Chapter 06
A little while later.
When Sahyun arrived in front of Executive Director Yoo Hajun’s office, the secretary walked ahead, gesturing for her to follow.
The unnecessary tension made her tense her toes, but Sahyun took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
“Executive Director, Assistant Manager Kim Sahyun from the Overseas Sales Division is here.”
“Tell her to come in.”
“Yes.”
A moment later, the door opened.
As Sahyun entered the office, Hajun, who had been looking over some documents with his back to the large window, raised his head. Standing beside him was Assistant Manager Hong Jungwoo from the PR Team, who also looked toward Sahyun.
“Assistant Manager Kim Sahyun.”
“Executive Director, did you call for me?”
“The PR Team has turned the analysis report you prepared into a visual presentation. Take a look yourself. Let us know if there’s anything you’d like to revise.”
“Yes, Executive Director.”
Ah, so that’s why he called me.
Sahyun moved over to the sofa table and, somewhat relieved, examined the printed materials the PR Team had prepared.
“The design makes everything easy to understand at a glance.”
“I’m glad you think so, Assistant Manager.”
“Let’s add one more thing here.”
Hajun suggested adding the previous quarter’s analysis to the infographic section.
As his low, resonant voice filled the room, memories of the intense moments they had shared that night surfaced one after another.
Without realizing it, Sahyun gripped the hem of her skirt.
A little while later.
The revisions and additions were finally finished. Thinking that it was finally over, Sahyun stood up and followed Assistant Manager Hong.
“I’ll be going now, Executive Director.”
“Good work.”
“Thank you, Executive Director.”
She greeted him in a relatively bright voice, and Hajun returned the greeting with a slight nod.
Just as Sahyun was about to turn around with Assistant Manager Hong—
“Ah. Hong, you can leave first. Assistant Manager Kim, stay for a moment. I still have something to discuss with you.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Assistant Manager Hong glanced at Sahyun briefly before walking out without hesitation.
Sahyun was left standing there, her gaze turning toward Hajun.
The moment she heard the door close, Hajun’s dark eyes fixed clearly on her.
“Assistant Manager Kim Sahyun. Is there something you wanted to say to me?”
His heavy voice struck her ears.
“…Pardon?”
Sahyun’s eyes trembled.
She couldn’t quite grasp what he was asking, but an ominous feeling had already settled heavily in her chest.
Could he be asking about what happened that night?
It’s already been a week.
Her palms suddenly grew damp with sweat. Sahyun lightly gripped the side of her skirt, then released it as she spoke.
“I’m not sure I fully understand what you mean, Executive Director… If you could be more specific, I’d appreciate it.”
“The incident that happened at the company dinner a week ago.”
“The company dinner…?”
“Yes.”
Hajun answered briefly and let his gaze drift downward.
Only then did Sahyun notice what he was wearing.
He was dressed in the same black suit he had worn that night.
“Ah…”
It felt as though she could hear the sound of her last hope shattering—that perhaps he hadn’t remembered anything because he had been drunk.
Her eyes cautiously moved over his impassive expression.
Two facts struck her mind at once.
He remembered what had happened that night.
And he wanted to address it now.
Of course. Nothing is ever easy.
As Sahyun awkwardly prepared to take a seat, she bit down firmly on her lower lip.
No. First, I need to find out exactly how much he remembers.
Sahyun carefully raised her lowered eyes and spoke.
“I was actually going to ask if you were all right since I behaved improperly that night, but I missed the opportunity, Executive Director.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. It’s a little late, but would it be all right if I covered the dry-cleaning costs? If you’re okay with that.”
In that brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through Sahyun’s mind, and she ultimately arrived at one conclusion.
Get out of this without bringing up as much as possible.
Apologizing for spilling alcohol was one thing.
But touching the Executive Director in such an intimate place and kissing him in the private room were matters that couldn’t be brushed aside with a simple apology.
“The suit is fine, so forget about the cleaning costs. It wasn’t intentional, after all.”
He gave a faint smile, as though assuming that it had simply been an accident.
As expected. He understands.
The Hajun Sahyun knew was rational and logical.
Feeling a small glimmer of hope, she carefully continued.
“Thank you for understanding, Executive Director. That night, my glasses had broken, and I was quite drunk… so I think I made a mistake. I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.”
“…Pardon?”
“We both made mistakes that night.”
He raised one eyebrow as if to say, Isn’t that right?
“Let’s make one mistake together.”
His voice from that night, brushing against her ear, came rushing back.
So did the sensations of the kiss.
Those intense moments that had seemed to shake her very soul.
“Executive Director.”
Sahyun bit the inside of her lip before releasing it.
She wanted to answer as politely as possible and bring this conversation to a clean end.
“Since you say that… I feel much more at ease. Thank you again for understanding.”
“I wasn’t saying it to put you at ease, Assistant Manager Kim.”
“……”
His voice was different from before.
There was a hint of discomfort in it.
The look in Hajun’s eyes was the same.
They were no longer the smooth, rational eyes she was accustomed to seeing.
Instead, there was something twisted about them…
Something dangerous.
Sahyun nervously bit the inside of her lip.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Hajun cross one leg over the other.
He slowly pressed his temple with his long fingers while keeping his unwavering gaze fixed on her.
As though telling her not to look away.
“I’ve been uncomfortable ever since that night.”
“Uncomfortable…?”
“Yes. I’ve had this strange feeling.”
“……”
“I keep thinking about what happened that night. It’s been quite troublesome.”
A strange feeling.
Troublesome.
Sahyun’s insides twisted.
Had he spent the past week replaying what happened and thinking about how serious her offense was?
And if he was about to decide on an appropriate punishment—
Was he planning to get rid of her?
“So, Assistant Manager Kim Sahyun.”
“…Yes, Executive Director.”
Just as she nervously met his gaze—
“Let’s make a few more mistakes. Together.”
Hajun placed particular emphasis on the word together.
Sahyun stared at him, her eyes wavering because she couldn’t understand what he meant.
Make a few more mistakes?
Did I hear him correctly?
“I… I don’t quite understand, Executive Director. What exactly do you mean…?”
“I mean exactly what I said. Let’s meet a few more times. Then won’t we find out what this feeling I have actually is?”
“……”
The words caught in her throat refused to come out.
The “mistake” he was referring to was obviously the kiss.
And suggesting they make that mistake a few more times meant—
He wanted to kiss her a few more times.
No.
It wouldn’t stop at kissing.
Instead of going through the normal process of getting to know each other as a man and a woman, he was proposing that they become physically close first.
He was asking her to become the kind of “partner” she’d only ever heard about.
“So… are you saying that you want us to continue what happened that night?”
“If you want, we can have dinner or tea as well. If that helps us get closer, I’m willing to do that much.”
Perhaps pleased that Sahyun had understood him correctly, Hajun gave her a faint smile.
But the opposite was happening inside her.
Liking someone and entering that kind of relationship with them were two completely different things.
“Why? Is this too sudden?”
“Yes. I’m… a little overwhelmed.”
“I understand. Of course it feels sudden when you’re hearing it for the first time.”
Hajun nodded casually, as though he were acknowledging the difficulty of a work assignment, then clasped his hands together.
“I’ve thought about it enough before saying this. But you’re only hearing it now.”
“……”
Hajun glanced at his scheduler before looking back at Sahyun.
“I’ll give you a week. Bring me your answer within that time.”
I thought about it for that long, so surely a week should be enough for you, too.
His tone sounded almost like he was assigning her a deadline for a work task.
Sahyun neatly folded her damp hands in front of herself.
The two times she’d touched him at the company dinner had clearly happened against her intentions.
But the kiss was different.
When Yoo Hajun had kissed her first, Sahyun had willingly accepted it.
It was also true that they had kissed for quite some time.
But that had been more like an accident brought about by the alcohol and the atmosphere.
An “incident,” so to speak.
Sahyun raised her slightly lowered head and carefully opened her mouth.
There was no need to drag this out for a week.
“I’m sorry, Executive Director. I’m going to decline.”
A crack appeared in Yoo Hajun’s expression.
As though he had never expected that answer, he asked again, unable to hide his displeasure.
“I said I’d give you a week, and you’re rejecting me right away?”
“Yes. I’m saying it now because I think my answer will be the same even after a week.”
“Assistant Manager Kim Sahyun. Let’s not be hasty.”
“I’m not making a hasty decision, Executive Director.”
“Then what’s the reason?”
What would be the wisest answer?
After a brief moment of thought, Sahyun spoke.
“It’s just… not enough for me to want to do it several times.”
The words she’d agonized over were a lie.
Kissing Hajun had been intoxicating.
So much so that she wanted to experience it again and again.
But Sahyun wanted to end this conversation decisively.
Even if it meant saying something contrary to what she truly felt.
“I’m sorry, Executive Director.”
For a moment, Hajun’s previously relaxed expression hardened.
“When you say it’s not enough for you to want to do it several times… are you saying my kissing wasn’t very good?”
No. It was good.
Far too good.
Suppressing the voice in her heart, Sahyun answered with silence.
What happened that night may have made Hajun think of her as quite provocative.
But honestly, Sahyun was what people would call a very conservative woman.
She simply didn’t have the carefree attitude necessary to continue having such experiences with someone who wasn’t her lover.
Especially not with someone she’d held in her heart for such a long time.
“You don’t like me?”
As though asking for confirmation once again, Hajun raised an eyebrow.
If you want, I can also translate the next chapter in the same novel-style English, keeping the dialogue and emotional nuances natural rather than overly literal.
