Chapter 248 - Department Store 2
I stood at the entrance of the department store, looking down at Choi Su-hyeon, who had her arm linked firmly with mine.
Her slender arm was intertwined with mine, and I could feel a faint, comforting warmth radiating from her.
It had been a while since I'd been out alone with her—Hayoung-nim's secretary. The situation felt familiar, yet there was something undeniably strange about it.
Suhyeon was beaming beside me.
Her smile was so soft and radiant, like cherry blossoms in full bloom on a spring day, that for a split second, my heart actually skipped a beat.
Thinking back to how she used to be, I realized just how much time had passed.
The Choi Su-hyeon of the past was practically a robot.
No, "robot" isn't quite right. She was more like a doll carved out of ice—distant and freezing cold.
She'd had an expressionless face where you couldn't find a trace of emotion, and a way of speaking that was as stiff and mechanical as an engine.
Talking to her back then was like trying to have a conversation with a brick wall.
But now, seeing her clinging to my arm and smiling while tilting her head slightly, the Suhyeon of old felt like a distant legend from a far-off land.
I knew perfectly well that I was the reason for this change.
Meeting me had peeled away her stiff shell and melted her frozen heart.
However, as I dwelled on the cause, I felt a sharp pang of guilt in the corner of my chest.
Why?
Because I couldn't deny that the catalyst for that change was those intense nights in bed—the moments when she had sexually tormented me.
Her hands roaming over my body, her commanding voice whispering in my ear, and me, forced to accept every bit of it.
Every time, my heart had been tossed like a sailboat in a storm, my mind drowning in waves of pure pleasure.
The fact that her dominating me was the key that broke her cold exterior filled me with a messy cocktail of joy and a grim sense of reality.
I looked at her face again.
Her eyes, sparkling under the department store lights, shone like stars in the night sky. The warmth in her gaze sent a slight flutter through my chest.
Yes, a lot of time has passed.
And in that time, she has become a completely different person.
Because of me.
I... I can be a little proud of that, right?
Just then, Suhyeon spoke up.
"Oppa?"
Her voice was soft, drifting into my ears.
The way she looked up at me with her head tilted made her look exactly like a curious cat.
"What are you thinking about so hard?"
I flinched at the question.
The thoughts swirling in my head scattered instantly, and I scrambled to find an excuse.
I forced an awkward smile, pulling up the corners of my mouth.
"Ah, it's nothing."
I brushed it off vaguely, waving my hand before I'd even finished the sentence.
Then, a lie suddenly rolled off the tip of my tongue.
"Just... it's a bit of a shame I couldn't come with Hayoung-noona or Ji-ha."
At that, Suhyeon's eyes widened slightly before curving into a soft crescent shape.
She let out a low laugh, a smirk playing on her lips.
"They're all too busy with work to come."
She said it nonchalantly, giving a little shrug.
Then, she pressed her body even closer against my arm.
"Actually, I prefer being alone with you, Oppa."
In that moment, her soft breasts pressed firmly against my arm, and a surge of heat shot through my entire body.
It was a sensation both sweet and startling, like ice cream melting on a scorching summer day.
My heart began to thud-thud in response to the pressure, and I felt my face flush.
Whether Suhyeon noticed my reaction or not, she just kept looking at me with that bright, innocent smile.
And so, our date began in earnest.
Her footsteps as she wandered through the department store were light and cheerful, like petals dancing on a spring breeze.
Suhyeon started picking out clothes for me, one after another.
She was as meticulous as a painter applying a brush to a canvas, and her affection for me was clear in every choice she made.
When we entered the luxury section, she held up high-end shirts and jackets, insisting I try them on.
The moment I caught a glimpse of the price tags, my head spun. There were way too many zeros.
But Suhyeon didn't even bat an eye. She pulled out her card and paid for everything as if it were pocket change.
If I so much as hesitated while trying on a hat or muttered, "This is nice," while wearing a jacket...
She'd immediately snatch it and head straight for the counter.
Even the shoes!
Eventually, every time her hand moved, the number of shopping bags I was carrying increased.
My mouth hung open in shock before I finally snapped out of it.
"Hey, I can buy things with my own money... you don't have to go this far."
But Suhyeon didn't even pretend to listen. She just tilted her head and smiled.
That smile was like sunlight sparkling on waves—it had the power to disarm me instantly.
"Oppa, you just got paid. Today is on me. Just say the word."
The confidence in her tone was as commanding as a king walking the streets. I felt dazed, like prey overwhelmed by her sheer momentum.
Every time she swiped her card, I felt a bit awkward, yet a strange, fluttering excitement tickled my chest.
In the end, I couldn't help but grin, and a small chuckle escaped me.
I shook the hand holding the shopping bags lightly and said,
"Suhyeon, thank you. Really."
At that, she tapped my arm and gave me a playful wink.
That look was as sharp and warm as an arrow piercing through me, making my heart skip a beat all over again.
Before we knew it, we'd scoured the entire store. Our feet were getting heavy, so we took a seat at a cafe.
Shopping bags were piled high next to the table. I plopped down into the chair, finally catching my breath.
Suhyeon sat across from me, lightly massaging her legs.
"Waa... my legs are killing me."
I nodded in total agreement.
"Tell me about it. I'm exhausted."
We picked up our coffees at the same time and took a long sip.
The cold coffee hitting the back of my throat felt as refreshing as finding a spring in the middle of a desert.
Slurp, slurp
—the sound echoed softly over the table. For a while, we just sat in silence, leaning back in our chairs and taking a breather.
Then, Suhyeon suddenly stood up.
"I'm going to the restroom for a bit."
"Got it."
I waved her off and watched her walk away.
Left alone, I took another sip of coffee and stared blankly out the window.
Watching the crowds of people flowing through the department store like waves, it felt like time was slowing down.
I was just sitting there, waiting for Suhyeon and fiddling with my cup, when...
Slide—
Suddenly, I heard the sound of someone sitting down firmly in the seat in front of me.
I looked up, startled.
My heart sank, and every nerve in my body went on high alert.
What the hell?
Questions raced through my mind as I hurriedly scanned the unfamiliar shadow before me.
In the very spot where Suhyeon had been sitting just a moment ago, a complete stranger was now sitting there defiantly.
My eyes widened as I stared at her.
For a second, I thought my heart would stop.
She was a woman with a long, black bob.
Her hair was as smooth and glossy as silk, and her clear eyes shone with a brilliance that seemed to hold the stars themselves.
The high bridge of her nose gave her face a sharp, refined look, blending into a strange charm that was both cute and beautiful.
To put it simply... she looked incredibly high-class.
Her earrings and her outfit were clearly anything but ordinary.
As she met my gaze, she lifted the corners of her mouth slightly and smiled with her eyes.
"Hello. I'm Lee Hyeon-seo."
Her voice was as clear and cheerful as a bell.
Even seeing her face and hearing her name, I didn't recognize her at all.
Naturally—I'd never seen her before in my life.
I didn't know what was going on, so I just nodded in bewilderment.
But a cold sense of wariness began to crawl up from the pit of my stomach.
Her smile seemed warm, but my mind was already racing through calculations.
I wasn't just some ordinary customer at a department store.
To me, a Mafia Executive, a stranger approaching out of nowhere was always a red flag.
Especially after that recent kidnapping attempt, my nerves were as sharp as a razor blade.
I didn't know who she was or why she was sitting here, and I couldn't afford to let my guard down for even a second.
Then again, would they really target me in a place with this many witnesses? Maybe she's just a civilian?
Still, bracing for any possible danger, I swallowed the tension rising in my throat and carefully scanned her.
She looked like an ordinary woman on the outside, but that only made her more suspicious.
The thought that I needed to be careful circled my head, and my voice came out with an edge of steel.
"Can I help you?"
My tone was stiffer than usual.
Cold and hard, like a sheet of ice.
I looked her straight in the eye, trying to pierce through her intentions like the tip of a spear.
The sound of my heart thumping echoed in my ears, but I kept my face a mask of stone, pretending to be as composed as possible.