Melting Slow

The effects of the rough, long night became bearable by the next day. 

Every time Yeo-min sat down, there was a deep, persistent ache, but not enough to call a sick day. 

She recalled his form from that night. Although she didn’t have much experience, she could tell it was remarkably intimidating and violent in size. She nodded to herself, acknowledging that it was natural to feel pain after something so overwhelming. 

Surprisingly, from the following day onward, the sensation of pleasure from that night occupied her mind even more than the physical discomfort. 

Every now and then, when she spotted him in his manager’s seat, memories of him on the bed resurfaced, making it hard to focus. She even felt a pang of self-reproach, wondering if she was really this kind of woman. 

As soon as it hit 6 o’clock, Yeo-min saved her Excel file and got ready to leave.

“I’ll be heading out first.” she said.

“Sure. Good job today. Get home safely, Yeo-min. By the way, you’re dressed nicely today. Going somewhere?”  

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m just wearing it.”  Yeo-min replied, bowing slightly. 

Manager Oh gave her a broad smile. He patted her shoulder, saying goodbye, but the touch felt uncomfortable. Yeo-min bowed again and headed toward the elevator. 

Lately, Manager Oh’s behavior had been bothering her—sending unnecessary messages, inviting her to dinner… His overly familiar smile felt unsettling, and his habit of touching her back or shoulders didn’t sit well with her. All of this had started since she stopped wearing her ring.

Of course, Yeo-min did have the ring Yoo Hwan bought her, but she hasn’t worn it to work yet. 

Yoo Hwan had jokingly told her to say she’d ‘switched to a cooler, more handsome guy.’ but she still felt a pang of guilt. 

She figured she should at least show a bit of restraint for now. 

Regardless, Manager Oh’s actions were getting on her nerves. Yet, they were subtle enough that reacting negatively felt tricky, so she was just brushing them off with discomfort. Lost in thought, the elevator arrived on the third basement floor. 

As soon as the doors opened, Yeo-min approached a familiar sight: Yoo Hwan’s car was waiting for her.

“Didn’t you have an off-site meeting today? You’re here early.”  

“It’s an important day.” Yoo Hwan replied, fastening her seatbelt himself before starting the car.  

“Are you feeling well today?” 

“I told you, I’m fine. Completely fine.”

Even though two days had passed, he still asked her with concern. 

It’s just something everyone experiences, so why make such a big deal about it? She only felt a little embarrassed that she had waited this long in life for her first time. 

Today was finally the day of the formal family meeting. It was the day to officially meet his grandfather, Chairman Yoo, and receive his approval for their marriage. 

That’s why she wore the elegant two-piece outfit Yoo Hwan had bought her, put on heeled shoes, and even woke up early to do her makeup carefully.

She wondered if she would look good. 

Will he like her? 

She nervously fidgeted with her bag strap, only for Yoo Hwan’s hand to gently cover her anxious hand.  

“Relax. You used to see my grandfather often when you were young.” 

“That was when I was a kid. It’s been almost 20 years since then.”  

“Don’t worry, he’s a very cool and wonderful person. I take after him.”

“Yes, I got it.” Yeo-min replied, finally relaxing and giving him a small smile as she held his hand. 

His shameless self-compliment was somehow charming. Interlocking her fingers with his, she felt her mood lift as his strong hand gripped hers.

As they followed the staff’s guidance into the room, everyone was already gathered. 

The Vice Chairman and his wife had been waiting for an hour, along with Chairman Yoo, who had arrived before Yoo Hwan and Yeo-min.

“We’re the last to arrive, it seems. How long have you been waiting?” Yoo Hwan asked casually, smiling as he pulled out a chair for Yeo-min. 

Once she sat down, he took a seat across from her.

“Hello, I’m Chae Yeo-min. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”

As soon as Yeo-min sat down, she greeted everyone politely with a slight bow. Chairman Yoo, sitting across from her, chuckled out loud.

“What are you apologizing for? This old man just got excited and showed up early on his own. You two even arrived 15 minutes early, so lift your head. Taeju always taught us that a person shouldn’t be so quick to apologize and bow to others.”

“Yes, Chairman.” Yeo-min replied, quickly scanning the room. 

She noticed that Chae Nari was absent, which meant she likely chose not to attend the meeting. 

On the other side of the table sat three people. 

Yoo Hwan’s grandfather, Yoo Hwan himself.

And then.

‘Who is that?’ Yeo-min’s gaze landed on the seat next to Chairman Yoo. 

A middle-aged woman she had never seen before was sitting in the family section. She didn’t recognize the woman, who was watching her with a gentle smile.

She was the first to greet Yeo-min warmly, her eyes crinkling gently. 

“Nice to meet you, Yeo-min. I’m Hwan’s mother.”

Yoo Hwan’s mother? Yeo-min was quite surprised but maintained her composure, returning the smile. 

“Yes, it’s nice to meet you too.”

The team leader’s mother… She was someone Yeo-min had never thought about before. 

‘She’s probably his stepmother, because I heard his real mother is dead.’

Yeo-min thought.

Yeo-min recalled her childhood memories of young Yoo Hwan, who would occasionally have a distant, somber look when speaking of his mother. 

His biological mother had passed away in the United States, and his biological father and half-sister had died in a previous car accident, making this stepmother his only close family besides Chairman Yoo.

“Hwan.” Yoo Hwan’s stepmother, Oh Min-young, tapped his arm lightly. 

Yoo Hwan tilted his head slightly toward her as she whispered something almost inaudible to him. 

A faint smile soon appeared on his face.

“Yes. She’s beautiful, Mother—my bride.”

“Yes, Hwan, we should find time for the three of us to get together sometime.” she suggested.

“Later, Mother. You just returned to the country, so you must be busy.”

Yoo Hwan’s refusal was gentle yet firm. 

Oh Min-young gave a bittersweet smile and nodded. 

“Alright, then… another time for sure….” 

Although her demeanor seemed soft, there was an unmistakable wall between them. Observing this, Yeo-min quickly looked away.

Chairman Yoo took the lead in setting the tone for the family meeting. 

“So, have you looked at the date I suggested earlier? It would be easier to decide on it here if possible.”

“We’re flexible on any date, so whichever day suits you best for the ceremony will be fine, Chairman.” Vice Chairman Chae and his wife replied, eager to please him with an ingratiating smile. 

Mi-ran was the same, though her lips trembled now and then, contrasting with her smiling eyes. 

It was clear she still hadn’t accepted the idea of Yeo-min becoming part of the Chairman’s family. Mi-ran’s gaze turned sharp as she covered her mouth, laughing softly.

“Come to think of it, our Yeo-min is quite fortunate… finding such a fine, wonderful man like Yoo Hwan.”

“Well, I think I’m the lucky one.” Yeo-min replied.

“It’s a relief to see Yeo-min handling her marriage plans so decisively. Now only Nari is left… If only Nari were as resolute as Yeo-min.” Mi-ran continued with a refined tone, looking at Yeo-min. 

“Our Nari isn’t as mature as Yeo-min; she’s still very naive. Nowadays, if you’re as gentle as Nari, you end up at a disadvantage, don’t you?”

Hearing Mi-ran’s words, Yeo-min chuckled to herself. 

Was Mi-ran trying to imply that Nari was innocent while Yeo-min was too forward or perhaps even ruthless? 

Yoo Hwan, who had been listening quietly, responded calmly. 

“It sounds like your younger daughter is quite lacking compared to her older sister. You must be very concerned.”

“Oh, no, that’s not….” Mi-ran faltered.

“Well, they do say a younger sibling is never quite like an older one.” Yoo Hwan added.

Mi-ran’s lips moved as if she were at a loss for words. 

“…Yes, that’s right. Yeo-min has always been better at everything than Nari. She was even more popular with the boys…” 

She forced an awkward laugh, pretending to remain composed.

“I used to worry about Yeo-min playing with boys from such a young age, but now I think it’s fortunate. Thanks to that, her standards for men became higher, and she ended up meeting someone like Yoo Hwan.” Mi-ran said.

“…….” 

“You know the saying—meeting lots of people helps you tell the gems from the stones.”

Yeo-min’s expression briefly stiffened. 

Saying she had played with boys from a young age could easily lead to strange assumptions. 

She took a sip of water, deciding not to react. If she responded angrily, she would only make herself seem like a disrespectful daughter. She didn’t want to showcase any family discord in front of Yoo Hwan or his family.

Yoo Hwan filled Yeo-min’s empty glass with water and replied. 

“If that’s the case, I suppose I’m the lucky one here. After playing around to the point of exhaustion, my standards went up, and that’s how I ended up with Yeo-min.”

After filling her glass, he slowly set the water bottle down, then looked coldly at Mi-ran. 

“By the way… it seems you don’t remember what I mentioned last time.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m sure I told you that it would be the last time.” Yoo Hwan replied, quietly holding Mi-ran’s gaze without another word. 

The atmosphere instantly grew cold and tense. Mi-ran’s eyes blinked widely in surprise before she clenched her hands tightly on her lap, realizing what he meant.

‘Yeo-min is going to be my wife. If you understand what that means.’ 

Yoo Hwan had warned her before, with clear intent.

Mi-ran’s face turned pale. 

She felt wronged and humiliated. It wasn’t as if she had lied—this was the kind of simple conversation often shared at family meetings like this. Lowering one’s own child a bit to show respect to the other family was typical, especially when the other party was as esteemed as the Chairman. 

And yet, here was this young man, who was soon to be her son-in-law, looking at her like that. The feeling of humiliation bubbled up within her.

At that moment, Chairman Yoo, who had been silently observing their exchange, set down his chopsticks.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t see Nari here today. Didn’t she come? You usually bring her along everywhere.” 

“My apologies, Chairman. My daughter isn’t feeling well and is resting today.” 

Vice Chairman Chae replied, bowing his head apologetically. 

Just hours before, he had tried every way he could think of to persuade Nari to come, but nothing had worked. For the past few days, she’d been in tears, shouting uncontrollably. 

Although she was the youngest, she was now an adult, and her childish reaction was disappointing. This was an important meeting, especially with the Chairman himself attending.

“Is that so? Could it be that Yeo-min and Nari don’t get along?” Chairman Yoo asked bluntly.

Vice Chairman Chae quickly waved his hands in denial. 

“No, Mr Chairman. Absolutely not. We raised them well.” 

“I see. I haven’t seen Yeo-min since she was a little girl. Vice Chairman Chae, you’ve always brought only your second daughter, Nari, with you wherever you went.”

“Yeomin was always busy… and never showed much interest in family affairs.” Vice Chairman Chae awkwardly explained, rubbing his nose. 

Yeo-min kept her gaze lowered, not involving herself in the conversation. The atmosphere surrounding her felt bleak and dismal.

“You didn’t force them apart, did you?” 

“Of course not, Chairman! Absolutely not!” Vice Chairman Chae quickly denied.

“Is that so? Vice Chairman Chae, you should have paid more attention to Yeo-min, especially since her real mother is no longer in this world.” Chairman Yoo said, shifting his gaze from Vice Chairman Chae to Mi-ran.

“You see, raising a stepchild is never easy.” he continued. 

“No matter how well you treat them, people around you tend to look at things with a biased view. They keep their guard up, always suspicious, wondering how poorly the stepmother must treat the child.”

“Yes, exactly, Chairman.” Mi-ran began, her expression shifting to one of grievance. 

“That’s why I raised Yeo-min with twice as much care as others. But no matter how hard I try, the label of ‘stepmother’ just doesn’t go away….” Mi-ran started to complain, feeling that Chairman Yoo was understanding her position. However, Chairman Yoo’s expression only hardened further.

“If you don’t want to be labeled a ‘bad stepmother,’ you have to pretend to be kind, even if you dislike it. Even if there’s resentment, you must desperately act affectionately, especially in front of others.”

“Pardon?”

“There are plenty of people who seem fine on the surface, yet are rotten inside. But if even the surface looks shabby, then what must the inside be like? It’s bound to be completely decayed, don’t you think?” Chairman Yoo clicked his tongue briefly after saying this.

“On a day like this, not being able to properly conceal one’s sordid family affairs… how disgraceful.”

“……”

“You both are quite the amateurs,” he continued, his sharp gaze fixed on Vice Chairman Chae and his wife, fierce like a tiger’s glare.

Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Chairman Yoo turned toward the sliding wooden door behind him and called for someone. 

“Is Chief Jung outside?”

“Yes, Chairman. You called for me?” Chief Jung entered as the door slid open, as if he’d been waiting. 

After wiping his hands with a wet towel, Chairman Yoo gestured towards Vice Chairman Chae and his wife.

“Escort the Vice Chairman and his wife out; they’ll be leaving now. Also, arrange the wedding schedule as we discussed earlier and pass it on to them.”

“Understood.” Chief Jung replied, approaching the Vice Chairman and his wife with a respectful bow. 

“I’ll accompany you outside.”

“But….” Vice Chairman Chae stammered, both he and his wife rising awkwardly, their faces pale. 

Their eyes, unable to fully grasp the situation, darted around anxiously. They had been dismissed in the middle of the meeting—a shocking turn of events. 

Chairman Yoo offered them a final farewell.