Chapter 24

 

Shame set in, and Yun-seol didn’t watch the movie. She couldn’t remember anything about the movie.

Yun-seol’s eyes caught the rapidly disappearing scenery outside the window. She stared at his reflection in the window as he drove away. Alone with him in the car, she felt her breath catch in her throat again, but not in a bad way.

It was more of a tense, breathless feeling. Swallowing hard, she ran a hand through her hair. She rubbed the nape of her neck with her palm, uncomfortable with the way her hair was tied into a tight bun.

His gaze lingered on the nape of her neck for a moment, then dropped.

“Are you going home?”

“Yeah.”

As they turned into a familiar neighborhood, Yun-seol turned her head to look at him. He was going to take her straight home after the movie.

“…Aren’t you going to eat?” she asked him, fiddling with her fingers.

“Rice?”

“…Yes. I’m so hungry.”

“Oh…. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were hungry.”

Yun-seol wasn’t hungry either, but she didn’t want to go home right away.

Just a little… She wanted to stay a little longer and go inside. Is it weird to feel this way? She didn’t know; it was the first time.

“Where do you want to go? Do you want to eat?”

” I want tteokbokki.”

She didn’t have anything in mind, but when he asked her what she wanted to eat, tteokbokki was the first thing that came to mind.

“Tteokbokki?”

“Yeah, there’s a good place in the neighborhood. Ah……. It must be closed.” Checking the time, Yun-seol’s shoulders slumped as she looked at the clock.

“We should have eaten before the movie. If there’s a restaurant nearby, let’s eat.”

“…Yes.”

“Let’s eat tteokbokki next time.”

“Tomorrow?” he meant next time, but Yunseul hated saying things without a date.

“Are you sure you want to eat that?”

“Yes, actually, Tteokbokki is best eaten at home, but… Sometimes I like to eat tteokbokki with a lot of seasoning.”

“You like tteokbokki a lot.”

“Yeah, I do.”

My mouth watered unnecessarily from hunger. Gulp. I swallow, and my eyes narrow a little.

“…Let’s eat there today.”

“Yes, let’s do that.” I turn my head to follow his direction and see a 24-hour bean sprout soup restaurant. He stops the car and looks at her.

“Why?”

“Just, I want to feed you Tteokbokki, but I can’t.” My lips burn.

“Let’s go get some tomorrow. The place you said was good.”

“…Okay.” For some reason, his tone feels strange, and I close my eyes and unbuckle my seatbelt. He acted as if he wanted to give me everything I desired, but then acted as if he was going to leave once I had everything I desired.

“…I don’t want to eat today.”

“What? Why?”

“I just want to go home, I’m tired, and we’ll eat tomorrow.”

He hesitates for a moment, then nods as if he’s getting his way.

“All right, we’ll eat tomorrow,” I grumbled. If I wanted to see the ocean right now, Seo Ji-hyuk was undoubtedly the type of person who would drive all night to show me.

In the silence of the car, I lock my gaze on him. He notices the stare and moves his shoulders, but he refuses to look at me.

“Ji-hyuk, if I hadn’t asked you to watch a movie, you wouldn’t have asked me to watch it until the end, would you?” I purposefully emphasized the words ‘until the end’.

He had said he would go abroad when he finished his work. And I realized that he was still thinking about leaving. He was trying not to show it, but it was there every moment.

He’d smile regretfully at himself or make a pleased expression, and you’d be a fool not to know it.

He turned his head to gaze at me as if on cue.

“…….”

Our gazes locked, and I couldn’t figure out why he seemed so pitiful. The man who was so sure of himself, the one who was so arrogant.

He was looking at me with a wistful smile.

And he wasn’t answering.

“Is there anything you want to do with me?”

“I want to do everything you want to do.”

“What is that? I want to do what Ji-hyuk wants to do.”

He laughed quietly. I furrowed the bridge of my nose as I laughed wistfully.

“Tomorrow, let’s eat tteokbokki and go see our baby moon,” he said, and I stared at him wordlessly as he took the wheel.

 

* * *

 

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“We can eat at home. What about you, Ji-hyuk?”

“I’m not hungry.” I couldn’t get out of the car when we got to your place.” She fiddled with her bag before putting her hair behind her ear. She rubbed the tips of her nails this time.

“…Go inside. Mother-in-law… no… Mother will be waiting.” I corrected him, replacing mother-in-law with mother, and his shoulders tightened like stone as I approached him quickly.

“You told me to do what I wanted to do, didn’t I?”

“Ah……. Uh-huh.”

His eyes fluttered at the close distance.

“Then date me every day until I tell you I’m sick of it,” he said, and my eyes began to shake as I waited for his response.

“…Date?”

“Sure, we’ll catch a movie, grab a meal, and I’ll figure out other plans. Since I’ve never been on a date before, I didn’t know what to do, so I suggested I think about it. Why not come up with something you’d like to do with me?”

“…I….”

“Something different from what I have in mind.”

His ears turn red, and he hurries towards the door as if the proximity is too much for him. Yun-seol’s eyebrows furrow. Am I getting the cold shoulder for being too close? His avoidance is making me feel uneasy.

As she exits the car, he follows suit and approaches. Standing at the gate, she looks up at him.

“Have a nice day.”

“Yeah, have a nice day.”    

They exchange goodbyes but do not turn around. She knows he’ll go once she’s inside, but her feet remain motionless. She bites her lip and brushes her hair out of the breeze.    

I’m not sure what it is, but my heart is tickling in my chest, I’m humiliated, and I’m not sure how to react because this has never occurred before.    

“I’ll go.”  

“Okay.”

Yun-seol turned first. As soon as she entered the gate, she pressed the back of her hand to her flushed cheek.    

“I think it’s a thumb. I think this is it.” It seemed like Jin-sool was right.    

They could go on a date, have a fling, and he could travel to a foreign country, and her heart would eventually be satisfied. “Don’t get too excited, Yun-seul,” I said like a mantra as I strolled through the garden, but I couldn’t hear any cars moving.

Yun-seol’s jaw relaxes. I should send him a text,  “But what should I text him?” Yunseol strolled into the home with gentle steps. Unlike the lightness of her steps two weeks ago, Yun-seol’s irritation was palpable now.    

She refused to look at the man driving next to him, instead staring out the window with her arms folded in front of her. She, too, didn’t say much.

“How can you not hold his hand? Are you a man? Did you hurt yourself during the breakup?” Jin-sool asks.    

The trouble is that in the two weeks we’ve been dating, I haven’t touched the back of his hand. We’d hold hands even if we weren’t buddies.

When they meet, he texts, calls, and separates himself from her, and it makes her sick to her stomach.    

‘Dress more daringly and hit on me,’ she said today. My sister thinks it’s cool for a female to hit on me.” 

He didn’t come off as someone who had put a line in the sand as they drove to Dahl’s, ate, saw a movie at the drive-in, and drove home.    

At this moment, I wondered if he didn’t see me as a woman, but as someone he pitied. I worried that he was drawn to me because of something horrible I had done in the past.

I don’t enjoy it when people hit on me, but it worries me when they don’t appear interested. Did I look horrible when I saw him again? …I tried to dress differently, putting my hair in a ponytail and exposing the nape of my neck, but his lack of attention caused my shoulders to drop

No, he was becoming irritated. He had to be because he wasn’t looking at her. Yeah. She was outraged, but she tried not to show it since she knew it might happen.  He came to a stop in front of her home, staring straight ahead.

“For the time being…. I’ll be busy, so I’m going to see the moon at dawn.”    

When he indicated he wouldn’t be able to meet with her. Yun-seol arched her brow.    

“So you mean we won’t be able to meet?” she asked coldly.    

“Huh? Ah…. Yeah.”    Yun-seol bit her lip.

He was the only one who was happy. Only he was excited. I must have been the only one who felt nervous and excited.    

For a moment, I felt his gaze rest on my thigh. I glare at him as he sighs and opens the car door.    

“Okay, I’m coming.”  

“Seol!” he called out urgently as he got out of the car.

Yun-seol turned her head and locked eyes with him. “What’s wrong? Are you angry about something?”

Angry about something? I couldn’t believe it. Do you call that a question? “No.”    

Yunseul got out of the car. I started to walk toward the gate, but he was there in a flash, blocking my path and grabbing my wrist. “I think there is.”

“Nothing,” I said. I didn’t need all the makeup and fashionable clothes to feel good about myself. That was his effect on me.

“I’ll go, I’m tired,” I mentioned, waving in his direction. However, he held onto my wrist and wouldn’t let go.

“Are you mad? Have I been acting strangely?” he inquired as he messed up his hair. I remained silent.

“It’s…” I didn’t ask as to why.

“Even if I’m just next to you, it drives me crazy, that’s why.”

“Pardon me?”

“Standing up.” It was horrible.

Yuck. Yun-seol’s face flushed as he blinked, not comprehending.

“Don’t get me wrong, It’s just standing down there when I’m looking at you.”

“Oh, what…….” My head sank, and then…

“……!!!” Yun-sell’s pupils dilated to the breaking point.    

“Oh, that, that…” The front of his jeans bulged as if it was about to jump out.    

Yun-seol’s lips parted as she struggled to speak. Her eyes were fixed on the area between his legs. She couldn’t take her eyes away from it, and the bulge threatened to rip off his clothes.    

“…Don’t get me wrong,” Yun-seol said, knowing full well what was within. No, her body remembered ahead of her thoughts.   

“That’s going to hurt standing there,” she shrugged, astonished that she was on his side.    

“…Yeah, it’s crazy,” he admitted, his ears flushed. Yunsul took a dry gulp.

“I want to talk to you, I want to eat something delicious with you, I want to spend time with you, but…….”

“…….”

“I keep getting distracted by this……. Ha…. I’m sorry.” He pretended to be fine, but Yun-seol could tell how difficult it was for him. His face was somewhat wrinkled, and his back and shoulders hunched more than normal. His breathing is becoming labored.    

His hot, jet-black eyes cling to my shoulder.    

“What…. I can’t help it.” I’m not sure why my mouth hurts so much when I say I can’t help it.    

“It’s……. It’s not your choice, Ji-hyuk.”  

“It is…….” I can’t move my mouth, his eyes are darker than they were before do nothing but gaze at me, and my shoulders tighten to the point where I can’t even swallow my saliva.

His attention is fixed on her shoulders. Yun-seol’s cheeks reddened. “Then what should I do to fix it?”

“…Huh?” As I approach him, his eyes quiver like a twig in the wind. I’m not the wind, yet the closer I get to him, the smaller his eyes become.    

“I want to talk to you, and I want to eat something.”

I opened my eyes wide, holding on to him. I looked up at him and blinked slowly. “Is there a way?”

His jaw dropped open, and he ran his hands down his face as if stunned.    

“There is, but…….”

“What is it?” I asked as I stood there watching him pursed his lips.

“Oh! I think I know.” I grabbed his arm as he stood there startled.    

“Come on, let’s go to the hotel.”  

“…Hotel?”

“Yes, that’s the only way, isn’t it? Let’s go.” It was the only way, no matter how I thought about it.    

“I’ll drive.”  

“Oh… no. I’ll…….” I said firmly, my expression wider than it had been a second before as I untangled my arm from his grasp.    

“Get in!” I yelled as I pushed him into the car, circled the hood, and hopped into the driver’s seat.    

“Slow down… Wait….”

“Shut up, I’ve never driven a car this expensive before.”  My palms were sweating from my impatience.

I wiped them roughly on my dress and got behind the wheel.  “Are you okay?” I asked, even though I was driving straight ahead.    

“I’ll be there soon, just hang in there.” When we came to a stop at a light, I had a look at his swelling penis.    

“Can I park over here?”

“…Yeah.” A staff member approached me as I parked up in front of the hotel. l stepped out of the car and walked anxiously beside him through the hotel lobby, looking around in case someone caught a glance between his legs.    

I just don’t want Ji-hyuk to think that I’m the kind of woman who stops and starts whenever he wants.

They entered the elevator, but the problem was that they got in by an unknown woman. Yun-seol stood directly in front of him, her body covering his c*ck, his hot breath tickling the nape of her neck every time he sighed.

A quick glimpse. When she turns my head and looks between his legs, it’s still bloated to the brim. He turned to cover it, but Yun-seol’s eyes saw everything. Yes. It’s not small enough to be hidden. It’s even bigger than that……    

What was I thinking? Yun-seol shook her head, dismissing lustful thoughts.    

A woman exited the elevator. She felt uneasy and wanted to say something, but nothing came out of her mouth. When they got to the top floor, she turned to face him. “Get off.”    

I felt uncomfortable since he was hesitating to get off. This is not going to work.    

Yun-seol took hold of his wrist and walked away. He stood in front of the door, pleading with him to open it. He did. Yun-seol entered the room first and pulled him in.    

A bang. The door slammed shut behind him. The hot face got closer and closer. It came to a halt within his grasp, and he stretched out to embrace it. Both at the same time.

“Hurry up and go to the bathroom!” shouts Yun-seol. His hand came to a halt in front of her eyes.    

“Go take care of that,” she said a serious expression on her face and a glint in her eye.    

“Yun-seol?”

“Yes,” she answers, peering into her clear, innocent eyes and stepping away swiftly.    

A sigh escapes his lips as he says, “Sad…….”    

“Right now, let’s get out.”

“What? What do you mean,” “Let’s get out?”

“Why?”

“It’s dangerous.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”    

“What do you mean, it’s dangerous?”

“…You’re in danger. It’s dangerous to stay here, so let’s get out.”

“Mr. Ji-hyuk, solve the problem…….” Yun-seol’s eyes raced up and down.    

“You don’t have to. I just need to make sure you’re safe…… first” he murmured, turning to leave when she realized he was still standing. She came to a halt.    

Yun-seol took his clothes. “…” There’s more to it than that,” I added, hinting that there was something else on my mind.

 His body slowly returned to her, and Yun-seol peered into his shaking eyes.   

“…You won’t do anything dangerous,” she said confidently, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.    

” Do you realize what you just said?” I saw him draw down his tie, a trace of exasperation on his face.   

“…Yes, I know.” She understood what she’d said and what she desired. She knew everything. Her heart beat faster, and heat spread throughout her body. Their gazes were entangled in the air. There was a brief silence.

He closed his eyes hard, as if holding something back, then opened them and spoke, his expression calmer than it had been just a second before.    

“…I’ll take you home; let’s go,” Ji-Hyuk said, his expression somewhat distorted.  

“Are you sure… You’re going?”

“Yes,” he said firmly, feeling as if he were being pushed away. She yelled out as he turned away.    

“I’m hungry!” I was able to stop him in his tracks.    

“…I didn’t eat much earlier, and I’m starving, and I want something to eat.”  

“Yeah? Well, why don’t you go downstairs to….”

“No, no. I’ll order here,” Yun-seol said as she sat down on the couch as if nothing had happened.    

“…Then order whatever you want. I’m going to go wash up. I’ve been sweating a lot…….” I could see he was creating an unusual excuse, but she merely nodded.

His heavy footsteps became increasingly distant and soon became inaudible.    Yun-seol sagged her shoulders. She couldn’t stand looking at him. She was embarrassed, not hurt.

“What am I doing?” I may have pushed too hard. You said you’d follow your heart, but you shouldn’t have done this. Idiot… Idiot…    

The fact that he was going to a foreign country made me impatient. I don’t know if it was his or mine.    A moment ago, I was nervous. But when he pushed me away, I was instantly disappointed.    

She sighed and looked up, and her eyes caught sight of the wine cellar. Without thinking, she stood up, opened the wine cellar, and grabbed a bottle. Returning to the couch, she bit her lip.    

No matter how I try to see it, I feel uneasy. I sense I’m holding back, yet I’m already upset.

“No, it’s not the first time….” What’s going on with him?

“Save what?” It’s strange.

Muttering to myself, I removed the film from the wine bottle’s mouth. I inserted the automatic opener into the cork blocking the bottle’s opening.

“…Why isn’t it opening?”

Yun-seol scratched his head, seized the bottle’s spout, and wiggled the opener this way and that.    It appeared to be damaged. Yun-seol yanked on the opener, thinking he should just force the cork out.    

“Yuck! No way!” she said as the cork popped out, splattering wine all over her.    

“Ha…. Nothing ever really works.” The white dress she’d worn to look good for him was a mess. She was covered in crimson wine from head to toe, right down to her underwear.    

Yun-seol squinted at the wine bottle, her brow furrowed. …When she saw the bulge in his front, her panties were soaked.

It wasn’t just a reaction; she remembered the smell, touch, and sensation of being in his arms. She recalls being held by him and getting penetrated.

After that…… She was……. Yun-seol drank the rest of the spilled wine.

   

* * *

 

“Ugh,” Ji-hyuk gritted his teeth.

He stood in the chilly stream for a time, but his overheated body didn’t seem to go away. Ji-hyuk eventually took the easy way out.    

He bobbed his c*ck around, barely holding it in one hand. He ran his fingers through the copious stream of pre-cum seeping from his urethral hole.

He tries to stimulate his p*nis with the appropriate amount of pressure, but he’s quiet as if he’s going to cum.    “Ha……. F*ck.”    

He wiggled his c*ck a little more quickly. “Mmm…hmm. Ugh…” he swallowed, his lower gut aching.  With each movement of his hand, his skin stretches and returns to its original position.

He felt the heat of his alter ego while standing in the cool water. Then he noticed her white, fair shoulders, her clean white thighs, and her hole splayed out in front of him. “…Crazy.”    

The image of her v*g*na gaping open, red as if battered and bled, replayed clearly in her mind. That was enough to make his c*ck bulge. “Ha. Ha.”

His c*ck, which hadn’t ejaculated from all that trembling, firing cum just thinking about her, felt hot on the back of his palm.    

Ji-hyuk shut his eyes. His c*ck, who hadn’t ejaculated in a long time, was still deficient and attempted to inflate himself once more. In the end, he made terrible words and had to smell the fishy smell twice.    

After washing up, Ji-hyuk hurriedly got dressed. He apologized to her for taking so long.    

“Slow down…….” Ji-hyuk opened the door to the living room and stopped in his tracks.

“…Seol?” he asked, her garments smeared with blood as she sat on the couch. Ji-hyuk dashed over to her without pausing.    

“Seol, it’s okay…….” He held her shoulders and attempted to assess her condition, but the stench of alcohol pierced his nose and he couldn’t speak.

Then he realized she was holding an empty bottle. It was a bottle of wine.    

“Seol…. Did you drink it all?” she slept off before slowly raising her head. Her wine had darkened her red lips even more.

With a wide-eyed grin on his face, he attempted to pull her to her feet. “Yeah……. I’m done. Why? Was it a waste?” she moaned, wobbling to the side of the bed. I can’t let go of her hand because I’m terrified she’ll fall.    

She was close. “Oh……. But…. You did all of that…….” She groaned and whispered something that Ji-hyuk couldn’t understand. Ji-hyuk turned to get something to clean her up after placing her down on the couch.    

“Cold……. Heaving… Smells like alcohol… Shirer…….” It came out of nowhere. It happened in an instant.  Ji-hyuk’s breath seized in his throat as she undressed.

“Slow down!” Ji-hyuk yelled, but she didn’t hear him. The dress had already fallen to the floor by the time he arrived.    

“…Hehe……. You……. You!”

As she tries to remove her underwear, I hold her wrist. For the first time, the sound of her snorting is disconcerting. No, it’s the sight of her standing there in her underwear that awakens my buried c*ck.    

She unclasped her bra and threw it away, stumbling drunkenly. Ji-hyuk’s eyes widened with fear. When he swallowed, his throat tingled as if it had been ripped open, and his already-swelled p*nis throbbed violently, demanding action.    

Her eyes narrowed and she smiled ironically, completely unaware of her thoughts. “…I wrote the underwear……. Hehe….”    

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her pants off. When I saw her br*asts dancing in front of me, I swallowed hard. I almost reached for her n*pples, which dangled like berries amid her pale, sheer br*asts.    

“Let go…… Let go…….” I shake her shoulders to persuade her to let go, her br*asts twirling in a haphazard dance. I almost made a pout.    

“Haha. Yunseol ” Ji-hyuk said quietly. She would have stopped if she had realized how much he was holding back, but she was already drunk and merely smiled lecherously.    

“You…. when you drink….. you’re cute…….” You’re becoming more affectionate.

“Let go… It hurts…….”

I let go of her wrist as soon as I heard a yelp of pain. She pulled her panties down at the same moment. Ji-hyuk shifted his weight to face her. But a thud drove him to turn once more, this time catching his body as it tumbled to the side.

His eyes were racing. He could feel blood rush to his head. He felt drunk despite not having consumed any alcohol.  

” I want to wash up……. Huh?” Her eyelashes fluttered and lifted, revealing eyes that appeared ground up for nourishment.     

“…Haah…. It’s dangerous. You’re very dangerous.” My primal instincts were attempting to awaken. Her juices were trickling down her torso, soaking her underwear.

The sweetness pricked her nose with each exhalation. It wasn’t the wine, but the smell of his body. She’d smelled it numerous times around every bend.    

He grabbed her up and carried her to the bathroom because she needed to wash up. He put her in the tub, but she kept leaning sideways. He couldn’t help but join her in the tub.

Washing her intoxicated was a difficult process. But it wasn’t difficult. Even if she required him to wash three times a day, he appeared to be capable. He couldn’t take his eyes off her n*ked body.

He wanted to spread her legs, bury his face in them, s*ck and taste her as hard as he could, bury his nose in her moist, black pubic hair, and torture her to death.

But……. He couldn’t since she was drenched from washing her. Ji-hyuk brought a towel and wrapped it around her sleeping body after removing her clothes and underwear.

He took her in his arms and walked over to the bed, carefully dropping her onto it and pulling the covers up to her neck. Ji-hyuk’s c*ck sighed as he walked up to the blow dryer, her hair clinging to his navel.    

He drained the water three times without success. It’s a disaster if she sees this.    Ji-hyuk sighed deeply and grabbed the blow dryer before going to bed.

He dried every strand of her sleeping hair like a child.”Mmm.” She tossed and twisted, uneasy with the comforter up to her neck.

Ji-hyuk swallowed dryly and looked down at her bare breasts.    The erect n*pples seemed to be calling to him.  Ji-hyuk fiercely closed his eyes.  

“..You’re in danger. I’m…. dangerous.”

I thought my stomach was going to burst and I was going to die. No, not my bottom, heart, or mind. Something should blow up and kill me.

I struggled to grab the blanket and wrap it around her. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, couldn’t take my hands off her. “No, no, no. Get a grip,” I say to myself.    

I didn’t want to do anything for which I couldn’t take responsibility.  Ji-hyuk sat on the side of the bed, staring at her. She was stunning. So sweet and lovely.

He touched her cheek with his hand. He gets greedy with the least touch on her.  

“…….”

Ji-hyuk’s eyes clouded. He truly wanted her to be happy, knowing how much she had endured with him even if he wasn’t certain of his happiness. Ji-hyuk glanced at her with a wistful expression.

 

* * *

 

Yun-seol blinked open her eyes and froze. What am I doing?

“……” 

Yun-seol jumped to his feet, squeezing her eyes shut. “Ugh… My head.” Her head felt like it was cracking.

Yunseul’s eyes widened, this time to tears, as he lay on his stomach, gripping his head.    

She was completely n*ked. She was dressed in nothing. “What the hell, what happened?” He remained motionless, the blanket still wrapped around her body.

After a while, the last of her memories faded: he went to wash his hands, she drank wine, and….. Oh, She was covered in wine before that.

Because it didn’t work, I drank the rest of the bottle. I’m not sure what happened after that. What happened to him? He was probably covered in wine, but he was clean. Did he get drunk and wash up?

“Oh……. This is crazy.” First, I need to find him. I look around, but there is no clothing to be found. As I thought about what to do, it occurred to me that I had changed his clothes when he was sick.

She remembered there was a dresser next to his room, so she wrapped herself in the blanket and walked to the dresser. She drew a short-sleeved T-shirt from her bag and tucked it in at the neck.

I tried on some pants, but they were too big for me and I couldn’t get them on. They were at least thigh-high, which was good news.    

I ripped the sheets off the bed and ran my fingers through my hair forcefully. I wish I could recall anything from the day before, but I can’t.   

All she has to do is grasp the doorknob and pull it open, but she hesitates, wondering whether she’s done something wrong. Yun-seol mustered the bravery to turn the doorknob.   

He entered the calm living room. Yun-seol was about to leave the living room like a stray cat when he came to a halt. He chewed his lower lip.    

She was certain after seeing him sleeping uncomfortably on the couch. Nothing had happened, and nothing would happen in the future.    

Yun-seol noticed the washed clothes as a rough sweep of his hair caught her sight. He came over and grabbed them. “You’re up?”

She blushed at the low voice beside her. When she didn’t respond, he stood up and approached, his gaze fixating on her thigh. Yun-seol turned her head sharply and glared at him.

“Are you considering going abroad ?”

“Yun-seol?”

“That’s why you keep crossing the line, isn’t it?” I’m not sure why I’m so upset. Or perhaps I know why I’m angry.

“Okay, okay, that’s it.” He doesn’t view me as a woman. He simply feels terrible for me, guilty, and wishes to accompany me till He leaves the country.

“Yun-seol takes off his T-shirt. I could hear him inhaling sharply, but I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want to care about anything but myself anymore.

I pulled on my underwear and then my dress grabbed my bag, and he blocked my way.

“I’ll take you.”

“No, I’m going alone.”

She replied firmly and instructed him not to follow her out of the room. Once outside, the room door closed behind her.

What could I do for someone who was going to leave anyway?

Stepping into the elevator, Yun-seol’s face crumpled as if she were on the verge of tears. …I’m not mad because nothing happened. I’m just……. Just……. I don’t know. Yun-seol buried her face in her palms.

 

* * *

 

A week had passed since that day.

“Ha…ah.”

A long sigh escaped Yun-seol’s mouth.

“Is the world falling apart because you’re resting like that? Rest more, keep resting.”

Jinsool’s voice brought me back to my senses.

“I’m sorry……..” The sighs kept coming, and so did she.

This morning, an article emerged titled “The Secret of the First Death of Seoju Group!” For a moment, Yun-seol felt like she was going to faint due to the content. “But I can’t stop sighing.”

The article revealed stunning details. It looked into his mother’s involvement in the death of the first Seoju Group member. The accusation that she had organized the murder of her son, Azubur, to protect his position as heir, seemed like a painful blow to the back of the head.

Witnesses emerged, his mother appeared in court, and the world was buzzing with discussions about the Seoju family. “Ha…ah.” She was deeply concerned.

So, this is what he meant when he said he would leave the country and never return. …Maybe it was to bring her down. As soon as she saw the article, she knew it was the truth.

“Again! Again, sigh! If you’re worried, go. You can go.” Yunseol, who had been looking down, looked up and stared at Jinsool.

“…I told you to stop.”

“It’s not like we’re in a relationship. There has to be something to stop.”

“Is that correct? “If you look at it, you’d think we were in a relationship and then broke up. Don’t get too deep into it.”

“Is it too deep?” “And don’t you like him?” Yun-seol shook his head.

“I like?”

“Yeah, that’s why it hurt” I confessed to Jin-sol, sharing everything.

“…I don’t know.”

“Do you like looking at him?”

“Yes.” When I look at him, time goes by so fast.

“Do you miss him?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you want to touch him? Do you want him to touch you?”

“Yes.” Yes. I miss him, I want to touch him, I want him to touch me, I want to be with him.”

“Then you like it. What’s so hard about it?”

“Is it? am I making it too hard?” 

“You’ve come so far. Just throw him a fastball. It’s up to him to take it, and if he doesn’t like it, so be it.”

“…….”

Something clicks in my mind.

“But did he feel sorry for you? Do you think he just felt sorry for you?”

“…I don’t think so.”

Jin-sool held my trembling hand tightly.

“Seol, don’t make the same mistake twice.” I’ve always lived with my heart hidden, always suppressed what I wanted to say.

It wasn’t easy to speak up or to spit out the words.

“Go see him. You miss him.”

I promised myself I would never live like that again, but I couldn’t ask him. I couldn’t ask him to stay here with me, not in a foreign country.

“Sis, I’m going to go see him.”

“Yeah, if you want to see him, please go see him.” Sighing was stupid.

“Okay. I’ll close the workshop now.”

“…Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Go.”

Leaving a smiling Jin-sol behind, Yun-seul grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

She hailed a taxi and headed to his hotel. For some reason, she had a feeling he would be there.

She walked through the lobby of the hotel she left a week ago and stepped into the elevator, her palms sweating as she got closer to his floor.

The elevator doors opened, and Yun-seol’s eyes widened as she stepped out.

“How can I help you?”

A bodyguard stood in front of the elevator. She looked around and noticed more than one bodyguard. “Ah……. I’m here to see Mr. Seo Ji-hyuk.”

“No one is allowed in.”

She dared to come here, but she couldn’t meet him. Yun-seol clenched her fists.

“No, I have to see him. Please tell him that Yun-seol is here.”

“He told me not to let anyone in,” the bodyguard in front of her said menacingly. He grabbed her arm and looked like he was going to force her into the elevator. As the bodyguard reached out, Yunseol shouted.

“I’m his wife.”

He paused.

“I’m his wife. If you don’t believe me, go ask him. Tell him I’m here.”

He didn’t believe her, the whole world knew he was divorced.

“He asked me to come.”

“If you don’t believe me, check it out,” she said confidently. Her throat burned from lying but Yun-seol avoided eye contact with the bodyguard, trying to appear as unobtrusive as possible.

Was she too confident? The bodyguard’s face shook slightly.

“If he didn’t call me, how do I know Mr. Seo is here?” The article said that people were looking for him, but no one could find where he was.

“Just a moment.”

The bodyguard turned and walked toward the cabin door.

He rang the bell, but there was no answer. Yun-seol chewed her lip as she watched the bodyguard walk back toward her. She couldn’t just walk away.

“Can I borrow your cell phone? I forgot mine.” She asked to borrow his cell phone so she could call him, but he shook his head.

“Let’s go downstairs.”

“Wait……!” He grabbed her arm. She was dragged into the elevator, and in the distance, she saw his room door open.

My wrist was grabbed.    

“Seol…. Don’t go” and he was dragged back into the room.