Try to Tempt Me - Episode 4

“What did you just say…?”

Yu-bom blinked her eyes. She doubted her ears, wondering if she had heard correctly.

Was Cha Do-hyun, of all people, just saying, “Want to stop by my place?”

Yu-bom reflexively took a step back.

“Why that expression?”

Do-hyun asked, looking puzzled. He moved closer to her again, matching the distance she had created.

“What… what did you say just now?”

“Why that expression, I asked.”

“No, before that.”

“To stop by my place?”

“Yes. That.”

“What about it?”

“What do you mean, ‘What about it?’ Is that something a superior says to a subordinate?”

Yu-bom asked, as if demanding an explanation.

“What?”

Do-hyun frowned.

“Well, what else could it mean for a man to ask someone to stop by his place? It all means…!”

“It means to stop by and get the data.”

Do-hyun replied dryly, as if proving that there was no ulterior motive whatsoever.

“…Huh?”

Yu-bom’s voice trailed off at the unexpected answer.

“The accounting data. You said you’d review it at home.”

Before getting out of the car, Yu-bom had asked Do-hyun for the accounting data.

Because the schedule had been thrown off by the snow, and time was running out until the deadline.

“Ah. The accounting data…”

Yu-bom’s voice grew softer and softer. Her face flushed with embarrassment.

She also thought that she was reading too much into Do-hyun’s words and actions today.

“What on earth is going on in Secretary Lee’s head?”

Do-hyun stared intently at Yu-bom’s face. Her cheeks were as red as blooming flowers.

“You spoke in a way that could be misunderstood, sir. You could have just said to take the data, why say to stop by your place?”

Yu-bom made excuses.

“Wasn’t it Secretary Lee who asked me to be nice to you first?”

“I bought this for you. Is it so wrong to say it so nicely?”

Yu-bom had definitely said that.

“No, that’s not being nice.”

Yu-bom was dumbfounded. She wondered how “niceness” was defined in Do-hyun’s dictionary.

“Okay. I won’t be nice in the future. I might cause another misunderstanding.”

“…”

“Wait here. I’ll get the file.”

Do-hyun turned away coldly.

“Ah, no! I’ll get it.”

Yu-bom, who had been watching him carefully, put half of her body inside the entrance.

But soon, Do-hyun pushed her back out.

“No. No way. Secretary Lee is a very dangerous woman. You might go into my bedroom again like you did yesterday, so I’ll just get it.”

“…”

“And please refrain from coming into my house in the future.”

Do-hyun slammed the door shut with a bang!

“…I’m doomed.”

Despair fell on Yu-bom’s face, who was left alone in the hallway.

It seemed that Do-hyun was really annoyed because of her ridiculous misunderstanding.

.

.

.

A little later.

“Here.”

Do-hyun opened the front door and stretched only his arm out. He dropped the file he was holding into Yu-bom’s hand.

“D, Director!”

Despite her desperate call, Do-hyun closed the door heartlessly.

Click.

As soon as the door was completely closed, he muttered quietly.

“She’s not falling for it.”

*

Yu-bom, who was tired from driving in the snow all weekend, fell asleep as soon as she arrived at her studio apartment.

It was past 8 PM when she woke up again.

Yu-bom checked her phone as soon as she opened her eyes. There was one missed call and one text message.

[Room 1001. Management fee ₩75,000. Please pay by tomorrow.]

The sender was the studio apartment’s landlady.

“Ah… the management fee.”

Yu-bom slowly got up.

“It’s strange. The management fee is definitely only once a month, like my salary, but why does it feel like it comes around so quickly?”

She muttered to herself and transferred the management fee.

“Gasp! Is that all that’s left?”

Yu-bom was shocked to see the remaining amount.

She rubbed her eyes and checked her bank balance again, but the number was still the same as before.

It hadn’t been long since she received her salary, but her balance was hitting rock bottom, as if there was a hole in her account.

“And I still haven’t paid my utility bills and phone bill…”

Next week, her account would be so dry that it would be on the verge of disappearing.

Yu-bom suddenly became gloomy. She even had the pessimistic thought that she would never realize her dream of owning her own home.

“Ah!”

Then suddenly, a bright light shone on Yu-bom’s face.

She remembered the lottery ticket she had bought after having a pig dream last week.

Yu-bom took out the carefully folded lottery ticket from her wallet.

“Let’s see. What time is it now…”

It was just 8:40 PM. She had a good feeling about it. What if she really won the first prize? Yu-bom got excited and turned on the TV.

The drawing broadcast began, and the colorful balls spun around quickly on the screen.

“The first winning ball is gray ball number 37.”

Thirty-seven, thirty-seven, where… it’s not there.

“The second winning ball is blue ball number 17.”

Seventeen… also not there.

“The third winning ball is gray ball number 33.”

Oh, there it is!

“The fourth winning ball is green ball number 42.”

Not there.

“The fifth winning ball is blue ball number 15.”

Not there.

“The sixth winning ball is yellow ball number 6.”

Also not there.

“The final second-place bonus ball is yellow ball number 2.”

“…”

She had even planned how to spend the money if she won the first prize in her head. But in reality, only one number out of thirty matched.

Yu-bom crumpled up the lottery ticket and threw it in the trash. And she turned off the TV irritably.

Ding-dong.

At the same time, the doorbell rang, and Yu-bom reflexively got up and checked the intercom. Da-jung’s face filled the screen.

“Gasp! She’s already here?”

Yu-bom quickly scanned the living room.

The messily scattered clothes winked at Yu-bom. If she opened the door like this, a barrage of nagging would surely fall.

Yu-bom roughly pushed the clothes scattered on the floor into one corner.

It didn’t seem to have much effect, but she covered them well with a towel as a temporary measure.

Ding-dong.

The bell rang again.

“Yes, yes. I’m coming.”

Yu-bom opened the door.

“Why did you open it so late? I thought I was going to die from the weight.”

Da-jung frowned as she faced Yu-bom. She quickly handed Yu-bom the side dish containers.

“You don’t have to bring these every time.”

Yu-bom said, saying words she didn’t mean, and accepted the side dishes.

“I brought them because they were left over.”

Da-jung replied cynically and entered the studio apartment.

“Where’s Kim Nam-jung?”

Nam-jung was Da-jung’s twin brother.

“He’s a bit late.”

“Is that so?”

While Yu-bom was putting the side dishes in the refrigerator, Da-jung scanned the living room.

“Clean up your house and live.”

As expected, Da-jung’s nagging fell.

“I was busy.”

“You didn’t go to work today.”

“I just got back from the training center. I really didn’t have time to clean.”

She subtly left out the fact that she had been sleeping since she arrived.

“Weren’t you supposed to go yesterday?”

“Don’t even mention it. The roads were frozen, so I slept at the training center for a day.”

Yu-bom sat on the sofa with a horrified expression.

“Did anything else happen?”

Da-jung asked casually as she flipped through the TV channels.

“What could happen at the training center… Ah, something did happen.”

Yu-bom, remembering what happened last night, subtly watched Da-jung’s reaction.

“What happened?”

“That’s…”

Yu-bom told her everything that happened last night without missing a single detail. Starting from driving to the training center in the snow to the story of entering Do-hyun’s room.

“Are you crazy? What did the director say?”

“I don’t know.”

“Aren’t you going to get reported? Workplace sexual harassment is so scary these days.”

“…Fortunately, he said he wouldn’t report me.”

“Really?”

Yu-bom nodded. She handed Da-jung her phone and showed her the texts she had exchanged with Do-hyun.

“…”

Da-jung’s eyes narrowed as she checked the texts. “My heart was pounding.” The five letters stood out clearly.

“What…”

Yu-bom hesitated to answer.

“What about today? Did anything happen today?”

Da-jung turned Yu-bom around completely. And she questioned her as if she were interrogating her.

“Um. He did give me clothes in the morning.”

“The ones you’re wearing now?”

“Yeah.”

“…”

They were expensive clothes at a glance. Moreover, they were the perfect size.

“Why? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Yu-bom didn’t like Da-jung’s suspiciously raised eyes. She could roughly guess what she was thinking.

“Does that man like you?”

Da-jung asked directly.

“Are you crazy?”

Yu-bom’s face turned ashen. At the same time, goosebumps rose on her neck and arms.

“That man likes you, doesn’t he?”

Da-jung’s voice was full of conviction.

“Don’t say things like that, it’s creepy.”

Likes me…!

For Yu-bom, it was shock and horror.

Cha Do-hyun, of all people? Cha Do-hyun, who had tormented her to death for five years?

That was something that should never happen. No, it shouldn’t!

“It all fits perfectly. You said he said he had a girlfriend while looking at you. That was all a ploy.”

“That’s not it.”

“What do you mean it’s not? I’m sure of it. That man likes you.”

Da-jung said firmly.

“Sigh.”

Yu-bom let out a deep sigh.

To clear up Da-jung’s misunderstanding, she had to explain it again from beginning to end.

“First of all, the reason Cha Do-hyun said he had a girlfriend was because it would be annoying if new employees confessed to him, so he preemptively struck first. To tell them not to confess.”

“Hmm.”

Da-jung was still suspicious.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s really not it.”

“There are more than one or two strange things besides that, right?”

“…Okay. I admit it. I admit that Cha Do-hyun was being more friendly than usual. But it’s definitely not because he has feelings for me.”

“How are you so sure?”

“That man has no interest in women. He’s a man who only knows work.”

Do-hyun, whom Yu-bom had seen for five years, was such a man. A man who was the antithesis of the words woman, dating, and love. A man who only knew work.

“Is he gay?”

“…No.”

“Then there’s nothing more to say. He likes you. You know I have a good sense, right?”

“You have a good sense?”

Yu-bom scoffed. It was the funniest story she had heard today.

“I’m really good at sensing things when it comes to romance.”

“Except for romance, maybe.”

“…”

“You’ve been saying for 10 years that Im Kyung-soo seems to like you, and you’re saying you’re good at sensing things when it comes to romance?”

Suddenly, Da-jung avoided Yu-bom’s gaze when the fire spread to her.

“Why can’t you answer? You’ve been like that since 10 years ago. You said Im Kyung-soo seems to like you. But look at you now. What are you two? Im Kyung-soo has no interest in you.”

Yu-bom, seizing the opportunity, glared at Da-jung. It was something she had always wanted to say.

“We’ve been getting along well for 10 years because he’s interested.”

“You’ve been getting along well as friends, as friends.”

Yu-bom shot facts like a bomber.

“…”

“Give up on Im Kyung-soo now. You know it’s not going to work.”

“It’s different these days.”

“Do you know when you started saying that again?”

“…”

Da-jung was completely cornered.

Then Nam-jung appeared like a savior. With both hands full of chicken.

“Kim Nam-jung!”

Da-jung greeted her younger brother more happily than ever.

“What’s wrong, why are you so happy to see me? Did you do something wrong to me?”

Nam-jung looked at Da-jung with suspicious eyes.

“Hey, Kim Da-jung, Im Kyung…!”

When Yu-bom brought up Kyung-soo’s name, Da-jung desperately covered her mouth.

And she quickly preempted another topic.

“Her director seems to like Lee Yu-bom.”

“Hey!”

Yu-bom glared at Da-jung.

“What are you talking about?”

As Da-jung intended, Nam-jung showed interest.

“It’s nothing.”

Yu-bom shook her head.

“It’s not nothing. It’s faster to ask a man about these kinds of problems.”

Da-jung pulled Nam-jung’s arm and sat him on the floor.

“Where’s the man here?”

Yu-bom chuckled and opened the chicken box.

“He’s biologically a man, too.”

“I don’t trust him. Kim Nam-jung is also ignorant when it comes to romance.”

“Well, that’s true.”

The discussion about him continued, ignoring Nam-jung’s intentions.

“Did you call me here to insult me?”

Nam-jung raised his eyebrows. Only then did the two women look at Nam-jung.

“Tell me quickly. What’s going on?”

He tapped the table twice. It meant he was ready to listen.

“I’ll only say the facts, so listen carefully.”

Unlike saying she would only say the “facts,” Da-jung’s words contained a lot of personal feelings. She occasionally inserted her thoughts as if they were facts.

Of course, the story was bound to be biased.

If a stranger heard it, they would think that the two were at least flirting.

“…”

Nam-jung’s face hardened noticeably after hearing the whole story.

“What do you think from a man’s point of view?”

Da-jung asked.

Yu-bom also perked up her ears. She pretended not to, but she was very curious about the answer that would come out of Nam-jung’s mouth.

“…”

Nam-jung’s temple twitched.

There was no man in the world who would say and do such things to a woman without any ulterior motives.

‘Could it be that he likes Lee Yu-bom?’

When considering the number of cases, the probability was very high.

At least it was certain that the director was interested in Yu-bom.

“That man doesn’t like you.”

However, the words that came out of Nam-jung’s mouth were completely different from his thoughts.

*

“Do you know you’re acting strange today?”

Da-jung, who got out of the car, approached Nam-jung closely.

“What is it.”

Nam-jung frowned and pushed Da-jung’s forehead away.

“You’re crazy about chicken. But why didn’t you eat any?”

Nam-jung, who would jump up even in his sleep if it was chicken, didn’t even touch the chicken today.

“I wasn’t hungry.”

“Liar.”

It was none other than Nam-jung who said he was hungry and bought two chickens.

“It’s true.”

“Tell your sister. What’s wrong?”

“What do you mean sister when you were born 1 minute earlier.”

Nam-jung grumbled. He was dumbfounded by Da-jung, who was only pretending to be his sister at times like this, even though she was only born 1 minute earlier.

“You couldn’t look at Lee Yu-bom properly, could you?”

Da-jung threw out the bait. She held the fishing rod and shook it gently in front of his eyes.

“What are you talking about.”

“You’re always looking at Lee Yu-bom, but today you kept looking at me.”

“…”

“It’s also strange that he insisted on coming home when he could have slept at Lee Yu-bom’s house.”

“…”

Nam-jung had a hard time managing his expression.

“The strangest thing is that it’s obvious to anyone that the director likes Lee Yu-bom, but you said he doesn’t.”

“You said you mixed in lies.”

“Yeah. But the texts, clothes, and hangover cure are real.”

“…”

“Still, don’t you think that man likes Lee Yu-bom?”

“I told you. It doesn’t seem like it from a man’s point of view. And what’s wrong with taking care of her a little when they’ve known each other for 5 years.”

Nam-jung replied irritably.

“It’s suspicious that he suddenly does that when he’s never done that for 5 years.”

“Not really.”

“I’m very suspicious.”

Da-jung dragged out the words.

“…”

“Huh? You’re really not like that?”

She kept scratching Nam-jung from the side.

“Yeah. I’m not like that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

Nam-jung replied briefly and raised the door lock cover.

“Hmm. That’s strange. I’m really…”

He couldn’t stand it anymore and interrupted Da-jung’s words.

“Kim Da-jung. Stop beating around the bush and say it straight. So what do you want to say?”

As if waiting for his question, Da-jung answered immediately.

“Do you like Lee Yu-bom?”

Nam-jung’s hand, which was pressing the password, stopped in mid-air.