Chapter 55. Changes (3)

Translator: Aura

Minkyung, who was absorbed in the monitor, leaned her head back. When she closed her eyes, the glare from the lights created colorful spots on her eyelids. It had been a hectic day. After the morning meeting, Tae Lee-Seob’s work as a fashion representative began.

Minkyung checked the time and picked up the phone.

“Mr. Representative, you must leave now if you want to be on time for the scheduled dinner. Would you like me to let you know in advance that you will be about ten minutes late?”

— No, I’ll be out in a minute.

After the call ended, Minkyung contacted driver Kim.

“Assistant Manager Kim, Mr. Representative is about to leave. Please be ready. Try as much as possible not to get stuck in traffic. If there are any delays, let me know. Okay, please.”

Minkyung ended the call and stood up from her chair to stretch her legs. Lee-Seob, who had just left his office, walked over to her work station.

He looked over at her desk where there was a lot of work piled up and said,

“I see you’ll be working overtime.”

“Yes, Mr. Representative.”

“Don’t forget to ask for overtime pay.”

“Yes…”

Minkyung bowed slightly. As she was about to say goodbye, Lee-Seob said with a smile,

“I think I have something I can give you.”

When Minkyung looked up, he reached into his pocket. Minkyung unconsciously reached out and accepted what Lee-Seob offered her. It was a mini-sized chocolate bar.

“Consider it part of your overtime pay.”

At Minkyung’s puzzled expression, Lee-Seob raised his eyebrows,

“Huh, is that too little for you? Then I’ll eat it myself.”

Before she could respond, he took the chocolate bar from her, tore the wrapper, and put it in his mouth.

‘Isn’t it mean to snatch away what you’ve given?’

Her mouth watered at the sweet aroma. Minkyung looked down at the desk.

“Kang Minkyung.”

As soon as she looked up at his call, something soft touched her lips. The chocolate bar, its exterior half-melted, slid across her lips and into her mouth. Minkyung stared at him with the piece of chocolate bar in her mouth. He wiped the chocolate off Minkyung’s lips with his index finger.

“It melted because I put it in my pants pocket.”

Minkyung chewed the crumbled chocolate bar with the saliva that had accumulated in her mouth. The caramel, sweet and sticky enough to hurt her teeth, stuck to her tongue. Lee-Seob wiped his chocolate-stained index finger with a handkerchief as he stared at Minkyung’s lips.

“Let it be some nice overtime.”

He waved his hand and left. Minkyung slumped in her seat. Her knees were shaking a little while her mouth was still watering for the chocolate bar.

***

Lee-Seob’s workload was as excessive as he expected. The same was true for Minkyung. Meanwhile, the love story between them stagnated. Minkyung put up a wall and Lee-Seob tore it down. Time passed like this.

On Wednesday morning, Lee-Seob phoned Minkyung, who was waiting for him outside to head to work.

— Can you bring breakfast to my apartment? I’ll throw up if I eat in the car. It’s unbearable. I could barely stand it yesterday, but today I feel terrible.

“Yes, sir. I’ll take it to you right away.”