UR | Chapter 11

The hotel suite room was spacious in every way.

Feeling awkward, Yujin stood still at the entrance, her eyes wandering over the wide living room, the large sofa, and the broad bed visible through the open bedroom door.

It was her first time being alone in a hotel room with a man, and she felt awkward and scared.

“Where’s the bathroom?”

“It’s that door over there.”

Wanting to wash her hands with cold water, Yujin headed to the bathroom and immediately sent money to Yoosung.

She didn’t know what kind of night she was about to have, but she hoped her younger sibling could feel at ease.

Yoosung, I sent the money, so pay the tuition tomorrow.

She hoped that Yoosung, who must have been suffering without eating or sleeping properly, would feel relieved as soon as possible.

After sending the money, she realized there was no turning back now.

Since she received help from him, she had to repay him in the way he wanted.

Returning to the living room, Jihoon, who had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie, was leisurely opening a bottle of whiskey.

Unlike Yujin, who had spent countless nights with women, he clearly didn’t place much significance on just one night.

“Please, have a seat.”

Despite boldly walking this far, Yujin hesitated for a few seconds before perching on the sofa. Jihoon then showed her the whiskey he was holding.

“Would you like some?”

It was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Being alone in a closed space with the man she liked was more nerve-wracking than she had imagined, but the more she reminded herself of what she had to do with him, the more her heart pounded with the thought of why she had come this far.

In such a situation, she thought drinking might help ease her tension.

“Please.”

Jihoon placed a glass in front of Yujin and sat across from her. He stared at her intently, as if assessing his prey.

“……”

Yujin turned her head to look out the window and took a sip of her drink, but no matter how much she tried to avoid it, she could vividly imagine what kind of expression Jihoon was making. The silk dress, which hadn’t been uncomfortable until now, suddenly felt like it was constricting her body.

“Let me ask you one last time. Are you sure you don’t want to take back your words about becoming the person I need?”

Yujin slowly turned her head. She looked at Jihoon and answered.

“Yes.”

“You might regret it. What Assistant Manager Kim Yujin has in mind and what I want might be different.”

Jihoon had already made it clear that he just needed someone to spend the night with.

Moreover, he had already transferred money to Yujin.

Was there anything left to properly understand about this situation?

Taking another sip of her drink to hide her trembling, Yujin answered.

“I may not know how you see me, but I’m not oblivious.”

“……”

“I’m not so naive that I can’t understand what the president is saying.”

Having entered the room, there were definitely parts she didn’t want to reveal.

Even if she couldn’t pretend to be experienced, she didn’t want to appear naive. So Yujin drank her drink in quick succession.

“It seems like neither, Assistant Manager Kim Yujin.”

Jihoon poured more alcohol into the glass filled with unmelted ice and leaned back on the sofa. He gave a meaningful smile, as if he could see right through Yujin’s mind.

Feeling burdened by the atmosphere, Yujin felt a sense of duty to say something. The prolonged silence was unbearable.

“But, President. It seems like you transferred too much money.”

The tuition was only a few million won. It wasn’t that a few hundred million was a small amount, but the money Jihoon transferred was excessively large. Even if he had never worried about money in his life, he wouldn’t be unaware of how much university tuition costs.

No matter how much she thought about it on the way here, Yujin couldn’t grasp his intentions.

“I’ll return the excess amount after deducting the tuition right away.”

She said this because she felt she needed to return the unnecessary amount to feel at ease.

But Jihoon, who had been tilting his head slightly with a furrowed brow, let out a short laugh.

“Ha.”

The laugh seemed like a sneer, making Yujin’s shoulders shrink.

It was then she realized. To Han Jihoon, even a billion won or ten million won was just a trivial amount of money.

She had ended up saying something unnecessary and only earned his ridicule.

Jihoon, who had made Yujin feel small, spoke to her.

“Assistant Manager Kim Yujin, I thought you were a smart and capable person, but you’re unexpectedly clumsy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Shouldn’t you have carefully examined the details before accepting someone’s proposal?”

Since she had asked Jihoon how to repay the money, Yujin didn’t think she was careless.

In fact, it was her heart that was careless. Feeling empty and swaying, she sat here to comfort her pitiful life.

Jihoon kindly informed Yujin of how oblivious she had been.

“I never mentioned how many nights we would spend together.”

“……What?”

For a moment, Yujin felt as if she had been struck hard on the head with a hammer.

She had vaguely assumed that one night would be enough. After all, there’s a reason the term “one-night stand” exists.

But was tonight not the end?

“How about a contract with me for exactly one year?”

“President.”

“I told you, I need someone to spend the night with. With a billion won a year, it doesn’t seem like a bad deal for Assistant Manager Kim Yujin.”

It was truly an unbelievable situation.

She had even considered the possibility that the wealthy Han Jihoon might have accidentally added an extra zero when transferring the money, but he had a different plan.

“I didn’t lend you money; I just paid in advance, so I won’t be taking the money back. That was my condition.”

“……”

“Don’t worry. I won’t disclose what happened between us. And, of course, I won’t dwell on it.”

It was at the moment when Yujin let out a startled breath. Her phone, placed beside her, rang.

Ding dong.

Noona, how did you get this money? Can I just be happy? Noona, you didn’t overdo it, right? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

It was Yoosung.

Yoosung, who must have been anxious all along, was probably shedding tears of relief now.

He could be happy, but he couldn’t be at ease, worrying about his sister. Feeling sorry for her pitiful younger brother, Yujin strengthened her eyes to hold back her tears.

‘This is enough.’

She had overcome a major hurdle. That was enough. But she couldn’t help feeling an indescribable sense of emptiness.

It was this easy.

She hadn’t lived struggling to solve something this easy.

“Sigh.”

Yujin finished the diluted drink with melted ice and looked at Jihoon.

He was watching her with interest. He wasn’t anxious about her possibly refusing, nor did he seem to be waiting for her answer.

He had already kept his promise not to dwell on it.

The more she acknowledged the reason for his confidence, the more Yujin’s empty heart dried up.

Honestly, until just now, she thought of herself as a foolish person. She had come here with the determination to do whatever Han Jihoon wanted, without considering the consequences, because she urgently needed money.

But as the emptiness surged and her eyes grew hot, her mind became clearer, and the desire that had passed by earlier resurfaced.

She wanted Han Jihoon.

No, she no longer wanted to ignore her feelings for Han Jihoon.

‘I’ve endured enough, haven’t I?’

Even if it was just for one night, even if it was just a fleeting moment, she wanted to have that man.

Love was a luxury, and she had been running without the leisure to exchange emotions with anyone,

“Is one year enough?”

With that question, Yujin stood up.

And she asked Jihoon confidently.

“I’d like to freshen up.”

Jihoon, who had been relaxed all along, raised his eyebrows in surprise this time. Then he stood up and faced Yujin.

A sharp jawline, a long neck, and a firm chest visible through the open shirt collar.

Unable to meet Jihoon’s eyes, Yujin moved her gaze timidly and parted her lips.

“If I didn’t need the money, this moment wouldn’t have happened, right?”

Poverty wasn’t all bad.

Thanks to poverty, she could be this close to Han Jihoon.

Whether it was because she was drunk or because she had given up on everything, Yujin’s thoughts were a jumbled mess, enough to give her goosebumps.

“Assistant Manager Kim Yujin.”

Jihoon grabbed Yujin’s slender right shoulder. And with his other hand, he lifted her chin.

“There’s no turning back now.”

The man’s warning voice was so sweet that Yujin easily let her guard down.

“Hup.”

She wrapped her arms around Jihoon’s neck as he unexpectedly bit her lips, and she had to step back, unable to withstand the approaching man’s strength.

It wasn’t gentle enough to be called tender, but it wasn’t unbearably rough either.

That’s how Yujin felt about the night with Jihoon.

Jihoon eagerly delved into Yujin, occasionally observing her reactions, and then continued his movements. At times, he shook his head as if trying to forget something.

When he let out a pained breath, Yujin had a fleeting thought.

Perhaps, just as she needed money, Han Jihoon needed someone.

It seemed like there was something profound hidden in the words “someone to spend the night with.”

Of course, she knew it might just be a delusion.

But every time their eyes met during those intense moments, she could definitely feel that Jihoon was different from usual.

Even though she considered it might be because it was her first time seeing Jihoon immersed in instinct, Yujin couldn’t shake off the suspicion that Jihoon was acting strangely.

Perhaps that’s why it wasn’t entirely painful and distressing.

Jihoon desperately sucked on Yujin’s lips and skin, and each time, Yujin thought that he might be trying to fill the emptiness in his heart through this act. After all, having such a delusion, she wanted to embrace Jihoon. In fact, it was something Yujin had wanted to do for a long time.