Yes, Boss | A Ryeji Rivals Romance

The Turning Point

The kiss was unlike anything Yeji had experienced before—intense, raw, and filled with all the pent-up tension that had been simmering between them for weeks. Ryujin's hands gripped her with just enough force to make her gasp, her lips hot and demanding. Yeji found herself giving in, her carefully constructed control unraveling in the heat of the moment.

But as the kiss deepened, something inside Yeji snapped back into place. This was wrong—dangerous, reckless. She was losing control, and that terrified her more than anything else. With a sharp breath, she pulled away, breaking the kiss, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to catch her breath.

Ryujin looked at her with a mixture of confusion and frustration, her lips still parted, her hands lingering at Yeji's waist. "Yeji..."

Yeji shook her head, stepping back, needing space to clear her thoughts. "This can't happen."

Ryujin raised an eyebrow, a slow smile curling at the corners of her lips, as if she wasn't taking Yeji's words seriously. "It already is."

"No," Yeji insisted, her voice more forceful now. "We're competing for the same job. This... whatever this is, it's a mistake."

Ryujin crossed her arms, leaning back slightly as she regarded Yeji with that infuriatingly calm demeanor. "A mistake? Or something you're just too afraid to face?"

Yeji's jaw tightened, the familiar burn of annoyance flaring in her chest. "I'm not afraid."

Ryujin stepped closer again, her voice low and teasing. "Aren't you?"

Yeji swallowed hard, feeling the pull between them, the magnetic force that seemed to draw her toward Ryujin despite every logical reason to resist. But she couldn't let herself be distracted, not when everything she had worked for was on the line. This wasn't just a fling or a moment of weakness. This was her career, her future.

"I have too much at stake," Yeji said softly, more to herself than to Ryujin. "I can't afford to lose focus."

Ryujin's expression softened, and for the first time since they had started this dangerous game, her voice wasn't playful or teasing. It was serious. "Who says you have to choose?"

Yeji blinked, taken aback by the sincerity in Ryujin's tone. "What do you mean?"

Ryujin sighed, running a hand through her hair as she looked out at the city skyline. "We're both here for the same reason. We want to win. But that doesn't mean we can't be... whatever this is."

Yeji's heart raced. Ryujin was offering her something she hadn't expected—a way to have both. But the risk was too great. If the board found out, if anyone found out, it could ruin everything. Her reputation, her career, her chances at the presidency.

"I don't trust this," Yeji admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't trust us."

Ryujin's eyes flicked back to her, and for a moment, the vulnerability in them surprised Yeji. "Then trust me."

Yeji's breath caught. Trust wasn't something she gave easily. She had built her career on keeping people at arm's length, on being meticulous, professional, always in control. But Ryujin was different. She challenged her, pushed her in ways that made her uncomfortable, yet intrigued.

But could she really trust Ryujin? Could she trust that this wasn't just another one of her games?

"I don't know if I can," Yeji admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

Ryujin stepped closer again, her hand reaching out to gently take Yeji's. Her touch was soft, a stark contrast to the fierceness of their earlier kiss. "You can," Ryujin murmured, her eyes locking onto Yeji's. "This doesn't have to be all or nothing."

Yeji looked down at their joined hands, feeling the warmth of Ryujin's skin against hers. Her mind was racing, torn between the urge to run away from this and the pull to dive deeper into whatever this was between them.

"I can't let anything jeopardize my career," Yeji whispered, more to herself than to Ryujin.

Ryujin nodded, her thumb gently brushing over the back of Yeji's hand. "Neither can I."

Yeji looked up, meeting Ryujin's gaze. For a moment, everything else faded away—the competition, the board, the pressures of their careers. All that was left was Ryujin, standing before her with a quiet sincerity that made Yeji's heart ache in a way she hadn't expected.

"Then what do we do?" Yeji asked softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of the city below.

Ryujin smiled, a soft, almost bittersweet curve of her lips. "We figure it out. One step at a time."

Yeji's chest tightened with emotion she couldn't quite name, but she nodded. Maybe they could find a way through this—together. It wouldn't be easy, and the stakes were high, but for the first time, Yeji found herself wanting to try. To see what could happen if she let her walls down, just a little.

She squeezed Ryujin's hand gently before pulling away. "I need to think."

Ryujin didn't push, didn't try to pull her back. Instead, she nodded and gave Yeji a small, understanding smile. "Take all the time you need."

Yeji turned and walked toward the door, her heart still racing, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. But just before she stepped back into the building, she glanced over her shoulder at Ryujin, who was still standing there, watching her with that same quiet intensity.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Yeji said, her voice soft but steady.

Ryujin's smile widened just slightly, her eyes glinting with that familiar mischievous spark. "Count on it."

As the door closed behind her, Yeji leaned against the wall, exhaling a shaky breath. The turning point had arrived. Nothing between them would be the same after tonight. But as much as the uncertainty terrified her, a small part of her couldn't help but feel... excited.

For the first time in a long while, Yeji didn't know what would happen next. And maybe, just maybe, that wasn't such a bad thing.