Melting Slow

“I’m not trying to make a move on you. Just get in.”

The voice was familiar, yet it sounded strangely foreign, ringing gently in her ears.

Startled, Yeo-min flinched back, and he pulled his face away slowly.

“And I came here to give you a ride in the first place.”

***

Yeo-min’s body swayed from side to side, clutching at the seatbelt as the car navigated each curve. 

The interior of the sports car was narrower than she expected. Compared to the luxury sedan she was used to riding in with Kim Seung-jae, the car’s vibrations were also much stronger. The growling, bass-heavy exhaust sound reverberated, making her heart pound.

This car felt unfamiliar. Just as unpredictable as the person Yoo Hwan was.

As she tried to adjust to the strange sensation of her heart racing, the car came to a sharp stop at a red light.

Yeo-min parted her lips slightly, startled by the pressure of the seat belt tightening abruptly upon braking.

Then she realized something.

‘Now that I think about it, where are we going?’

She had gotten in the car simply because he had offered her a ride, but she didn’t know where they were headed.

Only then did Yeo-min realize the foolish fact that she didn’t even know his destination. Feeling flustered, she fidgeted with her fingers.

Beyond the bright red traffic light, a towering hotel loomed threateningly.

It couldn’t be, could it?

No, it wouldn’t be. No matter how wild his personal life was, surely he wouldn’t bring a teammate to a place like this…

The light soon turned green.

With a heavy roar, the sports car shot forward.

The hotel grew closer and closer.

Yeo-min looked between the looming hotel and Yoo Hwan in the driver’s seat, wetting her lips with her tongue. Her lips had gone dry with anxiety.

‘What if he’s misunderstanding my actions?’

A woman getting into a man’s car late at night—had he taken that as an implicit consent?

For someone like him, casual affairs and spontaneous flings were likely just a part of his life.

Without any effort on his part, just one of those charming smiles would have everyone flocking to him like moths to a flame. Maybe, to him, Chae Yeo-min was just another moth.

After a few seconds of deliberation, Yeo-min gripped the seatbelt tightly and spoke up.

“Um… where are we going right now?”

Yoo Hwan glanced at her.

Yeo-min, her face pale, kept her eyes darting back and forth between the hotel and him.

Realizing where her gaze was fixed, Yoo Hwan smiled. 

“Why? Are you worried I might suddenly hand you a hotel key?”

With a brief, low laugh, Yeo-min felt embarrassed.

His attitude, which seemed almost mocking, gave her the distinct feeling that he was treating her like some naive fool.

“That’s not it, it’s just that we’re not heading in the direction of my place.”

“Your place is in Seongnae, isn’t it? I heard you lived in a villa around there.”

“…I recently moved out after my lease expired. I’m in Seongsu now.”

At that point, Yeo-min felt truly embarrassed about her own misunderstanding.

So, this man had kindly remembered information from before and had chosen the route based on that.

While she thought this, the hotel she had been anxiously watching passed by.

Yoo Hwan turned the steering wheel toward the bridge, heading in the direction of Seongsu.

The engine’s powerful growl echoed as he accelerated, and Yeo-min’s heart kept pounding faster.

As soon as they got on the bridge, Yoo Hwan called her name in a calm voice.

“Assistant Manager Chae.”

“Yes, Team Leader.”

Still clutching her seatbelt, Yeo-min turned her head to look at Yoo Hwan.

A cynical smile played at the corner of his lips as he looked straight ahead.

“If I really had my mind set on it, I wouldn’t be playing these silly games.”

The streetlight outside flickered across his cheek, then disappeared.

“I’m saying you have nothing to worry about—I’ve never given you any mixed signals in that way.”

Yeo-min chuckled.

No mixed signals ‘in that way,’ huh…

That meant that, with the people he intended to take to bed, he always reached out directly.

“That’s right. You’re always changing partners and going in and out of hotels, so there’s no reason to mess around with a junior at work.”

“What?”

“Even the tie you’re wearing now is the same one you wore yesterday, isn’t it?”

Yeo-min calmly pointed out the truth.

It was her own way of fighting back—suggesting that the tie was the same because he’d spent another night at a hotel with someone yesterday.

Yesterday, he wore a dark cobalt-blue tie, and today, it was the same. She had taken note of that.

But Yoo Hwan’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Instead, he replied casually, as if nothing was amiss.

“I didn’t know you were so interested in me enough that you’d remember details like that.”

“The tie looked nice, so I remembered it. It’s a brand I was thinking of buying for my boyfriend.”

She regretted it the moment the words left her lips. Boyfriend? She wanted to bite her own tongue for calling Kim Seung-jae her boyfriend. Boyfriend, my foot. He was now the jerk who was going to marry another woman.

“Oh, right. Kim Seung-jae, who’s marrying someone else?”

Yoo Hwan’s languid voice struck her exactly where it hurt, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Yeo-min, startled, clenched her pale hands tightly.

How did he know about Seung-jae getting married to another woman? How could he possibly know?

While she remained silent, unable to respond out of shock, the car stopped at a red light. Yoo Hwan asked her deeply.

“The hotel where we ran into each other last time—what was it called?” 

“Taeju Hotel.” 

“And the hotel you went to today?” 

“…Taeju Hotel.” 

“You know who I am, right?” 

“The grandson of Taeju Group’s chairman.” 

“Smart. You know your stuff.” 

Yoo Hwan nodded as if praising a young child. 

The light changed in the meantime, and the car moved forward with a roaring exhaust. 

“The chairman’s grandson that you know—he lives at that hotel. And of course, I was there today too.”

Yeo-min fiddled with the seatbelt that felt like it was suffocating her, realizing the reality of the situation.

It made perfect sense for someone from the Taeju Group royal family to use Taeju Hotel. And clearly, he had seen everything that happened there earlier.

‘How much did he hear?’

With an expression of dismay, Yeo-min bit her lip.

How much of that pathetic, foolish scene had he witnessed?

Did he know everything? Did he perhaps even know that Kim Seung-jae’s fiancée was her half-sister?

No, it didn’t matter how much he knew. Whatever the case, the outcome was still the same—humiliation.

Yeo-min rested her chin on her arm, which she propped up on the car window, staring out at the opposite side. The view outside blurred, so she closed her eyes and rubbed at them.

After watching the scenery for a while, Yeo-min lowered her arm from where it rested against the window.

“Um, Team Leader.”

“Don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t whine to me about it, thinking you’re complaining or seeking sympathy. I can’t stand that.”

His face was cold, making it clear that he had no interest in anyone else’s inner turmoil. It was the look of someone who thought that his kindness had ended with giving a lost junior a ride.

Yeo-min closed her mouth.

He clearly assumed that Chae Yeo-min was about to pour out her heartbreak over being dumped by her ex-boyfriend.

But she had never asked for such kindness or consideration in the first place.

“That’s not it… It’s just… you’re not heading in the right direction.”

“……”

“You should’ve turned left back there. If you keep going this way, you’ll end up crossing another bridge after Chun.”

He stayed silent for a moment, then slowed the car down. The rumbling engine noise and shaking interior gradually eased.

He pointed at the central display screen.

“Put it in.”

“Put in what?”

“The address.”

Yeo-min, feeling a bit awkward, began tapping the of the screen. 

When she was halfway through entering it, the Bluetooth ringtone buzzed. A name she didn’t recognize appeared on the screen: 

‘Jung Joon-gyu, Director.’

After a few seconds of thought, Yoo Hwan gestured for Yeo-min to stay quiet.

Yeo-min nodded in agreement, and Yoo Hwan pressed the call button.

– Why aren’t you picking up the phone, you rascal!

An old, cranky voice came through the speaker.

“Did you take Director Jung’s phone to call me again? That’s workplace abuse, you know.”

– That’s because you never answer my calls. If you don’t want to see Director Jung getting nagged by me, then answer properly next time, you rascal.

“Yes, it’s my fault.”

– So, how did it go this time? From the picture, she looked like a very pretty and proper young lady.

“Well, I only talked to her for about 10 minutes.”

– What? Did you half-heartedly send her away again? Why are you so uninterested in everything, especially at your age! How many times has it been now? Do you even want to get married?!

Chairman Yoo’s angry voice echoed loudly. Yeo-min, keeping quiet, fidgeted with the strap of her bag.

‘The chairman seems really upset.’ 

His fierce, commanding voice, fitting for the head of a conglomerate, made her instinctively hunch her shoulders. 

Yoo Hwan tapped the screen, minimizing the call window, and gave Yeo-min a look. It was a gesture to continue entering the address.

Catching on, Yeo-min nodded and resumed tapping the screen, each press careful and deliberate.

– Who told you to get yourself buried in that development team or whatever it’s called! I heard that’s the busiest department.

But Yoo Hwan, who was listening directly, appeared completely weak.

– At the very least, you need to talk

 to someone for an hour to get a sense of who they are, what kind of person they are, what they think. What could you possibly learn in just 10 minutes…?

“I’m been busy lately, and I’m tired.”

the address, pointed at the screen and then leaned back in her seat. Yoo Hwan was using a s

“I like it there. I just have to focus on my work.”

Yeo-min, having finished entering lightly amused tone as he tried to calm his grandfather.

“Please stop being so angry and get 

some sleep. I’ll come by soon.”

– …You’ll come? When are you coming?

“Soon. I want to see you too, Grandpa.”

– You always talk a good game. All talk, no action. Stop wandering around pointlessly at night and find someone to marry, you rascal!

“Yes, one day.”

– There you go again, there you go! Are you planning to do it after this old man is gone? My life’s only wish is to see you get married, and you can’t even grant me that? You ungrateful brat!

Chairman Yoo’s voice was filled with anger, but there was also a strong sense of affection for his grandson. It was clear he cared deeply.

Yoo Hwan said he understood, then laughed lightly as he ended the call.

As Chairman Yoo’s loud voice faded, the car was quiet again. 

Yeo-min, recalling Yoo Hwan’s conversation from earlier, fell into thought.

Marriage.

Marriage…. 

The marriage that Kim Seung-jae was having with her younger sister.

And the marriage that Yoo Hwan’s grandfather so desperately wanted for him.

The chaotic thoughts swirled through her mind.

The car remained quiet.

Somewhere in the distance, the sound of car horns, the shouts of a drunken passerby, and the occasional city noise drifted by like echoes.

Eventually, they reached the alley lined with tightly packed villas.

With vehicles parked densely on both sides, it seemed impossible for a luxury sports car to continue down the narrow path.

Yeo-min fumbled for the seat belt buckle.

“You can stop here. It’ll be tough for your car to get through, so I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

But before she could release the buckle, she heard a metallic click, and the belt was locked in place again.

Yoo Hwan had pressed down on her hand and resecured the seatbelt.