Chapter 187 – Drinks Again With Miyoung
[MC POV]
"Ugh… Where is this place…"
"You're awake?"
I opened my eyes to the stillness of the night. A cold voice reached my ears. When I turned my head, I saw Yeonhee looking down at me.
I was in her room. I had no idea why I was there.
"It was late, so I just brought you to my room for now."
"I do remember drinking, but…"
I recalled drinking with the team leader, but everything after that was a blur.
I had a vague memory of being at a motel, but my mind was too hazy to piece anything together.
"You were asleep at a motel, so I brought you back."
"Really? Thanks for that."
"It's fine. I waited for hours, worried, without a single call or message from you."
"I'm sorry…"
She didn't say it outright, but the irritation on Yeonhee's face was obvious.
"Mother, Yeonji, and Auntie also stayed up waiting. In the end, I had to use location tracking to figure out where you were."
"Oh… I see…"
I flinched at the mention of location tracking. But I chose to stay quiet, knowing that arguing now would only make things worse.
"I can't believe you went completely off the grid just because you were drunk… What if Team Leader Miyoung had tried something?"
"Um… Isn't that usually the other way around?"
"With her, it's not entirely impossible."
"She doesn't seem like that kind of person…"
"You may not know this, but Team Leader Miyoung is very ambitious. And she seems to know a bit about you."
"Huh?"
"She might not know exactly who you are, but she's probably figured out that you're someone connected to the Chairman. That's likely why she approached you."
"But… I didn't do anything, right?"
"Still, you're connected to the chairman. That alone is enough of a reason for her to approach you."
"Ugh…"
I was caught off guard by Yeonhee's words. She spoke as if she knew things I didn't, as if it were obvious.
I had thought the team leader was just genuinely kind. But the idea that she might have been nice to me out of ambition left me feeling a bit disappointed. Still, I chose not to dwell on it. That's just how social life works.
"Did you do anything at the motel? If you did, she might try to use it to her advantage."
"Motel… motel… Sujeong… Huh? Sujeong?"
"Yes? Why, Sujeong?"
I had a faint memory of Sujeong being there at the motel.
I hadn't seen her face, but I remembered the feeling of someone's chest pressed against me. It felt like hers.
"I… I think I really messed up."
"Tell me everything."
"Okay…"
As one memory came back, everything slowly started to connect. The details became clearer.
I remembered mistaking her for Sujeong. I kissed her, touched her breasts, and even touched her down there.
"You nearly got yourself in serious trouble…"
Yeonhee let out a quiet sigh after hearing my story.
"Team Leader Miyoung probably won't act on it, but… even if she sued you, there'd be nothing you could say to defend yourself."
"Yeah…"
I had been drunk, but I almost committed sexual assault by mistaking someone for someone else.
If it had been one of my girlfriends, they might've welcomed it. But doing that to a team leader who has no personal relationship with me was a serious issue.
Even if I'm not sued immediately, if word of this spreads in the company, my career could be over before it even begins.
Yeonhee mentioned that the team leader might try to use this against me, but if I told her, she would handle it.
"I'm sorry…"
"It's okay. If you've never had this kind of drinking problem before, then we share some of the blame too."
I had never drunk enough to get this wasted before. But it was clear that my habit of touching women while drunk began after I met my mother-in-law.
That's probably why Yeonhee also felt somewhat responsible. She didn't get too angry, and the situation ended there.
"Anyway, just get some sleep for now. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."
"Okay… I understand."
"Then, as punishment… sleep next to me tonight."
"Okay… Come here, Yeonhee."
"Okay… Daddy♥"
Yeonhee, slipping into her daughter-like role, smiled as she wrapped her arms around me.
She tends to be more jealous than the others, so hearing that I nearly touched another woman must have stirred up some feelings.
Still, she calmed down quickly once I hugged her. Holding her in my arms, I drifted off to sleep.
Tomorrow's problems could wait until tomorrow.
.........…
.........…
[POV Change]
"Joohyun? Can I talk to you for a moment?"
And just like that, what was bound to happen finally did.
Inside the company's conference room, while others were busy with work, Miyoung and Joohyun sat facing each other.
Joohyun kept his head down like a criminal, while Miyoung watched him with a hidden smile.
Seeing his guilty expression, she felt things were unfolding just as she had hoped. She planned to take full advantage of the situation.
'Most chaebol kids wouldn't even care if they did something like this… But Joohyun really is different.'
Among those who had joined the company with her, some came from wealthy or chaebol families. There had been a few cases where they flirted with female employees and caused problems.
Most of them didn't care and tried to handle things with money. But it was rare to see someone like Joohyun, who truly felt guilty and was sincerely remorseful.
Normally, a woman in this situation might press charges or ask for a settlement. But Miyoung had no intention of doing either.
"I think what happened yesterday was just a drunken mistake."
"I'm really sorry…"
"It's okay. I understand. You're a man, and you were completely out of it because of the alcohol."
"Still… doing something like that to my team leader…"
"If you're really that sorry, can I ask you for a favor?"
"Yes, of course. Anything I can do."
"Then, from now on… would it be okay if I joined you and Yeonhee for lunch?"
"Yes… I'll talk to Yeonhee about it."
'Yes!!'
Getting closer to Yeonhee was a huge step forward.
Not only could she earn Yeonhee's support, but being near a woman far more capable than herself was also a chance to grow stronger.
Miyoung, who never missed such opportunities, smiled to herself at the thought of becoming closer to Yeonhee in the days to come.
Most people in her situation would've asked for money. But Miyoung understood that building a relationship with Yeonhee was worth far more than hundreds of millions of won. So she didn't hesitate to make that choice.
"And one more thing."
"Yes?"
"Let's have a drink together tonight."
"...Huh?"
............….
............….
After work, Joohyun and Miyoung went to a quiet bar together.
Joohyun couldn't understand why she wanted to drink with him again after what had happened the previous day. But Miyoung didn't seem to care and brought him along without hesitation.
'Making him feel guilty for too long won't help. It's better to ease his guilt a bit and help him return to normal.'
If he continued to carry that guilt, it would only become a barrier to getting closer.
She had already gained enough from the situation. Now, it was more important to let go of his guilt rather than try to benefit from it further.
'It's a little awkward to bring up what happened yesterday… but it should be fine.'
She had a good idea of how much alcohol he could handle, so she wasn't worried about a repeat incident. To be safe, she stuck to beer and kept the conversation light.
"What happened yesterday was just a mistake. You really don't have to dwell on it."
"Yes… But still, I did that to you, team leader."
"It was just a drunken mistake. I'm in my 30s—you wouldn't normally see someone like me as a woman. It just happened because of the alcohol."
"No, I actually think the team leader is a very attractive woman."
"Oh? Th-thank you…"
She had only meant to downplay herself to move past the awkwardness, but Joohyun's compliment came with a serious tone.
Miyoung was slightly caught off guard by his unexpected words, but hearing such praise from a man like Joohyun made her feel genuinely pleased.
If he was dating a woman who looked like Yeonhee, it made sense that he wouldn't be easily interested in others.
Of course, not all sisters look alike or are beautiful, but if she resembled Yeonhee, then her looks and figure would definitely outshine Miyoung's.
Still, if he genuinely thought she was pretty and complimented her, it wasn't a bad feeling.
'Could he be a Casanova who flirts with other women?'
Miyoung briefly entertained the thought, but she didn't dwell on it. The mood had lightened, and she continued chatting with Joohyun.
"I didn't expect you to be so bold, Joohyun."
"Th-that just happened without me realizing… haha…"
The atmosphere had relaxed enough that they could joke about what happened yesterday.
They weren't completely drunk, just lightly buzzed—enough to let go of the tension.
Joohyun's guilt had eased, and he was able to smile again. Miyoung playfully teased him about the incident.
"You stole my first kiss, touched my chest… and down there too… Ah, I'm ruined now."
"I… I'm really sorry."
"I'm just teasing~ You're not going to say you want to marry me now, are you?"
"Well… that's…"
'Huh?'
He should've laughed it off or said no. But instead, Joohyun hesitated, as if seriously considering it.
'No way… really?'
She had only been joking, fueled by the alcohol. But seeing him pause with a thoughtful and slightly serious expression, Miyoung's cheeks flushed without her realizing it.
She had received many confessions before, but this was the first time someone responded with such deep thought in front of her.
'Could it be… is Joohyun actually interested in me? No, that can't be it… Or is he really a Casanova?'
Feeling flustered by Joohyun's unexpected reaction, Miyoung quietly raised her glass and took another sip, drinking a little awkwardly…