NSTAR - 4

Jazz music with a rhythmic beat flowed live from the bar. 

Couples of various nationalities swayed gently to the rhythm, whispering words of love in their own languages. 

At that moment, an employee who recognized Minhyuk at once rushed over to greet the two of them. 

The employees seemed unusually flustered. 

This man clearly wasn’t an ordinary tourist. The blank check earlier had already hinted at that. Who exactly was he? 

For a brief moment, curiosity flickered in her mind. 

But then again, even if she knew what he did, what difference would it make? 

She was only here to help him for five minutes and then leave. 

Just as she stiffly prepared to sit down, still holding his hand, he murmured softly, 

"Sitting separately might be a bit risky." 

Startled, Joo-eun quickly nodded. 

"Right. We’re a couple who’s been together for a month." 

As she moved to the inner seat, Minhyuk slid in close beside her, almost brushing against her. 

Feeling self-conscious, she subtly shifted her hips to the side. 

Despite her determination to play her part well, her entire body was tense. 

"Hmm… That person—where is she?" 

"She’s probably watching us from somewhere." 

Of course. She was definitely hiding and observing them. 

‘I need to make sure we don’t get caught…’ 

Joo-eun felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility weighing on her shoulders, adding to her nervousness. 

"Um… I’m so tense. Can I start with just one cocktail?" 

Minhyuk lightly raised two fingers, and an employee standing in the shadows swiftly approached. 

He placed an order in fluent English. 

Within minutes, two cocktails were set before them. 

The colorful drinks seemed to ease her tension just by looking at them. 

"Jeong Minhyuk, aren’t you drinking?" 

"I don’t drink alcohol." 

His physique suggested he could handle endless bottles without batting an eye, so his response came as a surprise. She awkwardly laughed. 

"Then I’ll just have a little sip." 

Instead of answering, he gave a slight nod. 

Every gesture, every expression exuded a sexy elegance. 

If only he also had the ability to put others at ease, he’d be absolutely perfect. 

Trying to shake off her lingering nerves, Joo-eun brought the cocktail to her lips. 

"Oh, this is delicious!" 

Her eyes widened in delight as she gulped it down in quick succession. 

Sensing her dissatisfaction with just one glass, he signaled the employee again with a lift of his fingers. 

“I’d like another one of the same, please.” 

“It’s… it’s fine, really…” 

Still, she felt grateful. 

Truthfully, one drink hadn’t been enough. 

Before she knew it, a fourth glass was placed in front of her, despite her initial intention to stop after just one more. 

Each cocktail that arrived was stunningly beautiful. 

The triangular glasses looked as though they contained an emerald sea. 

The blue hues shimmered in her eyes as she gazed into the glass. 

"The alcohol content might be stronger than you expect. Drink slowly." 

‘For someone who’s only ever had soju, cocktails are a piece of cake.’ 

Hiding her thoughts behind a gentle smile, Joo-eun shyly nodded. 

That’s when she should have realized. 

Cocktails were anything but a piece of cake. 

Sometimes, the sweetest things can be the most dangerous. 

By the time she finished her fifth glass, Joo-eun blinked slowly, her movements languid. 

"Ha… I think the alcohol’s finally kicking in now. Tell her to hurry up. I’ll do this right." 

Her clenched fist, full of ambition, looked oddly threatening. Watching her, Minhyuk let out a dry chuckle. 

"What exactly are you planning to do so ambitiously?"

"Anything you like, except for that kissing and biting stuff—I can do it all." 

"In a relationship, if you take away physical affection, there isn’t much left to do, is there?" 

Whether from the alcohol or her own convictions, Joo-eun furrowed her brow and shook her head vigorously. 

"No way. Love between two people isn’t just about eros! Sometimes, they talk on the phone all night and fall asleep with the phone resting on their cheeks. Even after being apart for just one day, they miss each other so much they feel like crying." 

Her words tumbled out in a slurred tone as she recounted the romantic fantasies she had dreamed of. 

"On rainy days, they pretend they don’t have an umbrella and share one anyway. They experience fiery jealousy, shed tears over ridiculous misunderstandings, and then reconcile passionately. That’s what love is supposed to be!" 

Minhyuk chuckled bitterly. 

To him, who had spent his life building invisible walls to keep others at bay, these were all unfamiliar concepts. 

"You seem to have a lot of dating experience." 

"I know a thing or two." 

It was all precious indirect knowledge she had gleaned from books. 

Joo-eun grinned proudly, stretching the corners of her mouth wide. 

"I’ll make up for everything by properly getting rid of that stalker-like woman for you. I’ve been thinking about it all this time… If I were in your shoes, how would I feel? Ugh, it’d be so humiliating. I’d probably want to die." 

"That’s enough about that." 

"How can it be enough? You said you felt humiliated, angry, and like you couldn’t trust anyone anymore. And now I’ve made things worse for someone who already seemed short-tempered. I’m so sorry!" 

By now, Joo-eun had entered the stage where her memory kept flickering in and out, spilling whatever came to mind without filter. 

Minhyuk’s brow tightened. 

"You’re drunk. Let’s drink some water." 

He slid the glass of water sitting in the center of the table toward her. 

But just as he did, she abruptly straightened her leaning posture and began pointing accusingly at the glass with an extended index finger. 

"This water… It’s all because of water that this happened! Water shouldn’t have done that. There are other things to strip away—why did it have to mess with what you were wearing? Naughty thing!" 

She had now moved on to scolding the innocent glass of water. 

"You bad water! No matter how curious you were, you shouldn’t have done that!" she muttered under her breath. 

Minhyuk watched her antics with a mix of exasperation and amusement. 

Though he usually despised drunken rambling, there was something oddly entertaining about hers. He wanted to see how far she’d go. 

Most women either tensed up around him, overly cautious, or blatantly tried to seduce him. 

Seeing someone refreshingly different piqued his curiosity. 

That’s all he thought of it. 

This sudden, dangerous character who had appeared in his life. 

"Did you really not notice? The emptiness?" 

When Joo-eun swung her scolding finger toward him, his straight eyebrows shot up and then fell back down. 

This was only the second time in Jeong Minhyuk’s life someone had pointed a finger at him. 

The first time, he was pretty sure he had snapped that person’s finger. 

"My self-esteem is high, but I’m not the type to stand before strangers in my primal state and act unfazed." 

"True… If it were me, how would I have felt? Oh, just thinking about it…" 

"I told you to stop," he said, his voice dropping even lower than before. 

Unaware of the shift in tone, Joo-eun continued mumbling with half-closed eyes. 

"It’s not easy to forget something that shocking. Probably enough to cringe under the covers for a month… Oh my goodness!" 

Minhyuk grabbed her accusing finger tightly, causing Joo-eun to let out a short yelp. 

The foggy haze clouding her vision cleared instantly, snapping her back to reality. 

With wide, rabbit-like eyes frozen in place, she floundered for words before finally managing to croak out, 

"I-I’m sorry… I was just imagining how I’d feel if I were in your situation…" 

"Enough. I’ve already imagined swapping places with you." 

"…" 

"And maybe I’ve already experienced it too." 

At that moment, the live performance ended, and an abrupt silence filled the air. 

What did he mean by "already experienced it"? 

Startled by the sudden stillness, Joo-eun’s body reflexively hiccupped. 

"Hic! Hic…!" 

Embarrassed by the continuous hiccups breaking the silence, Joo-eun fumbled for the glass of water with her left hand. 

Despite having scolded the water earlier, she gulped it down to soothe her burning throat.

Whether from the alcohol or the lingering heat of her heart still racing due to his grip on her index finger, Joo-eun’s feverish pulse refused to cool down. 

Just as she was hastily emptying the glass of water— 

"What kind of big deal is this? I thought you’d rented rooms on both floors for something impressive, but all I see is one finger being held and endless chatter?" 

The sudden intrusion of Chaerin’s voice caused Joo-eun’s frantic heartbeat to plummet. 

It was enough to stop her hiccups instantly. 

When Joo-eun turned her head, there stood Chaerin, flaunting her chest with even more arrogance than usual. 

"Not even close, yet you’re making people nervous. I was actually worried you might’ve gotten a real girlfriend, but… pfft. Enough of this. Let’s call it a night, Oppa. I’ll come to your room later." 

Minhyuk’s expression froze over with icy disdain. 

This coldness was entirely different from the tone he had used while talking to Joo-eun. 

"I already told you—we’re spending the night in bed. Planning to do all sorts of things. Do you really want to watch?" 

In… in bed… all sorts of things…? 

Joo-eun’s head whipped toward Minhyuk. 

Even though she knew he was lying, the thought sent an odd shiver through her. 

"Just holding fingers and pretending to be sexy? Whoever this woman is, she doesn’t look like someone worthy of being called Jeong Minhyuk’s lover. Honestly, she looks pitiful. No, very pitiful. Not even a hint of jealousy. You tried hard, but this operation is a failure, Oppa." 

Joo-eun’s jaw dropped in disbelief. 

As if savoring Joo-eun’s flustered state, Chaerin deliberately swayed her body, jingling her expensive accessories. 

No matter how pretty or charming you are, without these costly adornments, you’re nothing but plain, her actions seemed to scream. 

"It’s amusing to see you fail for once, Oppa. See you later." 

With a crooked smile, Chaerin waved ostentatiously and turned to leave. 

Just you wait, you accessory fanatic! 

Joo-eun clenched her teeth tightly. 

"Jeong Minhyuk, sorry, but I’m canceling what I said earlier." 

"…What are you talking about?" 

"My comment about not doing physical contact." 

Minhyuk could only chuckle softly, regretting the unnecessary trouble he had stirred up. 

"Forget it. It was unreasonable of me to ask in the first place…!" 

Before he could even finish his sentence, Joo-eun abruptly thrust her lips forward. 

Literally thrust them forward, pressing firmly like stamping a seal. 

“…!” 

Minhyuk’s perpetually sharp gaze widened in shock for the first time. 

It was a sensation he had never felt before—soft and yielding. 

Just the simple press of her lips against his, yet it felt as though his entire world had paused. 

Like a small butterfly had landed gently on his lips and pressed a stop button. 

Frozen in place, the only thing he could do was tighten his grip on her index finger, which he had been holding onto since earlier. 

‘What… what is this…?’ 

It was absurd, maddening even, yet despite his mind’s protests, his body grew increasingly hot and tense. 

Unable to resist the unfamiliar softness and moisture, his heated blood surged toward one focal point, driven by his pounding heart. 

Just as an unfamiliar desire began to stir within him, he could no longer hold back and pushed her away. 

"Hah… Listen, Song Joo-eun." 

It had only been a simple peck—a mere brush of lips—but his breathing came out ragged and uneven. 

Joo-eun, who had kept her eyes tightly shut during the kiss, finally opened them to see his expression and panicked, unsure of what to do. 

"I-I’m sorry! I panicked because it felt like everything was exposed…" 

"If you want to do this properly, relax first." 

"…Huh?" 

"I’m going in." 

Before she could process his words, his long arms pulled her waist and neck closer, and he deepened the kiss, swallowing her lips completely. 

Startled, her mouth instinctively parted, and his hot breath rushed in forcefully, overwhelming her senses.