Ch.348348. Husband, Are You Trying to Drive Me Crazy?

“Husband.”

“Uh, yes?”

“I just misheard something, right?”

“……”

I’d like to say yes, but what good would that do? Once she’s asked if she misheard, making excuses would be pointless anyway.

Ah, I should’ve never mentioned it was a work call. I deeply regret opening my mouth as my words have come back to haunt me.

I need to answer somehow, but how do I explain this? While I’m mentally searching for words, I casually put down my phone and glance at Hwa Nabi. She’s smiling with her mouth, but definitely not with her eyes.

Maybe it’s because her eyes are naturally large, but when she stares at me so intently without saying anything, it’s even more frightening. Usually her eyes are so pretty.

While having these useless thoughts, I shifted backward. Immediately, Hwa Nabi followed me and pressed her upper body right against mine.

“Husband, are you trying to run away?”

“I’m not running away, I was just adjusting because the position was uncomfortable…”

“Never mind that. So who is this woman, and why is she suddenly calling my husband asking to go drinking?”

Good question. I’m also curious why someone I’ve barely had a proper conversation with would suddenly call and ask me to go drinking. But I couldn’t ask that because it would only make things worse.

Anyway, the conclusion is that I don’t know why she’s acting this way. So I couldn’t possibly give a proper answer, and after much deliberation, I chose the option that seemed most likely.

“Well, I’m not sure… Maybe she needed someone to talk to about her problems?”

“Husband, how long have you been at the company?”

“Not quite six months yet.”

“And that woman who just called?”

“Administrative assistants usually have two-year contracts and she has about a year left, so I guess she’s been there for about a year now?”

“Then she’s been working with other employees all this time, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So why would she call my husband on his day off for advice, ignoring all the other employees she’s known longer?”

“……”

If I say “I don’t know,” all hell will break loose, right? Swallowing my words, I organized my thoughts internally.

While it’s hard to guess what’s in someone’s mind, generally speaking, asking someone of the opposite sex to meet separately for drinks on their day off is practically saying, “I’m interested in you.”

Of course, there are exceptions, but those apply to situations where there’s at least some personal friendship, which isn’t the case here. So the conclusion is that this employee has some kind of interest in me and that’s why she’s asking me to drink with her?

As I reached that conclusion, my head started throbbing. Why me of all people? There are plenty of single male employees, so why approach me when I’ve made it clear I’m married…

“Um, well…”

“Well, what?”

“Well, maybe she really likes drinking… and happened to have no one else to drink with, so she called me?”

“…Husband, do you want to see me go crazy?”

Hwa Nabi, warning me not to say such nonsense, firmly pressed both hands on my thighs.

Unlike her usual controlled touch, she’s pressing down with real weight, clearly venting her emotions.

“Just what have you been doing that some random woman is asking you out for drinks? Answer me, husband. Hmm?”

“Nabi, you might not believe this… but I brag about you all the time at work. I keep telling everyone how beautiful you are, how good you are to me, and how lovable you are. Everyone in my department probably knows your name by now.”

“…Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Really, really? You’re not lying?”

“Yes, it’s really true. Have you ever seen me lie to you?”

“Well, it’s true my husband isn’t the type to go around lying to me…”

The thick trust built up over time seems to be working, as Hwa Nabi’s expression gradually softens as she mutters to herself.

But that didn’t last long. Just as she was about to withdraw her hands, she moved even closer and started pressing my abs. Though with less force than when she pressed my thighs, her touch was still charged with emotion.

“Wait, then who is this woman anyway? She’s calling my husband asking to go drinking even though she clearly knows you’re mine. What’s with this administrative assistant? Is she out of her mind?”

“……”

Wow, it’s been a really long time since I’ve heard Hwa Nabi use such harsh words. Throughout our marriage. No, even counting from the moment we first met until now, it’s extremely rare. She didn’t talk like this even during our school days when we were surrounded by foul-mouthed friends, but now she’s using such language when upset.

While I was secretly impressed by this newfound knowledge, Hwa Nabi suddenly grabbed my phone.

“Husband, unlock your phone.”

“Just enter your birthday, 0707. But what are you going to do with my phone?”

“I’m going to call that woman.”

“And say what? You’re not planning to say something strange, are you…?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just give her a gentlemanly warning and hang up.”

“You’re both women. Shouldn’t you handle this in a ladylike manner?”

“…Husband, I’m not joking right now.”

My attempt at lightening the mood with a joke was completely dismissed. Embarrassed, I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck.

“I’m going to make a quick call, so wait here.”

“I can’t listen?”

“No, you can’t. So just wait quietly, okay?”

“Fine… hurry back.”

I couldn’t insist on listening when she told me not to, so with no other choice, I leaned back against the bed’s headboard.

-Thud. The bedroom door opened and closed. Hwa Nabi had left the room with my phone. I waited for a moment before secretly taking action.

Hwa Nabi told me not to listen, but how could I not? Judging by the atmosphere, she seems genuinely angry, and if she makes a slip of the tongue during the call, I’ll have to deal with the aftermath. If I hear things going in a strange direction while eavesdropping, I’ll stop immediately.

“……”

I approached the door silently and pressed my ear against it. I could hear Hwa Nabi mumbling from a distance.

Judging by how far away her voice sounds, she must be making the call from the living room… What is she saying?

──Donghee-ssi, people should have some moral decency. What do you think you’re doing with a man who already has an owner…

“…Moral decency, owner.”

──What did you just say? How can you say that? My husband has been bragging about me every day, saying I’m beautiful and take good care of him. How can you say you didn’t know…

“Didn’t know… what’s going on?”

I can’t hear clearly. If she were talking near the door, I’d probably hear everything, but since she’s in the living room, I can only catch fragments.

Moral decency, owner, husband. From the words I can hear, she seems to be talking about me, but I hope she’s not saying anything unnecessary. I pressed my body even closer to the door, straining to hear.

──Anyway, now that you know, please stop making strange proposals. Our husband may look tough but he’s actually innocent… What? Are you ser…

“…Ser?”

──Yeah, I eat my husband every night… I even lick his… so how could he possibly be interested in someone else…!

“What is she saying…? Why do I keep missing parts?”

Her mumbling seems to have gotten louder, but it keeps cutting out, so I can’t tell exactly what she’s saying. The soundproofing is too good, which is a problem.

I’d love to just throw the door open and listen properly, but I’d be caught immediately, so I forced myself to hold back.

About a minute passed like this. Then I heard what sounded like a loud exclamation followed by Hwa Nabi getting up abruptly, and heavy footsteps approaching.

-Creak!

“Did the call go well?”

Having just been eavesdropping intently, I pretended I’d been waiting patiently and asked Hwa Nabi with a face of complete innocence.

But for some reason, her expression as she looked at me was unusual. It was the face of someone who had made some kind of decision. Why is she suddenly acting like this?

“…Is my face the problem?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Should I brand my name all over your body…?”

“……”

After muttering something terrifying, Hwa Nabi came closer and sat next to me. She was still in her school uniform with her underwear clearly visible, but the atmosphere was different from before. It didn’t seem seductive but rather somewhat dangerous.

Thump. Hwa Nabi placed her palm on my cheek. Then she slowly traced downward, caressing my neck down to my chest, and casually said:

“Husband, have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?”

“Why suddenly bring up tattoos…?”

“If you’re thinking about it, get my name tattooed prominently right here, big as a door. That’ll keep strange women away.”

I never planned to get one anyway, but now I definitely shouldn’t.

“Sorry, I don’t plan on getting anything like that… But don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I don’t want to inscribe your name, I just don’t like putting ink in my body. You know what I mean, right?”

“Yes, I was just saying.”

Her gaze was too serious for it to be just a casual remark. But it really was just a passing comment, right? I felt very uneasy, but asking about it would only make things worse.

Swallowing my curiosity, I licked my dry lips. Maybe because I was in the middle of undressing, my whole body felt strangely chilly. As I unconsciously kept touching my shoulders, Hwa Nabi firmly grabbed my wrist.

“Husband, you’re KakaoTalk friends with that woman, right?”

“Since I saved her phone number, I guess we automatically are.”

“Is that so? I see…”

After making a meaningful remark to herself, Hwa Nabi looked me up and down.

Face, neck, collarbone, chest, abs, lower abdomen. And below that, my groin and thighs.

After examining every inch of me thoroughly as if appraising me, she hooked her fingers into the waistband of my underwear and said:

“Husband, you know why laws exist? They exist to mean that except for what’s legally prohibited, everything else is permitted.”

“And…?”

“So, I’m going to do everything I can within the bounds of the law.”

Declaring this like a declaration of war, Hwa Nabi looked down at me.

“So, take it out first.”

“…Take what out?”