Chapter 24
Irresistible
“There’s someone following us.”
“Fo-following us?”
“Don’t look back. Stay closer to me.”
So-hye rested her head against Woo-gun’s shoulder instead of turning around.
Following them?
Could it really be a Japanese officer tailing them?
Was it to see whether they were truly a couple or not?
Her heart raced in a completely different way than before, and her fingertips trembled.
If she could, she would have run away right then and there.
“Sir, let’s go a little faster… I’m scared.”
So-hye clutched Woo-gun’s arm tightly, as if it were a lifeline, her voice quivering.
Even seeing a passing officer stiffened her entire body, and now, with someone following them, fear gripped her even more.
The memory of being dragged away and interrogated by the military police a few days ago had settled into a deep-rooted terror.
Woo-gun held onto her as she tried to move forward and spoke in a low voice to calm her.
“Stay calm. They’re just watching us.”
“But what if he keeps following us…?”
“The more you worry, the more suspicious it looks. That’s exactly what they want.”
Any suspicious behavior in this situation was dangerous.
That was precisely what the tail would be looking for.
When her hand trembled on his arm, Woo-gun covered it with his larger hand.
“They can’t do anything to you unless they catch concrete evidence. So don’t worry. Right now, they’re just observing.”
“…Okay.”
The touch of their hands clasped together gradually brought her back to her senses.
So-hye forced her racing heart down and walked in step with Woo-gun.
They had to act as naturally as possible so no one would suspect it was a performance.
She even forced a faint smile at the gentle gesture of him brushing her hair behind her ear.
For now, she had to trust Woo-gun completely.
Whenever fear threatened to overwhelm her, So-hye pressed closer to him, erasing the dark feelings.
Woo-gun, of course, was just as tense.
Under normal circumstances, he would have walked her home at a safe distance, keeping the tail in check with ease.
Though he was used to situations like this, having So-hye right beside him made it impossible to relax, even for a moment.
He glanced at her naturally, pretending to look around, and peeked behind him.
A man wearing a hat had been following them ever since they left the Western-style store.
He hadn’t noticed him when with Se-ho, so it was likely he had been tailing So-hye and Soon-sim the whole time.
‘And he’s new. Did they assign him specifically to follow So-hye?’
The hat shadowed his face, making it hard to see clearly, but his build was different from the usual detective who followed Woo-gun.
As expected, since he was now engaged, they were keeping a close eye on So-hye too.
‘So, this is just the beginning.’
Woo-gun chose to turn down another street instead of heading straight home.
The man followed their sudden change in direction, pretending it was accidental.
They maintained a steady pace as they walked into the bustling downtown area.
Since it was the weekend, and department stores were in full swing with sales and promotions, the streets were crowded.
They merged into the crowd, trying to shake off the tail naturally.
But the man was persistent, keeping close without losing them.
If they went straight home, they might get away unscathed, but the tailing of So-hye would continue.
Woo-gun needed to find a way to remove her from the surveillance.
At that moment, his eyes caught a uniquely structured building.
Despite its flashy exterior, the windows were completely dark.
It looked like a newly completed commercial building, ready for stores to move in.
The outer walls had enough nooks and curves to hide behind.
“Let’s duck in over there for a moment.”
He glanced back at the tail before leading So-hye into a secluded alley next to the building.
Even though they were steps from the busy street, the alley felt completely silent and isolated.
Terrified, So-hye whispered, keeping her voice low.
“Why…? Are we in danger?”
“No. Just trying to distract him.”
So-hye tilted her head, confused, but there was no time to explain.
Once they were far enough into the alley, Woo-gun suddenly turned So-hye around and pressed her against the recessed wall.
“Hngh…”
Before she could react, he leaned down and closed the distance to her lips.
The man who had followed them into the alley was stunned and turned his head away.
He peeked again, but the kiss had become even more intense.
It was no ordinary peck; they were entangled in a way that made it look deeply intimate.
‘Damn it.’
The man could do nothing but hesitate.
Meanwhile…
“…”
So-hye’s lips were pressed against Woo-gun’s thumb, and she looked at him in surprise.
What was happening?
Moments ago, she had been terrified of being followed, anxiously moving with him.
Now, she could feel the cold wall behind her, his large hand covering her face, and his tilted face filling her view.
His eyes, impossible to read, stared straight into hers.
He slowly turned his head to the side.
From behind, it looked like a couple sharing a passionate kiss.
The suffocatingly decadent image made her forget all her previous fears.
Every sense was heightened, and her heart threatened to explode.
The faint inhalation carried the intoxicating scent of him deep into her lungs.
His fingers blocked her lips like a final boundary.
The warmth of his breath over it was like a paralyzing poison.
It erased reason.
It was too sweet to resist.
She wanted, if possible, to be trapped in this moment forever…
At the same time.
Click, click. The slightly sharp sound of heels echoed through Pyeongchun-gwan.
Seok-gu, the manager at the entrance, was startled by the sudden appearance of a familiar guest.
“Yo-hwa, what brings you here at this hour? I don’t think anyone called for you…”
Yo-hwa didn’t respond, asking instead:
“Where’s the boss?”
“He’s upstairs… Yo-hwa, Yo-hwa!”
Ignoring Seok-gu, she climbed the stairs with sharp, purposeful steps, clearly angry about something.
She strode straight to the room where the owner, Hak-jun, was.
“This is Yo-hwa.”
Her voice at the door was like a thorny rose—beautiful yet edged with danger.
“Come in.”
Hak-jun, sitting at his desk reviewing documents, looked up at the unexpected visitor.
Since her sudden appearance was unusual, he put the papers down and asked seriously:
“Did something happen?”
“I have something to report.”
“Then sit there.”
Yo-hwa sat on the guest sofa, contemplating how to frame her words to her advantage.
After a moment, Hak-jun spoke first.
“What is it you want to say?”
“It’s about Woo-gun oppa…”
Even speaking the words made her stomach churn. She bit her lip, trying to control her emotions, before continuing:
“Are you aware of the rumors that he already has a fiancée?”
“Hmm…”
A deep sigh escaped Hak-jun’s lips.
It wasn’t so much surprise as mild annoyance at the matter being brought up.
Seeing Yo-hwa’s frown deepen, she continued:
“Did you already know about this, boss?”
“Yes. I heard about it.”
“Then why do you seem so calm?”
Hak-jun’s face hardened.
“Why should I be calm?”
“Is that all you have to say after coming all this way?”
Her words seemed to reproach him, which only made Yo-hwa more anxious.
“Suddenly, a woman appears in this situation, and she’s a dancer from an illegal café! And you didn’t even consult the boss before taking action?”
Hak-jun rubbed his temple with his fingertips, feeling the headache multiply.
He couldn’t just dismiss this incident as trivial.
He had initially thought the rumors were baseless, but after learning the details from the modern café incident, and that Woo-gun actually let her into his home, he realized the gossip was true.
He even asked Soon-sim, but the reply only confirmed it: “It seems she really is Woo-gun’s fiancée.”
‘Whether or not they’re truly a couple, he did it to protect her in front of Sosuke…’
Even Yo-hwa didn’t know the full story, meaning Woo-gun acted alone.
Hak-jun knew his son wouldn’t recklessly put himself in danger, so he felt conflicted.
The silence stretched until Yo-hwa prompted:
“Shouldn’t you take some action? This just exposes his weakness. You know Woo-gun’s weakness is our Hanyeoldan’s weakness.”
She was right. For Hanyeoldan, Woo-gun was a double-edged sword.
All operations and information exchanges ran through him, making his safety a top priority.
Yet now, being watched and performing such a conspicuous act, it was like pouring oil on a fire.
“Think about it. He’s the type who doesn’t like to meet me anyway.”
“Should I check it out?”
Hak-jun’s eyes narrowed again.
“It’s natural to be concerned… but don’t get too involved.”
Her gaze froze under his icy stare.
Hak-jun knew exactly why she brought up this matter.
“If you’ve said all you need, go. There’s much to do.”
“…Until next time, then.”
Yo-hwa bowed and left the office.
The door closed behind her with a thud, like a final decree.
She clenched her long fingers into a fist, her mind fixated on So-hye—the girl she had seen days ago.
‘Why did she get under my skin from the very first moment?’
She had assumed the girl would fade away on her own, but her complacency had led to this outcome.
“This can’t happen. Oppa… this can’t happen.”
Yo-hwa glared into the void with bloodshot eyes.
Even if Hak-jun had said not to intervene, she couldn’t sit idly by.
If she couldn’t have Woo-gun for herself…
“No woman will stand by him!”
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds of retreating footsteps reached their ears.
The man had believed the fake kiss.
The lips that had teased So-hye so closely finally parted.
“I’m sorry for doing that without permission.”
“….”
“I thought it was the only way to lose the tail without suspicion.”
His thumb slowly slid off her lips.
The light caught her red cheeks as reality returned.
“Haa…”
Her pent-up breath finally escaped.
Her legs felt weak, as if she could collapse at any moment.
She forced herself to keep her composure and averted her gaze, covering her lips with her hand.
It stung as if burned by fire.
The unspent heat pooled in her palm.
Thinking he might be angry at her for not responding, Woo-gun asked,
“Did I upset you?”
She instinctively took a step back from his closeness, surprised at her own reaction.
“No… it’s just—”
Her thoughts raced so wildly she momentarily went blank.
She chose the clearest, most honest emotion to speak:
“I was just… so surprised.”
Her heart was still racing, her voice trembling.
Woo-gun’s gaze deepened.
“If it upset you, you can get angry.”
“It didn’t.”
“Your expression looked like it did, though.”
So-hye stared at the floor, fiddling with her fingertips.
She couldn’t possibly be upset.
“You nearly put yourself in danger…”
“I wasn’t trying to take advantage. I never will, and I don’t plan to.”
“It’s not that…”
She looked at him frustrated, then lowered her eyes again.
When she said she was in danger, she wasn’t referring to herself.
‘Just a moment ago, when I was scared of being followed, I couldn’t see anything but his lips…’
The lips that had captured her from the very first sight, how much she had wanted them.
Even if she said it, he might not guess.
Or worse, he might think she was a shameless woman.
Yet the memory of those lips haunted her…
‘This isn’t the time to be longing, Baek So-hye. Pull yourself together!’
She scolded herself for her instinct-driven feelings.
Then, forcing her expression back into control, she straightened her neck and said,
“I’m really okay. We wrote in the contract that some physical contact was allowed when necessary. I expected this.”
Woo-gun’s face relaxed at last.
He nodded and extended his arm to her.
“Still, next time, warn me first. So you’re not surprised.”
Next time, he’d do it again.
Her cheeks flared crimson at the unexpected promise of another kiss.
‘What… am I supposed to look forward to danger now?’
The confusion swirling in her mind only grew.
