yet she knew it could never last until the contract ended. To prove it, his hand covered the space between her thighs. Without warning, her most sensitive spot was rubbed until it grew slick and she let out a soft moan. His fingers plunged in, his tongue followed.
After that, the night they shared at the hotel remained unforgettable. When she woke the next morning, Hyun-seo was gone. She told herself it was fortunate. And that was the end.
Since then she had not even encountered him at the company. Yet here she was, married to him. Up to and including that very first night.
Tae-yeon leaned limply against the sofa, sorting through the chaotic memories. “I really don’t understand people. I can’t tell if this is reality or a dream.”
As her head sank back onto the cushions, fatigue crashed over her once more. Her unused muscles ached terribly. She fell asleep right there on the sofa, unable to stay awake.
* * *
This morning, after making love with Tae-yeon as satisfyingly as ever, Hyun-seo covered her sleeping form with a blanket. He had never imagined he would feel this fulfilled. Even after showering and changing clothes, she remained in a deep sleep. Officially, he told everyone there would be no honeymoon. The company had prepared an official schedule, but they had hardly booked any meetings—two full days. It was simply courtesy for the new groom. Still, he had to go to work. The secretary’s staff stared at him in astonishment. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because the director got married yesterday.”
“So? I clearly said there would be no official honeymoon, didn’t I?”
“Yes, understood.”
Yet even after everything was settled, papers refused to come into focus. He turned on his tablet and reviewed important documents when suddenly the memory of Tae-yeon clinging to him all night made his blood run hot. He had thought he had done enough. But apparently he had only stoked the fire that had been burning inside her during their long period of abstinence. His body was burning too. “From the very beginning this woman was troublesome,” he muttered. She had always been troublesome. That was probably why Min Tae-yeon came to mind first in this situation. He quickly made a sandwich for lunch and returned to his documents. By afternoon, however, he could not endure it. ‘By now she should be up, eating the room-service food I ordered. What did she do after? Did she shower?’
Why was that scene playing on loop in his head? The plump curves of her body, her thighs, the full, graceful lines that had been invisible until now. A body that looked far more mature than a mere child. He had never expected her to have such a voluptuous figure. She was far sweeter and more intoxicating than he remembered—more like a perfectly ripe fruit. Later he loosened his tie and fanned himself. Efficiency was not working. He would have to go back and check on her. So he returned… only to find her still asleep on the sofa. Even in a gown. She was the type of woman who made men lose their minds in a thousand different ways.
* * *
Tae-yeon woke when someone gently stroked her face. When her eyelids lifted, Choi Hyun-seo stood before her. The man in a perfectly tailored suit was caressing her cheek. “You sleep a lot. I thought you were someone who didn’t.”
Who was making her this sleepy? Was this still a dream?
Suddenly it all came rushing back. [Make me happy. I’ll pay for everything.] The scene of her running naked to the bathroom. My god, she had drunk too much. Seeing her face turn red, Hyun-seo asked the contract conditions in a calm, relaxed business tone. “So how much am I paying you?”
Had he been angry? Had he felt humiliated? Tae-yeon bit her lip at his words. But someone had to take responsibility. She had been the one to offer the money first. So she had no choice but to ask directly. “How much?”
His pupils flashed with something cruel as he smiled. “You’re asking how much I should pay you right now? Ah, a truly cliché line, but the first time someone like Min Deputy asked me how much I would pay is unforgettable. Don’t believe me?”
“I believe you. That’s exactly what I thought.”
While saying it, she was calculating in her head. ‘How much is in my account? This man has an enormous amount of money. I probably need to offer a lot.’ Her eyes darted as she performed frantic mental math. He laughed loudly. “You really thought you’d buy me for money? Even if I emptied all my assets and added the contract fee, it still wouldn’t be enough.”
At those words, Tae-yeon’s face turned deathly pale. Could it really be that all the money was going back to him, turning her into his slave for just one night’s mistake?
His lips covered hers again. His tongue traced her lips, then plunged deep. “Ugh.”
What words could she even form? Not a single sound came out. Her tongue tangled with his, saliva mixing as they kissed. Finally she managed a shallow breath. He pulled back and said, “After thinking about it, I’ve decided something other than money would be better.”
Tae-yeon’s eyes widened in shock. Hyun-seo’s gaze curved into a crescent. To him, she was nothing but a small, adorable rabbit. A woman much smaller than him was now trying to haggle for money. Yet he had no intention of accepting the offer. Something else was urgent. Sensing her intention, Tae-yeon blinked and asked, “Then… shall we do it again?”
“I have to, right? I need something from you too.”
“That’s why last night… I did it to the fullest, right? Like an animal… no, wait, even more than that… not a beast of burden… you are a human, aren’t you?”
No matter how she twisted the words, the message was clear. “Are you a human?”