OMS 45

“I really should get a driver’s license…” Park Dong-sik thought while riding in the car. Calling a driver every time he went out was more burdensome than expected. Someone who’s tasted meat knows how to eat it, and someone who’s been treated well knows how to receive it. For someone who spent his life cleaning up after others, having a chauffeur still felt unfamiliar to him.

When the car arrived at the hotel, Park Dong-sik entered the lobby. As he looked around, Lee Hee-soo’s mother waved. “Over here, over here.” He was dressed even more elaborately than when he had visited the hospital. As he reluctantly walked over, he removed his sunglasses and chided him.

“What’s with that expression? People might think you were dragged here against your will.”

“I was dragged here. And why a hotel of all places…”

As he looked around disapprovingly, a familiar figure approached from afar. A tall, handsome man who turned heads wherever he went. Kim Tae-han came closer, flashing a smile as he greeted Lee Hee-soo’s mother. In his suit, he looked quite different from usual.

“You’re here, Mother. Am I very late?”

“Not at all. I enjoyed looking around the hotel. But Tae-han, your style has changed?”

“I’m planning to work at the company now instead of making films. Just came here from there.”

Lee Hee-soo’s mother’s face lit up. “Oh really? Weren’t you saying you’d be a film director? Well, running and growing the company would be more interesting than directing. That big company would be too much for the eldest son alone. Good thinking.”

Meanwhile, Kim Tae-han moved closer to Park Dong-sik.

“How do I look, sister-in-law? Like a proper businessman?”

Honestly, it suited him as well as it did Kim Jun-han. Unconsciously licking his lips, he scanned him from top to bottom.

“Well, not bad.”

Kim Tae-han smiled handsomely, and Park Dong-sik scratched his neck awkwardly.

“Mother, you haven’t had lunch, right? There’s a good restaurant here. Let’s go there.”

He naturally wrapped his arm around Park Dong-sik’s shoulders. When Park Dong-sik tried to remove it, he held firm while smiling shamelessly. “You don’t mind, right, sister-in-law?” Even more astounding was the look in Lee Hee-soo’s mother’s eyes as he watched them. How her eyes seemed to sparkle with interest, as if she’d already found a new patron to replace Kim Jun-han.

Park Dong-sik whispered to Kim Tae-han in a low voice.

“Remove your hand while I’m asking nicely.”

“How did you get here?”

“I said remove it.”

“Want to get your license? I’ll teach you how to drive.”

“No thanks. I already know how.”

“You do?”

Of course. Probably better than you. He’d driven for 10 years almost accident-free and was quite skilled. He could even drift. It was just frustrating he couldn’t demonstrate it. Unable to reveal everything, he kept his mouth shut as they reached the restaurant.

Inside, staff guided them to a private room. Seoul’s cityscape was clearly visible, and before sitting, Kim Tae-han pulled out Park Dong-sik’s chair. After they were seated, he even took Park Dong-sik’s coat and hung it nearby.

“Our in-law has such good manners, doesn’t he, Hee-soo?”

Park Dong-sik pretended not to hear his mother and picked up the menu. Most dishes were unfamiliar. Was it some kind of three-course meal? As he struggled with what to choose, Kim Tae-han made some suggestions.

“Let’s skip this since you don’t like it, sister-in-law. The tenderloin steak here is good, very tender. Skip this too. Ah, you’ll like this one.”

As he explained while sitting close to the other man, the mother smiled contentedly.

“Someone might think the brother-in-law is the husband. If only our Mr. Kim were half as nice as his brother.”

Kim Tae-han laughed out loud while Park Dong-sik looked between them. He thought it was his imagination, but he caught them exchanging glances several times. Who contacted whom first? Was it Kim Tae-han, who was obsessed with his sister-in-law? Or Lee Hee-soo’s mother, desperate to sell off her child?

Meanwhile, the dishes started arriving one by one. Portions were tiny as peas but presented elaborately. Most were things he’d never eaten as Park Dong-sik. The chef came to explain, but he could barely understand a word he was saying.

Throughout the meal, the conversation mainly involved Kim Tae-han and the mother, and they seemed to click well. By this point, he even considered suggesting they date. After all, Lee Hee-soo’s mother was widowed, and Kim Tae-han seemed to like older women.

“How’s the food? Good?”

Park Dong-sik nodded his head at Kim Tae-han’s question. While the situation was uncomfortable, the food melted in his mouth. It was so delicious he felt embarrassed for complaining about the price. Luckily, he was Lee Hee-soo, if he’d come here as Park Dong-sik, he would have licked the plates clean.

Sitting between the two chatting pleasantly, yesterday’s events felt like a lie. He’d expected to be thrown out immediately after his identity was revealed, but right now, it looked like he had a grace period. He wondered about Kim Jun-han’s true intentions. He must have some scheme up his sleeve…Maybe he’s buying time to deal with me.

Suddenly getting goosebumps, he rubbed his arms, and Kim Tae-han looked at him.

“Cold? Should I ask them to turn up the heat?”

“I’m fine, just eat. You’ve been staring at me this whole time.”

Kim Tae-han whispered softly in his ear.

“Actually, what I want to eat is something else.”

At this ticklish and blatant seduction, Park Dong-sik looked at Lee Hee-soo’s mother sitting across from them. Either he couldn’t hear due to the distance or was pretending not to notice, it looked like none of this had reached his ears. He was focused on cutting his steak, occasionally exchanging messages with someone.

He kicked Kim Tae-han’s foot under the table to try and make him stop, then finished the rest of his meal. After dessert, he felt full. Outside, Lee Hee-soo’s mother wrapped his fox fur scarf around his neck and put on his sunglasses.

“Tae-han, thank you for the meal. Next time I’ll invite you to our house. Come with Hee-soo.”

“Please speak comfortably, Mother. Think of me as your son.”

“How about a son-in-law instead of a son?”

“Haha.”

“Just kidding. Ah, can’t do it with Hee-soo glaring like that, too scary. Both of you get home safely. I have an appointment, so I must go.”

What’s this? Calling someone busy out for a meal and then ducking out like this? Park Dong-sik furrowed his brow and grabbed his arm.

“Wa—I mean, Mom! Where are you going?”

“Me? To get a massage.”

“Why did you make me come out then?”

“Why? You know why.”

She gestured toward Kim Tae-han with her eyes. Park Dong-sik finally realized her hospital visit comment about seducing the brother-in-law if all else failed had been serious. There must have been a reason for Lee Hee-soo’s sexual promiscuity. What else could he have learned growing up with such parents?

Before he could stop him further, he hurriedly crossed the lobby and went outside. Huh. Feeling exasperated, Park Dong-sik took out his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Going home. Wait, what was the driver’s number…?”

Kim Tae-han snatched the phone out of his hand and put it back.

“Since we’re here, let’s rest a bit.”

“Where?”

He glanced upward. Only then did Park Dong-sik realize this was a 5-star hotel. Maybe this bastard hadn’t been interested in the meal from the start. As he looked on suspiciously, Kim Tae-han pulled out a key card from his inner pocket.

“Suite room. That okay?”

“…”

When there was no response, he lightly touched Park Dong-sik’s fingertips. His body heated up at the teasing gesture. Responding to him without pheromones probably wasn’t a good sign.

“Come on, I’ll make love to you.”

The expression “love” rather than sex was amusing. It would be more refreshing if he just said he wanted to fuck. He acted like a pet dog craving affection again, and Park Dong-sik pretended to give in, letting himself be led to the elevator.

Then Kim Tae-han patted his inner pocket and made a frustrated face.

“Ah!”

“Lost something?”

“Left my phone at the restaurant.”

Park Dong-sik clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Tsk tsk, where’s your mind? Your head’s full of nothing but lewd thoughts.”

Kim Tae-han laughed, handed him the card saying to go ahead, and walked toward the restaurant. When the elevator opened, Park Dong-sik got in and pressed the button. Strangely, no numbers appeared. What? Even pressing it irritably several times proved ineffective.

When he tried the key card reflexively, the floor numbers appeared. Ooh. That’s cool. While watching the changing numbers in amazement, the elevator stopped at the 16th floor and the doors opened.

Walking down the long corridor, Park Dong-sik suddenly felt the reality of his changed position. Before, he’d stayed in motels or inns, he’d never even dreamed of hotels like this. Just as he reached his destination, the door to the adjacent room opened and someone came out.

Park Dong-sik, stepping aside to avoid them, froze. It was none other than Kim Jun-han coming out of the room. Before he could be surprised, his secretary followed, startling at the sight of them. Through the doorway, he glimpsed foreigners in suits.

Kim Jun-han looked alternately at Park Dong-sik and the key card in his hand.

“What brings you here?”

His cold gaze seemed a continuation of last night, sending chills up and down Park Dong-sik’s spine.

Park Dong-sik quickly thought up an excuse.

“Just met Mom after a while. She gave me this to rest but—Ah! I just remembered something urgent. I should go. See you at home tonight.”

As he tried to escape with this flimsy excuse, Kim Jun-han grabbed his wrist and swiftly took the key card.

“You came here with Tae-han?”

He should have lied but missed the timing, and Kim Jun-han called his secretary.

“I’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

Secretary Choi bowed and walked toward the elevator. Just then the elevator doors opened, and Park Dong-sik’s heart raced, worried Kim Tae-han might appear. While trying to figure out how to escape this situation, Kim Jun-han dragged him by the wrist into room 1605.

“Wait, why?! What are you doing?!”

The door opened with the card, and Park Dong-sik’s jaw dropped at the sight before him. Why is the hotel room so huge? Coming to his senses belatedly, he tried to escape, opening the door when BANG! it closed again. Turning around, he found Kim Jun-han leaning one hand against the door, looking down at him with cold eyes.

Park Dong-sik forced out a smile.

“What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.”

“Lies. If you were scared, you wouldn’t have come here. After what I said yesterday, you’re still acting like a dog in heat?”

“I explained. Mom called me here. If you don’t believe me, call her.”

As he searched his pockets for his phone, Kim Jun-han came within a hand’s breadth of him. 

Park Dong-sik’s heart rate increased under his sideways glare.

“How should I fix this habit?”

Park Dong-sik brazenly joked.

“Who? Kim Tae-han?”

Kim Jun-han laughed as if it was ridiculous.

“No, you. Lee Hee-soo.”