Acts We Shouldn't Do (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

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The coat bought in a hurry seemed decent enough. While checking his outfit, Tae Seo noticed a man sitting on the sofa in the middle of the store, looking at him through the mirror.

The man’s small eyes were half-open, his mouth agape. He gave off the impression of a dried-up anchovy. His trembling arms, seemingly too weak to hold a coffee cup, evoked bare, spindly branches.

“Managing Director, is there someone you know… behind us, by any chance?”

“I don’t know.”

The man’s gaze was so persistent that even Executive Director Jang, standing beside him, noticed. Once Tae Seo became aware of it, it kept irritating him. Just as he slightly furrowed his brow to suppress his annoyance—

“Sir, please hand us your soiled coat. We’ll have it cleaned and delivered to your home.”

“It suits you wonderfully. The way you wear it, there’s not a single spot that needs adjusting.”

Tae Seo quickly dismissed the man from his mind, put off by the staff’s overly effusive service.

“Managing Director, shall we look a bit longer? I was thinking of calling Manager Han—”

“I already told you there’s no need. It’s already excessive enough that you, Executive Director Jang, accompanied me just to buy one coat. Let’s call it quits with this.”

“We’ll have it ready for you right away.”

Tae Seo, having drawn a clear line with Executive Director Jang, straightened his shoulders and stood tall. Just then, a staff member approached to adjust the mock pockets and the back vent.

“Hey! I’d like to try on the coat I left for alterations!”

At the slightly sharp shout, Tae Seo’s eyes turned once again toward the man.

“Yes, sir. I’ll bring it right away.”

One of the employees standing near him disappeared into the back of the store to fulfill the man’s request. Immediately after, the man—who until just now had been sitting and sipping his coffee—stood up with a pout.

Pretending to casually glance around the store, the man quickly moved to stand right beside Tae Seo. Then he narrowed his eyes at another employee.

“But when I bought my coat, didn’t you clearly say it was the last one left?”

“Ah… I apologize for the confusion, sir. The item you purchased is from a different line—it contains 50% cashmere.”

“Then that one over there is…?”

“That’s from our premium line—handmade with 100% cashmere.”

“…If I’d known there was a premium line, I obviously would’ve bought that instead. Show me the L size. No, I’ll just buy it outright.”

Tae Seo frowned as he watched the staff carefully snip loose threads. At the edge of his vision, he saw the man’s pale fingertip trembling as it pointed toward the coat he was wearing.

Judging by the employee’s flustered expression, Tae Seo roughly pieced together what was going on.

Anyone who met certain strict criteria could enter the store. Yet this man, unaware that some items were reserved exclusively for VVIPs, was throwing a tantrum.

“Sir, I’m very sorry for the inconvenience. The product you mentioned is currently being viewed by another customer—that’s the last one available.”

Tae Seo didn’t know whether the man believed the staff’s carefully worded explanation or not. Either way, he clearly wasn’t happy with the situation.

After glaring for a while at the coat Tae Seo was wearing, the man let out a derisive snort and smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. Then, suddenly, he stepped right up next to Tae Seo.

Having lived abroad for so long, Tae Seo was accustomed to respecting personal space. Therefore, the man standing so unnaturally close felt deeply unpleasant.

“…Is there a problem?”

That’s why, even before Executive Director Jang could intervene, Tae Seo glared down at the man with undisguised irritation. He couldn’t fathom why the man insisted on standing right beside him—especially when other mirrors were available—flailing one arm awkwardly through the air.

Tae Seo had had enough of wasting time. Just as he reached to check the watch peeking out from under his coat sleeve—

“Huh…!”

A sharp, urgent gasp came from right beside him. Tae Seo raised his thick eyebrows. Only then did he fully notice the man’s arm, which had been waving through the air.

Wrapped around his slender wrist was a watch from brand R. Apparently, the man had been eager to show off its gleaming gold metal band and mother-of-pearl dial.

It was a fine watch—though it probably cost only about one-tenth of the P-brand watch Tae Seo was wearing.

Tae Seo’s watch was a limited edition model worth the price of a small apartment—a dream piece coveted by any watch enthusiast. The man seemed to recognize it instantly.

Staring fixedly at Tae Seo’s watch, the man stood stunned for a moment before clamping his mouth shut. His shoulders slumped as he tugged his knit sweater sleeve down to cover the timepiece.

“Is there… a problem?”

“A-Ah, no… none at all…”

Though he hadn’t meant to, Tae Seo had clearly deflated the man’s ego—and for some reason, it made him want to laugh. He bit his lip hard to suppress the smile and stood up straight again, staring into the mirror.

“Sir, shall I help you try it on?”

Just as the crestfallen man turned toward the sofa, the employee who’d gone into the back returned and handed him the altered coat.

“Oh, yes… ah, uh…”

The man absentmindedly slipped his arms into the sleeves and put on the coat—but immediately seemed to regret it. Now, two men of entirely different builds stood side by side before the mirror, wearing similar outerwear.

The sight of a handsome superior next to an awkward-looking man made for an amusing contrast. Executive Director Jang turned her head and coughed exaggeratedly, clearly trying—and failing—to hide her laughter.

The man couldn’t bring himself to look directly in the mirror, glancing only furtively at Tae Seo beside him. Each time he stuck out his lower lip, his unattractiveness became even more pronounced.

“We’ve shortened the sleeve length and shoulder width as you requested. Is there anything uncomfortable?”

“…No.”

“I’ll pack it for you, then.”

Trending

“…No. I’ll just wear it out like this.”

The man must have left his outerwear in the car, as he was lightly dressed. Judging by his expression, he was barely suppressing the urge to rip off the coat and throw it on the floor.

And no wonder—facing December’s biting wind without proper outerwear, his retreating shoulders looked unbearably frail.

“Sir, would you like to see the scarf you mentioned earlier as a gift for your mother?”

“…No, thanks.”

“Thank you. Have a good day.”

Though no one pushed him, the man shuffled out of the store as if being shoved away.

And shortly afterward, from his car leaving the department store, Tae Seo saw the man again.

Was it his imagination, or did the man’s paper-doll-like figure seem to shrink further with each gust of cold winter wind?

The coat’s hem fluttered as he hunched against the wind, pulling his collar tight. It looked as if he might blow away like a dry leaf at any moment.

***

It was peaceful.

Monday evening was so unusually smooth that both yoga studio rooms were packed full of members.

Just after finishing the evening class—when office workers usually flooded in—Jae In remained alone in the studio, about to sip her water with dried lemon slices.

“What on earth does the building owner have to do with our yoga instructor? Talk to me—I’m the director!”

“You’re free right now, so step aside. Seriously, it’s your fault for hiring such a vulgar instructor!”

Jae In sighed at the commotion coming from outside the studio.

Honestly, that’s the trouble with mama’s boys—they drag their mothers into things they should handle alone.

“Ah, I really liked the nail art I got today.”

Jae In gathered her loosely tied hair into a tight bun as she muttered to herself, then glanced down at her nails, freshly decorated that morning to match the Christmas mood.

Her red nails, dusted with gold shimmer, gleamed neatly.

“Where are you! You worthless piece of trash—my dog wouldn’t even eat you! How dare you, with no sense of your place, reject my son?”

Several members who’d been about to leave after class quickly hurried away. Others lingered near the front desk, shuffling their feet and murmuring nervously.

As the shouting drew closer, Jae In stood up. She stretched her arms and rolled her head from side to side to loosen up.

The last time she’d dealt with a clingy mama’s boy was two years ago. Back then, after she’d set clear boundaries with the man, his mother showed up a few days later.

“My son can reject you, but you can’t reject him! How dare you, you wretched bitch! Making my precious son cry! You damn X, you rotten X!”

The American mama’s boy’s mother had been boring—just endlessly repeating f-words. But this colorful Korean cursing felt oddly pleasant to the ear.

“Whew…”

Jae In took a deep breath and began counting, steeling herself like a fighter stepping into the ring.

Soon, the door burst open, and Gwang Soon entered, dressed again in designer clothes just like a few days prior.

Jae In clicked her tongue inwardly.

She clearly doesn’t understand the basics of a fight.

A fur coat and pearl necklace? Not exactly practical for physical confrontation.

Those chunky pearls were practically begging to be grabbed by the collar, and fur coats tore more easily than people thought. On top of that, they were hot—guaranteed to tire you out fast. All in all, a highly disadvantageous outfit.

Ah, her bag.

If she swung that famously water-resistant leather bag from brand L, it could pack a serious punch. Fortunately, Gwang Soon huffed and immediately placed her beloved bag on the floor as soon as she stormed in.

“You damn X!”

“Hello, Madam.”

Seeing Jae In greet her politely, Gwang Soon looked utterly exasperated and rolled up her fur coat sleeve.

“Hellooo? Do I look like I’m doing well right now?”

“I’m not sure why you’re so angry, but is there something you need? Also, we have another class scheduled here soon.”

“Class? Cla-ass?”

Gwang Soon decided then and there to warn the student against continuing classes here. She planned to spread rumors that the yoga instructor was a shameless flirt who lured men, so Jae In couldn’t show her face in Gangnam again.

“How dare you lure my son and then talk about classes?”

“I think you’re mistaken. Your son kept insisting on meeting me under the pretense of yoga lessons, and I simply told him I found it uncomfortable and had no interest in dating him.”

“You… you…!”

“I completed two weeks of classes, but I already refunded the full month’s prepaid tuition. I never accepted so much as a piece of candy from your son. I’ve never contacted him personally, and even when rejecting him over coffee, I paid for my own share. What exactly did I do wrong?”

Jae In had endured this too many times to be rattled by clingy men. She made sure never to leave room for future accusations.

Her nearly 30-year track record of flawless boundaries hadn’t been built for nothing.

Facing Jae In—who, far from turning pale with fear, calmly spoke with a composed, fair-minded expression—Gwang Soon’s whole body began to tremble.

ads

“My son is an upright gentleman! You’re the one who first wagged your tail and lured him in!”

“Madam, it’s troubling when you make accusations without evidence. Moreover, this is my workplace, so—”

“No evidence? My son’s tears are evidence! And since when do you get to lecture me with that high-and-mighty tone?”

As Gwang Soon lunged forward, Jae In tightly shut her eyes.

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