After Hours Temptation 4
341 Words
Monday morning felt heavier than usual.
Ha-eun avoided looking toward the executive floor. She focused on emails, reports, numbers—anything that kept her grounded.
Anything except him.
But she felt Min-jae before she saw him.
His presence settled into the room like pressure in the air.
“Good morning,” he said calmly during the briefing.
Her name followed.
“Ha-eun.”
She lifted her gaze for only a second.
Their eyes met.
Nothing in his expression betrayed what had happened after hours. No hesitation. No warmth. Just the same composed authority everyone knew.
And somehow, that hurt more than she expected.
---
Later that day, she found an envelope on her desk.
No name.
Just her initials.
Inside was a single access card.
And a note.
Tonight. 9 PM. Conference Room B.
Her pulse quickened.
This wasn’t a late work request.
This was deliberate.
---
Conference Room B was rarely used after hours. The lights were dimmed when she entered, city glow reflecting off the glass walls.
Min-jae was already there.
“You shouldn’t be here,” she said softly.
“You came anyway.”
“So did you.”
A quiet exhale left him. “I needed to see you.”
“That’s not fair,” she whispered.
“I know.”
He stepped closer, stopping at the edge of the table between them—still a barrier, still pretending.
“Nothing happened,” he said. “But everything almost did.”
Her hands trembled. “Then why call me here?”
“Because pretending it doesn’t exist is becoming impossible.”
Silence pressed down on them.
“This can’t go on,” she said.
“I agree.”
“And yet,” she added, meeting his gaze, “you keep pulling me closer.”
His voice dropped. “Because every time I try to let you go…”
He paused.
“I fail.”
The city lights flickered behind him.
This wasn’t desire anymore.
It was a choice.
And neither of them was ready to make it
- Writer
