MS Ch 8 part 1

For the first time in a while, Euncho had some time to spare after eating her lunch, so she went to a nearby cafe and ordered a coffee.

While waiting for the coffee, she debated whether or not to order the shop’s famous waffles topped with ice cream when she suddenly received a call.

Euncho had no choice but to return to the hotel without receiving the coffee she had ordered. When she arrived at the hotel, her feet were sweaty from having run all the way there in a hurry. She asked what was wrong, and Kang Seora gave her an order in a bored voice.

“Fill the minibar. It’s completely empty.”

Kang Seora was at the outdoor pool towards the back of the floor lounge. She seemed to be at ease as she swam and lounged alone in an open pool that was originally designed to fit many guests. It was a complete contrast to Euncho, whose hair was disheveled as she panted for breath having run all the way up here.

Ah, the minibar.

Her lunch break had been cut short because of the minibar.

Euncho suppressed the sigh that threatened to escape her throat and gave Kang Seora a pleasant smile.

“Yes, I’ll fill it up right away.”

After Euncho answered in an obedient tone, Kang Seora, who had been leaning on the marble edge of the pool with both arms, promptly disappeared into the water. Wasn’t she cold? Euncho gazed at the ripples of the water before tilting her head back to look up at the sky.

I thought summer was over.

The unobstructed breeze was warmer than expected because the pool had been designed to let in natural light. Or was it because Euncho had been running until just a moment ago?

“Hey! You said you’d do it, so why are you just standing there?”

Euncho had been daydreaming for a moment, but she was pulled out of her thoughts by Kang Seora’s sharp voice. Her shrill voice drained her of energy. I should just do as she says quickly and get out of here. Euncho moved her tired body. Even though half the day hadn’t even passed, she felt like she was already at the end of her shift.

“Ah.”

Just as she exited the pool, she felt a sharp pain on her heel.

Her new shoes had felt oddly uncomfortable this time around. The skin on her heel was red and blistered because she had been running in them without breaking them in.

Does the desk have a band-aid?

Euncho nonchalantly touched the stinging area of her heel before straightening up.

She went to the food and beverage department first to get the necessary items for the minibar. When she returned, Kang Seora had already gotten out of the pool and was lying on the rattan daybed, tapping away on her phone. Her flashy zebra-print swimsuit barely covered her nipples and her crotch.

Euncho skipped her greeting because she knew that she wouldn’t care either way and walked over to the minibar on the other side. She filled each compartment with the items she received from the food and beverage department.

Suddenly, her surroundings grew slightly darker.

Was it going to rain? But the sky was clear until just now. Euncho suspiciously looked up. The sky was still clear.

She felt the shadow’s owner approach her from behind. It wasn’t difficult to figure out who it was. Besides Kang Seora, who was currently lying on the daybed, wiggling her toes and humming a tune, there was only one other person who was allowed to enter this floor.

She thought the summer was already over, but the warmth at her back was so hot that it reminded her of the sound of cicadas.

“What are you doing?”

A pair of dress shoes appeared besides Euncho’s feet. She felt like she was completely captured by the man. Tap, tap. Euncho’s hands moved mechanically and responded in a business-like tone.

“Refilling inventory.”

“Inventory?”

Ki Taeju propped his arm on top of the open minibar door. Because he was so big, the view of Kang Seora was completely blocked by his body. Taking advantage of the obstructed view, Euncho relaxed her expression that had been trying so hard to retain its pleasant smile.

“Yes. Kang. Seo. Ra. Asked. For. It.”

She emphasized each syllable. Ki Taeju chuckled.

“She should have just eaten whatever was available. There was no need to disturb our staff.”

Euncho slowly turned her head. She met Ki Taeju’s eyes as he smiled crookedly down at her.

He must have just returned because he was dressed in a neat suit like last time.

Looking closely, she realized that Ki Taeju never wore a tie even though he was wearing a suit. He’d also often wear a suit vest instead of a jacket.

However, he still looked like someone from the upper class. Whenever he would visit the villa, he would dress more casually than this. He would only wear a dress shirt with slacks. Now that she thought about it, why did an executive director walk around in such casual attire?

She did her best to suppress the growing number of questions. This man never had any intention of kindly answering any of her questions anyway. Therefore, digging deeper would only result in a headache.

Euncho fixed her head forward as if she didn’t see him. She continued to organize the drinks in a neat row in the upper compartment of the fridge.

“……”

Euncho hand was in the middle of turning the cans so that the logo would be visible when it suddenly froze.

Ki Taeju had come up behind her and was pressing against her. Euncho was slightly bending forward in order to fill the mini-fridge. Therefore, her bottom was slightly pushed back, so when Ki Taeju pressed his lower body up against her…

As expected, something hard was touching her bottom.

There was no need to turn around or reach out behind her. After all, it wasn’t something she hadn’t encountered before. That’s why Euncho’s spine suddenly flinched and straightened.

They weren’t the only ones here.

Euncho straightened her back to push him away. However, Ki Taeju didn’t seem to care. On the contrary, he seemed pleased and pressed closer.

The open door of the minibar hid the secret act of intimacy between them, but it was of little comfort to Euncho.

She turned around and glared at him to get him to stop, but she ended up meeting his eyes. A haze of arousal seemed to ripple within Ki Taeju’s eyes. It was the same aroused eyes she had encountered countless times in the cramped corner of the villa seven years ago.

Euncho froze in place and couldn’t move.

A gentle breeze created ripples on the surface of the pool. Kang Seora was still humming a tune, and even though Euncho couldn’t see her, she was certain she was also tapping her toes.

Within such a peaceful scene, only the air between her and Ki Taeju was tense.

Ki Taeju’s hand moved from the minibar door. When it touched Euncho’s shoulder, she flinched. He held it without seemingly grabbing it. Then it slowly slid across her skin through her clothes and arrived at her hips.

His touch was so light that it was almost as if he wasn’t touching her at all.

But this was not the case for Euncho.

It was as if it were yesterday. A summer’s day, a day when the humid heat made it feel like every single pore on her body was clogged. She could feel the sweat running down her back.

Ki Taeju slowly grinded his hips. Even though she couldn’t see the way his hips circled against hers, she knew that it was primal and lewd.

Euncho could feel his every movement against her buttocks. She could so clearly feel his erection, which was so hard that it felt like it would split through her bottom. Her saliva pooled in her throat.

Splash.

Suddenly, the sound of water rang in the air.

Euncho quickly turned around. She felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured on her head. Unlike Euncho’s lightning-quick reaction, Ki Taeju slowly straightened his body in a relaxed manner as if nothing had happened and crossed his legs.

In contrast to his calm, sleek face, there was a large bulge in his pants.

“Whether it’s now or then…”

He propped his arm against the open minibar door.

“My Park Euncho is still very interested in my dick.”

He whispered the words quietly so that only she could hear them. It felt as if flies were hovering around her ears, so Euncho scratched it. Then she grabbed the minibar door and closed it.

Even though his erection was straining against his pants to the point that it almost seemed like it would rip through the fabric, the man seemed quite calm and composed.

Euncho turned her eyes and quickly glanced around. Kang Seora had already gone back into the pool. Feeling like she could still leave before she noticed anything, Euncho quickly tried to pass by Ki Taeju.

However, as luck would have it, there was a puddle. It must have formed when Kang Seora was swimming playfully in the pool.

Euncho stumbled. Normally, she should have been able to keep her balance, but the wound on her heel was making it difficult. The back of her heel dug deep into the wound, and the sharp pain caused her calves to lose strength.

Her body barely managed to keep its balance by grabbing ahold of the arms that stretched out towards her like tree branches. However, this only made her stick to Ki Taeju again, so her efforts to distance herself from him ultimately failed.

Euncho grabbed the arm that was wrapped around her waist and quickly straightened up.

“Tsk.”

She heard the sound of Ki Taeju clicking his tongue.

He wasn’t looking at her face. Instead, he was looking at the black heels Euncho was wearing.

“It’s because you’re wearing unnecessarily high heels.”

“I’m not wearing them because I want to.”

Although she tried to act like she was fine, her heart was pounding inside her chest due to shock. Her breaths were also strained. Euncho tried to calm herself down and adjusted her expression. She was so focused on calming down that she forgot to answer Ki Taeju in a more submissive tone.

“It’s the dress code.”

“Really?”

After regaining her composure, she realized that Ki Taeju was still looking at her shoes. Euncho swallowed the scoff that threatened to leave her mouth. He was looking at them with interest as if he were planning on helping her with them. She found it quite laughable.

Their eyes met again. Before things became even more tense and suffocating, Euncho gave him a formal bow.

“I’m finished here, so I’ll be taking my leave. Please enjoy your time, sir.”

As she turned around and walked out of the pool, her heel throbbed.

She couldn’t tell whether it was because of the wound or Ki Taeju’s gaze.

The next day, a notice was sent out to the staff in the F/O department.

Announcement

Neutral-colored shoes with a simple design are now allowed.

 

The notice was sent through the group messenger chat room. As she read this, the scoff that Euncho had been holding in finally came out.

She recalled the way his black eyes had been fixated on her heels at the pool yesterday.

Who else would do something like this?

The F/O department chat room, which consisted of her colleagues without any managerial supervisors, was in a state of chaos. They were cheering the fact that the strict dress code that did not allow for heels under six centimeters had suddenly relaxed.

The heels were so uncomfortable that they would often cause injury. It was the subject of much criticism even within the hospitality department.

Euncho looked at the chat room as more speech bubbles appeared. She sighed.

‘What is he trying to do?’

This was the first thought that entered her head when she read the announcement.

Ki Taeju’s actions were questionable and hard to read. Why did he even appear in front of her after so many years in the first place?

And look at what he was doing after he appeared like that. He wasn’t satisfied with just one summer, so he was trying to control her life in the present day. Euncho couldn’t help but feel resentful.

On a brighter note, the yearning that had been hidden deep within her heart was now pushed aside by this emotion.

It was true. She did want to see him, to meet him again.

However, the more this ambiguous behavior and series of events continued, the more she felt empty inside. It felt like the important threads were not being unraveled properly, and only the surrounding threads in the periphery were being dealt with.

She couldn’t figure out what the greatest obstacle was.

There were so many things to figure out, and the biggest one of all, the most toxic and destructive was…

Euncho lowered her hand and touched her heel.

She felt the bandage that she had placed over the wound after applying some salve.

‘If you get hurt, you need to treat it right away. It’ll get worse if you don’t, Euncho. We can’t let our pretty Euncho get any scars.’

Euncho recalled the words that Unnie said whenever she returned with wounds. She’d say it in such a sincere voice as she treated them with some medicine.

Euncho closed her eyes and tilted her head back.

Even though the summer was over, she felt like Heejin-unnie’s voice was growing clearer and clearer.

* * *

After that, Euncho frequently ran into Ki Taeju.

Every time they met, Ki Taeju would show interest in Euncho’s feet as if it had become a habit. Knowing he’d do this, Euncho did not follow the announcement right away. She continued to put on her heels as if nothing happened.

Ki Taeju, who checked her feet every time, just shook his head and chuckled as if he were laughing at Euncho’s stubbornness.

Euncho sent a concise reply. The number next to her message immediately disappeared, indicating that it had been read right away. Then she scrolled up to read the conversation they had just had.

The conversation she had with Lim Kyujin seemed affectionate on the surface. However, because Euncho didn’t feel anything for him, she came across as very dry.

Euncho tapped the screen with her fingertip.

She knew that being so ambiguous like this could be torturous for the other person, but her head was throbbing so much that she couldn’t even think about what to do.

If Ki Taeju hadn’t shown up, she would have tried to make things work even though she felt dry and empty inside.

But now that Ki Taeju had appeared, all of her motivation disappeared.

She wasn’t sure if it was her own foolishness or pride that caused her to hold onto her relationship with Lim Kyujin. Or maybe it was the same stubbornness that kept her from changing her heels in the face of Ki Taeju’s shameless act of kindness.

The day passed quickly.

7 o’clock. It was already time to leave work.

Euncho’s shift at the EFL ended at 7 o’clock. Eucho would stay at the EFL desk all day, and once her shift was over, all calls from the EFL thereafter were answered at the front desk in the lobby.

As she put her things into her purse, something caught her eye. There was a pack of cigarettes buried in the corner of her purse.

Mmm, she debated for a moment before turning her head away.

Recently, when she had been exploring the floor, she discovered a garden terrace that was connected to the lounge. The terrace was out in the open, and it also had an open ceiling like the swimming pool. In the evening, the streetlights would flicker on, and it created quite a cozy and soothing atmosphere.

‘Should I smoke one before I go?’

There was a smoking area at the back of the lobby on the first floor, but Euncho hadn’t been there in quite some time.

As a member of the service industry, smoking was avoided as much as possible due to the lingering smell. They had set up a smoking area as a courtesy, but she rarely went back there. After she arrived at work, there was no place for her to put a cigarette in her mouth.

The hard lump that seemed to be stuck in her chest during the past several days was still there.

Euncho finally went to the terrace holding a lighter and a cigarette. She pushed the heavy iron door and went outside before looking around at her surroundings. It was completely silent. Kang Seora had gone out to go shopping just a little while ago, so she probably wouldn’t be back for a while.

As for Ki Taeju… she wasn’t sure.

It’s none of my business where he is.

Euncho put the cigarette in her mouth and turned the wheel of the lighter. She suppressed her thoughts that had begun to spread like wildfire.

Click.

Within the darkness, a flickering flame began to burn the end of the cigarette.

Euncho put the lighter away and held the cigarette between her fingers.

Suddenly, she chuckled at an old memory that began to flood her mind. When she had seen the cigarette in his mouth, she had bravely ordered him to let her light it for him. She recalled struggling a couple times before finally lighting the cigarette. But now, she was able to do it quite skillfully.

It was further proof that time had passed.

“Huu.”

A wisp of smoke flowed out with her exhale.

It was the first time a cigarette was touching her lips at her place of work in several months. The reason why she had stopped going to the smoking area was quite simple.

‘I heard Euncho-ssi graduated from a two-year college.’

‘Yeah. You didn’t know?’

‘Of course I didn’t know. There are so many four-year graduates working here. I mean, my classmate who also applied here got rejected. So I thought applicants who came from a two-year college wer automatically rejected. Did she get perfect grades? How did she get in?’

‘Maybe it’s because of her face? This is a service job, so you know how important someone’s looks can be.’

‘I can agree with that. When I got to the interview room, I thought a future celebrity was sitting there.’

‘Ha… Her face really is killer. Now that I think about it, don’t you feel kind of strange whenever you look at Euncho-ssi’s eyes?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You just feel a bit… itchy.’

‘I think I know what you’re talking about. Doesn’t her face itself look a bit sexy?’

‘Ah, that’s right, that’s right. If you fall for that kind of face, you just…’

After accidentally overhearing the male employees gossiping about her, Euncho felt dirty and didn’t go back.

“You still turn me on when you smoke.”

“Ah!”

Euncho’s body shook as she turned around. She only saw a thick darkness. She slightly squinted. She could vaguely make out a faint outline.