Chapter 71: The Power Behind the Throne [R-18]

It was a good thing Seojin had managed to drag him out of the conference room, but now Rio was sitting in the middle of the sofa, hugging her as if she were his favorite comfort pillow.

After being twisted this way and that as she tried to find a comfortable position, Seojin finally shoved him away in a fit of irritation and sat up straight. Rio simply draped an arm over her shoulder and went back to swiping through his tablet, checking his messages.

The office employees watching the scene couldn’t hide their expressions of pure awe.

The sound of typing never ceased, but not a single person could completely tear their furtive glances away.

“This one.”

Rio tilted the tablet in his hand toward Seojin.

“These shoes. Do you want to buy them?”

“I don’t need shoes,” Seojin said, a completely unhelpful answer.

Rio tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smirk.

“None of that boring talk. Let’s say you went shopping and saw these. The question is, do they look like something you’d want?”

Seojin was at a loss for words, staring down at the tablet screen. The clean lines, the glossy finish, the sharp, pointed toe.

For Seojin, who had only ever bought things within her means and prioritized value over beauty, such a question felt impossibly abstract.

“They look high-class, I guess, but…”

“Do you want them?”

“…No, not really…”

The moment the words left her mouth, Rio swiped to the next screen. His reply was a single, chillingly brief phrase.

“No competitive edge.”

Done. Next.

Seojin blinked. It wasn’t as if she’d said they were bad.

Rio swiped to another screen. This time, it was a handbag. She didn’t recognize the brand, but it had a softer design with a metal clasp.

“This one?”

I don’t need a bag, either. But if she said that, Rio would give her that what-are-we-even-doing look. So, Seojin studied its shape and color more intently than before, trying her best to imagine what she could possibly use it for.

The people who bought these things bought them simply because they wanted to, but to create that subconscious desire, the product itself needed an inherent appeal. That was why Rio was putting her through this exercise, despite her complete lack of aesthetic sensibility.

“The color is pretty.”

His hand stopped. He glanced at her expression, then, instead of swiping away, he scrolled down slightly.

“Keep.”

Through the next several questions, Seojin clumsily began to learn how to feel, and how to express those feelings.

With the tablet between them, they had been swiping through what seemed like endless shopping pages—shoes, bags, accessories, household goods—to the point where she doubted this could actually be considered work.

Rio pushed the tablet toward her again.

“What about this? Is the color too flashy?”

Seojin stared at the screen before answering.

“I think it might be a bit much.”

At her words, Rio’s finger swiped it away. An employee, pretending to go wash their tumbler, glanced over, their eyebrows raising slightly.

「Is this how the new brand business is being decided? By what the director’s girlfriend picks?」

「Is she the regent?」

「Lmao, so the high salary was just bait. Looks like we’ll get a few fat paychecks for doing nothing before this place goes under.」

「Time to start job hunting?」

「I’m holding out until the next bonus.」

The messenger chat was on fire. Some stopped typing altogether; others kept their fingers moving on the keyboard, but their eyes remained fixed on the sofa.

They said nothing aloud, but inside, they were all thinking the same thing.

* * *

Sometime after 3 p.m., during a brief lull, Rio stepped away to take an annoying call from his father. Seojin, wanting to clear her head, picked up her cup and headed for the break room.

The moment she opened the door, she saw two employees who were already there. They were silently making coffee, but their movements changed ever so slightly the instant they saw her.

“…Hello.”

She had only started yesterday, and because Rio kept her so close, she’d rarely even made eye contact with anyone. Holding back an awkward breath, Seojin offered a greeting.

They answered with bright smiles.

“Ah, yes—”

But their words trailed off as they quietly stepped back, their demeanor seeming to say, Make way, the queen is passing.

The conversation died instantly. Seojin gave a slight bow.

She wondered if she’d been too forward, trying to be friendly. Should she introduce herself now? No, that might make it look like she was trying too hard.

Her hands trembled strangely as she washed her cup. The two employees finished getting their coffee, gave her a small nod, and quietly exited the break room.

Left alone, Seojin leaned against the wall, clutching her cup and gently patting her chest.

No. This isn’t right. When did I start staring at the ground like this?

She didn’t want to look like someone who couldn’t do anything without him. Even if she hadn’t come here of her own free will, she truly wasn’t that kind of person.

In that case—

“…?”

Several employees looked up at once as Seojin, standing before their desks, bowed a full ninety degrees, her face bright red.

“I don’t think I introduced myself properly yesterday!”

All eyes silently focused on her.

“I… I know you’re all busy, but I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Kang Seojin, and I’m assisting Director Ryu.”

Her voice was quiet but clear.

“I have a great deal to learn, but if there’s anything you need, please don’t hesitate to let me know!”

It was completely unexpected, but even in the awkwardness… one person began to clap, and soon a smattering of applause filled the office.

As soon as she finished speaking, Seojin found she couldn’t straighten her back, as if someone had poured glue on her. She remained bowed, her ears burning red, when a hand was extended toward her from below.

“Um… we were late with our greetings as well. It’s nice to meet you.”

When Seojin looked up, she saw her. The woman had a relaxed expression and a gentle, smiling eyes, looking at her the way one might look at a fresh-faced rookie trying their best.

She couldn’t treat Seojin like a junior, but she probably thought it would be nice if they could at least exchange greetings.

“I’m Lee Jiyoon, from Marketing Team 1.”

Finally feeling the warmth of the friendly gesture, Seojin reached out her own hesitant hand and took the woman’s.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you…!”

She was embarrassed, but also happy somewhere deep inside. Just as Seojin was about to straighten up, still holding her hand—

“Oh…”

Someone gasped, and heads turned.

The door on the opposite side of the conference room had opened, and Rio had entered. He raised an eyebrow for a moment before, without any warning, pressing down firmly on the small of Seojin’s back.

“…Ugh…!”

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Seojin’s body folded halfway, and she stumbled back down as if collapsing. At the same time, her hand reflexively squeezed the one she was holding.

She whipped her head around, giving the only man who would do such a thing a look that was both dumbfounded and all too familiar.

Jiyoon, flustered, bowed her head and looked for a chance to release her hand. Realizing her mistake, Seojin immediately let go and straightened up.

“I’m so sorry…!”

Then she slapped away the hand that was naturally wrapping around her waist.

“……”

Rio, wondering if it was right for him to be the only one getting the cold shoulder, shot her a discontented glare, which Seojin coolly ignored.

“Is this what they call workplace harassment?” Rio asked, rubbing the back of his hand, but no one in the room was about to take his side.

“I was just introducing myself…”

Our director, an embarrassment everywhere but his face.

Seojin bowed to the employees one more time before discreetly taking Rio’s hand and pulling him away.

“Let’s go, Director.”

“This is the first time I’ve been dragged around like this…”

Despite his grumbling, Rio followed her obediently. The two of them returned to his desk, which was surrounded by monitors.

As Seojin bent her knees to tidy up, Rio casually spread his legs and pulled her onto his lap. As long as she was quiet, he acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

Uncharacteristically, Seojin complied without a fight, leaning back against his chest.

Then, hidden by the monitors, she turned her head. A slow smile spread across her face, and the soft flesh beneath her eyes rounded sweetly.

All the tension and embarrassment from before had vanished, replaced by an expression of pure happiness.

Seeing her face, Rio tilted his head slightly.

“…What are you so happy about?”

His tone was tinged with jealousy. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his gaze never leaving her for a second. Unable to withstand his stare, Seojin leaned her head against him and replied.

“I’ll tell you when we get home.”

At her voice, Rio finally broke into a faint smile.

* * *

With Seojin settled on his lap, partially hidden from the rest of the office by the partition, Rio went back to work, swiping through the tablet.

Every time his hand paused, Seojin would ask in a low voice.

“What does this mean?”

“Metrics. Recent monthly data.”

“Is this… related to this?”

“It can be, but it doesn’t have to be. It depends on how you frame the explanation.”

After each answer, Rio would lower his gaze and pucker his lips, but Seojin offered no response. He just shook his head with a sighing laugh.

“When did you learn all this?”

“Would you believe me if I said I majored in business?”

“Did you get in through a donation…?”

Despite her look of disbelief, he had answered her question, so instead of a verbal reply, he simply offered his lips again.

Giving in to his persistence, Seojin sighed softly, checked their surroundings, and leaned up to press a very careful kiss to his lips. So quiet it made no sound. Just once, that was all.

But Rio had no intention of letting the moment pass so easily. His hand slid up to cup her jaw, about to pull her into a deeper kiss, when—

“No.”

Seojin whispered, her lips still brushing against his.

“We’ll make a sound.”

At that, a slow grin spread across Rio’s face. Her carefully controlled breath tickled his cheek, and he let out a soft chuckle.

“But you’re fine with doing it more intensely later?”

“……Let’s think about that after you finish your work.”

As if we weren’t going to do it anyway. Seojin said nothing, turning back to the tablet, but her face, flushed all the way to her earlobes, didn’t cool down so easily.

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Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

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