62 – AC

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‘After the exam, right here.’

The feeling of a hand sliding under the covers, accompanied by the words that marks would be left elsewhere, just like on his shoulder, was still vivid. Feeling his thighs tighten and press together as they had the previous night, Eun-won went into the bathroom and locked the door.

He stripped off the thin outer layer he was wearing and unbuttoned his shirt a few times, revealing Cha Se-jin’s reddish marks. For some reason, the color seemed a bit deeper than when he had seen them this morning.

As he lightly pressed upon them, he recalled the sensation of teeth sinking into his shoulder, the tingling pain that spread, the pressure of the suction, and the hot breath that brushed against his skin when the seal was broken.

In an instant, a surge of heat rushed through him. It felt as if his entire body was filled with fever. His lower abdomen churned, and there was a strange sensation between his legs. He couldn’t think of anything other than the desire to touch himself. After confirming the bathroom door was locked, Eun-won leaned against the sink and carefully undone his belt buckle.

“…Ah….”

As he placed his hand over his underwear, he could feel himself half-erect. Stroking his member only through the fabric of his underwear, which was already slightly damp at the front, Eun-won eventually slid his hand slowly inside. As he gripped the wet tip, a shallow breath escaped him.

“……Hng…. Nng….”

A small moan echoed in the bathroom. He knew no one was there, and he knew that unless specifically summoned, no one except Cha Se-jin could enter the annex without permission, yet he felt an overwhelming sense of shame doing such a thing in secret in the house he had entered for the first time yesterday. Eun-won pressed his lips tight and swallowed his moans.

‘I’m going to leave a mark here, too.’

Cha Se-jin’s voice, which couldn’t possibly be heard, tormented his ears before spreading deep inside them. He felt sorry and guilty for thinking of Cha Se-jin in this situation, so he tried not to, but the more he resisted, the clearer Cha Se-jin became. He eventually began to imagine that the hand currently inside his underwear was Cha Se-jin’s. Now, his member was completely aroused.

“…Nng, ah…. Hng, what do I do….”

Eun-won’s upper body collapsed weakly against the white marble sink. The coldness of the stone touched his forehead, but it was insufficient to cool the heat boiling inside him. Rather, every time that coldness touched his flushed skin, the sensation between his legs grew even more sensitive, as if in reaction.

His back, bent over the sink, formed a steep curve and trembled slightly. Unable to even straighten his disheveled shirt, Eun-won had no choice but to lean into the sensations, helpless against a body that felt far more sensitive than usual.

“…Haa…. Sangmu-nim…. Nng….”

Every time his fingertips, trapped inside his underwear, brushed against the sensitive tip, his hips jerked violently. Eun-won gripped the edge of the sink so hard that his knuckles turned white.

As he recalled the feeling of Cha Se-jin’s fingers slowly digging in and sliding out from between his closed thighs, his vision turned white. It felt as if those hands were touching every corner of his body. The thought of Cha Se-jin brought a wave of impending climax.

Leaning his cheek against the space beside the sink, Eun-won let out flushed, ragged breaths. As he closed his eyes, tears welled up beneath his lowered lashes. Just then, the tip was lightly scratched by a neat fingernail, and Eun-won’s hips shook violently.

“Nng…! Ha-eu, hng…….”

His hand became drenched. Moaning as if clinging to a Cha Se-jin who wasn’t actually there, Eun-won slumped down on the floor.

“Haa… ha… haa….”

Unable to even open his eyes, Eun-won caught his breath, pulling his legs up to hug them and burying his face in his knees. As he faced what he had just done, an unbearable wave of shame washed over him. He felt that from now on, just entering this bathroom would remind him of today.

…I must be crazy, seriously.

Hugging his knees tighter and hiding behind them, Eun-won let out a long breath, his breathing still not fully settled. Normally—though he normally didn’t get this aroused on his own—if he did, one time would have been enough to satisfy him. But today, his body felt strange. A powerful sense of arousal lingered, and although a great pleasure had spread pleasantly through every part of his body… he felt like he wanted more.

“…….”

…If just imagining it felt like this… what would it be like if the real Cha Se-jin touched his body? Not just a brief touch and release, but truly touching him. If Cha Se-jin’s hand touched where he had touched himself, and those eyes looked down at him, how would it be…….

As his thoughts reached that point, his feverish body tingled again. As he curled his toes, Eun-won startled at the sound of a vibration and lifted his head. The sound was coming from the outer garment he had taken off. Standing up, he quickly washed the hand wet with his release and took out his phone. Seeing ‘Husband’ on the screen, he couldn’t bring himself to answer and set it down beside the sink. Because he had been having such unconventional thoughts about Cha Se-jin until a moment ago, he lacked the courage to pick up.

The long vibration eventually stopped. And immediately, the call came through again. As expected, it was Cha Se-jin. He had likely called to check if Eun-won had arrived home. Thinking it would be stranger not to answer, Eun-won took a deep breath to compose himself and answered the phone.

“Yes…. Sangmu-nim….”

-Yeah. Did you get home?

“…Yes…. I arrived a little while ago.”

-I was surprised because you didn’t answer.

“Ah…. Um, well…. Uh… I was changing my clothes… so I didn’t notice.”

-Ah, I see. I was wondering what could possibly keep you from answering, and I even had some naughty thoughts, but I guess not.

Hearing Cha Se-jin’s low voice, the dampness of his underwear seemed even more palpable. Though he didn’t know what kind of naughty thoughts the other had, the fact that he had been doing something similar until just now made his heart prick with guilt.

“It’s… not like that…. I really just came inside to change my clothes….”

-I know. I know it’s not. I’m heading into a meeting now. I’ll be back before dinner.

“Yes….”

-Oh, and Cha Se-na stopped by the hotel earlier and swept up all the desserts. She told me to tell you to come to the main house if you’re bored. She said if it feels awkward or burdensome to eat with just the two of you, you don’t have to, but if you’re okay with it, go and eat together. Cha Se-na is similar to you. She loves sweet, sweet, sweet, and even sweeter things.

“Yes, I’ll try to go later.”

-Yeah. Hyung is cursing, telling me to hurry back. See you at home later.

After answering, Eun-won faced the silence of Cha Se-jin, who waited without hanging up first, and pressed the end-call button himself. Only after ensuring that none of his sounds could reach Cha Se-jin did his heart begin to beat violently, and the breath he had been holding to avoid showing his state finally escaped.

“……Haa….”

…What on earth am I doing, seriously.

Sighing in self-loathing, Eun-won took off his wet underwear and the rest of his clothes one by one. Perhaps because he had heard Cha Se-jin’s voice, a faint pleasure remained, and his stomach tightened strangely. Ignoring that sensation, Eun-won stepped into the shower booth and stood under the warm water. He hoped that by the time he left this bathroom, everything would be calmly settled, unlike when he entered.

Even after showering for a long time, the churning feeling and the heat would not subside. Since he couldn’t remain immersed in these unfamiliar sensations, he felt he had to force them down.

He took one more suppressant pill than he had in the morning, and by going to the study to study so as not to think of other things—specifically Cha Se-jin—he felt his body finally settle to some extent.

As his body calmed, his mind followed. He had been worried about what would happen if that strange state persisted, so he was relieved. Just as he was bracing himself to study again, the phone on the corner of the desk vibrated. It was a call from the Madam. Only then did he remember that he hadn’t called her yesterday. Eun-won took a breath and answered.

“…Hello.”

-Are you busy?

“No…. I’m okay right now. I’m sorry I couldn’t call yesterday.”

-No. That happens. So, how is it staying at that house? No one is giving you a hard time or making it difficult to adjust, right?

“Yes…. The family members are all very kind to me.”

-Yes, they should be. Is Sangmu Cha still treating you well?

Until now, the Madam had always meticulously added ‘-nim’ to Cha Se-jin’s title, calling him ‘Sangmu-nim,’ whether in front of him or behind his back. Despite being older, and despite their positions as parents and adults even in an arranged marriage, the Madam—and even the father—had always found Cha Se-jin formidable. Every time he witnessed that, he felt very strange.

Yet, as soon as they married, the Madam dropped the ‘-nim’ she had always attached to Cha Se-jin’s name. To think it was simply because they were now closer, her voice on the phone didn’t sound particularly soft. Feeling an inexplicable anxiety, Eun-won could no longer sit still; he stood up and went to the window to open it.

“…Yes.”

-You know that Sangmu Cha has a dirty reputation and a bad image, right? Even a small mistake and he’ll be wandering outside again in no time. His nature doesn’t change. So, while he’s still interested in your shell, you have to be even better to him. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Honestly, he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what ‘being better’ meant or why she was suddenly mixing in bad things about Cha Se-jin. To Eun-won’s silence, a voice devoid of any emotion continued.

-Just because the family there is kind to you, don’t mistake yourself for actually being one of them. Once the price doesn’t match or the purpose shifts, that kindness ends. This marriage was difficult to arrange; it shouldn’t break easily, so my son must put in more effort, right? So that you can get along well as one family in that house for a long, long time?

“…….”

-Make some time and come home with Sangmu Cha. Let me know in advance once a date is set.

“…Yes.”

-Right, goodbye.

The call ended as soon as the voice, which sounded annoyed, finished. Lowering the phone from his ear, Eun-won opened his mouth to take a deep breath and slowly exhaled. After repeating this a few times, the suffocating feeling finally eased slightly. However, no matter what he did, the throbbing pain in his head would not go away.