Once Love Begins - Chapter 21. Part 2

Chapter 21. Part 2

His face looked more shocked than mine. His eyes were trembling like delicate branches in the wind as if he couldn’t believe what he had just done.

The atmosphere had grown awkward, and my mouth felt dry. 

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” 

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’m fine.” 

“But your watch is broken.” 

“I can get it fixed.” 

He helped me up from my awkward position and gently tucked my messy hair behind my ear. I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I nervously ran my hand down my neck. 

“Wait here for a second.” 

He went to his room, changed his clothes, and came back. I sat down on the sofa and stroked Kiwi, but my hand stopped when I looked at him. I looked at him from head to toe, now dressed in something more comfortable. My eyes stopped on his left wrist. 

He was wearing a new watch, and I tilted my head in confusion. His hand seemed to shake a little, and I wondered if he’d hurt it when he’d saved me on the stairs. Narrowing my eyes, I thought I should check the watch. 

“Shall we go for a walk?”

“The watch… why are you wearing it?” 

“I’ve been wearing one for so long, it feels strange not to. Let’s go for a walk.” 

Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist and led the way. By now, it had become a bit of a routine to visit his mother, have dinner with him, and go for a walk before parting ways, so walking with him felt familiar. 

“This house is at the highest point in the neighborhood. If we walk a little farther, there’s a spot with an amazing view,” he whispered like he was sharing a secret. 

His hand holding my wrist made my skin feel warm again. As we climbed the stairs, we came to a breathtaking place. 

All of Seoul spread out before us. Stars twinkled above us, while the lights of the city below seemed to outshine them. 

“Wow! It’s really beautiful.” 

“I knew you’d like it.” 

As I admired the view, I felt his eyes on me. The moment I slowly turned to look at him, I caught his eyes on me.

*Peck!*

His lips brushed against mine quickly, leaving me in shock. But his face showed even more surprise than mine, with the glowing sky behind him. I pressed my lips together, speechless. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… You were just so beautiful that I lost control. I promise I’ll never again without—” 

Before he could finish, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him back. His eyes, wide with shock, sparkled like the stars and city lights around us. 

It was impulsive. 

I took in the sight of him, more surprised than I was. In his eyes, I saw myself reflected just as clearly. Quickly, I pulled back. 

“I-I’m sorry.” 

What had I just done? I must’ve lost my mind. How could I have just kissed him like that?

It was true. As I watched him apologize, my body moved on its own, almost without thinking. As I stood there, overwhelmed with embarrassment, staring at the ground, he gently pulled me into his arms. When I looked up from his embrace, his face was bright red. 

His flushed face mirrored my own. Unable to meet his gaze, I covered my face with my hands. The rapid beating of a heart echoed loudly in my ears, and I wasn’t sure if it was his or mine. I could feel his pulse through my hand, drumming steadily like a beat. Slowly, I lifted my head from his chest. 

“…”

Our eyes locked, the air between us thick with tension. 

His hand brushed the back of my neck, and I swallowed nervously. 

“This time…” 

“…” 

“It’s not a mistake.” 

As his lips drew closer, I closed my eyes. 

He gently nibbled my lower lip before releasing it. When I parted my lips slightly, his soft tongue slipped inside, moving slowly as if to savor every moment. His thorough exploration felt ticklish but ignited a strange warmth deep in my belly that spread like wildfire.

The soft, kneading touch on the back of my neck felt so good that I let out a quiet moan without meaning to. His tongue, already deep, pressed against the roof of my mouth. 

“Mm… uh.” 

He held me tightly, then pulled away briefly, only to tilt his head the other way and catch my lips again. I should have used that moment to breathe, but his lazy breaths made me forget how leaving me panting as if I’d forgotten how to inhale. 

When I grabbed his arm, he finally pulled away. 

It was hard to meet his eyes under the stars and moonlight, his face flushed and his eyes burning with intensity. My chest tightened at the sight of those heated eyes, so I hid my face against his chest, not wanting him to see how dazed I looked. He laughed softly. 

His deep laugh sounded so comforting that I pressed my ear to his chest and closed my eyes. It felt like I could hear his heart beating right next to mine. I didn’t have to look to know that my heart was racing just like his. My lips still tingled from the kiss moments ago, the lingering heat making me blush even more.

His hand, which had been gently stroking my hair, slowly moved down my back. He didn’t push or rush me as I nestled into his chest, just waited patiently, letting me take my time. Feeling reassured by his quiet patience, I mustered the courage to lift my eyes. He greeted me with a smile so bright it almost blinded me.

All I could focus on was the natural curve of his lips. I stared into his eyes for a long moment before my eyes drifted down to his throat, which moved in a way that made my heart skip a beat. The wild, animalistic glint in his eyes made me step back. His soft sigh of disappointment made me pause, but I turned around.

That’s when I realized what we had done—right out in the open, where anyone could pass by. With shaky hands, I fussed with my hair, trying to compose myself.

“Shall we go?” 

“Yes.” 

He intertwined his fingers with mine and squeezed tightly. A feeling of security washed over me. Unlike before, a fleeting thought crossed my mind – I could trust him.

Despite insisting that he would drive me home, even though I suggested taking a taxi, we now sat parked in front of my house. Nearly 20 minutes had passed, and yet, I hadn’t gotten out of the car. Or rather, I hadn’t wanted to. He fiddled with my fingers, both of us lingering in the stillness. Neither of us is ready to say goodbye just yet.

His fingers gently traced the edges of my nails. 

“I should go,” I said softly. 

“Yeah, you should.” 

But he didn’t let go of my hand, and I didn’t exactly try to pull it away either. 

“I need to go. We’ll end up staying here all night at this rate.” 

“I wouldn’t mind staying all night. But are you tired?” 

A playful smile crept onto his face. 

“I’m fine, but… don’t you have work early in the morning?” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

His shoulders slumped slightly. 

“Then you should go home.” 

“Just 10 more minutes. I’ll leave after that, I promise.” 

I nodded at first, then hesitated. 

“Would you like to come inside for some coffee before you go?”

“Coffee?” he asked, a bit surprised.

“Yeah, we have really good coffee at my place,”

I replied, recalling a conversation I had with Hana and Jaeho. They had joked that the new trend wasn’t “Wanna come over for ramen?” but rather “Want to try something my mom made?”—with the punchline being that “something” referred to the person inviting. I had no idea why that came to mind just then.

I meant that he could come up for coffee, but I wasn’t sure how he would interpret that. I looked at him, trying to get a sense of his reaction, and he nodded slightly.

“Even just water would be fine,” he said, offering a polite smile, though he waved his hand awkwardly afterward, as if embarrassed.

“I mean, I’m just thirsty.”

“I can give you both coffee and water,” I offered, smiling back.

We both knew there was a convenience store on the first floor of the building, but neither of us mentioned it. There was an unspoken understanding, a quiet decision to let things play out.

As we rode up in the elevator, my heart was pounding for no apparent reason. It was just a simple invitation for coffee, so I didn’t understand why I was feeling so nervous.

“Huh? What’s this?” 

When we got off the elevator, there were two apartments on the floor, and mine was the one on the left. But the door was slightly open. 

“What’s wrong?” 

He asked from behind me, noticing me stop at the sight of the open door. I couldn’t even answer, my shoulders shaking. This building was known for its perfect security, which was why I had agreed to live here when he suggested it.

“The door… it’s open.” 

My voice was barely audible. There was no way I would have left it open, so that could only mean one thing.

“I-I think there’s been a break-in.” 

Fear made me shake uncontrollably, and without a word, he pulled me into his arms, holding me close.

“I’ll go in and check.” 

“No! What if… what if someone’s still inside? Let’s go down quickly,” I stammered, my anxiety making it hard to speak. 

“It’s okay. Just go wait on the first floor.” 

I shook my head furiously. 

“I’ll be fine, I promise. You go down to the car,” he said calmly, but I couldn’t let go of his collar, holding on tight. Whoever had broken in had managed to bypass all the security and cameras. The thought of him going in alone terrified me. 

“Alright, how about I go in with a security guard then? You wait in the car, okay?” 

I rolled my eyes, considering the option. It seemed safer than letting him go in alone. Slowly, I nodded, relieved that he wouldn’t be going in by himself. 

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, guiding me back into the elevator, and we descended together.

If I had let him go up alone, or if I had gone home first without noticing that the door was open… I don’t even want to imagine what could have happened. When we reached the first floor, I spoke to a security guard and called the police. One of the waiting guards was assigned to stay with me while the others went with him to check the apartment.

I sat in the car, staring out the window. I couldn’t see him from here, but I kept watching the entrance, unable to close my eyes until I saw him come out. My heart raced as I anxiously waited.

After what felt like an eternity, I finally saw him walking out with the police. I rushed over to him.

“Oppa!”