The sound wasn’t a bell but a vibration. Waking up from a sweet and satisfying sleep that I hadn’t tasted in a long time, I heard faint vibrations. Though the monotonous sound didn’t continue even three times, my mind, locked in cozy darkness, had already risen above the surface of sleep.
Thinking it was the alarm, I reached out beside my head, but there was nothing to grab. Only then did I open my eyes and looked up at the back of Han Team Leader, who had just risen from the bed.
Faint rapid English flowed from the receiver in his ear. Han Team Leader, realizing I had woken up, turned his head towards me while focusing on the call.
“….”
He mouthed “I’m sorry”, and I shook my head belatedly. With a faint furrow of his brow at the message conveyed in a rapid voice from someone beyond the receiver, Han Team Leader reached out and pulled the blanket up to my chin. His long fingers lightly stroked my cheek, brushing against my eyelids. I closed my eyes like an obedient child.
I felt the bed sway slightly. Footsteps receded across the bedroom, and the door closed. Though I hadn’t completely descended into the living room, as I listened carefully, faint and precise pronunciation came from beyond the door.
Eventually, I opened my eyes. The numbers on the phone screen stood out sharply in the dim darkness.
Ten past midnight. I had only slept for about thirty minutes in reality, but perhaps due to deep slumber, my body felt sluggish yet refreshed. Each time I blinked, a sweet drowsiness settled heavily over my eyelids. To avoid falling asleep again, I sat up completely.
The call ended before even ten minutes had passed. I heard footsteps descending the stairs, and a yellow light seeped through the crack in the door from downstairs. I sat still, blinking my heavy eyelids until I heard the sound of footsteps coming back up the stairs.
Han Team Leader, silently opening the door and entering, paused when he saw me.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?”
His voice, quietly asking, was low and raspy. Seeing him in a shirt, I lifted my head from where I had leaned against the bed’s headboard.
“Are you going to the office now?”
“It won’t take long. I’ll be back within thirty minutes, so rest for now.”
He buttoned his shirt with one hand and sat down roughly at the edge of the bed. His face, looking down at me askew, was subtle.
“I need to send some urgent documents, but due to security clearance, I can’t send them from home, so I have to go to the company. It’s not a meeting, and there won’t be any delays like last time. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back soon.”
Now I noticed he wasn’t in a suit but rather in casual black pants. His white shirt had its top button undone, and there was no tie.
I checked the clock once more and curled up in the soft blanket.
Since it was past midnight, there would be no one at the office. Recently, our department had been working according to US time for projects, but if Han Team Leader had to go to the office in the early hours, it was certain that the lights in the consulting department would be off.
Our gazes met as Han Team Leader silently observed me. Without further delay, I pulled myself out of the blanket.
“I’ll go with you.”
“…There won’t be anything for you to do if you go.”
“If it’s not bothersome, while waiting, I can also prepare for tomorrow’s work…”
“No, I’ll only be sending files, so there won’t be time for that. It’s more efficient to rest properly and work tomorrow rather than getting exhausted going in the early hours.”
Even though he said that, Han Team Leader didn’t seem to intend to dissuade me, as he didn’t stop me from getting out of the blanket. Instead, he even moved aside to allow me to completely remove the blanket. I got out of bed, pulling his shirt, which I usually wore as pajamas, down to my thighs. The sensation of the soft blanket lingered on my bare skin.
After all, once he’s gone, the cozy bed would feel unfamiliar within minutes.
Shaking off any lingering hesitation, I grabbed the closet door handle. Still sitting on the bed, Han Team Leader watched me, and I turned to him.
“I’ll just change quickly and meet you downstairs. Go start the car.”
“Got it. Dress casually, no one’s around to see.”
“Okay.”
Only after I turned off the lights and closed the closet door from inside did I hear the faint sound of him leaving the room. The footsteps descending the stairs faded away.
I hurriedly rummaged through the closet, fearing that if I took too long, he might leave without me. The clothes hanging were more crowded than the last time I came. Among them, the only clothes I had brought were a formal suit for work today.
With a sigh, I rummaged through the stiff new clothes with my fingertips and pulled out a plain-looking T-shirt from the lot. It was white in color and made of soft material. There was no price tag attached, perhaps suggesting it wasn’t too expensive.
I shrugged off his shirt, which I used as makeshift pajamas, and hastily put on the new one. The cotton of the T-shirt against my skin felt plush. Feeling like time was running late, I picked up the pants piled neatly on the shelf. They were light-colored long denim pants, and when I put them on, they didn’t feel as hot or stuffy as I had anticipated.
I looked at myself in the mirror again and roughly combed my hair with my fingers. Up close, my lips were slightly swollen, and the corners of my mouth and the corners of my eyes were tinged red. Borrowing a phrase from Han Team Leader, my face undoubtedly looked like someone who had just had sex.
There would be no one at the office. I hastily turned off the closet light and rushed down the stairs, grabbing socks in one hand and my phone in the other.
Seeing that the porch light was still on, Han Team Leader hadn’t left long ago. Shoes with missing price tags were lined up in the foyer shoe rack as usual. After hesitating for a moment, I chose a pair of white sneakers, which fit snugly around my feet.
I checked the door lock and dashed down the hallway to arrive at the elevator. As soon as I pressed the button, the elevator door that had already arrived opened slightly. It seemed like he had just come down from the parking lot and sent it up again.
As soon as the elevator reached the basement and the door opened, I ran out with my new shoes on. I passed rows of cars sleeping in the lukewarm parking lot. Han Team Leader’s large car was gleaming coolly next to a pillar. I could see Han Team Leader sitting in the passenger seat through the front windshield.
“Oh…”
I froze in front of the car hood. He looked up from his phone. His gaze through the glass fixated on me as if piercing through. His forehead slightly furrowed and then relaxed.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Slowly, I moved my frozen arms and legs, turning slowly towards the driver’s side and opening the door. My heart, shaken off the remnants of drowsiness, was gradually accelerating.
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“I’d believe it if you said you were a high schooler.”
“You need to send the documents urgently, but if I drive…”
“It’s not that urgent, so don’t worry about it. There are hardly any cars on the road at this time, so it might even be easier than last time. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”
“…No, I want to.”
My palms, already damp with sweat, gripped the leather seat. As I closed the door, the car became quiet except for the sound of the air conditioning. The seats looked the same except for the steering wheel in front, yet why was the passenger seat cozy while the driver’s seat felt rigid was a mystery.
As instructed by him last time, I pressed the button to bring the seat forward. The dashboard, once distant, now seemed a bit closer.
“Adjust the mirrors.”
Han Team Leader, watching me, said.
“Put on your seatbelt.”
“…Yes.”
While I fidgeted with the rearview mirror, he fastened the seatbelt for me. His arm crossed in front of my chest, and his breath grazed my cheek. I froze with my hands on the steering wheel.
“Ignition.”
He, back in the passenger seat, pointed out. After a brief glance, he leaned back in the spacious area created by pushing the seat back, stretching out his long legs. Perhaps because of his casual attire, he looked lazy and rebellious today. His indifferent expression seemed to trust my driving even more than I did.
I took a deep breath and turned the ignition. Han Team Leader’s car rumbled to life like a giant beast. I wiped my palms on my knees one last time and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands.
“I’ll start driving.”
“Alright.”
I pressed firmly on the pedal with the tip of my toe, as if jerking it. The car swiftly surged forward. I fixed my gaze on the windshield and began to navigate out of the crowded parking lot.
At the corner of my vision, Han Team Leader’s long fingers appeared and disappeared as he adjusted the air conditioning. Cars parked on either side slowly receded from view. As I felt last time, Han Team Leader’s car moved quietly and smoothly, despite its sturdy frame.
The car finally made it out of the parking lot, maneuvering cautiously through the uphill entrance ramp. I exhaled deeply, relaxing my body that had been tensely gripping the steering wheel. I glanced upward.
The night road beyond the clean and transparent glass was different from what I had imagined. White lines shimmered against the black road, stretching endlessly into the darkness of the summer night. The light from the neatly arranged streetlights along the curb was white and pale. It was a world neatly organized in black and white.
The distant traffic light turned green before I had to slow down. There were no cars ahead or behind. As I drove between the white lines on the black road, I was captivated by the distinct feeling that Han Team Leader and I were the only ones left in the quiet world.
“Lee Seodan.”
Han Team Leader spoke in a calm voice.
“The documents aren’t that urgent.”
I reflexively glanced down at the speedometer between the steering wheel. The needle was over the speed limit by more than 10 km/h.
“Ah-.”
I slammed on the brakes, and his car, no less steady than a rock, jolted roughly. My body lurched forward, caught by the seatbelt.
“I’m sorry.”
I quickly apologized as I slowed down. His face, glimpsed in passing under the streetlight, seemed expressionless.
“Focus on the road.”
His voice was indifferent. I fell silent and concentrated on aligning the mental map in my head with the unfamiliar nighttime road ahead. Despite driving meticulously within the speed limit afterward, the distance seemed much shorter than I had anticipated.
The car stopped at a red light at the pedestrian crossing I crossed every morning to get to work. Without looking at him, I asked,
“Team Leader, about parking…”
“At this hour, it shouldn’t be difficult. Just be careful at the entrance. It’s narrow.”
“Yes.”
Come to think of it, I couldn’t change seats with him in the middle of the road anyway. I slowly turned the steering wheel, finding the appropriate angle to enter the company’s underground parking lot. The machine recognizing the access card was a bit far, so I had to open the window and stretch my arm out. Swish, silently, the white parking barrier rose.
As he said, the company parking lot was spacious enough to choose any spot, so after three attempts, I managed to squeeze the car between two white lines. As I shifted into park, the annoying beeping sound indicating reverse finally stopped. When I turned off the engine, the car fell completely silent.
Exhaling the breath I had been holding, I turned to Han Team Leader in the passenger seat. He was still leaning back in a relaxed posture, resting against the backrest, observing my hand gripping the steering wheel silently. His eyes slowly met mine.
“You’re getting better at finding your way.”
“…Yes.”
It was still a statement that I couldn’t drive well. As I removed my hands from the round shape of the steering wheel, he added,
“You’ve also improved at staying in the center of the lane.”
“…Thank you.”
“Lee Seodan tends to drive too hastily, but as you drive, you’ll gradually get a feel for the speed limit. It may not feel real now depending on the road conditions.”
“Yes.”
Listening to his concise feedback made me feel like I was standing in front of his desk, receiving a document check. Reflexively straightening my back, my words became stiffer.
As I silently observed him, Han Team Leader suddenly reached out his arm. His large hand grabbed the back of my head and pulled me towards him.
“Mm-.”
It was an unexpected kiss, without warning or prelude.
His warm tongue entered between my slightly parted lips, exploring without hesitation. He nibbled on my lower lip, trapping it between his teeth, sucking gently, leaving my inner flesh moist and warm. The sweet aftertaste of sex, which hadn’t even been a few hours ago, lingered like a pleasant shiver.
“Ah, mm…,” I pulled his tongue into my mouth and licked it with the tip of mine. I surrendered my body to his large hands, which held my shoulders and chin, as if anchoring me to the seat. There was no intention to escape anyway, and he must have known that.
Still, throughout the kiss, he pressed me against the backrest of the driver’s seat with the weight of his body. When our lips finally parted, his body was halfway leaning over the driver’s seat, hovering over me.
Gazing up close at his face in the dim darkness of the parking lot, I noticed him furrow his brow subtly.
“Riding in a car driven by Lee Seodan…,”
“……”
“It feels different.”
“…You said the same thing last time.”
“Did I?”
His lips twitched. Along with the dawn chill and the lingering tension from driving, his weight and warmth added to the pounding of my heart. Over his large and sturdy shoulder that loomed above me, I caught a glimpse of the feeble parking lot lights.
I struggled to free my arms pinned beneath him, then pulled off the seatbelt. With my arms now free, I embraced his back. The dry texture of his shirt collar and the warmth of his bare skin beneath it brushed against my cheek as I leaned into his neck. Warm air escaped between my lips onto his skin as I exhaled.
My heartbeat gradually settled into a steady rhythm. It felt comfortable enough to remain in this uncomfortable position until people started arriving for work in the morning. It was so comfortable that I almost forgot why we had come to the company parking lot in the early hours.
“…The documents.”
Seemingly forgetting himself, his breath brushed against me as our bodies remained in contact.
“I should go.”
“Yes. …Well, I’ll stay in the car. You said it wouldn’t take long…”
“Understood.”
He glanced briefly at my face, then rose without further inquiry. Reluctantly, I released my arms from around him as he got up.
Grabbing his phone and access card, he opened the passenger door. Like bursting bubbles, the outside air flowed into the car. Feeling the emptiness left by his departure, I instinctively gripped the steering wheel with both hands.
Han Team Leader closed the door without any further farewell and moved away. Since I hadn’t parked near the elevator lobby, his tall figure receded into the distance until it disappeared behind a pillar.
I leaned back, still gripping the steering wheel. There was a reason I hadn’t followed him.
There were definitely CCTV cameras in front of the elevator. No one would probably pay close attention, but just in case. Coming to the company together with him in the early hours, both dressed casually, was an unusual sight for anyone to see.
If he were a heartless boss contacting subordinates about work issues in the early hours, he would have just called me and not come in person. Besides, there was no need for both of us to come to the company just to send a document briefly. Not only entering together but leaving together would also be captured entirely by CCTV.
My thoughts became jumbled, and I rested my forehead on the hand gripping the steering wheel for a moment.
There was nothing to say from the perspective of someone who couldn’t share his workload, but lately, his workload had been excessive. There hadn’t been a day when he didn’t come to work on weekends, so seeing him only in the evenings was rare.
These days, I commuted to and from client sites with my supervisor. Han Team Leader worked according to the time zone of another client in the United States, so even though we were in the same department, there were days when I didn’t see his face at all.
Today was the first time in a long while that I had been to his house on a weekday evening, and now this situation arose. His phone had been quiet lately, and now this.
If I hadn’t followed him out, by now, I would probably be waiting alone in his bedroom. Waiting in the parking lot was better than that.
I mentally prepared myself for a long wait and leaned back even further. Leaning against the spacious backrest, I rested my cheek against it and hunched over to open the document on my phone that I had written down.
My supervisor had said that this needed verbal confirmation from Han Team Leader, but would I have time to see him tomorrow? I hesitated whether to send it by email for now, but when I looked up, he was already there beyond the windshield.
While I stared blankly, he clicked open the passenger door. Seeing me still looking at him, he asked, surprisingly unscathed,
“What?”
“…You’re already back?”
“I said I was just sending documents.”
He closed the door. The car became a sealed space once again. Feeling flustered, I pulled the backrest back into an upright position.
“Still, I thought it might take a while…”
“People don’t even believe it when you say it,” he said, reaching out his arm with a slightly furrowed brow. I obediently lowered my head, cooperating so he could easily tousle my hair. Like a mischievous child, his large hand ran through my hair, gradually slowing down and becoming affectionate. Eventually, his firm fingertips gently brushed against the top of my ear.
My spine tingled, causing me to shrink my body. When I looked up, he was staring at me intently from up close.
“I thought about it when we were having sex earlier…”
“……”
Just like when I had knelt between his legs just a few hours ago, he spread out his long fingers and wrapped one hand around my head.
“Lee Seodan, you have a pretty face.”
His fingertips traced the curve of my bone as if measuring a circle. As his face drew closer slowly, my body tensed. His lips lightly brushed against my earlobe. A ticklish sensation crept into my ears. Then he released his hand, gently letting me go, and fastened his seatbelt first.
“Let’s go.”
“…Yes.”
Fortunately, the parking lot was dark. I fumbled twice before finally starting the engine. Just as I was about to shift gears and press the pedals…
A small light blinked on the dashboard, and he pointed it out.
“Seatbelt.”
“…Oh.”
We got caught at another red light at the parking lot exit. As I looked out at the empty intersection, I recalled the commute that would be over in just a few hours, and for the first time, I felt a bit regretful. It had been quick coming here, so it would probably be just as quick going back. The dashboard clock pointed to twelve fifty. Even with the return trip, it was less than thirty minutes of escapade.
“Lee Seodan.”
As if he could read my mind, he suddenly spoke up. I paused with my toe on the accelerator as the light changed. Han Team Leader, who had hesitated, asked,
“It’s a shame to just go straight back. Do you want to stop somewhere?”
“…At this hour?”
I couldn’t hide my expression. Meanwhile, the signal changed again from orange to red.
“We could go to a café.” Han Team Leader replied.
“If I’m going with Han Team Leader, anywhere is fine… But you must be tired.”
“Lee Seodan has to work tomorrow too. Let’s just grab a coffee nearby and head back without staying too long.”
“Okay.”
I felt like I answered too readily. There was a click sound as he unbuckled his seatbelt from the passenger seat.
“Let’s switch seats.”
Although there was a café with its lights on across the street, it seemed he wasn’t interested.
Feeling liberated, I got out of the driver’s seat. As I climbed into the passenger seat, Han Team Leader was already adjusting the backrest and rearview mirror.
As soon as I fastened my seatbelt, the car smoothly started. The curve of the car turning right was as perfect as if it had been drawn with a compass.
I leaned deeply into the passenger seat backrest, which had been moistened by his adjustments. I stretched my legs out into the remaining space. While gazing at the buildings outside the window and watching Han Team Leader drive, the car turned into the bustling downtown area halfway between the company and his house. Perhaps because there were cinemas and open pubs nearby, there were still sporadic people on the main road.
“It’s strange for a weekday.”
As I muttered while looking out the window, he replied,
“College students are on break.”
“Ah.”
