IMFOBO | CH 34 | Receiving Signal Errors

Just watching this scene is quite a spectacle.

Tae-san had his lips on the rim of his glass, gazing at Eun-cho.

He hadn’t even brought the drink to his lips.

There was an important meeting early the next morning.

He was just pretending to drink to fit in.

People often call makgeolli “sitting-down liquor.” You don’t feel anything while sitting, but as soon as you stand up, the intoxication hits you. Fearlessly, she’s already on her umpteenth bowl, and at this rate, she might end up with her nose buried in the kettle by the end of the night.

No matter how much you try to stop her, she won’t listen.

At this rate, it would be faster for her to suffer through a dreadful hangover and learn her lesson firsthand.

“Hehehe, thank yooou, Grandmaaa, for getting me a hospital room. Money really is the best.”

Eun-cho’s drunken habit was simple—she laughed.

And she kept repeating the thoughts she usually kept buried in her heart.

It was nothing special—just the kind of drunken rambling anyone might have.

This was already the fourth time she thanked someone for the hospital.

Tae-san hated indulging in someone else’s drunken antics.

He had never done such an inefficient thing and didn’t plan to in the future.

However, he could make an exception for Eun-cho.

Her smiling face, flushed cheeks, and loose eyes were… beautiful.

“You bad guy… you’re so bad.”

She had been calm until now, but it seemed she was irritated by something her cousin said earlier.

Tae-san chuckled and offered Eun-cho a dish of acorn jelly salad.

It was amusing that she didn’t even glance at the meat and only looked for greens.

“Thank you.”

She didn’t even show proper manners.

Eun-cho smiled with her eyes curved like a crescent moon and bowed repeatedly.

Because of this, the soft skin on her chest was visible, and Tae-san couldn’t help but glance over.

It wasn’t intentional, but his gaze drifted there like a lovesick teenager.

“Eyes forward.”

“Hah! You think everyone’s like you? I’m just worried about Eun-cho! Do something—stop her! At this rate, tomorrow she’s going to—”

“Who asked you to worry?”

Jung-seok huffed, venting his frustration, but no matter how much he considered him a blood relative, the thought of Ryu Jung-seok and Eun-cho sharing moments he wasn’t a part of left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“As if it’s not bad enough that Su-ji got dragged back to her family home—go on, rub salt in the wound!”

Tae-san, however, couldn’t care less about whatever Jung-seok was rambling on about.

Whether a silver-spoon kid like Bong Su got locked up by her family or the two had some tearful goodbye—it didn’t matter to him in the slightest.

What did matter was the time Eun-cho had spent beyond his sight. What had she said? How had she laughed? That was all he wanted to know.

If she had pulled a stunt this bold before, every man with a Y chromosome would have fallen for her without exception.

“You seem like a completely different person, Senpai (Senior).”

The gleam of amusement in Sun Gi-wang’s eyes, as if he had caught something interesting, was equally irritating.

Calling him “senpai” in a private setting—he might as well have announced his intent to push boundaries.

“Are you two that close?”

“No, I like someone who is upright, smart, and kind.”

Eun-cho replied to Jeong-seok while fanning herself with her palm.

So, who is this upright, smart, and kind guy?

For a moment, Tae-san’s eyes flashed with anger.

But then, a worse crisis arose.

“Hehe, it’s hot.”

Eun-cho tried to remove the clothes Tae-san had put on her, but he was quicker at stopping her.

“Wear it.”

“Why?”

Tae-san firmly tucked in the clothes to prevent them from slipping, and Jeong-seok and Gi-wang burst into laughter.

It was as if they had never seen such a scene before.

“Haha, your reaction speed is like a beast. It’s incredibly fast.”

“Senior, is there someone else inside you? Are you really Ryu Tae-san?”

These people.

“Ugh, it’s so hot…”

Just then, Eun-cho tilted her small head and let it rest against Tae-san’s shoulder.

Ridiculously enough, that slight touch froze him in place.

They hadn’t done anything indecent—no kisses, no reckless intimacy—yet in an instant, heat surged through him.

It felt as if the warmth of a long-passed season had returned, shaking him to the core once more.

Whenever their eyes met, Eun-cho smiled brightly.

Since that woman left, Eun-cho seemed subtly different from usual.

It wasn’t just that she was drunk; she seemed to have given up.

Her demeanor, as if she had let everything go, grated on his nerves.

Normally, Eun-cho would never lower her guard enough to get drunk.

What was bothering her so much that she wanted to forget?

Both she and that woman were about to get married, but why did they look so unhappy?

Was my proposal too awkward?

Should I have given her a diamond ring bigger than a pigeon’s egg?

Ah, was it a riverside apartment?

I thought she liked traditional houses, but maybe her real taste was more modern.

Damn it. If not that, then what?

“Find out about that woman.”

“Are you referring to Jo Tae-hee?”

Gi-wang’s eyes widened in surprise at Tae-san’s question.

Jeong-seok’s face turned unpleasant, as if a trigger had been pressed.

“What did Jo Tae-hee do? Is Eun-cho in trouble?”

“Not yet.”

“What did that bad person do this time? We can’t let our guard down.”

Seeing Jeong-seok jump up made Tae-san think he really needed to investigate.

Eun-cho was now dozing off.

Fortunately, her drinking habit was tame, as she fell asleep laughing.

A sight he wouldn’t show to anyone else.

Tae-san lifted Eun-cho into his arms.

As she opened her dazed eyes and looked at Tae-san, she struggled.

“I can walk on my own!”

Her tongue was half-twisted, but she insisted on doing everything herself.

It was frustrating yet quintessentially Eun-cho.

“Will the director not return today? There’s an executive meeting early tomorrow morning.”

“Don’t use that title here. I’ll take her home and come back.”

Tae-san walked beside Eun-cho, who was stumbling.

Looking down, he saw her round forehead.

Her shoulders were small, and her hands and feet were tiny.

Eun-cho was all curves, with nothing hard or large.

She was so slender that she seemed like she might blow away in the wind.

“Why are you following me?”

“We’re going to our house.”

“Oh, right, we live in the same house.”

The woman’s eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly and took three steps back.

Tae-san quickly closed the gap.

The woman looked up at Tae-san with wide eyes.

“Why? Why does the distance stay the same?”

After catching up to Eun-cho, who was pouting, Tae-san teased her.

Her face, illuminated by the moonlight, was as vibrant as blooming spring flowers.

“Because my legs are long. So, you should give up.”

“I don’t want to. I won’t give up. I’ll go alone.”

The quiet country road was empty except for the two of them.

The night in the countryside was darker than in the city, with sparse streetlights.

As they moved away from the entrance of the village, where the festivities were held, the noise faded.

All that could be heard was the sound of crickets and Eun-cho’s intermittent breathing.

Eun-cho’s presence became more pronounced, and in the dense darkness, only she was visible.

“Why are you holding me?”

Tae-san firmly grasped Eun-cho’s wrist.

As she tried to pull away, her jacket slipped off her shoulders.

The sight was sensual, even though nothing was exposed.

Moreover, the soft skin on her shoulders, which had been bothering him earlier, was even more noticeable.

It was larger than expected… Ah, damn it. That’s not the point.

Tae-san picked up the jacket and put it back on Eun-cho.

Her innocent gaze made his stomach ache.

He decided to wrap her up tightly.

This time, he put the jacket over her head and zipped it up.

He even tied the long sleeves tightly under her chin.

The sight of her peeking out was heart-stopping.

It was enough to drive someone crazy.

“Damn, she’s so cute.”

The sight before him was dizzying.

Eun-cho, drunk, was more defenseless and playful, which made things difficult for Tae-san.

“From now on, drink only in front of me.”

“Why?”

She smiled mischievously and asked why, her eyes locked on his.

It was as if she didn’t know or didn’t care that she was testing his patience.

You’re going to drive me crazy.

Eun-cho looked at him with an innocent face, blinking her eyes.

“But was she pretty earlier?”

Who? Tae-san had genuinely forgotten the woman who was trying to get his attention earlier.

He didn’t remember her name or face; he hadn’t been interested at all.

Only Eun-cho didn’t know that.

“She’s not pretty.”

“You’re lying.”

“Eun-cho, you’re much prettier from head to toe.”

The autumn breeze, carrying the scent of fall, swept between them.

Neither of them looked away from the intense gaze.

It was as if time had stopped.

This was clearly a signal for a kiss.

If he let it pass, he wouldn’t be a man.

As Tae-san gently cupped Eun-cho’s cheek and leaned in…