Chapter 152: Final Preparation, Part 2

The awkwardness between Hayoon and Choi Arin lingered. It was unavoidable. They had crossed a line, the implications of which were clear. Their awkwardness stemmed from their refusal to acknowledge this new reality.

“Hmm…”

“Hmm…”

They exchanged meaningless sounds, pretending to be unaffected, but their efforts only amplified the awkwardness.

‘This is driving me crazy…’

Why had she made things so uncomfortable? How could she fix this? Hayoon tried to focus on work, but…

“Ah.”

She had nothing to do.

Her only task was providing Choi Arin with the Live2D artwork, which was already done.

‘I have enough Patreon illustrations stockpiled, and the art book is finished. There’s nothing left to draw.’

The studio had been created solely for their artwork.

With nothing to draw, Hayoon found herself glancing at Choi Arin.

“Uh…”

“Oh…”

Choi Arin was also looking at her.

Their gazes met. Unable to ignore it, Hayoon cleared her throat and looked away.

‘Huh?’

A wave of irritation washed over her.

She was here to support Choi Arin, to prevent a meltdown.

Just being present was helpful. She didn’t need to be drawing.

‘Why isn’t she working?’

The fact that they had made eye contact meant Choi Arin had been slacking off, looking at her.

Hayoon stood up and walked over to Choi Arin.

“Uh… what…?”

Choi Arin, sensing Hayoon’s displeasure, stammered. Hayoon, exasperated, spoke.

“Why aren’t you working? You said you were tired of working alone, so I came here to keep you company, but you’re just goofing off? Am I bothering you? Should I leave?”

Her tone was sharp.

“N-no, it’s not that…”

Choi Arin, startled, trailed off. Hayoon gestured for her to explain.

“It’s not that it’s bothering me, it’s just…”

“Just…?”

“Honestly… it is distracting…”

“Really? Then I’ll leave.”

Choi Arin, unable to lie, confessed her true feelings. Hayoon, feigning annoyance, turned to leave.

“…!”

“Ugh, seriously, just spit it out.”

Choi Arin seemed to want to say something, but hesitated, her hands fluttering nervously.

Hayoon, exasperated, leaned against the wall, waiting.

“If… if I could touch your breasts again… I think I could focus…”

“Oh… my…”

Hayoon, taken aback by the unexpected request, was speechless, stammering out a series of surprised sounds.

Her face flushed, and she fanned herself, then glanced at Choi Arin.

Choi Arin sat with her hands folded in her lap, trembling slightly.

She had clearly made the request knowing the potential consequences for their relationship, driven by the memory of the previous encounter.

However…

‘Seriously…?’

Hayoon didn’t want to offer her body like this.

Controlling the rewards and punishments was her prerogative as CEO.

Giving Choi Arin whatever she wanted would turn her into Choi Arin’s personal servant.

“Hey.”

“Uh…?”

Hayoon stood up straight, walked closer to Choi Arin, and whispered:

“Do you think I’m easy?”

“N-no!”

She might have showered her with affection, money, vacations, even allowed her to touch her breasts… but…

‘Am I… easy?’

No. That wasn’t the point. Hayoon refocused.

“I may be younger, but I’m still the CEO.”

“Y-yes! You’re the boss.”

“And employees can just demand bonuses whenever they want?”

“Huh?”

Then, before Choi Arin could react, Hayoon kissed her, slipping her tongue into Choi Arin’s mouth.

It was brief, but it was enough to leave Choi Arin dazed and flustered, her eyes losing focus.

“I decide what I give you, so you focus on your work. If you do this again tomorrow, I’m not coming back.”

“O-okay! I’ll work hard!”

Choi Arin, snapping back to reality, nodded vigorously.

“I’m leaving.”

“B-bye!”

Hayoon left the Igloo earlier than usual.

Choi Arin, seemingly satisfied with the kiss, waved enthusiastically.

Once outside, in the elevator, Hayoon…

“Haa…
…”

…checked her flushed face in the mirror and cursed under her breath.

She had tried to act tough, but her embarrassment was obvious.

Choi Arin must have noticed. But still…

“I took back control…
…”

She had reasserted her dominance.

The breast-touching incident had shifted the power dynamic, but now she was back in control.

“It’s… settled…”

She wasn’t sure what exactly was “settled,” but she felt a sense of satisfaction.

Technically, she had just escalated their physical intimacy, but she had reclaimed the dominant role in their relationship.

That’s all that mattered.

“No more… physical contact with Unnie for a while…”

Of course, everyone knew they would continue their secret rendezvous.

Choi Arin’s productivity skyrocketed after that day. Hayoon played a significant role in this improvement.

“Seriously, a whole hour…!”

“Aww, come on… It’s nice…”

“Just work. You’re almost finished, right? This is it. Understand?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Choi Arin kept looking at Hayoon expectantly, as if a kiss was the only motivation she needed.

While Hayoon could have lectured her, a quick kiss seemed like the more efficient solution.

She had indulged Choi Arin a few times, but it had now become an hourly ritual.

While Hayoon controlled the act itself, Choi Arin controlled when it happened.

“Done! Finished!”

“That’s it for kisses. I’m not kissing you again. You’re acting like a spoiled brat, demanding kisses from your younger colleague.”

“Aww…”

“What?!”

“If that’s the last one, shouldn’t it be today, not yesterday? I finished today’s work.”

“Seriously… that logic…”

“It’s not bad logic! It doesn’t feel… final… if we don’t do it today… hehe…”

Even after Choi Arin finished Vivian’s blindfold, she continued to demand kisses, claiming a need for “closure.”

“You just get all weak and cuddly after a kiss! And you still want more?!”

Hayoon was exasperated, but this woman was her cosplay partner for the upcoming AGC.

“Don’t even think about doing this at the event. Seriously.”

“Eek!”

“Can I just hit you once?”

“No, no!”

“Ugh…”

Things had changed drastically since the breast-touching incident.

But with the event so close, Hayoon held back, suppressing her urge to flick Choi Arin’s forehead.

She knew it would only lead to more demands for kisses as consolation.