By Zephyria “I missed you even more after seeing the picture. Like it’s been a long time since I saw you…”
―Tae-kyung.
His lowered voice dug into my ear.
―I’ll contact you when practice is over. Sleep with your phone next to you.
“I won’t sleep. Call me no matter what time it is.”
We listened to each other’s breathing without saying a word and then ended the call.
I put my right hand on my chest and checked how fast my heart was beating. I stood like that for a while, then changed my clothes and started cleaning.
The house was so clean that there was no need to clean it, but I felt like time wouldn’t pass at all unless I did something.
“Time would have passed quickly if I had been in the practice room.”
I felt resentful of the vacation, then thought of Mom and Tae-min and soon regretted it.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll cook dinner tonight instead.”
My cooking skills aren’t very good, but I rolled up my sleeves for Mom and Tae-min, who would be coming home soon. I looked up recipes based on the ingredients in the refrigerator and prepared this and that, then checked the time.
“Ah… time really isn’t passing.”
I wondered if the day had always been this long.
I lay in bed and checked the time on my phone.
Waiting for something seems to require a lot of mental energy. I felt a little tired after 2 a.m….
Buzzz― I jumped up at the vibration of the phone in my hand.
“Yeah, Se-han.”
I tried to be careful so that my voice wouldn’t stand out, but it came out strangely high.
―I’ve arrived at the back gate of the apartment.
“What? Already? Hey, wait a minute…!”
I hurriedly got out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. I was still wearing the clothes I had changed into, so all I had to do was go out. Ah, I should fix my hair a bit.
“I’ll be right there. Wait a little.”
―Tae-kyung, take your time.
Sung Se-han told me to, but I was in a hurry. I quietly left the house and got on the elevator, then checked my appearance again in the mirror.
The appearance of wearing a white shirt, Beige Chino Pants, and a dark blue cardigan seemed casual but looked pretty good.
I got off the elevator and headed to the back gate at a fast pace. The moment I saw the familiar sedan, my heart started beating uncontrollably fast.
“Ah… why am I like this.”
I laughed at the sense of frustration. If I keep liking Sung Se-han a little more every day, every hour, will my heart be able to handle it later?
Click. The driver’s seat door opened, and a tall man got out of the car.
My eyes were first taken by his long, firm legs wrapped in cargo pants, then I couldn’t take my eyes off the lines of his upper body revealed by the tight black knit. And finally, I met his light-colored eyes.
I stared blankly at the man, as if shocked by the beauty I encountered for the first time.
“Tae-kyung, you.”
Sung Se-han, who had strode over, grabbed my wrist. Even then, I couldn’t take my eyes off Sung Se-han’s face.
“You look like a high schooler today.”
“What…?”
Ha… what is he talking about again. I put a little effort into my style, unlike usual, and he’s saying I look like a kid?
“No, that’s not it.”
Seeing my crumpled face, Sung Se-han chuckled as if he was troubled.
“It feels a bit like I’m preying on a minor.”
“What? Hey, you…”
I hurriedly covered Sung Se-han’s mouth and looked around. There was no one watching us except for the parking lot lights, but my heart still shrank.
“There’s no one here, Tae-kyung.”
Sung Se-han’s face, pulling down my hand, was full of mischief.
“Get in the car first.”
I obediently followed Sung Se-han, who was pulling me, and put him in the back seat. I got in the passenger seat and closed the door, creating our own space where even small noises were blocked.
“Se-han, I.”
I couldn’t look at the face I had been so eager to see all day and lowered my gaze.
I didn’t want to say something unpleasant to the guy who seemed to be in a good mood. But I couldn’t leave this uneasy feeling unattended either.
“I have something to say.”
“Why does Lee Tae-kyung have so many thoughts?”
Sung Se-han’s hand lifted my chin and made me look at him.
“I’m listening, so you can say anything.”
“I met Auntie today.”
I thought it would get harder and harder if I dragged it out, so I started with the introduction first. A question briefly appeared on Sung Se-han’s face, but the smile around his eyes didn’t disappear.
“So Lee Tae-kyung’s head is complicated.”
“Se-han.”
I turned my body to the left to face Sung Se-han.
“I don’t want to get involved with people like Director Park Jin-seok anymore. It’s just something that’s passed for me, but it’s more upsetting and difficult for me that you still can’t suppress your anger.”
“Ah, really.”
My brow furrowed at the force with which Sung Se-han’s right hand gripped my left shoulder.
“Lee Tae-kyung, Director Park Jin-seok sold your body to that woman as he pleased. Do you understand? Park Jin-seok pushed more than one or two kids into that second-floor room. Tae-kyung, if you hadn’t been lucky.”
Seeing me stiffen, Sung Se-han twisted up one side of his lips.
“You might not have been able to leave that Korean restaurant until morning. Do you know what this means?”
Suddenly, my body trembled, and I bit my lip tightly.
The men I had encountered when walking down the hallway of the Korean restaurant that day were actually scary. I didn’t want to think about it, but it was also true that I had run away as if escaping because I was afraid that they, who were watching me with strange eyes, would grab my shoulder.
It wasn’t that I was timid and scared for no reason, but that I might not have been able to get out safely.
“Tae-kyung, I just want to kill all those who tried to play with you.”
The hand gripping my shoulder became even stronger.
“But, I have to be patient.”
Because of me. It’s because of me that a murderous aura is swirling in his pretty brown eyes. I lowered my head to ignore the guilt that was washing over me again.
“Auntie said.”
A large hand grabbed my chin and forced me to lift my head.
“If I want to live happily with you, I have to keep enduring it.”
Sung Se-han’s eyes were as pale and transparent as they could be because of the light seeping in through the window. Looking into those eyes made me feel a dizzying vertigo, as if I were looking into deep water.
“She said that if I can’t control myself and do something that goes against your values, you might be disappointed and distance yourself. What do you think?”
It felt like Sung Se-han’s Cologne scent had filled the narrow space instead of air. I opened my mouth and inhaled the insufficient oxygen.
“Auntie.”
It wasn’t easy to speak because my chin was being forced up.
“I don’t think Auntie knows me very well yet.”
And Sung Se-han doesn’t know me very well yet either. How I look at him with what kind of heart.
“What great values do I have that I would be disappointed in you? If I really need something like that, I can just adjust to your values. Isn’t that right?”
Seeing a satisfied smile spread across his lips, it seemed that Sung Se-han knew well that I was speaking from the heart.
“Good boy, our Tae-kyung.”
The hand that had been gripping my chin slid down to the back of my neck.
As his long fingers began to stroke my neck, it became increasingly difficult to breathe.
“Tae-kyung.”
As I breathed heavily with my mouth open, Sung Se-han tilted his head and approached. His light-filled brown eyes were intently looking at my open lips.
“Have you ever thought about wanting to kiss me?”
Yes. All day today, I thought about meeting you and wanting to kiss you. I thought I was going to die because I wanted to taste your tongue quickly.
I couldn’t answer and just nodded, but Sung Se-han’s smile deepened.
“Stick out your tongue.”
Like someone with an empty head, I stuck out my tongue as he told me to. Before long, Sung Se-han’s lips approached with a low breath that rang in my ears.
“Ugh…!”
The moment Sung Se-han sucked on my tongue, goosebumps spread all over my body, and my shoulders jumped. While tightly gripping my trembling neck as if convulsing, Sung Se-han relentlessly sucked and licked my tongue.
“Heeuh…!I was so distracted by the pleasure of rubbing my tongue that I didn’t even realize that saliva was flowing out of my mouth. Suddenly, Sung Se-han, who had grabbed my hair, pushed his thick tongue in. I twisted my body because I was suffocating as he shoved it all the way into my throat.
“Heu, ugh.”
I couldn’t stand it because of the tongue licking deep into my throat, so I grabbed Sung Se-han’s hair as I could. I was making strange noises because I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t recognize anything.
“Ah.”
I opened my heavy eyes at the shock of something hitting my back. My vision was blurry.
“Tae-kyung, did you hit your head?”
Sung Se-han asked in a rough voice as his sticky lips fell away.
I just shook my head with dazed eyes, and then, tap, tap, Sung Se-han’s hand began to undo the buttons of my shirt.
“Ah, Se-han.”
I came to my senses and grabbed the hand that was undoing my shirt.
“Why.Sung Se-han asked while touching, kissing my lips again. When I came to my senses, Sung Se-han, who had completely cornered me, was between my legs.
There was nowhere else to retreat, but I pushed Sung Se-han’s hand away while pulling my hips back.
“This is a car. I only want to kiss.”
“So we only kissed.”