Once Love Begins - Chapter 13. Part 1

Chapter 13. Part1

As he approached and stopped in front of her, his cloak swayed, towering over her so that she had to tilt her head to meet his eyes.

She couldn’t make out his thoughts; his face remained expressionless, as it always had. His eyes were cold, and his shoulders slumped.

“Let’s go,” he commanded, snatching the bag from her hand, catching her off guard with his abruptness.

He opened his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders before leading her to the elevator. Despite his cologne lingering in her nostrils, she couldn’t escape the firm grip of his hand on her shoulder.

With his arm around her, they walked past Hee-young.

“Change what I said and email it to me,” he instructed before they left.

He speaks to Hee Young in a commanding tone. When she meets his eyes, Yeon-woo bites her lip and gives him a defiant look. She had been uncomfortable with her from the moment she appeared.

It hurt her pride to think that Hee Young would show up at the hospital where she was being treated and seem to know everything about him.

However, watching Hee Young hostile glare, as if she were accusing Yeonwoo of stealing her husband, gave her a strange feeling of satisfaction.

Their eyes meet in the elevator. Yeon-woo instinctively wraps her arms around his waist and hugs him tightly. Though subtle, she notices a slight flicker in his eyes as they meet hers.

She felt him pause at her sudden action, but instead, she tightened her embrace. Then she stared right into her face. Her face contorted.

The elevator doors closed, and he winced at the suffocating air. His grip on her shoulders tightened, and she tried to free her waist, but the intimidating atmosphere made it impossible to move.

“You shouldn’t hug a man.”

“…….”

She lifted her eyes to look at him.

“A woman’s hug can make even the most brainless as$hole think twice. Be careful, their d*ck stands up easier than you think.”

His hand fell away, accompanied by a faint sound of exhalation from his mouth. Embarrassed, she avoided looking at him and blushed, looking straight ahead.

“I’m your husband, so I’m exempt,” he said, in an attempt to justify their closeness.

She tried to pull away, but he didn’t loosen his hold on her shoulder. Trapped in his coat, she stayed close until they reached the car. Once inside, she pushed against the door, trying to create as much distance as possible.

Despite her distance from him, the scent of his body lingered, clinging to her. It made the back of her neck blush, despite the intimate moments they had shared. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem to mind.

She had assumed she could avoid the confines of a hospital room, but she was wrong. She had never faced him before, not even in the privacy of her own home.

When she arrived at her home, she realized that she had changed rooms.

If his ex-girlfriend, Hee-young, had followed him to the hospital, it must have been for something urgent. So maybe he is going to work. But he gets on the elevator. She shakes her head in disbelief.

“Are you just dropping me off at the door?” she asked, confused by his actions.

She had thought he was busy, but here he was, entering the house.

“Aren’t you going to work?” she asked once more, feeling nervous just being in his presence.

“Rest,” he replied simply.

He doesn’t say whether he’s leaving or staying, but he takes his bag and heads for the master bedroom. She stands in the doorway, hesitant to enter, as he comes out of the room.

“Why are you just standing there?” he questions, urging her to go inside and rest.

As she steps into the room and sees the bed, her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Memories of what happened there flood her mind, though she tries to push them away.

Intentionally avoiding looking at the bed, she makes her way to the bathroom. Desiring a soothing bath, she fills the tub with warm water and settles in.

“Ah, this feels nice,” she murmurs, enjoying the comfort of being surrounded by warmth, like being in a cozy cave.

She leaned back in the tub and closed her eyes as the soothing sound of dripping water lifted the corners of her mouth. Although the stomach cramps gave her a slight start, she was relieved that they weren’t serious.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and glanced down at her body. The black marks, resembling bruises, had faded but were still visible. She shook her head hard, mentally forcing herself not to dwell on it.

She ran her fingers through her hair, tempted to stay longer in the tub, but decided to limit herself to an hour, just to be careful. Afterward, she made sure to dry her hair thoroughly.

She felt a rare comfort as she slipped into her worn yellow chick pajamas, enjoying their familiar softness. Despite their age and wear, she couldn’t bear to let them go; they were her go-to for a good night’s sleep, a luxury she seldom enjoyed since she shared a room with him. She wanted to feel comfortable while he was at work, so she decided to wear them.

Thinking she wouldn’t fall asleep right away, she took her phone and went to the kitchen to get some fruit.

“…….”

He’s sitting on the couch, engrossed in his work as if he were in his office.

“Eat some fruit,” he says, motioning towards the table where a plate of fruit sits.

Her mouth watered at the sight, but she hesitated, feeling uncomfortable as if she had stepped on a nail.

“Do you want some fruit?” he asks again, inviting her to join him, but she remains standing, clutching her phone.

Finally, reluctantly, she approaches and sits down next to him on the couch, noticing that he’s working from home instead of going to the office.

As she looks at him and then down at her chick pajamas, she quickly jumps to her feet, catching his attention.

“Why?” he asked, puzzled by his sudden reaction.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied casually.

Unable to explain that it was the yellow pajamas, she made a face and sat back down on the couch. Despite the awkwardness, she decided to eat the fruit she had come for.

Trying to appear casual, she pierced an apple with her fork and took a bite, savoring its juicy sweetness. She couldn’t ignore the sting on the side of her face, though, knowing he was watching her intently.

“Your phone is ringing,” he said

Chewing mechanically, she was startled when he mentioned her phone, which she hadn’t noticed ringing on the table. Glancing at the screen, she recognized the caller and then looked back at him.

“Take it,” he said, giving her permission to answer the call.

“Hello?” she answered the call.

-“I heard you were out of the hospital,” the voice on the other end said.

“Yes. How did you know?” she asked.

-“Hana told me,” the voice replied.

It was Joo Chan. Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, she felt guilty. Perhaps he felt the same way.

-“Are you okay now?” Joo Chan asked.

“Yes. I’m fine,” she replied.

-“So, can Watermelon take you for a walk?” he inquired.

“A walk?” she asked, considering going back to her room to talk to him. Sensing her movement, he suddenly reached out and pulled her onto his lap.

-“Ha-Yeon-woo? What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

She took a sharp breath, feeling his closeness, and Joo Chan sensed it, asking what was wrong.

“Oh, nothing,” she replied, trying to dismiss the tension.

His face came close, and she felt her throat tighten.

-“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Tomorrow?” she echoed, feeling her lips warm under his gaze.

“Yes. Watermelon will be waiting for you in front of your house,” he confirmed through the phone, the sound loud enough for him to hear.

Realizing she needed to end the call quickly, she hurriedly said, “Okay, see you tomorrow… Ugh!”

He grabs the phone angrily and presses his lips together. Instead of ending the call, he throws the phone on the couch. She tries to push his shoulder, but it’s no use.

“Ugh!” she cries, trying to stifle her scream, but he ignores her. His large hand slips into her pajamas and squeezes her br**st. His tongue forcibly explores her mouth, and his lips press against hers in a rough kiss.

“Shall we go to your room?” he said, pressing his forehead against hers, his breath pouring down her face.

His eyes blazed, and that alone tickled her p*ssy and made her stand on her feet, Her whole body felt hot.

When she couldn’t answer, her eyes shaking, he hugged her. He carried her into the room.    

He carefully placed her on the bed and climbed on top of her. He placed his hand on the side of her face and stared down at her. He bit his lip.

“I won’t do it if you don’t want me to,” he said, his voice so low.

He licked his lower lip as he approached, frustratingly slowly; She kept her lips tightly closed, and he flicked them open as if to tell her to open them. 

She parted her lips slightly. At the same time, he slipped his tongue in and kissed her gently. He always kissed her like an animal, like he wanted to eat her.

As he kissed her softly and pleadingly, she dared to open her eyes, hoping for a different reality. But when she looked into his eyes, they were filled with her, consumed by her presence.