Deadly Boss - Chapter 2 Part 1

CHAPTER 2- PART1

Suddenly, the ground rumbled beneath her feet and her right leg gave way. Haen stretched out her hand in surprise.  

“………..!!” 

Tuck.  She felt a hand quickly wrap around her waist. Kang-woo reached out and grabbed Ha-eun’s shaking body.

Ha-eun’s hand touched Kang-woo’s hard chest. At the same time, she could feel his breath against her ear.  

“I’m sorry, I could have held you longer.”

“I’m sorry.”   

Ha-eun pushed him away angrily.   

“It’s okay,” he said,

“It was …… a chance to kiss you.”

His lips parted, and her heart raced. HaEun pulled away from him a little more.   

“That’s weird.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s a ploy to make me feel bad for you.”

“Don’t say that….”

Ha-eun’s face burned. Kang-woo turned and walked ahead.

“I’m going to kiss you if you stay in the dark, so let’s go.” 

“Okay…. Okay, I’ll go.”   

There was a slight heat in her fingertips. Ha-Eun walked a meter away from Kang-Woo. The cicadas were deafeningly loud.   

“They’re thirsty, too, looking for a mate. It’s a sickness to endure.”

He was talking to himself, but she could hear him. Her stomach rumbled. It had been a long day.

 * * * * * * * * *

 On the way back from the field, Ha-eun unexpectedly got into Kang-woo’s car again. She saw a familiar car in front of her house. It was Zhuan again.  Ha-eun bit her lip.

“That asshole keeps failing to understand my warnings.” 

“As long as he’s not coming out of the hotel, he’s going to continue to babble.”   

Zhuan was persistent. No wonder he didn’t believe her. Ha’eun had given him his first, and he was proud to have taken her first. He hadn’t looked at any other man besides Zhuan, and he wasn’t interested.

“What are you going to do?”

“…………”

“I think we should cool off with a kiss here.”

“…ha….”

“I’m always welcome.”   

Kang-woo leaned back, his hair sagging. Ha-Eun took a breath. What, hesitate? He’s watching, right? I need to punch him in the face right here.

You have to kiss me, or he’ll keep bugging you. By the way, if you kiss me here….   

‘Let’s just think about one thing. Only think about getting that bastard off….’

Ha-eun put her arm around Kang-woo’s shoulder. His eyes turned to her.

“Are you accepting my proposal as it is?”

“For now.” 

“You always leave a way out.”

“Is that why you don’t like it?”

“No.”

“Kiss me. Us.”

Haen was the first to meet his lips. Tongue and tongue melded together. Greedily, they swirled around each other’s tongues. They kissed with such fervor that they didn’t know who kissed first. It was just a kiss…  But it was so disorienting…  It was weird.

The mere kiss stirred a desire deep within her, and he was giving her as much of an act as she wanted. She gasped as the kiss deepened and his hands cupped her breasts, his fingers pinpointing her nipples, squeezing them until they burst. He needed a deeper caress to make it seem like a lover, but it was too much. But now wasn’t the time for that.

I felt cold eyes staring at me from the window. I looked up and made eye contact with the person watching me. Ha’eun looked as if she sensed an ecstasy she didn’t recognize in him.   

Zhuan stiffened as if in shock.  Ha-eun felt exhilarated. There are a lot of men in the world, even if you’re not one of them, especially those who can’t compare to you.

Kang-woo’s lips parted as if he was aware of the window. Kang-woo pecked Ha-eun on the chin and whispered in her ear.   

“It’s good that you’re using me, but it makes me feel dirty that you care more about that guy outside the window than me.” 

“It doesn’t matter anyway, does it?”

“I want something more.”

“I don’t.”   

I had no intention of starting a new relationship, even if it was a physical one-night stand.

When I got out of the car, a bouquet of flowers had been left on the spot where Zhuan had stood earlier.

He never gave me flowers when we were dating… I was about to pick up the flower because it was innocent, but Kang-woo coldly grabbed it.   

“You shouldn’t pick up flowers that mean reconciliation,” she said. 

“Throw it away instead.” 

“Go back inside.” 

“Go in carefully.”   

Ha-eun bowed to Kang-woo and went inside the villa.

Kang Woo took the cigarette out of his hand.  With a click, he lit the cigarette with a lighter and inhaled deeply of the nicotine.  He looked at the rose on his bonnet. Slowly, Kang-woo’s expression changed.

Rain roughly grabbed the rose and shoved it into the trash can. His eyes glowed fiercely.   

* * * * * * * *

 When she entered the house, a familiar face was waiting for her.   

“It’s Ji-soo, when did you get home?”

“It’s about eight o’clock, why aren’t you answering your phone?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, it was a dinner party.”

“No wonder.”

“I brought pajamas to sleep in today. You’ve been so busy lately, we don’t get to see each other.” “That’s great. What do you want to order?”

“I brought a lot of food.”

Just then, the bathroom door opened and an unexpected visitor walked in. Ha-Eun was surprised:

“Oh, that’s right. My brother is here too.”

“……Hyo-won’s brother.”

“He’s here as Ji-soo’s errand boy today. I’ll be right there.”

“What are you talking about? You should have a drink too. We’re having a beer party.”

“There’s a high school kid at home.”

“What kind of kid is Young-eun? She’s old enough to understand the struggles of adults.”

“I don’t want to be part of your fun. I’m leaving.”

Ha-eun followed Hyo-won to the front door.

“Oh, brother. Are you just leaving?”

“Drink moderately and go to bed. Don’t come to work tomorrow with a puffy face.”

As he walks out the front door, he stops.   

“Who’s that guy who walked you to the front door earlier?”

“Oh. Did you see him?”

“Yes.”

“He’s the general manager of our company. He finished late in the field today, so he’s going to….”

“Really?”

Hyo-won looked at Ha-eun in surprise.   

“Why?”

“No, he looks a little familiar.”

“Uh, uh, uh… Where do you think I’ve seen him?”

“Well, ….”

Ha-Eun stifled a laugh. Kang-woo was in and out of the club, so how could he not have seen her there?  He was like a brother to her, and if he found out she had a one-night stand, he would be terribly disappointed.   

“No, I have to go.”

Ha-eun walked him to the door and walked into the house. Ji-soo sipped her beer and stared at her.

“My brother’s weird.”

“What?”

“He’s got a sneaky way about him.”

“What, you’re kidding… No.”

“I don’t want you to be my step-sister anyway. You and I are supposed to be best friends forever.”

“Hmph, Ji-Ji… Ji-Ji.”

“Just saying. He’s my brother, but he’s not that reliable either.”

“What about Hyo-won’s brother, hasn’t he gotten into any trouble?”

“Did you forget that my brother is a human being with a club membership at that hotel?” “Ah….”

“All men are animals, beasts. He’s supposed to be your general manager, the kind of guy you don’t blame for breaking up with.”

Ha-eun smirked.  She thought about what Jisoo had said. Seriously, one-night clubs and Hyo-won’s brother didn’t mix.

* * * * * * * *

Mr. Seok was being briefed by his chief of staff on what had happened.   

“We’ve completely silenced the noise.” 

“You paid it all off. I can’t believe you paid for the entire treatment….”

“I’m sure you’ll get a good return on that.” 

“Yeah. You get what you pay for.”

It would cost more than expected, but the job was done. Mr. Seok looked at the photos of his teammates on the field.

“By the way, is there a woman on the team?”

“Oh, Ms. Do ha-eun, she’s an architectural designer.” 

“For a female team member….”

“I know she’s quite capable. I heard that clients prefer her designs, and she’s in charge of designing this Paju project.” 

“She’s the designer Kang-woo chose….”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just, I don’t like the way she looks.”   

Chairman Seok’s eyes narrowed. It was especially similar to the women he’d met so far. Small enough to hold in your hand, pretty faces, moderate height, long hair, and slender bodies. Kang-woo had the same taste.

“Get somebody to watch him, we don’t want him to catch a glimpse of you.”   

I wanted to be on the lookout for danger, and if nothing else, I needed to be on the lookout for a girl who might catch his eye.   

* * * * * * * * *

 It was the next day.

Ha-eun was making breakfast when she suddenly ran to the bathroom.   

“Ugh….”

She felt sick to her stomach. The meat she ate yesterday had finally broken down and she felt nauseous.   

“Sis, are you okay?”

“Uh, uh…. I’ll be right out.”

“Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? You’re freaking me out with all this vomiting.”

“Meh, sorry.”

Ha-eun brushed her teeth and left the bathroom. Young-eun looked at Ha-eun worriedly.   

“I called Hyo-won’s brother. I think you need to see a doctor.”

“Why?”

“Because I keep telling you to go to the doctor, but you won’t listen. Mother got stomach cancer because she neglected it.”

“I know my body. It’s just mild gastritis.”

“Still.”

Just then, a message popped up on my phone. It was Hyo-won.

[Ha-eun, it’s me. Why don’t you take a few minutes this afternoon to stop by the hospital?] [Brother, I’m fine. Young-eun did it for nothing.]

[If you’re not available, do you want me to go?]

[Brother, I’m also busy……………………………………………………………………. I’m fine. Should I go to the hospital? I have a lot of work to do…   

Ha-eun shook her head because she felt better after being nauseous.

* * * * * * * *

When I got to work, I was drowsy. Tiredness was evident in her eyes. Team Leader Kim offered Ha-eun a cup of coffee.   

“Mr. Ha-eun. Are you tired?”

“Yes. I didn’t sleep well last night! I felt like I was going to get sick. My whole body is aching. I guess farming is really hard.”

“I guess everyone does.” 

“Take it easy.”

Ha-eun slumped down on the desk, not feeling well, but sleepy all the same. It was then that he heard Chief Seol’s voice, which sounded like it had been boiled in a pot.

“Ms. Ha-eun. Are you sleeping?”

“What? No, no, the director is coming.”

Ha-eun got up and went to Mr. Seol. Ms. Seol looked Ha-eun up and down.   

“I’m sorry, I’ve been absent lately. The head of the department is taking care of things.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“A project is a project, and you have to do what you’re supposed to do.”

“I’ll take care of it right away.” 

“I know because I have a meeting with the R&T Holding agency.”

“Oh… yeah.”

I had an external meeting with a client.

An old bachelor in his 40s with a half-shaved head, the managing director of R&T Holding Planning Company has been a longtime business partner with Guanghua Construction. When the construction industry was booming, there was plenty of work, but when it started to go downhill, competition was fierce.   

Especially when it came to winning big contracts, he had to entertain and lobby across departments.   

“I’m going with the sales department today, Ms. Ha-eun, so don’t forget your materials.”

“Yes. Chief.”

She gathered her materials. The time was 3 p.m. She realized that the meeting was in the afternoon, which meant it would most likely end up with entertainment.  The thought of the smirking client made her feel even worse. However, entertaining is work. I couldn’t avoid it.   

“What should I do, Mr. Ha, you’re not moving fast enough, I should go….”

“You’re busy, too.”

Based on the design, Kim creates electrical and plumbing drawings for the construction.

Normally, they would go to a reception together, but this time they were in a hurry.   

“Ms. Ha-eun, wait.”

“Why?”

“Just in case, you know when a client hits on you.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll draw the line.” 

“Ms. Ha-Eun, I have a problem with your eyes….”   

The client would sometimes flirt with Ha-eun.

“I’ll try to sift through the crowd and get out of here.” 

“Well, be careful, then,”

Ha-eun answered Mr. Seol’s call and hurried to follow him.   

* * * * * * * * * *

 Even before the meeting started, the client gave her a strange look. He asked a personal question that had nothing to do with the meeting topic.   

“Ms. Ha-eun, how old did you turn this year?”

“Twenty-six.”   

It disgusted me enough to make me want to pull out what few strands of hair I had left. The blatant look in his eyes. When his gaze landed on Ha-Eun’s chest, she felt like she’d fallen into a grave. Hold on. Hold on. It’s still worth it. He rested his chin on his arm and turned back to her. His smirk was sickening.

“It’s pretty. I mean, it’s not like we’re selling faces on this floor.”

“It’s nice to be pretty.”   

The head of the sales department interjected. It’s not a place to evaluate faces… I felt uncomfortable being the center of attention in an all-male meeting.   

“Sure, you’re good at your job, and you have a pretty face. That’s a plus.”

“Then, Mr. Kim, please loosen the sauce for the Incheon International Building, and do you know, maybe we can buy Ha-eun a drink.”  

 Ha-eun was stunned, this was like being treated like a hostess. The head of the sales department was all tail and no bones about it. The man’s lips curled at his words.   

“Really? Yeah, I heard something, but it’s hard to tell.”

“Well, why don’t we get going? I know it’s a little early, but why don’t we have a meal and a drink?”

“Alcohol. Good, then.”

“Come on, let’s all get organized and move on,”

the man said, looking Ha-Eun up and down and smiling subtly. A deep sigh poured from Ha’eun’s mouth. After all, hospitality was inevitable.   

* * * * * * * * *

Kang-woo’s footsteps moved toward the design department. Team Leader Kim jumped out of his seat.

“Is the general manager here?”

“Is Ms. Do ha-eun still at work? What did she do this afternoon that she hasn’t come in yet?”

“I have a meeting with a client today, and I’ll be leaving right after that.” 

“A meeting?”

“Yes. They gave us another construction subcontract two months ago… and it’s probably going to lead to some entertainment.”   

The corners of Kang-woo’s eyes twitched.   

“I see.”   

Kang-woo left the office and walked down the hall.

“Secretary Chung. Find out where Ms. Do ha-eun is.”   

* * * * * * * * *

 The entertainment went from the first meat restaurant to the second karaoke bar. I said I only needed to eat dinner, but the drinking continued and I couldn’t get out.  The client laughed at the top of his lungs.

“Sing a song. I want to hear you sing,”

he said, holding the microphone out to Ha-Eun.   

“I’m not a good singer.” 

“Oh, don’t be. Shall we have a drink?”

He sat down next to her, and she jumped to her feet and pressed play on a random song.   

‘I can’t help it if it’s dirty and cheesy, my throat is grape juice….’

He stood up and shook his tambourine as I sang a middle-aged man’s favorite tune.  She forced a smile, and her cheeks twitched. The man’s shaking tambourine drowned out the song, but Ha-eun sang her heart out.  After another song, Mr. Seol took the microphone this time. The client sat down next to Ha-eun and laughed so hard it was almost profane.   

“You haven’t had a drink, have you? Shall we do a love shot?”

Hey, mister, can you tell your nephew’s employee to do a love shot? I’m sure he’ll sue you for sexual harassment. I made a face and got a piercing glare from the singing director.   

‘What are you doing? Set the mood appropriately.’

‘Really….’

Ha-eun only pretended to take a drink and clink it against the glass. The client laughed even harder.

The song wasn’t over yet, but Mr. Seol took his cell phone and left the karaoke room because he had an urgent call.

“Uh, where are you going?! Leaving a drunk here!”

I looked around and saw that the sales department employees were already in a frenzy, and my stomach sank when I saw him leave. The drunken client decided to take advantage of this and came closer to Ha-eun’s side. She felt goosebumps rise.   

“Oh, this guy!

Ha-Eun used the remote in her hand as a shield.   

“Really, you’re going to do this? I’m going to dance, okay?”

“Do you want me to call a helper?”

“I’m in a good mood, do I need a helper? Come on, let’s just dance the blues.”

“No, thanks.” 

“Come on. I’ll teach you.”

Ha-Eun was embarrassed. She held the microphone as a weapon, ready to bash the man’s head in if she had to.

The drunken man was not in his right mind. In fact, he seemed to want to use his drunkenness as an excuse to flirt with Ha-Eun.  In a moment of panic, Ha-eun turned to leave the karaoke bar, but a man near the door stopped her.   

“Step aside, please.” 

“Let’s have a little fun… ….”

His breath reeked of alcohol. HaEun felt a sense of danger and gripped the microphone tighter in her hand, just in case.

Touch me some more here, I’m gonna fly the microphone that day…. He pressed the bluesy tune as if he wanted to dance with Ha-Eun.   

“You’re being expensive. Isn’t it all like this? They don’t eat… KUCK!”   

Suddenly, the door slammed open and the man’s back was imprinted on the door.   

“Ouch. It hurts… Who’s there? Come in gently!”

Ha-eun’s eyes widened. It was Kang Woo.

“This is Jeong, general manager of construction. I’m running a little late.” 

“……Bo, General Manager…?”

the man’s expression visibly darkened.  Kang-woo took a seat at the head table and held his chin high. A moment later, several karaoke helpers entered the room.

“If you’re going to entertain him, do it right. He’s an important business partner. Now, have fun.”   

Kang-woo’s voice was terribly sullen.

She glared at him, her eyes murderous. As Kang-woo gestured for her to leave, Ha-eun took the opportunity to leave the room. After taking a breather, she ran into Chief Seol in the hallway.   

“Ms. Ha-eun. Where are you going?”

“The client is very drunk, and I’m leaving.”   

Ms. Seol frowned.   

“It’s not your first day on the job, what do you expect me to do if you just leave?”

“I’m not a karaoke assistant.”

“What are you talking about? Why don’t you just adjust it a little?”

“Didn’t you see Mr. Seol?    

“Chief Seol.”

“……Boss, head of the department!”

Mr. Seol was puzzled.   

“From now on, please don’t take Ms. Do ha-eun out for entertainment.” 

“It’s ……, isn’t it?”

“I’ll limit her duties to meetings with clients.” 

“Ah… yes… I’ll do that.” 

“Let’s go.”   

As I exited the karaoke bar, I looked like I was going to buy.   

“Thank you. Mr. General Manager.”

“Have you been doing what sales is supposed to be doing?”

“Sometimes.” 

“You’re disorganized.”

“It’s a small company. We used to help each other when we were short-handed.”

 “It’s worse than I thought.”

“What?”

Ha-Eun felt like she’d made a huge mistake. The discomfort in his stiffened expression weighed heavily on her. Ha-eun waved a hand as Kang-woo opened the backseat door.

“Get on.”

“Oh, I just took the bus to….”

“I’m on my way anyway.” 

“I just wanted to walk a bit.”   

The more I wanted to distance myself from him, the more he wouldn’t let me.   

“Then let’s go to the Han River docks.”

What should I do?  Kang-woo shook his head. Ha-eun had no choice but to get into his car.

The car glided to the bank of the Han River, and when it reached the river, the two got out.    The breeze from the river, not the air conditioner, felt like a relief.  

Ha-eun stuck her hands in her pockets and glanced at Kang-woo, who was staring at the river. It was then that she heard Hyo-won’s voice behind her.

“Ha-eun.”

“Uh, brother.”

Ha-eun walked quickly to Hyo-won’s side.   

“You’re with the head of your company again?”

her brother’s voice was uncharacteristically heavy.   

“Uh, yeah. We’re having a meeting today.”

“Why?”

“That guy looks familiar, and I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Did you?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahaha.”

“…. Maybe it’s a similar face.” 

“No, you can’t forget a face like that once you see it, it’s too smug, right?”

“I don’t know….”

“…I think he’s a member of the Piranhas…. Although, there’s no way you know about that meeting.”

Ha-eun was so surprised that she almost burst into hiccups. Nevertheless, she shrugged it off.

“Aha. Of course. It’s just my boss at work. Where’s my brother?”

“My friends asked me to meet them, so I came to have a drink and get some air nearby. By the way, are you fooled? They told me to come to the hospital this afternoon….”

After all, he was a doctor, so he immediately checked Ha-eun’s blood color. Hyo-won rubbed the corners of her eyes with her hands.   

“I’m fine now.” 

“You said you weren’t feeling well, but the meeting… Isn’t the company asking you to work too much?”

“It’s like that at work.” 

“Maybe you should take a vacation day or something.”

“Yeah. I’ll do that. Well, I’ll wait for the general manager.”

Hyo-won called Ha-eun again.   

“Ha-eun.”

“What?”

“No, let’s talk another time. I’m free some time.”

“I will.”   

Ha-eun walked over to Kang-woo.   

“Is that the guy you met at the club?”

“Nope. It’s my friend’s brother.” 

“Really?”

he asked, anxious to get out of there, worried that Hyo-won would recognize him.

“Let’s go.”  

 Ha-eun walked back to Kang-woo’s car and sat in the passenger seat.  Kang-woo didn’t get in, so she glanced out the window and saw he was smoking a cigarette. Was he smoking?

His body always smelled good, so she had no idea. The cigarette smoke rose into the sky, leaving a long tail behind. Kang-woo flicked the half-burnt cigarette out with his finger and returned to the car.   

The cool musky scent wafted through the car.  Suddenly, the inside felt as hot as a steamer. A faint heat rose from my body and I broke into a sweat.

Ha-eun fluttered her blouse.  Kang-woo glanced at Ha-eun’s clothes.  Unfortunately, the blouse she wore today was made of chiffon, revealing her underwear.  Her breasts were also visible. His naked gaze was directed at her breasts. It was as if he was caressing them with his gaze.   

“You see.”

“What?

“The other one”

“…ah…. This is a dress….”

“I’d like to see more, but don’t wear this.”   

Chiffon was the color of the summer.   

“It’s a style that everyone wears.” 

“I don’t care if other women wear it or not, and if you wear it again, I’ll take it as flirting with me.”

“Hmph. What kind of compulsion is that….”

“I’m getting itchy down there right now. Touch me if you want to check.”

“Oh, no!”

Her face was burning. Her mouth was dry, but why? Are they getting closer? Her heart was pounding.   

“I, I’ll do it.”

In her haste, she tugged hard on the seatbelt, but it didn’t snag. Kang-woo smirked and grabbed the seatbelt from Ha-eun’s hand and put it around her waist. His hand touched her flesh, ever so slightly. Parr’s hand trembled.   

“All men are wolves.” 

“So are ……?”

“So am I, and that guy from earlier is a wolf.”

“Ah… haha… yeah.” 

“I’d be a more dangerous man, though.”

“………..”

“And rough in bed.”

“I know.”   

Ha-Eun’s face heated up. It was just one mistake, but the memory of that day stuck in her mind like an imprint.  Kang-woo’s sex appeal was like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Please, come to your senses. Ha-eun closed her eyes the whole way home.

* * * * * * * *

Kang-woo’s steps turned toward the club. Thump, thump, thump, as he entered, the music blaring and the women in their finery leering at him. The flirtatious stares were annoying. Kang-woo brushed past them, expressionless.

Seats in the Piranha were always fixed. Piranha members were VVIPs in the top 1% of the population, like aristocrats at the top. They were the children of the most powerful families in Korea. Woo-hyun, who came to the club every day, waved.

“Oh, who is this, Seok Kang-woo. Is it time for you to drink?”

“Today.”

“What’s the wind blowing?”   

His smile was full of curiosity. Probably curious because he’d seen Ha-eun at work.

“Shall we go again?”

“Nono, we need Seok-Kang-woo to make the hunt go well.”

“I’m here because I need a drink.”   

Woohyun poured himself a drink.

“Here, drink up.”

“I’ve been wondering, how did it go with her?”

“What?”

“No, I was wondering if it was turning into a guy thing.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say it was. I mean, I liked her, but I thought she was kind of cute in her innocence. They didn’t look like a bunch of kids going in and out of clubs looking for a one-night stand.”

“You can’t always tell by looking at a person.”

My irritation flared unnecessarily.

“Or maybe….”

“What?”

“Do you need a partner?”

“It’s cool to let off steam this way when you’re stressed.”

But when he thought of someone to have sex with, all he could think of was her. Kang-woo downed his drink in one gulp.  His mind kept wandering. Every time he looked at her, he wanted to touch her, tangle her in bed, and shake her to his heart’s content. Every time, he wanted to pounce like a madman.

He’d had a lot of flirtatious sex in his life, but she was the first woman he’d ever wanted to sleep with again.  A thread wrinkled her smooth forehead. Kang-woo took a long drink.   

“I get a pass just for getting you so hooked.”

“Funny. Who’s missing?”

“Then you should sleep with her. Why are you here?”

“No.”

“Well, it’s your boss, so you’re going to be uncomfortable. It’s a shame. I thought I’d have a good view….”

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you know if Seok Kang-woo will fall in love?”

“Love? Go ask a dog. Even if you say it’s love, it’s only for the purpose of beating and gasping.” “It’s just lust. Men and women have nothing but that.”

“It’s just lust,”   

Kang-woo remembered the man talking to her on the Han River.

She had a hunch: he was interested in Ha-eun.  Feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration, Kang-woo bit down on it.  He wanted to have sex with her, more intensely than ever.   

“I guess that’s all you need to get what you want, huh?