NSTAR - 30

It was hard to believe.

While he had gone through not one but two showers in an attempt to cool down, here she was—sleeping so peacefully in his room after causing him such torment. It was utterly exasperating.

Should he wake her up and send her back to her own room? Min-hyuk sighed deeply as the thought crossed his mind.

Perhaps closing his eyes for a moment would help clear his head. Slowly, he lowered his gaze—not intending to focus on anything in particular, just letting his eyes drift downward—

“…!”

His breath caught sharply in his throat at the sight of her exposed curves peeking out from her disheveled clothes.

It wasn’t as if this was the first time he’d seen her like this.

They say familiarity breeds danger, and knowing what lay beneath made it all the more maddening. The memory of that night—the frantic intimacy, her porcelain skin, those soft pink pearls—flooded back unbidden, sending heat pooling low in his body.

With a frustrated groan, Min-hyuk sat bolt upright, running his fingers roughly through his damp hair.

“I went through two cold showers trying to resist you!”

He wanted to shake her awake and demand why she kept testing him like this. But even asking wouldn’t change anything—she’d probably just leave anyway.

And yet, the thought of her leaving felt unbearable. No, he couldn’t let her go. Not now. Not ever.

Fighting the urge to look again, Min-hyuk carefully pulled the blanket up to cover her fully, tucking it snugly around her neck. Only then did he feel some semblance of calm return.

“Phew…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, he collapsed back onto the bed with a thud.

The mattress bounced noticeably, but she remained lost in slumber, showing no signs of waking anytime soon.

Giving up, Min-hyuk stole another glance at her sleeping form.

Her soft, rhythmic breathing was almost unbearably adorable, drawing an involuntary chuckle from him.

What was he supposed to do with her?

Mimicking her posture, he placed both hands between the mattress and his cheek, lying there quietly.

His dark eyes gazed intently at her delicate, innocent face framed by tousled hair. Watching her sleep filled his heart with a word he hadn’t dared to embrace before: happiness.

To someone who had grown up lonely amidst his father’s infidelity and his mother’s depression, happiness had always seemed like an unattainable luxury—one he didn’t deserve.

That was why he had never wanted anyone close to him. If misery was his lot, so be it; he wouldn’t drag others into it too. Sharing unhappiness would only multiply the pain.

But then Song Joo-eun had fallen into his life like a gift from the sky, changing everything. For the first time, he found himself wanting to take a leap of faith.

With her, he believed he could banish all these dark, suffocating thoughts. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but once—in a lifetime—he wanted to follow his heart without restraint.

Min-hyuk gently brushed aside a strand of her messy hair.

Her smooth forehead peeked out, impossibly lovely. The urge to kiss her was almost overwhelming.

“You drive me crazy. I could list a hundred reasons why I love you, but none of them matter anymore. I just… love you. So much that I don’t even dare hope for your heart. Just please, stop pushing me away.”

It was a plea.

As if responding to his whispered confession, her brows twitched faintly in her sleep.

Startled, he quickly withdrew his hand.

Frozen like someone caught red-handed, he watched her settle back into peaceful slumber, relief washing over him.

‘If she wakes up now, this is going to get awkward.’

He briefly considered moving to another room, but his body refused to budge. Deep down, he knew this was where he belonged—with her.

‘Just five more minutes.’

But as he hesitated, Joo-eun began to stir.

Why. Why was she doing this again…?

Her eyes fluttered open wider, and before he could react, she lunged forward, collapsing into his rigid embrace.

“How cruel…”

Even wrapped in blankets, the warmth of her touch seared through like bare skin against his.

That was it. He was done resisting.

With a quiet murmur, he wrapped one arm around her.

Holding her like this—it wasn’t too much, was it? But it didn’t take long for him to realize how wrong that assumption was.

‘What… is this sensation?’

His rarely shaken gaze wavered.

Though her crown obscured any clear view, the unmistakable softness pressing against his bare chest left no room for doubt—it was her lips.

The tender, warm pressure unmistakably belonged to lips. And they weren’t stationary either.

Could it be…

Was she… nibbling?

Specifically, slightly to the left of center.

“Wh-what are you doing…?!”

Min-hyuk recoiled in shock, crossing his arms protectively over his chest. He glared alternately at himself and her, looking utterly miserable.

Unaware of his turmoil, Joo-eun continued obliviously, still drunk on sleep. She even kicked off the blanket covering her.

Was she doing this on purpose?

Every move she made drove him closer to the edge. Her increasingly disheveled state taunted him mercilessly.

“It’s fine. Stay calm, Jeong Min-hyuk… This isn’t suffering. You can handle this. Right?”

He tried to convince himself, but this felt like the greatest trial of his thirty-one years.

Gritting his teeth, he hastily pulled the blanket back over her, nearly throwing it this time.

The battle raging in his mind between desire and reason threatened to consume him. To kiss her while she slept or to respect her unconscious state—neither option offered peace.

‘I’ve lost my mind. What am I even thinking, lusting after a sleeping woman?’

Shaking his head in self-disgust, Min-hyuk resolved to wait until she truly wanted him too. No matter what it took.

“This isn’t working. I need to sleep in another room. Something’s bound to happen if I stay here.”

Carefully rising, he turned toward the door—but froze mid-step. Turning back reluctantly, he eyed her warily.

“What if… she wanders into yet another room?”

Surely, even drunk, she wouldn’t venture upstairs. That would be absurd. Wouldn’t it?

Yet unease lingered despite his reasoning.

Maybe he should just bunk with Jang Wook. Ugh, the mere thought of sharing space with that tank-like snorer made him cringe.

No, staying here seemed inevitable.

But comfort was out of the question. His lower half was painfully aware of how futile resistance had been.

Glancing down, he raked his hands through his hair in frustration.

“What kind of night is this? Why does this part of me have such high expectations?”

There was no solution. Another round of splashing water on his face might help clear his head.

“Haah… Haa…”

Once ignited, desire wasn’t something a splash of water could extinguish.

Left with no choice, Min-hyuk opted to burn off his energy the old-fashioned way—push-ups under the bed.

His body rocked faster and faster, veins bulging on the backs of his hands and arms.

Sweat dripped profusely as ragged breaths escaped him.

Still? Really?

Damn his stamina.

Glaring at his stubborn arousal, he resumed push-ups with renewed determination.

This time, he added a twist—lifting one arm and one leg simultaneously.

Olympic-level dedication, indeed.

Desperation fueled every movement.

By the time exhaustion set in, leaving him unable to lift a single finger, her soft moan reached his ears.

“Hmm…”

Defeated, he resumed push-ups, gritting his teeth.

Tonight, he would die trying—or something else would give out first.

Morning sunlight filtered through her lashes, casting gentle shadows as they fluttered softly.

Smiling faintly, Joo-eun nuzzled her cheek against the pillow, savoring the start of a new day. Slowly, she opened her eyes.

“…!”

Jolting upright at ninety degrees, she blurted out in alarm:

“What, what is this?! Why are you here, Director?!”

Unlike her panic, Min-hyuk, lying on his back staring at the ceiling, looked utterly drained.

“That’s exactly what I’d like to ask myself.”

What nonsense was this? Joo-eun shot him a glare as if he were garbage.

“What do you mean? Where’s Se-young? Where’s Se-young?!”

“Sleeping. In the largest guest room.”

“But this is the guest room! What are you talking about?”

“It’s probably not the guest room anymore.”

“What? Are you saying I ended up sleeping in a different room?”

“Yes.”

“Wha—?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Confused, she glanced around. Everything looked vaguely familiar, yet undeniably his.

Speechless, her jaw dropped.

“There’s no way… How did this happen? I don’t remember coming here at all…”

She vaguely recalled getting up to fetch water because her throat was parched.

Oh no. Had she wandered into the wrong room? Mortified, she averted her gaze.

“Cut back on drinking. Or better yet, don’t drink at all unless it’s with me. After surviving last night’s ordeal, you can trust me on this.”

Clueless about the meaning behind his words, Joo-eun remained silent.

Realizing she was still fully clothed—no trace of anyone’s touch—she slowly lowered the blanket.

“D-does the housekeeper come on Sundays?”

“No.”

“I’ll make breakfast. Breakfast will fix everything… Right? Please forgive me?”

“Breakfast won’t undo what happened last night.”

What had happened?

“Don’t you see these dark circles? Can’t you tell how wrecked I look?”

All she saw was a handsome man—even in the morning.

Suddenly, Joo-eun became acutely aware of how disheveled she must appear.

“You look great… I should probably leave before Se-young and Secretary Byun wake up…”

As she tried to slip away, he grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into his arms.

Of all places, falling into his embrace on the bed was mortifying.

“Wh-what are you doing…?”

“You’re rewarding me.”

Rewarding him for what?

“I deserve this much. If you’d seen my efforts last night, you’d agree.”

His hand trailed gently from her crown downward, soothing her soul along with her body.

What on earth had happened last night?

Trapped in his arms, unsure whether to resist or surrender, Joo-eun’s wide eyes trembled with confusion.