IMFOBO | CH 22 | A Real Womanizer

Unknowingly, Eun-cho tensed up, gripping the hem of her clothes tightly as she looked up at Tae-san.

She swallowed hard, her throat dry.

The distance was so close it felt like every movement of her neckline would be starkly revealed.

Why did his faintly smiling face seem so cold?

“Um, Director Ryu Tae-san…”

Eun-cho tried to get away from Tae-san, but her back was already against the cold wall.

He reached out, bracing his hands against the wall on either side of her.

In an instant, Eun-cho was trapped in Tae-san’s embrace, biting her lip, unsure of what to do.

“Are you telling me you hesitated about the wedding because you were worried about some other guy?”

That other guy is your brother!

The man outwardly acted affectionate while inwardly growling.

His calm expression, which revealed none of his emotions, made it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

Only one thing was clear: he wouldn’t tolerate the existence of any other man besides himself.

“That’s disappointing.”

Tae-san raised his hand, gently brushing Eun-cho’s hair and then her cheek.

She flinched, closing her eyes tightly as the scent of vetiver washed over her.

Perhaps his body odor seemed stronger because he had taken off his top.

“And here I thought I was so ethical.”

Somehow, the energy radiating from him felt ominous.

Eun-cho tried to get away, but it was impossible unless Tae-san let her.

“Jung-seok and I have a deep connection. He’s a dear friend, so…”

If you thought about it, it wasn’t even a particularly strong form of contact.

They were just facing each other, their gazes intensely intertwined, but she felt like her whole body was heating up.

“You’re friends with a guy who has a dick. You’re more open-minded than you look, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t that why I ended up meeting you, Director?”

“That’s debatable.”

Wouldn’t “we were destined to meet” be more appropriate when talking about fate?

The lack of distance between them meant his hot breath brushed the crown of her head and the back of her neck.

Her pulse raced excessively.

“Please, stop…”

He really seemed to live up to his name, Tae-san.

A man as solid as a mountain who had no intention of budging.

It was clear that he was deliberately maintaining this position.

“There’s no way men and women can just be friends.”

“Th-They can! Jung-seok is absolutely not a man to me. And I’m sure he feels the same way.”

At those almost defensive words, he smirked.

There was something innocent about it, yet the atmosphere was undeniably imposing.

His natural aura alone was enough to overwhelm everyone around him.

“Director, please stop…”

“Say my name. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

In reality, few people would have received the same kind of scolding or instructions from Ryu Tae-san.

He probably wouldn’t keep someone who deliberately went against his grain by his side.

“It’s not difficult, is it?”

Eun-cho sensed instinctively that if she acted out of line here, something she couldn’t handle would happen.

She pressed her lips together tightly, then looked up at Tae-san.

Again, a private space, just the two of them.

The man’s unwavering gaze was fixed on her, as if he was about to devour her.

“Let me through, Tae-san.”

Calling him “Tae-san” was the biggest concession she could make.

Like the man said, Ryu Tae-san wasn’t her boss, so “Director” felt awkward, and she couldn’t bring herself to call him “oppa” even if a knife was held to her throat.

Why did the name, which felt unfamiliar when she rolled it around in her mouth, cling to her tongue so well?

“I’ll let you off.”

His low, soft voice seemed to graze her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

Before she knew it, the man had retreated like the tide, moving two steps away from Eun-cho.

Eun-cho finally exhaled the breath she had been holding, relishing the newfound space.

The hair and neck that the man had stroked still tingled.

How could this seemingly small interaction make her feel so thoroughly seduced?

“Let’s get back to what we were doing.”

But what exactly have we been doing this whole time?

Was he suggesting they continue what they were doing a moment ago?

Eun-cho’s cheeks flushed red.

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to seduce me with that body of yours?”

“Are you tempted?”

Now that there was some distance between them, his bare upper body came into clear view.

His broad shoulders, straight collarbones, and the lines of his hip bones below—there wasn’t a single thing out of place.

Centered on his thick ribcage, his firm, well-defined abs and lean muscles were flawless.

“If you’re hoping for it, I’m willing to respond.”

“That’s not it!”

How much would he have to work out to get his body in such good shape?

While she was lost in such a foolish train of thought, he gestured towards the cushion again.

“My back still aches, so should I just take my clothes off and lie down like this?”

“…!”

Wow, this guy is really something.

He was doing this on purpose.

He lowered his voice as if muting the phrase “My back still aches,” but when he said, “Should I just take my clothes off and lie down like this?” his voice was clear and bright.

He was practically throwing bait for Jung-seok to misunderstand.

Eun-cho looked outside, startled, to see if anyone was there.

It seemed that the two had already left, but one could never be too sure.

Her cheeks, and even her neck, were burning up.

“You’re really going to get acupuncture in a situation like this?”

“Is there anything I can’t do?”

Just as she inhaled sharply at his words, which clearly had impure intentions…

“Make sure you do it properly. I think I’ll be using my back a lot in the future.”

Ryu Tae-san drove the point home.

A real womanizer.

* * *

With just a word from Ryu Taesan, the village hall was ready to undergo a complete transformation.

Starting the very next day as promised, heavy machinery moved in immediately, seeming intent on stripping everything down to the bare frame.

The people of Cheongrim-ri met and discussed their expectations for the new village community center.

Everyone she encountered grabbed Eun-cho’s hand and thanked her.

This was because the person they should really be expressing their gratitude to wasn’t showing a single strand of his hair.

“If you can, hold on tight.”

“A man just needs to have eyes, a nose, and a mouth, not let his wife and kids starve, and be good in bed.”

I haven’t even experienced the “good in bed” part yet, elder.

The words she couldn’t bring herself to say to such frank advice piled up in her mind.

Traces of Ryu Tae-san were everywhere in the village, but the man himself had disappeared like smoke.

She knew he was someone who came and went as he pleased, but she never expected that the “for the time being” he’d stay would only last two days.

“Seriously…”

Eun-cho tapped the screen of her silent cell phone a couple of times.

There were no received messages.

Even though she had anticipated this and prepared herself, she couldn’t help but feel resentful towards the heartless man who hadn’t even sent a single message.

But I can’t just contact him first without any reason, can I?

“Sigh, let’s stop this foolishness.”

Anyway, he’s a man who’s naturally good at making people nervous.

Why am I so shaken up when I clearly know what he’s like?

It’s all meaningless.

Everything is full of unknowns.

I always make a fool of myself whenever I get involved with that man.

“No contact from your brother?”

“It’s not like I was waiting for his call.”

“Who said you were?”

Since it wasn’t a relationship that started with affection, Eun-cho should feel carefree about Ryu Tae-san’s indifference.

But what was this lingering feeling of discomfort and subtle annoyance?

Eun-cho took a large spoonful of rice and shoved it into her mouth.

She even bit off a piece of seasoned radish kimchi, but…

That’s when she noticed a familiar figure passing through the middle door.

Ryu Tae-san?

“Cough!”

Four days later, Ryu Tae-san reappeared as suddenly as he had left, without any warning.

She didn’t want to show Tae-san, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, the sight of her eating with her cheeks bursting.

Eun-cho desperately tried to force the food in her mouth down.

“Cough! Cough!”

Perhaps it was a problem with trying to swallow in a hurry, but a grain of rice got caught in her throat.

Eun-cho coughed and coughed until her face turned red.

“Drink some water. Slowly.”

When did he get next to me?

Tae-san, who had watched everything from beginning to end, handed her water.

The man must have long legs, because it wasn’t long before he had closed the gap with large strides.

“When did you get here?”

“Just now?”

Eun-cho wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked up at Tae-san.

It was a pointless question, really.

The man, who had barged in without the slightest sign, naturally washed his hands at the sink.

The way he then sat down on the wooden bench and gestured toward Jung-seok was just as natural, as if the seat was his.

“Why haven’t you eaten dinner yet at this hour?”

Even though Jung-seok didn’t say anything, he stood up as if it were a habit and headed to the kitchen.

It seemed he was going to get rice and soup for Tae-san while grumbling.

“Were you waiting for me?”

The man sat down next to Eun-cho with a thud and stared at her intently.

Even if she tried not to look back, the distance was too close and her cheeks stung.

“…I was a bit concerned.”

Instead of lying, Eun-cho told the truth honestly.

At that, he deeply locked eyes with her and smiled leisurely.

“I should have come sooner. If I had known that Eun-cho was missing me.”

Me, missing you?

There’s no way that could be true.

It must still be the aftereffects of forcing down the food earlier.

Judging by how her flushed face hadn’t subsided.