TTS Vol 1 Ch 2.1
by lily plum2. Kang Taeri
Taeri lay slumped over her desk in the lecture hall, motionless. She blinked slowly, occasionally looking up at the blank white wall with an empty stare.
Her characteristic expressionless face and indifferent eyes were like a default setting for her, which often led people around her to mistakenly think she must have endured a difficult life. In reality, however, her life was the complete opposite.
Although she wasn’t exactly the daughter of a chaebol family or a newly rich tycoon, her father was an executive in a prominent financial firm, still actively working, while her mother, who had studied music, sat elegantly in their beautifully kept home as she gave violin lessons to a few underprivileged students.
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Chaebol: A large, family-controlled industrial conglomerate in South Korea. Like Samsung, LG, Hyundai.
It was more of a pastime than a profession—a way of giving back. The kind of compassion only possible for those with enough financial stability and peace of mind.
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As the only child of such a harmonious family, Taeri had spent her 22 years wrapped in her parents’ boundless support and love.
At times, that love felt excessive, especially her father’s. He raised her as though she were a fragile, priceless porcelain vase, constantly worried she might crack or break.
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Taeri had never even been on a typical overnight trip, never gone to any kind of after-drinking party, and even now, as a full-fledged adult, she still had to be at home by curfew. Whether it was due to this overprotectiveness or simply her age being at twenty-two, Taeri couldn’t tell, but she’d never really found life to be particularly enjoyable.
Campus life was tedious, her classmates were childish, and college life itself was unremarkably dull.
To alleviate this boredom, she had considered getting a part-time job, but that also had been off-limits. This, again, was due to her father, and instead of a job, another of her father’s credit cards was placed in her hand.
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To some people, her circumstances might seem enviable. But would they understand? When the same predictable routine continues for 22 years, it’s only natural to start dreaming of a life less smooth and ordinary.
Living the same life, day in and day out, like a hamster on a wheel, was more tedious and uninteresting than one might imagine.
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Isn’t that why people prefer the turbulent waves of the ocean over the calmness of a lake? The ever-changing ocean is simply more interesting to watch.
Of course, Taeri’s parents were the best guardians, and she knew that well. Taeri had always lived a life where she got everything she wanted; everything she desired fell into her grasp.
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While she would give thanks a hundred times over for the life she’d been given, there were moments when her heart twisted with discontent. Lately, as if experiencing a belated adolescence, that discontent had become more frequent, and she had been feeling grateful once and wavering a hundred times. Even though she was no longer a teenager, she found herself increasingly unable to bear the sight of her parents.
She’d tried dating a few times to escape her boring life, but each time, it ended with her being dumped.
They always gave the same reason, saying it was because of her father, who would call from 4 PM onwards, while the sun was still high, urging her to come home quickly.
Listening to your father go on and on makes me feel guilty like I’m committing some kind of serious crime.
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However, Taeri knew better. That was only an excuse, and the real reason lay elsewhere.
Like, perhaps, the lack of opportunity to fool around… to do those kinds of “things”…
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They didn’t know. Even in broad daylight, she could have easily done “things” if she wanted to, but it just didn’t appeal to her. So she’d go out of her way to deliberately take her father’s calls, staying obediently within reach.
They were always trying to get into bed with her, showering her with compliments like she was some kind of conquest, saying things like, “I’m the best at sex” or “I’m bigger than average.”
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Typical bravado for that age. All of it was cheap, obvious flirting. The predictable, clumsy touching, the inexperienced kisses, the awkward caresses…
Taeri found herself utterly unappealed, and her indifference likely left them feeling bored or defeated.
There were plenty of men hitting on her, but at some point, Taeri stopped dating altogether. She knew she wasn’t the type of person to find any fun in clumsy relationships with guys her age.
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And so, her thoughts always circled back to the same question.
What would make life fun?
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What could I do to escape this boredom?
How could I make my life more exciting?
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Sometimes, she wondered if one day she’d snap, unable to bear this peace any longer. The thought of doing something drastic hovered dangerously close, and recently, these turbulent emotions had been intensified day by day.
They say it’s frightening when adolescence hits late. It felt like Taeri was experiencing a belated rebellion now, after breezing through her teenage years without much trouble.
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Just when she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, she met a man who made her heart race.
‘What is it that you need, student?’
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That man.
‘Stop provoking me and name your price, kid. If you’re going to act tough, at least make sure you pick the right person.’
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Everything about him seemed so relaxed. It was the first time she’d felt this flutter of excitement towards a man.
“……”
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Still staring blankly at the wall, Taeri slowly reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone.
She glanced down and checked the message she had received the day before.
[I think I’ve given you enough time to think it over. Let’s meet. When are you available, student?]
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Taeri reached for the man’s business card she’d left on the corner of her desk and brought it closer to read.
[Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office | Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 | Prosecutor Park Chigyeong]
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The man’s name and position printed on the card seemed to prick at Teri’s indifferent gaze like a thorn.
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* * *
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Taeri held her teacup, looking curiously around the room. She’d never been to a private dining room like this, even with her parents, and her eyes wandered with open curiosity.
The room’s overall low saturation created a solemn atmosphere, and the layout seemed to place great emphasis on privacy. Each room was spaced so far apart that it would be impossible for anyone next to their room to overhear any conversation from within.
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“Your companion has arrived.”
A few minutes later, the server’s pleasant voice came from beyond the closed door and broke the silence. Taeri, who had been sitting with a disinterested expression until now, showed a subtle change in her face.
A bit of nervousness, a hint of tension, and perhaps, a flicker of excitement.
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With a light clack, the sliding door moved aside under the server’s hand. The door opened, and a man in a black suit entered.
“I planned to be the one waiting, but it seems you got here first.”
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The man sat down across from her, his breathtakingly handsome face graced with a casual smile.
“Have you looked at the menu?”
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As her eyes met the man’s, Taeri unconsciously flinched and then nodded timidly.
“Yes. But… I don’t really know what’s good here.”
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“Would you like to try something I recommend?”
Taeri nodded again, and Park Chigyeong smiled as he called the server waiting outside into the room.
There was a practiced grace in every gesture he made—the way he handed over his suit jacket to the server, signaled for his tea to be filled, how he scanned the menu, and the manner in which he placed his order. Every action he did was marked by a casual ease and sophistication that was far from being an act.
As that unfamiliar sensation, something he had never felt from anyone her age before, resurfaced, Taeri felt herself instinctively grip her teacup a little tighter.
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After the server left with a bow and closed the door, Park Chigyeong sighed with a deliberate, “Ah,” and asked.
“Student. Do you eat eel?”
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Park Chigyeog already ordered hitsumabushi1, yet still asked if she ate eel. His lips curved into a smooth smile as he lifted his teacup.
“Don’t girls your age usually prefer things like pasta?”
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“And do men your age eat eel for lunch?”
At Taeri’s habitually prickly response, a faint crease appeared between the man’s eyebrows, visible above the rim of his teacup.
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If he’d been her age, he would probably come back with an even sharper retort, which would have led to a petty argument. But this man was different.
“You’re an only child, aren’t you?”
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He chuckled as if amused, placing his teacup on the table, and, loosening his cufflinks, he continued in a gentle voice.
“How did you know?”
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“You’re clumsy in how you deal with me.”
“Does it make that much of a difference, whether I’m an only child or not? And from what I saw back then, Park Sihyun isn’t exactly easy to handle, either.”
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Park Chigyeong raised an eyebrow at her relentless, almost aggressive attitude, and Taeri realizing she’d gone too far, bit her lip. He continued watching Taeri for a long time, then neatly rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to his forearms before resuming the conversation.
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“There’s no need to be so on guard. And you don’t need to sit so tensely, either. Just think of this as having a nice meal with a clueless, old uncle. Ah. Does that sound a little weird?”
The man looked her in the eye, flashing a small, calculated smile that anyone could tell was insincere.
Taeri wondered if his ability to hide his true feelings with such ease was a skill that only came with age, given that he’d already revealed his real self to her once before. She wasn’t very good at it.
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“What… how old are you, sir2?”
At her casual use of the term “sir,” and at the formal “how old are you“ Park Chigyeong rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. This time, it really seemed like a genuine laugh.
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“I’m thirty-three.”
“Thirty-three… so you’re eleven years older than me.”
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“That’s right. Does that make you feel a little more at ease now?”
“No, I still feel uncomfortable. But I actually prefer that.”
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Park Chigyeong tilted his head as if to ask what she meant, and Taeri answered in a slightly excited tone.
“No matter who I meet, guys my age are just… well, they’re still guys my age.”
Childish, immature, and all show.
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“But you’re different, sir. That’s what I like.”
Taeri’s eyes sparkled as if stars had been embedded in them, as she gazed at him. The bored, yawning expression she usually wore was nowhere to be seen.
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Footnotes
- Hitsumabushi (장어/히츠마부시): This is a traditional Japanese grilled eel dish, prepared and served in a special way that highlights its flavor.
- 영감님 (yeongamnim): This is a very informal, almost disrespectful term for an old man. It's usually used for someone much older, like a grandfather. So, she’s basically calling him grandpa/pops/sir.