# Chapter 7
“Haah…”
With a long sigh, Wonyoung pulled himself together. Originally, Heo Wonyoung was not the type to rely on others in difficult situations. It was just a business interaction—what could have happened in that short time?
He walked with confident steps and stood before Taerim, who was sitting arrogantly with his legs crossed.
“Director, would you like some coffee…”
“That’s more like it.”
“…”
You dare cut off my words?
But if he questioned what Taerim meant, he would likely get caught up in Taerim’s pace. Wonyoung steadfastly continued what he wanted to say.
“Some coffee.”
“I thought you’d misunderstood for a moment.”
“Would you like some. If you need anything else.”
“To think you’d even know my schedule.”
“Please let me know if you need anything! This is for the secretary!”
Having finally finished speaking, Wonyoung set the coffee down on the table and quickly turned away. Don’t get involved. Don’t engage. But Taerim didn’t let Wonyoung go so easily.
“Maybe I should have gone up to the room with you earlier?”
Unable to just let that comment slide, Wonyoung finally gritted his teeth and turned around. Of course, despite his hostile expression, his words came out politely.
“What? W-what do you mean by that?”
“You act like everything’s a coincidence, but you were hired to do this, weren’t you?”
“Hired…?”
“I guess you thought something would come of it if you made it look like an accident and bumped into me a few times?”
“What would… come of it?”
The circular conversation created slight cracks in Taerim’s cold expression. But Wonyoung, too, swore he wasn’t repeating these stupid statements by choice.
However, Taerim, unaware of Wonyoung’s inner thoughts, looked at him with contempt.
“Playing innocent, are we.”
“Innocent? Me?”
As Wonyoung grew frustrated with the vacant answers flowing through his mouth, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Wouldn’t it be better to just play dumb like this?
If he consistently pretended not to know, there wouldn’t be much the man could do. And if they didn’t meet again after this, the suspicion would naturally fade away.
‘If I just stall for a little while and then slip away, the penalty might end too.’
Wonyoung was buoyed by this hope, but the game didn’t allow even a moment’s respite.
Sure enough, just as he became hopeful, Wonyoung’s face turned pale as he sensed something in the next moment.
‘No. No way, damn it.’
Of all times, his pants were starting to slide down!
‘These damn pants! Damn game! Damn hotel!’
Forgetting his resolution not to get angry, Wonyoung grabbed the waistband of his pants while unleashing curses without actually cursing. Cold sweat ran down his back.
“Um, I’m sorry, but I need to go to the ba-bathroom urgently.”
“…”
“I-I’m going. I want to go. I need to go.”
Wonyoung tried to quickly escape while rambling, but Taerim grabbed him.
“Why, why? I really need to go quickly… you’ll end up seeing something you shouldn’t.”
“What are you hiding?”
“Hiding? What?”
Genuinely confused this time, Wonyoung looked down to where Taerim was staring. Then he saw his pocket bulging from where he had slipped his hand in to hold up his pants. He had been trying to grab his pants discreetly.
“This is just my hand.”
“Are you recording or something?”
“Recording? What do you mean?”
“Did you think this would end if you just played dumb and kept dodging my questions?”
Wonyoung shook his head. Whatever it was, it felt ominous. But this time, Wonyoung absolutely couldn’t back down. He might concede everything else, but he absolutely had to defend his pants.
“There’s really nothing. Honestly. I’m just holding my pants. They’re a bit big…”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“B-but it’s true…”
Wonyoung took a step back, thinking he’d have no regrets if he could just punch that smooth face once. Since words weren’t getting through, he was planning to at least run away. Unfortunately for Wonyoung, Taerim seemed to have noticed his intentions and tightened his grip on Wonyoung’s wrist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
While firmly holding Wonyoung’s wrist with strong force, Taerim growled in a low voice.
“Well, we’ll find out if there’s really a recording device if I check.”
“Ah, w-wait! Don’t do this…!”
If he let go of the hand holding his pants, it would only be a matter of time before his pants—which had already slid down to his pelvis—would fall. Wonyoung was even considering hitting Taerim, penalty or not, but Narae’s body was more fragile than he thought, and his opponent was much stronger. In other words, no matter how desperately Wonyoung twisted his body, it was like a leaf fluttering in the wind.
And as if to illustrate this fact, a small notification window flashed before Wonyoung’s eyes.
[Stamina is low. Please rest.]
‘Rest in this situation? Create the conditions for rest before saying that!’
But fortunately for him, the hotel manager, who had belatedly noticed the unusual confrontation, approached them.
“Is something wrong? Has our employee made some mistake?”
At that moment, Wonyoung could almost see a halo behind the manager. Indeed, the manager was better than some deputy manager.
Wonyoung looked at the manager with the most desperate and welcoming expression he’d ever worn. It was a moment when Narae’s wide, innocent eyes had their effect. The manager seemed to recognize the seriousness of the situation upon seeing the frightened, herbivore-like Wonyoung and his wrist caught by Taerim.
“First, I would like to apologize. And if there’s anything unsatisfactory, would you please tell me instead, Director Kyung?”
‘A well-trained leader. Worthy of working in this hotel.’
Wonyoung enthusiastically praised the manager in his mind as he quickly pulled up his pants. He planned to escape from here somehow once his wrist was free.
“Since there are many eyes watching, let’s go out and talk separately…”
“I just need to confirm one thing.”
But Taerim was indeed not an easy person to deal with.
“Confirm what, exactly?”
“This is a matter that affects the security and reputation of the hotel, so you should check it with me.”
At those words, the manager looked at Wonyoung with suspicious eyes. Wonyoung felt hurt by the quick change in attitude.
“M-Manager-nim…”
Wonyoung looked at the manager desperately, but the manager just shook his head with stern eyes. It was understandable since Wonyoung was just a day laborer.
“Oh!”
At that moment, without any warning, Taerim suddenly pulled Wonyoung’s other hand. It was the very hand Wonyoung was using to hold his pants. It happened so suddenly that he had no time to prepare.
‘This is the end.’
And Wonyoung closed his eyes as he felt a cool sensation below. His real life flashed before his closed eyes like a panorama.
Graduating top of his class from a prestigious university, becoming the youngest team leader in a major corporation’s planning department, living in a Han River-view officetel… A life at the pinnacle of perfection.
Is this really how it ends for someone like me—making stupid expressions, making strange nasal sounds, and now even having my pants pulled down?
‘Please just wake up now, Heo Wonyoung…’
As Wonyoung sank into resignation, his body was suddenly pulled upward.
“Ugh.”
Surprised, he raised his head to see Taerim holding the waistband of his pants. Due to the height difference, Wonyoung dangled precariously like a fish hooked on a line. And his crotch hurt, too.
Unaware of Wonyoung’s private pain, Taerim gave a bitter smile as if he couldn’t understand his own actions either and muttered:
“…Ha, this is driving me crazy.”
“…”
“What exactly are you?”
It was the first time that Taerim, who had been indifferent and bored as if seeing through everything, showed human emotion. Those smiling eyes, which had been unapproachable because of their perfect composure, momentarily mesmerized everyone around.
And those eyes were directed at none other than Wonyoung.
Even in Wonyoung’s eyes, special effects occurred—a joyful melody played from somewhere, flower petals scattered in the air, and light shone behind Taerim’s back.
Wonyoung stared blankly at Taerim for a moment, as if enchanted, then pushed Taerim’s chest with all his might.
Thud!
And once more.
Thud!
His pants had already gone up and down once—what was the point of all this now?
Thwack thwack!
Thanks to a certain someone making a fuss and drawing everyone’s attention, everyone had more than enough time to see Narae’s… no, my underwear.
Thwack…
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Taerim, who had been hit without knowing why, had already returned to his hardened expression and restrained Wonyoung. But Wonyoung writhed and raged.
“I! Said! No! Are you satisfied now? Huh? Can you call yourself a director responsible for a company when you’re like this?! Why don’t you just go die!”
Penalty or not, he didn’t care anymore. The exploding Wonyoung spewed curses indiscriminately.
Of course, only Wonyoung didn’t care about the penalty, and the game faithfully corrected his statements, so what was actually heard was:
“Ugh, urgh, huu…”
Every time he opened his mouth, instead of curses, sobbing sounds came out… and soon they turned into sorrowful crying.
“Huaaaang…!”
‘No, why am I crying… and why does the crying sound like this?! Are there really adults who cry like this in the world?’
Wonyoung unwillingly shed chicken-dropping-like tears in torrents and sobbed loudly.
And seeing himself crying out loud with his pants pulled down at this age, Wonyoung sincerely wanted to cry.
He had been praised as a genius, having been potty trained before his second birthday. For someone like him, this was an absolutely impossible and unbelievable situation.
Eventually, as if responding to Wonyoung’s anger, his crying grew louder.
“Wait, first calm down… damn it.”
Rarely flustered in the face of Wonyoung’s wailing, Taerim tried to comfort him but cursed briefly when Wonyoung’s pants started to slide down again. Then the next moment, unexpectedly, he picked Wonyoung up in his arms.
